#I will never recover emotionally from the royal

[vntxtears]

more offerings for shuake nation, I finally finished the game and now I can cry to them too while studying lmao

[almightaylor]

the moment they realize that they’re falling in love is when the other person is doing something silly… they’re literal soulmates

[quitealotofsodapop]

Bai Heb is reincarnation of one of the Emperor's daughters? Bai He adopted by Wukogn and Macaque and neither realizing this is the Jade Emperor's daughter because the daughter she was the reincarnation of was one of the few that were never public knowledge? Jade Emperor discovering this when he lays dying and realized the mortal girl Sun Wukong had tried so hard to legally adopt and care for in both the eyes of the gods and the eyes of mortals is none other than his own daughter because he'd never met her in person?

referencing the weird dream I had about Bai He interacting with the Jade Emperor and the Queen Mother.

I think thats what the dream was implying.

Jade Emperor and Queen Mother have some bad history regarding their daughters.

The specific one mentioned in the dream - Zhinu? She was the seventh born and a goddess of weaving; she wove clouds into heavenly vestements for her parents.

And is the protag of "The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl".

One day she fell in love with a mortal cowherd named Niu Lang. A big celestial no-no. Especially she and Niu Lang had two kids. A even bigger celestial no-no!

Zhinu feels homesick one day and uses her enchanted cloud-clothing to visit her parents. But they won't let her leave. The Queen Mother is so adamant on keeping Zhinu from Earth that she tears a rip in the sky that becomes the Heavenly River (the Milky Way).

On earth, Niu Lang figured out that his wife has been kidnapped by her family. His loyal ox turns out to be a disposed god of cattle (weird detail but who knows, maybe Shennong was hanging around) who manages to boat Niu Lang and the two kids to a spot just across the Heavenly River where the married couple can see, but not touch one another. Only once a year can divine birds help carry the family across the river to reunite with Zhinu.

The story is meant to be an explanation for the literally "star-crossed" stars Vega and Altair (with baby stars Beta-Aquilae/Alshain and Gamma-Aquilae/Tarazed their kids) which meet eachother along the Milky Way once a year.

Not much more stories come from what happens to Zhinu and her mortal family after wards. But I imagine she's not on speaking terms with her parents. In my LMK idea, they're chilling in a piece of deep space away from the nonsense of the Celestial Realm. Having literally become stars and transcended the cycle of rebirth in a way that none of the celestials can imagine.

In addition to Zhinu, my chinese mythos storyline has the royal couple have had a falling out with;

Songzi (1st born) - was so disgusted by their treatment of Zhinu that she willingly went into the cycle of rebirth and eventually became Guanyin, Bodhisattva of Mercy.

Yin Wuming (2nd born) - reincarnated and became a demon hunter + Nezha's mother, and rejected the offer of reascension.

Princess Iron Fan (born after Zhinu) - who was expelled for falling in love/marrying the Demon Bull King.

So where does Bai He fall into this?

No idea.

Then again... imagine the heartbreak that would have occured if their truly youngest/last-born did not survive their earliest years. A daughter that they hid from a world ravaged by celestial war, but ultimately lost anyway to disease or misfortune. They would never by able to recover emotionally.

Now imagine that tiny soul reincarnated into a little mortal girl, who somehow contained enough divine power to harbour the White Bone Demon (a possible avatar of death itself) and not immeditaly breakdown into dust?

A pair of stone monkeys and/or a human scholar and a pig are now accidentally the guardians of the youngest Celestial Princess. Very magical girl-esque backstory for Bai He.

And the Jade Emperor only realises how familar the little girl at his side is in his final moments...

[just-another-blog-of-fluff]

The Skill of a Valkyrie - Part 2

Word count: 13,000

Pairing: Loki x reader (new relationship)

Reader pronouns: she/her

Warnings: gets steamy at times (never anything explicit as usual), some angst, self-doubt

Phew, this took me an eternity to write, but it's finally complete! I loved writing part 1 so much that I wanted part 2 to measure up to the first. Hopefully I've been able to manage it!

This part incorporates a Prompt where the reader helps Loki to rebuild his strength after his injury. I also sort of ran along with my own plot ideas... hence the length 😅😅 I hope you enjoy!!

And also - happy birthday @duckynugget!! 🎂

Read Part 1 first

"Come on... it's been over two months since we've sparred!"

"With good reason! The healers have asked you to take it easy!"

The look Loki shot you was reminiscent of that of a child trying to guilt someone into getting their way. It was difficult to maintain your firm façade when an amused grin was fighting its way across your face.

"Loki - I am your instructor, and as such, I know what's best for you. And that means no sparring until you're fully healed. We're here to stretch and run through some light exercises - nothing more."

"Perhaps I should request a more lenient instructor, then," he pouted.

"You know as well as I that your mother would never allow it. She cares for your well being just as much as I do." You smirked. "And you and I are both aware that you'd miss me far too much."

"Ah - but it's you who would be lost without my devilish wit and charm."

Loki stepped closer to you, his hand falling on your waist while the other slipped around the back of your neck. You felt your knees weaken under the sultry sensation of his touch, the weight of his adoring gaze. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a half smirk, one that was maddeningly handsome despite the fact that you knew he knew his teasing was getting to you.

It had been six weeks since the Allfather, Loki, and the Einherjar had returned from Muspelheim. Six weeks since the day you thought you'd lost the man you'd grown to love before you'd even come to terms with it yourself. The day you'd kept vigil at his bedside as he lay unconscious. The day you declared your love for him, and he reciprocated. What a whirlwind of a day it had been.

While your feelings for one another were out in the open, you hadn't been exceedingly physical with one another. It was difficult to find an appropriate time, considering the two of you were hardly ever alone together. Loki had healers fussing over him constantly, on top of his princely duties. It would be improper for the two of you to be seen kissing one another senseless in the company of the royal court. As a result, when you did find a moment alone, the simplest act of caressing your cheek or lacing his fingers through yours sent your heart reeling.

Loki had been quick to recover emotionally from the wound. Unfortunately for him, the physical part of the recovery had been slower. Certainly, being a demigod, his healing time was faster than most. But it simply wasn't fast enough for the young, mischievous prince. He was eager to return to his training at his full, former strength, and so being bedridden for any more than a day was not an option.

Originally, Loki was to rejoin his brother and train with the Einherjar after his return from Muspelheim. You were only too pleased to accept Frigga's request to continue to work with the brash prince. If there was anyone in the realm who could keep his ego in check and prevent him from overtraining, the Allmother knew it was you.

And, if there were ever a reason to spend some time alone together, this was the perfect excuse.

"Loki - are you trying to seduce me into getting your way?" you asked with a grin.

"Mm... is it working?" The prince ducked down slowly to close the distance between you, pressing his soft lips against yours. You let your eyes flutter closed, drinking in the taste of him for just a moment. Then, you recalled the little game he was playing.

"Mmpf - n-no, it is most certainly not working, you imp!" you scolded teasingly, gently pulling away from his kiss. "I can't have you believing you can simply kiss me to have your way. You'll become even more spoiled than you already are."

"I am most certainly not spoiled!" He scowled, making you laugh.

"Alright - how about this?" You grasped his wrists and pushed them away, instead lacing your fingers through his. "If you can find it in you to behave yourself and listen to your instructor, then I will allow you to spar with me in a week's time."

"I... suppose that would be reasonable."

"Excellent. Now then - let's begin your recovery routine."

You led the reluctant prince through his stretches and exercises. It was clear that Loki was trying to appear bored with these low-physicality training regimens, but every once in a while you'd catch him wincing and stiffening his left shoulder when he thought you weren't looking. It only reaffirmed your decision not to concede to his wheedling - surely he'd only injure himself if you'd allowed him to spar. If you hadn't already promised him, you might have told him he should wait another week. You'd simply have to go easy on him.

Too soon, you were wrapping up his training session for the day. You knew Loki had a gathering of the royal court to attend, and you had work to do at the Valkyrie training facility yourself. It would be another couple of days before you'd have this time together again.

"How are you feeling, Loki? Is that shoulder troubling you at all?" you asked, gesturing toward the location of the former spear wound.

"Not one bit. You're truly a miracle worker, Valkyrie," he responded proudly, rolling his shoulder a couple of times as though to prove his point.

"Heed caution, Loki. Overconfidence is what got you into this mess in the first place."

"I'm not being overconfident." He took a few strides closer to you, that characteristic smirk overtaking his features. "If anything, I'm singing you praises. Don't let it go to your head, now, love."

"Come, now. You know I know better than that." Loki lifted his hands to cup your jaw on either side, tilting your face up toward himself as he leaned closer, your noses nearly touching. "Loki... you have duties to attend to," you warned half-heartedly, melting into his touch all the same.

"Mm, indeed I do." He closed the few inches of space remaining between you, capturing your lips with his. You instinctively wrapped your arms around his waist, hands coming to rest against the small of his back. He hummed in approval, one of his own hands falling from your neck to your waist so he could tug you impossibly closer. Gods, he was intoxicating. Your willpower to resist his charms and keep him on task crumbled so easily with the gentlest touch.

Regretfully, you pulled away, resting your forehead against his. "Loki, I'm serious! You must not shirk your duties as prince just to spend the afternoon kissing me."

"Why ever not?" He tilted his head slightly to steal another swift kiss. "Kissing you is far better than any council gathering. They shall barely notice my absence."

"No, no. I won't allow it." You leaned back slightly to evade his advances. With a guttural growl, Loki tightened his arm around your waist to pull you closer once again, his lips finding yours despite your protests. You couldn't help but laugh against his mouth. Cheekily, you slipped your hands from his back to his waist, pinching rapidly at his sides for just a moment.

"Mm-hm-hehey!" he spluttered, breaking apart from your lips as his hands shot down to capture yours.

"Attend your council meeting, or I'll tickle you senseless," you threatened with a smirk, digging your fingertips into his sides once for emphasis. His grip on your hands tightened in an effort to still your tickling fingers.

"This is entirely unfair, you know. Holding this over my head in such a way."

"I never said I was playing fair." You wriggled your fingertips into his skin as best you could given the limited range of motion he was providing you. A ticklish grin overtook his face as he attempted to pry your hands away. "Yield to me, Loki."

"Oh, alright, alright! I yield!" He released your hands as you stepped back, a haughty smirk on your face. "You are infuriating, you are."

"I'm simply doing my duty as your instructor to keep you on task. By any means necessary." You reached out to prod his stomach and he swatted your hand away with a scowl.

"You wouldn't prefer to remain here with me?"

You sighed. "Of course I would, Loki. We simply can't at the moment."

"Perhaps we require a more opportune moment, then."

"Perhaps we do."

He gazed at you thoughtfully for a moment. Then, with his charming smile, he scooped up one of your hands in his and lifted it to his lips. "Until next time, then." He pressed a feather-light kiss to the back of your hand, his grin widening as he watched your knees falter slightly. Then, he turned and strode up the gold-flecked stairs to the palace, disappearing around a corner on his way to the council room.

* * *

True to his word, Loki continued to follow your instructions during each of the sessions that followed that week. Gradually, you were beginning to notice he would grimace less frequently while performing his exercises. You knew he'd never admit it to you, but this training regimen was rebuilding his strength in that injured shoulder. He'd have been far worse off had he dove back into his original routine straight away.

"Today we spar, yes?" he called down to you as he descended the stairs into the courtyard for his training session the following week.

"Eager, are we?" you called in response. That handsome smirk of his was etched across his features as always as he approached you, sweeping you up into his arms and kissing you. You whined in weak protest as he lifted your feet off the ground for just a moment.

"Yes, I'm eager, of course! It's been months since we've had a proper match. I'm simply itching to defeat you," he boasted, releasing you from his hold with a bright spark in his eyes.

"Are you certain you're ready? I don't want to reinjure that shoulder."

"I'm more than ready. The real question is, are you?"

You sighed, shaking your head in defeat. "Alright, we shall spar, then. But I've no choice but to go easy on you until you've fully regained your strength. It would do you no good to take on the full skill of a Valkyrie before you've completely healed."

Loki scoffed. "I'm quite capable of opposing you at your full strength."

"There's no arguing your way out of it. I'm taking it easy, as should you." You gave him a firm look, to which he merely smirked.

"You simply want an out when you lose to me."

"If that is what you'd like to believe, then yes." You motioned for him to stand facing you. "Shall we?"

“After you, Valkyrie.”

You knew you had to be cautious not to cause strain to that injured pectoral muscle of his, so you opted to aim low. Feigning a lunge forward as if to punch toward his face, you halted your momentum at the last moment and instead shifted your weight to your back foot, striking out with a roundhouse kick toward his knees. Loki skillfully caught hold of your ankle before you could connect with your target, jerking it upward to throw you off balance. Stumbling backward, you allowed yourself to fall and tucked into a backward somersault, leaping straight back to your feet.

“Come, now. Is that the best you can do?” Loki goaded with a sly grin.

“You won’t be seeing my best today, I’ve already told you.”

You charged forward while his guard was down, aiming a punch toward his uninjured right shoulder. He knocked your fist aside with his forearm, swiftly striking back with a swipe toward your gut. You caught hold of his fist, tugging his arm out straight and leaning your weight into an elbow lock against your side.

“Seems that you can’t beat me even at partial strength,” you teased. With a grunt, he tugged his hand free of your grasp, twisting his body in the process to strike with his heel against your ankle. You weren’t anticipating the low blow, losing your balance and falling onto your back. Quickly, you rolled onto your front to pick yourself up off the ground. A sudden weight against the backs of your legs told you Loki had been anticipating this move. Before you could react, he’d snatched up your wrists and gathered them to pin against the small of your back with one of his larger hands.

"Ah... how I've missed this," Loki sighed wistfully, as though reminiscing about a favorite hobby and not pinning you face-down against the ground. You grunted and bucked your hips in effort to throw him off. He didn't budge, merely pressing his weight further against your wrists at the small of your back.

"Alright, let up, Loki," you demanded.

"You've gotten yourself out of such predicaments many times in the past," he countered, the smirk evident in his tone. "Go on and fight your way out."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't."

"Loki! You can't strong-arm me into fighting you full force!" you groaned, shifting under his weight.

"Oh, no?"

Suddenly, the fingers on his free hand found purchase on your side, worming their way underneath you to dig into the soft spot by your hipbone. You knew you should have seen this coming but it startled you all the same, drawing a burst of frantic laughter forth from your chest. You heard Loki chuckle fondly at your outburst, only encouraging him to wriggle his fingers deeper into the pliant skin.

"LOHOKI! Yohou play DIHIRTY!" you scolded.

"Mm... God of Mischief, darling. Now, then - is this incentive enough to fight your way out? Or must I motivate you further?"

"I wihill NOT - NOHO!" You shrieked as his tickling fingers worked rapidly up your side, scratching at the hypersensitive spot just below your ribcage where your stomach met your side.

"I could do this all day, love. You simply need to fight back." Loki's tone was laced with amusement as he teased you. You knew very well that half the reason he missed sparring with you so much was the playful banter that came along with it. Even if he couldn't convince you to fight him off, you knew he was happy just to hear your desperate laughter.

But gods if he wasn't far too skilled at breaking your resolve.

"L-ahah-LOHOKI WAHAIT! WAIT!" you pleaded, sighing with relief when his fingers stilled against your side.

"I'm listening," he urged mischievously.

"I..." You sucked in air, trying desperately to formulate a solid argument while Loki's fingers remained unmoving, pressed tormentingly, threateningly against your lowest ribs. "This... this is no way to treat your instructor!"

"Oh-ho, is that all you have to say?" He pinched rapidly at your side, throwing you back into rapid giggles. "You and I are both aware you are more than capable of escaping. So - will you fight? Or shall I force your hand?"

"Whahat - n-no, Lohoki, dohon't you DAHARE!" You tensed reflexively as his fingers crawled their way up to your ribcage, pausing to splay wide between the bones.

"Some fight in you, Valkyrie?"

You turned your head enough to glare at the mischievous god over your shoulder. He thought he had you cornered. But there was no way you were risking causing him any harm by fighting him off. Not to mention, this was the brightest you'd seen him acting in weeks.

"Do your worst."

Loki barked out an incredulous laugh at your tenacity. "Brazen for someone in your position. But, if you insist."

Swiftly, he released your wrists and dug into your ribcage on both sides before you had the wherewithal to impede his access with your newly freed arms. With a screech, you dissolved into hysterics, pounding your feet against the ground in helpless protest. The young prince was only too pleased with himself, chuckling heartily as he probed in search of the weak spot he'd discovered before. It was a matter of seconds before he discovered it.

"OHOKAHAY!! GOHODS, I YIEHELD, LOKI!!" you pleaded, tapping the ground with your palm in surrender. As mischievous as he was, the prince wasn't cruel - he relented in his ruthless attack as he noticed you weakening. You rolled onto your back as he removed his weight from your legs, shooting him the most serious glare you could muster despite your persistent grin.

“You could have easily escaped that hold,” Loki chastised with a click of his tongue.

“Yes, and risk tearing your shoulder muscle in the process!” You took the hand Loki offered to help you sit up, smoothing your hair down.

“I’m not fragile, you know.”

“No, but you aren’t fully recovered either, Loki.” You sighed. “I need you to understand how important it is to take this slowly. To overwork yourself too soon is to risk permanent injury, and I… I can't bear to see you in pain. Please."

Loki's expression softened. "I shall try to heed my instructor's warnings, then." You smiled appreciatively, relieved. "But I still believe you simply wanted an excuse for your staggering loss in that sparring match." He shot you a wink. You laughed, shaking your head as you allowed him to help you to your feet.

"If you'd humor me, Prince Loki, I'd like to move on to your recovery regimen now."

"Yes, perhaps a rematch might be too much for you to handle."

"Hold your tongue, Loki - I could easily have you running laps around the courtyard for mouthing off to your instructor."

He grinned cheekily. "My apologies, taskmaster. What are your orders?"

You led the knavish prince through his exercises, keeping the routine a bit lighter today after already having exerted yourselves sparring. He was surprisingly obedient despite his mischievous attitude throughout the beginning of the session. Perhaps he was feeling a bit of remorse for making you worry for him.

"We'll meet again in two days' time," you directed as you wrapped up the session. "I expect you to be practicing your stretches in the meantime on your own."

"Mm... two days is far too long for me to wait," Loki lamented, gazing at you with adoration.

"I know." You approached the prince, slipping your arms around his waist and leaning your forehead against his shoulder. He returned your embrace, resting his chin atop your head. "You know as well as I it would be improper for the two of us to be seen frolicking around the kingdom together while we both have duties to attend to."

"Then we shall remain here in the courtyard," he urged, leaning back a bit and pressing his lips to your forehead. You tilted your head to look at him, met with the handsome mischievous smirk you'd grown to love. "No one should bother us here, I think."

"Here? In the palace courtyard?" You laughed incredulously. "No, I can't imagine anyone passing through the palace."

"No one of consequence," he countered facetiously.

"No - only the royal court... or your father..."

He cut you off with his lips against yours. You knew you should scold him, but you couldn't help but melt into his kiss. After a few moments, he pulled away to look at you.

"My mother adores you. Anyone who feels differently about our relationship would need to answer to her. And to me." Loki's brow furrowed. "You aren't... embarrassed to be courted by the God of Mischief, are you?"

"Of course not!" You pressed a chaste kiss to his frowning lips. "I am honored to have earned the affections of the chaotic Prince of Asgard," you teased. He growled and pinched your side ticklishly, his frown swiftly brightening back into that characteristic grin.

"Then what worries you?"

What did worry you? It was difficult to explain.

Despite being a warrior in service of the royal family for centuries, you'd never found yourself in the inner circles of the court. You were fierce, respected. A force to be reckoned with, should anyone be so unfortunate as to attempt to attack the kingdom.

What you were not was royalty material. You'd never imagined yourself dressed in extravagant gowns and gemstones, attending royal gatherings, dining at royal feasts. The mere idea of it all terrified you. How could you adapt to such a lifestyle when your entire life had been devoted to combat training, self-defense, and weaponry? How would you ever manage to fit in without humiliating yourself? Humiliating the prince?

"I... simply want to ease the royal court into our relationship," you explained. "And shirking our other duties would be a poor way to start out, would it not?"

Loki nodded slowly, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "What about after we've attended to our other responsibilities?"

"You have courtly duties late into the evening, do you not?"

"Then we will meet after that. Come to the palace gates an hour after sunset. I know of the perfect place we can go to spend time together - away from those prying eyes you're so worried about. Please." He gazed at you earnestly, pleading with his eyes. An involuntary grin spread across your face.

"I suppose I can arrange for that."

* * *

The pair of you treaded quietly through the forest trails just beyond the palace walls after dark that evening. Loki led you by the hand along the time-worn path, navigating the way by the light of the moon flickering between the swaying branches of the trees overhead. You'd have easily gotten lost in these woods on your own, but the prince was obviously intimately familiar with the route, never once pausing to ponder which direction to take.

Gradually, the trees began to thin along the edges of the path. The two of you emerged from the forest into a broad clearing, the sight of which took your breath away.

A vast lake sat ahead, surrounded by lush grass and boulders smoothed by centuries of rainfall. The still surface of the water sparkled with the reflections of the moon and stars overhead. Around the far side of the lake stood a cliff with a slight overhang above the water, casting shadow over a rocky alcove beside the water's edge.

"Do you like it?" Loki asked eagerly, the contours of his face bathed in an array of moonlight and shadow.

"It's beautiful," you breathed, gazing around at the scene before you. "Do you come here often?"

"Only when I'm seeking time alone. Very few are familiar with this clearing." He sounded proud, boastful almost, to show you such a gorgeous setting. "Come. Swim with me."

"I haven't brought swimming attire."

"No need. I always swim in the nude."

"Loki!" you gasped, covering your mouth to stifle a nervous giggle. He grinned, winking mischievously at you.

"I only jest. Perhaps another time." He stepped ahead of you, proceeding to strip down to his underclothes and tossing his other garments aside by the lake's edge. You found yourself captivated at the sight of the toned muscles rippling over his shoulders and back, his fair skin illuminated by the pale moonlight. He turned to you, grin broadening as he caught you staring and drawing a wave of heat to your cheeks. "Come. The water is divine."

Glancing around nervously, despite knowing the two of you were definitively alone, you finally let out a nervous breath and paced to the water's edge. Loki had already submerged himself completely, surfacing with a contented sigh. His normally wavy dark locks were slicked back, dripping with the clear water of the lake. He wiped the water from his eyes, glancing back to where you stood in the grass beside his pile of clothing.

"If you aren't going to get in the water, I'll need to bring the water to you," he threatened teasingly, splashing a light flick of water in your direction as a warning. You took a compensatory step backwards with a laugh.

"Don't you dare dampen my clothes, you imp!"

The prince laughed, leaning backward to float casually on his back as he watched you. The crystal-clear water rippled around him. It did look refreshing...

"What's wrong, darling? Regretting all the fun you're missing?" Loki pestered with a sly grin.

"Alright..." you sighed. "You've convinced me."

"You won't be disappointed. The water is invigorating."

You could feel his eyes on you as you disrobed down to your own undergarments. It wasn't much different than you'd have been wearing had you brought along proper swimming attire, but something about the intimacy of the moment made you feel somewhat uncharacteristically shy.

Gingerly, you dipped your bare foot into the water. Loki wasn't wrong - it was quite refreshing. Satisfied, you waded your way out to the deeper water with Loki's blue-green eyes fixed on you.

"Do you admit that I was right?" he asked teasingly as you approached.

“It is a wonderful little oasis, I will give you that.”

You ducked down beneath the water’s surface to fully submerge yourself, slicking your wet hair back as you resurfaced. Loki had allowed his lower half to sink down so he could stand upright, the water coming to just above his navel. Your gaze was drawn to the contours of his bare abdomen, traveling upward over his chest until your eyes landed on his scar.

A faint line, still slightly reddened and raised above the level of the surrounding uninjured skin, stretched about six inches across the left side of his chest a few inches from his sternum. A stark reminder of what may have never been, had that spear struck only slightly closer to his heart. Seeing it for the first time took your breath away, feeling as if someone had a vice grip around your windpipe.

Almost involuntarily, you raised your hand to his chest and smoothed your palm over the mark, as though you could wipe it away and make it disappear. Loki slipped his hand into your other hand where it rested by your side, allowing you to touch the healing wound while still grounding you in the present.

"It doesn't hurt, you know," he assured gently, squeezing your hand. "It will fade away over time."

"I know." You released a slow, steady breath. "It just... it makes it so much more real."

"It was real. And I survived." He smiled half-heartedly. "I am rather difficult to strike down. I'm stubborn in that way."

You laughed, blinking away the tears brimming in your eyes. "You always have been rather stubborn."

"And yet you still fell for me."

You lifted your gaze from the scar to meet his eye. He reached up to cup your face with his unoccupied hand, delicately brushing a stray tear from your cheek with his thumb.

"What can I say? You're rather charming. It was difficult not to."

A soft laugh resonated from deep in his throat at your response. Wordlessly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against yours. You kissed him back fervently, the stinging taste of salt on your tongue from the few stray tears that had escaped.

When you pulled away after a few moments, your eyes fell to the scar once again, just beside where your palm rested on his chest.

"I think it's rather becoming, actually. Don't you?" he asked teasingly.

"Hmm. Rather rugged for a prince, don't you think?" You absently traced your fingers along the thickened skin. Loki let out a breathy laugh through his nose, his hand suddenly landing on the back of yours and pressing your palm more firmly to his chest. You looked up at his face with a spark of amusement in your eyes. "Don't tell me you're ticklish here, too."

"Of course not. That would be absurd," he denied quickly, removing his hand from yours. You dusted your fingers along the smooth skin just below his collarbone, drawing a slight giggle from the prince.

"Yes you are!" you argued with a chuckle. Growling playfully, he grasped his hand around your fingers to cease your tickling, suddenly wrapping an arm around your waist and dipping you backward. You let out a squeak of surprise, quickly dissolving into a stream of giggles as he ducked down and nibbled gently at your collarbone. "Okahay, okay! I gehet it!"

"Mm. I thought as much." Loki stood you upright, that infectious smile etched across his face. "Are you afraid of heights, Valkyrie?"

"What? No, of course not. Why do you ask?"

He laced his fingers through yours, tugging gently to lead you back to the water's edge. "Come. I've yet to show you my favorite part about this place."

The evening breeze brought a wave of goosebumps to your dampened skin as the two of you emerged from the lake. Loki led you along the water's edge toward the adjacent cliff, pausing at the base of it.

"Are you up to a bit of climbing?"

"Certainly - but to what purpose?"

Loki gestured to the top of the cliff, about fifteen feet up. "Ever since I was a child, I've always enjoyed climbing to the top of this cliff. It's the perfect spot to dive into the lake - the water below is much deeper." He glanced at you with a mischievous grin. “Unless you’re too frightened of the jump.”

“Loki - I am a Valkyrie,” you tutted. “The Valkyrie are fearless, as you may recall.”

“Alright - after you, then.”

You found a solid foothold in the rocky surface and began to ascend the cliff, with Loki close behind. It wasn’t a terribly lengthy climb, and the two of you made quick work of it, reaching the top in minutes. Standing at the edge overlooking the water below, you could understand why feebler-willed beings might find the drop to be scary. But you were being truthful when you said you weren’t afraid.

“Shall we go together, then?” you suggested. Loki slid his hand into yours, and the two of you leapt off the edge, plummeting to the water below.

The rush of water surrounding your nearly-dried skin actually felt warm against the night chill. Loki held tight to your hand even as the pair of you surfaced and took in a gasping breath of air. He was laughing from the adrenaline of the fall. The sound was infectious, and you began to laugh as well.

“When I was a child, that leap used to terrify me,” Loki admitted sheepishly. “You truly are fearless.”

“Did you doubt me?” You shot him a playfully indignant look.

“I simply needed proof.”

The two of you swam to the edge of the rocky alcove beneath the cliff you’d just dove from, hoisting yourselves out of the water to dry off once again in the evening breeze. You took a seat by the edge of the water, gazing quietly out over the sparkling lake as it gradually stilled once again.

Conversation came so easily with Loki. There were still so many things you didn’t know about each other. And yet, the intermittent moments of silence felt calm and peaceful, rather than awkward as one might anticipate. It was so serene, just sitting together by the lake without being plagued by other more pressing responsibilities.

Reluctantly, as late evening became night, you insisted it would be best for you both to return home. You scooped up your pile of clothes, pulling your tunic on over your head.

“I’ll admit - I did have another reason for asking you to join me here tonight,” Loki explained as he, too, redressed himself over his dry underclothes.

“Oh? And what might that be? Besides convincing me to undress in front of you?”

“That was just an added perk,” Loki chuckled. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous, fidgeting with the fabric of the hem of his own tunic. “Well, you see… there is a grand ball to be held at the palace in two weeks time. The annual celebration of Odin’s reign over Asgard.”

Your heart began pounding faster in your chest as you realized where this was headed. Loki stepped closer to you, scooping up your hand in his. There was an earnest, hopeful look in his eyes. It only served to pique your anxiety further.

“Please - would you do me the honor of joining me?”

“I…” Your mind faltered as you tried to come up with the right words. This was exactly the sort of scenario that worried you most about being courted by the royal young Prince of Asgard. A grand ball - sure to be teeming with members of the royal court, and perhaps even royalty from other realms as well. The extravagant gowns, the expensive jewels, the hearty feast, the elegant dancing… it all sounded wonderful in theory.

But you were not royalty. You lived your life in combat armor and simple tunics and pants. It had been over a century since you’d even worn a dress of any sort, when you’d attended your brother’s wedding. Being the prince, Loki needed someone who could keep up appearances and fit in with the other ball guests. You would just stand out for the wrong reasons. Or worse - you’d make some terrible blunder that would embarrass the entire royal family.

Loki’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched you wordlessly opening and closing your mouth in flustered silence. The hopeful spark in his eye began to fade as he observed your reaction to his request. It made your heart squeeze uncomfortably inside your chest.

“Loki, I… do you really think that I’m the best person to be accompanying you to such grand events?” you stammered, gazing down at your feet.

“Who else would I ask to accompany me?”

“I just mean… it’s not that I don’t want to go… it’s simply…”

“You are embarrassed at the idea of being seen with me.”

Loki’s sharp tone drew your eyes from the ground to meet his. His face was clouded with anger and betrayal. He'd never looked upon you with such fire in his eyes.

"No, of course not! I-"

"It all makes sense now - why you've refused to spend time with me outside the palace walls!" He began pacing in frustration, his hands balled into fists. "Why you won't even allow yourself to remain in my company within the palace beyond our training sessions! You're ashamed to be seen with me!"

"Loki! That isn't at all how I feel! If you'll just listen-"

"Spare me the lies, Valkyrie." He spat the words like venom. "I've been through this before. I'm simply a stepping stone to get to the the almighty God of Thunder."

"Thor?? Why in Valhalla would I use you to get to Thor?" you asked incredulously. "Loki - please listen. I-"

"NO! I won't hear another word! Your words are meaningless! Your actions have already spoken for themselves!" Loki's voice faltered slightly, and he swallowed to hide the raw emotion behind his blind rage. "I'm going home. I trust you can find your own way back."

You were speechless as he stormed past you, rooted to the spot in shock as he crossed the tree line and vanished from sight. Tears stung behind your eyes, and you bit down on your tongue to prevent them from falling. No - you would not allow yourself to cry over this unreasonable man.

The chill of the night felt so much colder now that you were walking home alone. It seeped into your skin, chilling you to the bone with every gust of wind that blew through the forest. You hadn't noticed the cold until Loki was no longer beside you to hold your hand in his, to hold you close in his arms.

Suddenly, you felt hopelessly alone.

* * *

Loki didn't attend his next session with you two days later. It wasn't entirely surprising to you, but it stung all the same. You knew the prince could be irrational at times, but he had never been so unreasonable with you.

You were furious with him for his stubbornness. What had you ever done to lead him to believe you'd wrong him in such a way? And for him to even dare insinuate that you would use him to get to his brother?? How could he even suggest such a deplorable thing?

As the days passed, and your outrage cooled, your heart began to ache for him. Once the tempestuous anger cleared from your mind, you began to think more clearly. Realization struck that there must be an underlying reason for Loki to believe those horrific things of you. What turmoil had he suffered in his past to make him so guarded? Behind the blind rage he wore as a shield, you feared there was a harrowing history of hurt and deception driving his fear and mistrust. Loki had always been skilled at concealing his true emotions.

More than anything, you wanted to have the opportunity to speak to him and make things right. But as time wore on, and Loki missed yet another session with you a few days later, the chances of that were beginning to seem dismal.

Uncertain what to do with yourself in the hour of freedom that had suddenly opened in your schedule due to Loki's avoidance, you decided to spend some time in the palace library. Frigga had assured you on more than one occasion that you were welcome to it any time you liked. There was a sense of calm and peacefulness that accompanied your time in the library, and more than ever you needed that feeling. Not to mention, there was a solid chance that Loki may be hiding there himself.

Disappointment flooded through you when you arrived at the vast library to find it devoid of any other readers. Still, you perused the shelves of literature, selecting a book that seemed somewhat lighthearted by the title. You took a seat on the bench nearest to one of the windows, closing your eyes as a refreshing breeze caressed your cheeks.

It was difficult to say how much time had passed when a familiar voice echoed from the entrance to the library, calling to you.

"I see my dear son has shirked his lessons once again."

You set the book down beside you and stood out of habit upon hearing the queen's melodic tone, bowing your head respectfully as she approached. Frigga smiled warmly, motioning for you to take a seat on the bench once again.

"How many times will I have to remind you that there is no need for such formalities? You are practically family by now."

"My apologies, Frigga. I shall grow accustomed to it eventually," you assured, moving the book to your lap as she lowered herself to sit beside you. "Yes, Loki missed his lesson again today, I'm afraid. I believe he may be upset with me."

"That would certainly explain his dour demeanor over the last few days," she responded with a gentle laugh. "How could my son possibly be angry with you?"

"I fear the fault is mine," you explained sullenly. "You see, he invited me to the upcoming grand ball at the palace, and I... well, I was perhaps not as thrilled at the idea as he might have hoped."

"Ah. I see." Frigga gazed pensively at you, her smile never wavering. "I don't intend to pry into your relationship with my son, of course. But, if you are seeking council, know that I am happy to listen."

"Thank you." Her warmth and presence put you at ease. Perhaps she could provide you with some advice on how to get through to Loki. "I wish to speak to him and make things right, but he has been avoiding me for nearly a week."

"My son is rather stubborn. Both of them, actually. I suspect they get it from their father." Frigga turned her gaze toward the window, observing the bustling streets beyond the palace walls.

"I'm well acquainted with Loki's obstinacy, yes," you laughed half-heartedly. "I fear I may never have the opportunity to explain myself to him. He misunderstands my hesitancy toward attending the ball as hesitance toward attending with him."

"And you simply fear the idea of attending the ball itself."

"Well..." You glanced up at Frigga, taken aback by her insight. "Yes."

The benevolent queen turned to face you more fully, a motherly concern clouding her eyes. "Tell me, dear. What is it that troubles you about attending the ball?"

"I... truthfully, I fear that I am not royalty material." You took a deep breath, surprised to find that you were relieved to finally get the thought off your chest. "I am but a warrior, not an elegant woman. For Loki to be seen with someone such as myself on his arm, in his position..."

"We would be honored to have someone like you accompanying our son." Frigga reached out and placed her hand gently on your knee, offering you a reassuring smile. "A woman can be both elegant and fierce. I assure you, you are both. Whether you see it in yourself or not."

"That is gracious of you to say, Frigga. Thank you."

"But you do not believe me."

You were beginning to understand where Loki received his talent of perception.

"Forgive me. It is difficult to envision myself in a poised and beautiful dress, dancing the evening away with the Prince of Asgard. In fact, I'm not even certain I know how to dance!"

A spark of amusement flashed in the queen's eyes as she leaned in closer to you, speaking in a hushed voice. "The truth is - most of the royal court doesn't either. They simply mimic the ones that do."

You laughed at her revelation, feeling a bit more at ease. "Then I suppose the most pressing issue is that I don't own a dress suitable for such an event. And with the ball being mere days away, I'll never find a seamstress who can prepare something for me in time." A sigh left your lips. "That, and Loki is far too stubborn to speak with me."

"My son is quite skilled at concealing himself when he does not wish to be found. However - I believe I can at least assist with one of your troubles."

"You know of a seamstress?"

Frigga merely shook her head, smiling as she stood from the bench and motioned for you to rise as well. "Come with me. I'll show you what I'm speaking of."

You followed Frigga through the winding halls of the palace, ascending a few staircases along the way. The last time you'd been this deep inside the palace walls was when you'd visited Loki in the infirmary the day he returned from Muspelheim. The thought made your heart ache within your chest.

Eventually, Frigga led you to a set of grandiose wooden double doors adorned with intricate gold detail work along the frame. Inside was what you could only guess was her living quarters. The two of you emerged into a lavishly decorated sitting room, with sofas set around a low table set with a beautiful vase of white lilies. Beyond the sitting room, another door along the back wall opened into what you determined to be her sleeping chambers, as the corner of a gorgeous four-poster bed was visible through the small opening between the door and its frame.

You barely knew what to say as you gazed awestricken at the opulent room around you. Frigga, meanwhile, glided swiftly across the room and vanished suddenly through the door to her chambers. She re-emerged moments later with a garment draped in her arms.

"You and I appear to be of a similar build and height," she pondered aloud as her eyes skimmed over your form from head to toe. "If this doesn't fit you perfectly, I'm certain we can arrange for the royal seamstress to make a few adjustments before the ball."

"Oh! Frigga, this is far too kind of you. I couldn't possibly-"

"Not another word," she interjected, holding up a hand with a warm grin on her face. She carefully passed the gown into your arms before you could continue to protest. "Go on," she urged, motioning toward the privacy dressing screen along the far wall of the room. "Let us see how it fits you."

Conceding to her kindness, you carefully carried the gown across the room and ducked behind the screen to change into it. The dress was a deep shade of juniper green, which you suspected Frigga had chosen purposefully, knowing how much Loki appreciated the color. The bodice was fitted, with delicate lace detailing flecked with tiny golden gemstones. It cinched at the waist before flowing outward from your body a bit in the skirt, the satin material draped fashionably over your lower half with the hem skimming the floor.

Bashfully, you stepped out from behind the screen dressed in the ornate gown. Frigga's eyes sparkled as she gazed upon you, observing the entire look of the gown on your form.

"Absolutely beautiful," she hummed with a smile. "Turn around - I want to ensure the gown fits you completely."

Heat rose to your face at the queen's kind complement as you slowly twirled in place to show her the entirety of the dress. Her warm smile had only broadened when you turned to face her once again.

"It appears as though the gown was made for you," she admired. "Would you like to see yourself?"

"Yes. Please."

Frigga swept across the room to stand beside you, grasping your shoulders and turning you gently to face the elegant full-length mirror beside the dressing screen. Seeing your own reflection dressed in that gorgeous gown nearly made your jaw drop. It fit you perfectly - hugging your body in all the right places. The gold detail shimmered against the dark green hue of the bodice.

"Do you believe me now, my dear?" she asked, gazing at the mirror's reflection beside you.

"I... it is breathtaking," you breathed, running your hands along the satin skirt.

"As is the elegant woman wearing it." She grinned knowingly at you through the mirror. You found yourself unable to answer, so you merely smiled appreciatively in return. "I'd wager that my son will be entirely enraptured, seeing you in this gown."

"If he sees me in this gown," you corrected reluctantly, your smile faltering. "I've yet to find an opportunity to speak with him. Even if I do, there's no telling whether he'll be willing to listen."

Frigga sighed, turning to face you. "My son has experienced a significant amount of emotional pain in his past. He struggles to make friends, living in the shadow of his elder brother. Many have attempted to befriend him or romance him simply as a ruse to get to Thor. It has left his heart bruised and brittle."

"I promise you, Frigga - I truly love and care for Loki," you asserted. "I can't even fathom doing such a thing."

"I know, dear. I see it in the way you look at him. You are different than his past courtships."

"How do I get him to believe that?"

The queen smiled. "For someone purported to have a silver tongue, my son is absolutely terrible with words when it comes to matters of the heart." She grasped your forearms, looking you in the eye. "You must show him."

"Show him." You pondered for a moment, trying to decide how you could possibly prove to him through your actions that you cared for him. "Frigga... does one require a formal invitation to the ball to attend?"

She beamed at you, a knowing spark in her eyes. "I would be honored to provide you with a formal invitation. You shall attend as a guest of the queen."

"Thank you. For everything." You grasped her hands and squeezed gently in a gesture of appreciation.

"Anytime, dear. As I said - you're practically family."

Frigga offered to keep the dress in the palace for you where it would be safe from wear. She insisted that you arrive early and allow the handmaidens to help prepare you for the ball, despite your protesting that she'd done enough for you already. You were starting to wonder if the princes gained some of their stubbornness from their mother as well.

Now, all that remained was to wait until the day of the grand ball.

* * *

You were not used to having so many people fussing over you in such a way.

The moment you met Frigga in the palace foyer, you were whisked away by three of the palace handmaidens. They were buzzing with talk of the task at hand as they brought you to one of the many spare accommodation rooms of the palace, seating you in front of a vanity mirror and beginning their efforts to turn you into grand ball material. Erlene quickly got to work pinning up your hair, weaving in intricate braids. She was making it difficult to sit still for Oula, who was hovering in front of you applying an array of cosmetics to your face. All the while, Hedda bustled about in the background, preparing your gown and meticulously selecting shimmering jewels to complement the outfit. It was all incredibly overwhelming.

And when at last they'd finished their work, you barely recognized the reflection staring back at you in the mirror.

You weren't sure how to react at the sight. Never in your life had you looked this beautiful. You certainly looked the part now, but could you act as though you fit into this lifestyle?

A gentle tapping on the door dragged you from your thoughts. You turned around to see Frigga standing in the doorway, observing you approvingly.

"You look every bit as beautiful as any of the ball guests. Perhaps more so," she praised with her characteristic warm smile. "How do you feel, dear?"

"Nervous." You offered a weak smile in return. "I can't thank you enough for everything, Frigga. The gown, the jewelry, the hair... It's more than I could have ever asked for."

"You're very welcome. I hope you feel a bit more at ease now that you've seen how very elegant you look."

"I certainly don't feel so out of place anymore. I just hope no one sees through the façade."

"You shouldn't view yourself as an outsider," Frigga advised kindly. "As I've said before - you're practically family."

"Thank you." You sighed. "I hope Loki won't be upset to see me here."

"Don't worry, dear." Frigga smiled knowingly. "Loki will come around. He certainly won't be able to look away from you in that gown."

"You think so?"

"Just wait until he sees you."

Frigga bade you farewell, making her way to the ballroom to greet the guests with the rest of the royal family. Once the handmaidens had completed the finishing touches on your look and deemed you ready for the ball, you anxiously made your way down to the foyer outside of the ballroom to enter with the other guests.

The foyer was a sea of ballgowns and impeccably tailored suits, buzzing with conversation as guests slowly filed into the ballroom. Swiftly, you slipped into the crowd, trying to casually blend in as you made your way inside.

The ballroom was extravagantly decorated for the occasion. Glimmering gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, the flickering candlelight illuminating the gold-flecked dance floor. Elaborate stone statues of rulers past lined the outer edges of the room. At the head of the room, a vast tapestry was draped from the wall, scenes of warriors in battle painted across the stretch of canvas. The royal family stood there before the tapestry, greeting various esteemed-appearing guests and making polite conversation.

There had to be hundreds of people bustling around the ballroom. And yet, your eyes were drawn to only one.

Loki stood beside his older brother at the head of the room. Thor was making animated conversation with a few of his friends, but Loki remained stiff and stoically silent, his gaze fixed on an unremarkable spot on the wall across the room. He was dressed in his decorative royal armor, with shining gold detailing against black fabric complete with the dark green cape draped across his shoulders. He appeared every bit as regal as his older brother, and yet something about the look in his eyes made him seem... smaller.

His gaze shifted to roam across the room, suddenly stopping as he locked eyes with you.

For a moment, he remained motionless; merely staring sharply at you, taking in the sight. Then, abruptly, he stepped forward, advancing across the room straight toward you with long, powerful strides. You saw Odin shout something inaudible after Loki, quickly pacified by Frigga with a firm hand on his shoulder.

Loki's expression was blank, unreadable. You were rooted to the spot, frozen from the mixture of elation at seeing Loki again and the fear of his fiery rage raining down upon you. When he stopped, inches away from where you stood, he was silent. His gaze skimmed the length of your form, tracing the way the ballgown fit to your curves. You drew your bottom lip between your teeth, shifting your weight anxiously under the weight of his gaze.

"Loki, I-"

"Dance with me." A statement, and yet he still seemed to be asking it as a question. His blue-green eyes had a hopeful, earnest spark in them as he awaited your answer.

Slowly, you nodded.

His expression softened a bit, almost relieved. He took your hand, holding it delicately in his own as he guided you gracefully to the dance floor.

"I should tell you... I don't know how to dance," you whispered as he came to a halt and turned to face you. Loki smiled for the first time that evening, pulling you closer into a partner dance hold.

"Follow my lead. I'm a rather skilled dancer, if I do say so myself."

You couldn't help but laugh, relaxing slightly into his arms. There was so much left to discuss between the two of you, but for the time being it seemed Loki just wanted to hold you in his arms and spin you around on the dance floor. Who were you to argue with that?

At first, you stumbled a bit as Loki guided you through the steps. He was patient, gently correcting your form and posture. It took very little time for you to grasp the basics, moving in tandem with the prince to the flowing melody.

When the music faded into the next song, Loki stepped back and lifted your hand to his lips, bowing down slightly to kiss it. You were pleasantly dizzy already from the dancing, grinning as your knees weakened slightly beneath you.

"Might I take you somewhere more private?" he asked.

"Lead the way," you agreed.

Loki guided you carefully through the crowd, leading you to the far end of the room where a balcony stretched beyond the open archways built into the palace walls. The music and chatter dulled in your ears as you both stepped out onto the balcony, gazing out over the palace grounds.

You were both silent for a moment, taking in the refreshing evening air and the view of the sun setting over the horizon. The air was heavy between you, filled with words unspoken. It was time to get this off your chest.

"Loki-"

"I owe you an apology." Loki had spoken simultaneously with you as you'd stated his name. His statement made you pause, turning toward him with an inquisitive look. "I should have trusted in you. I should have known you're different than everyone else."

"I'm sorry to have made you doubt in my feelings for you. It was never you that caused me to hesitate. I realize now that I should have been open with you from the beginning."

"No, no - I should have recognized you weren't ready, that I was being too forward. I-"

"Loki." You grasped his hand in yours, urging him to listen for a moment. "It's not that I wasn't ready for this. For us. It's... I just fear that I'm not... enough."

Loki's mouth curled down into a frown, his brow furrowed. "I'm not sure I understand."

"You've known me for many months now. You know that I am a warrior, through and through. I'm well suited for the battlefield. But this?" You gestured around you, at the ball still underway inside the ballroom. "I'm not suited for the role of royalty. How could I ever amount to that?"

A pained look flashed in Loki's eyes. He lifted his hands to cup your jaw, ducking to capture your lips with his own. It felt as though it had been so, so long since the last time you'd kissed him. He was gentle but intentional, slow but passionate. He'd stolen all your breath by the time he pulled away.

"Don't ever doubt your worth. You are everything to me." Loki leaned back slightly to take in the sight of your ballgown once again. "Honestly - have you looked in a mirror, darling? Never in my life have I been in the presence of such beauty. You are a goddess."

"Loki!" you whined, heat rushing to your face. He pulled you into an embrace, and you buried your face against his shoulder as a laugh rumbled in his chest.

"Need I remind you - you behave far more properly than I. And I’ve yet to be shunned from the palace."

"Mm... I suppose you're right. You're far more unbecoming in public than I."

He loosened his arms around you to get a look at your face, mouth gaping. "I beg your pardon?! Here I am trying to reassure you, and you call me unbecoming?"

"You wouldn't have it any other way- hehey! Don't tickle me, you imp!" You grasped his hands where they had slipped to your waist, his fingertips pressing into your sides.

"I couldn't resist, love." He grinned. "Am I to assume you've come to attend the ball with me? Or has someone else asked you?"

"Well, I did receive an invitation from someone else..."

“Oh.” Loki's face fell, and you laughed.

"Your mother, Loki. She wanted me to be here for you."

"I suppose I'll have to thank her for that." He glanced inside the ballroom toward his mother. "Am I right to assume she assisted with selecting your gown?"

"She is quite fashionable, your mother."

"Always has been." He turned back to you. "Now then - would you do me the honor of joining me back in the ballroom?"

“Certainly, my prince.”

Loki’s eyebrow shot up, a wolfish smirk spreading across his face. “Mm… I could get used to hearing you say that,” he purred.

“I thought you hated when I used such formalities with you.”

“Mm, but when you say it like that… like you truly mean your prince…” He took your hand, raising it to his lips with a seductive smirk.

“A-alright, let us rejoin the rest of the ball, shall we?” Your knees felt weak as Loki obliged and led you into the ballroom.

Guests were beginning to take their seats at the extensive mahogany table that spanned the length of one end of the ballroom. Loki led you to the head of the table, where Odin and Frigga already sat conversing with a few nobles lingering around their seats. Thor was there as well, though he was not yet seated; he was locked in vigorous conversation with a man and a woman whom you recognized to be two of his closest friends.

"Ah! There you are, brother!" Thor's booming voice echoed across the table as the two of you approached. His gaze flitted to meet yours next, his face lighting up at the sight. "And you've brought your Valkyrie friend! It is wonderful to see you, fair maiden!"

"It's good to see you too, Thor," you responded amicably with a smile, allowing Thor to scoop up your hand and place a polite kiss to your knuckles. Loki's arm suddenly slipped around your waist, pulling you closer to him with a gentle but definitive tug.

"So the rumors are true, then!" Thor's male companion declared, a spark of amusement in his eye. "Loki has got himself a woman!"

"Yes - I understand that must come as a shock to you," Loki muttered bitterly.

"My lady." The man took your hand and raised it to his lips, pressing a lingering kiss to the back of it. You felt Loki's grip on your waist tighten. "You may recognize me as Fandral of the Warriors Three. And this is the lovely Lady Sif," he added, gesturing to the dark-haired woman standing beside him.

"I'm more than capable of introducing myself, Fandral," Sif griped with a roll of her eyes. She turned her attention to you, holding out a hand in offer for a handshake. "A pleasure to meet you. Loki had always needed a strong-willed partner to keep his ego in check - who better than a Valkyrie like yourself?"

"I'm still listening, Sif," Loki grumbled. You chuckled as you shook Sif's hand.

"You'd best be taking your seats - the feast is about to begin!" Thor urged, bidding his friends farewell. Loki pulled out the chair beside Frigga, motioning for you to take a seat.

"Oh, Loki - are you certain I should be seated at the head of the table? It would be improper-"

"Please, dear - you are a welcome addition," Frigga assured, patting the seat Loki had pulled out for you. Hesitantly, you lowered yourself into the gold-detailed chair, allowing Loki to push it closer to the table before taking his own seat beside you. Frigga leaned closer to you, speaking in a hushed tone. "I see you and Loki are getting on well?"

"Yes - thanks to you," you whispered gratefully.

"I merely gave you both a nudge," she dismissed. "The two of you worked things out on your own. That's no small feat with someone as stubborn as my Loki."

"Frigga - might you pass along the bread, dear?"

You glanced up at the sound of Odin's voice, incidentally catching his eye. He squinted at you analytically for a moment, as though trying to recall where he knew you from. You bowed your head respectfully.

"Good evening, My King."

"You... you're that young Valkyrie who trained my son," he stated firmly. You nodded in confirmation, holding your breath as you prepared for the scolding you'd receive for allowing Loki to get himself injured under your tutelage. "I will admit... I was rather impressed with his controlled form in combat. A vast improvement from years past. You've done excellent work."

"Thank you," you stammered in surprise. "It was an honor to be entrusted with such a task."

"Perhaps later this evening you might lend me your ear - I believe many of our warriors could benefit from a bit of hand-to-hand combat skill sharpening. I'm certain you must have suggestions."

"Of course, My King."

Loki slipped his hand into yours under the table, squeezing gently to convey his excitement at his father's words. You couldn't help but allow a smile to spread across your face. Perhaps you might find your niche within the royal court after all.

The feast was extravagant. Every bite of every dish was absolutely marvelous - more delectable than any meal you'd ever tasted. You'd heard of the top-notch cooks of the royal palace, but you'd never had the opportunity to experience their cuisine for yourself before tonight.

The moment the feast was over, Loki whisked you away to the dance floor. With a quick twirl, he had you wrapped up in his arms once again, swaying to the music.

"I thought dinner would never end," he lamented, "I simply couldn't wait to get you all to myself again."

"All to yourself, hmm? Was it not you who wanted to spend more time together in public?" you teased.

"Forgive me for wanting to show you off to the kingdom." Loki stole a brief kiss from your blushing lips. "But I still enjoy having your full and undivided attention."

"Well, you've got it now. What do you intend to do with it?"

"I intend to twirl you around this dance floor until your head is spinning." He suddenly dipped you backward, grinning as you shrieked in surprise with a laugh.

Loki was true to his word. By the time the two of you had left the dance floor, your feet ached in your shoes and your eyelids were beginning to grow heavy with the looming threat of sleep. The crowd had thinned considerably as guests called it a night and headed home.

"I should really be getting home myself," you suggested, overcome by a yawn.

"I couldn't possibly allow you to walk home this late in the evening in this state," Loki argued.

"I can't take advantage of your family's hospitality any more than I already have."

"Oh, but I insist, dear."

"Frigga, I couldn't possibly-"

You turned at the sound of Frigga's voice beside you, surprised to see her standing there.

"It's already been arranged. Accommodations have already been prepared for you in the guest quarters you got ready in earlier this evening."

Loki shot you a victorious smirk as you stuttered in response. With a sigh, you finally conceded.

"Thank you, Frigga. You are entirely too gracious."

"Nonsense. It's a pleasure having you here."

One of the handmaidens awaited you outside the ballroom to lead you to your room for the night. You said goodnight to the royal family, making your way back to the foyer with Loki by your side. He swiftly pulled you aside the moment you stepped out of the ballroom, tugging you into an alcove mostly hidden from view.

"Did I mention how absolutely ravishing you look in that dress?" he hummed, cupping a hand along your jaw and pressing a passionate kiss to your lips. You sighed blissfully, kissing him back fervently. He stole your breath away, breaking free from your lips only once you'd grown lightheaded.

"You... may have mentioned it," you responded coyly, eliciting a throaty laugh from the prince. "Will I see you in the morning?"

"I'll make certain of it." He stole another chaste kiss. "I'm glad you came this evening. It wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without you here."

"Ah - so I was merely here to keep you entertained, then?" you teased with a grin.

"Well, you are far better company than Thor and his companions."

"I suppose I should be flattered." You took his hands in yours, kissing him one last time. "Goodnight, Loki."

"Goodnight, love."

Loki reluctantly made his way to his own bed chambers as you followed Erlene to your room. Now that you were no longer being fussed over by three people, you were able to get a good look at your surroundings. There was a vast, open air window in the outer wall overlooking the palace grounds. Inside, a grand four-poster canopy bed stood against the center of the back wall. A set of sleeping clothes sat folded neatly on the end of the bed. You were pleased to find that they'd left you a soft shirt and pants to sleep in instead of a nightgown - Frigga's doing, you assumed. Scooping them off the bed, you stepped into the adjoining bathroom to change, carefully removing the gown and hanging it up to return it to Frigga the next morning.

Once you'd dressed for bed and washed your face, you returned to the bedroom and sat at the vanity from earlier, carefully unpinning the braids from your hair. The handmaidens had truly done wonders with it, but you found yourself removing more hair pins than you'd ever worn in your entire lifespan.

You’d nearly finished taking your hair down when there was suddenly a knock at the door. You rose to your feet, crossing the cool marble floor in your bare feet to open the door. Expecting one of the handmaidens, you were startled to find Loki standing on the other side. He, too, had changed out of his heavy ceremonial armor into a tunic and pants - much more like what you were accustomed to seeing him in.

"Might I come in?" he asked. You nodded, stepping aside for him to enter and shutting the door behind you. Before you'd even turned around, you could feel the weight of his gaze eyeing you in your sleep clothes.

"What is it, Loki?"

"I missed you." He advanced on you, grasping your waist gently and pressing a sweet kiss to your lips. You laughed in amusement.

"We've only just gone our separate ways! How long has it been - thirty minutes, at most?"

"Mm - thirty minutes too long." He recaptured your lips once again. "Is it alright if I stay here with you for a while? We've barely had any time to ourselves this evening."

"Says the one who was desperate to have me with him out in the public eye," you teased. "Yes, Loki. You're welcome to stay."

You swept across the room to take your seat at the vanity once more, unwinding the final two braids from your hair. Loki's reflection appeared behind yours only moments later, his arms slipping around your waist from behind. His lips found the soft skin where your neck met your shoulder, pressing a long, reverent kiss there that drew a contented sigh from you.

"Did you come here to seduce me, Loki?" you hummed. “You seem to be making a habit out of that. Is there something you’re trying to gain from me this time as well?”

He tightened his grip around your waist slightly, kissing a bit higher up your neck.

"No, darling. Actually, I've got a bone to pick with you," he growled, his voice vibrating against your skin and sending a shiver down your spine.

"Oh? Because it certainly seems as though you came to seduce me," you countered, letting your eyes slip closed in bliss as he pressed a kiss just behind your ear.

"Mm - perhaps later. We've yet to address the fact that you lied to me."

"I lied to you?" you queried in surprise, eyes opening to look at his face in the reflection of the mirror. His blue-green eyes were alight with mischief, that subtle smirk of his dancing across his lips to tell you he wasn't truly angry about whatever he was referring to. "What did I lie to you about?"

"You led me to believe the Valkyrie are fearless. However, this evening you informed me of your fear - completely unfounded fear, might I add - that you wouldn't measure up to being with royalty."

"Ah. My deepest apologies. How can I possibly make it up to you?" you asked with a heavily dramatic flair to your tone.

"Hmm. How indeed." He pressed his tongue to the inside of his cheek, as though pondering his options. "Perhaps you should admit to me how ridiculous it was of you to believe even for a moment that you were inadequate."

"You want me to admit I was wrong?"

"More importantly - that I was right."

"Oh-ho! You'd love that, wouldn't you?" you teased with a grin. "I'm not about to boost your ego just because you say I lied to you."

Loki's grip on your waist tightened suddenly. "Perhaps you need a bit of coercing, then," he growled as his fingers wriggled into your sides.

"HA-ho-oh noho you don't!" you retorted, swiftly standing up and whirling around to retaliate. Loki clearly hadn't anticipated your sudden move, his grip around your waist breaking.

"A-aren’t you worried about re-injuring my shoulder?” he stammered, gazing nervously at you with a playful grin as he backed away.

“I thought you said you were prepared to take on the full skill of a Valkyrie?"

"Of course I am!"

"Then I shall not hold back." Your hands darted to his abdomen, clawing rapidly at the sensitive spot through his shirt. He erupted with a fit of laughter as you drove him backwards. The backs of his legs bumped into the edge of the bed, knocking him straight onto his bottom atop the mattress. You paused to giggle at his sudden stumble. "Wohow - you are the epitome of grace, Your Highness!"

"There are consequences for mocking a prince, Valkyrie," he growled, suddenly rising to his feet and lunging for you. With a surprised laugh, you leapt backwards just out of his reach.

"Oh-ho, I'm so scahared- no-no-NOHO!" You shrieked as Loki caught hold of your wrist, swiftly tugging you toward him. With a skillful maneuver, he had spun you around and pinned you with your babck to his chest, his fiery fingers finding purchase on your ribcage. "LOHOKI!! Thahat's CRUHUEL ta-HA-targeting my we-HEE-heak spot- NOHO!"

"Hmm, I suppose I can take you on at full strength, can't I?" he teased in your ear. His deft fingertips sought out the trigger point along the front of your lower ribs. You instinctively curled in on yourself, leaning forward against his grip to try to break free. "No, you're not going anywhere."

"Puhut me DOHOWN you imp!" you demanded as he lifted you off the floor, shifting his grip to hold your waist with one arm so he could scoop up your legs with the other. He tossed your kicking form unceremoniously onto the bed, climbing up after you.

"You should yield to me, darling. Admit I was right."

"NOHOT happening!" You scrambled backward toward the head of the bed as he lunged for you, swiftly changing course and rolling to the side. He landed face down against the mattress where you had previously sat. Taking advantage of his surprise, you threw your leg over his, planting yourself on the backs of his thighs.

"WAIT!" Loki yelped suddenly, turning his head to look at you with wide-eyes. An anticipatory grin was already spreading across his face.

"Wait? What's the matter, Loki?" You glanced around, curious as to what suddenly had him so nervous. His eyes darted to look behind you, quickly flitting back up to meet your gaze. Realization struck, and a sly grin spread across your face. "Ah... Suddenly lost your sass, have you?"

"Alright, alright, I yield!"

"Oh but you have me curious now, Loki!" You reached behind you and dragged your fingertips along the soles of his feet. He barked out a laugh, nearly knocking you off him with a jolt. "Now this is entertaining!"

"Darling, just come here and kiss me, won't you?"

"Ah, trying to get out of this by romancing me again?" You skittered your fingers across his feet. "I told you already - I can't go letting you think that you can have your way just by kissing me."

"Then expect my revenge to be ten-fold worse," he bantered.

"Better make it worth my while, then." You launched a full attack, scratching at the length of his soles with ruthless precision. Hysterical laughter ripped from his chest, his fist pounding against the bed in protest. It was only moments before his thrashing knocked you off of him. Laughing, you toppled over sideways onto the mattress.

"Ahare... are you pleased with yohourself, Valkyrie?" There was a playfulness in his tone that overshadowed any actual viciousness he may have been attempting to convey.

"Yehes! That was adorable!" You flinched as Loki suddenly crawled toward you, wrapping your arms protectively around your ribcage. He merely rolled his eyes, a grin of endearment spreading across his face.

"Now will you just kiss me?" he pleaded, leaning his face in closer to yours.

"Ooh, now you're rewarding me after completely annihilating you in a tickle fight?"

He growled deep in his throat. "Don't push your luck now, darling." You merely grinned, lifting your head to close the distance between you. He kissed you hungrily, lacing his fingers through your hair. Abruptly, he pulled away, a mischievous spark in his eye. "You've yet to admit I was right," he reminded you impishly.

"Yes, yes, alright. I lied to you - I'm not truly fearless." You sighed. "Can you blame me for being afraid?"

"Yes I can, as a matter of fact." Loki shifted to hover over you with a hand on either side of your head. "You are nothing less than perfect in my eyes. Don't you ever doubt yourself again."

Your cheeks burned under the intensity of his gaze. "I'll try my hardest."

"I'll hold you to it." He lowered his head to kiss you again, pressing his lips firmly against yours as though to prove the strength of his affection. You allowed yourself to get drunk off the taste of him, wondering how you'd gone so many days without this.

"Gods I've missed you, Loki," you breathed as the two of you parted for air. "Please don't ever hide from me like that again."

"I won't dream of it." His lips curled up into a grin. "Now then - perhaps now would be an opportune time for me to try to seduce you?"

You laughed at his forwardness. "I suppose you're welcome to try."

"I think you'll find I'm rather persuasive," he hummed, ducking down to press his lips to that spot behind your ear that made your eyes flutter closed.

"Don't get overconfident on me, Loki. It's as though I've taught you nothing."

"Then allow me to spend the rest of the night proving it to you," he growled.

"Then go on and prove it, My Prince."

[oxygenbefore1775]

*cue rant about jean in connection to the recent ep airing*

I've always had those thoughts about Jean but the recent episode just brought those to me tenfold.

And that is — out of all the main character's, no one's life has gone through as much major changes in the years from 850 to 854 as Jean's. In the span of just four years he'd made the biggest leap out of his comfort zone.

Unlike EMA who were already introduced to the ruthlessness of the world and had to deal with the loss at an early age, unlike the members of the Warrior Unit who were exploited and treated like shit their whole lives and unlike Levi who grew up among the scum of the earth and was well aware of humanity's ugliest sides — Jean had a happy and full-fledged childhood. He was born into a wealthy family, had loving parents and never knew any hardships. Apart from him, only Connie and Sasha were lucky enough in this department.

I think this upbringing was something that helped Jean to remain incredibly compassionate. As seen through-out the series, Jean holds a human life in great value with him berating Eren for posing a danger in his titan form or openly critisizing Erwin's plan for it having lead to deaths of some soldiers. Up until that point Jean had only the action of others to judge as he himself never was in the position where he had the choice of taking someone's life — until Royal Government arc rolled in.

That was the first the time for Jean to be confronted with killing someone. Since before that Jean's soldier duties never contradicted with his morals, the moment his position required him to kill an MP Jean was hesitant. Even if it was an enemy and even if it was to save his own life, Jean couldn't bring himself to murder. Eventually he's gotten around the murder aspect a bit but still not enough to to be fully comfortable with it.

Even after those years Jean still has to fight an inner battle between his duty and principles each time he's faced with the choice of killing a person. But even if he decides to go through with a murder, it's always for a very important reason. With most of the time this reason being Eren as he often needed either Scouts' help or protection. Seeing as Eren was humanity's only hope, Jean was ready to push past himself and his morals just like he promised to Eren.

Then cue the day Eren starts the Rumbling and Jean realizes that all of his efforts and sacrifices for Eren amounted to nothing. All the times Jean and other Scouts helped Eren out in Liberio or Shiganshina was them practically aiding in the begin of a genocide.

And then in order to prevent the deaths of millions of innocents Jean would have to step out against his former comrades and once again to commit murders for the greater cause of stopping Eren.

It's the whole tragedy of Jean being such a compassionate and murder-averse person yet caught up in a vicious cycle of violence that his own moral principles forced him into that I find really heartbreaking. And the phrase that Jean drops while on the flying boat shows how close to the heart he takes his recent actions even if they were done in order to stop the Rumbling and how he would never really recover emotionally from the events of the past few days.

[myheartalivewrites]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for tagging me @bitbybitwrites @kiwiana-writes @cha-melodius I continue to be emotionally withholding from my WIPs so this was a fun little distraction.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

15 and I realised tomorrow is the anniversary of the first fic I ever posted! Might do a little celebration post about it.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

259,263!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Red, White & Royal Blue ❤️🤍💙

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Confirming the mad recency bias in RWRB fics, they are all my most recent fics, all published from August onwards with the exception of the last one, hospital cupboard hook-up fic my beloved:

Deep Blue

In His Wildest Dreams

Just Like That.

Oxford Days

Tumbled Down and Tangled Up

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! Comments are the best thing about ao3 and pretty much the only reason to post my stuff online! I feel boring sometimes, like I'm replying the same thing over and over, but it is SO true that every single comment means so much to me and I hope commenters know that

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't do unhappy endings. The closest I've come to not a HEA is Don't Wanna Be A Fool For You which is still a happy ending lol, but I didn't go into the future and left them only JUST beginning to recover from all the angst

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, tricky to decide this. I'm gonna go with Down By The Water, simply because I go deep, DEEP into their happily ever after in the epilogue (it is 12k of a 63k fic which should give you an idea of just HOW deep), even though it’s still quite… yearn-y.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No, though I did get some intense emotional responses to a few chapters of Deep Blue, which... well, they were supposed to hurt, but it was A LOT. Never have I used the 😬 emoji that much.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Hah, yes. A lot of it. All but one of my fics are E and even that one has got a smutty end scene I didn't publish and might post around the holidays. A Christmas treat for a Christmas fic! I'm not sure what 'what kind' is really supposed to mean here, so: very explicit but always emotionally relevant to the story, and particular in long fics I like to use the, ahem, smut progression to show how their feelings and the relationship is deepening.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not as far as I know 😬 Only tumblr posts 🙄

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Oooh, someone asked me if they could translate Deep Blue to Spanish, so I'm excited to see that (but it is 76k so it might be a while)! That would be my first though.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oh, firstprince, no doubt. Alex and Henry have my heart.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I absolutely REFUSE to say I won't finish something. I plan to finish all my WIPs.

16. What are your writing strengths?

This is hard to answer, but I think I'm good at building tension, both in the overall story developments, but also within paragraphs and scenes, playing with sentence length etc. At the very least I like how I do that!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Yikes, pulling no punches. Sometimes I get bored of writing all the 'getting to know you' dialogue, and get fed up of writing banter. It’s the kind of thing that tends to get me blocked on a WIP. I find it quite hard, possibly because Alex and Henry banter so much it feels like it's all been done before. Oh, here’s Star Wars! Oh, your dog’s name is stupid! Etc etc.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Love it. I have one WIP currently which has some French dialogue, and my French is middling at best, so I'm going to have to ask for help with it, but I'm not there yet.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

RWRB ❤️

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION. I reserve the right to change this answer, but right now it's Down By The Water, I literally fell asleep last night wishing I had time to go reread it.

Phew, that was a lot! No pressure tagging a few friends who might want to play: @indomitable-love @historicallysam @14carrotghoul @cultofsappho @celaestis1 @suseagull04 @heybuddy-drabbles but open tag if you too wan to join!

[whimsica]

Thoughts on TOTK's ending

so i was kind of disappointed by the ending. from a gameplay perspective I thought the demon dragon fight was kinda lame, especially since there had been such a fun aerial boss fight with Colgera setting the precedent. But moreso, from a story perspective it feels like zelda turning back into a human and link getting his wounds undone just removes all the impact from the story.

while playing, I thought that the story of zelda and her sacrificing herself to become a dragon was great. i would have preferred she be a playable character like a lot of people wanted but if she was going to be a sacrifice then I thought that the way they did it hit super hard and emotionally, and so much of that was due to the finality of it. everyone in the game talking about dragonification is talking about how it's permanent and irreversible and how zelda will be forever changed, unable to ever return to being a human or even her own conscious self. It also has the impact of breaking the cycle of reincarnation, again, making her sacrifice so much heavier and more meaningful.

Similarly, link's arm and the scars from the gloom are a permanent mark on him, something he never would have truly healed, a sign that he battled against the darkness with the body of a mortal.

Rauru and sonia's spirits showing up at the end to reverse time for the both of them and undo all of those permanent changes just felt like pulling the rug out from under the story for me. It gave us a happy ending, sure, and allowed the cycle of reincarnation to continue, but that was partially what I felt so disappointed by.

there was an opportunity there to see what would have happened had the cycle been broken. What would the world of hyrule look like when two of the three have been permanently removed from the cycle, when both the incarnation of the goddess and the power of darkness are no longer, when all that is left is a human.

It was a missed opportunity to mix up the formula of the legend of zelda series, and perhaps that's why they didn't do it, is that they didn't want to mix up that working formula, but nonetheless, I'm sad to have missed it.

The ending feels a lot like a sort of cop-out so that they didn't have to consider what hyrule would looks like post-upheaval, with or without zelda. It's left totk in the same state as botw, where the game is in a perpetual state of incompletion

So much of totk is about rebuilding and recovering from a disaster, and adjusting to a new world forever changed, with monsters and gloom and falling islands. In addition to cutting away the emotional impact of zelda's sacrifice, having a big "undo" as the ending for link and zelda doesn't match with the rest of the game's themes of adjusting to change and working to rebuild step by step.

The things I would have really wanted to see are:

Zelda and Ganondorf both permanently become dragons

The demonic dragon is not destroyed, but becomes a fixture of the world, the source of how monsters keep respawning. Dragons are eternal and unchanging, after all

Zleda remains a dragon, and we see that there is some recognition of link, as there is in the game, but that she is truly and permanently gone. In game, her dragon form goes from being called "Light Dragon" to actually having her name, similar to the other three dragons.

After defeating ganondorf, Link must continue to rebuild hyrule, as well as determine a new identify for himself in a world without zelda or ganondorf, given how much of his character was defined by being the princess' royal knight and the bearer of the master sword.

***

If I were the writers of totk, how I would have wanted to do it (i recognize that maybe the writers did have something better planned for an ending but were stopped by the studio):

In the Demonic Dragon fight, Link ends the fight by plunging the Master Sword into The Demonic Dragon's head, which destroys the remains of Ganondorf's will to rule and destroy, leaving the Demonic Dragon a simple force of nature like the other dragons. It can occasionally be seen flying above hyrule as the blood moon approaches, far out of the reach of the player.

Zelda, remaining a dragon, deposits Link back on the isle of awakening, and returns to eternally roaming the skies above hyrule, the last remains of her duty as a human completed. During the post-game, Link can return there and interact with her, but she remains a dragon forevermore.

With the demonic dragon still alive, the blood moon cutscene changes. Now, it reads something like "Once again, the sinister Demonic Dragon darkens the skies of Hyrule. With the power of the endless gloom which drifts from it, slain monsters return to life once more." additionally, this would be narrated by Purah or Robbie, rather than Zelda, to further reflect the permanence of zelda's change and the fact that the world is moving past the Upheaval.

The game remains playable after the fight, rather than being in this perpetual state of incompletion. It also does away with the awkward feeling of needing to urgently save zelda and defeat ganondorf but link is spending his time collecting apples or doing races rather than working on the main quests, since now all the various side quests and miscellaneous stuff can be done after the final fight.

Once all quests have been completed, all people helped, all monster defense forces trained, all structures rebuilt, players can choose to 'end' the game and get a finishing cutscene, that being this;

Once he has helped everyone he can and fulfilled his duties to the best of his ability, Link retires to the great sky island to spend time with zelda in her dragon form. After all, since she was willing to sacrifice herself and spend millennia alone in the sky to achieve peace, now that Link has done all he can and is no longer needed, he is willing to spend his remaining time accompanying her, even if she can no longer recognize him.

[flastar13]

Would Ciri really let fake Ciri and Emhyr continue to trick Cintra?

I know many think that Ciri prefers to be a witcheress, it makes sense she never shows interest in recovering her kingdom, not because she doesn't care about the fate of her homeland but because the amount of trauma and persecution she faces doesn't give her time or mental clarity to think carefully what to do, Ciri is a girl who has been constantly dragged by the tide of events and decisions that others make for her. But what would happen if, after healing emotionally and managing to control her power, she decides that she wants to recover her crown? What will she do? What will happen when, upon arriving in Cintra, he sees a false Ciri? When they tell him that a girl who pretended to be her married the guy who invaded his country and caused the death of his family? And if he discovers the real reason for the invasion of Cintra because her own father valued what a piece of paper and the words of a dishonest magician said more than the well-being of his daughter?

It would be a disaster and I don't think like many that Ciri is just going to turn around and never come back, she's going to be furious with Emhyr and she's going to want revenge, I remind you of Ciri's time with the rats, she's no stranger to spilling blood because it is upset, although I got over that phase seeing your biological father who tried to rape you to engender the king of the world living a full and happy life while your own life thanks to him has been hell can return it to that phase again.

Could he really be nice to fake Ciri? Many believe that Ciri will instantly understand the circumstances of the impostor girl. But if she is still angry because, after all, that girl is an accomplice to a deception by an invading nation to usurp the throne of Cintria, which the false Ciri does not have? right? And if even if she likes her, she refuses to let the charade continue, everyone believes that Ciri is going to allow her compatriots to continue being deceived and that she is going to focus on feeling sorry for a young woman forced to take her place. reverse? She pities fake Ciri but demands that she stop using her name and titles because they don't belong to her.

How will the people of Cintra react when the truth is revealed? That his true lost princess has returned and she is not the girl with the sad green eyes portrayed in that painting in the royal gallery of Cintra betrothed to the Emperor of Nifgaard but a woman with the powers of the ancient blood, with the training of a Witcher and the skills of a sorceress; that in addition the consort of the deceased princess Pavetta and the emperor are the same person and that the subject caused the death of his first wife and started a massacre just to commit incest with his own daughter, they were already revealing themselves from imperial control when unexpectedly their princess was found by Nifgaard and married the conqueror of Cintra, forcing them to lay down their arms. Those people are going to want blood, Ciri is going to want blood, and the rest of the northern kingdoms will very likely back her if she wants the crown that rightfully belongs to her.

I don't feel sorry for Emhyr at all when he faces the consequences of his vile acts motivated by a mere prophecy, that idiot was lucky that the author of Witcher wanted to end the saga quickly because another writer like George R.R. Martin would take decades to explain the consequences realistic to make decisions based on prophecies especially if you are in a position of great power with people who depend on you. Emhyr could take on his magically powerful daughter and a bunch of rationally pissed off people, looking for his head while not forgetting that his own people won't be happy that their ruler dragged them into a war with a nation they could have peacefully annexed by their marriage. with Pavetta otherwise he would have been obsessed with forcing his daughter to give birth to a son/brother who would supposedly save the world but in the end he did not have the strength to carry out the act but even so he chose to usurp his own daughter as how did the usurper with him, and give his inheritance to a young woman similar to her with whom he fell in love, I know it is more complicated than that and it was at that time the only way Emhyr saw to solve the mess he got everyone into But it doesn't change how that not only ruined Ciri's life but also that of hundreds who couldn't claim justice because they chose to be loyal to Queen Calanthe's granddaughter when that girl was an impostor.

The only one I really feel sorry for is false Ciri, she was a girl who lost everything in the war and unlike Ciri fate did not magically bind her to a monster hunting protector, that girl had to go through refugee camps and then through the child labor until being kidnapped and forced to assume the identity of another person who could die because no one is going to look for her because everyone thinks it's you.

That girl had to get used to a different culture while having to look like a Cintrian princess, most likely her life before the Cintra massacre was not very good because of how she clung to Lady Stella, Emhyr and her role as Princess Cirilla for the sake of it. comfort that each one gave her, and she refuses to give it up even if the real Ciri rightfully demands it, it would be a tragedy to see these two poor war orphans face each other.

And I think that the Cintrians themselves are going to treat her as a prostitute of the emperor who took the place of her true princess without empathizing with her tragedy.

What do you think?

[accidentalshifter]

⚜️ William Webb (The First) ⚜️

While there are many iterations of Wiliam in the multiverse where this didn't happen, the DR that I am most linked to has chosen this as a canon event. Please be advised that my William Webb scripted timeline here is TLDR and for your sanity, I'd just carry on scrolling through Tumblr. But if you're still curious?? Then continue reading...

But seriously, maybe don't do that.

TW: Death, violence, murder, & dark themes. Will the First is also a wet, sad little sack just like all the other Wills in the Webb family. His story is PURPOSEFULLY SCRIPTED like this. His trauma is a motivating force to his actions in my DR and it is something I am personally willing to explore. This is a TVD person, after all.

"I'd rather spend my time with books. They speak more truth than people ever will...and this book? This book speaks volumes."

-William Webb the 1st.

⚜️ The Webbs were prominent members of the English aristocracy since the Tudor Era. They were given an Earldom by King Henry (Fortshire) and boasted Catherine Parr as a relative. This is likely where the love of books and education comes from. Nathaniel Webb is the first to dip his toe into the textile and fashion trade. While the Webbs were rich & didn't have a need to muddle their hands in the merchant class, Nathaniel believed that a man was bound by a duty to build his own legacy. He wasn't happy just being an Earl of Fortshire.

⚜️ Nathaniel Webb establishes his first shop in England (1544), catering to English nobels and even those within the Royal Family. The outfits created were often marked by refined materials and sober design; instead of being gaudy, Nathaniel believed that focusing on the quality of the materials (over flashiness) would win over his clients. He was right. The atmosphere of England during this time was predominantly a struggle between Catholic and Protestant philosophies; so, Nathaniel's more subdued outfits became popular with clients who wanted to preserve their vow to God & rebuke the trappings of the material world while still remaining tasteful. A direct opposition from the French fashions of the time that loved to flaunt their opulence...

⚜️ The Webbs fall out of prominence in the English court when Catherine Parr transfers her position as Queen to the next in line. At least the Webbs had their thriving business! The popularity of the Webb shops make up for their decline in court, however. Not much changes for them in terms of finances. They enjoy more success in the fashion business than they ever did in court. Second only to Liberty London; their only real competition within the textile trade in England...

⚜️ Around 300 years pass. The business the Webbs started in the 1500's understandably goes through various ups and downs. When the 1800's roll around, the ruling patriarch of the Webb family is Joseph Webb. He has 2 sons & one daughter who dies very early on into her childhood. This devastates Joseph. He never emotionally recovers. The sons are mostly raised by their mother and neglected by their icy father. Joseph plunges himself into work, trying to reclaim the "glory days" of the family business in order to cope with his grief. He sees a burgeoning opportunity in the Americas to reestablish & expand his trade in new lands where the Webb family could flourish without their old competition.

⚜️ In 1855, the Webbs board a ship going to the Americas after saying their goodbyes to London. Unfortunately, Joseph dies during the journey to the New World. He is survived by his two sons and his wife. The business is transferred to the oldest son, Harding Webb. The Webbs set up shop in New Orleans. The competition, however, is unexpectedly fierce as New Orleans is predominantly opulent of attitude & favors French fashions. The more austere outfits that the Webbs specialize in aren't as popular here. The family struggles to thrive in the Big Easy...

Side Note: In TVD canon, the Originals were present in New Orleans in the 1820s. But in my DR, the Original's presence in NOLA has been extended to 1855.

⚜️ While Harding Webb was the extroverted one, his little brother William was the quiet & introverted one. He had no mind for money, business, or building a reputation in this new land his family had moved themselves to. He was far more interested in books, education, & documenting what he saw. However, with the Webbs struggling, William was forced to put his books aside to work as a tailor in the shop while Harding ingratiated himself into society upon the premise that you're only as rich as the people you know. William doesn't acclimate well to being a tailor and longs for London. For the solitude of his library. For a more civilized conversation amongst learned men. As if answering William's prayer, Elijah Mikaelson strolls into the store on a slow & muggy afternoon...

⚜️ Not easily impressed by the opulent and gaudy fashions of NOLA's clothing shoppes, Elijah gives the Webb's store an opportunity to design his clothes. Elijah prefers the "less is more" approach that the Webbs specialize in and commissions them to design several suits, ties, and other apparel for him. William spends time taking Elijah's measurements & going over different materials with the man. During this process, Elijah and William bond over a mutual love of books and reading the classics. They become quick friends. Elijah often visits the shop after his initial purchase to commission more clothes...but soon turns into an excuse to talk to someone "civilized" like him. They begin exchanging books with each other.

⚜️ Meanwhile, Harding Webb has fallen into the partying and gambling crowd, inevitably coming into contact with Klaus Mikaelson & the socialites of New Orleans. Harding Webb thinks he can amass reputation, wealth, and status by "playing the game." He is spending large sums putting on fake appearances and gambling than he is investing into the Webb clothing store. Klaus sees Harding as a little man with little dreams and doesn't really like him. Klaus begins conspiring to kill Harding in a way that he feels suits the power-hungry attention seeker. He caught Harding flirting with HIS Rebekah, after all...

⚜️ Meanwhile, Elijah has been putting some major distance in-between himself & Klaus. He's been spending more time with William; discussing reading materials, philosophies, world-views, politics, culture, and everything else. One day, Elijah shows up to the Webb shoppe with a new book. An old book. Elijah asks William if he could translate it since the book isn't written in any (known) language. It seems like a bunch of gibberish to him. Even though he's certain the book contains some mystery. William says he loves a challenge & agrees to take a crack at deciphering it. Will doesn't really understand what he's actually agreeing to or how this decision will change the course of his (and his descendants) lives forever.

⚜️ A storm descends upon New Orleans. It blankets the colony-city in harsh rain, wind, hail, and lightning. For a week, New Orleans is locked down while the weather batters & beats it. During this time, nobody is visiting the shop much. William finally has time to spend on decoding the mystery of the book that Elijah gave him. Harding, strangely, has not come home...although, that isn't too odd for Harding who was prone to partying and debauchery. The only one who really notices that he's gone is Mrs. Webb (Samantha). Will holes himself up in his library during the rain storm, studying the book. The symbols and language inside of it are like nothing he has ever seen before. Just looking at it's pages scrambles his brain. And maybe it's just the ambiance of the storm, but Will swears that something is watching him from the corners of the library. A shadow of a man...

⚜️ William works long hours into the night in the library. He'd fall asleep on his desk while attempting to translate the book. Maybe the obsession to figure out the language fueled the weird nightmares he began to have? Will would dream of a priest. Of blood, death, & pages upon pages of ink. He'd wake, feeling on the edge of madness. Meanwhile, the rain and the storm outside raged...

⚜️ On the sixth day of the storm, in the dead of night, William is visited by Elijah. The man looks somehow different than his usual face. A deeper darkness that William hadn't seen before was present there. A small, ruby stain was there on his starched and pristine collar. Elijah asks Will if he's translated the book yet and Will shakes his head. Says no, tells Elijah that he's not even sure if it can be translated. Or if the language is legitimate. Elijah seems disappointed in Will's answer but accepts it nonetheless. He tells Will with a heavy heart to keep the book as a gift from him. Then, he stares William directly in the eyes & tells Will that he needs to leave New Orleans with his mother. That his brother is dead, he took his own life. And that the Webb family shouldn't come back. Elijah instructs Will to focus on settling down in an area that was out of the way from the popular colonies, somewhere not in Louisiana. And to forget about Elijah, his family, & their friendship entirely.

⚜️ On the 7th day of the storm, William and his mother pack their essentials. On the 8th day, the storm breaks, and the Webbs leave their house in New Orleans. They moved to Virginia to a small settlement called Mystic Falls. Among their things is the book...

⚜️ The Webbs are successful in Mystic Falls as tailors & running their fashions and textile shop. They began enjoying the refinements of their earlier Tudor-era wealth again. They began the construction of an estate with the shop a few blocks down from it. They switch signature austerity to include more frivolous designs with Samantha now contributing to the business as a tailor herself. Samantha's clients included: Katherine Pierce and Pearl at one point. Will's clients included the Fells, Gilberts, Salvatores, & the Lockwoods.

⚜️ William continues to suffer from strange, vivid nightmares after leaving New Orleans. The priest torments him into the early hours of the morning, calling upon Will to read the book and decode its secrets. Will grows a bit weirder than normal as the years stretch on. The influence of the book seemingly a stain now on his soul. One person he does admit this experience to is Jonathan Gilbert who is both intrigued and wary of William's claim at the same time...

⚜️ Will Webb doesn't participate in the 1864 "round up" event of Mystic Falls. As such, he isn't killed by Stefan or Damon Salvatore at the dinner party event. William does end up helping Jonathan with his experiments after the Salvatore brothers killed the Gilberts and friends. While Jonathan was obsessed with the Originals, Will is obsessed with the book. Will feels, at this point, that the priest inside his nightmares is actually an angel who has been sent to guide him to a permanent and eternal solution to the vampire menace. He just has to translate the complex linguistic code. Jonathan Gilbert disagrees, saying the most direct route to killing the vampires is to kill the Originals with the White Oak stake. It drives a significant wedge between the two. Jonathan feels that William's research won't gain the results they need and that the book is useless...

⚜️ The next event seals the "cursed" urban legend of the Webbs in Mystic Falls forever. William had been slowly decoding the book with the help of the priest in his nightmares. He finds that the book actually documents a ritual that, when enacted, could transform a regular human into a "super slayer" with the help of an archangel. At this same time, Will was dealing with the slow death of his mom who was sick. He saw an opportunity in that moment to prevent Samantha Webb from a terrible death and test out the ritual. On the day of a solar eclipse, William tries to make his mother into the first super slayer. He fails spectacularly. William is blamed for murder & insanity by the town of Mystic Falls. While both the Augustine Society & the Founder's Council know the truth of what William was working on, they unanimously bury the truth of William's work. William Webb goes down in history as a boogeyman in Mystic Falls. A scary urban legend similar to the Sanderson Sisters or the Headless Horseman.

Side Note: In my DR, Sleepy Hollow, Hocus Pocus, & Supernatural universes are linked.

⚜️ William Webb is survived by his wife and daughter who inherit the fashions and textile shop along with a considerable fortune. The taboo of William's insanity remains a smear on the family, however. Any Webb who lives in Mystic Falls is haunted by the whispers of speculation the town has on William Webb & what drove him to madness. Meanwhile, the book is passed down from each generation; an heirloom piece now. Its true nature is lost with William Webb's death. However! There's some information written within the Gilbert journals about William's book & what he was working on. Both the Augustine Society and the Founder's Council thinks the experiment that Will botched as an unfortunate result of the war against vampires.

[sugdenlovesdingle]

K, L & N please!!!

it's almost a shame you picked N and not M - KLM is the royal Dutch airline lol K:  Do you have a guilty pleasures in fic (reading or writing)? I'm not sure about guilty pleasures but I NEED a happy ending. I can deal with drama and angst and heartbreak as long as everything is all sunshine and rainbows at the end. And I LIVE for meddling parents/siblings/friends and outsider/third person POV fics. L:  Which of your fanfics was the most emotionally challenging to write? PS I love you. I usually avoid/ignore Gwyn's death (and I will be doing the same with Gabriel, thank you very much) but this worked really well with the prompt "Letter". I just cannot deal with Major Character Death fics in general, but dead parents/grief heavy fics are a big no for me. I'm happy with how it turned out but I probably won't be writing anything like that again! N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share? Oh man - so many! I'm hoping to finish my pride fic soon, there is my TK and Marjan exploring Austin fic that was inspired by TK's diamond earring and also these (mostly just ~vibes~ for now) - K9 handler/reluctant social media star Carlos - wrong person/right time blind date - photographer!TK going all Humans of New York Austin and getting Carlos in front of his lens (inspired by this screencap from the pilot I saw ages ago that had cameras on the shelves in TK's apartment) - Owen's bff/TK's godfather from New York visiting (outsider POV) - Owen and TK getting interviewed for local news as the new father and son duo working to reopen firehouse 126, and Carlos being there too to update the public on a missing person's case - a kind of missing moments thing of TK "officially" meeting Gabriel and Andrea. The show went from the farmer's market to dinner party at casa tarlos and that always felt a bit rushed. - Carlos and Gwyn bonding while TK recovers after being shot. In Bad Call, when Carlos shows up at Owen's house looking for TK, he still calls Owen Captain Strand but calls Gwyn by her first name, so in my mind he's closer to her/knows her better/is less intimidated by her. I have this image in my head of them having long conversations late at night when TK is asleep on Carlos' bicep and he can't/won't move because TK needs rest, and she isn't quite as scary when the only light source is the tv.

And my RWRB different first meeting fic that I shared a little snippet of earlier (and was supposed to be posted 4 months ago - never let me run a challenge again, me and deadlines is a bad combo)

[world-of-wales]

Ah, I missed that you had reblogged the ask game & now people have asked the ones I'm most curious about! But if you have more to add then the ones I wanted to ask were: 🤍☕️🧁🔥

I'm skipping one question which I already answered before.

☕️: what is your favorite royal name

Ooh so this will have a lot of people on here disagree with me but I love both of Guillaume and Steph's kids names. They give me those old French royalty vibes ✨️ They are such beautiful and regal names, I'm totally and completely in love.

Prince Charles Jean Philippe Joseph Marie Guillaume

Prince François Henri Luis Marie Guillaume

I mean look at them need I say more?

Ik a lot ot people see them as old fashioned names and its their choice. Not everyone can have impeccable taste. I for one adore them.

🔥: which royal do you feel bad for even though they weren’t a good person

I changed the order of the questions a little because my next answer will only make sense with the context of this one.

For this I'll go with Queen Victoria. So most people love Victoria In this fandom. But I have a very....confusing relationship with her? If that makes any sense. Victoria for me is a very very gray character like there's aspects of her life which always make me question her as a person but then there's other aspects of her which make me empathize with her and give me some perspective over her decisions.

She's done so much questionable shit that I'm sure i can write a whole essay over it if someone asked me to. But the biggest aspect of her that I have never agreed with is her treatment of her kids.

Victoria wasn't a good mother in any shape or form, and we know this from all the examples of the way she would treat her children - gaslighting Edward vii when he talked about her not being a present enough parent for them and blaming him essentially for the death of Albert (edward vii isn't someone redeemable in my eyes either but that's another topic), her reaction to both Alice and Beatrice's relationships and marriages, her behavior and complete apathy towards Victoria following Sigismund's death, wanting all her kids to be like Albert but then being disappointed with them when they couldn't fulfill her unrealistic expectations and other things that she did. I don't think it's a reach to believe that Victoria's behavior stunted the emotional growth of her children.

Then there's also the case of how disgustingly she behaved with Lady Flora who it was later found out was suffering from a tumor. She was also famously partisan and social reform like improving working conditions was never something she saw any point in. Then there's the whole fostering of Duleep Singh and him being taken from Jind Kaur, his mother.

However having said all of that, I do feel for her. She became the queen at a very young age. All that burden and responsibility when you are just a teenager cannot be good for anyone nor was it for her. She herself also didn't have the best of mothers who was extremely controlling. Conroy was a cunt. She depended a lot on Albert and loved him fiercely but she lost him so soon too. She never recovered from that. And maybe she was this way to her kids and micromanaged them so much was because she saw them as the only remaining thing of Albert in her life. I also think she probably did suffer from post partum depression with her pregnancies which only got worse as time went, and that affected her relationship with her children too.

I just realized I have written a lot on victoria here 🙈🙈🙈

Thus, I have always struggled with liking her or not liking her so much. Almost always I reach a different conclusion to all this based on which aspect I look at it from.

🧁: which royal deserved better

Victoria's children, I wish they hadn't had the kids of childhood and youth they had. Like I mentioned before that I can almost understand why maybe Victoria was the way she was but still her behavior did lead to problems for her kids emotionally. She heavily relied on Albert when he was alive and when he passed away she used her kids especially her daughters to fulfill that role in life. She basically raised her daughters to be almost like an extension of her and have no other life except one revolving around her.

Her sons, especially Edward vii bore the brunt of not being able to measure up enough to their father in her eyes. They all had a very emotionally abusive (yup that's the word) relationship with their mother and that's always made me sympathize with them.

Though it's so sad how how victoria essentially became the same kind of mother to her kids that her mother was to her. The cycle that started with her mother was repeated by her.

Thank you for this and So sorry that this turned out so long 🙈🙈🙈

[sunlitglycerin]

books of 2023

key:

🌔 reread

🪹 no thoughts no praise

🌊 i have to emotionally recover from this

💥 many thoughts not all praise

🌷 enjoyable

🫧 lovely

january

1. annihilation by jeff vandermeer 🌊

2. the uncoupling by meg wolitzer 🪹

3. the interestings by meg wolitzer 🌔

4. sorrow and bliss by meg mason 💥

5. the catcher in the rye by j.d. salinger  🌷

6. brown girl in the ring by nalo hopkinson 🌷

7. astrid parker doesn’t fail by ashley herring blake 🪹

february

8. little eyes by samanta schweblin 🌷

9. we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson 🫧

10. fight club by chuck palahniuk 🫧

11. salt fish girl by larissa lai 🫧

12. a visit from the goon squad by jennifer egan 🌊

13. wintergirls by laurie halse anderson 🌊

14. oryx and crake by margaret atwood 🪹

15. severance by ling ma 🌊

march

16. olga dies dreaming by xóchitl gonzález 💥

17. the hating game by sally thorne 🌊

18. second first impressions by sally thorne 🌷

19. american royals by katherine mcgee 💥

20. the worst best man by mia sosa 🌷

21. my year of rest and relaxation by ottessa moshfegh 🌔

22. the change by kirsten miller 🫧

23. sealed with a diss by lisi harrison 🌔

24. fledgling by octavia butler 💥

25. the road by cormac mccarthy 🌊

26. intimacies by katie kitamura 🫧

27. le divorce by diane johnson 🌊

april

28. it happened one summer: a novel by tessa bailey 💥

29. fifty words for rain by asha lemmie💥

30. all my puny sorrows by miriam toews 🌔

31. speak by laurie halse anderson 🌔

32. the queen’s gambit by walter tevis 🫧

33. you will know me: a novel by megan abbot 🌷

34. the virgin suicides by jeffrey eugenides 🌔

35. the boy, the mole, the fox and the horse by charlie mackery 🌊

may

36. beautiful world, where are you: a novel by sally rooney 🌷

37. conversations with friends: a novel by sally rooney 🌊

38. a tree grows in brooklyn by betty smith 🫧

39. emergency contacts by mary h.k. choi 🌔

40. i’ll give you the sun by jandy nelson 🌔

41. if i never met you: a novel by mhairi mcfarlane 🌷

42. the girls by emma cline 🌊

43. confessions of a shopaholic: a novel by sophie kinsella 💥

44. second place: a novel by rachel cusk 🌊

45. convenience store woman by sayaka murata 🌔

june

46. the black presidency: barack obama and the politics of race in america by michael eric dyson 🫧

47. i’ll be you by janelle brown 🪹

48. the best american short stories (2020) 🌊

49. crazy rich asians by kevin kwan 🌔

50. the suitors: a novel by cécile david-weill 🌷

51. monster high by lisi harrison 🌔

52. elegance by kathleen tessaro 🌔

53. monster high: the ghoul next door by lisi harrison 🌔

54. monster high: where there’s a wolf, there’s a way by lisi harrison 🌔

july

55. monster high: back and deader than ever by lisi harrison 🌔

56. thin girls by diana clarke 🌊

57. eileen by ottessa moshfegh 🌷

58. china rich girlfriend by kevin kwan 🌔

59. composing a life by mary catherine bateson 🌷

60. in every mirror she’s black by lọlá ákínmádé åkerström 🌊

61. the invasion by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

62. less by andrew sean greer 🌊

63. the visitor by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

august

64. when katie met cassidy by camille perri 🌷

65. the message by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

66. the predator by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

67. the capture by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

68. the stranger by k.a. applegate (animorphs) 🌔

69. david kibbe's metamorphosis: discover your image identity and dazzle as only you can by david kibbe (who could have guessed) 🌷

70. the most fun we ever had by claire lombardo 🌔

71. earthlings by sayaka murata 🫧

72. pageboy: a memoir by elliot page 🫧

73. diary of an oxygen thief by anonymous 🌊

74. bridget jones’s diary by helen fielding 🌷

september

75. idol, burning by rin usami 🫧

76. cleopatra and frankenstein by coco mellors 🌷

77. kitchen by banana yoshimoto 🫧

78. addiction by design by natasha dow schüll 🌊

79. the fellowship of the ring by j.r.r. tolkein 💥

80. smashed: story of a drunken girlhood by koren zailckas 🌊

october

81. american psycho by bret easton ellis 🌊

82. all the lovers in the night by mieko kawakami 🫧

83. peace, love, and baby ducks by lauren myracle 🌖

84. if i had your face by frances cha 🌊

85. milk fed by melissa broder 🪹

86. legally blonde by amanda brown 💥

november

87. seven ways we lie by riley redgate 🌖

88. even the stars look lonesome by maya angelou 🫧

89. airhead by meg cabot 🌖

90. being nikki by meg cabot 🌖

91. runaway by meg cabot 🌖

92. wuthering heights by emily brontë 🌊

93. slouching towards bethlehem by joan didion 🫧

94. the heart principle by helen hoang 💥

95. in the shape of a human body i am visiting earth, edited by ilya kaminsky, dominic luxford, and jesse nathan 🌊

96. good for you by tammara webber 🌖

97. here without you by tammara webber 🪹

december

98. breasts and eggs by mieko kawakami 🌊

99. ender’s shadow by orson scott card 🌖

100. girlfriend in a coma by douglas coupland 🌊

101. altered states by anita brookner 🌊

102. i don’t know how she does it by allison pearson 💥

103. the hunger games by suzanne collins 🌖

104. catching fire by suzanne collins 🌖

105. mockingjay by suzanne collins 🌖

[chadxroyalx]

Pride Rose

Hey guys! I tried to follow the tutorial of AustinMaples https://www.deviantart.com/austinmaples to draw a simple Rose https://www.deviantart.com/Tutorial-Draw-a-Rose-with-AustinMaples-905646163 . So here is my try and since it’s pride month, a “pride rose” here for you guys. Flags seen: Gay Trans Nonbinary Demisexual But there’s something else I need to get off my chest. You can just skip this part if you don’t like to read and/or if you’re not interested. I haven’t been feeling/doing so well lately. Life has thrown so many shitty things at me that it has become very hard to deal with. I can’t even draw properly anymore (I have been stuck on page 43 of the comic for almost a week now). For one is the issue with one of my sisters. As some of you may know I am the youngest of three. I have two older sisters. And my second-oldest sister has always been a uh… troubled child. Long story short she has been diagnosed with schizophrenia about 10 years ago and has been in and out of psychosis and mental hospitals over the decade. Now she had another heavy relapse in February this year and was in a mental hospital for 99 days until she begged the hospital enough to leave. And since she’s out life for me and my family has been nothing short of a nightmare almost every day. She hasn’t recovered from the psychosis she had in February and since she’s out of the hospital we (untrained people) had to deal with that. Now my relationship to my second-oldest sister (or let’s call her “fullblood” sister since my oldest sister is my half-sister) has never been very good. But now… I really hate to admit it, but I feel nothing for her. Well… at least nothing positive. When she’s in a psychosis she’s always afraid of me (none of us have figured out why) and blames me for everything she does and experiences. I hate it when she’s here all the time and it’s so frustrating and emotionally exhausting to have to deal with her. My mother and her are the only ones who don’t want to re-admit her to a mental hospital. No one understands their reasons… Yeah… that’s one part, maybe some of you guys have similar issues with relatives? Then the second issue has reached its worst peak this Wednesday. Now just as a side information: our family owns two horses and here in Switzerland it’s normal to have your horses in a “livery stable” (if that’s a word) so the stable doesn’t belong to us, our horses just “live there for a rent”. Now back in 2020 we switched to a new stable and guys… I have met many, many, MANY horrible human beings in my life so far but the owners of THIS stable are by FAR the worst. Back in April 2020 it didn’t take long for these two awful human beings to make life for us and our horses a living nightmare. Insulting both of our horses constantly because THEY were unable to handle them properly (our horses are the nicest and sweetest souls to anyone who returns their kindness so if they do not behave when you’re handling them, YOU’RE the problem). Anyhow… about two months in and they already threatened us to kick us out, because apparently, we were doing everything wrong (even though we followed every stupid rule they have and behaved accordingly). So… three awful years passed. We never complained, just did our thing, and try to stay away from the owner and his wife (but always getting insulted and all that stuff)(I try to keep this as short as possible). Now our gelding (Royal, 26 years old) always had bad teeth. So he can’t properly eat the hay anymore which is one main food source stable-owners have to provide according to the law. The stable-owner retired back in fall and gave the ownership to his son (but of course that awful couple remained, still living at the stables and helping out). We thought “okay, maybe his son is not as bad as him”. Well… turns out he’s just as awful as his father. My mother had a phone call about three weeks ago with him regarding Royal not being able to eat hay properly anymore and needing an alternative. We’ve been feeding him that alternative from our own pockets (mind we have issues with money as well as many people do) so far and just wanted to reason with the new owner if he could maybe provide that food for our horse or at least feed him the alternative. But all he did during the phone call was repeat what his idiot of a father was shouting in the background and insulting my mother and our horses again. Fast forward three weeks my father stepped in and arranged a meeting with the new owner (and the old as well but he didn’t show up) to talk about this issue. So my mother, my father and myself went there at Wednesday evening and the FIRST thing this asshole said is that he’s kicking us out and we need to be gone from the stables by end of the month. Reason for this is (according to him) that my mother threatened him during the phone call, saying that she said she’d go around and tell everyone that he mistreats and starves the horses. Of course, my mother denied this as it wasn’t true (two other people were in the same room listening while she was talking on the phone that they so they can confirm it). But the new owner just said “that’s what I heard and I even recorded it and you need to stop calling me late at night”. My father quickly stepped in and said “Okay well then show us that recording. And show us when she called you because she never called you late at night”. You know what the owners answer was? “I can’t show you, you can’t trace phone calls that far back (so basically three weeks). à Which is complete bullshit. You can trace EVERY phone call on your smart phone back up to three years easily. Oh and he also accused me of never greeting him or his idiotic family when at the stables (which probably may have happened 1 time when I had a bad day or wasn’t talking loud enough)… Oh dear… This has gotten long and it’s still the short version of the whole situation… I’m sorry you guys. I usually don’t vent online but I really, really needed to get this off my chest. I just can’t handle the frustration, sadness and anger any longer from all the injustice we had to live through the last few days… I’m also sorry if it’s written in a confusing way… my thoughts and heart are racing all day and night long… ☹ I hope you still like the pic and hopefully have some better days… Of course, if you like, leave some advice… Love Chad

https://www.deviantart.com/xchadxroyal/art/Pride-Rose-966539175

[thegravityblog]

Friday: 26-05-2023/1

There’s this app called AskFM, where people can anonymously post shoutouts, questions and answer them. I don’t know how my ex-found out I was there or maybe she was on that app too and we never discussed. That app became her fav tool to manipulate and gaslight me (the only thing she does better) and unfortunately I thought maybe she has changed but that’ll never be the case. I thought in one-year I have transformed a lot I expected the same from her but she is from the league of people that will never change. I deleted the app and deactivated it, because it was always ringing in the back of my head, that what she has posted. The saying that says that “You cannot heal at the same place you got sick”, is very true. I need to cut off and withdraw completely from her to heal and live a happy life forever. It’s her life, she knows what to do with it. From now on, I am no one concerned.  Coming back to today, I am feeling much better maybe because I am not reaching out for the phone every 5 minutes to check on Ask. My focus is crystal clear and I am on a much happier spectrum. Also, have blocked that site on all browsers on my work system so I can’t open it at all. What I have realized from this whole fiasco is that some people don’t want you but the control and the power they have over you. And I am a personality, who is very much independent and I think of things rationally (unless I emotionally fall for someone), then in that case I am more of a dumb moron who will try to fix someone’s life but in return I get my wrecked big time and it takes me good amount of time to recover. I also blocked a couple of porno sites where she was uploading and it really feels like I have been set free off some invisible shackle that has been bothering me since the past one year (almost).  There are people who would change if they get this amount of love and care but some are just rocks, dumb and nothing affects them, in fact they take it as a matter of fun, play with that same love and care, feel a lil important , ahaan.. very important indeed because they are so delusional they think they’re the most beautiful and good people on this planet. They are delusional to the level where they are committing something morally wrong but if they have a reasoning in their head (which they have in all aspects of their lives) they’re gonna do anything until and unless they are getting their supply out of it. I worked all my day. This time is a break for writing my feelings out and reflecting on what went bad and what can go amazing. Writing these posts are not my source of validation or sympathy (I hate the latter), I love professional validation i.e. when someone loves my work, my team praises me of management, my clients want to be friendly with me and my investor loves me so much he wants his daughter to marry me. Lol. Just kidding. In short: Praise me for my intellect, work I’m flattered. I am not an Instagram star, never would be so there’s no chance of me addicted to validation (likes and comments). Listening to Layla by Eric Clapton, the live version performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 1991.  I usually don’t live for the weekends I’ll work tonight but fixing myself two glasses of single malt is something I am looking forward to. I’ll write it here, if I do. 

[nyaagolor]

dedede / queen ripple for the bingo?

Ok imma be real with you I have had maybe two thoughts about Queen Ripple and Ripple Star in general over my entire life. I really am lacking in my headcanons abt them, but I did start thinking about it since I got this ask :) Under the cut as always

basically I see them as not really knowing the other existed before Crystal Shards-- DDD kept in contact with Ripple Star though because he was concerned about Ado and Ribbon and wanted to keep an eye on them / make sure they were safe

In the process though, he ended up becoming closer to Queen Ripple, who he found out he shared a lot in common with. He was admittedly a bit inspired by her example and started coming to her for advice on how to be a better ruler and do more for his people. She helped him understand which of his behaviors were bad and what to replace them with, and overall was a big reason he didn't get TOO frustrated when bumbling through becoming a self-made king and helped guide him

On the other hand, DDD was a source of comfort and advice for Ripple when she was recovering mentally from her possession. He had been possessed Three Separate Times so he knew better than anyone what it meant to lose your autonomy and feel like you've failed your people in the process. Queen Ripple wanted to stay strong in front of her citizens because she wanted to be an emotional pillar after such a tragic and scary time, but she needed help too and DDD was a great shoulder to cry on. I think that for each other, they're a rare person who Gets It. They can be open and honest with each other without worrying about royal status getting in the way, and that allows them to be really emotionally vulnerable close friends. They are homies through and through babeyyyyy

Overall, I think that their similar experiences help them grow closer, and while I never gave a thought to a romance between them, I think they would be lifelong friends who meet up for tea every once in a while. They totally text and gossip to each other too. Catty adults sharing tea of the literal and metaphorical variety while their local kid heroes are having a playdate

[ellitx]

Chapter 14: Anticipation

𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁

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art belongs to _suucrose

word count: 2.7k

          Aether’s toes curled, his fingers twitched and his eyes blinked as he awakened. His golden optics were greeted by a familiar ceiling and the hushed murmurs he can faintly hear next to him. He stayed still for a few minutes before shifting his body to the side.

            The aching pain is still present and searing, bothering him continuously as his head throbbed just from the littlest motions he takes. It took a portion of his brain as if dealing with it is energy expenditure enough, without the effort of new thoughts. It burns as if some invisible flame was held against his skin. 

            What in the world happened to him that made him feel so weak and lightheaded out of nowhere?

            “Aether!” He recognized that high-pitched voice. Groaning, he turned his head to the source and blinked several times to clear away the blurriness hindering his eyesight. 

            “Oh, thank goodness he’s awake.” The hushed and young tone of the deaconess alerted the nearby sisters. Faces painted with concern and worry the Honorary Knight has passed out in front of the chapel. When Paimon was crying for help, Barabara was the first one to come in aid followed by Sister Victoria and Sister Jilliana.

            The next few hours would pass as a minor shock in the course of Aether’s life, or it would be the last day for him before he even gets to find his sister again. Barbara held her hand to his burning forehead, his body had to conquer the fever soon or he would perish if left untreated. The young female paced the floor, busying herself in bringing fresh towels from the quarters, never stopping for even a moment.

            At times the memory of finding Lumine, his twin sibling, in the field had him dreaming about her more lately. He swallowed hard, willing his eyes to remain dry and mind focused. He’s been pushing himself these past days in helping you find your lost pendant that he even forgot the simple need to take care of himself.

            He placed one of his hands on his throbbing head to alleviate the pain and he can feel himself burning hot. Having a fever is not a good sign. He still has to return back your pendant to Stormterror’s Lair and look for his sister as soon as he can.

            Should he give up and let the knights handle it while he continues his journey back to Inazuma or will he still pursue to find other ways of entering the barricade that hinders him from giving it to you? It’s not good leaving you there and have you expecting he’ll come back. He did say he’ll help you out no matter what, so why would he go abandon your own request? That’d be foolish and even disrespectful to one of the long-lost royal families. 

            Aether knows very well he’s sick. Needing clean fresh air and whatever that brings him comfort to get rid of the bile stuck in his throat. Barbara immediately held his body and gently laid him back down on the bed. His face was really pale and his lips were almost losing their color. 

            “Please don’t force yourself! Take a rest and we’ll take care of you, okay?” She exclaimed and quickly grabbed the damp towel to drape it over his burning head.

            “Lair… I have to give back her pendant…” He mumbled sluggishly and his eyes began to droop. He’s fighting and forcing himself to stay awake but the weariness filling him up followed by the constant nagging soreness in his body had him wanting to give in to sleep and doze off. 

            “Aether…” Paimon whispered and glided over him. His eyes were now closed, chest rising and falling in slow breaths as he fell back to sleep leaving her and Barbara alone in the muted room. Her eyes settled on the glass pendant resting atop the nightstand. 

            “Paimon will promise you we can give this to her!” The pixie turned her head to the deaconess and opened her mouth to ask something. “He’ll recover soon, right?” 

            “Of course. As long as he takes lots of rest he’ll be good in no time! Aether has been overworking himself to the point he passed out.” Paimon’s face scrunched and hung her head in guilt. It felt like it was her fault for not watching over her companion. Day and night it’s their routine to fight off monsters while in search of Aether’s sibling when she escaped. Paimon grew accustomed that he keeps saying he’s fine whenever she persists in him to rest which made her forgot to check up on his daily well-being.

            “Oh… This is Paimon’s fault for not looking into his health…”

            Barbara patted her head and assured her everything will be fine. She does understand how worried she is. They’ve been always together, never leaving each other’s side and it truly shows how deep their friendship is.

            The blonde female pulled the blanket close to the traveler, making sure it was tucked and comfortable enough for him while he’s slumbering. “He’s fast asleep. Looks like the strong heat really had an impact on his body. He has a fever, but he’ll be fine.”

            Just the assuring words of Barbara were enough to release the breath Paimon didn’t even know she was holding. With a sigh, her shoulders relaxed and her face lit up to the friend she cares so much about.

—

           “To poets and bards, they revealed their faces.

           Endless radiance, formless beauty,

           Just like you.

           Upon the land, the gods once set foot,

           To scholars and sages, they unveiled their

semblance:

           Stars glimmer, moon’s orbit,

           Just like you.”

           You glanced at Venti, his cheeks were painted with red while he continued to look forward, waiting for you to read the other lines. Feeling your heart race, you looked down and proceeded to read his poem.

            “The world lost its shine.

           In solitude, or in prayers,

           No longer present are their whispers.

           The world was beautiful and good.

           Then the gods departed.

           The world may have lost its shine,

           But at least I have not lost you.”

            Feeling nervous or anxious is an invitation to check in with himself, to have the moment of tuning into his emotions and finding the best way to distract himself. Venti doesn’t often seem the type to be bashful and so shy, so seeing him like this would be a rare sight for anyone who’s acquainted with him. 

            He’s been anticipating your reaction, your impression, or just anything. It’s like he’s standing in front of a stage with large crowds of people waiting for him to speak out. He stole a peek from you and settled his gaze on your delicate hands gripping the flimsy paper he gave to you.

            Slowly staring upwards until it stopped to your face, your blushing features had his heart rushing. So sugary and so sweet. It was a kind of flowering, the sort of pink that brings champagne roses to the imagination. It is far easier to make loving bonds with emotionally vulnerable souls, actions speak louder than words after all, and he knows very well you’re speechless— even he himself is in the same state as you.

            Venti cleared his throat and looked at you with a red face. “How was it? I’ve been always wanting to give that to you during the Windblume Festival and you’re the only one I can think of as I wrote it.”

            You lifted the paper up to cover your face and closed your eyes. “I love it. I love it very much.” A giggle escaped from your throat, so gentle and warm as if the sound could make his heart pound faster than before. Opening your eyes, the emotions behind it made his breath hitched. So lost in the longing and adoring gaze you’re giving him, almost drowning himself and be allured by a simple look.

            “Your poems never fail to amuse me, Venti. This reminds me back when you also sing songs to me whenever we’re just alone together in the garden. Mother was always worried, constantly asking Sir Ragnvindr’s assistance to look for us all night.” 

            The nostalgia for those times with him is like dreams that keep on returning to kiss and cheer your soul into a greater life. It’s the happy memories that sustain you, that carry you through the challenging times of loss, and remind you that loving was important and worthwhile.

            A smile blossomed upon his face and it’s enough for you to hold the poem close to you. To cherish another sweet memory of him was an additional fragment to keep within you, to keep something memorable for you as long as you live. 

            Something soft and squishy was pressing onto you and you looked down to see a small slime nuzzling close to your dress. “Oh, hello there.” You said whilst petting its head. 

            Venti peered over you and quirked his brow in slight interest. “What’s that?” Picking up the small creature between your hands, you laid it on your lap and softly pressed on its face.

            “An anemo slime! I remember passing one when I was walking outside the city— well the ruins.” You’re unsure if it’s the similar slime you’ve met even though almost all of them look the same. You hoped it was the one. It’s been days since you’ve seen it so this is quite a surprise seeing another one come near you without notice.

            You fiddled with its little wings and toyed with it as the small slime let out a sound of amusement. Venti moved closer and took the paper from your hands and folded it to keep it inside his pocket. Smiling at him in thanks, you hugged the slime close to you and buried your face onto its soft and breezy body.

            “Hey, Venti, can you tell me more about Ludi Harpastum?” You asked through the slits of your hair. 

            “Of course." Clearing his throat and sitting properly, he opened his mouth. "Ludi Haprastum lasts for fifteen days. The festival is full of music, games, gliding, and most especially wines! One of Mondstadt’s trademarks which we are now known for. At the climax of the festival, the champion of the game will choose a maiden who will throw Harpastum to the crowds.” He winked at you then summoned his lyre to play an impromptu melody. 

            “I was planning to take you there on the second half of the event.” A wistful sigh slipped from his lips as he leaned back on the rough branch of the tree, his fingers still playing with the strings of the instrument that echoed throughout the area. Scenarios of holding hands with you, going from one stall to another to eat, having a drink with you, and his most favorite and awaited part is taking you to the hands of Anemo Archon Statue at night to watch the stars and whole view of Mondstadt just like you used to emerge in his mind.

            “Why halfway?” It’s not like you’re against his decision or anything. Though you are a bit curious why he chooses on later days he’ll take you out rather than the day it’ll start.

            Your lover puckered his lips and placed a finger on your lips. “First half, I want to celebrate Windblume with you. You haven’t experienced it, right?” You slowly shook your head as an answer, a bit unsure, and his smile just grew wider in excitement.

            “That settles it~ My beloved darling will be celebrating seven days of Windblume with me and another seven days for Ludi Harpastum with the one and only greatest bard of Mondstadt!” 

            Windblume… He said that word before when you were reading his poem. And isn’t that a code used by those who are planning to rebel against Decarabian? A festival like this surely got your interest. Has he been commemorating that celebration while you were asleep?

            Mixed feelings of melancholy, relief, and joy have washed over you. Perhaps you were still longing for your father’s love no matter how many times you’ve reminded yourself he’s no longer here. You snapped out from your train of thoughts when Venti began to explain the background about Windblume. 

             He stated the people of Mondstadt offer Windblumes to the Anemo Archon and to those they love and adore. The Windblumes may be accompanied by other gifts, such as love poems.

            “So it’s a romantic festival…?” You trailed off as you feel your face grow warm. The bard nodded and laid his hand on top of yours. “You could say we’re celebrating Windblume now. All the Dandelions and Cecilias gathered here, these are my Windblume for you.”

            All this time, Venti has planned this all along without you knowing? The effort he’s put through to show his love for you had your heart beating so fast, you’ve grown to be more attached to him— attracted and enamored about everything around him. One question came to you was who is the current Anemo Archon now that your father is no longer present?

            “Can I ask you something?” Your round eyes flicked upwards to look at him as he queried. With the blush still present on your face, you could only nod at him. The apprehension of opening your lips and voicing out your thoughts might ruin the peaceful aura surrounding you both.

            “If I get to be the champion of the games during Ludi Harpastum, will you say yes if I ask you to be the maiden?”

            Your bit your lower lip in nervousness and hugged the anemo slime close to your chest. “That… depends, I guess.” Venti’s countenance changed from joy to confound. Was he expecting too much you’d say yes? He felt his heart tugged and it made him so uneasy why he was feeling like this.

            You quickly catch on to his sudden change of mood. A rush of panic came to you and that’s when you placed your hand on top of his and squeezed it. “It’s not like I’m saying no to you, Venti. It’s just that it’s my first time celebrating this festival so I’m not entirely sure what I’m supposed to do there. Being the maiden must be a special role, right?”

            Your lover simply nodded and heaved a sigh before grabbing the apple and taking a bite of it. You crawled closer to him and poked his nose to lighten up the mood. “Cheer up! I still haven’t seen nor celebrated Ludi Harpastum. Who knows I might say yes to your offer?”

            You lifted the anemo slime up to your face and cleared your throat to change the pitch of your voice. “Oh Mister Bard of Mondstadt, this young lass here has never seen you so woeful and so sad. A smile does suit more to your handsome face, so how about we replace it with one that is with grace?”

           A stifled laugh came from him and you sure that made him laugh at your small play. Venti laid his hand on his mouth and looked at you comically. “Oh? And this young lass called me handsome? For a bard like me, I can surely allure her with just a simple anthem.”

            He was looking pleased. Some part of him had turned out better than he’d hoped. Watching him, you felt a glow or warmth within, as if his happiness was contagious in all the right ways.

            Clowning around with him was something rare for you to do. It’s mostly him teasing you but being the one able to make him smile lifted the heaviness in your chest. You never wanted to see him so blue and downcast.

            Venti sat back and let the happiness soak right into his bones. He wanted the feeling to still be there no matter how many years had gone by. He closed his eyes and savored the moment, but never released his grip on the bitten ripe apple. For the first time in forever, his body and mind relaxed. At that moment there were no expectations upon him, no duties, and no responsibilities to meet. He was carefree as ever, lighthearted and cheery whenever he’s with you.

            You laid your head on his shoulder and closed your eyes to take in the peaceful time.

            “Ludi Harpastum is almost coming, right?” You softly asked and traced the shape of his hand with your gaze. Your lover hummed and ran his other hand through your hair to smoothen it.

            Your warm-hearted smile that snuck from the corner of your lips instantly caught his attention as you sent it his way. “I’ll look forward to celebrating it with you.”

@trust-the-oxygen