#I’m keeping the mystique!!

[hawamun]

Hilla Lilla och Lejla

[cocoabubbelle]

X-Men Evolution Headcanon

[tricoufamily]

i keep having microphone problems like a comical amount i can’t record a voiceover fuck my stupid baka life

[annamariedarkholmes]

me if anna’s rogue and halle’s storm and lana’s jubilee are brought back for the mcu secret wars multiverse stuff only to stay supporting background fodder while that instant oatmeal-ass love triangle, both xaviers, and both magnetos suck up all the screentime yet again

[spittingstar]

zzzzzzx

[serpentandlily]

Mystique - Azriel x Reader

Mystique - Azriel x Reader

Summary: When the whole family is dragged to the new ballet show in Velaris, Mystique, Azriel never imagined a mating bond snapping into place...but as soon as she stepped on stage, he knew his life was about to change forever.

Warnings: mention of strict dieting of a dancer

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Going to see a ballet show was not how Azriel planned to spend his Saturday night, or any night really. Arts and theater were not something he was usually interested in. But Feyre had begged the whole family to go, claiming she had bought a private booth in the gallery for them to watch their opening night show. 

Elain had been the first to agree, so he followed along. If only to spend some time with her, to watch her face light up as she watched the performance. 

Mystique. That was the name of the show they were seeing tonight. He had no idea what it was about or what to expect. But he didn’t care. Not as he snagged the seat next to Elain and brushed his fingers against hers as she gave him a secret smile. 

The lights had dimmed and the audience fell quiet. It was a full house tonight, no seat below in the orchestra empty. Even the other private booths in the gallery were filled with rich nobles. 

He understood the name of the ballet once it started. All the dancers were wearing masquerade masks. That was about the only interesting thing about it. His eyes flickered from the stage to Elain every so often, more enthralled with her than the dancers. 

But then she came on stage. The main dancer partnered with some male. Her costume was a light pink, bejeweled with gems and flowers, with a tutu that showed off her long legs. It was the gleam of the jewels that had caught his attention, shining brightly in the faelights. 

And then his eyes had drifted up, to the pink mask that matched the costume and the dancer beneath it. 

He knew she was special the moment he laid eyes on her. Not because of the elegant, graceful way she moved on stage, or how she seemed to have captured the rapt attention of the audience. No, she was special because she was her. 

His eyes didn’t leave her figure after that. Constantly following her movements as she danced around the stage alongside the male and the other dancers, always standing out. 

When the show ended and the performers came out for applause and shouts from the house, he knew his life was about to change forever.

Because when she came out holding hands with her partner, bowing before the crowd masks off, a gold thread from his chest unraveled and the mating bond snapped into place. 

If it wasn’t for his years of training, of all the time he perfected his craft as the spymaster, he wouldn’t have been able to keep such a cool demeanor. He gave no indication to his family, said nothing as the dancers disappeared behind the curtains and everyone rose to leave.

“That was beautiful!” Elain chirped from next to him and he almost jumped. He had forgotten she was there. 

All he could think about was her. The dancer. His mate. His beautiful, beautiful mate. 

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱ 

Opening night had been a success and the second show had gone off without a hitch as well. Your legs and feet were so sore as you made your way back to the dressing rooms with the other gaggle of girls, already yanking the pins out of your hair. 

You rubbed at your scalp, soothing the tightness from the bun your hair had been in, as you walked up to your mirror on the long vanity table. You paused for a moment at the sight of a single rose lying beneath the mirror on the table. That had definitely not been there at the beginning of the show tonight.

You picked it up, twirling the stem in your fingers. The faintest scent still clinging to it was foreign from the sweet smell of rose. A hint of cedar and night-chilled mist, a very masculine smell. 

“What’s that?” your friend, Lena, asked, peering over your shoulder at the rose in your hand. 

“I’m not sure,” you mumbled.  

“Oooohhh,” some of the girls around you giggled and your cheeks turned pink at all the attention. “Are you hiding a male from us, y/n?”

You shook your head. “No, no. It must’ve been for one of the other girls. Probably didn’t know which mirror was hers.”

Your dismissal had the other girls turning back around, no longer interested now that there was no gossip to be shared. You wished you knew who the rose was for so you could give it to her but there was no note or anything—just that faint smell. 

The next night you were met with another rose beneath your mirror. You frowned as all the girls giggled behind you. Had the male still not realized his girlfriend had never gotten his rose?

“I think you might have a secret admirer,” Lena said, grinning at you.

“I don’t think so. Maybe we should all label our mirrors,” you suggested. “I’d hate for these roses to keep going to the wrong girl.”

“I think Lena is right,” one of the other girls said. “I think y/n has a secret admirer!”

You rolled your eyes, plopping down in your chair to start the long process of ripping the pins from your hair and taking off your stage make-up. “How would they even know where I sat? And a stranger would never be allowed back here.”

“Let’s do what you said then and write our names on the mirrors. Then we can find out who’s the true owner of the roses,” Lena said. She pulled out a tube of lipstick and wrote her name on the corner of the mirror before spreading the lipstick on her lips and kissing the spot she had just signed.

She handed the tube of lipstick over to you and you laughed, doing the same as her. 

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

"Alright, it's official. Y/n has a secret admirer!"

Your mouth dropped open as the group of girls giggling around your mirror parted and you saw another red rose on the vanity. You picked it up carefully, glancing up at your mirror to make sure your name was still written there.

The girls around you were still giggling, some making kissy noises as your cheeks lit up with embarrassment. That scent was clinging to the rose, the cedar and night-chilled mist. You took a small inhale, finding the smell to be so tantalizing. 

"Any idea who it could be?" Lena asked from beside you.

You shook your head. "No, it's not like I've had time to go out between rehearsals and the show. I haven't met anyone new in the past few months."

It was true. Your mother, one of the ballet teachers here in Velaris, kept you on a tight leash. Between classes, rehearsals and show nights, you didn't go out. Mother always said anything else was a distraction and that ballet involved sacrifices if you wanted to be a principal dancer. A role you had finally landed this season, which meant you were even more busy.

Besides, you hadn't ever been with a male like that. You had barely just turned twenty and had spent your whole childhood in ballet studios with your mother. The males that were part of those classes usually swung for the other team and the few that were into girls were usually snatched up quickly by the others. 

"How do you think he's even getting into the dressing rooms?" you mumbled to Lena, who shrugged before a mischievous grin spread on her face.

"Maybe we should ask one of the understudies to hang around here during the next show so they can catch him in the act. I'm dying to know who it is," she said.

"Not a bad idea," one of the other girls chimed in. 

"I’ll ask Helena. She's still nursing her sore ankle from her fall,” you replied, placing the rose into your satchel to take home. Pretty soon you’d have a whole bouquet.

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

“No one?! But how is that even possible?”

You stared at the new rose on the vanity before you. Helena had stalked out the dressing room but she claimed no one had ever entered.

“I don’t know, but I’m telling you, no one came in here,” Helena said back to Lena.

“And you stayed in here the whole time?”

Helena rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, I stepped out at one point to talk to Nicholas but I swear, my eyes were on the door the whole time! No one went in or came out!”

“Maybe they winnowed?” One of the girls suggested.

You shook your head. “This place is warded from that. Set up by our High Lord himself. There’s no way someone could break through those.”

“Perhaps we have a phantom on our hands,” one of the other girls laughed. “A romantic with a crush on y/n.”

All the girls fell into a fit of giggles as your cheeks turned bright red. You scowled at them, feeling a little embarrassed. 

Maybe someone was pulling a prank on you? But who would do that? You didn’t think any of the girls would be that cruel but…

Your mind was not going to rest until you found out who was putting these roses here. 

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

The next day you were rushing through the very busy streets of Velaris, trying to get to the ballet studio. You had slept in on accident and you were going to be late for rehearsal, something that might lead to your understudy taking over your role. Ballet teachers were strict like that, would see being late as a lack of self discipline and an uncaring attitude.

You sprinted around a corner only to smack right into the chest of someone. You let out a gasp, your ballet bag falling to the floor along with your folder full of sheet music for the pianist. 

“Watch where you’re going!” The Fae you had run into hissed, stepping over the strewn papers on the floor.

You were definitely going to be late now. You bit your lip, trying to fight back tears as you bent down and started to collect everything. You were so in your head that you didn’t notice the person kneeling in front of you until they were holding out a stack of the music sheets for you. 

“Thank you so much!” You said quickly, grabbing the papers and looking up to see who had stopped to help you.

Your eyes widened at the sight of the most beautiful male you had ever laid eyes on. His piercing hazel eyes bore into yours, his dark hair brushing against his forehead as he looked down at you, despite both of you kneeling on the ground. Giant wings sprouted from his back, hiding the sight of the bustling crowd. 

“Are you okay?” 

His voice was dark, just like the shadows that were now curling around his shoulders. Your breath caught in your throat as you realized who he was. The shadowsinger. One of the fae in Rhysand’s inner court. 

You cleared your throat when you realized you had been staring at him for a minute too long, your cheeks turning pink.

You shoved the papers back into the folder and grabbed your bag off the ground, standing back up. “Yes, thank you, I’m fine. It was my fault anyways. I was rushing because I’m late for rehearsal and my mother is going to kill me if I lose my role and—”

You shut your mouth as you realized you had started rambling. To his credit, Azriel didn’t seem annoyed. No, he looked more concerned as he stared down at you and Gods, now you were realizing how tall he was. 

“Sorry, I’m rambling. I’m y/n,” you said, hugging your folder against your chest. “You’re Azriel, right, the spymaster?”

He nodded in answer, his shadows dancing on his shoulders. 

“Would you like me to take you wherever it is you need to go? I can get you there faster.”

You were still mesmerized by his elegant beauty; he was so devastating to look at. You hadn’t even heard a word he had just said. Gods, you were absolutely embarrassing yourself. “Huh?”

He seemed amused now, faint color on his cheeks. “I asked if you would like me to take you wherever you need to go. My shadows let me travel faster than most fae.”

“Oh please, if you could! I just need to get to the ballet studio.”

You didn’t have time to deny his request, didn’t think twice of it through the panic of running late. He held out his arm for you and you placed your hand in the crevice of his elbow. His shadows surrounded you both until you were in complete darkness. 

It was a different feeling than winnowing, something you still had yet to learn how to do. But the feeling of traveling through Azriel’s shadows was slightly calming. 

Not a second later, the two of you appeared in front of the ballet studio, saving you the ten minute walk. You let out a breath of relief knowing that you weren’t going to be late anymore.

“Thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver!” you chimed, untangling your arm from his. 

He gave you a small dip of the head when suddenly a familiar scent washed over you. It took you a second to place it but…No, it couldn’t be, right? It wasn’t the same smell as the one that lingered on the roses?

But that cedar and night-chilled mist smell was unmistakable.

Azriel was disappearing in a swarm of shadows when you waved a hand at him, shouting at him to wait so you could ask him about the roses but he vanished from view, leaving you standing on the side of the street alone with a million questions running through your head.

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

Another week went by and still every night after the show, a rose was waiting for you at your vanity. The same scent of cedar and night-chilled mist still faintly clinging to them. You hadn’t seen Azriel again since that day and part of you was certain you had mistakenly thought he smelled like the mysterious stranger leaving you roses. 

You were stretching your feet out, getting ready to do your warm-up before the show when the Head Teacher walked in, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention.

“Listen up, girls!” she shouted so everyone could hear her. “I have an important announcement to make. The High Lady loved our show so much she’s inviting the entirety of the Royal Ballet to a dinner at The House of Wind to celebrate our hard work. This is an honor and I expect you all to treat it as such. Next rehearsal, you all need to bring a dress that you plan to wear to the dinner so they can be approved by me. Now, back to work, girls!” 

As soon as she left the room, the chattering began. Everyone was excited about the news, mostly to have an excuse to dress up but your thoughts were stuck on the shadowsinger, at the chance to see him again and as weird as it sounded, see if his scent matched the stranger who was leaving you roses. 

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

You stared at yourself in the mirror, twirling around. Your mother had picked your dress like the controlling person she was, but for once, you actually liked her choice. It was a light pink gown, with a long A line tulle skirt and a corseted bodice with off the shoulder straps. The fabric was covered with stars that shined like diamonds and some pearl detailing. 

“Come, y/n,” your mother called out from the living room of the apartment you both lived in. “We’re going to be late if we don’t leave now.” 

You met the rest of the girls at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the House of Wind. The High Lord and Lady had assured you guys that transportation up to the House would be provided. The girls were all giggling with anticipation, gossiping together about what to expect. 

Four winged figures swept down in front of your group. The High Lord was one of them, dressed finely in all black with his huge wings held high behind him. The High Lady was next to him, dressed in dark blue harem pants with a matching crop top, both decorated with sparkling jewels. The General, Cassian, stood behind them wearing his Illyrian leathers, arms crossed with a friendly smile on his face.

And lastly, the Spymaster. He stood next to his fellow Illyrian, also in his leathers, and looked just as devastatingly beautiful as that day he had taken you to the ballet studio. His wings were giant, even more so than the other three, making him look like a dark angel. Your cheeks turned pink as his gaze met yours and you bit your lip, looking away. 

“Ladies,” the High Lord purred in greeting. “We are pleased that you accepted our invitation. The House of Wind is warded against winnowing, so we are here to fly you up. It is a short flight, but if any of you are uncomfortable with the idea, we will try to accommodate you.” 

You watched as the girls exchanged looks with each other, giggling and turning a bit red at the idea. You found your eyes going back to the shadowsinger, jolting as you realized he was still staring at you. Something jumped in your chest, causing your pulse to spike. 

“Now, who wants to be the first to go?” The High Lord stepped forward and held out his hand. 

Lena winked at you and was the first to volunteer. The High Lady also held out her hand with a smile. “I can also fly some of you up. I promise I’m just as strong as the boys.” 

Slowly, one by one, the girls from your company paired with the four winged faes, letting them fly them up to the House. It was a quick process; Rhysand hadn’t lied when he said it was a short flight. You hung around in the back of the group, feeling a bit nervous as you watched them disappear into the sky each time. 

You had never been that high up in the air before, a bit of anxiety curling in your stomach. 

“Lady,” the General was in front of you now and you realized you were one of the only girls left to go. “Are you ready to be flown up?”

He held out a hand to you but you bit your lip, looking up at the House of Wind again. “I-I’m just a bit nervous.” 

“It’ll be over quick, I promise,” he grinned, trying to settle your nerves. 

You hesitated again and suddenly the Spymaster was there, gently nudging his brother to the side. Cassian glanced at him in question. 

“I’ll take her, Cass,” Azriel said, looking at you. Something about his hazel eyes had your shoulders falling. “I can use my shadows so she doesn’t have to fly.” 

That seemed like enough of an explanation for Cassian because he stepped aside and moved on to the next girl who was still waiting. 

“Your shadows can get past the wards?” you asked, curiously. You glanced at the shadows that seemed to be dancing around his shoulders. 

“Yes, they can,” he answered simply. Azriel held out his arm to you, just as he had that day. You took it gently and waited for the shadows to cover you.

If his shadows could get past the wards of one of the High Lord’s residences, then they could absolutely get past the ones around the theater’s dressing rooms. Which could mean he really was the stranger leaving you roses. 

“I just want you to know I didn’t want to fly not because your wings scare me but because of the height,” you said, feeling the need to make that clear. Azriel glanced down at you with an unreadable expression and you suddenly felt even more nervous. “In fact, I think your wings are quite beautiful and I would never—”

You closed your mouth sharply, realizing that you were both rambling again and also that you guys were now in the dining room, where everyone else was taking a seat. You blushed and stepped away from him. “Thank you.”

He dipped his head and gestured towards the dining table without a word. You gave him a nervous smile as you scurried past him and to the seat next to where your mother was sitting, already saving you a chair. As you passed by him, you were met with that scent again. The cedar and night-chilled mist. 

This time it was so unmistakable that you whirled around to look at him. But he had disappeared already, likely helping the remaining girls down below. You let out a sigh and continued on your way to your seat. 

When everyone was accounted for, Azriel slid into the seat across from you and you had to keep your eyes glued to your plate to stop yourself from blatantly staring at him. Should you find a moment to ask him about the roses? Should you let him come to you? Or maybe he had been leaving the roses for you as a favor for a friend? That theory almost made more sense because the idea of the shadowsinger leaving you roses seemed so far-fetched. 

All throughout dinner you managed to sneak glances at Azriel as you ate. You joined in the conversations around you but noticed that the shadowsinger didn’t talk that much, seeming much more content in just observing. 

Once everyone seemed done with dinner, the High Lord snapped his fingers and it was all replaced by a huge spread of different desserts. Cakes, pastries, custards, tarts. Everything you could imagine. You didn’t get to indulge in sweets much, your mother was strict about your diet to keep you in shape as a dancer, so your eyes lit up at the sight. 

You started to reach for the closest thing to you, a tiny fruit tart, but your mother slapped your hand with a hiss under her breath, “You’ve had enough to eat tonight. You know the rule about sweets.”

Your brows furrowed, upset. You placed your hands on your lap under the table, nodding. “Sorry, mother.” 

She pressed her lips together and placed her napkin on her own empty plate. Your eyes lingered on what looked like a peach pie, longingly. You felt a ping of envy as you watched all the other girls trying everything. 

“You should try the pie.” Azriel’s voice had your head whipping up and his eyes connected with yours. “It’s the High Lady’s favorite.”

You glanced at your mother, opening your mouth to politely decline but she cut you off. 

“Well, go on,” she said, nodding towards the pie. “Don’t insult them by not eating any.” 

You ground your teeth together, turning a bit pink. As if she hadn’t been the one to literally stop you from having any just a second ago. You looked back at Azriel, noting the way a muscle in his jaw clenched, and nodded your head. 

“I will, thank you,” you said, eagerly taking a slice of the pie. 

It was delectable and you nearly moaned as you ate it. A small smile lit up your face as you tried it. 

“The High Lady has good taste,” you said to Azriel, who was still staring at you. “The pie is delicious.” 

He gave you the smallest of smiles and it warmed something in your chest. 

Once everyone was finished eating, the High Lord cleared the table and moved everyone towards the large sitting room. There were some servants walking around with champagne and wine, which kept the party going steady. It was exciting to be able to socialize like this and you were having a good time, especially now that you didn’t have to be glued to your mother’s side. 

Your eyes roamed the room, trying to find the shadowsinger. The glass of champagne you had made you feel a bit more brave. You wanted to talk to him, wanted to ask him about the roses. It took you a minute of walking around to finally catch sight of him. He was resting against the railing outside on one of the many balconies. You glanced around, making sure no one was watching you, before you stepped outside.

He didn’t turn to look at you, not even as the door shut behind you, cutting off the noise that came from inside. It was like he already knew who had stepped out. You fiddled with your fingers, staring at his back. Some of the liquid courage was chased away by the cold breeze, but you refused to back down now that you were out here. 

“You are the one who has been leaving me roses every night,” you said, quietly, walking towards him. 

“I am,” he answered as you slid up next to him, grabbing the railing to keep your hands from shaking. 

You were surprised at how quickly he admitted it. You were silent for a moment, staring at his profile. Under the moonlight, he was truly a vision to be seen. Your breath caught in your throat when he finally looked at you. 

“I apologize if it has made you uncomfortable,” he said, his shadows seemed to hide behind his wings as if they were scared of what your response might be. 

“It hasn’t,” you replied, gently. You gave him a soft smile. “They are quite beautiful. But I must ask why.” 

His shadows eased, cascading down his shoulders. His lips twitched, amused by your question. 

“I cannot lie to you,” Azriel said, his voice low and dark like his shadows. It sent a shiver down your spine. “I find you very beautiful, y/n. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since I watched your show.”

Your eyes widened, your cheeks turning bright red. You hadn’t been expecting him to be so forthcoming. You hadn’t had much experience with males, so you fumbled with what to say back.

“Oh,” you squeaked out. 

That only seemed to amuse him even more. 

“Has no one told you that before?”

“Perhaps not quite so… candidly.” 

His lips twitched and you felt that spark in your chest again. He shook his head a bit, tousling his hair as he turned his body fully towards you, still leaning on the railing. 

“Well, now that my identity has been exposed,” Azriel said. “May I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?” 

“Y-yes,” you managed to stutter out, butterflies exploding in your stomach. Never in your dreams would you have imagined being courted by the Night Court’s spymaster. 

He smiled this time and the sight of it almost knocked you off your feet. 

“Good,” he said, then his hand flicked into his shadows and he pulled out a single, red rose. “For you. Since I wasn’t able to leave one tonight.”

Your heart was thumping in your chest as you reached out and took the flower from his hands. He dipped his head at you before disappearing into his shadows, leaving you alone on the balcony, twirling the rose in your hand with red cheeks and a warm feeling in your heart. 

꒰ა❤︎໒꒱

A month had passed since that night on the balcony. Azriel had continued leaving you roses after each show, something the girls all cooed over. You had also found out that he had charmed them to make sure they never died. So now you had a beautiful bouquet of never-ending roses in a vase on your vanity in the dressing room and even one in your room at home. 

Your first date went very well. You were surprised by how much the two of you had in common. And soon he had taken you on a second, a third, a fourth…and so on. 

You found yourself falling for him….hard. He was different around you than he was with most others. More talkative, more charming and funny. His wit never failed to impress you. 

Your mother wasn’t very pleased at first, especially since you hadn’t consulted her before agreeing to that first date. But once she found out it was Azriel who had asked you, she seemed pleased considering he was a high-ranking member of your court. You hated how superficial your mother was, but was happy she didn’t try to prevent you from seeing him. 

You hadn’t told him just how inexperienced you were, but he was a polite and kind male. He hadn’t even tried to kiss you yet. It was like he knew your hesitations and the need to take things slow with you despite you ever telling him that. But then again, he seemed to know everything you felt, at all times. Sometimes you even wondered if he was a daemati like the High Lord, but he had only laughed when you accused him of it. 

Today, Azriel had taken you out for some coffee and a small lunch after your morning rehearsal. Now the two of you were pushing through the bustling crowds on the streets, taking in the sights of the city. Your eyes lingered on a flower shop you passed by often, at the lovely moonflowers they had on display outside. 

Azriel noticed what had drawn your attention and pulled you over to the shop. You took a sniff of the moonflowers, basking in their sweet scent. “So beautiful.” 

“Would you like one?” Azriel asked in that voice of his that still sent shivers down your spine. 

You smiled up at him, nodding your head. 

“Azriel?”

You pulled your eyes away from him to look at the person who had just called out his name. The High Lady’s sister stood on the small steps leading up into the shop, a large pot in her arms and a bag full of seeds. 

Her doe eyes flickered between you and Azriel, until they dropped to something below. You followed her gaze to look at your conjoined hands. You quickly let go, face turning a bit pink. You had no idea why you suddenly felt as though you had been caught doing something wrong. 

“Hello Elain,” Azriel said, his voice polite but flat. 

She studied him and then turned that gaze on you, her eyes narrowing a bit. You looked between her and Azriel, not really sure what was going on.

“Oh, you’re that ballerina,” she said. “I remember you, from the show.”

“This is y/n. She is my…” He paused and you shifted from foot to foot. “She is my…friend.”

Friend.

His Friend.

Something about that sentence made your heart crack into two. A weird, unpleasant feeling curled in your stomach and your smile dropped.

Friends.

Elain seemed to ignore your presence, her gaze still stuck on Azriel. “I haven’t seen you in three weeks. Where have you been?”

Azriel went to answer but you tuned the conversation out, your thoughts whirling in your mind. Friends. He said you were his friend. 

Were…were you not something more? 

Had you completely misjudged his intentions? 

Or maybe he was tired of waiting for you to be ready for more? 

Maybe he was like all the males your mother warned you about. Only interested in females if they knew they could get sex out of it. 

Your heart dropped into your stomach, your breath catching in your throat. Suddenly, being here with him seemed so suffocating. Especially as he stood talking to some other girl that clearly knew him…clearly had feelings for him. 

You felt like you were going to vomit. You needed to leave. Needed to catch your breath. 

“Sorry to interrupt,” you managed to get out, causing the two of them to look at you. “I’m just going to go look in the shop while you guys catch up.” 

You darted away before either of them could say anything, only letting out a breath when the door closed behind you.  You rushed through the aisles, past the shopkeeper who was busy with another customer, until you spotted the door along the back wall. You slipped through it, into the small alleyway behind the shop. 

You felt bad for ditching Azriel but he had just crushed your heart, even if he didn’t know he had it. You wiped at a tear that spilled from your eye, almost laughing at how awful you felt. You had only known him for a short period of time. Maybe it was never his intention to make you fall for him, but you did and what had been a beautiful, all-consuming joy in your chest was now suddenly an ache that made it hard to even breath. 

You walked down the alleyway until you were back in the streets, sweeping through the crowd as quickly as you could to make it back to your apartment. You just wanted to get home. Just get home and then you could wallow in your own self-pity. Could cry as much as you wanted. 

The crowd thinned out the closer you got to the residential area until the street was empty. 

You let out a sigh, wiping yet another tear, just as your apartment building came into view. You hoisted your dance bag further up your shoulder and began the last few feet home. But a flapping of wings above you made you still, your heart lurching in your chest. 

Azriel landed in front of you with a small thud, his brows furrowed with confusion and his eyes unreadable. In his hand, he held a small bunching of moonflowers. 

“Y/n? Why did you leave like that?” he asked. 

You bit your lip, looking away from his face.

“Hey,” he said, grabbing your chin and turning your face back to him. “What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen?” 

You wiped at your tears, frustrated that you couldn’t keep it together long enough to make him leave. You shook your head, staring at the ground. “No, nothing happened. I-I just don’t…feel good.” 

Azriel studied you, his thumb swiping your cheek. You hated how much the small gesture soothed you. 

“Don’t lie to me,” he said. “I know something upset you. I can feel it. What happened? Please, tell me.” 

“It’s n-nothing,” you stuttered. 

“Please,” he repeated, his arms falling limp at his sides. “It pains me to see you cry. What happened? You can tell me.”

You looked away from him again, rubbing your arm in discomfort. “It’s stupid. Seriously, Azriel, I’m fine. Just…just leave. Please.” 

He stood up fully, his wings stretching out behind him. He crossed his arms, his expression stern. “No, I’m not going anywhere. Not until you tell me what’s wrong. Did I…Did I do something?” 

Another tear slipped down your cheek and you took a deep breath. “You called me your friend.”

Azriel blinked a few times. “What?”

“To that girl you were talking to. The one you clearly have some sort of history with,” you said, begrudgingly. “You told her I was your friend and I thought…well, maybe I’m an idiot. But I thought we were more than that.” 

Realization dawned over Azriel’s face and then to your surprise, the tension in his body dropped and he let out a small laugh. Your eyes narrowed at him. Was he truly going to laugh in your face after your admittance of feelings for him?

“I don’t understand what’s so funny. You’ve been taking me out on dates, leaving me roses. What else was I supposed to think—”

“No, it’s not funny,” Azriel cut you off, but he was still smiling which only pissed you off. “I mean, it is. Just not in the way you’re thinking.” 

More tears slipped down your cheeks and Azriel lurched forward, placing a hand on the side of your face. “Don’t cry, please. Let me explain. You're right, y/n, you are not my friend. You are so much more than that. You have been since the day I laid eyes on you. You consume my every single thought, y/n, truly. I am relieved to hear that you share my feelings. You have no idea how much I’ve prayed to the Mother that you would feel for me, what I feel for you.”

You took a moment to fully soak in his words, the pressure in your chest easing a bit. 

“Then why did you call me your friend? Who was that girl to you?”

“She’s no one, I promise you that,” he said, stroking your cheek with his thumb. “And I called you my friend because I almost slipped up and called you my—”

He stopped suddenly and you looked up at him in questions. “Called me your what?” 

It was his turn to let out a long breath, his cheeks coloring. “My mate. My mate, y/n. You are my mate.”

Your eyes went wide, your heart frantically beating in your chest. Mate? You were his mate?

Something snapped in you then. Something that had been with you since the moment you could remember, unraveled in your chest. Your mouth dropped open as a gold thread shot out between the two of you, linking you together. You looked back up at him, at those beautiful hazel eyes that were full of joy, love and apprehension. Such vulnerability that you weren’t used to when it came to the shadowsinger. 

“Mate,” you whispered. “You’re my…mate.”

He nodded, his eyes flickering back and forth between yours, waiting for your reaction. That warm feeling in your chest spread throughout your whole body and you couldn’t stop the smile that bloomed on your face. 

Mate. 

Azriel was your mate!

You threw your arms around his neck and pulled him into a crushing hug. Azriel let out a breath of relief, his arms grabbing you around the waist and pulling you even closer. It felt so right being in his arms. Your heart sang at your connection, at the feeling he sent down the bond. 

Everything made sense now. The way he was able to always know how you were feeling, the accelerated feelings between the two of you, how right it felt to be with him—like he had been made for you and you for him. 

He pulled back, holding you at arm's length so he could stare down at you. 

“I have wanted you from the minute I saw you, even before the bond snapped into place,” Azriel said. “I have been searching for you my whole life, y/n. I never thought I would be blessed with a mate, and especially not you. You are so beautiful and so much more than I was expecting. There will be no one else, even if you decide you don’t want this bond. All I see is you, all I want is you. I’m sorry I made you doubt that, even for a second.” 

“I want it! Of course I want it, Azriel!” You were smiling so hard, your cheeks were beginning to ache. “I…I am already falling in love with you and it has only been a month. I can’t even imagine what a lifetime might bring us.”

Azriel was smiling now too, a rare sight that had the bond in your chest glowing. He rested his forehead against yours, shutting his eyes. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I will thank the Mother every single day I get to call you mine.”

You placed a hand on his chest, smiling up at him as he opened his eyes again to stare at you. Butterflies swarmed your stomach, your heart was pounding drums in your chest. 

You needed him so much closer now. You needed to hold him, to kiss him, to hear him call you his. You were ready for that next step, ready to jump right into it. 

“Kiss me,” you whispered, your eyes fluttering to his lips. “Please.”

Azriel let out a small growl. “Do you mean it?”

You nodded, shyly, staring up at him from under your lashes. 

Azriel didn’t waste one more second, he leaned in and captured your lips with his. His lips were softer than you imagined, warm and tantalizing. The world seemed to fade away as you shared your first kiss with him, your heart pounding in your chest, your mind buzzing with need. 

His kiss was soft and tender, making you feel at ease with him. His arm wrapped around your waist and he yanked you even closer, deepening the kiss. Time slowed down. The bond between the two of you glowed. 

Finally, Azriel pulled back, locking eyes with you. He held up the moonflowers he was still holding, letting you take them as he pressed a kiss to your cheek.

“Flowers for the pretty lady,” he teased, causing you to giggle. 

He was still holding you around the waist, his other hand now slipping up into your hair. His hard body was pressed against yours, the flowers nearly crushed. He kissed you again and you felt it then, the promise he was making. 

You were his mate. 

And he would make sure you were his to have and to hold for the rest of eternity.

[arc-misadventures]

The Beach: B

Jaune: Haa… that was something…

: What was something?

Jaune: Ahh?! What the…?! Oh, it’s just you, Blake. You startled me.

Blake: Sorry, but what’s wrong?

Jaune: Nothing to really… Wow… You’re looking great, Blake.

Blake: Oh… D-Do I…?

Jaune: You look very sexy!

Blake: O-Oh… T-Thank you…

Jaune: I don’t mean to… insinuate anything… But, since when were you soooo… filled out?

Blake: ‘Filled out?’

Jaune: …

Jaune: Thic…

Blake: Oh!

Jaune: I mean… I don’t remember you being so… full bodied.

Blake: T-Thank you… It must be because of my outfit… I mean, it’s a one piece bodysuit. It’s pretty tight so it probably makes me look pretty slim.

Jaune: ‘Pretty slim?’ I thought you were a B-Cup those are at least E-Cup!

Blake: And, tell me, Jaune: Is that a bad thing~?

Jaune: …

Jaune: N-No comment…

Blake: Fufufu~! So, tell me; what was this ‘something’ you spoke of?

Jaune: Nahh… Your teammates keep telling me what their favourite kinks are…

Blake: Their kinks…?

Jaune: Yeah…

Blake: And, they are…?

Jaune: You really want to know?

Blake: I’m curious, besides I know about, Ruby’s interest in tentacle porn. Can be much worse than that.

Jaune: How did you know that?

Blake: I found her ‘hidden stash.’ I’m not into such things myself, but they were quite spicy~!

Jaune: Well, she wants me to tie her up with rubber bands, and have my way with her; Did you know about that?

Blake: I know she was looking for rubber bands, I didn’t know why at the time, but now I know why. And, I must say, kinky~!

Jaune: Not to me it is…

Blake: What about, Yang?

Jaune: Brother complex. And, I’m the brother…

Blake: Really?

Jaune: Yeah. I have enough perverted sisters at home, I don’t need to deal with another one.

Blake: But, if you played, Yang’s little fantasy. You could play out some of your own sibling fantasies.

Jaune: …

Jaune: Weiss is a sub, and wants me to dominate her.

Blake: …

Blake: She’s a sub…? I thought she’d have a daddy kink.

Jaune: So did I. But, because of how much of an ass her father was to her, she didn’t like her father so the idea of a daddy kink to her is absolutely revolting. Actually, she almost went gay because of him.

Blake: But?

Jaune: But, because of her father being a complete asshole, and all the threats her father received because of what he’s done, she did some research to understand what their threats were about, and stumbled down the rabbit hole. And well, long story short she wants me to bound, and gage her, and have my way with her…

Blake: Wow…

Jaune: Yeah…

Blake: I did not… I did not expect that…

Jaune: Same. But, hey you two could probably get together, and talk about your shared kinks. So team bounding moments, yay!

Blake: I’m not into that.

Jaune: Y-You’re not…?

Blake: Nope.

Jaune: Really, I thought you did; Those, ‘Ninjas of Love’ books are filled with that stuff, and don’t you love that series?

Blake: Well, I do like the books, but I’ve… wait… H-How do you know what those books are about…?

Jaune: I proofread them for my sister.

Blake: Sister…? Your sister is, Catherine Mystique?!

Jaune: Technically her real name is, Janette Arc. The one on the books is just her pen name.

Blake: Oh… I-I didn’t know that.

Blake: …

Blake: Do you think…?

Jaune: I’ll get her autograph for you.

Blake: Yes!

Jaune: But, back to my previous question.

Blake: Hmm… Oh! Yeah… You remember, Adam, Adam Taurus?

Jaune: That male yangdere?

Blake: Yeah, so before I ran away to, Beacon he tied me up like in the books, because he thought I would like it. It was uncomfortable to say the least.

Jaune: Because he’s a crazy?

Blake: Well… he knocked me out, and then tied me up hanging from the ceiling so yeah… you can say it was because he was crazy. Luckily I managed to use my semblance to break out, and I ran for the hills, well, Beacon. You understand.

Jaune: I’d rather not, but no matter. So… I hate to ask… but, if you’re not into bondage, or other stuff like that, then what are you into?

Blake: A-Are you asking me what my kink is?

Jaune: Yeeeeeees…? I’m curious, okay?

Blake: Well, I suppose after our little conversation you can’t help, but be a little curious. So, to answer your question: Raceplay.

Jaune: Raceplay? Like… human x faunas?

Blake: Yep.

Jaune: Is this a, White Fang thing?

Blake: No… well… kinda? Look, I joined the, White Fang to create equality between humans, and faunas. For me that was to stop discrimination between the pair, and stopped all the things the, SDC were doing to us. I was never the hardcore kill all humans kind of person. I was however… I was a member of the secret club called the… HAA.

Jaune: HAA?

Blake: …

Blake: Human Addicts Anonymous.

Jaune: Say what now?

Blake: We were just a group of hormonal faunas girls who really had the hots of strong human males. Most of the faunas boys around us were so pathetic, but those humans~! They had such strong commanding presence to them that demand our attention! I-If one told us to sit, and bark like a dog, we would have howled at the moon! We would be their pretty little pets, and we would absolutely love it!

Jaune: Okay… I think you’re into more than just raceplay… g-good to know…

Jaune: …

Jaune: No it’s not. I regret asking you so, so many things.

Blake: Oh don’t be upset, I know you wouldn’t do that to me, Master~!

Jaune: Wait, what?! You want to do that depraved shit with me?!

Blake: Oh don’t worry, Master! I have everything planed out, and I know how to do all the naughty things you can do to your pet~!

Jaune: I don’t like where this is going…

Blake: We don’t have to do anything kinky if you don’t want to. However, I am putting my foot down at one thing!

Jaune: And, that is…?

Blake: A collar for me to wear with your name on it~!

Jaune: I want off this train!

Blake: Also, when we have sex, I want you to bre…?!

Jaune: That’s it! I’m out! I’m not having any of this shit! I’m going!

Blake: But, Master! Don’t you want to play with your little kitty cat~?

Jaune: AHHHHHH!!!

[queen-of-weird-girl-nation]

A Jason Grace Analysis 

While my Jason fics relies on mainly interpretation and headcanons, this one’s mostly going on the limited list of Jason’s life from the books. YOU’RE ALLOWED TO DISAGREE WITH ME,JUST DO IT RESPECTFULLY IN THE COMMENTS. be nice pls.

Spoiler alert 🚨 (for PJO, HOO and TOA)

Jason Grace is a character who was, in a way, screwed over by Rick during his writing of Heroes of Olympus and eiDzgventually Trials of Apollo. His story was very sad, but never explored to its fullest potential and in some cases didn’t make sense. He’s a character who is seen as ‘boring’ by the fandom, which , in a way, makes sense. Uncle Rick didn’t do him justice, so I’m here for a Jason Grace analysis.

Firstly, Jason’s incredibly depressing life. Because I do not know what vendetta that Rick had against my boy, but I would argue his story is the most tragic of everyone in the books. Yes. Even Nico. 

Jason’s mother was an unhinged alcoholic who was obsessed with fame. For the first 2 years of his life, he was basically looked after by his sister, who was also a young child. As hard as Thalia tried, she probably wasn’t the best caregiver on account of her age. His mother was unstable, which has got to leave some scars, even if you’re a young kid, because you still know what’s going on to some extent. And Jupiter seemed to leave the family to their own devices after a while, not even staying for a kid. So Jason has been basically abandoned, keep track of how often that happens. 

Then Jason was abandoned again, this time by his mother, left as a sacrifice for Hera. And he wasn’t sacrificed just anywhere, he was left at the Wolf House, where Lupa tested him to see if he was ‘pup or food’. So Jason, at two years old, was tested by a Wolf Goddess, a ruthless one at that, who threatened to kill him if he didn’t live up to expectations. Just a great environment for a toddler to live in. And while the time he spends in the Wolf House is unspecified, the general consensus is that it was for a year or two. This is more of a headcanon, but the implications of ‘pup or food’ could show that he stayed with her longer than the average Roman demigod. In SoN, it’s shown that most demigods do their Wolf House training for like, a week. And the training sounds harsh when Percy, age 16 does it. So imagine a 2 year old, going through that, constantly. Then he is off to New Rome. 

In HoO, it’s pointed out that Jason has 12 lines of his forearm for his years of service in New Rome. 12 lines representing 12 years of service.

Jason has been serving 12 years of military service since he was around 3. So that means that this literal infant is just… in the military. How does that work? Was baby Jason just running around in little armour? Was he doing the same drills as other kids when he was much, much younger? Also the fact that in Camp Jupiter, you train for 10 years, then go to live in New Rome. But Jason has been serving for longer than that, with 2 extra years. It seemed like he wasn’t going to retire anytime soon in the books, so that also adds some mystique to his character that was never explored.

Then we move into the other things at Camp Jupiter, which is that Jason was treated like a statue or a star, instead of a person. Hazel says that he is ‘more legend than boy’ which is so sad! This kid, this 15 year old is seen by those around him as a hero, a legend to look up to. Did Jason have any other friends? While Reyna seems to be close, Reyna had a crush on him, and while he didn’t know that, it must have made the friendship a bit… different. Jason isn’t specified to have any other friends in the books, probably because everyone was to in awe of his status as a Son of Jupiter. And while Jason may care about the rules, in Roman terms he was a very radical person. He was just trying to live a calm life, to not be known only as the Son of Jupiter. He joins the least respected cohort. He tries to take less important quests. But it doesn’t work, because he does get assigned big quests and while he is in the 5th cohort, people still treat him like a legendary hero instead of just a guy. And while the phrase ‘victim of nepotism’ is quite controversial, I think that Jason actually fits that bill.

Then we come to SoN. You know that tweet that’s like: hey we’re calling off the search party. we found a different guy out there we like more. That’s what Camp Jupiter did to Jason. Again, he was abandoned, this time by his own Camp. Like I know 8 months is a while, but oh my gosh, do we have to elect a new praetor? There’s also a contradiction. Percy is a Greek demigod, which isn’t a thing the Roman’s really like. Yet after a couple weeks at Camp, he’s already a PRAETOR? While Jason was put down for being ‘unrecognisable as a Roman’, they elected a very Greek person as a praetor? He was immediately accepted into the highest position of power? Also the fact that Jason wasn’t looked for. At all. While CHB was scrambling to find their boy (as they should), no one in CJ cared? Like, aren’t they the ones with the giant searching eagles? It seemed like everyone forgot about him, with him being missing not being a huge thing for most people (except Hazel and Reyna to my memory, fill me in if anyone else gave two frogs) and that’s gotta sting. The knowledge that your entire camp not only replaced you, but didn’t bother to look. 

Jason also had amnesia and never regained huge chunks of his memory. That must be horrible, to have parts of your life gone, to not remember much. While Percy got everything back, Jason got so much less!

Jason goes on the quest, then comes back. He goes to CHB, goes to school. He starts having a normal life. And he gets broken up with, making him genuinely sad. And while I know that Piper had no ill intentions whatsoever when she broke up with him, that also could count as an abandonment. Because they don’t really keep in touch in the book, they seem to go their separate ways. So kinda half of an abandonment, even though both parties weren’t in blame.

Finally we have his death. While Thalia got turned into a tree by Zeus, a slightly caring act for a god, Jason died. This could be because Jupiter is crueller than Zeus or it could be because of the cycle of patricide, with Jupiter killing his father, who did the same to his father. Maybe it’s because of his paranoia. Maybe it’s because Jason called Jupiter unwise, but it still counts as an abandonment. The god saved Thalia (she could be seen as non threatening, not a killer. Not someone who could carry on the tradition of son killing father) and abandoned Jason, left him to die the ‘heroes death’. 

Jason’s life has been one big struggle and rejection. 4.5 times, he was abandoned, left somewhere by someone. Left to die in the end. He was a child soldier, meaning that he was a kid that never got to be a kid, just a tool for the gods, for years and years. And he struggled with making friends, making new rules, trying to push the camp into the future. Seen as unroman, even Reyna says it. That’s an awful life, one that Rick Riordan never explored and one that’s contradicted at times.

Jason was a character that Rick dropped the ball on so hard.

Because, while his life is incredibly difficult, it has so much potential for storytelling, that Rick  dashes on the rocks, leaving the fandom with a character who people acknowledge as weak and boring.

So, in the fandom, Jason is regarded as having no personality, or being a knock off Percy. So, Jason not really having a huge personality, as a kid who trained as a soldier from a young age, makes sense. He was spending half his childhood trying to survive so trying to figure out what MBTI type he was may have fallen low on his list of priorities. Then he got amnesia, and sent on the Seven quest. So Jason not having time to develop a sense of personality makes sense, buts here’s the catch. It’s never explored. Rick never, ever explains why that might be happening, which could make for a compelling story arc. Rick never expands on the child soldier thing at all, which sucks because instead of Jason having an identity crisis about Greek and Roman camps, he could be really weird since he’s a child soldier. (I’m aware that they’re all child soldiers, but I refer to Jason as child soldier since he was just a baby when he started)

And the seeds were there. For example, the scene with Jason being wary about Nico and not wanting to rescue him, that could have been Jason being taught that practicality is key. That some people are expendable. He could have learnt that from the ARMY THAT HE GREW UP IN. That could have been a plot point, that Jason struggles with taking breaks or knowing that’s he’s appreciated, that his childhood was abusive and not normal, that life isn’t a constant battle for survival. That could have been his arc! All of the pieces were right there! Rick, dude, you’re a great author, but you fumbled so hard on this one!

And also the fact that… unpopular opinion time….

Jason wasn’t stronger than Percy, but he should have been.

Jason has been in the army since he was a toddler, and I know that Percy’s really powerful, but come on! Jason being this really nice, really powerful kid with super strong powers and no social skills could have slayed. Maybe this is the inner Jason stan in me, but I personally think that Jason should have been stronger than Percy, simply because it makes more sense. Jason has been training for ages and ages, he single handedly fought a Titan at younger than Percy (around 14 or 15) so it seemed like his powers were muted by Rick. This could probably be because the PJO fandom is like a toxic TikTok boy mom when it comes to Percy (I can be like this too), making him centre stage and getting annoyed when he isn’t. Percy is meant to be the strongest, which isn’t bad, in some situations it just doesn’t fit. Or maybe Percy’s just wildly OP.

This is not to say that in the book Jason was weak, but people treat him like that.

And Jason’s really sad life is never explored! He should have been struggling with 1500 mental illnesses at once because that constant abandonment? The stress of everyone’s expectations? Trying not to die at like 4? He’s neither the eldest nor a girl, but he’s got so much eldest daughter syndrome and is burnt out gifted kid syndrome personified. And it’s hardly touched on! 

There’s also the fact that’s a really small nitpick, but, the fact that Jason only has 1 single lip scar? That shows that Rick wasn’t paying attention to his own character. Jason trained with the Wolf Goddess then was in the army, he should be covered in them.

In conclusion, Jason’s very sad and tragic story was hardly utilised and the very interesting parts of his character were not used in a way they could be. But don’t worry Jason. While Rick Riordan may have flopped you, you are one of my favourite characters.

Peace ☮️

[readerwithsalt]

Sun and the Star Review: (With snippets from the book)

Since I just finished The Sun and the Star I’m just gonna say the first thing I have a problem with is the TELLING and NOT SHOWING.

• And I was wondering if anyone thought that they made Will super lame and ooc compared to previous cooler depictions of him. Like he’s supposed to be Super Chill under pressure and the Calm Dude but he’s so WHINY the entire book. He’s constantly complaining, judging, screaming, crying or sleeping. The cool, chill vibe Will had before is gone which was one of the things I liked about him before.

• someone else said ‘Tsats Will thinks there’s something wrong with Nico, something wrong with his personality. Will thinks Nico needs to be “fixed” and “healed” and so he can be “normal” and then Nico will be actually appealing to Will. Tsats Will may love some parts of Nico (or at least thinks he loves some parts of Nico). But there are more parts of Nico that Will finds unsavory or unnerving or scary or unsettling or unsatisfactory or unappealing’ I agree sadly

• Like he tells Nico in the beginning of the book that he’s just as capable of survival as Nico (which I snorted at cause no) and then is the hugest burden I’ve ever seen on a quest EVER in a riordan book. Like Nico tries to lift Will up every time he passes out from ‘lack of sun’ (which is so stupid btw) and Nico can’t lift him up cause he’s not strong enough so he’s constantly WAITING on Will. And it’s really boring to read about how every few seconds Nico has to turn around and let his boyfriend catch up.

I think Will’s character could have shined and been more likable in a completely different plot and quest.

Like, I thought since they weren’t giving Will any weapons that his strengths would lie in being the fast athletic character that didn’t need a magic item in order to show off…

• the whole ‘role reversal’ caretaker thing made Will look completely useless. Nico did 80 percent of the work and Will sadly fell flat. I thought he was coming along to keep Nico safe and to heal him when he got injured but Nico was pretty much doing almost every job. It was like he was riding Nico’s coattails to become a ‘hero’ and prove himself. But he didn’t really prove anything except that he complains a lot when things get rough.

They didn’t give Will a character weapon (even Piper has one and she doesn’t fight that much. Neither does Leo and he at least uses a hammer) they made him exhausted the whole book so he didn’t have his normal physical strength, his backstory was also pretty boring.

• and Will keeps randomly getting irritated at Nico bc Nicos irritated at him. Like?? Your shitting on his underworld home every chance you get. I’d be irritated too.

• in previous books he’s described as an archer. Even tho Leo calls him ‘the archer dude’ in TLH he suddenly doesn’t know how to use a bow AT ALL. He only said he wasn’t as good as his siblings not that he was complete shit at it. Previously he used a bow and had a dagger in BOO. Also will randomly says he never wanted to be a fighter and loved healing but in previous books he’s insecure about just that. Also the book forgets Will is a BATTLEFIELD MEDIC. Like he can fight and heal just like Apollo.

• Will whines constantly. And it’s grating and annoying to read. Either about the lack of sun (you knew what you were getting into dumbass) or the dead people walking around or about Nico’s horrible ‘darkness’ that he has to heal. It’s like he never thinks of Nicos feelings when he says stuff. And there little ‘fights’ end unsatisfactory.

• The vibe of Camp-Half-Blood is nonexistent. It does not feel like camp at all. It feels like we’re in a 12 year olds fanfic mind. ALL of the campers are gone even though it’s been established MANY are orphans and we see no beloved background characters and background chaos that makes us smile like in the past books. It made me surprisingly more depressed than I thought it would.

• it’s also missing the mystique of a quest. Like going up to the big house to have the quest recited around a table full of cabin counselor demigods all fighting to be the third member to prove themself a hero (mostly the ares cabin) no matter how important a quest in pjo was for Percy Chiron ALWAYS enforced certain rules. Even if they broke later on.

• Loose Ends. Reyna is. Not. Mentioned. Once. It never comes up how Nico feels about his big sister friend joining the hunters like his other one did even tho in BOO he tore apart a courtyard cause they took her. The girl whose shoulder he cried into, the girl who was with him during his last quest. The girl who thought of him as a little brother and tucked him in her cape and said he resembled his surname as he slept.

Hazel is mentioned… but it’s literally just a couple shallow mentions that don’t have anything to do with the fact that he may not ever see her again if he revisits Tartarus. He mentions his beloved little sister who was the actual first light in his life (don’t know why the book says Will is) in a long time only once and it’s because he can’t remember something and thinks Hazel would?? It’s weird that he iris messages Piper at the end instead of Hazel. I thought that’s what he was going to do and then it was just a big cringe fest of Piper shoved in at the end talking about the label of her sexuality?? Like we actually care??

And It’s never stated that Nico finds out where Jason is even though HE SHOULD KNOW. He literally talks to Beckendorf and Luke when they die in pjo to find out where they went but he can’t figure out where his best friend is??

Also at the end of the book it says Nico still hasn’t redecorated his cabin even though he told Jason he was going to a YEAR AGO bc the ‘decor was disgusting’ (I think that was the worst loose end not fixed 😂)

Every other relationship of Nicos is thrown away so he can admire Will Solace’s mediocrity. who’s kinda a loser in this tbh….

• The Percabeth scene was weird. What relevance does sally jackson have to Nico’s story? Why did he have to go all the way to Percy’s bedroom to iris message him?? And the fact he uses the ship name Percabeth to describe them (which he’d never done in previous books) proves a cringe fan is the one writing this.

The fact that they don’t OFFER TO HELP Nico is ooc of them. Bc even if Percy wants to chill at college he would never want Nico to clean up his mess without offering his help. Also the fact that Percy turns to Annabeth and says ‘oh man I forgot about him’ is like… WHAT?? And they just say oh yea if anyone can get through Tartarus it’s you two.

To Will who’s never been on a quest and doesn’t fight (at least in this book) that’s a weird thing to say. Percy and annabeth only survived bc they’ve fought together FOR YEARS. And bc of Percy’s big three power. It was just a forced add in cameo. Would’ve been better if they didn’t know till the end that Nico got Bob out and then they suddenly see Bob in an iris message and start crying or something…

• it broke my heart that Nico gave his SKULL RING to Will. The last gift from Bianca Nico ever got and he gives it to someone that doesn’t even appreciate his element.

And what does Nico get in return? A coin. I mean, an engraved coin but still. It’s kinda symbolic of the relationship. Nico giving Will something of such RELEVANCE to Nico’s character, something he’s always described with wearing and then Nico receiving a token in turn.

• Will asks Persephone how he’s SUPPOSED TO LOVE NICO. Like I almost blew up my house with me in it at that part. It never feels like Will is as attracted to Nico as Nico is to him. Nico instigates every kiss (which is ooc of him and his reservedness to touch). It seems Will likes to look at others a lot because one of Nicos insecurities were of him staring at fucking Paolo. While being right next to his boyfriend, Will checks out other people… Like Nico deserves so much better. He at least deserves respect.

I would’ve appreciated Nico and Ghost Jason way more than this shit. At least Jason described Nico better and they weren’t even dating. And I liked Solangelo before this. Will never describes physical attributes that he likes about Nico the same way Nico does about Will. Like Nicos inky dark eyes and baby bat winged hair, and his smile that is apparently like winter sun breaking through snow flurries, and his hair smelling pleasantly of rain against stone (I think Apollo is more attracted to Nico than Will is). But Nico has to call Will hot every five min.

• Also I simply don’t understand the idea that Will being away from the sun would drain him to the point where he can’t keep up with NICO’S WALKING PACE within a couple hours. Like the super athletic, physically strong character that can lift Nico over his shoulders and run with him (and Rachel in TON) walks into the underworld and has to be healed by a stupid portable night light within five minutes.

• Don’t even get me started on his JUDGINESS. I always pictured Will as the guy at camp that thought Nicos powers were cool and stuff, right? And now he just judges every ‘dark’ thing nico does like darkness is synonymous with evil. And only his light can heal him. I HATED that trope and honestly thought they would make him more original. But I have to say it: he was so boring. Like in a way that made my stomach hurt.

• Wills kind of a jerk in this. Like it’s weird to read.

• The PACING. It was off the whole book. The only part i enjoyed was the part where they didn’t know they were dreaming (that part got me) but that was it. But like gorgras scene keeps overlapping with the rest of the story and I kept forgetting my place. The fact that riordan or oshiro or whatever 12 year old fan wrote this put the words FLASHBACK & DREAM SEQUENCE over the chapters gave it SERIOUS fanfic vibes. The pacing is simply not suspenseful enough for a place like Tartarus.

• And do NOT get me started on Tartarus. Okay I’ll say it anyway: it wasn’t scary AT ALL. LIKE ANY OTHER QUEST. Actually it seemed easier than other previous quests which is a big nope. Hades might as well have sent him to Target.

• And about the fact that is was HADES who gave him that prophecy is SO OOC of him. He loves Nico. Nico is probably Hades most favorite child ever as of right now and he sends him horrible nightmares, and a prophecy respouted 12 times to get him to save Bob (whom Hades could care less about btw) and go back to a place that he knows haunts Nico every day MAKES NO FUCKING SENSE!

Also HOW did hades give Rachel that prophecy? He has no power over the Oracle of Delphi.

• Maria and Bianca MAKE NO SENSE! How in the hell is there any piece of thier souls left when Hades gave Maria ancient rites and was the one soul Nico was not allowed to see and Bianca reincarnated. WHICH WAS FORGOTTEN BTW. NOW SHES BACK IN ELYSIUM?? Like?? Like maybe I could see Hades letting Nico see a piece of Maria but Bianca is literally GONE forever.

Nico was ooc. Like not too badly but still bad. But the fact that Will didn’t let Nico shadow travel even once irks me. The fact Will didn’t let him summon Jules Albert irks me. The fact that Will kept brushing off nicos feeling about the underworld irks me. The fact that Will called Persephone the most beautiful PERSON he’d ever seen right in nicos face and then asked his (insecure) boyfriend if he was jealous irks me. The fact that Will is BORING AS FUCK irks me

• And the COMING OUT story. Horridly ooc. Nico shouting to the whole camp he’s gay and getting all the other kids to come out too is like??? and apparently he asked out Will before Will had even come out?? Nico would NEVER do that. Especially since not long before Cupid had done the same to him. And apparently Nico is like the first out character in a MODERN GREEK camp with DIONYSUS as a director. No.

In character Nico would’ve shadow traveled back to his cabin or the woods the moment he figured out what was happening.

• the nicknames are extremely cringe. Little ball of darkness is used to much and it made me itch. I think Will simply calling him babe or something would’ve been simpler and made them seem more like a real couple instead of a caricature of light and dark.

• ‘he’d always been the demigod who WOULDNT eat.’ ………..what the actual fuck is this. Nicos always been naturally skinny but being starved in jar is what messed up his hunger. Not that he WOULDNT eat. Why is everything always his fault in this book?

Like, he didn’t ‘LET’ himself get to the point of starvation over and over. I mean first of all he became homeless at ten years old, probably had to steal food items. And most recently he got KIDNAPPED by TWO GIANTS and starved forcibly. And then when he got out he was under so much stress of what just happened to him in Tartarus, the war with Gaea, his forced outing, and having to lug an enormous statue ACROSS THE WORLD. but nah, I guess he just LET all of that stuff happen to him

• the references are BAD. Out of touch bad. Unfunny and the joke never becomes a joke. It’s never explained how a kid from the 1930s knows how to use the internet and look up lil nas x in a camp that doesn’t use any technology. Doesn’t explain how Nico knows about Care Bear powers (I didn’t even know that) and the beginning scene with the Star Wars ‘joke’ set a weird tone for the book and wasn’t even funny.

• I hated the cocoa puff demons coming to live with Nico. Like I was fine they got created ig even tho it was weird and kinda dumb but the fact that Nico is so keen to have his worst memories and insecurities sleep in bed with him makes no sense once again. In character Nico would’ve burned them with hellfire.

• Also Nyx is a unfathomably weak villain. A PRIMORDIAL GODDESS that even ZEUS fears is taken down in two seconds. Also she’s just trying to get Nico ‘accept his darkness’. WHICH HE ALREADY HAS DONE. The moment he called himself The Ghost King in battle of the labyrinth at eleven years is when he truly accepted his powers and who he was. So… why is she even in the book in the first place??

• Also Will STILL insists it’s Nicos fault he wasn’t accepted. And that it was all in his head….

Also Micheal Yew was simply never mentioned again. Neither was lee fletcher. If they were I missed it.

There were a COUPLE of cute parts and lines but really this is simply too weird (and bad) to be canon to me. This book is just not canon. I see it as fanfiction from a random author that riordan probably let write the entire book or at least most of it. I think sadly riordan put his name on this for money and for fanservice because the writing is first draft material.

(And it kind of feels like they got this version of Nico and Will from cringy meme posts about them. Like, you know the ones where Nico’s all like ‘I am darkness, i am a vampire’ and Wills all like ‘come on, my uwu baby, no more shadowtravel for you, doctors orders~’ 🤣😭)

just because they thought that’s what the twelve year olds wanted and not realizing that a lot of those posts are simply made as a joke and not actually taken seriously in canon…. And that most people in the fandom thinks those are bad cringeposts

[britany1997]

Fate Yields For No One

Chapter Two

It’s here y’all! The next chapter of Fate Yields For No One! I’m so excited for y’all to read it! Hope y’all love it🥰 let me know in the comments if you’d like to be added to the FYFNO Taglist, or to my main list:)

Poly! Lost Boys x Max’s Daughter Reader

Please reblog to support my work!

Prologue, Chapter One

California, 1986

“I know you resent me now, but I’m only doing what’s best for you. I take care of my children, and I hope that in time you can learn to see me as your father.”

Fuck Max. Fuck California. Fuck everything.

The second you’d carved even a sliver of a life for yourself, it’d been forcefully ripped from you. You weren’t allowed to be free. You had been “gifted” with eternal life, but you couldn’t truly live.

Max saw himself as a savior. According to him, he’d rescued you from the gutter, from an impending death. But you’d died everyday since his fangs had sunken into your skin.

A stake through the heart was a kindness you would never be afforded. Your future had never been yours to control.

The room you’d been banished to at the top of Max’s house felt more like a gilded tower as the nights wore on.

You were semi-imprisoned by your self-proclaimed father, and semi-imprisoned by your own will. Max didn’t trust you enough to allow you out alone at night, but you’d be damned if you ever went out with him.

So you stayed, confined to your prison and guarded by Thorn. You seethed in malice, all alone.

Or sort of alone, as you’d done in life, you allowed yourself to escape to worlds within literature. Your bedside table was stacked with Mrs. Dalloway, The Bell Jar, and of course, Jane Eyre. What were you if not a mad woman locked inside a room. All you needed was a match.

You were skimming the pages of The Feminine Mystique when you heard a firm knocking on your bedroom door. Shortly after, Max entered, his tall, broad frame filling the doorway. “I want you to come to the video store tonight, in fact, I’d like you to start working there for me.”

You continued to read, refusing to so much as look at him as he spoke to you, “why’d you knock if you were just going to come in anyway?”

Max frowned, “you’ve been here for almost a month now and you’ve done nothing but refuse to acknowledge me and behave terribly.”

“Not true,” you said nonchalantly, holding up your book and finally meeting his eyes, “I’ve also been reading.”

Max’s head fell into his hands in frustration. “I’ve tried so hard with you but-”

“Tried what?” you interrupted, “thrusting the curse of immortality onto me without explaining what you were doing? Without telling me what it meant? Without giving me a choice?!”

Max crossed his arms, preparing himself for another of your monologues.

“Or maybe you mean ripping me from my home, from the life I’d made for myself. Because God forbid I do anything on my own, God forbid I allow myself to be happy for once in my unlife. No, you’d rather keep me under your thumb, calling yourself my father just to spite me.”

“Are you done?” Max asked, eyebrow raised.

“Might as well be,” you spit, “you can hear me but you never listen.”

“You mock me for calling myself your father, when all you ever do is act like a rebellious child.”

You grimaced and turned your eyes to the ground.

He stepped forward, “I don’t want to use it, but I will.”

You sucked in a breath at his words. He was referring of course, to his thrall.

As your sire, Max had completely power over you. If he chose to, he could utter the words and force you to do whatever he wanted.

Max had assured you that he wouldn’t use this power unless he deemed it absolutely necessary. Yet this didn’t set you at ease. The threat of your agency being stripped from you was constantly present in the back of your mind.

It was better for you to choose to do what he wanted, if it could be called a choice.

You sighed, dog earring your book and throwing it into your tote as you slipped it over your shoulder. You moved to walk out the door but paused in front of Max, “I hope you know how much I hate you.”

He sighed, a sad smile stretching across his face, “I do.”

You arrived at the video store to find that an application had already been filled out for you, and your employment had been approved.

You glared at Max as he pulled out your name tag, “this is demeaning,” you told him.

He rolled his eyes, “having a summer job you were given because of nepotism? Yes, no one has suffered as you have suffered.”

He clipped the name tag to your shirt, “enough with this attitude,” he whispered.

He turned to a pretty, curly haired girl working the counter, “Maria, this is my daughter,” you waved awkwardly, “she’ll be working here this summer, show her what to do.”

He turned back to you, “I’ve got to do inventory, listen to Maria she’s a nice girl.”

With that he patted your arm and headed to the back of the store.

Maria came out from behind the counter and offered you her hand, which you gladly took. “I’m Maria,” she smiled the most genuine smile you’d seen in a long time as she shook your hand, “I’ve been working the night shift alone for forever! I’m really glad to have you here.”

Your cheeks flushed at her words, “well, I’m glad to be here,” you said genuinely. It’d been awhile since you’d had anyone you’d been able to truly connect with.

In her smile you saw the potential for a confidant, something you desperately needed. Maybe you couldn’t tell her about the monstrous side of you, but you wanted her to know everything else. You wanted someone who truly knew you.

The night passed quickly as Maria taught you how to work the register, stock movies, and use the stores check out system. With the rest of your time you were content to listen as she rambled about her life.

You smiled softly as she told you about her friends, her classes, and her family. Maria was the oldest daughter of a huge, tight knit family. Five siblings meant she spent a lot of her weekends babysitting, but she didn’t seem to mind.

She gushed to you about each sibling, their personalities, their quirks, their likes and dislikes, by the end of the night you felt like you knew each of them. You were touched by her obvious care for them.

When the end of her shift came, you were holding back tears. She loved her family just as you’d loved yours. For the first time in a long time, you’d met a kindred spirit, for the first time in a long time, you had a friend.

When she’d finished packing up her things, Maria pulled you in for a hug. “It was so nice to meet you! I can’t wait to see you again for our shift tomorrow.”

Your heart swelled, “I can’t wait either!”

She shot you another one of her bright smiles before turning to head out the door. You beamed to yourself as you fiddled with the register.

“Hey babe, heading out already?” your ears perked up at the sound of someone speaking to Maria.

She giggled, “Paul, you know you’re not supposed to be in here anymore,” she sing-songed.

Paul sighed dramatically, “oh babe I’d stay away, but I’d miss seeing ya every night!”

Maria laughed once more, “we couldn’t have that now could we.”

You rolled your eyes at this Paul guy’s cheesy flirting, wondering why he wasn’t allowed in the store.

“Who’s the new chick,” Paul whispered.

You tried to ignore him as you counted the cash.

“Why don’t you see for yourself Paulie,” Maria teased, “I’ve gotta get going.”

“Sure baby, let me just turn on my charm.”

You could hear his voice dripping with fuckboy confidence. This would be good.

You were jolted from your thoughts by the repeated ringing of the bell on the counter. You sighed, turning around slowly, an annoyed expression on your face.

Your eyes met the blond man’s piercing blue ones, as you stared into them your frustration melted into shock.

Paul’s eyes widened as he realized who you were to him. You wished you could have stopped the word that fell from his lips.

“Mine.”

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[clangenrising]

Month 14 - Newleaf

“Hey, Bee Face?” 

Russetfrond had been starting to drift as he watched Mystique train with the apprentices but her voice pulled him back into focus. 

“Yes?” he frowned out of habit despite the fact that he and the kittypet had been getting along a lot better lately. They were honestly getting along a little too well for his liking, although the guilt he felt over his first major indiscretion as a warrior wasn’t enough to stop him from continuing to be indiscreet. It had become an excitingly ill advised routine to sneak off with her every couple days for a bit of private fun. She’d promised to keep it a secret even if she didn’t seem to understand why and he had been grateful. 

He realized he was drifting again when she said, “Hello? You there?” 

“What?” he blinked and Floodpaw and Barleypaw chuckled softly to themselves. 

“I said,” Mystique frowned, looking green in the face, “I think I’m done for the day. I don’t feel so good.” 

Russetfrond nodded. “Alright, then we’ll break.”

“Aw, come on,” Floodpaw groaned, “We barely did anything!” 

“She’s not feeling well,” Sparrowpaw chided him, “It’s not like we can’t train without her.” Russetfrond suppressed a smile of pride. 

“Yeah, come on,” Barleypaw said, “Why don’t we take turns doing two on one fights if you really want a challenge?” 

“Mm, alright,” Floodpaw relented. Russetfrong gave a grunt to Mystique that meant ‘let’s go’ and she nodded, falling into step beside him. They left the sandy training ground and started back towards camp as the sound of fighting resumed behind them.

“Ugh,” Mystique moaned, “I feel like I’m gonna puke.” 

“Please don’t,” Russetfrond grumbled. Still, he glanced sideways at her in concern. “Did you eat anything strange lately? Any rabbits?”

“What?” Mystique scrunched her nose at him. “No, why?”

“Sometimes they catch a sickness that can kill the cats that eat them,” he said, “but if you didn’t have a rabbit it's fine, then.” 

“Wait, why do you eat them if they could kill you!?” cried Mystique.

“Because we need to eat?” he rolled his eyes. “You can usually tell if they’re sick before you catch them. It doesn’t happen often.” 

“If you say so…” said Mystique. She took several slow, deep breaths through her nose as they walked and Russetfrond realized she must really feel sick. 

“We’ll have one of the healers look at you when we get back to camp,” he said. “They’ll give you something for your stomach.”

“Okay,” she said, sounding strained. “You guys don’t have any pumpkin treats do you?” 

“No, we do not have pumpkin treats,” he growled, “It’s the middle of spring!” 

“Why should that matter?” asked Mystique. “The Folk have them all year round.” She dropped her gaze and mumbled, “they always make my tummy feel better…”

“Tummy? Really? You are such a child.” 

“No, I’m not,” she said defensively, then flirtatiously, “you would know.” He blushed and lashed his tail, glancing around to make sure no one had heard. 

“Shut up,” he hissed, fur prickling with embarrassment. 

She snickered impishly. “It’s fine, Russie, there’s nobody around!” That only made him more embarrassed. 

“You don’t know that for sure,” he snapped. “We’re almost to camp, just-!” He stopped and took a moment to flatten his hackles and lower his voice. “Just be quiet please?”

“Okay, okay,” she relented with a bit of a laugh. “You’re so touchy, Bee Face.” 

He grunted and said nothing else. 

They slipped down into the camp. Goldenstar and Scorchplume were sharing tongues by the Stoneperch, Fogkit and Slatekit were picking out prey for their meal, Pantherhaze was sunning on top of the warriors’ den. It was quiet and lovely. Russetfrond nodded to Goldenstar as he passed and she nodded in kind, then turned to listen as Scorch whispered in her ear. She smiled and twined her tail with Scorchplume’s and Russetfrond frowned. He still didn’t like that Goldenstar had fallen for such a scheming fox. Still, it wasn’t like there was anything he could do about it. When Goldenstar got an idea in her head there was no talking her down.

He and Mystique entered the healers’ den. Aldertail and Oddstripe were talking near the herb stores and when Aldertail noticed them she squeaked and dropped into a frightened ball. Oddstripe sat up straight, his big ears grazing the roof of the den, and smiled awkwardly.

“Russetfrond! Mystique! Oh, what brings you in today?”

“Mystique’s stomach is sick,” Russetfrond said flatly. 

“Oh, alright then, why don't you settle into one of those nests and I’ll come help you in a second,” said Oddstripe. He turned back to Aldertail and whispered to her a bit. She nodded mutely and then quickly slank out of the den, hugging the wall farthest from Mystique. The kittypet tried to shoot her an apologetic grin but she wasn’t looking. Mystique sighed. 

“I wish she wasn’t so scared of me,” she said as the warrior’s tail tip disappeared. 

“She’s been through a lot,” Oddstripe said, lips pursed tight. “We’re working on it. Anyways!” He stepped up to her and leaned in to sniff her breath. “Tell me about your symptoms.” Russetfrond settled into a lean against the wall, watching impassively. 

“Uh… I dunno,” Mystique shrugged. “I’ve been queasy since breakfast. It got worse just a little while ago.” 

“Any gut pain?” Oddstripe asked, “Dizziness? Fever? Issues making dirt?” 

“No,” Mystique looked away uncomfortably, “none of that.” 

“Hmm…” Oddstripe frowned in thought. “It couldn’t be… would you mind letting me look at your belly?” 

Mystique glanced back at him, tried to hide a grimace, and then said, “Sure.” She settled onto her side and lifted her arm to give him better access. He sniffed around, used his paws to push some of her fur out of the way, and then laughed to himself.

“If I had a mouse for every time this has happened,” he grinned, sitting back. 

“Every time what has happened?” Russetfrond growled.

“I’ve discovered a sudden bout of nausea was morning sickness!” Oddstripe said brightly. “Congratulations, Mystique, you’re going to have kittens!” 

“What?” Mystique and Russetfrond said at the same time. 

“You’re pregnant!” Oddstripe reiterated pleasantly. “Nausea is a totally normal symptom of the early stages of pregnancy. I’d say you’re probably a week or two into it based on how you’re pinking up.”

“That’s impossible,” Russetfrond was on his feet again. “She’s a kittypet!” 

“Not all of the Exalted are altered,” Mystique twitched her ear in annoyance. 

“Why-!” Russetfrond nearly shouted but caught himself. Gritting his teeth, he said in a more discreet tone, “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“‘Cause it’s not a big deal!” Mystique rolled her eyes. 

“Not a big deal?!” His jaw was starting to ache with how hard he was clenching his jaw. “Mystique, did you get your brain replaced with bees? Of course it’s a big deal! I didn’t think that-” He stopped himself again when he remembered that Oddstripe was still right there. The healer was staring at him with wide-blown eyes and a mouth pursed into a tiny, scandalized line. 

Russetfrond swallowed. “Uh, Oddstripe, look-”

“Oh, don’t worry!” Oddstripe quickly said, waving his paws in front of himself. “I’m not judging you or anything! I just feel like maybe I shouldn’t be here, I can give you guys some privacy-!”

“No!” Russetfrond blurted. “I mean… Thank you, but you can’t tell anyone.” 

Mystique groaned loudly. “Ugh! This again!” 

“It’s important!” he said to both of them. 

“Of course, Russetfrond,” said Oddstripe, “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to, but…” He glanced over his shoulder, “It’s not going to stay a secret for too much longer. I mean, Sagetooth is going to do the math and know it had to have been someone in the Clan, y’know?” 

Russetfrond shut his eyes tightly. This was a nightmare. “Right. Of course.” He started kneading the ground in an attempt to calm himself. “Just… I’ll handle it, just don’t say anything before I do, alright?” 

“Of course,” Oddstripe said again. “I’ll let you two talk.” He turned and stepped out of the den with a swish of his tail. Russetfrond sighed and started to pace. 

“This is bad,” he said. 

“No, it’s not,” Mystique said. “Look, I’ll just go back to my Folk and they’ll take care of it.” 

“What do you mean, take care of it?” he glared at her. 

“If you’re upset that there will be kits around,” she said as if it were common sense, “I’ll just go to my Folk and, once they’re weaned, the Folk will take them and place them with Folk of their own! It’s fine!” 

“What? No!” Russetfrond whirled on her. “Absolutely not!” 

“Why not?” protested Mystique, “I’ve done it before.” 

“I don’t care,” said Russetfrond. “You’re just going to abandon the kits?” 

“It’s not abandonment, the Folk find them homes!” Mystique was getting angry now, her claws sinking into the moss of the nest she was in. “If you don’t want kits then why do you care?!” 

“It’s not that I don’t want kits,” he said, trying very hard not to shout, “it’s that I don’t want anyone to know that we’ve been messing around!” 

“Why not?” she cried again. “Literally, who cares?” 

“I do!” he snapped, tail lashing. “You’re a prisoner of war! I’m not supposed to- to- fraternize with you!” 

Mystique laughed mean-spiritedly. “Oh, okay. That never stopped you from letting me pin you down and-”

“Stars Blood!” he hissed, blushing profusely. “Will you shut up for once in your life? This is serious! I’m the deputy! My- my reputation is on the line!”

“No one will care,” Mystique rolled her eyes. “Even Odd-face said she was fine with it-”

“He,” Russetfrond stressed.

“Ugh, whatever!” Mystique tore a line through the edge of the nest. “My point is, who’s gonna be mad? It’s fine! Stop stressing out!” 

“You don’t get it,” he shook his head. 

“Okay, then explain it to me, moron,” said Mystique, her voice catching in the back of her throat in irritation. 

Russetfrond snarled, tearing himself away from her steely gaze to start pacing again. “Fine,” he said. “In the Warrior Code it says that our Clan needs to come first. That means we aren’t supposed to form relationships that could compromise our loyalties, with members of the other Clans or rogues or kittypets.” He shot her a stern look. She rolled her eyes. “So when cats find out that we’ve been together, my loyalties will be called into question. I could lose my position as Deputy.” 

“Will you though?” Mystique frowned, “Cause Goldenstar is all over Scorch and that doesn’t seem to be an issue.” 

“Scorchplume became a warrior of RisingClan,” Russetfrond said, still pacing. “So if you joined the Clan then maybe it would be fine.” 

“Nah, I don’t think so,” Mystique shook her head. “I still wanna go back to my Folk so they can handle all this stuff.” 

“First off,” Russetfrond growled, “We’ve already told you why you can’t go home. You would be a liability and that’s not even accounting for what Razor will do when he knows you betrayed him.” Mystique’s ears pressed back against her head briefly. “Secondly, you’re not giving our kits away to become kittypets.” 

“I don’t want them!” Mystique protested. “I’m not in any rush to be a mother.” 

“So you’re just going to let them snatch your kits away from you?”

“It’s not like that,” she laid her head on her paws, lips skewed to the side petulantly. “I’ve done it before and it was totally harmless.”

“You’ve done it before?” he asked, paling. Did cats in the city just not raise their own children? He was horrified.

“Yeah,” she shrugged like it was no big deal. “I wasn’t even a year old, fooled around a bit too much, got knocked up. The Folk fed me twice as much and gave me extra attention and helped me through the birth. Then different Folk came to visit and play with the kittens and eventually they all went home with a new family.” 

“What happened after that?” 

“I dunno, I never saw them again,” she shrugged. “It’s not that big a deal.”

“Would you stop saying that?” he hissed, dropping his chest to the ground in a frustrated arch of his back. “It is a big deal! If you don’t want the kits, then that’s fine,” he spat the word, clearly not convinced that it was, “but they’re my kits too. I want to be there for them.”

Mystique groaned. “Ugh. You’re not gonna give me a choice are you… If I try and leave you’ll just drag me back to that stuffy old den.”

“Yes,” he said, glaring at her. She sighed and spread out over the ground like a kitten throwing a tantrum. It was moments like these where Russetfrond remembered how much he hated her. If only he had been able to remember the whole time, this wouldn’t have happened. 

“Then I guess we’ll do things your way,” she said eventually. 

“Good,” he said. “And we’re done messing around.” 

“Oh, come on!”

“I’m serious,” he said firmly. “I should have never been so weak in the first place. This is StarClan’s sign that I need to get my act together.” 

“No it’s not,” said Mystique, “it’s what happens when cats have sex together. Not everything is some magical sign.” 

Russetfrond lashed his tail one last time and said, “Just keep your mouth shut about our activities together. I’m going to handle this.” 

“Whatever,” she groaned to the ceiling. “I don’t caaaaare.”

He shook his head and stalked out of the den. Oddstripe was sitting a short distance away and looked up as he did, offering a hopeful smile.

“So?” he asked.

“I’m going to talk to Goldenstar about it,” said Russetfrond. “Just keep her and the kits healthy, alright?” He made sure to lower his voice just in case.

“I will,” said Oddstripe dutifully.

“Thank you,” Russetfrond sighed. At least he could take solace in that. His head was swimming. He was going to be a father. A single father, at that. He didn’t feel ready. He felt a thousand different dreams and plans shattering away like ice under his paws. He had dreamed of meeting someone strong but gentle, someone devoted just like he was, and courting them like a proper warrior until they were certain this was what they wanted. He had dreamed of raising kits with someone his mother could be proud of. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about what she must think of him now. 

“It’s gonna be alright,” Oddstripe said, brushing his tail over Russetfrond’s paws reassuringly. “I’m sure everyone will understand.” 

“It’s over anyway,” Russetfrond said, feeling sick himself. “I never should have been so foolish but I’m certainly not going to let it happen again.” 

“I know what you mean,” Oddstripe said, a pained smile on his face. “But have faith. Kits are a gift, even if they come from less than perfect circumstances. I’m sure they will be a blessing to you when they arrive.” 

“I know…” he sighed again. “If you’ll excuse me.”

“Oh, of course, Russetfrond,” smiled Oddstripe. “Don’t let me keep you.” 

Gratefully, Russetfrond stepped away to go find Goldenstar. This wasn’t going to be pleasant. It was time he started acting responsibly, though.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

I’m looking for ways to describe a deity without gendering them. Any ideas?

How to Describe a Deity without Utilizing Gender

This is an excellent question, I'm assuming you're writing fantasy. So i'll be taken this question in a "fantasy writer" approach.

Neutral Pronouns: When describing your deity, try using neutral pronouns like "they" or "it." For instance, "The deity watched over their realm with a benevolent gaze." This helps keep things gender-free and adds a sense of mystique!

Ambiguous Features: Get creative with those physical descriptions! Focus on ambiguous features that don't swing towards any particular gender. Think of an ethereal glow, formless energy, or ever-shifting manifestations. Who says divine beings need defined forms, right?

Symbolic Representation: Sometimes, it's less about physical attributes and more about symbolism. Highlight your deity's essence through symbols of nature, cosmic patterns, or abstract concepts. It's like painting a picture with ideas instead of colors!

Inclusive Titles: Want to emphasize their grandiosity without gender specifics? Use inclusive titles like "The Divine One" or "The Eternal Being." This really underscores their cosmic presence without getting tangled in gender pronouns.

Ephemeral Presence: Here's a fun one – describe your deity as a presence or force rather than a tangible being. Use language that evokes a sense of vastness, like "A cosmic energy enveloped the land." It's all about that awe-inspiring vibe!

Non-Human Form: Why limit your deity to human characteristics? Go wild with descriptions of shape-shifting entities, radiant lights, or otherworldly beings that defy our traditional notions of gender. The more unconventional, the better!

There you have it, Mix and match these ideas to craft a deity that's gender-neutral and absolutely enchanting in your fantastical world. Happy writing! ✨📚

[anonymoushouseplantfan]

I think Meghan doesn't know who she is anymore. She's a jeans and a white shirt type of girl. She should have stuck to that and elevated it bit by bit, with the help of a stylist. Of course that would mean she would be capable of taking advice

She doesn’t listen to anyone. It’s amazing. The only reason her princess pr worked is because the tiara was on the line and she actually sucked it up and followed directions. Everything else has been an epic disaster.

But she’s still famous and we’re still talking about her and she still has enough juice in her tank for one last attempt at establishing herself. That’s the power of the royal mystique. It can elevate even someone like Meghan.

She’s a basic Cali girl in ripped jeans and white shorts following smoothie fads. That’s all she is. However, the SS and royal pr machines took her resume and created a mixed race pencil-skirted feminist princess image that was insanely compelling because it was based on the character she had played on cable for years. People wanted Royal Rachel Zane, the passionate mixed-race activist lawyer with the great love story. People wanted to wanted to believe in that, just like they wanted to believe Harry the Hero Prince was real.

But that’s not who they are and they can’t keep the illusion going. Without the royal pr machine they do minimal work for their causes/projects and instead they focus on family drama and endless media lawsuits. That’s who they really are-two bitter, angry people still obsessed with slights from decades ago.

It’s bizarre that now they are suing the very same press that created these very marketable personas for them. Maybe deep down they know they owe everything to the DM’s crappy articles. Maybe they know they can’t live up to the image that was built for them.

Sadly, that image is the only marketable asset they have. Meghan’s one chance to move forward is to use the Ms Foundation award to re-boost that image and land some kind of fluffy The View-like platform. She should put out a Mother’s Day essay on a feminist topic, announce a passion project during the awards ceremony, follow it up with related podcasts and interviews and then use the campaign season to build her activist cred and land a television gig she can use as a platform. Then she can grow that platform with a book and more documentaries.

But she’s not going to do it because she’s not an activist or a feminist. She’s going to leak lemon cake stories and go hiking with friends because that’s who she really is. I’m not even kidding about that. She has been doing roast chicken and hiking content since her Working Actress blog days.

[dojunie]

MESSENGER; HRJ [PT 4: COFFEE VS TEA]

➥ PART 4 OF MESSENGER; a small smau about a stranger, a whole lot of animal pics, and a relationship you would never have expected to come from texting a random number written on a public bathroom mirror.

➥ WC: 1.7K

[PREVIOUS PART] [INFO/MASTERLIST] [NEXT PART]

a/n: first written bit! lets see if i like this formatting in an hour and if not pretend you dont see me changing shit around 💪

current tl: @matchahyuck @theboyz-jacob @hoeshi17 @neoteez01 @hibernatinghamster @luvvsnae @shwizhies @skynightgalaxy @ihrtnyu @kunvibing @liliansun @txpxwxk @is4b3ll3s @rxnexxi @rum-gone-why @she-is-dreaming

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THE LINE RINGS FOR ABOUT TWO ENTIRE SECONDS BEFORE EVERYTHING GOES VERY, VERY QUIET— And it’s only within that silence that you seem to realize that you might’ve just done something… weird.

Thoughtlessness was what had you pressing that call button (or maybe there was thought behind it; just the type that tired, sleep deprived, stupid people would have). Regret hits you like a brick when all your brain's neurons finally seem to reconnect. What the hell are you doing? You don’t know this guy! You don’t even know his name— not to mention that he doesn’t know yours! And somehow, before common sense caught up to you, you thought it was the logical next step to call him?

You’re stood in front of your desk with your headphones in your ears probably looking crazy as you stare at the screen, thoughts in sudden overdrive trying to figure out how to ‘Oops, butt dial!' your way out this— when it stops ringing.

Now connecting, Duck Boy.

“…Hello?”

Oh.

Your spine stiffens nearly upright at the sound of his voice. His... voice. Him. Duck Boy. Who once only existed in your mind as a selfie and a few bossy-yet-endearing texts, and now you’ve got a selfie, some texts, and a voice. 

Christ, why is your mind spinning like you’ve just unearthed some sort of incredible clue? It’s not like there’s anything stopping you from just asking him to meet up or something since this stupid mystery game is really only being perpetuated by you— but still, you find yourself overanalyzing the single word, the surprisingly low drawl of his tone (his voice is much, much deeper than you thought it would be), even the clarity of his speech and diction.

However. Again—and you can’t even blame the exhaustion for this because you feel wide awake now— you do something weird.

Too busy marveling over how he sounds, you completely forget to respond.

“Mystery girl…?” Duck Boy says again, startling you. “If you’re doing this to keep me awake, I’ve got to say— still kind of falling asleep over here.”

“M’was— Headphones,” you blurt. A lie. Your headphones have been in your ears for about two hours now as you worked on your architecture project, but he did not need to know that. “Was putting in my headphones. Hi.”

“…Hi.”

A shuffling on the line, like he's sitting up or shifting or something, and then he laughs a little bit in the ensuing silence. “You called me and broke your coveted mystique just to tell me hi?”

“No. I’m distracted. I'm... making tea. You don’t appreciate my hello?”

God. Three more lies. At least it’s not for long because this, plus the slight embarrassment washing under your skin, jumpstarts you into turning on your heel and darting into the kitchen. 

“I didn’t say that,” he hums. “You sure like putting words in my mouth. I meant, because you called me all gung-ho like, I was expecting a little more than a greeting. A quiz, or something. A game plan.”

“I have a plan.”

Holy shit, in the span of fifteen seconds you’ve turned into the biggest liar in the world. What plan? You hadn’t even fully recognized you were calling him until he picked up! “It’s twenty questions. The ultimate stay-awake game. I’ll ask such thoughtful questions that your brain will start to steam in that airport.”

This seems to catch him off guard; He snorts a laugh, a loud, pretty sound that you assume is immediately muffled because he’s in public. You’d been in the middle of setting a kettle on the stove when you heard it, and couldn’t help but smile a little widely in triumph. You made him laugh. Cool. 

“Is that so?” he snickers.

Slightly loosened up now, you shrug. “Of course. Let’s open it up with something easy. Coffee— or tea? There is a right answer.”

“How is there a right answer if you’re asking me what I like?”

“Between coffee and tea, of course there’s a right answer. One is good, crafted from nature and angels and all that is pure; a perfectly warm drink that soothes illness and brings joy to those young and old. And the other one is bitter and evil and rhymes with moffy.”

He laughs again. Shit. Should you consider becoming a comedian? Is this weird giddiness how they all feel when they get people to laugh? 

“I’m sure you’ve probably just never had good coffee,” he tries, “It’s not all bitter—“

“Are you putting forth your vote? Coffee? The devil’s choice of beverage?”

“No! You’re annoying. I like both.”

“That’s not the question I asked you, Duck Boy.”

You don’t even realize you’ve called him the name you refer to him as in your head. It slips out easily, a product of ease and amusement and familiarity— which is surprising to say when you’ve only been talking to this guy for a few minutes— but he doesn’t even seem to phase himself, only groaning as you badger him for an answer.

“Is it illegal to like both?” he asks finally, feigning hastiness. “Different occasions. Coffee to wake me up, tea to cool me down. Next question.”

“Don’t get too hasty, because the next question is in the same vein. What do you eat with your tea or coffee? Snack wise?”

“I would say I like bread with both,” he says confidently. “Like croissants? I really like croissants.”

“Something must be wrong with you.”

“What—“ You almost hear how he sits up, immediately affronted. “Hey!”

“Bread? Like just… straight bread? Yeast and egg and flour? With something as bitter as coffee, you’re not even going to have a donut or something? Lord, not even a muffin?”

“I don’t care for sweets! What do you like then, since you’re apparently the chooser of everything good?”

You lean against the counter, absentmindedly watching your kettle as you sigh theatrically, stretching like someone would before they run a marathon or swim a thousand meters. “You’re asking the wrong person this question,” you warn. “I could spend the next hour talking about snack combinations. Chamomile tea and banana nut muffins, a slice of frosted lemon cake with a taaaaall mug of double-steeped Earl Gray. I’m something of a savant in my field, you know. I might have to make you sign an NDA to protect my trade secrets.”

Duck Boy scoffs but you’re pleased to hear what sounds like a hidden smile— maybe even a grin. 

“Consider it signed,” he says. There’s another shift, a sound like fabric rustling, and then he sighs as if he’s just made himself comfortable; which, in an airport terminal seat, must be a fruitless effort. “I have nothing but time, Mystery Girl.”

Your tea was pretty great, all things considered. A London Fog with two teabags instead of one, a capful of vanilla essence to sweeten, milk and sugar— the perfect wind-down drink. It was no wonder then, when you returned to your room and found yourself heading for your bed instead of returning to the desk to continue your insidious diorama floor plan project, that your eyelids started to get a little heavy about fifteen minutes into twirling your finger around the headphone wire while talking with Duck Boy. You have been up for the last day after all, class and practice and studying, and tea at this hour always ends up knocking you on your ass after about half an hour.

The sudden onset tiredness isn’t helped by the fact that talking to him is so easy, either. 

It’s effortless. Who would have thought that the guy who routinely scolds you through text, periods and capitals and perfect grammar everywhere, could actually crack a few good jokes? It’s his dry humor that gets you, a deadpan delivery that had nearly made you spill hot tea on yourself three times; but you made him bark a laugh so loud at one point that he got the evil-eye from an airline attendant, so the scoreboard’s still in your favor.

Whether or not he can hear the sleepy lull in your voice through the phone, you’re not sure. He does seem to take the reins on question-asking though. Little things like your favorite color, musical genre, if you’re a homebody or the type to always be out and about. It’s a lot of good information (more than you ever thought you’d learn about some guy you dialed on a whim three weeks ago) which is why you’re a little salty that you had to go and fall asleep in the middle of all of it.

The last question you remembered had been after a small quiet, a breath of time where your eyes had been closed and he’d been humming, contemplating what to ask next.

Your tea was finished. Your laptop had timed out a long time ago which meant your room was only being lit by the kitchen light outside, a small sliver of warm white light.

“Do you— Do you do any extracurriculars? On campus?”

“Mystery breach,” you’d mumbled belatedly, attempting and failing to blink the bleariness from your eyes. “Look at you, trying to sneak that question in there. You already got to see me first. Now you want to know where to find me on campus, too?”

Immediately he flustered, stumbling for a response like you’d somehow managed to hit the nail on the head, but in your state you didn’t think to look further into it. “I’m kidding. At this point I’d probably give you my SSN if you asked for it. I play volleyball for the school, if that counts? I was on debate club in freshman year but I got kicked out for agreeing with my opponents too much.”

A beat, like he was mulling over this information, and then, “You? Agree with someone? That’s interesting, considering how much it seems you like to argue with me...”

“You’re different,” you yawned. “Very different. Being forced to debate with people I barely know on topics I don’t care about kind of sucks. But I actually like talking to you.”

“Oh,” he said. “…Is that so?”

"Right," you laughed and closed your eyes one last time. “I would never lie to my dickpic buddy.”

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[A LITTLE WHILE LATER]

a/n: pls leave a like if you enjoyed! it motivates me to work on this every time i see a notification about it LOL

[PREVIOUS PART] [INFO/MASTERLIST] [NEXT PART]

[rinbowaman]

M E R M A I D S T A L E C H A P T E R T E N

Warning: Stalking, kidnapping, capture, cat and mouse chase, overpower, abuse of authority, abuse of authority in relationship, resisting capture, reader is being chased, prey vs predator vibes, time skips. Contrary to what you just read, it’s not what you think 😏.

also...not proofread.... -___- it was either delay it some more or get it out. i think its good enough. pls enjoy.

“Y/n, you’re finally here…” your step brothers gasped out, receiving you as you entered the ICU. “It’s been so long since we last saw you….you look…exactly the same since we last met up.” Your eldest step-sibling admires, noting that while you both were merely two years apart, his features were drastically altered from the effects of time. You, on the other hand, remained immune and unaltered, enchanting the public eye with your mystique and abnormal genes.

“….Still no word from your mom?” He inquires seldomly. You shook your head, internally guilty for lying and maintaining the secret of her whereabouts. “I’m sorry…she hasn’t reached out.”

“it’s fine.” He softly speaks. “It’s just….I know how much dad really loved her…it broke his heart inwhen she disappeared and left that note. I know it’s been over ten years but still….I don’t think he ever got over her leaving like that.”

Placing a soft grip on his shoulder, you patted him in comfort. You wish you could explain the reasoning behind her sudden departure, and the reason why she had to leave. It was the price to pay after becoming a wife and mother, something that you promised you would never render yourself to become, all to avoid the path that was to follow suit after fulfilling the duties of motherhood. Sure, you were grateful to her, without her love and contentment as a mother, you wouldn’t be here today. However, you wouldn’t be ashamed to admit that the path she took in choosing to bring you forth into this world, raising, and educating you of the legacy behind your family line, was something you yourself refused to follow. It was because of this very moment, a time where your mother had to rid herself of the joys and love she developed for your father, the bond she created with her step-sons, and the efforts she gave into molding you, all of it, had to be put aside so that she could keep her oath. Established by the women of your family bloodline, well before your and your mothers time, that oath remained everlasting in order to protect the Sirens, to include you and your mother. In order to secure the safety of your true identity, as well as hers, she needed to bid farewell to the life she created and disappear forever. approaching your fathers bed, he lays in a critical state. He had grown much older, despite not having to visit your brothers often, you did make the effort to see your father at least yearly. His gaze lights up the moment he watched you set foot in the room.

“My girl…my only daughter….come closer to me.”

raising his hand, he caressed your hair as he admires you. “Look at you.” He smiles. “You never changed….much like your mother. Already forty years old and you look no different than when you were in your twenties.” With the tears forming in your eyes, you knew it was wrong for you to do so, but with him on the verge of emitting his last breath, you faltered as you told him the truth, after ensuring that your brothers and the nurses were all outside in the hall, and the door shut.

“Daddy….I’m sorry…..and…mom….she’s sorry too.”

His eyes become melancholy as he sighs out in relief. “You heard from your mother?”

Shaking your head, you elaborated her reason to leave.

“dad….I think you know deep down….why she left. I think….you know that…mom and I…..we’re not…like most women….you know it…don’t you?”

faintly, he nods. “Y/n…your mother….she was and will always be the most incredible woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I still don’t know….but in a sense, you are correct….I knew the moment I realized that she remained unchanged…and there I was, growing old….weary, and faded….but she, much like you…..she never did change. I just knew…that there was a secret she kept from me….but I also knew that it pained her if I had found out or questioned it. So I never bothered….it nearly killed me when I saw the letter, explaining that she had to leave. But I knew she had her reasons, it still hurt….but I know, especially when I see how vibrant you still remain….just as you were when you became a young woman…..I know that whatever reason she had, that it was necessary.”

A single tear falls from your cheek. You gulped down as you took his hand in yours. The very next night, he passed on. Never once inching the hint of truth to your brothers, instead, he took it with him to his grave.

Twenty years since have passed, shortly after your fathers passing, you remained in contact with your brothers only by email, or phone, ceasing all visitations to an end, so as to not give yourself away, after all, the years kept rolling by, and before you knew it, you reached your sixtieth birthday. Your step-siblings weren’t much older than you, yet you couldn’t possibly risk presenting yourself looking just as you did when you were becoming of age at eighteen years. Slowly, you drifted your presence away, wishing them well and to be at peace, slowly dying out from the family name, which became easy after changing your identity every decade, merely going by your real first name with close and personal friends that you made along the journey. It was a lonely prospect, still, it was far better than living a life aimlessly roaming the seas for any remaining Sirens.

Never had you thought that even without succumbing to the effects of love, marriage, and motherhood, would you have ever found yourself longing to reside in the Adriatic Sea……never.

…………………….

“Run! Go ahead and fucking ruuuuuun!!!

Piercing your eardrums, Heeseung’s screams of anger echoes in the narrow corridors of your apartment. You scatter around collecting your belongings as you frantically exit.

“I won’t run….I’ll swim…”

How did it come to this? How? You were always careful, you exhausted so much effort in maintaining your secret for so long, and you were doing so well. It wasn’t until the moment you shook his hand, looked into his eyes as he stared into yours, and noted your reaction after you processed that the feeling of his hand…his skin…it was all real and present. You shook with frustration as you leaned slightly forward, causing the cab driver to grow concerned.

“Miss? Do we need to make a stop?”

“N-no….thank you. Please take me to the closest hotel near the airport.”

…………………

Expanding the distance, you wasted no effort into arranging your departure. After checking into a room, you purchased the soonest available flight to the Mediterranean, preparing yourself to let go of the life you yearned for and worked so hard to maintain. Instead, you now looked forward to life at sea—the vast sea.

“What am I going to do? Do I search and find my mother? Where do I even start? How do I know where to look for the others?”

Looking out over the balcony, you gazed over the vast view of the city from the top floor. Placing aside the unbearable thought of living lonesomely at sea, you thought back to the scene in your apartment, that very moment when that beat in your chest, which had compelled you to resist, to fight back and aid n your escape, suddenly became present when you were at your wits end. You knew deep down, it was the one thing that all the Sirens used as their ultimate weapon for survival and independence. When your body had reacted, it did so out of fear and hopelessness, you felt the need to escape, the longing to break away from him. Attempting to fight him off, his overpowering strength proved too great for you to gain freedom, until he called out what you are, "Siren."

At that moment, you gained the tactical strength and skill to deter him away. It was the one thing that sailors feared of, and Kings dreaded hearing, the very power that your mother had educated you on...

“The Sirens Edge…”

.............................................

The next morning, you moved swiftly and checked out of your hotel room early. Ever so cautious, you remained alert and well hooded while dawning on loose and semi-baggy attire, doing your best to avoid being seen or recognized. You flagged down another cab, to take the short drive to the airport. With no luggage, merely just your phone and wallet, you quickly passed through security and arrived at your gate, anxiously awaiting to board. Never have you felt so nervous or scared, constantly turning and glancing side to side, remaining alert. It somewhat surprised you that there was no sight of Heeseung, although you refused to let down your guard, yet still, could it be possible that he gave up in getting you back? Or perhaps you did well to avoid being found, after all, he couldn't have known about the Adriatic Sea and its effect on your transformation, given that it was the birthplace of your earlier ancestors.

Once you settled in the plane, watching out through the window as it took off, you felt a sense of relief as you let out a steady breath.

"Did I really do it? Did I truly escape from an Adam?"

Looking past the transparent clouds, you gazed over the deep blue waters of the ocean as the plane takes its route.

"Mama....are you somewhere in these waters? Or are you closer to the mediterranean? Maybe even in the Pacific? Or the Atlantic even? Where?.....Where will I be able to find you? Were you able to find our ancestors? Your sisters? The matriarchs of our bloodline....did you ever find them, or are you still lurking in the depths of the ocean? Singing out your siren song....enjoying freedom."

Dragging the tips of your fingers against the clear porthole, you lean your head against the wall and drifted off into a calm slumber. It nearly felt as if you closed your eyes for only a moment, when you heard the captain announcing the plane's landing over the intercom. It had been a long flight, yet you nearly slept the entire ride. Stretching out your arms, you braced yourself for your arrival to the lands of Greece, the very place you had visited so many years ago with your family. You did it....you escaped and would be able to live freely to tell the tale.

Engrossed by the joyful relief of maintaining your freedom, though not in the manner in which you preferred, you still felt grateful that you were able to avoid eternal capture at the hands of that man. Distracted by the thought of it, you didn't notice that a pair of lustful eyes had been watching over you the entire flight, the eyes of a man who was waiting for the moment to strike, and bring you back home.

....................................

Checking into a local inn, you made sure to lock on a suite that was close to the ocean, right across from it actually. Since it was daylight, you didn't want to risk transforming when the possibility of tourists and locals would be present, frolicking through the surf. It was best to wait until nightfall, when you can slip away and enter the calming waters, and watch once more, where your legs merged and scales formed. You were just an inch away, from experiencing that numbing and tingling sensation, and the harsh impact of the fall when you found yourself unable to stand, and the smoothness of your skin developed the silver blend of rainbow pastels and that Mother of Pearl luster. That moment....when you became a Siren in her truest form.

"It shouldn't be so bad...out of water, my tail disappears and i have legs again. Maybe i'll find a nice island to settle onto, and reside there. A small, quaint and humble island, one that isn't densely populated, where I can remain hidden in the tropics and start all over...."

The idea was a bit farfetched, but nothing was impossible. You've come so far, it was only reasonable to think that with the same level of tenacity and will to survive, you could do it. You could restart and have a brand new life, and perhaps...you may be able to find your mother.

Leaning over the banister of the balcony, you hummed out a tune. Normally you would never think to do such a thing in public, however, with no one around and in sight, you figured on your last few hours on this part of the world, might as well enjoy the soothing effects of your own voice. You had to admit, that there definitely was something special about a Siren's voice. From the moment you came into this world, you understood its effects whenever your mother sang to you, always ensuring that your brothers and father were never around to hear. Initially you thought it odd after noticing the trend, yet after learning of who you were, you understood fully, especially after seeing the effects you had when you innocently sang to yourself amidst your trail walks or morning exercise at the park.

Humming out, you began singing the words of the soft lullaby your mother taught you. Admiring the waves of the water, you watched as the local fishermen gather their equipment and pack up for the day while the sun sets. The sky was turning neon orange with raging pink hues, meshing in with the ranges of blue tints into the stratosphere. Lost in thought, your humming was interrupted by a voice of an unknown male.

"My, that's quite a voice you got there."

Startled, you shifted your gaze over to the side and watched as a seemingly young man stood by, facing and admiring you at a distance. Leaning against a wooden beam, he sets his gaze over the setting sun before taking a few steps in, leaning against the banister of his own balcony, that was stationed next to yours.

"Sorry. I didnt know anyone was around listening." You murmured, suddenly caving in as you hoped you weren't singing too loud, which seemed like the case given that the man didn't seem to be affected by the seductive nature of your vocal cord, or your appearance. Thank goodness for the wide hood of the men's hoodie you purchased, that and, the baggy jeans.

"No need to apologize, its nice to hear such a lovely sound. You must have taken singing lessons, no?"

Shaking your head, you mitigated from speaking, and placed more thought in excusing yourself without creating any tension or awkwardness, which could possibly lead to a scene, or an unnecessary altercation. Figuring it was best to politely excuse yourself, you attempted to get away inconspicuously, yet the man never presented the opportunity for you to speak, he kept talking, merging, and coming in closer until he stationed himself against the banister that bridged the two balcony's together into a shared, half-wall. He seemed to close for comfort, yet you did your best to remain calm and undetected.

"Are you always this quiet, miss?"

"mm...sorry...i really have to go."

"do you now?" he speaks with a low chuckle. Glancing over the sun set once more, he spoke the harrowing words that caused your heart to nearly stop beating.

"Were you planning in escaping to the sea?.....Siren."

Your eyes shot up and a static bolt of fear and horror strides through your spine. You barely had enough time to process all that was going on, when the man leaped over the half wall and displayed enough stealth and finesse to let you know what exactly he was.

Pushing you back into through the opened sliding door, you faltered to his brute strength, despite the man being more on the slender side. Pinning you down on the floor, he hovers over you as he successfully grabs onto both wrists, restraining you from conducting any movement.

"Ah.....my Siren.....I've been wanting to catch you for so long. You're finally mine."

Frantically shifting around in a panic, you furrowed your brows as he steadied you to face directly in his eyes.

"My Siren....I won't let you escape from me this time."

"W-what are you talking about?! I've never seen you in my life! Get away from me!"

"No....you belong to me. God, look at you! Just as gorgeous as the day I saw you.....I had wondered where you went. All those years, the time I've spent doing the causative research, I finally came to concluded theory of the connection between Sirens and the Adriatic Sea. Though i'm not entirely sure what it is, but perhaps you can tell me....on the plane ride back home, where you will be mine and only mine."

Glaring into him, you felt the sudden throb in your chest, it was faint, yet the awakening of the Siren's Edge was brewing. If you could just figure out how to trigger it like last time, when you fought off Heeseung. Back then, it was his calling of the Siren name that caused you to pulsate into rage. Yet with this mysterious man, you couldn't pin it down, for he seemed far to knowledgable....perhaps....was he too familiar with your bloodline and the history of the Siren's Edge? Was he purposely detaining you and keeping you from being triggered into awakening your truest potential?

"What's wrong?" he grins. "Stunned to come across an Adam?"

Building up the strength as you felt the pressure on your wrists and chest, all from the dense strength of his grasp and weight, you issued your own deliverance as you lunged your head forward, head-butting him straight into his nose, causing him to loosen his grip, just a tad, enough for you to shift around onto your stomach, and low crawl away, all before you felt his hands regaining their grip on your wrists and his chest landing on your back, gluing you to the floor.

"Ahhhhh..." he snorts out as the blood runs from his nose and down to his chin. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson....don't you?" laughing as he continues to snarl against your ear, he licks the inside of your canal before whispering, "I've got a special place, where only I'll be able to have you. You'll give me sons, and you'll be all mine."

Gasping out in despair, you curled your fingers in against the floorboard, shaking your head as your hair drapes down. You can't....you can't lose...you can't go with this man. You've come so far.....you needed to get out. But....

"What do you say? My sea maiden." Bringing your wrists down and behind your back, he takes hold of your hands with only one of his, while his free hand fetches the rope he had hidden in his jacket pocket. He was far too strong for you to handle in your current state, you needed to reawaken it...you needed to get that surviving urge so you could fight back and gain your freedom. Yet, when all was said and done, it never peaked through. You nearly surrendered as you felt the robe binding your wrists together, tightened and knotted.

"There. Now....with this, you'll have a nice, long nap. Just like the one you took on the plane ride here."

Your eyes widened in fear as you panted out deep breaths from the struggle. Speechless, you tried to focus more on what to do than what to say. Yet you couldn't come up with anything, not with him effortlessly restraining you. "I'd say, this should knock you out for at least fourteen hours."

Wiggling, you tried your best to break free. Feeling the slack in the rope brought about hope, so you continued to try and delay him from doing anything, just until you could break free from your restraints.

"G-get off.....let me go! I don't belong to you! I don't belong to anyone!"

Laughing out, he taunts you with his words as he digs into his second pocket, and takes out something else, all to aid his efforts in capturing you. Flashing it before your eyes, you gasped out in fear as he flaunts a needle and syringe in his hand. Panically struggling, trying to gain more slack in the rope, you grew anxious as he brought the needle closer to your neck. So close, but not close enough. Grinning once more, he taunts out his words as he presses the needle against your skin. "Say goodnight sweetheart."

Wincing your eyes shut, squeezing out the tears to leak out, you breached for the sharp pain that was inbound, yet never came. Instead, the dense weight of the man atop, was suddenly lifted and from the sounds of it, he was thrown across the room. Turning over, you rested on your back as your hands continued to wiggle about, trying to break free from the rope, when you were shocked frozen upon seeing Heeseung standing before you, his tall height hover above as he faces the man he just threw.

The man regained his stance, but not without the difficulties of regaining composure as he struggled to steady himself. Looking directly towards Heeseung, he wipes the blood off his lip as he stutters out.

"Hmph....go ahead....fight me. I saw her first boy, she belongs to me. Respect that."

Confused, your eyes shifted between the two men. The unknown Adam merely glanced at you, presenting his usual grin, where Heeseung never did break his sight away from the man he just flung out. He kept his gaze steady, issuing a deadly look as he developed the murderous rage within, one that could only be found within an Adam of his caliber. Kneeling down, he maintains his sinister glare over to the unknown male, only breaking the gaze for a small moment as he quickly side eyes you, and speaks in a deep and calm voice.“Miss me?”

Gentle yet firm, pulls you in against his chest, and lifts you to a standing posture, enveloped within his embrace, never bothering to untie you.

With your chest pressed up against his, and his arms wrapped around you, he leans in and places a soft kiss on the side of your head while you remained facing away and off to the side. "It’s okay...my Siren. I'm here....I just need you to be a good girl and sit still while daddy takes care of the bad man." He issues his words as he pets your hair, and gently sits you down on a chair nearby.

Oddly enough, seeing Heeseung here and fighting off this mysterious Adam, all the while comforting you with his tender kiss and soft touch, it brought about a warmth that calmed you. For a split second, you felt different from how you normally did in his presence. But the moment was short lived, for when you caught a glimpse of that menacing look in his eye, that horrifying glare and sadistic smirk, you felt a level of fear that you had never experienced…. even compared to the last encounter you had with him, the nightmare you were seeing with your own eyes initiated a fright that you didn't experience before. Licking his lips as he glares down at you, something in your gut feeling told you of the unfinished business that he was determined to revisit with you. How could someone give off so much passion and affection, and yet, looked so monstrous and hungry…

"I told you, she's mine!" the man shouts out and points in your direction. Heeseung merely stayed calm, displaying that sinister smirk formed by darkened lips.

"Oh yeah?" He calmly issues in a teasing tone, as if he was going out of his way to antagonize the man.

The unknown Adam merely laughs in response. "I knew that you had found her....MY Siren....I knew from the moment i caught you admiring that painting.....Heeseung."

Furrowing your brows, you grew confused. Did the two Adams know each other? How?

...................................

...................................

“You’ve been interested in that painting for the last few days….you didn’t pay any mind to it before…”

"Yeah..."

“Is there a reason for that?”

"I don’t know…”

“Heeseung, come with me for a moment. I have something to show you.”

..............................

Tag list: @ayyow811 , @kaykay11sworld , @ophelie245

[bloodynereid]

ohhh maybe like a karen and reader one where its like they were flirty best friends during the bands like time together and then they find eachother again after the band has already been split and lice happily ever after🥲

ok thats it for me lol

love your writing queen

Intertwined Heartbeats

pairing: karen sirko x fem! reader

a/n: hiii anon! first tysm and second hope you enjoy this little fic. karen sirko owns my heart and honestly i wish we saw more fics for her. this was fun to write in comparison with my previous karen fic (even if it's not as long) so yeah ty for ur request ly

tw: kissing, mentions of weed, mentions of drinking, some angst but mostly fluff, some flirty comments, cursing

description: falling for you best friend is not something you planned but you are all the better for it anyway.

Y/N: Being a band’s PR manager was hard. Especially when said band was Daisy Jones & The Six. Rod and I had a lot of work cut out for us.

Rod Reyes: I handled the tour and that was a piece of work but I cannot imagine what Y/N had to deal with. Well I can but it’s better not to think about it if you don’t want to get an aneurysm.

Daisy: Y/N fixed that stupid fucking article with Rolling Stone. I mean by the time it was published the entire thing had been changed but I didn’t know that. I only saw the first draft. So the damage was done and I still went to Greece.

Y/N: God that fiasco with Daisy, I can still remember it. Luckily Jonah was a good friend from university. If it wasn’t for that, that story would have run as it was written in the first draft.

Jonah: I didn’t change it that much. But I understood Y/N’s concerns so I took out bits from Billy’s description of Daisy. Not that famous line of, fuck how did it go, the I hate Daisy Jones line.

Y/N: Daisy was my friend. I had to take care of her and not just the band. Anyways, the reviewed draft of the article was much, much better in my opinion. *you let out a slight chuckle*

Karen: Y/N was always sticking out her neck for us. Whether that was because Billy got in the wrong fight when he was high or when Warren slept with the wrong girl. She was there from the beginning and we got close. She was my best friend. Through every twist and turn.

You let out a puff of smoke into the cool night air. Karen had invited you with a promise of weed to the rather high up roof of the hotel. Your usual fear of heights was thankfully dampened by the easy comfort of the rather strong weed.

“Where did you get this shit anyway?”

“Friend of a friend.”

“Wow, now you’re trying to pull all that mysterious and cryptic shit again.”

“Have to keep up the mystique somehow.” You snorted and took the blunt for her fingers before taking another hit. Letting the comforting silence wash over the two of you.

“I think I’m going to break up with Graham.” Karen’s sudden comment made you twist your head over so suddenly that a loud crack echoed into the night.

“Oh fuck me. Oww. Sorry about that but what?! I didn’t even know you two were dating.”

“I don’t know if we really are.”

“Well just so you know, I’m here for you for whatever you decide.”

Y/N: There were a lot of good nights like that. Karen and I were the closest in the group, even if I wasn’t actually a part of the band.

You sat backstage of one of the many concerts that had been going on for the past week. A glass of your customary Vodka Cranberry in your hand. The first week of the tour had just started and already there was a small amount of bad press starting to go around.

Tabloid journalists and photographers circled like ravenous vultures during each and every afterparty. But you know what they say: Any press is good press.

Right after the band finishes the set you are suddenly snapped out of your daydream by a blonde barreling towards you. A very familiar blonde who instantly envelops you in a hug.

“Wow hey there Karen, you’re going to make me spill my drink all over you.” You say as you quickly reciprocate the hug as best as you can whilst holding an already very slippery glass.

“Oh you love it.”

“Sure I do, honey. Set go well?”

“Went great! Still can’t believe we’re actually here.”

“Me neither, I’m suddenly getting a bucketload of calls from friends of friends that need PR done.”

“Well you better not be leaving us anytime soon.”

“Would never dream about it, sweetheart.” You stared at each other in slight awe. Mischief and something else you couldn’t really name was mirrored in Karen’s eyes as she smiled brightly at you. Suddenly you realized that you still had your arms slung around her waist and her fingers had taken to drawing little shapes on your arms.

“Hey! You guys coming to the afterparty?” Your little cocoon of warmth is suddenly interrupted by Warren’s voice from the other side of the room. You two quickly separate.

“Yeah probably.”

“Great, see you there.” Karen then connects your arms together and drags you through the back door, following the other members who were obviously going back to the buses to party.

“You know I do love it when you call me names, baby.” You ignored the butterflies that churned in your stomach as you scoffed and lightly hit Karen’s arm, causing her to send you a look of mock offense.

“Oh shut it.”

“Rude. I am truly and deeply hurt.”

“Overdramatic drama queen.”

“Oh wow just really bring on the insults won’t you?”

Y/N: I was there when all of it went down. I’d like to say that I didn’t know that the band was going to break up but I had my sneaking suspicions. When your career quite literally consists of being a fixer of problems you pick up on where problems might arise. Daisy Jones & The Six was a band that had so much underlying tension that it was for certain that the fuse was going to blow at one point.

You sat next to Karen on the large king sized bed in the suite that somehow Rod was able to swindle for you. Karen had finally fallen asleep after basically crying out her entire soul. God you felt so selfish being able to actually enjoy and crave the warmth that Karen provided as she laid tucked in your arms.

It had taken you a while but ever since the tour started your brain had finally started to accept what your heart already did. You were in love with Karen Sirko. As Breakfast at Tiffany’s plays on the TV you place a kiss on her forehead. And settle in for the fact that you will never have a chance with Karen but you’re comfortable enough loving her from the sidelines.

Y/N: Karen and I regularly kept in touch. I kept in touch with most of the band actually. It was only a few years after the band broke up that the breakthrough happened. And it happened because we were really, really high.

The year was 1980 and somehow you were back to lying down on a roof with Karen Sirko. It wasn’t some random hotel’s roof though, it was the roof of the new house you had just bought.

“I’m glad you invited me over.”

“Of course I invited you over, it would have been an act of a crazy person not to have invited you over.” Karen laughed at your statement before taking in another hit of the strong weed she somehow always kept in stock.

“You know you never did tell me where you get your weed.”

“And I never will.”

“Still as cryptic as ever.”

“Only for you baby.” Karen sent you a little smirk before quickly placing a small peck on your lips and settling back into her position. You lie there dumbfounded. She just- no no way. You’re just really high. Karen Sirko, the most beautiful woman in the world did not just kiss you.

“Uh- did you just kiss me?”

“I did.”

“Why?”

“Cause I always wanted to.”

“You’re just high.”

“We’re both high. Plus you know how weed makes me honest.”

“I know you all too well, Karen.”

“Well then you better believe that I just kissed you.”

“Fine I’m choosing to believe you… but I might need some reassurance.” Karen turns to you again with a smirk on her face.

“And what would this reassurance consist of?”

“Another kiss.”

“Your wish is my command.”

Y/N: So yeah things kind of ended well after the shit storm that was my years with the Six. I wouldn’t change a thing though.

Karen: Y/N is my other half and to be able to share my life with someone as incredible as that… I can hardly believe it myself.

Y/N L/N is the owner of one of the most renowned PR agencies for the Hollywood elite and is even rumored to work with some political figures. She lives with her long time girlfriend, Karen Sirko (they are hoping to get married as soon as it’s legalized) in a cabin in the Rocky Mountains but periodically comes into her various offices scattered throughout New York and LA. They co-parent 2 cats.

taglist: @yesshewrites1