#Leyna Dawn

[kiramarien-arts]

Ninjago Gals: Daily Maintenance

Nya, Pixal, and my OC Leyna. I thought this would be a fun doodle when I realized how all three of them are tech savvy in their own way.

[kiramarien]

This beautiful piece was a commission made by Mewi-or-lara. (https://www.tumblr.com/mewi-or-lara)

Leyna has never looked better and I can't express how wonderful it was to receive this. It's her! It looks exactly like her!

I love it with all my heart. ❤️

[qcswrites]

Sowing the Seeds of Love - Part I: Budding Love

*Edit* Teaser for Part II: Full Bloom is HERE :)

Synopsis: You have had feelings for Lo’ak for a long time and keep trying to gain his affection. However, Lo’ak is oblivious and takes no notice of your efforts. But someone else does….

Pairing: Neteyam x Fem!Omatikaya Reader (Aged 17/18)

Content: Romance, Fluff, Drama, Angst, Friends to Lovers

Warnings: Brief description of injury.

Word count: 7.1k

Author's note: It's been a WHILE but I'm back to writing :) Hope you enjoy it! Thanks @vivid-ink for sharing your wonderful work with us :)

Also on AO3: Sowing the seeds of love

It was calm, absorbing work, you thought, as you diligently wrapped the seeds in tìhawnuwll leaves, securing the ends with care so the wrap would not unravel easily. You had woken before dawn and spent the better part of the morning on all fours, gathering every last seed. Now, your limbs ached from your earlier efforts. But…pxorna seeds were his favourite.

“Leyna! Let’s go!” His voice startled you out of your reverie. Knowing what would happen next, you quickly swiped the wrap behind you, opening your arms to receive Txep just as he barrelled into you. He was a boy of only seven years but you still grunted at the force of the impact.

“Txep, careful!” You warned, glancing back at the food wrap you had spent the last hour carefully preparing. He only pouted, “Leyna, you promised!”

“Promised what—” you began, stopping yourself when you remembered that you were meant to be taking Txep out on your ikran today. He was right, you had promised him, you thought ruefully. 

“Txep, I’m sorry, I’ll take you another time, okay?” Your mother, sensing the tantrum that was bound to begin at hearing your words, swooped in, “Come, ma’parultsyip, sa’nu has prepared some yovo fruit for you.” You did not miss the pointed look she shot you over Txep’s shoulder as she gently ushered him over to the pile of peeled yovo fruit.

Looking down guiltily, you resumed your work, carefully arranging the tìhawnuwll leaves around the seeds, sealing the ends of the wrap with some lanutral resin to secure its contents. 

Rising from where you had spent the last hour diligently preparing and wrapping the seeds, you ran a hasty hand across your face, wiping away the beads of perspiration that had gathered there. Your hand stopped at the band holding your hair back, fiddling with the beads, hesitating for a moment before pulling the band in a swift motion, your braids spilling across your back and framing your face. That’s better, you thought with a small smile. Sa’nok had always said you looked prettier with your hair down. 

You reached for the wrap then, bidding your parents a hurried goodbye before climbing gingerly out of your swaynivi.

Your feet nimbly padded across the boughs of kelutral, your body remembering the familiar path by heart. 

Steadying your breaths and patting the wrap secured at your side, you entered the Sully family alcove, greeted immediately by Mo’at, preparing a paste, hands stilling on the pestle when she saw you standing at the archway. 

“Oel ngati kameie, Tsahìk,” you greeted, gazing fondly at the older woman. You had once found the woman painfully unnerving, with her enigmatic smiles and piercing stares. However, having recently become one of Mo’at’s apprentices at her request and spending many moons under her tutelage, you now found comfort in her words and even looked forward to your one-on-one lessons. 

“What brings you here, my child?” she asked. “Has the txumre’ venom caused you trouble?”

“No, Tsahìk, I—” You hesitated, gently removing the wrap from where you had secured it to your body. “I wanted to bring you the pxorna seeds I had gathered earlier.”

“Ah, how kind of you,” replied Mo’at, adding after a short pause, “My grandson is preparing to leave for morning patrol, so you may want to hurry.” She nodded at the food wrap. 

How did she know? Fighting the urge to defend yourself and further incriminate yourself in the process, you hurried past the older woman, not missing the wry smile on her face as she resumed her work. 

Stepping into the main alcove, you finally saw the man you had been waiting to see all morning, whose face had given you strength as you performed the strenuous task of gathering the seeds earlier that morning. 

“Leyna,” Lo’ak greeted, smiling handsomely at you before spotting the wrap in her hand. “Oh, what have you brought with you?”

“Oh nothing, just some pxorna seeds.”

“Pxorna seeds?” For the second time that morning, you felt yourself being pushed back with the force of another’s body as Lo’ak embraced you gleefully. “Oh, Leyna, this is why I love you!”

Great Mother, he really ought not to say such things to people in delicate states. Fighting to steady your racing heart, you patted his back gently, laughing softly at his reaction. “You and your food,” you muttered, unable to stop the fondness from creeping into your voice.

Lo’ak pulled back then to accept the carefully prepared wrap from your hands and looked down at you. You paused, waiting with bated breath as his gaze stilled. Was this the moment you had been waiting for?

“Wiya, I’m going to be late for patrol and Dad’s going to have my head.” Lo’ak turned away sharply from you, breaking the spell. “Sorry, Leyna, we’ll catch up later, okay?”

Nodding mutely, you watched as he checked for the dagger at his side before rushing out of the main alcove without a second glance. Feeling a little like the wind had been knocked out of you, you turned to leave the same way you had come before a voice stopped you. 

“I like pxorna seeds too, you know?” You turned to find Neteyam watching you, his expression inscrutable as always. “Not that you ever asked.”

“There’s enough here for everyone,” you managed, after a long pause. You had played together briefly as children, but it had been a long time since you had spoken at length. Neteyam had always seemed aloof, and the closeness of your families had nothing to ease the distance. 

“You know,” he began. “I love my brother—I would fight a palulukan for him—but he’s a bit of a fool, isn’t he?”

Huh. You stared at him, unable to make sense of his words.

“Morning patrol? That’s what he was thinking of?” He continued. “It’s okay to be upset, Leyna,” he added rather unhelpfully. 

You finally found your words. “What would I be upset about?” 

He gave you a pointed look, waiting for you to say it first.

You bristled at the implication. “By Eywa, I don’t know what it is you speak of but I should be going anyway—” 

“Don’t go.” You felt a cool hand clutch at your arm as you turned away. “Stay.”

“What are you—”

“You have feelings for my brother, yes?” He raised an eyebrow at you, adjusting your face gently to look at him properly.

“That’s not any of your concern!” You shot back in a terse whisper, glancing around anxiously, as if expecting a large crowd of onlookers. 

“My brother, he doesn’t see it.”

“What?”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he added, face morphing into one of, dare you say it, concern? “But I know him like the back of my hand.”

“I should go.”

Turning away from Neteyam abruptly, you found yourself mulling over what had been your longest exchange with him since you were children, as your feet traced the familiar path to your family alcove. Patting your cheeks self-consciously before stepping into your family alcove, you let out a small noise of frustration, knowing well that the heat on your cheeks had not waned in the slightest. 

***~~***

“Morning patrol? That’s what he was thinking of? The skxawng!”

“Ka’ni!” You gasped, outrage colouring your voice at your friend’s language.

“What?” 

“Lo’ak is not that,” you muttered. 

“How many moons have you spent together? How many times have you brought him his favourite food, now?” Ka’ni shook her head. “By Eywa, he’s a blind man if he cannot see it.”

“Would you hush?” You glanced furtively around at the others sitting by the river, noting that none had heard your friend’s outburst. 

Pausing for a moment, you added, “I haven’t even told you the rest.”

“There’s more?”

“Neteyam knows,” you began, lowering your voice, “He knows about Lo’ak.”

“Oh, Neteyam.” A lazy smile stretched across Ka’ni’s face. “We were on duty together the other day. By Eywa, the man is so handsome—even hanging upside down—that I almost forgot to catch the tumpasuk berries—” She broke off into an uncontrollable fit of giggles. 

“Ka’ni, focus!” 

“Sorry, sorry. So, he knows?” 

“Mhmm.” Catching the tail with one hand, you ran the blade of your dagger carefully under the skin, removing the scales in a swift stroke of the hand, willing yourself to not drown in the mortification that threatened to engulf you in that very moment. 

“What did he say?”

“Oh Ka’ni, I was so embarrassed. Don’t make me say it. He hardly ever speaks to me but this he chooses to say.”

Your friend nudged you again, eyes beseeching. 

“He said that Lo’ak ‘didn’t see it’” You finally admitted, the flush returning to your cheeks. As if your heart did not already hurt with that knowledge. 

“Kurkung!”

“Ka’ni!” You admonished. 

“Well, he is one,” she defended. 

“Weren’t you just telling me how handsome he was?” You shot back, waggling your eyebrows at her, finding some mirth in the situation. 

“What? Fine, a handsome one then!”

Before they could finish, a voice interrupted them. “Who’s the handsome one? Are you done with the fish?” One of the older women, Nikira, nodded at the mess that lay in front of you.

Flushing with embarrassment, you muttered a quick apology and resumed removing the scales with renewed vigour, not quite meeting her eyes. 

***~~***

You left kelutral, hand in hand with Txep, who bounced along happily. You glanced fondly at the boy as he swung your hands between you. His excitement was palpable, as it was the longest he had ever been silent. 

Txep had wanted to tame an ikran of his own from the time that he could start speaking, begging endlessly for someone to take him flying. Sa’nok and sempul had been especially protective of little Txep, long after the tawtute had been banished. Finally, he would get to ride with you on Pänu. 

Pushing past the leaves in front of you, you pulled Txep forward into the clearing. Letting go of his hand, you stepped forward and emitted a familiar call, the noise gurgling in your throat. You stood in the stillness of the clearing, waiting for the telltale sound of wind whipping as your ikran swooped down from the sky, landing with a soft thud on the shorn grass beneath your feet. 

Smiling fondly at the creature, you reached out to run a gentle hand across his face, “Tam tam, Pänu.” He let out a squawk, nuzzling into the palm of your hand.  

“Tewti!” Came a startled exclamation from Txep. “He’s so big!”

“He is, isn’t he, Txep?��� You smiled. Reaching into the pouch strapped at your side, you pulled out a chunk of yerik meat, feeding it to Pänu.

Txep eagerly accepted the yerik meat, reaching up on his toes to feed Pänu, giggling sweetly when the creature licked his palm as it fed from his hand. 

“Going out flying?” 

Arranging your face carefully, you turned at the sound of the familiar voice, watching Txep carefully out of the corner of your eye as he continued feeding Pänu. “Yes, we are. What’s it to you?” 

Neteyam smiled faintly at your words, unfazed by the hostility in your tone. “Mind if I join?”

Before you could reply, Txep turned from Pänu, catching sight of Neteyam, a smile breaking out on his face before he ran eagerly towards the man. Shaking your head, you watched as Neteyam bent down to catch Txep in his arms. “Neteyam!” He cried gleefully. 

“So, can I join?” Neteyam asked, over Txep’s shoulder. “Txep, can I come flying with you and Leyna?” Txep eagerly nodded. 

Sighing at the memory of your last conversation and faced with Txep’s pleading face, you nodded tiredly. 

Fetching a cloth from the pouch at your side, you beckoned Txep forward. “I’m going to wrap you tightly, okay, Txep? You’ll hold on to me the whole time.” 

As you lifted Txep onto Pänu’s back, you heard the familiar sound of an ikran landing, glancing briefly at the patches of green and brown spanning its large body. Tìxtur, you remembered.

“Leyna,” Neteyam called suddenly, his voice lowered. 

Sensing that he wished to speak more privately with you, you backed away from Pänu, turning to face him, a questioning expression on your face. 

He twisted his hands together as he spoke. “I’m sorry, for the other day. I shouldn’t have said it.”

Your face softened slightly. “It’s okay,” you began slowly. “You didn’t say anything I didn’t already know. It’s stupid, really.”

“No, it’s not stupid. He is.” 

You giggled softly despite yourself. Of all the people to soothe your broken heart, Neteyam was the last one you expected. “I didn’t know you cared. I didn’t even realise you noticed my presence. This is the longest we’ve ever spoken, you know?” 

Amusement coloured his face. “I pay you plenty of attention. Maybe you are the one who doesn’t notice.”

Narrowing your eyes at the cryptic remark, you opened your mouth to respond only for him to swiftly pull down his ionar, launching Tìxtur into the sky. “Neteyam, you—”

Growling in frustration, you approached Pänu with quick strides, wrapping an impatient, squirming Txep with careful hands before making tsahyelu and urging Pänu to follow Neteyam circling the clearing above you. 

“Where are you taking us?” You shouted over the winds, as Neteyam flew away from kelutral in an unfamiliar direction. The man only smiled coyly at you before seemingly urging Tìxtur to fly faster. 

Txep let out a joyful squeal as you urged Pänu faster, trailing Tìxtur. Wrapping your free arm around Txep as an extra measure, you puzzled over where Neteyam was taking you, trying to catch a glimpse of a familiar sight in the blurring landscape beneath you. 

When Tìxtur eventually slowed, you followed in suit, bringing Pänu to land gently. Unwrapping the cloth that bound Txep to you and placing him on the ground, you took a moment to take in your surroundings for the first time, gasping at the sight. 

“By Eywa,” you breathed, eyes travelling over the vast expanse of the land around you, perfectly ensconced between towering mountain ranges on either side. Running along the centre of the land, was a river. You stepped forward, mesmerised by the sight of the water, a vivid lilac, swirling and eddying as it pushed against the rocks that littered the length of the river. You smiled, catching sight of little darts of movement in the water. Txep came forward, similarly affected, pointing excitedly at the flashes of light moving in the water. 

“It’s beautiful here, Neteyam,” you praised, turning to find him beaming at you. The unfamiliar sight caused your heart to race and that traitorous blush to return. Turning away self-consciously, you patted your cheeks insistently, willing your cheeks to cool. 

Txep tugged on your hand, pulling you closer along the river bank. When his eyes turned up towards you, you saw his question even before he asked. “No swimming, Txep. Look at the water. It’s going too fast.”

Txep pouted. “But, Leyna—” 

“Only your feet!” 

“Fine!”

You laughed softly as Txep rushed forward, before plopping himself down on the edge clumsily and sticking his feet in the water. 

You suddenly felt the heat of another’s body at your back, an involuntary shiver coming over you as Neteyam breath tickled the tips of your ears. “He’s the sweetest little one I’ve ever seen.”

“You should see him when sa’nok prepares teylu, pounces like a palulukan, that one.”

Neteyam laughed amiably. “I don’t doubt it. Tuk was much the same when she was younger.”

The two of you eventually found a comfortable place by the river, content to watch Txep wiggle his toes in the water in the distance and squeal excitedly as the fish swam past him. 

“How did you find this place?” You asked, after a long while of silence. 

“I like to fly by myself when I can find a spare moment. I usually circle kelutral for a bit and return but one day, I just didn’t stop,” he began. “And then I found this place.” 

“So, this is where you disappear off to in the evenings, then?” 

He looked surprised. 

“I pay attention,” you offered, feigning nonchalance. 

“So you do.” He smiled. 

Txep called out for them then, beckoning them over to the water. 

***~~***

“Don’t you have duties to attend to?” You teased, as Neteyam’s familiar face emerged from the surrounding vegetation. For moons now, he had sought you out, sometimes while you were tutoring Txep in archery or going out for a flight. Other evenings were spent in tranquil conversation in the woods surrounding kelutral, with the two of you even making trips to the valley every so often. 

“I’m a quick worker.” He looked around. “Where’s Txep, shouldn’t he be here for his lesson?”

You laughed ruefully. “Oh, Txep. He has finally tired of me and gone to play with his friends.”

“Were you going somewhere?” He nodded at your ionar, which sat ready on your forehead.

“Vitrautral,” you replied. “I was overcome this morning with the urge to seek the Great Mother’s guidance. She has called for me.” 

“I’ll come with you,” he said, adding quickly, “Unless you would rather be alone?”

You shook your head, placing some distance between the two of you before emitting the call for your ikran, watching as Neteyam did the same, quickly donning his own ionar. He was a handsome sight, you could not help but think in that moment, eyes lingering on his muscled forearms as he reached to caress Tìxtur’s face gently. Oh, if only Ka’ni could see you now. 

Shaking your head as if to rid yourself of the sudden, sensual realisation, you turned to face Pänu, cooing at him as you fed him. It was absurd. Neteyam did not think of you that way. Foolish, foolish girl. Hadn’t you learned your lesson already?

Had you turned around then, you would have caught the way his eyes slowly trailed the soft curves of your chest down to the dip of your waist and lean legs. But you were engrossed in the task of adjusting the saddle on Pänu and his telling gaze went unnoticed. 

Climbing on Pänu’s back, you urged him to take flight, Neteyam following closely behind. Slowly, you climbed higher into the sky, leaving kelutral behind you, weaving in and out through ayram alusìng. Turning mid flight to glance at Neteyam, who smiled when he felt your gaze on him before— you gasped, as Tìxtur sped right in Pänu’s direction, stopping only seconds before collison.

“You skxawng, what was that!” You cried out, heart racing, your own fear melding with Pänu’s. 

You heard his jovial laughter over the sound of wind buzzing in your ears. Shaking your head, you returned the gesture, urging Pänu to bank gently before making an abrupt turn, pushing Tìxtur right into a cool stream of water, pouring down the edge of a cliff. 

You giggled, watching as Neteyam emerged, drenched completely.  Spluttering, he called out, “I deserved that!”

There it was, that feeling, again. Fondness. 

***~~***

Landing at vitrautral, you felt an immediate sense of contentment fall over you, keenly aware of the Great Mother’s presence around you. Patting Pänu gently as you dismounted, you glanced over at Neteyam, as he did the same.

With his back turned, you could not help but gaze at the strong set of his body, eyes lingering on the muscles flexing in his back as he tugged at the saddle, breath catching in your throat as he turned slowly, eyes slipping lower down his frame—you were doing it again, foolish girl. 

You smiled softly at Neteyam as he approached you, placing your smaller hand in his firm grasp; it was just something you did now. You couldn’t pinpoint when it had started but he always reached for your hand first, sometimes just in passing, absentmindedly caressing the palm of your hand. You felt a familiar frisson of excitement at the contact, heart racing as he wound his fingers through yours. No, not again.

Neteyam led you across the base of the tree, nimbly skipping over the dense network of roots that covered the forest floor. A comfortable silence settled between the two of you as you let your palm slip from his grasp, approaching a cluster of bioluminescent tendrils which swayed gently in the cool evening breeze. 

Closing your eyes, you reached behind you for your neural queue, fingers brushing gently down the length of your braid until your fingertips felt the curling tendrils at the end. You brought it forward, eyes briefly opening to watch as the tendrils of your queue melded with that of the tree, both glowing brighter for a moment before settling. Tsaheylu. You took in slow, easy breaths as the familiar sensation settled over you. 

You opened your eyes then, eyes adjusting to the changed surroundings, which took on a dreamlike quality, shimmering gently in the fading light of the evening, almost as if you were watching the scene unfolding before you from afar as if it were a—what was it that the olo’eyktan called it? A ‘movie’, that was it. 

“Kaltxì, ma’evi. I was beginning to think you had forgotten me.”

You turned sharply, to find yourself faced with an older woman, eyes crinkling as a bright smile graced her face. 

“Grandmother,” you cried softly, running into her waiting arms, slotting yourself in the comfort of her embrace. How was it possible that she still smelled the way she always had in life? You breathed in her scent, a comforting blend of spices and apxangrr flour flooding your nostrils. Memories of afternoons spent at her side as child, ‘helping’ her prepare an assortment of cakes for the family rushed to the surface. “I could never forget you. Ngaytxoa, I should have come sooner.”

“Mawey, I am not upset, child,” she said softly. “You are young and you have your own life to live. Let me look at you.” You felt her gently untangle your arms and step back, eyes raking over you not unkindly. 

“You look well, child,” she said finally. “You have grown into a beautiful young woman.”

“Irayo,” you managed, squirming slightly under her scrutiny. “I have missed you, Grandmother.”

Reaching for your hands, she invited you to kneel on the ground, coming to sit by your side, brushing back your braids gently with a smile. “I have missed you too, my child.” 

Clearing your throat, you began, “I felt the Great Mother’s call. In truth, I have felt her call for many moons now.”

“The Great Mother senses your reluctance, child,” said your grandmother. “There is nothing to fear, she has a path for you, as does she for all her children.”

Feeling slightly chided, you nodded. “I am not a warrior, Grandmother. I have always known that.”

“No, that you are not, child. But your training with the tsahìk has been going well, has it not?”

Eyebrows furrowing in confusion, you nodded slowly. “It has, so I am to be a healer, then?”

A wry smile came across your grandmother. “All things will be revealed in their own time, child. You must be patient and trust in the Great Mother.”

A comfortable silence settled over the pair of you, as you mulled over the implications of her words. You longed for clarity that you knew you would not receive, not yet. But, you trusted in the Great Mother, and had faith that she would not lead you astray. But another thought niggled at you, emerging from the deep recesses of your mind, taunting you once more. 

Breathing slowly, you spoke, voice soft, almost inaudible, “And love? Will I have that?”

You could not meet her eyes as you asked the question, eyes trained firmly on your hands instead which twisted nervously in your lap. 

Your grandmother’s tinkling laugh reached your ears then. “Am I to be alone then? U-unmated?” You joked, the stutter in your voice undercutting your attempt at nonchalance. 

You felt a cool hand caressing your chin, tilting your head to the side. Eyes trained on you, your grandmother spoke again, “I can only tell you what Great Mother wishes for you to know. But your heart need not be so heavy, child. Know that you will not be alone.”

A hopeful glimmer shone in your eyes. “I will find love, then?”

She laughed softly in response, brushing her hand fondly across the curve of your cheek. “Oh child, there is so much yet that you do not understand.”

She stood then, hand slipping from your face as she moved to stand. A sudden panic enveloped you as you noticed the edges of her form flickering, the radiance of her image dullening. You jumped to your feet, reaching for her again, catching her fading hand in yours. “Grandmother—”

“I must go now, child.” She squeezed your hand gently. “But, to answer your question…you already have it.”

“Have what—” You never got to finish the question as her form slipped from your grasp, vanishing into thin air, your palm tingling where her warm hand had rested only seconds ago. You felt a sudden pull then, almost as if someone were dragging your body underwater, the ambient sounds of the forest growing muffled and your vision blurring, sending another surge of panic through you as you fought against the force.

Gasping for breath, you came to on the forest floor, chest heaving as you took in your surroundings. You were no longer knelt on the ground and as the rest of your senses returned, you felt a strong chest at your back and muscled arms holding you in a firm embrace. “Oh, Leyna,” you heard Neteyam say, his relief palpable.  “You scared me.” 

You froze as a warm pair of lips pressed against your forehead. “I’m okay,” you croaked, hands coming around to brush against his own where they gripped your waist. “What happened?”

Neteyam let out a shuddering breath, his disquiet evident. “I was praying, then I looked over at you. I knew something was wrong from the way you were shivering. And then, you starting shaking. You—” He broke off with a harsh intake of breath. “You should have seen yourself. Your eyes were open, but you were not seeing anything. I was so scared, I pulled you away.” He nodded at the cluster of bioluminescent tendrils where you had been connected to before, and the end of your braid which lay limply on the forest floor. 

Heart clenching at the pain in his voice, you turned in his arms, nuzzling into the crook of his neck. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” you murmured. “I’m here.” You pressed yourself as close as possible to the warmth of his body, feeling his breaths tickle the tips of your ears as he melted into your embrace. Breathing in his familiar scent, you felt a calm wash over you, hoping he gleaned the same comfort in turn from the closeness of your bodies. 

You already have it, a hallowed voice whispered. 

***~~***

You stood at the gates leading to kelutral, body thrumming with anticipation, accompanied by the other apprentices and a throng of eager spectators awaiting the arrival of the hunting party. 

*FLASHBACK* 

A shawl wrapped firmly around your shoulders, you quickly descended the central staircase of kelutral. The sky was still dark, the path to the pa’li pen only dimly lit by flickering flames at regular posts. You were normally not an early riser, but today was different. Dawn marked the start of the Great Hunt, and the hunting party would ride out to the river beds encircling kelutral soon.

As second-in-command, Neteyam was due to lead the hunting party in preparation for his eventual assumption of the duties of the leader of the clan. Neteyam was an accomplished hunter with impeccable precision in his aim; you had no doubt that he would succeed in procuring a handsome volume of talioang meat for the clan. It was more so the general chaos that ensued during these hunts that filled your heart with fear. It was not uncommon for hunters to be knocked off their pa’li, or even trampled brutally to the death. 

And so, you found yourself sneaking out in the darkness to meet him once more before dawn. Your plans for a clandestine meeting had almost been foiled by Txep; the boy had always been a light-sleeper. Your heart had caught in your throat as he shifted. By the Great Mother’s grace, he had stilled, the sound of his soft snores resuming. 

You neared the pa’li pen now, the growing din of voices signalling their presence. Your eyes searched furtively for Neteyam, confusion growing as you failed to locate him. 

A hand touched the small of your back then, and you did not need to turn to know who it was. “Neteyam,” you breathed, a smile breaking out on your face. The sight of his handsome face almost instantly assuaging the anxiety that had plagued you in the hours before, turning restlessly in your hammock. 

“Leyna,” he greeted, reaching for your hand to lead you away from the rest of the group. 

Secluded from prying eyes, you reached for him, arms winding around his broad chest, feeling irrationally annoyed at the firm material of his cummerbund which deprived you of fully feeling his skin against yours. You did not realise it, but your hands were quivering slightly where they gripped the skin of his back. 

“Paskalin,” he crooned. “You are shaking.”

“I’m just worried,” you mumbled into the skin of his chest. “It’s dangerous.”

“I know, I know,” he murmured, tightening his hold on you. “But I always come back.”

You said nothing in response, too distracted by the glorious feeling of being in his arms. The affectionate names, embraces, kisses on foreheads and cheeks. Surely, you were not the only one who felt something shifting between the two of you? Your relationship had spent many weeks, many moons really, now teetering on the edge of friendship and something more. 

His voice interrupted your stream of thoughts. “Paskalin,” he called again, urging you to look at him. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course.”

“Then, trust that I will come back—” Sensing your immediate objection, he added, “—in good health.”

*END OF FLASHBACK* 

The hunting party was late. Dusk was falling rapidly and the air was bereft of the jubilant cries of the returning party, as they transported the day’s kills back to kelutral in preparation for the feast. With every minute that passed in silence, the sense of foreboding that had plagued you since the night before grew more heightened.

“Be calm, sister,” said Olin, one the other apprentices. “They will return soon.”

You, along with Mo’at’s other apprentices, had spent the better part of the last few weeks preparing healing salves, brews and other implements in preparation for this day. But still, it did not feel enough. Something terrible had happened. 

Finally, the ground beneath your feet thrummed with vibrations from the pa’li and  you heard the distant calls of the hunting party. A sigh of relief was shared by the group waiting at the gates. 

But, when the returning party became visible, your eyes narrowed. Lo’ak was in the front, leading the party, a grim expression on his face. No, no, no, no.

You strode up to the group as they closed in on the gates. “Where is Neteyam?” You demanded, eyes flitting back and forth, scanning for his familiar face. The group parted in the middle slowly, revealing a lone pa’li with—you gasped—Neteyam’s prone body flung across its back. The rider shared Lo’ak’s pained expression as he slowly pulled Neteyam’s body down from the pa’li. You walked slowly towards him, an almost other-worldly experience, as the rest of the world blurred and grew muted in the wake of your horror. 

“Neteyam,” you cried softly, kneeling down on the ground next to his form, caressing his face, willing him to wake at the sound of your voice. You felt a wetness drip onto your leg, looking down to see the red liquid drip from his side down to where your knees were pressed against him. A sudden rage flared low in your belly as you perceived the cause of his condition: an arrow lodged in his side. 

Standing quickly, you rounded on the group, fury blazing your golden orbs as you addressed them. “Who did this?”

Slowly, with trepidation, one of the men stepped forward, Iren, his stricken expression as good as a confession. “You!” You cried, approaching him in quick strides, only to be obstructed by a solid chest as Lo’ak stopped you, his hands gentle but firm. “Leyna,” he warned. “It was a mistake. He did not mean—”

Snarling, you turned, gesturing for two of the hunters to come closer. “Carry him to the healer’s alcove. He is losing blood while we waste time.” 

Iren stepped forward, a silent offer to help on his lips. 

Shielding Neteyam’s body with your own, you shook your head furiously. “Kehe,” you hissed. “You have done enough.”

Not waiting to hear his response, you turned to follow the men carrying Neteyam, Olin and the other apprentices close on your heels. Anger was good. Better than the horror that threatened to swallow you whole. 

***~~***

With trembling hands, you brushed the fletching of the arrow, knowing what had to be done but grimacing at the thought nonetheless. You wished more than ever that Mo’at was here to guide you but she lay prone on the other side of the wall, having been afflicted herself with a searing fever a few nights before the hunt, and still only in the early stages of recovery. You have trained for this. You can do this. 

“Olin,” you guided. “Hold his chest steady as I remove the arrow. He will wake when I start to pull it out and he will shift as it comes out. Any movement could dislodge the arrow and cause more damage.”

Olin nodded slowly, settling her hands on either side of his neck and pressing down with enough force to keep him still. Taking in a deep breath, you began tugging the arrow out of where it had buried itself in Neteyam’s flesh. 

He woke soon with a pained moan, hand coming to grip your side painfully as Olin held him down. 

With a final pull, you removed the arrow in its entirety, flinging it to the side and reaching for the clean cloths you had laid out by his side. Within seconds, the cloth was soaked with this blood and your heart raced as you reached for more cloths. You sent a silent prayer to Eywa as you knelt by his side. Please save him, I can’t do this without him. I love him. 

After what felt like an eternity, you felt the bleeding slow at the site of the wound, noting with relief that he was breathing more steadily than he had been before. Applying a cleansing salve to the site, you fetched your stitching implements. Fortunately, Neteyam had drifted off as the blood clotted at the wound site. 

Olin resumed her spot at his side, prepared to restrain him if he woke while you began carefully stitching the wound closed. But, he did not stir, finally succumbing to the exhaustion of the day and his injury. After cleaning and applying a dressing, you slumped back against the alcove wall, feeling drained of almost everything you had. 

Just as you closed your eyes, you were startled by the sound of clattering feet as a group of the younger girls burst into the alcove space where you had been treating Neteyam. 

“By Eywa, he’s alive!”

“He’s still so handsome, even when he’s hurt!”

“—what a stupid thing to say, how could you—”

Having heard enough of their insipid bickering, you cleared your throat. When they did not hear, you raised your voice, anger flaring once more, “Have your sa’sem not raised you to know better? He is a person, not a piece of meat. Ogling at the man while he lays in his sickbed. Get out, GET OUT!”

Throat hoarse from shouting, you fell back against the alcove wall, body slipping down its surface until you reached the floor. The girls left the alcove, duly chastened, and you let out a sigh of relief. Neteyam appeared undisturbed, slumbering peacefully in the corner. 

Crawling over to his form, you knelt by his side again, gently brushing back his braids, tears welling in your eyes as you took in the sight of his face, complexion pallid from blood loss. 

Unable to stop yourself, you whispered the words that had rattled in your chest for moons, desperate for release. “Nga yawne lu oer.”

***~~***

You diligently gathered the cloths soiled from his blood which lay strewn haphazardly across the alcove floor. You gathered each one before placing it in the wash basket to be taken to the river the next morning. 

The family had been to visit Neteyam in the hours since his injury. After catching the stricken expressions on their faces when Neteyam slept through the entire visit, you sent them away, promising that you would call for them when he woke. You had sent Olin away too, seeing no reason for the two of you to go hungry when there was an abundance of taliolang meat being prepared for the feast. In truth, you could not stomach anything if you tried.

To pass the time, you had begun chopping up roots to be added to your stores of healing salves. The roots were strangely-shaped, sharp thorns littering their sides, making it a task that required strict concentration which suited you just fine. Anything to distract yourself from the unconscious man in the corner of the alcove.

So engrossed in your work, that you did not catch the beginnings of the man stirring as he woke. Only when his pained moans reached your ears did you become aware of his state of wakefulness. 

Abandoning the heap of roots on the chopping board, you sprung forward. 

“Neteyam,” you cried, reaching his side. “No, don’t pull yourself up just yet. You’ll tear the stitches at your side!”

Backing down, he relaxed against the alcove floor. “What happened?” He croaked, voice gravelly from disuse. 

Biting your lip, you hesitated. “You were shot.”

Confusion coloured his face, “I was shot?”

Willing yourself not to give into the blinding rage that had consumed you before, you continued, “You were shot by one of the other hunters.”

“By mistake,” you added, grimacing internally when it came out as a hiss. 

“Can I guess?” He asked. “Was it Iren?”

You gasped, “How did you know?”

Sighing, he continued, “Iren is, well, not the best shot. I have worked with him for many moons now—” He coughed. “—but he is a slow learner.”

“Then why did you allow him to join the hunt?”

He shot you a pointed look. “He needs to learn, paskalin.”

“He almost killed you,” you hissed. “He deserves to have his bow snapped in half!”

Neteyam, paying no mind to your instructions, lifted himself up into a sitting position. 

“What are you doing—”

“Leyna,” he sighed. “You’re being cruel. He’s a boy, still. He will make mistakes and he will learn.”

You felt a fresh surge of anger at his words. “I’m being cruel?  He can go make his mistakes on someone else, then! Because, I can’t lose you—” You broke off with a hitching sob. “—there was so much blood. I thought you were gone and I can’t—” You felt strong arms pull you forward.

“Neteyam,” you protested, trying to shift away. “Your wound—”

“It can wait,” he said hotly. “Stay.”

You acquiesced, nuzzling into the crook of his neck, crying with abandon now. 

“It’s okay, yawntu,” he murmured, rubbing your back in slow circles. “I’m here, I’m okay.”

Relishing the feel of his embrace, you breathed in his familiar scent. Thank you, Great Mother. You felt your eyelids grow heavy, at ease for the first time in many hours. 

Moments before you slipped into a slumber, his voice stopped you. “I love you too.”

“What?” Your eyes blinked open, startled. 

Pulling back to look at you, “I love you too, paskalin” he repeated, a smile growing on his face.

Comprehension dawned on you. “You heard me.”

“I did. Did you not mean for me to know? Or was it for someone else?” He teased.

“You—you’re unbelievable,” you laughed softly. “So, is that—I mean, are we—”

“Are we courting?” He waggled his eyebrows, wincing slightly from the pain as he shifted his body. 

“Careful,” you chided. “And yes, that,” you added, squirming under the heat of his gaze, which was positively lascivious now. 

He did not respond, choosing instead to press his lips against yours. You laughed softly against his lips, sighing as they moved to trail across your skin, moving slowly down the slender curve of your neck. 

“Neteyam,” you sighed, flushed from the heat of his kisses. 

“You really shouldn’t say my name like that,” he murmured against your skin. “It’ll give me ideas.”

Pulling his head back up, you fused your lips with his again in a searing kiss, feeling a pulsing want between your legs. A pleasurable heat coursed through your body, and you were consumed by the need to press yourself completely against his body, to remove the fabrics that lay between you, to be nake—Neteyam let out a pained gasp.

You pulled back sharply, hands running down his body, checking for further injury. “I’m so sorry,” you said softly. “I shouldn’t have—I got carried away.”

“You don’t ever apologise for that,” he laughed softly. “I’m okay, see?”

You were not convinced, backing away from his body, not trusting yourself to keep from hurting him. 

“Don’t do that,” he pouted. “Come back.”

“No,” you said firmly. “Actually, no more kissing until you’ve recovered.”

That earned another round of complaints from him. You laughed, turning your back to him as you resumed restocking the medicinal stores. Neteyam loved you. You smiled quietly to yourself as you cleared the space, and arranged the medicinal packs carefully along the space in the wall. 

“You know,” he said, after a brief silence. “I wouldn’t take offence if you felt the need to do some ogling.”

“What?”

“I’m just saying,” he continued, trying and failing to contain a smile. “Since kissing’s off the table and all that—”

“Y-you heard that?” You narrowed your eyes at him. “Just how long were you asleep for, then?”

“Can’t say.”

“Neteyam.”

“I could be your piece of meat,” he added in a lilting voice. 

“Au, you’re ridiculous.” 

[leynaeithnea]

Something completely random you want to share?

I...just had Pizza? Ahem jkjkjk i mean i did but

Actually ur giving me an excuse so

I started working on a new writing project recently (literally three weeks ago, very new)

And im in love with the world

Its one where one side is always in endless night and the other in endless daylight and the story will mainly revolve around two kingdoms close to the border to the area between them (endless twilight/dusk/dawn) and the one place in between them, and I just love it so much because the aesthetics? The vibes?? Gjsjfjsjdjd So the day kingdom will probably have mediterran-ish weather and climate and the night kingdom more tropical-ish and the twilight more uhhh temperate climate and aaaaah its so coool

Two initial moodboards of them with pics from pinterest and the pinterest board: (the title might still change tho)

Thank you for this ask x)

[pen-of-roses]

Her body couldn’t move.

A gold mist swirled around her, blinding in every direction she looked. But even when her eyes adjusted, it didn’t do much good, as there was nothing but the endless empty white sky and sea of mist.

And her body couldn’t fucking move.

She physically looked unbound, but crouched in a kneeling position. The gold seemed to have seeped into her skin—no. The gold was under her skin, in her veins, like a Caster.

But she wasn’t doing magic. Instead, it was likely holding her in place.

An impossibility.

This was a dream.

“Not a dream, my dear.”

A figure, as bright and golden as the rest of this abyssal damned place, now stood before her, when they hadn’t a second ago.

“What the fuck did you do to me?”

“Now, now Leyna, is that anyway to talk to me? You do know who I am, don’t you?”

She spit at the Veyrit before her.

“Foolish child. Is that anyway to treat me? After I chose you?”

“Chose me? You ruined my life before I was even born! They threw me out of my home and abandoned me as soon as they realized I would never be what they wanted! That I would never be the Prophetess, the highest honor imaginable in all Evashen, a fucking vessel for you, Leyraveyrit,” the name was spat like a curse. “Or do you prefer Sophia now?”

The golden light abated slightly, revealing the more human looking form underneath of the last Prophetess of Evashen, as She stepped forward. Her fingers felt oddly cold as they forced her chin upwards. It was made up for by the pain of staring into the bright golden light of Her eyes.

“It was not yet your time, my dear.”

“Spawnshit.”

“It is hardly my fault that mortals are so foolish and easily turned.”

She almost spat in Her face, but She was already talking again.

“But I can give you what you want. I can give you power, divinity even, and a place to belong.” She leaned forward, until Her breath was against her ear. “I can even give you revenge.”

The mist disappeared along with the Veyrit, leaving her sitting in a plush chair in—

She was back in the temple.

She was sitting in the throne of the temple, with her legs over one arm, and leaning against the other, casually, and disrespectfully.

And it was thrilling.

Gold skittered up and down her arms, and she played with it between her fingers, waiting. They wouldn’t leave her waiting for long though. Their spells would have alerted them to the intrusion as soon as she appeared. So now, she just had to wait.

The doors opened, those ugly ornamental things, that lead to the rest of the ugly ornamental building that had been her home for years, opened, letting in the people who had raised her.

The people she had done anything to get the approval of.

The people she thought had loved her.

And she smiled at their fear upon seeing her, all eyes on her, frozen where they stood.

“Oh it is good to be home. Aren’t you happy to see me? Your beloved daughter of the temple? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten me? Or have I simply changed so much?” She raised a mock eyebrow, but none dared to move. “Oh now that won’t do, after all I remember all of you so clearly.”

“Who-what are you?” One brave soul dared to ask, stepping forward. The head of the temple. The one she’d actually believed saw her as a daughter while they raised her like a parent and mentor.

She stood, and took measured steps down towards them. When she reached the last step, only a couple paces off from them, she raised one hand and bowed. “I am, Leyna, your golden Prophetess, returned to you.”

Slowly, she raised her head to meet each of their eyes, to watch the dawning horror in all of them.

“Leyna...” she saw more than heard the hushed word. “If it is you, stop this madness.”

“Why? I thought you all would be happy to see me, after all, I’m here to give you what you always wanted. The chance to meet your Veyrit.”  

The daggers materialized in her hands at the same time as the slow, cruel smile upon her face.

She forced herself out of the vision with shaky breath and thundering heart. She was cold, so very cold.

“I can give you that. I can give you what you want,” the Veyrit still whispered in her ear.

“What I want,” her words were as cold as the ice running through her veins at that moment, “is for you to stay out of my head and life!”

Leyraveyrit tutted—like she was an abyssal damned child!—and let her go.

Only to grab her throat from behind. “Now now. Don’t lie to me, I know you better than anyone, Leyna. And all you’d have to do, is bring them to me.”

Another figure appeared in the mist before them, less tangible than the cold hand wrapped around her throat. A green cloak concealed most of them, except for the pink hair pulled away from their tan face. A young face. But one etched with a weight far too heavy for the age.

“And if I refuse?”

The laugh was cold, and she flinched. “You won’t. But I’ve already proven I can find you. I could find your friends. After all, you’ve all been so eager to explore my domain, it would be easy for an accident to occur, don’t you think?”

No. She wouldn’t. She...No!

“Bring me Rowyn, Leyna, and I’ll give you what was your right from birth.”

She bolted upright in the dark room, fire crackling to life in her hand. In her room. In her bed in the Keeper’s compound.

“...na?” Ves’s sleep cracked voice called.

“Bad dream.”

“Don’t care. Too early.”  

“Yeah, right.”

The fire went out, plunging the room back into darkness.

Even then, the golden light still burned behind her eyelids.

[juuls]

Juulna’s ‘Hold Onto Your Sanity’ Fic, Book, and Music Recs for the 2020 Dumpster Fire... Part 3!

So you just crash-landed behind enemy lines in a war you know barely anything about except that your role seems infinitesimal and insignificant, and dumped into a year, 2020, that already seems fifteen years too long.

Before you drown your sorrows in some fantastic scotch or wine coolers for days (or weeks)… I have a proposal.

That you step back from the flames, tune things out for a bit, and try to forget about the outside world for a while (but don’t forget to vote or I will be very sad at you!).

These fics are meant to take you out of your head (I’m including more plot/story-minded fics than PWP) for the next few weeks or months as the world goes to hell (even more) but of course there are some bits of solid angst in these as there is wont to be in many a fic. Check the tags, read responsibly, don’t like-don’t read, ship and let ship, and please do leave a kudos and maybe even a comment! :)

This is PART THREE.

Check out here for Part One and most of the Marvel fic recs, along with a selection of book recs too. :)

And here’s Part Two, which has the bulk of my Star Wars and Game of Thrones recs, along with Spotify playlists!

Part Three is this one here, all about the Potterverse.

(Not yet complete) Here’s Part Four, filled with even more shippy goodness from all over the Star Trek universe. So. Many. Ships. :D

(Not yet complete) Part Five is Witcher, Man From UNCLE, Stargate: Atlantis and SG-1, Sherlock, Hannibal, and Doctor Who.

(Not yet complete) Part Six will probably be all for my newfound love of Supergirl, along with some Game of Thrones and Marvel ships I skipped, because I gotta stop somewhere with all these recommendations or I’ll be at it forever. Seriously, how much of this stuff have I read!?

But I think we all need some distractions from the world these days, eh? Or something to console us other than internet rage and a barrel of ice cream and/or hard alcohol.

Potterverse

I’ve chosen to pick fics (mostly) off of AO3 for their easy reading access, though HP fics’ golden years were on sites like fanfiction.net and other independent archives like Sycophanthex and others which have closed their doors over the years, sadly. Some of these fics date back to almost 20 years old, or more, amazingly!

For fics on fanfiction.net, I highly recommend using this link (FicSave) to epub/mobi converter rather than dealing with the frustrating app. It functions like AO3′s built-in download button.

SSHG/Sevmione

Rec assistance by @perrydowning​

Second Life by Lariope

Phantom of Hogwarts by Good_Witch

Romancing the War by Pubella

The Poison Garden by turtle_wexler @turtlewexlerwrites

A Light in the Fog by turtle_wexler

Pride of Time by AnubisAnkh

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Snape’s Story by Tbird1965

Recognition by jezzie (krith)

Tedium of Time by oneredshoe

Tango by Desert_Sea

Sense and Insensibility by Desert_Sea

Time Mutable Immutable by Grooot

The Twenty by Leyna Rountree

For the Only Hope by ausland @run-with-me-to-the-sea

Bundle of Joy by LadyTuesday

Our Hands Tied by multilingualism

Choose Something Like A Star by TeddyRadiator

Mistress of the Stacks by Ms_Anthrop

A Derailed Train of Thought by Ms_Anthrop

Antiquities by stormcorona

Watch Over Me by @snapeslittleblackbuttons​

Dropped Down into the Unknown by @q-drew​

Delicate Transitions by @morbidmuch​

Lay Me Low by TeddyRadiator

The Savage by MagdatheMagpie

Another Dream by @dragoon811​

A Chance For Happiness by @corvusdraconis​

Breath of the Nundu by corvusdraconis, Dragon_and_the_Rose

Just to Be by Amarti @amarti-writes-stuff​

Hinge of Fate by Ramos

Forged in Flames by @mswhich​

Days in the Sun by bluespring864

Making sure the boy who lived, actually does by Hold_en @hold-enwrites​

The Problem With Purity by Phoenix.Writing

One Step Forward, Two Decades Back by corvusdraconis

The Headmaster’s Wife by Mrs_HH @propertyofseverustsnape

The Master, the Warden, the Headmaster, and the Deputy by mak5258

Cloak of Courage by Wendynat

Hermione Granger and the Intended Vessels by ShawnaCanon

Augury and Ardor by SnapeySnax

Before the Dawn by snarkyroxy

The Love You Take by Subversa

His Draught of Delicate Poison by Subversa

and sooooo many more if you want them just ask, this is both mine and Perry’s oldest ship lol

Gramander (Original Graves x Newt)

A Gilded Cage is Still a Cage by Anonymous

take a deep breath (and let it go) by lincesque @tumbloncat

Roar by @elenothar

Matchmaker, Matchmaker by @prosodiical

Dearly Beloved by prosodiical

Basic Instincts by @manic-intent

Promised by Miss_Lv

Plan G by Aate

Heat of the Chase by argentoswan @wannahearaboutmycats

Newt Scamander’s Guide to Getting Things Done by arthureameslove

Against all Odds by Maril

Where I Belong by Mishafied

He Wants To Say, “I Love You, Nothing Can Hurt You”  by @obsidionwingsofmidnight

Arranged by Miss_Lv

death of a bachelor by gudetama (elementary)

The Graves Identity by Mishafied

you make me feel this way somehow by gudetama (elementary)

The Nature of the Beast by AntiGravitas @absolutelynogravitaswhatsoever

The Knights, the Newt, and the Rose by @yinyangswings

The Wizard’s Cat by @natecchi

The Color of Boom by gypsiangel

Signalling Theory: Blue Coat by @obaewankenope​

Flame by @esamastation​

And The Tag Read Simply: “Pretty” by @funkzpiel​

Aren’t You Gonna Arrest Me, Officer? by JoyBurd

a little bit lost by shortbread @shortbread-fanfiction​

Dramione

Rec assistance by @cuthian​

Seven Times by kerri240879

Her Beauty and the Moonlight by BrilliantLady

The Fallout by everythursday (orphaned and only available on AO3 now, but complete)

The Eagle’s Nest by HeartOfAspen

Turncoat by elizaye @imnotleavinherewithoutyou

The Virgin Conundrum by AkashaTheKitty @akashathekitty

Bad Faith by Morrighan256

Isolation by bexchan @bex-chan-blog

The Serpent, the Witch, and the Broom Closet by bitchywitchy

Silencio by AkashaTheKitty

All You Want by senlinyu @senlinyu

Static by galfoy @heymanticore

What the Room Requires by Alydia Rackham

And We All Fall Down by @rumaan

Ambition’s End by Hanako A

Wait and Hope by mightbewriting @mightbewriting

Rewriting Destiny by mayawrites95 (mayarox95)

Chronos Historia by In_Dreams @indreamsink

A Muggle-born Magic by Musyc @willhavetheirtrinkets

Hunted by Bex-chan

A Second Look by @riverwriter

The Nietzsche Classes by Beringae

This Too, Is Sacred by HeartOfAspen

Bite First, Ask Questions Later by Daredevilsinthedetails, Kaylessi

Nocturnus by In_Dreams @indreamsink

Broken by @inadaze22​

The Green Girl by Colubrina

Lady of the Lake by Colubrina

Rebuilding by Colubrina (really just anything written by @colubrina)

Presque Toujours Pur by @shayalonnie

Can’t Change the Way I Am by @nauticalparamour

Law and Marriage by DragonGrin (formerly TeenTypist)

The Tower Window by @xodramaqueenox​

Unexpected by Emara88

Something Old, Something New by Kate Dessi

Suppressed Emotions by hopelesslydevoted.xx 

Silver Blood by @freyaishtar

When the Day Met the Night by @bex-la-get

Harmony

A Marauder’s Plan by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

A Step to the Right by CatsAreCool (Rachel500)

Eighth by lorien829

The Catalyst by lorien829

Harry Potter and the Isle of Mists by lorien829

Knife’s Edge by Celtic55

The Black Book by mosteveryonesmad

Awakening by SweetShireen

The Sword and the Snake by bartonfink1974

Dispelling the Silence by Indygodusk

One Year Later: Return to Hogwarts by Twilight’s Inferno

DraHarmony

Fourteen Thousand Galleons by @frumpologist

The Invitation by hot_elf @hot-elf

Love Love Love by MissELY @misselylux​

Changing Scenery by aethling

East of Eden by msmerlin @ms-merlinblack

Turn Back Time by Dazeventura6

Foxfire by @setissma

Come Together by @nuclearnik

The Soul of the Wolves by LR_Earl @fanficbylrearl

Running From Lions by tryslora @tryslora

An Unexpected Family by ladyroxanne21

The Prophecies by jamcreynolds

Drarhinny

Reconstruction by @aldersprig​

Fell From the Sky by BrandonStrayne @brandonstrayne​ (I really love this one, and not just as a Canadian.)

Demons From the Past by pottermum

Drarry

Rec assistance by @newtypeshadow​

Rarely Pure and Never Simple by birdsofshore

Aural Gratification by birdsofshore

Lost Among and Falling by @bafflinghaze

The Corruption Sequence series by beren @berenwrites

Sentinel ‘verse series by elyssblair @elyssblair-blog

Date Blindness by dysonrules

Starts With a Spin by Maxine @serasarahhhh​

Temptation on the Warfront by alizarincrimson

Paradigm by dysonrules

Here’s The Pencil, Make It Happen by ignatiustrout

Draco Sodding Malfoy by Shewhxmustnxtbenamed @shewhomustnotbenamed

Pieces of What by Jadwiga

Found, Not Lost by inspiration_assaulted

Shared Detention by DadIWriteGayPorn

Dirty Little Secret by Writcraft @writcraft​

19 Years by shilo1364 @whimsicaldragonette​

Morning Suns & Coffee Runs by laugh_a_latte @queer-coffee​

Reus Una by purplepen76

Between Ink and Blood by Candamira

Ginmione

Distractions by @morningsound15​ 

Cissamione

(This seems like it’s a bit cracky, but there’s some good ones, I promise! I sorta stumbled ass-backwards into this ship but really enjoy some of them.)

One Step Left by Cysteine @cysteine

Extinction by @rubikanon​

Blinding Light by @16-pennies​

Somebody Loved by beforeyouspeak

...

..

There. This is much better, isn’t it?

So my challenge to you, if your world is falling, burning down around you in flames... is this:

...if you feel yourself getting anxious or depressed, whether from the news or being cooped up in isolation or bored or on the verge of tearing your hair out or jumping off that roof or grabbing something to go after the dictator-of-the-week.... pause, take a breath, open up this rec list, close your eyes and pick something, and let chance take you somewhere hopefully far away. Let yourself be transported.

Oh, and don’t click on this Google Drive link. Really, there’s not 30+ GB of data on that Drive I’m sharing. Shame. There totally aren’t tens of thousands of books, as many audiobooks as could fit, and a large collection of fanfiction downloaded from AO3 in there. (Also, not all fics have been shared to that folder yet; I’m working on it a little at a time as I download more.)

[chromat]

We are faced with the end of truth and the dawning of a new era of persecution of 'the other' in the current political climate. We know that no one is entitled to a happy ending, and this has further strengthened our drive to fight for the inclusive and empowering world we want to see.

For Autumn/Winter 2017, we took inspiration from life vests and floatation devices designed for extended survival in rough, open water. We collaborated with innovative outdoors company Klymit to design inflatable garments that aid with internal buoyancy and help the wearer stay afloat and protected.

Leyna Bloom in the Klymit Inflatable Dress and Gaby Ouellet in the Inflatable Stole and Lookout Drawstring Crop

AW17 BUOYANCY PHOTOS BY ANASTASIA GARCIA

Hair: Beth Shanefelter Makeup: Fatima Thomas, MAC

See the photoshoot in conversation with Leyna Bloom here

[kiramarien-arts]

My favorite OC Leyna Dawn in Lego Monkie Kid style!!

This was made with SonnieMed’s beautiful LMK OC maker, but I made some edits from the original since it didn’t quite fit her exactly right.

She’s a Star Wars character but she gets a crossover into Ninjago, so I wanted to make a Lego version. And I love it so much. Hooray for art! Hooray for people! Hooray for imagination!

Here’s the original.

If I can give you any advice about your characters… get a visual. Draw something, design something, pick a photo. Once you can see them out in front of you, instead of just in your head, it changes everything.

[kiramarien-arts]

Class Doooooodlesss!

This is a collection of all the art scribbled in the margins of my notes this semester.

Apparently I need help.

Max Steel OC and Transformers Rescue Bots Crossover? I really am a weirdo.

What.

What have I done. Sun Wukong deserves so much better than this abonination.

Two villain (crushes?) drawings on the same page? Yes! Equinox from Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and the Six Eared Macaque from Monkie Kid.

Headlight! My baby!

Equinox! The OG Thanos! Yay!

... I don't know why I drew this. I just to want to destroy my feelings even more?! It hurts it hurts it hurts. WHYYYYY!!???? Wukong, why?! HE'S DEAD!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!

Poor Leyna can't even get a finished drawing of her pain? Hugging someone she has finally decided to love?!

I'll finish it someday. That girl is my baby. My child. My precious daughter. My very favorite OC ever.

Equinox was a really cool villain (who was voice by Oded Fehr so immediate points) that he has stuck with me since I was very little. I remember how badly he gave Batman. I rewatched it recently and Oded Fehr is EXCELLENT. He might be the best villain of the show.

And he has such a simple but cool design that he's fun to draw! What can I do with his expressions? How can I show him with just one eye's worth of emotion and body language? *mad scientist cackle

Alright sketch books, get ready to be filled with lots of Macaque, Equinox, and Leyna drawings!!!

[kiramarien-arts]

Doooooodling...

There is no context, but this is fun to make. And they are definitely not finished, but... eh, what the heck. I'll post a before and after. I'm very excited about them right now and want to rant and share.

I had the idea to do a crossover with my characters from different fandoms. I'm diving into how they would respond to each other, the conversations they would have, and the way they would handle a crisis that effected both of their worlds.

Most of my OC have emotional problems, but these two... hoo, these two especially. Here are my two little bundles of horrible trauma (and most definitly PTSD. One more than the other.)

This is Leyna, my Star Wars OC who has become very familiar with new worlds and crossovers by now, and Kate, my Transformers Prime OC who has no clue what is going on and just wants to go back to the Autobot base (even though something has come up and that's not an option anymore.)

Luckily, Leyna is good in a fight, but Kate is the one who knows what they have to fight in this scenario. But Kate herself can't do much to help. She is the key and the mcguffin(?) right here and Leyna is forced to protect her.

Leyna's an interesting character. I've found over the years that she gets wrapped up in her own grief sometimes, so she doesn't see the pain that others have to go through, especially when it seems like they have things she doesn't. Kate has had to suffer things, though now that I think about it, even though it was bad, it really doesn't hold a candle to what Leyna has gone through.

But Kate understands what pain and fear and loss feel like, and that jab at her Dad was not appreciated. Especially NOW.

She is very defensive about her father and their relationship, and Leyna wishes she had more than she does. So when Kate brings up her Dad, Leyna snaps back that she should appreciate what she has. When it hits a nerve in this moment, and Kate yells right back with all of the feeling and the years of pent up emotion pouring out, Leyna realizes... maybe she's not always right. And maybe other people have gone through things that are different than what she had to face, but were just as painful. It doesn't all look the same, and not everything is the black and white situation she believe it is.

Maybe, not every relationship has to look exactly like she imagines it should be. Love can be real in a number of different ways. You've got daddy issues, Leyna? Well, don't get me STARTED on Kate!

This is fun. And I'm planning ideas for a crossover with at least four of my OCs from different fandoms. Evelyn already has a sketch, I'm just trying to figure out how to add Kate to it.

[kiramarien-arts]

Chibi OC's!! I didn't think that chibi art was my style, but these turned out pretty cute. I have fan fictions posted on Wattpad, Quotev, and A03 if you're interested. (You're probably not but what the heck)

Leyna is 16 years old.

Evelyn is 12, and Headlight is approximately 7,000,000 years old. (Does anyone know how old most of the Transformers are?)

[pen-of-roses]

Oh look I’m finally doing this  @concealeddarkness13 tagged me in OC’s Favoritres and I decided to do Leyna! (though I can still do Conor in another post) 

Rules: Share photos of your OC’s favorite things. Then tag four people and change up any one of the four favorite things categories for the next round! For your OCs: favorite weapon, favorite animal, favorite accessory, and favorite time of day.

Favorite weapon: Daggers! (and fire but mostly daggers) She secretly trained in them to defend herself with them when she was at the Temple, until someone found out and made her stop. So naturally when she left, they became her weapon of choice!

Favorite animal: Evashen has pterosaur like creatures known as draklings that act as the lands birds, and Leyna likes to watch them in the mornings and imagine that they can travel beyond the Shard...

Favorite accessory: A scarf! One of the skills she was allowed to learn while at the Temple was weaving, and she only successfully learned how to make a scarf, so she has an attachment to them

Favorite time of day: Dusk or Dawn, the liminal times between day and night where it feels like there’s endless possibilities as something ends and something else begins

Tagging: @mrs-mikko-rantanen, @whimsyqueen, @abalonetea, and @dusk-written

For your OCs: Favorite Animal, favorite season, favorite color, and favorite accessory!

[mirroralchemist]

NaNoWriMo Update #2

WHOOPS I forgot about my updates since I switched projects. My last project is one of those stories that’s better handwritten than typing, you know. Plus admitting it was a MM fanfic and this fandom is promblematic and borderline toxic as hell and I want nothing to do with it.

SO I’m working on my original stuff instead.

Title: Golden Dawn Word Count: 478 Notes: My MC Rieko is putting into plan to lessen her enemies numbers with her mentor. She gets a harsh lesson in the process.

“Now,” he ordered, “will you answer my question? Or do I need to show you why Lucius had made me his second in command?”

“Alright! Alright! He, he sent out Kiran. Master knows that Kiran has a vendetta against you and will be efficient in getting rid of you.” she finally said.

“Good,” he said, and what about Deva.”

“I don’t know.” she answered.

She felt pressure in her shoulder. “No really! I don’t know. Lucius has her on some mission but she didn’t tell anyone!”

Eros muttered a swear. He lessened his hold on the vampire’s shoulder. She let out a sigh in relief. But it was short-lived. She felt a piercing feeling in the middle of her chest. When she looked down, she was looking at a clawed hand through her body. She glanced back and realized it was Eros that had done it.

“I can’t have you reporting to Lucius that you saw me.” he simply said.

The woman tried to speak, but all that came out were broken gasps. Shortly after, she fell limp. Eros forcefully removed his hand from her body, letting it hit the ground carelessly. Rieko stood there speechless. The shock and horror in her hazel eyes soon became anger.

“What the hell was that!” she shouted

“It was your idea to kill them remember?” he replied.

“I mean yeah, but I didn’t think it would be like that!” she shouted back, “If you want to be slow and borderline torture them fine. But you didn’t have to make me watch!”

“I told you, you need to toughen up!” he shouted as well.

Rieko became silent. Eros stared at her with his red eyes glowing.

“This is our true nature. You need to get used to it. If you freeze up, then you’ll let innocent people die.” he explained, “Lucius knows he can’t kill you unless he wants to ruin his chance for the Golden Dawn. But that won’t stop him from trying to break you down mentally until you would want to go along with his plans. Do you understand now Rieko?”

Slowly, she nodded. She walked towards the corpse silently. She touched it, watching the body become engulfed in a blue flame. Eros joined her in watching the body burn away into ash. Rieko hugged herself tight. She knew it wasn’t going to be an easy path for her. She hadn’t fully realized until then how hard it was going to be standing to fight.

“Eros.” she finally said, “I understand your lesson and I’ll get stronger mentally and emotionally. Just, don’t let me watch that again. You look just like Lucius when you get like that. That look doesn’t suit you at all.”

His eyes widened at her observation. He hadn’t meant for her to draw that conclusion. He chuckled a little to himself.

“Leyna said that once.”

[mirroralchemist]

May Writing Progress

Totally not an excuse to just show off what I’ve written.

I dunno how consistent Imma do this but I figure I’ll show a bit of stuff that I’ve been writing to tide over when I don’t upload full stuff. So expect shittier than normal flow and roughness.

Title: Golden Dawn Word Count: 1110 Notes: This is just a little scene I’ve had in my head forever for the second part of this story. 

“Leave Kamei. You’re not changing my mind.”

“I’m not until you realize what you’re doing.”

She glared at him. “I’m not dumb! I know this is a big risk. But I have to do this. If it’s not me then who else?”

“We’ll find another way.” Kamei spoke, “There’s no need for you to do this. Rei, I’m not going to let you become like Leyna. No more self-sacrifices.”

Kamei approached Rieko slowly. He knew that she wouldn’t shut him out. Not this time. They were mere inches from one another. He took in her appearance.

“Call me selfish, I don’t care. But I’m not going to have you even think about killing yourself if it came to it.”

He pressed his lips against hers. Rieko stilled at the action. Her eyes widened, not fully processing just what was going on. Kamei separated from her. Subconsciously Rieko put her fingers to her lips.

Kamei kissed her.

This was her childhood friend.

She never forgot about his confession in the caves. Rieko just didn’t realize that it would be in the forefront now. She felt the tears coming down. Her heart was heavy with conflicting emotions. She looked up at him. Staring at him only made the tears come down harder. She didn’t even try to stop them from falling. Years of built up emotion had finally reached its limit.

“Why won’t any of you let me fix my mistakes? You can at least let me do that.”

“Rieko, you didn’t make any mis-” he started.

“No!” she shouted, “Don’t you dare tell me I didn’t make any mistakes! My whole life has been a mistake. If I wasn’t born, then Mom and Dad would still be around and wouldn’t have to worry about a Key being their own daughter. My weakness got me captured by Lucius. You have. No. Idea. What it felt like to be his captive. Every day I had to be subjected to his mental and physical games. Knowing that being a Key was the only reason he didn’t completely force himself on me. You say no self sacrifices? Then what about those who sacrificed themselves for me! What about their deaths! You don’t have to live with the fact that they died for your sake!”

Rieko knelt down to the floor as she hugged herself. Her body shuddered as she sobbed. Kamei just stood there in shock. All those times he had seen her be confident, was it all a mask for what he was seeing now? He knelt down to her level and just stared at her.

“Let me do this one thing.” she managed to say between sobs.

Kamei put his arms around her in a hug. He couldn’t find the words to comfort her. Not this time. His hug became tighter around Rieko. Frustration grew more within him. Feeling Rieko gasp broke his train of thought. He separated from her slightly to see the cause of her distress. Even under her clothes, he could see her mark pulsate with a glow. He saw as her eyes flicker between hazel and red. He quickly took off his shirt to show his bare skin while removing a knife from its casing. He mentally prepared himself before dragging the blade across his forearm. He hissed at the sharp pain before dropping the knife. Already, blood began to flow from the wound. He offered the bleeding arm to Rieko.

“You need to feed.”

For a while Rieko was still, just staring at the blood. Slowly she lowered her head towards the cut. She began to lick at the wound, feeling the blood already overwhelm her senses. Her face became flush as his blood was already having an effect on her. It felt different than their previous feedings.

This felt more personal.

Time ticked by as Rieko fed from Kamei. It was routine with them. Eventually she removed herself from him. Her skin looked more flushed than usual when finishing a feeding. Kamei fought a losing battle in blushing at Rieko’s current state.

“Rei, are you o-?”

Kamei was silenced by Rieko’s lips on his. Mild shock turned into mutual eagerness as he responded back to her kiss. He could taste the remnants of his blood from Rieko’s feeding as he deepened the kiss. They only separated after the need to breathe became apparent. They looked at each other, processing what took place between them. Rieko was the first to look away.

“This...this is the most I can do. But please stay with me tonight.”

He only responded by bringing her close to him.

Rieko opened her eyes. She realized she was on her bed pressed closed to another. Her mind went back to what happened only a few hours prior. Her face became heated at remembering how intimate this particular feeding was. She looked up to see Kamei’s sleeping face. She quietly removed herself from him. Once she got out of the bed she straightened her wrinkled clothes. She thought about grabbing her phone off the dresser but decided better of it. She put on a pair of flats before making her way towards the bedroom door. She stopped to take another look at Kamei.

“I’m sorry...I have to do this.” she whispered.

Then she left out of the room.

It was still the middle of night when Rieko left the apartment complex. Her heart was pounding in her chest at her decision. Even if she had to do it alone. Now was the next thought of what to do now. She couldn’t hide out at her family home, they would first look there. She took out her wallet, a small smile at seeing that her cards were there.

“But I won’t be able to stay at a hotel indefinitely.”

“You look like you just did the walk of shame.” said a female.

Rieko turned at the sound of the voice before her eyes widened at who it was. In a motorcycle was Jade. She walked up to her, confusion evident on her face.

“Nothing happened.” she quickly said.

“Dang….” Jade mused, “But I figured with your status and all.”

She then tossed an extra helmet to Rieko. If she wasn’t confused then, she was now at her coworker’s actions. Jade motioned for Rieko to sit behind her.

“You want to go through with being bait right? We can do it at my place. It won’t be long before Chief realizes you’re gone.” she said

Rieko put on the helmet before straddling on the bike behind Jade. Jade waited until Rieko was comfortable on the seat before revving up.

“Hang on, I drive fast.”