#and we're marching towards our deaths because we have to

[mymp3]

oh btw p3 update, i think im a little over half ways through.

[here-there-were-dragons]

i have to wonder what super hardcore militant vegans think should be done about obligate carnivore animals, because in all my painfully-rapidly-approaching-30-years i've literally never actually seen anyone give a clear consistent much less halfway feasible answer on that

[queerly-autistic]

I've been thinking about potential pick-up of Our Flag Means Death by another streamer, and how it all might be tying in with the current BBC release, and I have some thoughts about what might be happening and what we can do to give the show the best chance of being picked up.

I think it's important to start by saying that all the whisperings that I heard over the past few months (including from some people who work at/with the BBC) pointed firmly towards a scheduled March release for Our Flag Means Death on the BBC. Needless to say, this means I was extremely surprised when they suddenly announced it was dropping at the beginning of February. I think it's also clear from everything I've seen that the BBC's marketing/social media plan for the release was not ready for February (there was no trailer, which was odd), which, again, really supports the idea that the show was initially schedule for a March release, not a February release.

I firmly believe the release was brought forward. The question is: why? Is it because they saw how much noise and press the show (and our campaign) was getting, and decided to try and capitalise on it? Or is there something else going on?

On top of that, we now have specific questions about Our Flag Means Death appearing on YouGov UK, including asking whether respondents would watch another series. This doesn't just happen. The charity I work for has commissioned YouGov polling (including some very recently) which I have been tangentially involved with, and so I know that this sort of polling is not easy work, and it's not cheap. Someone has put time AND money into commissioning this polling. This is significant. Someone is not only watching, but they are specifically watching the UK response to the show, and putting questions to the UK audience about it.

I have strong suspicions that a streamer (or several streamers) are interested in picking up the show, and are using the UK release as a live case study (Apple, Amazon and Netflix also have a presence in the UK, so we are a big target audience for them in a way we never were for Max). This could account for both the potential bringing forward of the BBC release (they didn't want to wait until March), and the YouGov polling that's going on (bear in mind, the YouGov questions were specifically as part of a wider survey about streaming services).

And this isn't just a passing interest: working with the BBC to bring forward the release, and investing time and money into YouGov polling? That's a strong interest. That's so interested they've already invested something into it.

Of course, I don't know anything for certain, so take everything with a pinch of salt (it's just a theory...a gay pirates theory...), but I think it's something to consider as a strong possibility.

So what does this mean for us?

It means we need to keep streaming on iPlayer. Watch it as many times as you can. Share it with your friends and family. If you're outside the UK, get yourself a VPN and join the party. Watch the live broadcasts on Monday nights (if you have iPlayer, you can stream the live broadcast - this is what I do because I don't have a TV). Keep tweeting about it (add the #OurFlagBBC hashtag to the existing hashtags we're using). Tag and email the UK media (including TV guides and radio shows) and ask them to talk about the show/our campaign. If you're tagging/emailing Apple, Amazon or Netflix, make sure you mention you're from the UK (and tag their UK specific social media accounts).

According to Parrot Analytics, the demand in the UK for the show is rising - let's keep adding to that!

You can also sign up to YouGov and rate the show (more instructions in the quote retweets of the tweet I linked to earlier), and keep answering questions about TV shows and streaming (and marking Our Flag Means Death as one of your interests) as a way to try and get them to give you the specific questions about the show (these start as a question about streaming and streaming services, which then turn into questions about OFMD, so if you get a survey like that, take it!).

It's also worth considering that if there's any validity to this, then there's a possibility that they might be waiting until after the show has finished airing in the UK (the finale is airing on 25th March) to crunch all the numbers together. This means that if we don't hear anything in the next few weeks, do not despair! We need to buckle in for a long fight, and to keep pushing the show and making noise over the next few weeks and months, especially around the BBC release.

This show is worth the fight. Let's get our damned men back!

[scientia-rex]

Do you have any moisturization tips? :0

Oh DO I!

Listen, skin has two jobs: keeping you in, and everything else out. Skin has to do a lot of complicated stuff to make that happen. Skin is chock full of glands and pores and whatnot. There's dermis (deeper layer) and epidermis (shallower layer), and 99% of what we're doing from the outside is about the epidermis.

Epidermis grows in as layers--there's a bottom layer that has cells that will just keep dividing forever, and then the cells that divide off that layer will start getting pushed up towards the surface of your skin. As they get pushed up, the cells get flatter and more keratinized and eventually dead.

That "stratum basal" is where you have your forever-dividing cells. So when you start something like Accutane, you can't transform the skin layers above it--you can only start affecting the skin as it marches upward towards its death and flaking off, so you have to give it months to take full effect. And we NEED to have some dead skin. It protects us.

Skin cells have proteins that hold them to each other. The goal is to form a watertight barrier. We need to keep water in because we are basically bags of water. Different protein issues (largely genetic) can cause different skin diseases.

Our skin also has glands that make protective oils (forming a powerful anti-bacterial barrier and trapping moisture inside) and sweat (because we DO want to be able to get rid of water, but only when WE want to).

So here's the thing about commercial moisturizers: none of them can put moisture back in your skin. That's just not a thing. The very best thing they can do is keep further water from leaving your skin. This is especially important if you have eczema, where you stand a good chance (about 50%) of lacking ceramides, which are critical to forming the natural skin barrier. As water evaporates off the skin, it takes more water with it. We don't understand the other half of eczema. Psoriasis involves dysfunction of the keratinization process, which is why those plaques form.

So the best moisturizers are those that create a moisture barrier without evaporating more water off. Any moisturizer where alcohol is a significant ingredient is worthless. Vaseline, or straight white petrolatum, is the best moisturizer. It feels greasy because it is. Its job is to form a watertight barrier, and greasy chemical are a lot better at that than thinner, waterlike chemicals. Moisturizers with silicones, like Aveeno (dimethicone is the active ingredient--I know, the bottle says oatmeal, it's a liar), will provide a fairly robust barrier without as greasy of a feeling. Lanolin, from sheep's wool, is also a great ingredient for forming a barrier, which is why I like Neutrogena Norwegian Formulation. Natural oils like jojoba (the best of the bunch) can be moisturizing, but just FYI, they're a tiny fraction as effective as white petrolatum. Like, less than 10%. I'm too lazy to get up and find my Cosmeceuticals textbook to remind myself exactly how much. So if you want "all natural," resign yourself to worse.

BUT!!!! Your skin is not all the same! You have scalp skin, face skin, neck skin, trunk skin, arm skin, leg skin, skin around your genitals, skin of the palms, and skin of soles of the feet. And all of those can act different. So I can't say "apply Vaseline everywhere" because that might be too much skin barrier for your face--what if your face has oil glands that work perfectly well? What if we need a lighter, less occlusive moisturizer? That's where my personal hell was for the last ten years as I struggled to find a facial moisturizer I like! What if you have oil glands that are overproductive? You may need a totally different moisturizer than I need! No good way to figure it out except trial and error while paying close attention to ingredient lists.

Sunblock is also a good thing to have but as someone who doesn't wear it because a) I don't go outside and b) it always breaks me out, I feel hypocritical talking extensively about it. I wear "dad hats" (at least a 2" brim all the way around) and long sleeves while gardening. You should definitely still wear sunscreen, though. Do as I say, not as I do.

[astrophileous]

Love Bugs (Pt. 07)

Pairing: Derek Morgan x Female Reader

Synopsis: You and Derek Morgan have an arrangement. At work, your relationship is strictly business. Under the sheets, it's all about pleasure. Nothing more, nothing less. Until, of course, your feelings start to get involved. Your situation is complicated enough without the unexpexted predicament that suddenly befalls upon you. But with a maniac serial killer on the loose, will you ever get the chance to make everything right?

Warning(s): cursing, mentions and/or depictions of death, near death experience, usage of guns, mentions of injuries resulted from physical violence, mentions of strangulation, pregnancy, somewhat religious undertones (very minor), I think that's all?? Pls inform me if I missed any

Word Count: 3200-ish

Tag(s): @marvelousgoldroses @jay-2s-world @whore-of-the-pumpkin-patch @maxinehufflepuffprincess @cat-or-kitten @littleshadow17 @itzz-me-duh @geeksareunique @paisleebubbles @whateverrrrrrrrs @crazyunsexycool @bruher @spiderlillie00 @f1lov3r @louderfortheback @wifeyofeveryone

Author's Note: HI!! I can't believe we're finally at the end of Love Bugs OMG!!! Thank you so much for everyone who has stuck by this series through its ups and downs. I was initially planning to write an additional chapter to close off this story, but I realized that this is the right part to end it. With that said, I am open to taking requests of blurbs/headcannons for Love Bugs if any of you would like to see more from these two. Just send me an ask and I'll make sure to check it out! This story is my very first derek and criminal minds fic altogether, so it's pretty emotional to be saying goodbye to it. Again, thank you so much for reading Love Bugs and I hope you'll be around for any derek/other criminal minds fics I might have in the future ❤️ Don't forget to LIKE+REBLOG+COMMENT 🌹

Love Bugs Masterlist / Criminal Minds Masterlist

Derek knew that letting Hotch take the wheel was a mistake.

He was already marching towards the driver's side back at the HQ's parking lot when the older man had stopped Derek before he could get in.

"Your head is not in the right place right now. The last thing we need is to get into a car accident when (Y/N) desperately needs our help," Hotch had reasoned.

Derek obviously couldn't argue with that.

But Lord, did he wish that he had actually argued with that. He kept internally cursing his boss for not going fast enough. Never mind if the speedometer was teetering towards 60 miles per hour, it still just wasn't fast enough.

A phone call from Spencer and JJ came in around 5 minutes before Derek and Hotch were supposed to reach their destination.

"His new office is empty," Spencer had said. "She's not here."

That new piece of information meant that you were being held either at the UnSub's home--where Emily and Rossi were heading to right at that moment--or the old office building that, according to Garcia, had once belonged to the UnSub's father.

Derek wished that the office was exactly where the UnSub had been holding you all this time. Not because Derek wished to be the one to find you first--of course not, he couldn't care less about that--but just because Derek would prefer it more if he was the one to face the UnSub and point the barrel of his gun at your abductor's head, watching as the fired bullet penetrated his skull before the scumbag dropped dead onto the ground.

As soon as the SVU pulled up to the driveway of the office building, followed by two police cars, Derek wasted no time climbing off his seat and out of the car. His steps were tenacious as he stomped towards the entrance, purposefully ignoring Hotch's frantic calls of his name.

"Hey, wait a minute, Morgan. Slow down."

Derek pushed past a frowning Hotch, fully intent on closing the twenty feet distance between him and the front doors. But Hotch's hand on his shoulder faltered his steps once more, and Derek couldn't rein his anger when he finally decided to face Hotch.

"What the fuck do you want, man?!"

"You can't just barge in there. We need a plan."

"A plan?" Derek scoffed. "She could be dead by the time we draw up your stupid plan."

"Morgan," Hotch's voice came with a warning. "You're not thinking straight--"

"Hell yeah I'm not! (Y/N) could be inside right now, fighting for her life, and you wanna talk plans?" Derek took a step forward, leveling his burning gaze with Hotch's eyes. "You're the one who caused us this mess, Hotch. Do you really want her blood on your hands, too?"

In the many years of him knowing Derek Morgan, Hotch never witnessed such fury in the man's eyes. These were the eyes of a man who had nothing to lose. A man who was ready to sacrifice everything because his whole world was at stake.

"You're staying behind me," Hotch said at last. "Don't do anything rash, or I'll be forced to have you sit this one out."

As much as Derek wasn't satisfied by those conditions, he knew that it was the best option he could have, so he relented.

Under Hotch's command, the group of six split into three pairs as soon as they stepped inside the treshold. They checked every room in the two story building, but they all came up empty. Once they were back outside, Hotch received a phone call from Emily and Rossi.

"There's no sign of them in the house as well," Hotch said, repeating the exact words that Emily had informed him over the phone.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe he's taken her some place else. I'll call Garcia and see if she can pull up any other potential location."

As Hotch waited for the tech-analyst to answer, Derek began darting his eyes over the entire building once more. None of it made any sense. He knew that it was impossible, but something told him that you were close. You were nearby. Just a sliver away from his reach.

It felt like he had been staring at the building for an eternity when it finally dawned on him.

"Hotch," Derek called out, feet already moving again towards the front door, "this building has a basement."

Derek didn't wait for a response as he barged inside.

Behind him, the other five people scrambled to catch up with his pace. Derek went to recheck all of the rooms in that building, banging on suspicious looking panels on the wall and testing the integrity of the floor beneath him.

A clanking sound in the distance eventually tore his attention away. The mysterious noise was soon followed by a shout from one of the uniformed officers.

"We found this," the officer reported as soon as Hotch and Derek stepped into the furthest room in the building.

On the ground, a rusty metal bookcase lied haphazardly. Right behind it, a wooden panel on the wall was gaping. Derek locked eyes with Hotch, a silent confirmation, before Hotch nudged the panel wider with his shoulder.

The hidden room led to a flight of stairs leading them down towards a dingy basement. Hotch motioned for everyone to follow him as he stealthily moved towards a metal door on the far side of one of the walls. As Hotch grabbed its handle, Derek tightened the hold he had on his gun.

Everything else had transpired in a blur.

Derek only recalled seeing that horrific scene playing out in front of him for less than a split second--the image of that bastard putting his filthy hands on you--before his instinct kicked in. Two bullets from his gun; one to the shoulder and one more to the neck.

Derek barely even registered the gurgling sounds the UnSub was making as he rushed towards you.

Derek's heart was glass as he knelt by the chair, each piece shattering against his insides with every mark, cut, and bruise that he could see littering your skin. He still remembered the feeling of your naked skin under his fingertips. Soft and tender, like frosting on a cake. But now?

Now, it looked dull and lifeless.

With heart in his throat, Derek moved to touch your limp form. "Bug?"

No answer.

"Hey, (Y/N)? It's me. I'm here, Bug, please open your eyes," he pleaded. "Wake up, sweetheart."

The pressure in Derek's chest inflated. His palm felt ice on your face. His fingers around your wrist scrambled for any sign of life he could find, but there was none.

"Hotch! Hotch, she's not breathing!" Derek called out, a sentence made out of nightmares. "Help me get this off!"

It felt like an eternity until Hotch was able to hand Derek the metal cutter, which they then used to free you of your restrains. Your body slumped instantly into Derek's arms the moment they cut off the last metal cuff, and Derek tried not to dwell over the fact that you felt stiff and cold against him.

"You're okay, sweetheart," he murmured as he laid you down on the ground. "Come on, you're okay."

Those words kept repeating themselves over and over again as he started doing compressions on your chest. Prayers towards a God he hadn't spoken to for a while also slipped past his lips. Prayers for a miracle. Prayers for the heavens to allow Derek to take your place instead. Prayers for the universe to please, let him have more time with you, please, please, please.

"Morgan." Hotch's hand fell on his shoulder, but Derek never faltered. He kept on pumping your chest, willing for your heart--his heart--to start beating once more. "Morgan, the paramedics are here."

Reluctantly, Derek let himself be dragged away from you, giving room for the first responders to do their job. As he looked down upon his hands, Derek noticed that they had been shaking. Violently.

"Please be careful," Hotch spoke up. "She's pregnant."

"Clear," one of the paramedics announced before another one pressed the shock button on the defibrillator.

Derek stared helplessly at the flat line shown on the heart monitor.

"Again. Clear."

Every second that passed by was an inch of blade through his chest. Every second you teetered closer towards death was also his life undoing right in front of his eyes.

Derek thought it was over. His world was crumbling to ash all around him, stripping down the colors until all he could see was gray. He was standing on the brink of its wreckage when suddenly, he heard one of the paramedics yell, "We got a pulse!"

And just like that, Derek's knees gave out underneath him.

"Morgan!" Hotch caught Derek's shoulders, keeping him up before the younger man could collapse completely on the floor. "Hey, she's okay. She's gonna be okay."

Derek could only nod his head in response. Words tasted like lead on his tongue as he struggled to catch his breath. Tears streamed down his face like a burst dam after a rainstorm.

For a second there, Derek thought his world was ending.

But as he stared feebly at the paramedics wheeling your body away, Derek couldn't stop thanking the universe for giving him another chance. One more chance to be with you. One more chance to make things right.

This time, Derek was not going to let it go to waste.

Darkness was peaceful.

In the darkness, you were nothing.

But you had always wanted to be something.

With a heavy heart, you made the decision to say goodbye, to come back to the life that had been your constant for the past decades. To a world that, beneath all of the bad things you had witnessed in it, still had some good worth mentioning, too.

Like Derek Morgan, for example.

Despite everything that happened, you could never deny that Derek was a rare example of good in the world. And he was exactly the person who occupied your mind when you gradually regained your consciousness, letting yourself amble further from the promises you had rejected from the darkness.

When you finally opened your eyes, it felt like your body had been dragged through much more than mere mud.

Fluorescent lights blinded you almost instantly. You turned your head in order to escape the onslaught, but the pain radiating through your entire body made you whimper instead.

"(Y/N)." A gentle hand landed on your shoulder. "Hey, you're awake."

You blinked away the fog that had gathered in your vision, trying to make out the silhouette in front of you until it morphed into a recognizable face.

"JJ?"

"Yeah, it's me." She smiled. "How're you feeling?"

"Not particularly great."

JJ breathed out a laugh. "I figured."

You groaned quietly as you shifted yourself to a new position, JJ jumping in to help even before you asked her to.

"What happened, J?" you questioned once you had settled comfortably.

"I think that's a talk for later, (Y/N). For now, you need to rest."

"Please--" you grabbed onto JJ's wrist, "--I want to know. The last thing I remember was... was..."

Being strangled.

That was the last thing you remembered before everything went dark.

JJ's eyes flashed with understanding. "You were barely alive when help arrived. It was a miracle that Hotch and Derek got there when they did."

"Derek?"

The smile JJ gave you was full of hidden meanings. She gestured with her head towards the other end of the room, towards the direction you hadn't even once inspected since you woke up. A worn down couch stood against the wall, and on top of it, cramping himself into a position that was surely not comfortable, was the person you had been hoping to see since you opened your eyes in that dingy basement.

Derek.

He was sleeping with his arm draped over his eyes. He must have been tired, you thought. Or otherwise, he wouldn't have been sleeping so soundly in such an awkward position.

"How long was I out?"

"About two days." You couldn't hide your shock when you looked at JJ. "He never left, (Y/N). He refused to leave your side."

JJ's revelation compelled your eyes to stray towards Derek once more. You missed him. You were still missing him even when he was there, in the same room as you were, safe and sound.

As if she could dissect the content of your head, JJ spoke up again, "Do you want me to wake him up?"

"No, please. He needs the rest."

"Pretty sure he needs to see you more than he needs his sleep, (Y/N)."

Ignoring your protests, JJ circled the bed and approached the run-down couch in the corner. You watched with a drum in your chest as JJ gently shook Derek awake, smiling to yourself when you see him open his eyes blearily.

"Someone wants to see you," JJ informed, nodding her head in your direction.

It was as though a switch had been flipped somewhere inside of him. The moment Derek saw your eyes looking at him, any trace of exhaustion he was previously feeling automatically dissolved in a heartbeat.

"I'll better step outside," JJ announced, already retreating towards the exit. "The others would want to know you're awake."

With JJ's departure, the atmosphere in the room instantly shifted.

Before you could process what was happening, Derek had seemingly transported to your side. Now up close, you finally saw the lines of fatigue etching on his face. His muscular shoulders drooped slightly as if the weight of the universe was forcing him to forfeit his energy little by little.

Sitting by the bed, Derek looked hesitant as his hand hovered over your own. You eventually took matters into your own hand, tangling your fingers around his until there was no room for escape.

"I've missed you," you confessed.

A watery laugh rumbled past his chest. In his eyes, a cloud of tears had begun to build. He stared at you with such fervent. The person who owned his heart, the one he thought would take it away from him to the grave.

"You scared me," Derek confessed as well. "I thought you were gone for good."

"It takes a lot more than that to get rid of me," you tried to joke, which, judging by the expression on Derek's face, was not something he appreciated very much. "Wait. Derek, the baby--"

"Is fine," he cut you off, preventing you from spiraling any further. "The doctor said they need to monitor both of your conditions for a few days. But for now, the baby is fine. So are you."

You released an appeased breath before dropping your head back on the pillow.

"How long have you known?" Derek suddenly asked.

The question was inevitable. You knew sooner or later it would come up, but that didn't mean you were not still taken back when it did.

"A couple of weeks," you replied. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"I understand why you didn't." Derek smiled ruefully. "After everything I said to you--"

"We both said or did something we regret."

"Yeah. Me more than anyone."

"Derek--"

"No, Bug. You gotta hear me out." Derek took a deep breath, the frown between his eyebrows deepening as he stared straight into your soul. "I want you to know. I want to make sure that you understand how sorry I am for everything. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me. I'm sorry I said all of those horrible things back in Iowa. But most importantly, I'm sorry I was too much of a coward to tell you the truth.

"The truth?"

"I love you, Bug."

Your heart skipped a beat.

"I love you," he emphasized. "I don't know when it started, if it was before or after our arrangement began. I just know that I do. These past few days have been hell for me, Bug. I've watched all kinds of nightmares imaginable in the years I spent on this job, but none of them compare to what I felt when you were gone."

A stray tear escaped from Derek's eye, constricting your chest even further than ever.

It was the first time you had ever seen him cry.

"I understand if you want nothing to do with me after this. But whatever you want, I promise that I'll be there. For both of you." Derek's palm landed on your belly, right on top of the small bump that had just started to grow. "In any capacity you allow me."

Your whole body erupted in goosebumps following Derek's admission. His sincerity rendered you speechless. It seemed like hours later when you could finally find your voice again.

"Did you mean all of that?"

"Every word."

"Good. Because I love you, too."

Derek's expression faltered ever so slightly.

"I want every capacity you have, Derek. I want every part of you, every part you're willing to give because I need you. We both do."

Derek's smile, despite the tear streaks on his face, was the definition of relief and joy. He kissed your knuckles a million little times before leaning forward to claim your lips. It was a breath of fresh air to have his lips on yours after such a long time apart. Even then, Derek was still familiar. He tasted of home.

Hours later, the rest of the team stopped by to check on your condition and to congratulate the two of you over the little life that was soon to become the newest member of the BAU family. Once the crowd had dispersed, your hospital room fell quiet once again.

In the midst of that comfortable silence, you persistently tried to convince Derek to go to sleep in his own bed for the night.

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart."

"Derek--"

"Do you really think after what happened, I'm just gonna let you out of my sight? Hell no. I'm sleeping here. End of discussion."

"It's just one night, Derek. I'll be fine," you assured him. "You can't possibly be comfortable on that tiny couch. You should go home and get some decent sleep."

"The only way I can get a decent sleep is by making sure you're safe, Bug. So, please--" he tugged the blanket higher around your body, "--stop your yapping and get some rest."

You eventually yielded into Derek's incessant commands and allowed yourself to relax, not before giving him a very defiant pout that earned you one sweet kiss from the man.

It didn't take long for sleep to take over your body. But even once you had fallen into a very deserved slumber, Derek couldn't find it in himself to close his eyes. After the tornado that these past few days had been, a love confession from you was the best reprieve that someone like him could ever dream of. It still seemed so surreal that a part of him feared going to sleep just for the tiniest bit of chance that everything had, in fact, been a dream.

So, for one night, Derek figured that sleep could definitely wait.

For one night, Derek would spend his time thanking whatever higher power had listened to his prayers and sent you safely back into his arms.

The love of his life. The center of his universe.

His Pretty Bug.

Along with the Little Bug that was still growing life inside of your belly.

[animatorweirdo]

When the Dragons Fly (Book 2)

The day to change the course of Middle Earth came near, and Maedhros decided to finally tell you his real identity.

Chapter 14

Warnings: mentions of an incoming battle, mentions of dagor bragollach, Maedhros expexting the worse, mentions of dead people, threat of killing, a soft moment, and mention of the dream.

------------------------------------------------

The snow had arrived early on the hills of Himring, blanketing the landscape in a serene white color. Inside his study, Maedhros pondered deeply. He had meticulously outlined the plan to his brothers and allies, persuading them to join his cause despite various obstacles. Three tiring years had been spent preparing and refining his strategy, and now, the moment had arrived to set things in motion.

Yet, for some reason, he could not help but ponder your words inside his head. 

The worst enemy is the one you know least about. 

He held unwavering confidence in his plan to assault Angband, determined to rid the world of Morgoth's evil and reclaim the Silmarils, the cherished heirlooms of his house. Yet, your words resonated with a hint of truth. Maedhros realized he knew little of Morgoth's activities in the past years. The Dark Lord had remained concealed within his fortress until someone daringly infiltrated and pilfered a Silmaril from his crown.

During the siege, no one knew Morgoth had gathered enough forces to overcome most of the Noldor strongholds and then released the flames, causing destruction and death. It was because of a lack of preparation and knowledge that Maedhros and his kin barely survived the war that followed. 

Dagor Bragollach was a devastating battle, so Maedhros could only wonder what kind of dangers he might face during his assault.

There were the Balrogs, as Morgoth had many under his service, and the dragon Glaurung, who had not been seen since his cousin managed to drive the creature back to Angband all those years ago. Could the beast have matured to adulthood in the past years? If so, could Morgoth release the beast upon him and his kin if he showed himself?

A sigh left him as he began to feel certain doubts about his plan. He should have taken the dangers more into consideration before assembling the forces. 

He didn’t want to blame you for anything, but you had unintentionally planted a seed of doubt in his mind. 

Knocks suddenly echoed from his door. 

"Come in," Maedhros called out, and Maglor was the one to open the door and walk in, an uncommon occurrence unless it was about important matters.

"Our soldiers are nearly prepared to march toward Thangorodrim," Maglor started. "All that is left is for us to wait for the dwarves of Belegost and the Easterlings to arrive, and then we will be ready. Our brothers have already settled into their new roles," he explained. "We will have more men joining us once we embark on this journey," he added.

"Good. We will be ready to begin the assault the day after tomorrow," Maedhros stated. 

"I nearly can't believe that we're doing this, but counting the forces we have— we might be able to pull this off," Maglor crossed his arms. 

"Well, you better believe it, brother. It is now or all the years of work that have been in vain," Maedhros stated. 

"I must ask, why did you stall the date when we were originally supposed to embark for a day? Is there something important you must do?" Maglor questioned. 

Maedhros then thought about you. The day of the celebration was on the day when he originally planned to start his assault. Since you invited him, he decided he could indulge you to see you one last time. You seemed eager to see him there, so for your and Aelon's joy, he would come, but most importantly, to tell you the truth about himself.

He knew he shouldn't indulge himself in a simple celebration, especially at such an important time of planning. However, he felt it was the right time to tell you the truth.

For three long years, he had enjoyed your company, training Aelon and finding solace in your presence while unfairly keeping you in the dark about his true identity.

He had no desire to ruin the friendship he had with you. He appreciated your caring nature and calm demeanor. You were an excellent conversationalist and even charming in your own way. However, it was now time you two deserved to know the truth, especially considering that things could change forever.

He held great respect for you and had grown fond of Aelon, but he could no longer withhold the truth. 

"Just some private matters. It will be quick, so do not worry about it," Maedhros answered after a long silence. 

"I guess this has something to do with your special place," Maglor smiled. "I won't pry into it, but I do demand to know who you have been seeing for the past years after this," he added before leaving the study. 

Maedhros thought to himself in silence. Surprisingly, he found himself a little afraid when he would finally tell you the truth. He had never understood his cousin's fascination with humans, but now, having come to know you personally, he finally understood. However, since he and his house did not possess a great reputation, he could not help but fear your reaction upon learning the truth. 

As the autumn leaves began to fall from the trees, you were assisting with the village preparations alongside Aelon. Laughter filled the air as Aelon engaged in mischief with his friends, led by the mischievous Eweniel, who was often the instigator of pranks, with Aelon eagerly joining in her schemes.

Maedhros observed from a distance as he emerged from the forest, accompanied by Bathor, taking in the sight of you smiling and laughing at Aelon's antics. It was a scene he cherished. He could not help but envision a future where you two could live each day with more joy and freedom, unburdened by the looming threat of Morgoth.

You then noticed him and smiled. "Oh, hey! You made it!" you walked up to him. "It's been a while since your last visit. I nearly believed you were not coming at all," 

"Well, since you kindly invited me. I thought it would be rude to miss it out," Maedhros said.

 "Am I too early?" he asked. 

"No, not at all," you assured him with a warm smile. "You're right on time. The celebration will start at sundown. Fair warning, though, since most of the village men are leaving tomorrow to join the incoming battle. They're going to bring out their strongest booze, so it might get wild when the pyres are set on fire," you explained.

Maedhros smiled softly. "I need to ride back home, so I wasn't planning on drinking, but I appreciate the warning," he said, then looked you in the eyes. "There is something I want to talk about after the celebration. Will that be alright with you?" he asked.

"Of course, but let's just enjoy and have fun. Celebrations like these happen rarely," you smiled as Maedhros followed you along.

The night unfolded swiftly. Villagers drank, sang, and danced around the pyres while Aelon and his friends enjoyed snacks and games. You and Maedhros observed from the sidelines, engaging in conversation and savoring the harvested fruits.

Maedhros felt grateful that nobody in the village recognized him, seeing him merely as your peculiar friend from the woods.

The celebration feast was joyous, and midnight arrived sooner than expected. You convinced Aelon to retire after his playtime with friends and helped Helena escort her drunken father and brother home, with Hadar slightly tipsy after winning a drinking contest.

You and Maedhros then walked toward your house after bidding goodnight to Helena and her family. 

“This night has been a lively one,” you said, making him crack a smile. 

“It sure was,” he uttered. 

"And to think most of them will leave tomorrow to join a battle, where some of them might never return," you remarked, prompting Maedhros to pause, contemplating the truth he had been withholding all night.

“(Name)... the thing I wanted to talk about,” he started, making you stop and turn to look at him. 

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” you said, and he looked back at you with a curious look. “Then ask away,” he politely allowed you to talk first— curious to hear what you had to ask. 

“Nelyo… is that your real name?” you asked. Maedhros looked back at you with surprise. “I mean no offense, but I had this feeling since the second time we met that… you have been avoiding telling about yourself,” you explained. 

“I can understand if there are some things you want to keep private, but going as far as to avoid telling your real name. Well— it has been bothering me for quite some time,” you waited for his reaction. 

Maedhros released a sigh he had been holding back. “You are sharp as ever, (Name),” he stated. “To think you have been suspicious of me since the beginning,” he then looked into your eyes. 

“Nelyo is partially my name. It’s a shortened nickname from my father’s name, Nelyafinwe,” He explained, then took a deep breath. 

"(Name), I have enjoyed your and Aelon’s company for the past three years. They have been perhaps one of the happiest years of my long life, and I value the friendship we have created," he sighed. "But, as you have suspected, I have not been completely honest with you or Aelon," he said.

“My actual name is Maedhros, the eldest son of Feanor, and I am the one who had called all the people to gather and fight against Morgoth under my union,” he revealed, then looked away from your eyes with shame in his heart. “I hope you can forgive me for keeping my identity hidden like that,” he said and waited for your anger. 

“I forgive you,” You said, making him look back at you. “But I must ask why you felt the need to hide yourself from us?” you asked with your arms crossed. 

“I’m… not entirely sure myself,” Maedhros uttered, having not expected such a calm reaction from you. 

“Perhaps I did not want to scare you away. My house doesn’t— exactly have a well-received reputation around Beleriand,” He said. “But then I began enjoying the normality of my visits to you and Aeon. I didn’t have to worry about the troubles I face every day and finally do something else that doesn’t involve my duties or the oath I had sworn,” he explained before looking at you with guilt. 

“I began to treat you and this place as something where I can escape. I’m sorry. It was unfair of me,” Maedhros bowed his head. 

“Well, I appreciate that you decided to tell me yourself instead of letting us find out,” you said. “And I’m certain Aelon has already forgiven you. He idolizes you. He will most likely ask more questions and want to learn everything about you,” you smiled. 

“You are not truly angry with me for keeping this from you?” Maedhros asked as you two kept walking. 

"No... I can understand it from your point of view," you said thoughtfully. "In truth... we have not been completely honest with you either," you glanced at the elf beside you as he looked at you with confusion in his eyes.

"Our last name, Targaryen… Well, there is more to it than just being a family name. You see— we come from a noble lineage as well. We’re from… House Targaryen,” you said, feeling hesitant to reveal more.

“You would not know about that because the place we’re from is so far away that it does not show on any map of Arda,” you explained.

“And… Aelon doesn’t know this…” you stopped walking, “But the real reason I left our family was to protect him,” you revealed, making Maedhros look at you with a frown.  

“His birth was not meant to happen, and since I was not very popular with the rest of our relatives. I decided to take him and run away. He would have died in his first weeks of life if I had stayed,” you said with sadness as you remembered all the dangers you faced trying to protect Aelon. 

“That’s… horrible. What of your father and mother?” Maedhros asked. 

“My father did fall in a battle, but my mother…” you stopped. “She was too weak after giving birth to Aelon. She didn’t make it,” you added. Maedhros looked at you with sympathy. 

“And the reason why I was not popular with my relatives was because I was filth-blooded in their eyes and because they were afraid of me for the reputation I had,” you explained. 

“My father was a commander, and he raised me to fight alongside him. When he died, I took his place, and to ensure the safety and the power of our house. I… did some horrible things,” you said the last part quietly, remembering the crimes you committed and the blood on your hands. 

“I’m not so innocent as you may think me to be,” you stated. 

“But despite everything I did to keep our house safe from our enemies. It was not enough for my relatives, save for my uncle, who was one of the only ones to treat me with respect and certain familial love,” you remembered your sweet-minded uncle, who might have been too naive and blind to the danger and hatred around him. 

“So, after fleeing with Aelon in my arms, I hoped I could start over and leave my past behind. To lay down the blade and pursue things I enjoy without worrying about their consequences,” you explained.

You glanced at Maedhros, who had been listening intently. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you this before,” you said, now waiting for his reaction.

“I’m not angry at all. I understand that you were in a difficult situation,” Maedhros replied, shaking his head. “And whatever you might have done in the past. I can hardly judge you for it, as I have done terrible things as well,” he said empathetically.

"You might think differently of me if you even knew half of the things I did," you uttered, your hands unconsciously recalling the sensation of blood trickling between your fingers, the blood of the innocent.

“Perhaps we’re more similar than we thought,” Maedhros stated. 

“Maybe… but I was bound by no oath,” you nearly whispered. 

"(Name)," Maedhros gently grasped your hand, the warmth of his touch almost startling you. He held your hand firmly and looked deeply into your eyes.

"You should not let the past hold you back. You've started over and done good things. I might not know what your life was like back then, but from what I have seen, you've changed and seem happy," he said reassuringly.

"I am..." you began.

"And you've done an excellent job raising Aelon to be a good person. Don’t forget that," he continued, smiling warmly.

"It was not easy..." you replied with a smile.

"Raising a younger sibling for the first time is a challenge. And I’ve done it six times," he added, eliciting a giggle from you.

“Thank you, Nelyo— or Maedhros, If I should say,” you smiled at him teasefully. “I didn’t think someone would accept me even after knowing my past and that I have not been a good person,” you said. 

“You are now. And besides, I expected you to scream at me and then throw a shoe at me after learning who I truly am,” Maedhros said, making you grin at the thought. 

“I always preferred to keep a calm head,” you remarked. 

“And that’s one of the things I admire about you,” Maedhros replied. 

“Perhaps our meeting was fate,” you stated. “Maybe, but I am glad that Bathor ran away that day and gave me the chance to meet you,” Maedhros said as you two continued walking toward your home. 

“If I can ask. Since you are behind the upcoming battle, do you really think you could defeat Morgoth?” you asked. 

“I believe so. I’ve gotten this far already, so there’s no turning back,” Maedhros said. “We have enough forces, so it has to work,” he added. 

“You sound… a bit desperate,” you said after listening to his tone. 

“There might be some unknown enemies we may face once we begin marching, but something has to be done, and I have longed for the day when my family could finally reclaim the lost heirloom of our house,” he explained.

“But you know, this might not be just about simply reclaiming what we had lost, but to defeat Morgoth and finally allow the people of Beleriand to live peacefully,” he said. “And perhaps to protect you…” he looked down at you.

“Me?” you questioned. 

“You and Aelon. I want to be rid of Morgoth so you can live in peace, and Aelon never has to fear going through the woods again,” he explained. “He has lived in fear long enough,” he added. 

“That is a noble cause, but… why do I hear hesitation in your voice?” you questioned. 

“I… might be afraid because if this fails, then all is lost,” he said as you two arrived at your house.  

“It’s late. I need to get back. The marching will begin tomorrow,” Maedhros said, then went to retrieve Bathor from the side of your house.

“Will we see you again?” you asked as he climbed upon his horse.

“I do not know. Things might change drastically after this,” he said. “But let's not lose hope. This doesn’t have to be our last meeting,” he added.

“I bid you goodnight,” he bowed his head. 

“Goodnight. I wish you a safe return,” you said. He nodded, clicking his heels and riding into the night. 

You thought about everything as you watched him disappear from your sight. His real identity didn't really come as a shock to you, but now you were bothered by the impending battle and the dream you had seen. His tone gave off too much desperation. One thing you knew from your past as a commander was that a desperate leader hardly ever wins a war.

Taglist: @natchayaphorn​ @kimnamnu@thatrandomidiot182 @springfountain

[pearldog30]

A unwelcoming surprise!

Simon (ghost) Riley one shot comes home from deployment, to find a new member of the household. that you did not tell him about and to say the least they are not fond of each other.

Simon Riley x gnreader

I'm just going to be safe and put this as 18+

Master list

Warnings| mentions of a little blood. As always let me know if I got tags and warnings right.

One of the many days you were left home alone without your partner Simon Riley by your side. You knew getting in a relationship with the man would mean he'd often be gone/deployed all the time and this time was no exception.

As you were sitting on the couch scroll through social media on your computer. your two dogs sitting right beside you on your left was your all black long haired German Shepherd guard dog that Simon had bought you his name was Sparrow, and then on your right your dog that you have gotten way before you got in a relationship with Simon was your Old brindle English Mastiff her name was Naya, and then above you sitting on top of the couch was y'all's tabby cat that you found together in the dumpster while taking a nightly stroll together. y'all named him Oscar the grouch because well it was fitting for him to say the least.

As you were winding down for the night on the couch going through your nightly social media scroll, you couldn't help but an ad that your friend shared caught your eye.

"a three-legged, half-death, 8-month-old, kitten for adoption. desperately looking for good adoption applicants"

You've never clicked on an ad so fast before in your life. until you saw this precious little all gray kitten, catch your eye you weren't even thinking of how Simon would feel, since y'all share a home together. as you were finishing up the adoption forms you couldn't help but hearing Simon's voice in the back of your head. "y/n we're not getting more animals we don't run a fuckin petting zoo" as you were hearing that little voice in the back of your head, you already clicked submit. "well Simon I guess you're just going to have to put up with it you shouldn't have left me alone" you chuckle to yourself. as your petting Sparrow to your left Sparrow looked back at you, giving you the what the hell did you do now Mom look. "Oh don't worry big guy you're just going to have a new brother" you say as you patting his head.

you look back over to your right to see naya getting up from the couch heading for the bedroom door, you knew this meant it was late. and she was ready for bed which she was not wrong, it was definitely late as you and your little gang March towards the bedroom, and into bed. you couldn't help but think about all the times you and Simon would march to bed together/him getting tired of your antics and throwing your ass to bed. you didn't realize that there was a teary-eyed grin on your face, as your cat Oscar came up to lay on your chest, as you were settling down. "I know buddy I miss Simon too even though you two hate each other" you say softly smiling to yourself, petting his head while listening to the loud snores of your two giant dogs taking up Simon's part of the bed as you drift off to sleep.

_____________________

You wake up the next morning to your softly lit bedroom, from the morning sky your bedroom a beautiful Orange. as you turn to see Naya snuggled into your side dozing off you turn over to your other side, to your nightstand to check your phone to see what time it is as you pick up your phone you see a email.

"congrats we're reaching out to inform you, we approve your application for our gray kitten. please email us back as soon as possible and we will get with you about more details."

To say you were a excited was an understatement. you jumped out of bed all happily Sparrow at your side, wondering what's wrong. as Oscar and Naya lazily looked at you through sleepy hooded eyes. "my loves y'all are going to have a new brother" you squealed excitedly and then you went on about your day normally heading by the shelter. to look at the cat/fill out things to take him home.

_________________________

5 days later Simon came home from a mission a lot earlier than expected. because he wanted to surprise you, as he was pulling into the driveway the sunlight softly set on the house as it was sitting. as he was pulling in he couldn't help but notice a gray little tail in the window. "fucki- bloody hell what did y/n do this time" as he turned the car off getting his luggage out of it, turning to the front door unlocking it with his keys. as he opened the door he was meant with a pair of little blue eyes ones that were very unfamiliar, before the loud sounds of barking and foot clumping on the hardwood floors came crashing to him. he was greeted with sloppy wet kisses and jumping at his chest. before he command both dogs down.

When you turn the corner and saw Simon, on his knees petting both dogs. you knew you were in trouble with the look on his face "h- hi love" you say nervously he meets your eyes. and you could tell he was pissed he gets up from the dogs trampling him on the floor walking towards you sternly.

"would you mind explaining to me why there's a new creature in my house" he says pointing to the gray cat sitting on top of the couch. "welllllll you seeee" you say nervously not wanting to get the words out "I see what cuz what I see there's a new fuckin animal in this house" he huffing out in annoyance. "baby" you say softly as you put both hands on his chest, trying to take a gentle approach. "he needed a home cuz if not they were going to put him down. and I figured you wouldn't mind since you're gone all the time it gets pretty lonely around here I figured we could use some new kitten energy." That was somewhat of a bold-faced lie. And Simon knew it but he couldn't be that mad, at you as he watched your heart break telling him that. and to be honest it broke his little too seeing how upset it gets you.

you tell him that as a tear runs down your face, you remember them telling you that if you didn't take him home, they would put him down. and that broke your heart cuz he was just the biggest baby. Simon's eyes furrow at your response "love you can't take home every goddamn animal you see, that needs help we don't run a fuckin shelter." he says as his hand comes up to your cheek, wiping the tear away with his thumb. "I- i know baby. I'm sorry I just couldn't help it" you cough out not realizing how much it actually affected you. he's sighs just staring at you in silence you knew deep down he couldn't stay mad at you forever even though you felt terrible not asking him first.

You decided to squirm out of his grip walking towards the cat on the couch, so they could have a proper meeting you pick the cat up handing him out to Simon. "Simon meet Dudley, Dudley meet Simon." Simon can't help but just grunt annoyingly at it. as the cat stares him down at this point they're just staring each other down in silence. "well boys. y'all are going to have to get used to each other because I love you both" you say pushing the cat towards Simon to love it. Before Simon could even react the cat scratched the fuck out of his face, leaving a nasty scar on his cheek. "BLOODY FUCKIN HELL YOU FUCKIN CUNT" Simon screams pushing the cat away from the both of you as the cat runs off somewhere in the house "oh my God love I'm so sorry are you okay" you say trying not to laugh, as you reach for his face to look at the cut, more like a gash. but Simon just pushes you away still yelling a mix of cuss words and words that don't even make sense.

So you don't really have a choice but just to stand there, and wait for his meltdown to be over. but you decided it was enough you just grab his face. "baby calm down let me take care of you, and you'll be okay." you say calmly trying to lead him to the bathroom, so you can clean up the cut so it doesn't get infected. he just Huff's in annoyance following you.

As you sit him down in the bathroom, cleaning up the bit of blood on his face. "damn babe he got you good" you say rubbing the washcloth you had in your hand over the cut on his cheek. cleaning it up "yeah and it hurts who knew a fuckin three legged cat could scratch that bad" he says annoyed with the inconvenience, he had plans for the night. as you were putting a little ointment on his cheek, just to be on the safe side. As both cats decided to jump on the counter eyeing him "GET OUT OF HERE YOU LITTLE FUCK" he yells at the cats but only Dudley runs away, as Oscar is still eyeing him with an amuse look on his face. You force your very pissed off Simon to look back at you. "that's not his name his name is Dudley" you say laughing to yourself, Simon just gives you the side eye. He just grunts annoyed at the inconvenience. as you were finishing up, you turned back around to the counter grabbing something. and that's when Simon decided to be a prick, and smack your ass as hard as he possibly could.

"ow that hurt you ass" you say jumping, at the not expected stung your ass was just meant with. "hey you said earlier gets pretty lonely I was just making it less lonely" Simon says chuckling a tease in his voice. "yeah well I di" before you can even finish your sentence, Simon had back you into the counter looking up into the mirror turning around facing him. You meet his eyes you could tell the look you've seen it countless times before a look of lust, tease, dominance, next thing you know his lips are on yours. "I think it's time me, you, and this cut, take it to the bedroom" he says before swiftly putting an arm around your waist, and up over his shoulder you giggle out in surprise.

And with that another harsh slap to your ass, walking through the bedroom door, and slamming it close with his foot.

I hope you all enjoy this little story that I made I thought it was incredibly amusing and very much like Simon. Anyways I hope you all are having a good day/night/evening🖤 reblogs and comments are always much appreciated.

[lostdrarryfics]

lostdrarryfics monthly roundup! March 2024

Below you will find the requests we could not locate in the month of March. Please let us know if you recognize any!

You can also browse our lengthy lost fic masterlist, where we have compiled every request we have been unable to find over the past few years. We're always hoping someone will recognize a fic so we can let the asker know what it was!

1. I read this at least 5 years ago. I think it was on ao3, eighth year, where Harry gets turned into a kid (around 7years maybe? Definitely under 10) and McG makes Draco take care of him. Harry has big scars on his back from the Dursleys and they cause him to have seizures (? Or something like spasms maybe that are painful) fic is not The Dragon and The Golden Baby by jolly_love, or Baby Mama Drama by Stars-and-Stones

2. multi chapter post war fic I read a while ago on Ao3. I remember that Draco had to get married? but definitely live with Harry in Grimmauld Place in order to avoid Azkaban. I remember one scene where Harry takes Draco to the burrow for Sunday brunch with the Weasleys plus Teddy and Andromeda. I think Harry was talking to someone else and Ron pulls Draco aside and starts threatening him about doing anything suspicious he’ll beat him up and send him straight back to Azkaban. (Something along those lines) This triggers Draco because he was also being abused during the war and caused him to have a panic attack bc it reminded him of the past. Harry meanwhile finally notices Draco is missing and finds him hyperventilating with Ron. He tries to calm him down but Draco faints. He takes him upstairs to rest in a bed and tells everyone that he appreciates their worries but if they do that again they’ll have to face his wrath (something along those lines) and that when Draco wakes up they should be kinder towards him. Another scene is (80% sure/20% I’m mixing this detail up with another fic) teddy seems to really like Draco and is always happy with him or crawling towards him. There’s a scene where teddy is crying and Draco is looking for someone to help Teddy, but no one is near them, so he does it himself and Teddy immediately calms down with him. After that scene, there’s short snippets of Draco playing or putting his attention towards Teddy, while Harry watches them from afar and it makes him happy they get along.

3. not sure if it's on ffnet or ao3, but basically harry is heir of ravenclaw, hedwig starts teaching The Ways Of the Dark and he joins voldy because he's in love with Draco. i believe it was set in 6th year, because the bathroom scene still happens, but harry does it on purpose to not give away his disloyalty to voldy. (spoilers: harry goes full to the dark side but only because of draco. he has no loyalty to voldy beyond what he can learn and what he has to do because, again, draco. he is very much dark tho, people try to bring him down). it's fast paced from what i recall.

4. dark fanfic, not explicit or anything such as sex (that I remember) I believe it was drarry, so I remember it was a dark fanfic one of the darkest ones I had read, it included some death eaters cutting out a little muggle girls heart (I remember this because I cried about it.)because her blood wasn't pure and they tortured others, I read it on fanfiction.net I believe, basically they decided to kidnap muggles and torture them for fun because they didn't view them as clean blooded individuals. Harry or Draco I can't remember watched this happen.

5. dark one on AO3: I believe Voldemort had won the war and the golden trio and others had decided to hide children in camps,They hid muggle born and halfblood children in a camp where it was discovered after a death eater raid that all the children in that camp were found and killed, Draco was not trusted at first but over time harry and everyone else trusted Draco and Drarry happened during the story and was the main shi, I also want to say tried to save a child screaming for help during another raid but the child was killed before he could but that could be a different fanfic and I don't know if it was part of the fanfic or not (I just remember it right now thinking about that scene it sounds like hell on and I think Ginny was dead in this sadly, and Draco was a spy for Harry and the others for some reason reason because I remember him being morally grey, however I have no idea if these are two different fanfics

6. dark drarry fanfic, anyway I don't remember much only that they were at the yule ball in fourth year and Harry was on good terms with the Malfoys I believe, Anyway I remember them talking about Draco's grandfather being apart the original death eaters (The Knights of Walpurgis I believe) and this was either in front of the other Slytherin's and I believe Lucius was there (maybe Narcissa also) or maybe Draco was the one who mentioned it but for some reason I remember Lucius being there, I'm really sure it wasn't Lucius x Harry (Lucius was more of a parental figure I believe).

7. dark fanfic on AO3: I believe Voldemort had won the war and the golden trio and others had decided to hide children in camps, the death eaters Drarry happened during the story and was the main ship. Voldemort won the war. The golden trio + others where hiding children that weren't pure bloods (such as muggleborn and halfblood children). All children in one in one of the camps were found and killed by death eaters during a death eater raid this was later found out during a protest against Voldemort. Later on in the story a child was exploded/killed in front of Harry and he couldn't do anything. A medical place was bombed where they had taken survivors of the raid and Harry didn't know if Hermione had survived. Draco was a spy for the order or whatever organization headed by Harry for some reason. I think children were enslaved by death eaters if they weren't pure bloods and were treated badly. Draco was morally grey in this or he had made bad moral choices

FOUND! 8. For Draco to be inciated into the death eaters he has to kill a little boy. The boy asks Draco to kill him for some reason I think so Draco will live. The golden trio or Harry don't like Draco. Harry gets mad at Draco later on for killing the boy. The boys body was burned. Draco is taunted by the boy's death and feels guilty for killing him. The boy's name is mentioned but I don't remember it

9. I’m pretty sure I read it on ao3 and Charlie brings a girl to the burrow for either Christmas or some other celebration and they observe Harry and Draco and how the Wesley’s ignore draco? And she thinks they don’t accept the gay relationship. I think Charlie is also gay if I remember correctly and asked her to come to help him come out? Pretty sure at some point draco and Harry tell their love story and all the weasleys have never heard it cause they never wanted to ask.

10. it was set during the war and I think Draco was either hunting for horcuxes with the trio, or staying with the order/spying. The 4 of them end up staying at the Dursley’s while the family are away and Hermione sews fish into the curtains (and possibly the furniture too?) as a way to get revenge on the Dursley’s for the way they treated Harry. Harry and Draco were definitely together, but this is the only scene I can remember

11. Draco and Harry are elemental mages. Draco is an ice mage and Harry a fire mage, and they are linked or something like that. They are childhood friends, I believe, and Remus and Sirius are involved. It is set at hogwarts, for sure, so not the fantasy au that comes up in searches. It was a wip on ao3 when I read it and the last chapter I remember involved Draco venting his powers in the shrieking shack and Remus being concerned about him, as they have been negatively affecting his mood/temperament as they develop.

12. top Draco/ bottom Harry. Harry wears panties and Draco finds out. No established relationship other than Auror and healer. I read it on A03 2 months ago. It’s one chapter long. I’m pretty sure Harry gets hurt and they have to take his pants off to address it and that’s when Draco, his healer, sees them. It’s a short fic and that’s basically all that happens I think

13. 8th year centered. post war. it's from draco's pov. harry and draco always meet at the astronomy tower. harry keeps inviting draco to do things together but draco always refuses. harry thinks that he and draco are dating but they aren't. there's this scene that harry and draco are at the astronomy tower and harry invites draco to hogsmade. Draco refuses because the thinks it won't be a good idea to people see them both together. Harry says it's no problem but that he really wants to be able to tell Hermione and Ron about them. Draco asks what he's taking about and Harry tells him it's about their relationship. Draco goes like: WHAT??!! and asks Harry since when they are dating.Harry says since when he thinks they are dating and i think Draco comments about how they never even kissed. Harry says something about how he thought Draco wasn't ready yet and realizes that only he thought that both of them were in a relationship. He goes to apologize but then I think Draco kisses him or something. There might be a part where Harry teaches Draco how to cast the patronus but maybe i'm mixing two fics up. i read it on Ao3 and that is chaptered and longer than 20,000 words

14. Harry has a twin, and they were separated at birth. I don't remember if it was a no magic au, sorry. Anyway, Harry's twin was raised by Sirius (lily and James are still dead) and Harry by Bellatrix. They meet for the first time in summer camp for troubled youth, and shenanigans ensue because they're identical. I know one of the twins ends up with Draco, and the other one with Fred. It was incomplete, I think.

15. it was a professors fanfic where draco and harry worked together at hogwarts and i remember they didnt like each other, and i also very much remember that draco lived under some sort of aquarium under the great lake inside the common room. this seems really odd, because im sure my memory is wrong but i remember reading specifically that it was underwater and that it was located somewhere in the common room of slytherin.

16. I don't remember much of it but what really does stand out to me it's that I'm pretty sure it was already complete 'cause I remember it having a proposal in the end of it and pretty sure it was on Yule and I remember that there was I think at least Molly bashing? Anyways, it had something to do with Molly stealing from Harry and Arthur only finding out about it much later and actually being invited to the Yule celebration! And pretty sure one of the background pairings was Sirius/Charlie. It wasn't Lily's Boy, I'm sure of it! And I'm pretty sure it was Sirius/Charlie 'cause I remember it having a scene in a forest, where Dumbledore took Sirius and Charlie and that's where their relationship began. I think they were hunting Horcruxes? Or doing something like that.

[sleepy-sirin]

Incarnation (Honkai Star Rail x Child! Herrscher! Reader)

Summary: In which Y/n, the creation of Will of Honkai, successfully defeated her own creator with the help of her friends. After defeating the Will of Honkai, for using too much of her power she goes into a deep sleep.

Previous | Next chapter

Chapter 3

Third POV:

Everyone went silent when Y/n summons a blue tentacles appeared on the ground and wrapped it around on Gepard and his soldiers. Dan Heng knows that this isn't your true power and you are holding back from hurting them. Gepard tries to free himself from the tentacles, only to get him wrapped tightly.

"Okay Y/n, that's enough." Dan Heng said.

"Not until you all calm down." Y/n stated.

"Look, we're not trying to cause any trouble and we're not from Belobog!" March said to Gepard.

"Show him the photos, March." Stelle said to March.

"Ah! Stelle, you're a genius! Great idea!" March said.

March went towards to Gepard who was still wrapped on your tentacles and shows him a picture of the ice-covered planet.

"...You mean to say that this... White ball... That's here? That's our home? How can that..." A soldier said.

"It is said that a long time ago, strange visitors from beyond the sky would visit us here... but that after the External Freeze, the blizzards made passage impossible... and Belobog would cease to witness such arrivals." Gepard stated.

"But these people are-"

"This decision is beyond us. If what they say is true, then only the supreme guardian may decide their fate. Our job is to present them before her. Nothing more." Gepard said.

"Outsiders, follows me. Belobog lies beyond this blizzard. Not until the little girl let go of us from the tentacles." He said.

Y/n did let go her tentacles on them but she didn't dropped them in a gentle matter. She's a bit salty for interrupting her dream.

The four of them followed Gepard where the location of Belobog is. All of them were quiet and the soldiers doesn't want to be near from Y/n because they don't want to be strangle to death.

"Welcome to Belobog, the City of Preservation." Gepard said. All of them went inside the city.

"... Hey, it feels like it got a bit warmer!" March said.

"... That's because you're in Belobog, the last bastion of humanity." Gepard said.

"Last bastion?" March questions.

Gepard explains the history of Belobog, Y/n did listen to him since she loves hearing about humans stories. After Gepard explains, they all headed to the headquarters who is residence of the supreme guardian.

All of them went inside the headquarters, they heard someone talking. But Y/n feels familiar with that voice someone she knows.

"... But that's a meaningless sacrifice, how can you-"

"Ahem... You may leave, Bronya. Visitors have arrived."

Bronya didn't say anything but did what she was told. "Yes, mother." And that she left.

Now Y/n knew who she was, it was Bronya Zaychik. She wasn't sure if it is her or another Bronya from different bubble world. But Y/n knew that blonde-haired woman in front of her, she hardly knew her name when Y/n was back in Earth. All she knows that woman was working with Otto back then.

"Madam Guardian, I have brought four outsiders to see you." Gepard said.

"The messenger informed me. Well done, Gepard. You may leave." Cocolia commanded Gepard to leave.

"Welcome, visitors from beyond the Eternal Freeze. Or perhaps I should say: from beyond the sky... no? I am Cocolia Rand, Belobog's supreme guardian. I would be grateful if you could tell me why you have come." Cocolia said.

"So you believe we come from beyond the sky?" Stelle asked.

"Do you wish me to doubt it? Or perhaps you're not confident in that identity yourself? Haha... No, I do not doubt it. I can see that you are not from this world." Cocolia said.

"We came here for something known as a Stellaron." Dan Heng said.

"A Stellaron?" Cocolia asked.

Objects that fell from the blue on separate worlds. Their appearance spelled disaster. Many of the planets we've visited have their effects. You mention invasion by the Animatter Legion. Soon after their arrival, this planet suffered the Eternal Freeze. At the same time, the phenomenon known as Fragmentum space corrosion began to occur. Correct?"

"... Correct."

"The Eternal Freeze is a product of the Stellaron." Stelle said.

"Stellaron bring about different disasters on different worlds. But every world seeded with a Stellaron will give birth to Fragmentums. You can see us as... kindhearted interstellar public servants, lending a helping hand to any world affected by a Stellaron!" March said.

"Your analysis of our current circumstances is clear. We have indeed suffered the disasters you speak of, some of which prove vexatious to us even today... but why should you care?" Cocolia said.

"Even if this Stellaron you speak of did bring about disaster, I fail to see its connection to you. I don't believe that anyone would go to such lengths to help a world unrelated to them... unless they had something to gain." She said.

[tabr1-s]

aventurine rant and personal critiques about 2.1's writing below

(to preface... i am biased towards Sunday and his plight, and firmly against the IPC and their plans concerning retaking Penacony. but that's not to say that i support the Family as a whole either.)

why was 80% of the 2.1 quest about Aventurine? isn't that what character stories and companion quests are for?

to begin, the first thing that bothered me was how the game seemed to want the player to believe that Aventurine's offer wasn't forced. examples below:

although it... was forced. you can tell him that you won't associate with the IPC and he will tell you not to worry about it, and just "reconsider it" by talking to your companions (mainly the Navigator, Himeko) at the express (basically implying that our opinion does not matter to him in the slightest). dialogue below:

(now i don't know if it's my personal hatred for being controlled and told what to do that's making me see this differently... but i have talked this over with a friend of mine and they do agree that it Does seem forced. i might be putting myself in an echo chamber by doing this, but at least i'm not alone!)

my point with the above is that the game tries to get you to sympathize with Aventurine from the beginning, and forces your hand when it comes to agreeing to his proposal by making some - frankly - stupid excuses as to why we should trust him. maybe others found them to be convincing/enough, but to me it just seemed like a cheap way to get the story rolling. (also, since when did we become pawns of the IPC? Penacony's debt is none of our business, and, not to get political... but it reminds me of real life sentiments that colonialist people hold about countries that "belonged to them in the past", despite that country having years of history and development since/before then (and i do not care if that country's political system is corrupt, or that they have unpaid debt. that is not an excuse to bring about war and occupation.). also, i sincerely hate how Aventurine wasn't even hiding that he views Robin's death as an opportunity, or, in his words, a "bargaining chip". we're made to sympathize with him and his dead family but he can't read the room and show some genuine sympathy himself, can he?)

...so the story goes on. we get some Welt and Acheron bits, a bit of Black Swan, and some investigation on the front of Himeko, March 7th, and the trailblazer. then the focus falls back on Aventurine. but, for the time being, it's fine - because at least he's alongside Dr. Ratio and their bickering is entertaining.

which leads to the scene where Sunday confronts Aventurine. yes, Sunday is manipulative. he begins by praising Aventurine and buttering him up, seemingly trying to get Aventurine to lower his guard. but let's not forget that Aventurine is also being manipulative - using Sunday's recent close family death as leverage for his own schemes. Sunday knows this, and so calls upon the help of Xipe, the Harmony, to bring the truth to light.

now, Sunday doesn't outright warn him about the consequences of not answering or answering falsely, but the implication is there. Sunday gives Aventurine a chance to come clean. and what does Aventurine do? he lies, basically securing his own fate like that. another example of Sunday giving Aventurine a chance to admit the truth was here:

"it's your last chance to defend your honor". up until the point where he gave Aventurine the box, Aventurine had countless chances to stop betting with his life and do the simplest thing - answer truthfully. but he didn't. so, my question is: why does all the blame fall on Sunday when it was Aventurine who got himself into that predicament in the first place? it also gets implied multiple times that Aventurine wanted that conclusion all along...

...which leads me to the next topic. people viewing him as this "genius mastermind" - when in reality, he's no more than a self-destructive gambler that simply puts faith in his good luck to lead him to the conclusion that he wants. and, honestly? that seems like a very immature mentality to me. there's nothing admirable about him risking it all time and time again, and i'm not sure why exactly i'm meant to sympathize with that part of him. also...

don't be a hypocrite yourself, Aventurine. you also lied and was planning to manipulate from the beginning - them expecting the truth from you shouldn't come as a surprise.

now, i'm not going to fully go into the 2 or so hours of pure Aventurine³ content (or, as my friend put it, "exposition vomit"), other than saying that his story could've definitely been told in a much more concise manner than what we got. i mean, good for the Aventurine fans out there, i'm happy for them. but, writing-wise, that was pretty out of place. in comparison, Acheron's backstory only got implied, and was kept mostly a mystery. you can only find bits and pieces of Sunday and Robin's upbringing by reading the letter Robin sent to her brother, and observing the "concert for two" lightcone in that same room. Firefly says some things about her condition and spends a significant part of the 2.0 quest with Trailblazer, but at least the main character is part of that story. Aventurine's case seemed like a blatant pity party from the writers - from the beginning of 2.1 til the end. now i'm not saying that his backstory isn't tragic; the first time i played through the story i sympathized with him. it was heartbreaking. but that genuinely could've been saved for a companion quest.

another thing i thought was out of place was Aventurine's hatred for the Family. seeing his backstory, i believed that they were leading up to the Family being somehow responsible for his rough upbringing/period of slavery, so that was Aventurine enacting his revenge on them. but that was... not the case. instead, he's only(?) doing this for the IPC, with no true motivation of his own. in other words, why is he trying to bring the Family down so avidly? i'm not convinced that his reasons are good enough for him to cause so much chaos to a nation/organization that has nothing to do with him. if it is purely because of the IPC's whims, then that is not very "free will" of him.

despite all my qualms, i don't hate Aventurine. the Penacony characters are hard to hate in general, for they're all intriguing in their own ways. but i do think i've been a bit too over-exposed to him. maybe i'd go as far as to say that he was overhyped - they could've handled his story better, and not simply thrown everything they had for him in one singular questline right before his release. personally, even with the characters that i have biases towards, i would prefer for their stories to be told through character stories, companion quests, texts, and readables. that way, you find out about the character on your own volition without it feeling forced. and, if their backstories are relevant to the main storyline, you can easily make it brief and showcase what's, well...

relevant.

[hopeymchope]

The impact of "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" on Master Detective Archives: Rain Code's story (and any possible sequel?)

The DLC for "Master Detective Archives: Rain Code" is complete. And having now played through all five of the "Substories," I think we can at least say that only ONE of them leaves any major impact on the larger narrative.

I wouldn't say "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" is the best of the substories. Not to me, at least. But it certainly ends on a note that strongly suggests a change to the status quo we all understood when the game ended.

MAJOR SPOILERS for both the main-game narrative of "Master Detective Archives: Rain Code" and the DLC "Ch. Yakou: Thank You, My Detective" are under the cut.

At the very start of "Ch. Yakou," we're controlling Yakou Furio from a side-scrolling perspective as he slowly plods and stumbles down a hallway.

His face is in shadow with his hood up, and we occasionally get flashes of his memories... including Yuma pleading "Yes! I'm Yuma! Chief, you understand me?" And if you don't immediately remember when that moment occurred, it'll all be cleared up by the time you complete this trudge down memory lane. Because it all concludes with a memory of his death on the floor of the lab underneath Amaterasu Corporation.

That's right — we're controlling Yakou Furio when he's already a shambling zombie homunculus! That memory of Yuma is even from the final chapter of the game!

These memory flashbacks are really an excuse for us to experience the backstory of how Yakou met the woman who ultimately became his wife — the one who was the driving motivator behind his actions in Chapter 4. (And who sadly isn't even given a name during this chapter in spite of getting backstory and a voice actress. Wtf is that.) But you might be thinking, "We could've seen Yakou thinking about this storyline at any time. Why doesn't this chapter just take place at some vague interval between chapters 1-3, like all the other DLC stories? Why is THIS the one weird outlier?"

Answer: Because of how it ends.

Yakou's march through the corridors comes to an end when he meets... a ghost? A memory? I'm leaning towards her being the former, but I can't be 100% sure. Regardless, some version of his deceased wife is there to leave him with a parting gift.

I'll let her explain it:

Yup, you read that right. We end with DeadWife handed off a small batch of her experimental medication — a means by which Yakou can truly resurrect himself. ... Although she does add that cavet about how it "might be completed if someone takes over my research," which certainly leaves room for doubt about its efficacy at the moment.

In summation: Most of the final DLC chapter takes place in flashback... but it ends with dead zombie Yakou Furio being handed a medication that could potentially restore him to his original living state.

So uh... I guess they just set up the possbility of Yakou Furio showing up alive and well for Master Detective Archives 2, huh? They gave themselves an excuse to have the whole band back together if they so choose.

But...

My Thoughts

Look: I love Yakou, sure, but his death is the emotional high point of the entire game. Furthermore, it's the ONLY loss to our central cast. Unlike in Kodaka's preceding franchise, the core cast of Rain Code manages to stay safe from harm throughout the adventure — with this one exception. The only loss to the group is Yakou, who goes down like an absolute badass via an exceedingly clever plan to exact his own brand of justice against the man who had his wife killed.

It feels wrong to undo that, y'know? It's just such an important moment for him, for the story, and for the group of detectives at its center who become to be so attached to him.

Despite that, will I be happy if he shows up in a sequel? Well... yeah, actually. He's a super-likable character that ultimately proves to be far more clever than those around him ever realized. There's a lot you could do with that.

So I guess I have mixed feelings. I'm surprised by this choice more than anything, but that's not to say that it's not still kind of cool. I definitely didn't expect it.

[mqfx]

then again, that would mean that his release in the alley is just a return to form. perfectly in character, nothing has altered this man's true essence even as he spills some on the street... but is he disappointed about that? is a god incapable of meaningful change? is his life truly his own, or have the ambitions of others that raised him to godhood erased his humanity and left him a shell of himself going through the motions. <- he must be tormented SOMEHOW

see now THAT is also a good point about godhood (one he didn't want) erasing his humanity and now he's going through the motions. let's discuss briefly. i think my vampire show mutuals understand this more than others bc i've seen it talked about over there, but i've been thinking--what does immortality do to you? how is it that these gods and ghosts are hundreds of years old yet still so firmly stuck in formative memories of their past (usually the conditions leading to their immortality)? i've been working on this idea that we have to get old to get old if that makes sense. that ascension/descent locks them into a certain mindset (in-text canon examples: all ghosts live by resentment and obsession. gods serve through renown and legend) because--look. humans march towards death and because we're trying to avoid it we change. what do people who are not so afraid of death have as motivation to change?

all this is to say--to go back to the discussion of "should he slang it"--that i think we can all agree that putting fx through some kind of torment as part of his character development is paramount among our priorities; we're just deciding which will have greater impact on him and the plot. also, tasteful double entendre +5 points

[jailforwriter]

It's time for...

Look, I'll be honest with you. Nothing makes me go feral over a book faster than picking up on a bit of clever symbolism. This hand-rubbing, cunning little storytelling shortcut can really make a difference between a book you enjoyed, and one you cannot sandpaper off the grooves of your brain. In many ways, it's a sneaky bit of puzzle-solving that the author tucked under the rug of the main text for us to find, and yeah, engaging with it takes a bit of getting on your knees and dusting, but boy are those proverbial allergies satisfying!

Hopefully by the end of these series you'll love this device as much as I do, so let's get into it!

What's symbolism?

Okay, right off the bat, I have to warn you that symbolism exists in the nebulous realm of things that take some thought to like, proper get, but we as writers thrive in places where we get to dissect and interpret complex stuff, so don't worry too much.

Now, a symbol could be an object, a place, a character, an action – so long as it represents something other than their literal meaning, it's the double-agent of literature: a symbol. We come across some of the most common ones pretty often, even in daily life. Suffice to walk by a flower shop and see a red rose for it to recall romantic attraction; whether we personally have an interest in it or not, the image still sparked the thought. That's the power of association, and just this once, it's here to help.

We can use those associations on a smaller scale to add layers of depth and evoke more complex ideas in our stories – like themes and messages – without needing to spell them out. In that way, we're ergonomically inviting the reader to solve our hidden puzzle (engage with the narrative on a different level) and get a little treat for it (a deeper understanding of the story's themes and messages, yummy!).

Types of symbolism

There are no hard and fast categories for the kinds of symbolisms we might come across in media, which really means that there are so many that we can get a bit liberal in our sorting criteria. As a scientist, this hurts my soul. As a writer, however? Let's get biased! Personally, I like to look at them this way:

Objects: one of the clearest ways to express many things in one. For instance, think of a pocket watch. Yes, it symbolizes the passage of time, but what else could we add onto it to say even more? Maybe the watch is worn, reflecting on the character's old struggle with reconciling the inevitability of aging and its inexorable march toward death (joy!). Maybe it starts ticking erratically at some point, paralleling the character's own mental instability. Maybe they decide to break it in the end, symbolizing them finally freeing themselves from time's constraints and their obsessive preoccupation over aging. We can get creative here!

Animals: these we often get from cultural exposure. For instance, someone interested in Greek mythology might see an owl and immediately think of wisdom – not necessarily because of any inherent attributes to the owl itself (although there's some interesting discussions to be had about where the association came from in the first place!) but because it's been drilled into them through history and repetition.

Characters: let's take it up a notch. What if we have a character who embodies, for instance, something antithetical to our protagonist? Who questions their values and challenges their worldview by mere dint of existing? What if our protagonist, Johnny Apple-Lover, comes across our antagonist, Lenny Apple-Hater? What happens when they interact? Characters may embody archetypes or have certain attributes that, juxtaposed to those of other characters, say a lot of interesting things about them. (Deep dives about this particular topic to come!).

Settings: this is your classic "ye olde manor existed in a state of perennial darkness, engulfed by the shadows of the thunderclouds above, through which nary a sunray ever ventured" business. Gloomy weather in a dark forest tends to evoke a desire not to go there, while a flowery, sunny meadow seems more like a place where you'd wanna hang out (please disregard if you're a vampire...and also hmu). This allows for some interesting subversions of expectations, in some cases, and we'll look into those a bit more later down the line.

Actions: actions (and lack thereof) can function as a fantastic substitution for directly stating a thought, and may add onto theme without needing to overexplain it by throwing up a mirror to the character's state of mind. For instance, a character opening a bird's cage and urging them out might symbolize their appreciation for their own freedom, particularly if they have resisted doing so throughout the book for fear of its consequences. Double-points for including animal symbolism, too! You'll find that a lot of the best symbolism exists at the junctions of all these categories, so don't be afraid to get creative with the combinations.

Colors: stop me if you've heard this before: red means angry, blue means sad, green means envious...yeah, so on and so forth. This is a straightforward method of conveying deeper meaning that goes hand in hand with symbolic objects, and can cast them and the characters who interact with them in a new, more exciting light. Speaking of lights, here's an example: what if Gatsby's was red instead of green? Suddenly, the entire message changes. It's no longer the green of money, nor of "go", but may now symbolize the red of violence and of "stop". We can extrapolate a lot from a little change, and therein lies the beauty of this literary device.

It's worth noting that other people may break down symbolism as it pertains to its effect on the reader, or give particular credence to religious symbolism as its own category, or focus on thematic relevance and imagery as their own types. I've based my breakdown on what I feel most accurately represent the tools we as writers need in our toolbox, and have tried to make them as easily accessible as I can. Hopefully it's not too convoluted!

In the next part, we'll focus on how symbolism differs from allegory, simile and metaphor by looking into some specific examples, and we'll also discuss why it's important to be a little picky and careful with the kinds of symbolisms we use in our work. I look forward to seeing you all there, thanks for sticking around!

Happy writing!

[defire]

Dance of Death Chapter 4:

The Stiletto

Content warnings for this chapter: aftermath of child abuse, whumper turned whumpee, revenge

Warren marched into the library and crossed to Markee's alcove, where he'd apparently stayed after Nife ran away. 

Nife heard Warren wrench open the door as she followed a few steps into the library.

"Markee." She heard him speaking through gritted teeth, then the sound of a slap and things knocking over.

Warren could slap hard enough to knock someone out with one blow, and he apparently wasn't holding back. She heard him striking the man over and over. Markee was making choked yelping sounds after each impact.

"Stop, stop," She said, coming toward the alcove, unable to bear the sound of someone getting hurt.

The blows continued, and as she came into view, she could see Warren towering over the cringing Markee on the ground with a hand raised.

"Stop!" She said, aghast. 

He didn't even turn to her, but he lowered his hand, chest heaving and eyes widening at the man on the floor.

"Don't touch my family." He said.

Markee made no answer, but his face was split with an infuriated grin, tears running down his face. He'd knocked the right temple against something as he fell and his head was bleeding.

Suddenly a voice behind Nife made her jump.

"Oh Markee, I'm so sorry." Her mother said, pushing in past her and pulling out a handkerchief to dab at his face. She looked positively horrified.

There was a whole group of servants behind them, and one of them had probably run to get her Mother.

Warren stepped out of her way, blazing eyes meeting Nife's for a moment.

"There will be a lawsuit," Markee said. 

"He was abusing Nife." Warren said.

"Oh, dear," Mother said. "Perhaps we can settle this out of court."

"Do you not hear me, mother?" Warren said. "He was abusing Nife!"

"Warren!" Her mother said in a scolding tone. "Do you not think about our reputation before doing things?"

Warren opened and closed his mouth, flushing and confused, looking at the floor. He shook his head and backed away from the situation.

Nife stared after him with round eyes as he hurried away. She found it easy to disappear from the group of shocked onlookers, as nobody really cared about her role in the situation. Except Warren, it turned out.

Warren kept up with his father's confident stride, matching even his confidence. They spoke quietly as they moved down the hall so as not to be overheard by the family's paid servants. In general, Druids did not believe in keeping slaves.

"Warren, we can't have this." His father's voice rose louder as he became more anxious. "I understand that you were protecting your sister, but..."

"He's a Wry, I know." Warren finished, with a politely low volume. "Father, if you could just dismiss him–"

His father scoffed.

"Ha! Dismiss him? After what you did to him?" His father glanced back, saw Warren's frown, and added– "We can't exactly beat and then dismiss our tutors, at Raizden. If he was a Druid, then maybe. But Warren, he's a damn Wry."

"Father," Warren said as he watched him unlock the combination on his private office door. 5-5-4-4. Ridiculously simple. "She can't just be made to live with him in the house. You don't actually intend to keep him on as her tutor, do you?"

The idea made him boil with anger, but he kept it down under a mask of grim calm.

His father sighed.

"Can't we?"

"No!" Warren exclaimed, shocked.

"Sh." His father said, pulling him into the study by the shoulder. He barely bothered to close the door behind Warren.

"Warren, son, we're in a difficult situation." His father said. "We're the last Druid family that owns a company among the six mega companies. The rest are all owned by Banes. If you make us look bad, people will take us down first."

Warren shook his head.

"This doesn't make any sense, Father. Why would people take us down just because I punished that bastard? Was I too harsh?" He added. "...But how could I be too harsh with a bastard like that?"

"Look." His father tapped his wide, splayed horns with a fingernail. "Look at this horn. You see these horns?"

Warren frowned.

"These are why. To them, we're just animals; criminals at best." His father said. "You, a Druid, beat him, a sun-blessed Bane, who was simply trying to educate a poor young–"

"That's not how it went down at all!" Warren flamed up.

"That's how they'll tell it." His father said, turning away to his desk with a sigh, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Do you understand? Those Banes think their sun god hates us, and he delivered our land into their hands, and our lives are just part of the plunder of war, to be ended or enslaved as they see fit. The insult it would be for them to find out what you've done..."

"Are they going to find out?"

"Only if Markee isn't satisfied with whatever we can pay him to keep his mouth shut." His father sighed. "Now go to dinner. I have things to finish."

Warren hesitated. His father had always been offhandedly callous like this.

"But this is your daughter." Warren said, frowning.

His father sat down and began looking at papers and writing himself a to-do list, checking dates with his calendar.

"You're still here?" He said, finally realizing Warren was still standing there looking angry.

"You'll just consign your own daughter to living with--with a man like that?"

"I told you that's not what happened."

"What!"

"How they tell it might as well be the truth, for the good it does us. Now go. I don't remember inviting you here."

"Ugh." Warren grunted, frowned and left, seeing servants duck out of sight. They listened in a lot.

Nife was sitting alone on the roof, rubbing her fingers over the embroidered mask under her chin, which had been enchanted to allow one to breathe in the poisonous miasma that covered the bottom of the city. She stared up at the moon, watching it get higher and feeling her natural nocturnal energy rising. It felt so good to be awake at night, and so crappy to be forced  to act like a diurnal Bane.

She was trying to calm down after everything, but she just couldn't face anything that had happened.

"Are you serious?" He had said. "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Why didn't I tell anyone?" She muttered, then chuckled. "Oh Warren, you think too much of them."

"Are you talking to me?" She heard his voice down below in the garden. He threaded his way around the garden and made his way up the path to the wall, crossed a slightly easier place to get up to the roof, and then walked toward her on the roof and sat down next to her, folding up his big long legs in front and clasping his fingers together.

His presence brought a sense of safety it never had before.

"You alright?" He asked her.

Nife glanced at his hand, noticing that heat still lingered there in the palm and across the knuckles. He’d really put everything into those slaps.

"Am I alright?" She chuckled.

"Uh, yeah, that's what I said." 

She laughed and tried not to cry, covering her eyes.

"Here." He said, fishing around in his pocket and pulling out something silver. It was a brooch made to look like a moth with its wings folded, apparently.

She reached for it and he pulled it back.

"Wait--" He smirked as she swiped at it, and lifted it up high so she couldn’t reach it. "Look." 

He showed her a button on the back, and pressed it. With a little click, a blade snapped straight out of it at lightning speed.

Nife's jaw dropped.

"A stiletto..." She whispered, grabbing at it. 

This time he opened his hand and let her take it.

"You can pretend it's jewelry and take it anywhere." He said. 

It was still frowned-upon, and partially illegal, for Druids to be armed in public.

She played with the mechanism, eyes alight with excitement, and she realized she was crouching over it like an obsessive creature, nearly unbalancing herself by leaning toward the gutter on the roof. She retracted the blade and traced her fingers over the moth design. It was narrow and fine, each piece fitting so perfectly it barely made a noise when the mechanism was triggered.

"So next time, defend yourself." Warren said, patting her back. "I know you can."

Nife picked up her head, suddenly comprehending why he'd given it to her. She covered her eyes, then turned and wrapped her arms around him, trying not to actively sob.

"I didn't know." He said over her shoulder. "I should've known."

"Should’ve known? I doubt that." Nife said, letting go with a sigh and sniff. She lay back onto the roof. She gazed at the stars, seeing Warren shaking his head moodily at himself, out of the corner of her eyes. She fidgeted with her thumbs over the beautiful stiletto, holding it above her head and feeling the tears drying off in the breeze.

"No, I should've known." Warren said.

"You're not all-powerful, bro."

"It's 'brother'." He said, turning back to her with an incredulous expression, which she met with a smirk.

He shook his head.

"After all this, we have to be even more careful. Father acts like these political issues are life-or-death."

"Maybe he's just a money-grubber."

"No. No, he's just very careful." Warren said. "I wish you wouldn't assume the worst like that..."

"But I always turn out to be right."

Warren sighed shortly, then stood up on the tilted roof and held out a hand. She took it, standing up.

"Just try not to unnecessarily piss off anybody else, please?" He said.

Nife frowned doubtfully.

"I'll try."

First chapter: Previous chapter: Next chapter:

Taglist: @tildeathiwillwrite @mimostic @fleur-a-whump @a-n-j-a-maria

Per Tumblr's content policy, this is the non-nsfw version of Dance of Death.

For anyone following along on this story that wants the canon NSFW version of the story for free, I’m posting this story on ao3 as well, part by part! You can get the full book right away on amazon for $0.99, but I just want to make it possible for anyone to access.

If you like this book, it would mean so much to me if you leave a review of Dance of Death on Amazon.

[mieux-de-se-taire]

Helena - MCR Interview

Stars & Scars Interview - 4/17/04

Paragraph 8

Interviewer: What song on “Three Cheers” means the most to you and why? Gerard: “Helena” -that’s my grandmother’s name, and it’s about her. Originally, I wanted the lyrics to be more directly about her. It ended up being more of a song about her writing to me. The lyrics are very aggressive. It’s more about me ragging on myself for being away so much. After we had toured for about a year and a half straight, she died the day after I got home. She had been in the hospital, so I couldn’t see her because I was sick, too. I got home, and the next morning I woke up and she was dead. I was very angry with myself for that. I didn’t regret it, obviously, because she would have wanted me on the road. The song’s very aggressive towards myself. That’s kind of what I do. That song definitely means the most. It’s awesome. It’s one of my favorite songs on the record.

/

MTV Backstage Pass Interview - 10/26/04

1:10-1:34

Gerard: I believe the next single's gonna be "Helena." Frank: I think that'd be good because it means so much to... (gestures) Mikey and Gerard. Gerard: Yeah, like, it's about-- it's about me and Mikey's grandma, who passed away, so it'll show kind of a little closer to what we're more about. Not that we're not about stuff like "Not Okay," but "Helena's" definitely more aggressive, and I think you'll find the record has more aggressive songs on it than "Not Okay."

/

Fuse Daily Download Interview + HD - 11/24/04

11:36-11:54 (HD 1:45-2:04)

Gerard: The next single, I think, is gonna be "Helena," right guys? Frank: Probably Gerard: Yeah, we're actually discussing a video right now. Steven Smith (Interviewer): What about the video, what kind of stuff? Gerard: Um, right now the only thing we're talking about is a funeral. Steven Smith: Yeah? Gerard: But we're also talking to Marc Webb again, who did the last video, 'cause we love-- he did such a great job. Steven Smith: It was awesome. Gerard: And he's talking about choreographed dancing.

/

Steven's Untitled Rock Show Interview - Feb/March 2005

0:32-0:53

Steven Smith (Interviewer): (After cutting back from the music video for "Helena") That was My Chemical Romance with "Helena." What was your favorite part about making that video, um any fond memories of creating it? It's kind of bizarre but very cool. Gerard: Yeah, well, um, the coolest thing was seeing the dancers for the first time, I think. It was a really hard video to make 'cause it's such a personal subject, but it was a really good closure-- I think that's what I'll take away from it-- me and Mikey especially.

/

KROQ Interview - 5/21/05

0:35-0:40

Gerard: (Responding to the prompt: favorite songs on the album (Three Cheers)) The most important song, to me and especially Mikey, on the record is "Helena" 'cause it's about our grandmother who passed away.

/

Rolling Stone Magazine Interview + alt - 6/18/05

Page 3, paragraph 11

The inspiration for much of Three Cheers came from the death of his maternal grandmother, Elena Lee Rush, in 2003. "Helena," [Gerard] says, "is an angry open letter to myself for being on the road so long and missing the last year of her life."

/

Kerrang #1072 - 7/23/05

Page 6

Gerard: When we did 'Helena', I knew it was going to be heavy. I was almost afraid of the song. I knew we were going to be singing it on TV, we were going to make a really expensive video; 'Helena' was going to become a thing, and I was afraid because I knew how great it was. When I showed up for the video shoot it was grim: it was set up like a funeral and it was like walking back into my grandma's funeral (the song is about her). We chose to use a young woman not so it connected with kids -- it was to make people take it more seriously. So that people could connect with it on a broader level; when somebody older dies, you kind of expect it, when somebody younger dies, it's more tragic.

Page 7, paragraph 4

Gerard: That's when 'Helena' happened. We had this song, which wasn't about anything, then all of a sudden I said, "I think I want to make this song about grandma". So from that point on, that's what the whole record became about: loss.

/

Galaxie Magazine Interview - Sep 2005

Page 2, paragraph 5

Interviewer: What does it feel like to suddenly be in the same league as the bands that influenced you? Do you feel like you're in competition to be heard? Gerard: It is actually flattering. You need to play the radio game (to be heard on national radio). We were worried about Helena because all these heavy-hitting records from Nine Inch Nails, Weezer, Foo Fighters, and System of a Down came out at the same time. All these major major platinum-selling bands dropped albums and, based on what had come before, we thought Helena was done. Then all of a sudden we noticed that it wasn't. Helena remained on the charts when other songs went away. Now we are not talking shit, but our song got bigger and it made us feel that we had a chance at making a career out of this. To be able to make music that is relevant for as long as possible, that's all we want.

/

Zero Magazine Interview - Oct-Nov 2005

Page 7, paragraph 2-4

Interviewer: Hence the record company's decision to re-release I'm Not Okay? Gerard: Re-releasing I'm Not Okay is more of a reintroduction to the band 'cause Helena has taken off. I'm Not Okay was like this very simple, direct song about multiple high school depressions, suicide attempts, alcoholism -- it's about being an outcast. So that's Not Okay. Helena was the one that really encapsulated the band so in a way I'm happy that Helena did better than Not Okay. It was a very personal song (it's about Gerard's late grandmother), and it was the song that shaped the record. It's the most important song on the record for me. It feels great to win stuff 'cause of the subject matter, but at the same time, what it's done to people is more rewarding than awards. Like I said, awards aren't always the most validating thing, so the fact that Helena touched so many lives, even in death, I think that is really what's amazing about it.

/

Matt Schichter Interview - 11/30/05

0:00-0:28, 13:11-13:16

Interviewer: First "Helena" 'cause that's my favorite song on the record. Gerard: Thank you Interviewer: Why don't you tell us a bit about the song, I know you wrote it about your grandma, not many people know that. Gerard: Yeah, me and Mikey's grandma passed away, um actually after the initial writing period for Revenge, and it had a very definite concept at that point, but after she died, it all kind of changed and became about really missing her. And that's really what a lot of the record is about. Interviewer: Do you still think about that when you sing the song live? Gerard: Yeah, that song in particular.

Interviewer: Song you've written you're most proud of? Gerard: "Helena." Mikey: Yeah, I'm gonna have to go with that one as well.

/

Spin 2005 Readers' Poll and Interview - Dec 2005

Page 2, paragraph 17-20

Interviewer (SpinMag): "Helena" was voted Best Song of 2005 by our readers. Did you ever think a song about a grandmother would become so huge? Gerard (NotOkayHelena): I did have some sense it was going to be huge, but it almost had to be to honor a woman so amazing. When she died, I told her we would make a record so fucking loud that she would hear it all the way in heaven...ot wherever it is you go. I was worried about it being huge because it was so personal--I didn't want to exploit my pain and her death. Interviewer: Did people accuse you of that? Gerard: Not to my knowledge. I was more concerned with my own accusations. You can't be in something unique and creative if you give a fuck what people say about you.

/

MTV Interview - Aug-Oct 2006

3:09-3:13

Gerard: (Drawing parallels between Jawbreaker's Dear You and Three Cheers) Like "Helena" is basically "Accident Prone," in a lot of ways.

/

Metal Hammer Interview - 1/11/07

Page 5, paragraph 3

Gerard: [The Black Parade is a] really personal record; this is us laying it out there. It changed things. It's not so much that as when I was doing 'Helena' though. That was a lot tougher because I wasn't really ready to deal with my grandmother's death so head-on, and then when we put the record out it was, 'OK, you're going to be dealing with this for the next eight months.' There was no death that spawned this record."

/

Kerrang #1142 - 1/17/07

Page 14, paragraph 4

Written in tribute to Gerard and Mikey's grandmother, the opener to 'Three Cheers...' was initially painful for Gerard to sing. "I remember one critic said something like, 'Why would you want to watch this guy run around onstage whining about his nana'. How fucking shitty a human being do you have to be to say that?

/

Metal Edge Magazine Interview - 3/10/07

Page 6, paragraph 6

Gerard: I was surprised, but we always knew that song had a lot of power because of what it was about. The video itself was like a time stamp. I was just excited to see something like that on MTV. It was a funeral--it was a rock band playinga funeral--you never saw anything like that on MTV before, and it was just awesome to see that. To so directly make people face death and look at death in that way--as not just a tragic thing, [but] as a celebratory thing at the same time, and have people to actually face that, I thought it was pretty incredible.

/

Ultimate Guitar Interview - 4/28/07

Paragraph 10

Interviewer: How would you describe the previous album musically? How did you intend to make The Black Parade different? Ray: I think in Revenge you're hearing a band that necessarily didn't find its legs yet. It didn't find what it truly was. I think that there are flashes of that in songs like Helena and Not Okay and some of the other tracks. But I think it was our first record that we had written with Frank. At that point, he had been touring with us for a while but still kind of a new member. The way that me and him kind of played together was very different from the way we play together now.

/

Kerrang Podcast Interview - 11/22/10

5:56-6:10

Gerard: (Responding to the prompt: if you could put one song in a time capsule to represent the band, what would it be and why?) Probably "Helena?" (points the mic towards Mikey) Mikey: Yeah, "Helena," definitely, absolutely. Yeah, that song I think encapsulates everything about us, and, you know, sonic quality, message, everything about it, yeah.

/

Grammy Museum Interview - 1/26/11

4:51-4:57

Frank: (In response to the question: what songs have been emotionally therapeutic for you, Frank specifically talking about how songs carry emotions and associations that arise during the writing process sometimes before hearing the lyrics and how the lyrical message of a song may differ from his personal connections with it, see 4:19 for more context) Like "Helena" I'm thinking about, you know, my wife, like when I play those parts.

/

The First Ever Podcast - 3/16/22

1:23:08-1:23:32

Frank: I remember recording with Mike Plotnikoff, who was the engineer for Howard Benson (producer of Three Cheers), and we went into "Helena," and I played my guitar parts for the chorus of that song. And I remember them hitting the space bar, and Plotnikoff like looked at me going, "Damn, that's a fucking chorus." And I remember being like "Yes!"

/

The Daily Beast Interview - 2022

Paragraph 18

Gerard: I lost my grandmother before we started writing ‘Revenge’ and that loss really impacted me, because she had been the person to sit with me and teach me how to draw or make me go to the piano with her. And she would play and she would make me sing along with her and stuff, so that we had a really amazing relationship. So it was that loss and wanting to get over that loss and kind of triumph over that loss to kind of make her proud that drove me in songs like ‘Helena.’

/

Two Minutes to Late Night Interview - 8/15/22

17:48-18:08

Frank: There's a few songs off [Three Cheers] that we do-- have played a lot, you know. I mean, of course like "Helena" or "Not Okay." And what's funny about say like songs like that, or even "Venom," that we've done so often, you would think that they would start to get unfun or annoying, and they don't.

/

One Life One Chance Interview - 10/31/22

39:11-39:45

Frank: And then "Helena" they were like "Alright, we're gonna put this as like a second single." And I remember there was a time like when the-- they put the single out, and there was like a week or 2 where like we got sat down by like the radio people, and they were like "Hey, you know, we tried really hard. We're sorry." And we were like "What? Sorry? This is amazing!" And then all of a sudden, like the next week, it took off, and it became like the bigger-- it became bigger than "Not Okay," and that was like-- I think everyone's surprised that that happened, and we were just like "Okay," like-- "hey, listen, either way is great."

[alrikhart]

@prcspero location: Hrimthur's Wasteland notes: After the events of The Last Night

Asylum. Plague. Death. The wheel did not care if a person was young, or afraid. It certainly did not care what they wanted. The wheel had called them to this, whether they could bear it or not. Alrik had cracked the night his life had gone up in flames, broken down in the mines - what could be left now but shards? Pointed, sharp, and prepared to cut down anything that stood between himself and his sister.

The sun burned at the edge of the horizon and cast shadows over the cold wasteland through the sparse, dead trees that protruded through the ice. In the far distance, Alrik had caught sight of a few hints of game; cunning arctic foxes that might as well have been tricks of the light. Overhead Valr returned with nothing but rodents snatched from their shallow burrows, or in the brief stretch of time they spent skittering up a tree. Perhaps his bird would die from the blight next, it seemed capable of claiming enough.

Alessia did not die. Alrik would have known. He'd have felt it if his sister had passed. Since dawn had broken over the last night at Nornwatch Keep, he'd held onto this. Stubborn as the bedrock below the snow they treaded across; the Iskaran would not accept anything until he saw it with his own eyes.

Taken, they had said, but for why, none of the Legion would say. They marched towards an outpost and prepared to make camp where they could. In makeshift tents before the midnight sun could dip below the horizon and bathe the cold world in an even colder dark.

Alrik, dotted with the ashes of those that had been burned, marched beside Prospero alongside the Iskaran survivors. More lived than had been killed, but there were fewer now; which meant fewer mouths to feed.

"Do you know the story of the dvergar?" Alrik looked off towards nothing but the horizon and the fading light as he spoke. Face marred black in places by the ashes of his kinmen, he didn't wait for Prospero's response before he spoke.

"Before our world was broken, it is said that dwarves once ran the mines beneath Iskaldrik, that our nation was their home, and our great city the jewel of their creation. King Hrimthur's people toiled and worked alongside the jotunn, crafting armaments and machinery that would put any Lysaran vessel to shame." Distinct, Iskaran notation curved around the syllables with curt, sharp remarks as he remembered the way his father once cast shadows on the wall from the forge as he retold the tale. "My father told me that the dvergar dug too deep and found evil in the place of gold. I laughed," Alrik looked to the druid next to him, "then I asked him ' but then why we keep digging?"

"Because, Alrik, he said." Blue eyes looked back towards the horizon as he tried to remember where his sister had been during the story. Had she been there? It was so long ago now. "men never know when to quit. So I asked him, 'what happened to the dvergr, faðir?' Then he told me, why little drengr, we're standing on them." Alrik laughed because he remembered how his father had spooked him, tickled him, and laughed. The story was not funny though, hardly then, and not now. Unlike then, his laughter was flightless now, bitter as nightshade.