#are there no true knights among queue | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

sendyefrogs · 4 years ago

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wish you cared

a/n: this was a rollercoaster to write, and through tears, all i say is, osamu big himbo :/ tw: swearing word count: 3.9K (lot of word ;-;) pairing: osamu x gn!reader genre: angst (if it’s not very good, pls forgiveness, internet person)

The late nights with the light breathy words, whispered discussions, the iridescent illumination of the screen on you face, exchanging words that would have neither rhyme nor reason when the next day greeted you. But not a day went by that you didn’t giggle to yourself, alone in your room, as your eyes skimming over the words that Osamu’s fingers carelessly typed out. And you knew, before you realized, you knew in the deepest of hearts that you were gradually falling for the inane spiker, that this was your middle school infatuation. Little did you realize that this was not, in fact, an infatuation but rather something that would plague you for years, building up for years, overwhelming you, pouring out, resulting in meaningless words and broken hearts.

But for now, it was no different than normal, your heart skipping a beat as he replied to every message of yours, head whirling with possibilities of what he would say next, feeling slightly giddy if you were to describe the emotion you experienced.

The truth was that talking to Osamu Miya, it was like being intoxicated. Not that you truly knew what it meant to be in such a state, but this was what you imagined it to be like. Always waiting for more, desiring to keep going, for the night to just still right then so you may converse endlessly, not having to worry about your mundane duties as the moonlight that shone through your windows left you feeling light-headed and weightless.

But the moon always set to give way to a new day, where you could see him in real time, but none of it felt as ethereal as the late-night talks, as intimate as it was when it was just the two of you alone, as scandalous as it felt spending hours mindlessly revealing the tiniest details of yourself to him.

You’d hoped, of course, that things wouldn’t change when time came for high school; the time, most say, is when old relationships are forgotten, the path to the future is forged, a future you hoped still entailed the time you spent with the Miya twins and Suna. You weren’t ready to move on from Osamu yet, you’d never really gotten to know if he returned the emotions you experienced. And so, you ended up a freshman at Inarizaki High, manager for the volleyball team, an integral part of the group.

You were content. Or so you thought.

Y/n was not someone who forgot easily. This was a thought that occasionally graced the train of thought that ran across Osamu Miya’s mind. They hadn’t forgotten when he said he preferred citrus drinks over plain water, hadn’t forgotten the day he’d mentioned that onigiris were his favorite, or the time he’d wished someone would make him a playlist for when he cooked.

A thought that sprang to mind as he sipped on his lemon water every practice, you beside him, mocking Atsumu, or having sarcastically enthusiastic conversations with Sunarin, or tilting your head upwards to smile at him and telling him about your day while he chuckled lightly.

A thought that crossed his mind every time you cheerfully called out his name during lunch, plopping your pale blue lunchbox on the table, bringing out an onigiri for him every other day, leading to much whining by Atsumu, but he liked it; he was special to you, not his brother, not Sunarin, it was him.

A thought that occurred to him as he put on his headphones, clicking on the song queue you made for him, one that was admittedly perfect for his cooking, calming enough for him to know what he doing, yet passionate enough for him to feel inspired. He never told anyone, but each dish he procured after a day’s cooking, was modelled after a particular song you spent day picking out to put in his playlist; one that was just for him.

He liked being special in your eyes. It made him feel like he was at the top of the world. He noticed, even if you didn’t realize, he noticed everything you did for him. Your encouragement for him at volleyball matches slightly louder than for the rest, not enough for anyone to realize but enough for him to spike the ball down stronger as your voice drowned out the crowds’ cheers for him. The sound of happiness you made eating his food, always motivating him, telling him that he was the best chef you’d ever met. The subtle blush that spread across your face as he patted your head, ruffled your hair. How a simple smile from him could light up your face, no matter how bad you’d been feeling before that.

And how could he ever forget the conversations you had under the covers of darkness? The night only rejuvenated his hope that you were only his, your gentle words and stupid memes, the quiet chuckling under his blankets that made Atsumu throw a pillow at him, yelling at him to take his ‘lover boy’ talks elsewhere.

That was the part he disliked. He was fond of you, of everything you did for him, of how you made him feel like he could do anything when you smiled at him. But it wasn’t a crush. You were his friend. Not everything was about romance. Just because your face made every day, and night, of his better, it did not mean he had to be in love with you. You weren’t exceptionally attractive or anywhere close to the type he preferred, so why did people assume he was in love with you?

For some reason, however, he couldn’t utter those words to you. He knew, that you liked him, else why would you do so much for him? But he chose to ignore it, because if the truth came out and you decided to part ways with him seeing as nothing would ever come out of your efforts, he couldn’t bear it. He needed you. He wanted you.

But not in the way you wanted him. So, he kept you around, no matter how selfish that was.

“Good work, captain!” You smile at Kita-san, handing him a water bottle, quickly moving down the line. “Good work, dipshit.” You toss the bottle to Atsumu who stuck his tongue out at you. “Work, Suna,” you teased and received an eyeroll in response. Handing out all the bottle and murmuring ‘good work’, you finally moved to Osamu.

You loved the whole team and spending time with all of them was something that you adored, but you always saved the last bottle for Osamu. You were sure to keep it separate from the other ones, tucked in the pocket of the basket you carried so you didn’t mistake it for another bottle.

“Here ya go Osamu, good work today! You’re getting so much better.” You face away from him, towards the pair that were walking towards you now that they had a small break.

“Thanks y/n. So, did you decide who you would like as your partner for the English project the teacher assigned us? I mean Sunarin and Atsumu would be glad to have you as their partner too, seeing as you’re the genius among us.” He brought his face down closer, attempting a mocking tone, but it came out as a genuine whisper, directly sounding in your ear, that made a shiver run down your spine.

“W-well, I h-haven’t really decided yet, but I-I was thinking we could work together.” His proximity had flustered you. Your face tilted slightly upwards to him, and only then did you realize that god fucking dammit he’s too close, I can’t think like this. The thumping of your heart against your chest didn’t help either, or the fact that he, apparently, didn’t understand how much you affected him.

You collected yourself before you stuttered anymore. However, barely a word passed your lips that you were interrupted. “Ay lovebirds. This is still a public place. Yer too close to them, ‘Samu. Do you not see how red they’re turning?” You blink twice and throw a punch at the blond, missing completely in your embarrassed state, end up crossing your arms while the two laughed.

“Aw did I say something wrong though? Are you upset I exposed you to your knight in shining covers? Ya talk way too much with him at night. Do you even get any sleep?”

“Just shut up, ‘Tsumu.” Gathering up all the bottles, you walk away, too discomposed to face Osamu after what his twin said. It was probably already obvious to him, but you didn’t want to be humiliated like this in front of someone you held so dear. At the water cooler, you realize you’ve forgotten to bring Osamu’s bottle in your hurry to get as far away from him at that moment as possible. “Fuck.”

You turn back towards the gym.

The three boys watched y/n almost sprint away, laughing lightly. He can feel two sets of eyes on him, and the question echoes in his head. When are you confessing ‘Samu? He wasn’t. How could he when it would just be a lie? He didn’t want to be unfair with you, you deserved a shot at true love. But then again, he wasn’t exactly giving you a chance here was he? Keeping you bound to him, avoiding conversations about admitting romantic intentions, flustering you just for a reaction when he knows, he knows what he does to you.

“You should confess ‘Samu.” His brother’s voice sounded out, unusually soft and serious. Sunarin eyed him, seemingly thinking the same words, but not uttering them. This was the last straw. He had grown tired of people asking him about his affection for y/n, he didn’t realize how or when, but he had. He didn’t want to keep having to repeat the same tactics over and over, dodge and deflect. He was done talking about you in his free time, time he would much rather spend with you than about you, and people just didn’t seem to get it.

“Can you shut the fuck up?” The words came out as a snarl, his temper rising too high too fast. “I don’t fucking like y/n, they’re not my type. I just keep them around because I know they care.” He inhaled, avoiding all the staring eyes of his teammates. The words had come out unintentionally hostile, but he was glad he’d said them. “I mean, have you seen them? They’re not really attractive or interesting at all. It’s just because they make me feel special that they still hang around with us, that I let them hang with us.” His secret came spilling out and he didn’t regret it; he was glad to finally get it off his chest.

Atsumu and Suna, however, weren’t listening to him anymore. They were both staring past him, at the sight behind him, which Osamu whirled around to see. You were standing completely still, arms trembling at your sides, basket of bottles at your feet, eyes glassy.

The whole team followed you with their gaze as you quietly walk to the captain, bow without opening your eyes, murmur out an apology and exit the gymnasium as fast as you could. It was not a swift recognition of what had happened, but Osamu understood eventually that it was his words that had caused this. His brother and Suna merely stood there, shock evident in their eyes. “So, you were just taking advantage of them?” Osamu’s head whipped up at the soft voice of his captain. His words were calm but his expression was one of silent fury. “Do you truly realize how much you broke them with those few sentences? You may not have understood it but, we can all see it. They don’t just care for you, they love you. More than you’ve ever loved anything in your life.”

Osamu was overwhelmed, to say the least. He never intended to hurt you like that, but it had happened. Now, what of all those late-night talks and secret shared smiles? What of the playlists you made for him and the encouraging words you whispered to him before a game? What of his onigiri supply that you procured for him from your little blue lunchbox and the motivating comments you gave him on his cooking?

Before he could stop it, the stinging behind his eyes gave way to tears. Not because he loved you, he still didn’t harbor any romantic intentions towards you, he didn’t want to. But because his heart ached at the thought of being away from you, at the idea of losing you to another group of people, at the realization that you belonged with him.

Belonged with him, just as friends.

Your legs couldn’t carry you away fast enough. It was bad enough that you learnt that someone you’d been in love with for years now, had just been using you, but it was worse that he admitted clearly it in front of a group of people that you adored. The shattering of your heart as he spoke masked the quiet chatter of his teammates at the display. The humiliation seeped through you, the pitying glances of the team piercing you as Osamu’s words echoed in your ears - have you seen them … not my type … let them hang with us … keep them around … not attractive or interesting.

If that was what he really thought, then why did he let you make those advances? Why did he let you make a laughing stock out of yourself by doing so much for him? Why did he make you believe that he was equally interested, staying up late with you, returning the same energy you exuded?

You knew why now – he wanted to be special. He wanted to bask in the passion that you showed towards him without having to reciprocate any of the emotions. And you gave him that every day, didn’t you? Making him a separate water bottle, bringing him an onigiri, compiling playlists for him, asking him to work with you on the project even if it usually ends up with you doing all the work so you can keep up your grades?

Everything you did, you did for him. What hurt most was that he had been there for you too. He was, in all truth, your best friend. He knew every insecurity, every desire.

The time when your grades plummeted because you stayed up too late, he was there to comfort you, hold your hand and let you lean on his shoulder, cry in fear of what your parents would say, murmuring in low voices about things he did that day to distract you. The time you had refused to leave your room for days after watching that terribly sad anime, he was there to knock some sense into you, but he also laid gentle kisses on your forehead and let you explain ‘everything that was wrong with the world’. The time that he snuck into your bedroom at night just because you mentioned that you were bored and wanted to meet him; cuddling with him until he fell asleep, so you let him stay the night, waking up with his arm around your waist.

And yet, he had absolutely no hesitation in bad-mouthing you in front of everyone you were close with. Did none of that mean anything to him?

Even as the tears streamed down your face, the anger built up slowly, creeping out of you, staying with you long after your face was dry and eyes were left red. And that’s when you decided – Miya Osamu wasn’t special to you anymore. First things first, you had to sort out a few things; your life revolved around the gray-haired spiker. Well, no more.

Pulling out your phone, a text message is sent just a quickly as it is typed out.

y/n [13:25] hey tsumu, I need a partner for the English project. Do it with me or you suck. You were deflecting your emotions with humor, and yet if his face came to mind, you would breakdown right where you stood.

tsum-tsum [13:27] y/n! oh god, where are you????

y/n [13:30] um, home? Where else would I be?

tsum-tsum [13:31] are you okay? I think you should let ‘Samu explain himself. I’m sure he didn’t mean any of that. It was probably all just a lie, just so he didn’t have to answer us.

y/n [13:40] Atsumu I know yer his brother but you don’t have to cover for him like this. He said what he said. We all heard him loud and clear. It’s alright, each to their own ig.

tsum-tsum [13:42] y/n I know what he did is wrong but hes locked himself in his room and he needs to process his feelings. Yer the only one who can talk to him, so please please im begging, help him out.

y/n [13:50] I appreciate the offer but I will have to decline. It’s not often you find out yer being used by someone you love, and you rarely want to see their face after.

tsum-tsum [13:51] love? tsum-tsum [13:51] you actually love him?

y/n [13:52] ah fuck. don’t tell him I said that, I don’t want him to know this now, after he told us how he feels. y/n [13:53] Tsumu? Hello?? y/n [13:53] please don’t do it.

Osamu felt… empty. It was like he couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink, couldn’t think. He was sat on his bed, staring at his phone. He tried to contact you, but none of his calls went through and his texts were undelivered. Was this how it was going to be? No more midnight conversations, no more spontaneous gifts, no more affection or encouragement? He had never implied that he wanted a relationship with you, then why were you so broken?

He never intended anything romantic… did he?

He was a fucking liar and he knew it. He knew what he was doing when he snuck into your room to spend the night with you. He knew what he does when he puts his arms around you and buries his face in the crook of your neck, seeking comfort. He knew how you felt every time he stood behind you, your breathing slightly faster, a faint blush running down your neck, struggling not to stutter over your words.

Osamu wanted to scream. Everything about you was adorable. When you weren’t with him, it ached. His arms itched to wrap themselves around you, forehead leaning against yours, your lips moving against his ears, telling him that it would be okay when the coach yelled at him; calming him down when Atsumu got on his nerves; making him smile when nothing went his way. You were there, since middle school, and he never got tired of being around you.

You were his as he was yours. And he…

He loved you.

The tears finally came. Messy and fast, moans escaping his lips through the suppressed sound of hiccups, tears welling up and spilling over no matter how hard he tired to wipe them away. The door slammed open and a furious Atsumu grabbed him by his collar. Osamu could barely fight back, much too devasted as the words he said in the gymnasium came echoing back to him. He loathed himself, for saying all that, even as he knew, you were the light in his life.

Atsumu was yelling at him but the words fazed past him. Out of the blue, his face stung, a slap landed squarely on his face. “Yer so stupid, ‘Samu. They loved you. They loved you and this is how you respond?” Only at Osamu’s sobbing calls for you did Atsumu realize that maybe, maybe his brother had finally understood his own emotions. “Are ya- are ya okay?” The blond wrapped an arm around his twin, pulling him in close while the latter wept, for minutes, hours. It was his own fault, for not seeing all the signs and now he had lost you forever. “It’s not forever ‘Samu. Not if you fix it right now. Do you really want to give them up?”

Cries slipped past Osamu’s lips. No, no he didn’t.

The fervent knocks on your door gave way to the shaking figure of Miya Osamu, his hands balled up in fists, head aimed downwards as quiet sobs escaped his mouth. “Y- y/n.” His arm wiped across his face, failing miserably to compose him. “Pl-please talk to me. I can’t stay away from you any longer.”

Merely the sight alone was almost enough for you to reach out to him; almost. “Go away Miya. I would like to retain my dignity, thank you very much.” You reached to swing the door shut, only to be blocked by a trembling arm. There were no words but you could see it in his eyes – something, something had changed. It was saddening, watching the strong, self-confident spiker fall to his knees at your bedroom door, no longer able to hold it open.

You’d tried all your life to pry open the door between the two of you, making every effort to keep you both close, getting along with his friends, cutting off ties with anyone he didn’t deem fit to interact with you. You did it for him – but you were tired; holding the door open this long, it hurt, a deep ache that pulled on your heart strings; binding you to him but at what cost?

“I wish-,” your voice came out quivering, your lips carefully trying to form words around the lump in your throat. Osamu glanced up, gazing at your through watery eyes, hopeful, longing. “I wish you would have told me, before I invested so much of myself. But then again, I should have realized, that when something seems too good to be true, Miya, it usually is.”

He gets up slowly and reaches to you, with shivering fingers, but you step back and his fingers clench into a loose fist, eyes showing emotions that have never graced his face before. Atsumu promised, it’s probably not too late yet. You can still convince them. But behind your stained face, was resignation. You were no longer his. He had lost you, the ground underneath him crumbling away, the thread that you had so carefully woven the only thing connecting the both of you.

A thread, that could not bear anymore weight. Before he could say anything to bring back what you had before, you spoke. “I’m sorry – I’m sorry I wasn’t everything you wanted. But I’m done. My heart is tired of being played with.” You glanced at him with determination clear in your eyes.

“N-no, no please y/n. Let me explain.”

“I think, I think this is goodbye Miya Osamu. I hope you find someone who made the moon seem as beautiful to you, as you did for me.” With that, you gave him a forlorn smile, shutting off the door that connected you to him, snapping any threads surrounding you. Not another word was exchanged ever.

And yet, at that moment, you were tied, sitting on either of your mahogany bedroom door, weeping for someone you would never have.

#haikyuu angst #haikyuu x gender neutral reader #haikyuu x reader #miya osamu #osamu angst #osamu x you #haikyuu osamu #osamu miya #miya osamu x y/n #miya osamu x reader #miya osamu angst #haikyuu miya osamu #haikyuu miya #haikyuu!!#haikyuu

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ulircursed · 2 years ago

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Amid all the gloom and doom, there have been rumours of a pop-up ice cream parlor come to lighten the mood. Trouble is, it’s a fairly exclusive set-up, and is never seen twice in the same place. Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to receive an invitation, or have a friend who can show you the way. The Ice Creamatory welcomes all who should find their way. But as you leave, delicious treat in hand, one of the letters on the sign falls, revealing the shop’s true name: The Ice Crematory - which begs the question: just what have you all actually been eating…? Better go stop the shopkeeper from running if you’d like to find out. [Grants Riding +1]

Andrei had attributed the ashy texture to the fact that the parlor had been set up in the secluded area behind the smithy, an assumption he is quickly learning had been made in too much good faith.

It started with the crash of a ceramic jar shattering on the ground, another clang, and then a few seconds later, a shrill scream. Already a few dozen paces away with ice cream in hand, Andrei turns, expecting an assault or altercation of some sort. Instead, the queue before the ice-cream cart had broken apart, mutterings quickly turning louder as fingers are pointed in the direction of the cart and its owner. Andrei thought he heard 'is that human??' and 'guess it's good nutrition...' amidst the flurry of noise.

Then there are more shrieks from the crowd as a horse neighs, and the owner cuts through on horseback, scattering the crowd and passing mere feet away from Andrei as he crashes down a side road.

What...? Stunned for a moment, he stands for a moment too long — long enough to capture the attention of the nearest customers. "Hey, you're from the monastery, aren't you? Do something about this!!" One of the villagers demands of Andrei suddenly. "I—" Caught off guard, Andrei finds himself at a loss for an accurate response. Not affirmative, perhaps, but at the same time, he couldn't quite deny his ties to the monastery at this point.

(It is the only place in the world he is still allowed to belong, is it not?)

The crowd doesn't give him time to answer, anyhow, pointing him in the direction that the owner had ridden off in. Setting his tainted ice cream down among the other discarded, Andrei turns away with nothing but a noise of vague acknowledgement, heading towards the direction the man had ridden off in.

Really, he had no obligation to do this. While it is appalling that the customers, himself included, had been fed... that (and why, he had no clue. it couldn't be about nutrition, that was absurd), it is also a crime that is difficult to prosecute, and that is if they manage to find the perpetrator at all. And considering the gathered people were so quick to shunt the duty off to the first monastery-affiliated individual they could find, it is likely none of them exactly held much hope for a resolution either.

The road ahead is nearly deserted when he turns onto the path leading towards the stables, save for one lone figure in a dark hood. In broad daylight as well... Odd, certainly. Could this be the owner himself, giving up the escape after just a short ride? Narrowing his eyes, Andrei approaches the figure, until he ends up close enough to reach out a hand, whirling him around—

"Wh— Knoll." Recognition colors Andrei's tone as the hooded man's identity becomes clear, one of his opponents from the 'game' of the month past. He quickly lets go of the other man's shoulder. "...Have you seen a dark-haired man on horseback riding through here?" he asks after an awkward silence. There is no harm in asking, and if he manages to complete the task thrusted upon him, perhaps it could be a show of good faith among the Knights...

(No, best not to think that far.)

@pryings

ashes to ashes

#i'm sorry for the delay!!! and for it being This Long sobs it's just setup so don't worry about matching length!#pryings #➵ knoll 02 #also i googled it and feeding people ashes is indeed illegal under modern law :relieved:#but andrei does not have a fodlan law degree / maybe the law works differently in war crime school and its surrounding properties anyway

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theblackmarketofsanseroche · 5 years ago

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The Beautiful (Series) - Renee Ahdieh

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Beautiful is a new series by American author Renee Ahdieh. This series contains all of my favourite elements of YA: period romance, the supernatural, magic and the 19th century aesthetic. A series I truly enjoyed reading despite not having a long lasting impact on my emotions or memory after finishing, yet having left melooking foward to the third ( as of yet unanounced) installment (because trust me there cannot not be a spectaluar, final showodwn after that conclusion).

I shall dicuss this as an overall series, having only discovered the first installment a few weeks back and having devoured the highly interlinked volumes, both in a couple of days. Spoilers ahead: Warning!. I found our main charcter Celine to be truly enojoyable and not a laughable stock image of the typical strong female protagonist who is not like other girls ( although Celine is most definitely not like other girls). She’s quick witted, unapologetically true and forthcoming, qualities I truly enjoy seeing in historical fiction as they set aside the stereotypical 19th century woman, a second class citizen longing to be rescued by a knight in shining armour.

This series does wonders for inclusivity and giving racial minorities important roles. We have an Indian lawyer, biracial protagonists who progress into an interracial romance, queer characters and a former slave made business-man all under the esotheric skies of New Orleans: a place of rebirth, in more ways than one; wrapped in a noir, captivating vail of beauty.

As well as a fresh cast of characters, we still enocounter some tropes as old as time which, I must confess, I am a true sucker for. Queue our mesmerising love intrest Sebastien: edgy badboy in the first book, tormented and lovesick protagonist in the sequel. Though I am not the type to swoon over romance I found it impossible to resist the heartbreak and entaglement between Bastein and Celine, an amost retelling of the infamous star crossed lovers Romeo and Juliette, if only bloodieer and more magical. It is perhaps this element that makes my heart ache for the tormented heir of the Saint German empire, who longs to be a better man for his beloved whilst still maintaining a truly badass facade.

This series has acheived the impossible: the redemption of the ever meme-tastical Twilight, the embodiment of shame among vampire novels. These vampires posses a dark aura around them that will drag you to a far more enchanting world, although not the most complex, without ever sparkling. The way Ahdieh costructs the supernatural elements of this story is just what I love to see (even though the feys were a little unexpected and, at first, seemed to almost comedically clash against the goth-y vampires, until we begin to understand the true nature of the fight between this rapresentation of Light and Dark.)

From a writing point of view, I found a couple of slightly irking details. The first, originally noted in the first installment of the series, is the occasioanlly awkward phrasing which forces the reader to skim sentences a couple of times to grasp them well. Another element that I hope will dispear in the third book is the use of alternation between first person and third person point of views. In The Beautiful, our anatgonist was wrapped in complete mystery, and the use of present first person POV worked beautifully in giving the reader the sinister feeling of something malicious lurking in the shadows, allowig us to feel just as Celine does and keeping us on the edge of our seats. Unfortunately, this doesnt work as well in the sequel, The Damned, as all the first person POV are Bastien’s chapters which, whilst giving us more insight on his previously mysterious character, fail to deliever the edge this writing technique had in the first book.

Narrative wise, as already mentioned, the sequel brings far more depth to this world than the first pictoresque scenery of New Orleans presented us with. Although, as it is a little unexpected, it takes some getting used to. The fey world our protagonists become heavily involed with seems rather cheesy at times and something out of Lord Of The Rings, which seems to clash almost too much with the vampire, Tim Burton-esque world of vampires. However, it is just this immersion into the broader world that allows us to learn more about the history of vampires themselves and although I would not have admitted it at first, it only works by having the book told mostly from Bastien’s POV, which therefore heightened the whole reveal about Celine’s mother and her royal heriatge in the Otherworld.

A key element of this series which I truly enjoyed is the tragic and passionate romance that prevails against all odds. Although in the first book it appears a mild case of instalove masked as turbulent physical attarction, it becomes far more concreate towards the end and believeable, especially in the second book, where our star crossed lovers are willing to sacrifice their lives for the sake of the other. What I particularly enjoyed is the conflict within Celine when it comes to Bastien and Michael. I grew to hate love triangles after The Infernal Devices ( I have more than several probems with said series and its author despite my love for Will Herondale). However, what we find in The Beautiful isn’t a constant back and forth on what boy should Celine choose. She’s strong willed and follows her heart more than anyone or anything else. The conflict is far more real as it presents as struggle between her heart ( which longs for Bastien despite her blurred memories of him) and her head (which knows a lady in this era should long for a good, respectable husband such as clever detective Michael Grimaldi).

Now, where does this leave us in regards to the third book? If I have to (SPOILER) give my opinion, I think Ahdieh might pull a Twilight twist on us but actually execute it in a logical way: by the time The Damned ends, we have two lovers heirs to two rival thrones and a long to reuinite and restore peace in the Sylvan world. Plus, with the constant talk of legacies, heirs and family, it would be fair to assume we may face yet another half vampire pregnancy in YA. However, far more is yet to be revealed, plenty of characters still hide secrets, a pack longs for a leader, a man has been betrayed by his beloved and we may have met a new antagonist, far more evil than the werewolf full of hatred that has set motion the conclusion of the series as of yet.

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elenatria · 6 years ago

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How to turn a London Con trip into a “Chernobyl” trip.

I’m home so I can finally make this post.

Where to start.

Okay-

Let’s start with “Chernobyl”. It happened a few months ago, fell on our heads like a nuclear bomb. We all loved the protagonists but Viktor Charkov, the KGB chairman, is also a memorable, creepy, hateful character who got under our skin with the cold truth of his words, the harsh reality of his behaviour. He was too real, too pragmatic to be ignored. From stories I’ve been told in person, he’s no different than the executive arms of tyrants we had here not more than forty years ago. He exists. People like him live among us.

As for the actor himself, so strange. See, there is no mention of Alan Williams’ age on IMDB or Wikipedia and that’s enough to show that, apart from his theatre, TV and film work, little is known about him. Where to find him, contact him, he’s too old to care about social media and apparently he never was too sought out, not with a “face like a bagful of donuts” as he jokes.

But I was thrilled. I wrote the first chapter of “A single bullet” after watching “Chernobyl” and I just had to show it to this elusive low-profile thespian who inspired me. Because... I don’t know, because. Just to say “Thanks for doing a magnificent job. Thanks for helping me understand evil.”

So I tried contacting his agent. I gave her my name and nationality. I thought I’d just send her the link and forget about it.

Apparently, she forgot about it too because I never heard from her.

After a month London Con was upon us, but what to do in the evenings? Plays of course. I booked a ticket for “The woman in black” and “The Hunt” with Tobias Menzies. Then I searched and searched for Alan Williams plays but, to my dismay, he had finished playing Ivan Romanovich Chebutykin in “Three sisters” at the beginning of June and his new play, “Faith, hope and charity”, wouldn’t premiere before September. Just my luck to be in London in between the two plays. No stage door queue, no autographs.

After spending a full Saturday at London Con and Sunday at the British Museum, Monday had to be a day of leisure. A free concert at St Martin-in-the-Fields before lunch was all I was capable of attending, drag my steps towards the closest bus stop that would drop me off… wherever. I didn’t care.

But then I decided to read my post from the previous day about managing to buy a ticket for “The girl on the train” at the very last minute and meeting Alex Ferns, the naked miner. The unexpected ticket, the unexpected hug.

Now how difficult would it be to meet an actor who is NOT doing a play at the moment?

Very very difficult, confirmed one voice.

He’s rehearsing for ‘Faith, hope and charity’, isn’t he? disagreed another. He must be. It’s almost August and the play opens in September. He’s at work right now. He must be!!!

I googled and googled for almost an hour. I found that “Faith, hope and charity” would be staged at the Dorfman theatre near Waterloo station so I called the stage door. I explained to the receptionist that I did not know Mr Williams in person but I was visiting London for only a few days, was a big fan of his work in “Chernobyl” and I would really love to greet him. The man on the phone was very helpful revealing that this was their first day of rehearsing (the incredible coincidence!) and they had started only… an hour ago. He asked my name and I said “Well… you can say Eleni”, I mean, who needs my complicated surname, right? The guy said he’d save my number and let Mr Williams know.

Oh god.

But I couldn’t just sit there waiting for a call, I’d never get that call, come on.

So I rushed to the Dorfman Theatre. I was breaking my brain trying to figure out how I could get the Charkov chapter of “A single bullet” printed in a district with no stationary shops whatsoever. I was hoping I could… shove it into his face I don’t know, and later imagine he’d be reading it. He didn’t really have to read it, just nod condescendingly and lie that he would, and that would be enough to put a smile on my face. Just like all those toys and drawings people give to celebs at cons that end up in the hands of volunteers, assistants or charities, if not in the trash.

When I got there I talked to a different receptionist, a very professional, very unhelpful young man. For safety reasons he wasn’t supposed to disclose neither the time they’d finish nor the time of recess. For safety reasons I had to go through Mr Williams’ agent to get to him. Outrageous, the woman didn’t even forward my story to him, let alone give me permission to meet him. I was hopeless, I was being turned down. I was being an idiot.

“But they must have a lunch break, right??” I insisted. “Can’t I just wait outside?”

That guy was a goddamn sphinx, and the helpful guy was still talking on the phone or to some lady there, I don’t remember, so I couldn’t reach out to him. Suddenly I felt unnecessarily needy as if I was sitting on the subway floor, shaking my hat to passers-by, clinging my few coins. How humiliating.

With heavy steps I exited the theatre. Why is it so complicated, why do I need someone else’s “permission”? I’m not a child. I looked around, it was a sunny day, people were sitting in coffee tables out in the patio. Some tables were empty but I didn’t care, I just sat on a column by the entrance, far enough to not be seen by the receptionists and feel like shit for lingering, close enough to catch anyone exiting.

For an hour and a half I crouched over my phone trying to figure out how to contact the agent without sounding too stalkery. I called the agency but the girl on the phone gave me the same email address where I had sent my fic. Fine. I changed the wording of my message again and again so as not to sound too needy or creepy even if I knew it wouldn’t work.

I knew I had missed my concert for no reason and I would soon have to leave because who doesn’t like giving up? It’s better to give up than stress over something that’s never gonna happen. It always is.

I was seconds away from clicking “send” and making a fool of myself to the agent for a second time when I thought I saw someone, a towering presence stopping a few meters away, looking over, hesitating, waiting.

I raised my head.

There he was, three-dimensional, bathed in sunlight. Not an image in my head anymore.

Believe me when I say that I was staring at Gandalf, Santa Claus, the Grail Knight from “Indiana Jones”, the Big Bad Wolf.

I honestly don’t know what I was staring at.

But there he was, in all his elderly silver-bearded glory. A myth in my mind, in the flesh. How did he know I was there? I didn’t tell anyone. I was supposed to be hiding.

After nanoseconds of deer-like stun I did the polite thing and jumped on my feet, ready for a handshake. I mean, I had to stand up, right? He had come out just for me.

Shit. What had I done? The nerve.

The first thing I remember noticing when I got closer were his faded blue eyes with a distinguishable light-shaded rim circling the iris. The rest was just word vomit, how we all love him on tumblr, write fics, make memes etc.

Memes?

I described to him the “Try me, bitch” edit we all love, courtesy of @two-screaming-rats.

He didn’t get it at first, then he laughed so HARD, so damn hard. You guys have to see Charkov laughing his heart out.

He said he only had a few minutes before he had to go back to the rehearsal so I decided to start the conversation with the Charkov fanfics. He was quick to apologize for not answering my email. “I’m sorry but… but I honestly don’t know what to say when someone sends me a story,” he admitted humbly. “I read all of them but… I mean I’ve been sent stories based on my characters before but I really wouldn’t know what to say.”

Okay first of all, he read my story. I don’t know if he read it a month ago when I sent it or minutes before he exited the theatre to greet me but he did.

Secondly, there are more stories about his characters? WHERE.

“I’m not a writer anyway,” I said apologetically.

The unexpected reassurance. “But you are.”

I guess one doesn’t have to be The Writer™, they just have to write. What a way to be courteous to a fan though.

Then I mentioned how we love Charkov’s trademark, his glasses, how we’re frantically looking for ‘80s-looking glasses, how we obsess over specific frames and brands.

“They’re not a brand,” he clarified, “they were specifically made for me, they’re an exact replica of Viktor Chebrikov’s glasses. Just like our clothes that were made by seamstresses who worked during that era.”

Naturally I praised the production’s attention to detail that has us ranting, how beautiful and “European” it all looked, how true the script was to Lyudmila’s story as it was described in Svetlana Alexievich’ “Chernobyl prayer”. I talked about my thoughts when I first heard there would be a “Chernobyl” TV series: the Americans made a TV show based on events that affected Europe, now that’s a new one. He mentioned Russian media admitting that they should have made that show, not the Americans. I agreed but also added “That’s the thing, it may be beautifully made, it may be the truth, but it’s still propaganda. Just because it’s true, just because the Soviet government did all those horrible things, that doesn’t mean that the show is not serving someone’s agenda.” He disagreed saying that the Soviet people were shown in a good light for their bravery and sacrifice. Well, we knew that, didn’t we.

I said how impressed I was by his portrayal of Charkov because we were told about people like him by dictatorship victims at school. People who had been tortured in the ‘70s came to us, talking about their time in underground cells, in the hands of sadists like Charkov. I told him about my uncle who was arrested and executed by the Nazis for distributing left-wing leaflets, about my grandmother who had to escape to the mountains during the civil war that followed the German occupation because she was a communist. I explained how real it felt to me, his last scene with Legasov in the kitchen. How bleak and horribly accurate.

He mentioned “You’re one of us, Legasov”. To him Charkov was just doing his job, working for the greater good and he agreed with the quote in my fic, that Charkov “couldn’t wait to retire”.

He then joked about Charkov being blasé after the committee meeting, “Meh, I’m done with arresting people, I let others do it for me”.

I assure you all those questions were answered in a couple of minutes, and I was certain our meeting was about to come to an end.

But then… he gestured toward an empty table.

Don’t let an aged man standing, was my spontaneous thought. I was reminded of my father.

Then I realized. He gestured toward an empty table.

Table. The two of us. On a sunny day.

Time, he was offering me his time.

And… oh my god, this was practically an interview, why was I not recording this, he was answering my questions so effortlessly.

No. That would be rude, that would be greedy.

Just relax and enjoy the moment and try to remember fucking everything.

I asked him what his inspiration for Charkov was, if he based his portrayal on other actors or historical figures. He paused to think and explained that the script was very strict anyway, very defined. However he did mention Charkov’s line, “I know you’ve heard the stories about us. When I hear them, even I am shocked” and how that reflected Stalin’s hypocritical quote, “What do I know, I’m just a peasant”.

His favourite line was “Trust but verify, and the Americans think that Ronald Reagan thought that up”.

“Is that really an old Russian proverb…?” I wondered.

“I… don’t know!” he laughed.

During the rest of the conversation he mentioned his friend whose job was to translate the Pravda, and his years in Canada where he met Czech-Greeks, namely Greek communists who were driven away by our right-wing government after the Second World War. Even the Soviets didn’t want them so they were sent to the Czech Republic and ended up in Canada. These people belonged nowhere.

I didn’t know that, and he didn’t know about Vladimir Gubarev, the writer of the play “Sarcophagus” and science editor of the Pravda who was the recipient of Legasov’s tapes. I quoted him saying “Why call the protagonist Legasov since that’s not how Legasov was, they could have used a character who’s a scientist and give him any other name.” Like Ulana, I added, who’s a composite character, or Chebrikov/Charkov, mostly fictional.

Our conversation was coming to an end; he asked me what plays I saw in London and he smiled when I mentioned Alex Ferns in “The girl on the train”.

It was truly overwhelming; I was torn between being swept away by the moment, focusing on nothing but the faded blue of his eyes, bathing in the calm rhythm of his voice, and actually paying attention to what he was saying. Only once did my eyes dart at his left hand spotting the unusually thick golden ring on his finger. When one’s mind plays tricks the best way to discipline is a glimpse at The Ring because if he didn’t have nearly my father’s years I’d probably be having a horribly inappropriate crush.

“Time to go,” he apologized.

We took a couple of photos and I pulled out Svetlana Alexievich’ book, asking for an autograph.

“Where should I sign?” he asked.

“Wherever you want.”

He flipped through the pages noticing my page markers, notes and underlinings. “What are these for?”

“Just… just notes. Do you want my—” I suggested grabbing my big-ass permanent marker.

Without a word he gave a knowing smile and, like an experienced conjurer, he pulled out of his jacket an elegant little sharpie. Delicate pens for delicate words.

I didn’t dare read what he wrote to me then, I could only make out his name through that intelligible doctor-like writing. Surely my name wasn’t there because I hadn’t introduced myself. Still, I thanked him from the bottom of my heart.

Time to go.

We shook hands and I said how honoured I was that he had spent time with me. I tried not to stare as he disappeared into the theatre but before I left I ran into the foyer, quickly thanked the receptionist to whom I had talked on the phone and stormed out of the building with that huge wave of adrenaline pumping violently in my ears.

As I crossed the street I was grinning like an idiot. I knew I had to stop right there and write down everything before I forgot - but it was pointless. I’m not a recorder to have to write down everything the minute it happens. It’s enough to remember the pale rimming of his eyes.

Now, two days after meeting him, I’m still torn between pride and embarrassment. What the hell was I thinking? Doesn’t a man deserve to work in peace?

But as I’m writing this and attaching his signature on the first page of “Chernobyl prayer” I dare for the first time read what he wrote to me.

Pleasure to meet you.

People say they have religious moments when meeting their favourite celebs.

Mine was poetic.

What a darling, darling man.

#chernobyl #alan williams #viktor charkov #vikor chebrikov #fan encounter #dorfman theatre #alex ferns #the girl on the train #london #kgb

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crazyfreckledginger · 7 years ago

Text

Q&A

Thank you to those who have asked questions, y’all are awesome!! It also means the world to me that we got this far! 80k you guys oh my god! You guys brighten my day I love and appreciate every single one of you!

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Everywhere! I want to visit every

Which Robin is your personal favorite?

Oh no you didn’t! 😂 I can’t really choose, but I know my least favourite is Tim! (Sorry timmy!) But Dick, Jay and Dami are my boys!

Do you like to read? And if so, do you have a favorite book or series? / favorite book?

I like to read fanfiction, does that count? 😂 But as books, I love ‘Finding Audrey’ by Sophie Kinsella and ‘Everything, Everything’ by Nicola Yoon

What got you into the batboys?/ How did you develop interest in the batfamily?

I have absolutely no idea! Oh, no, actually, I think I saw an imagine on Tumblr a year ago and just started reading fanfiction about it!

Outside the Batfamily, who is your favorite superhero (or superheroes)?

Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Peter Parker Laura Kinney and Logan Howlett!

do you considere the robin's similar to peter Parker??

Yes, especially Tim!

How to you get inspiration for your one-shots?/ What inspired you to start writing? / What made you want to start writing? What do you do to get inspiration in writing?/ What is your motivation or drive?

Before I started requests, I just had an accumulation of random stories in my head and had to write them out, now, most things. Sometimes it’s because of dreams, movie I watch with interesting scenes or plot twists, books or general ideas that just pop into my head, sometimes it’s also ‘what if’ type questions, if that makes sense.

If your favorite batboy died, how would you feel?

TeRiRbIE, probably mourning for the rest of my life lol.

Young justice season 3?

HELL YEAH DICK IS HAWT AF OMG

What's your favourite food?/ Favorite Food,

Indian and Mexican food for life!

What do you like the most about your fave batboy?

EVERYTHING, MY BOYS ARE PRECIOUS

Do you think the rumor about Damian being Jason's son is true?

I didn’t hear about this before but nope, I mean how even?? 😂 Like, in most universes, the age gap between the two is between 10 to 14 years, how- I don’t- no, and besides, they come from a completely different background and I don’t know where this is from but it’s always going to be a no in my heart!

Can you relate to any of the batboys?

All of them! I’ll generalise a lot because this might turn into an essay otherwise lmao.

Damian for his love of animals and hating people in general. Tim for the lack of sleep. Jason is me tbh. Dick loves puns and jokes as much as I do.

Are Bruce and your father alike?

Kind of?

What's your favourite T.V show?

Sons Of Anarchy, Friends, The Vampire Diaries and Good Girls

Are you looking forward to Titans on October 18th?

I have mixed feelings about it, I’m happy they are making a live action Dick and Jason but it looks really bad, I’m still going to keep an open mind though!

Jason and Artemis or Kori and Dick?

Kori and Dick, I don’t seen Jason and Artemis’ relationship as more than friends, I don’t know what happened in RHATO, which is funny how I keep talking about the comics since I magically have never read any of them???

Thoughts on Redhood's transformation In Redhood the Outlaw?

I want my Jaybird hair back. I’m oKaY with the new design but I adore the old design!

Cookies: Alfred or M'gann?

Alfred’s (that was a tough one though!)

Is Brenton Thwaites good enough to be Robin in the upcoming series?

I don’t know! I’ve never really had a good face claim for Dick so I’m going to keep an open mind about it. He’d better had a nice bubble butt though!

Jason's gun or Dick's eskrimas?

Ughh this is haaard! Maybe Dick’s eskrima sticks.

Talia or Selena?

Selena

Poison ivy or Harley Quinn?

Harley Quinn

If you were in DC universe and you will be able to make a crossover it will be with?: Marvel, Transformers, Supernatural

Marvel or Transformers!!

Do you like birdflash?

I only see them as bros but I respect people’s choice of shipping them together!

Besides Batman what other fandoms are you into ?

Marvel, Sons Of Anarchy, Transformers, Stranger Things, Good Girls, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Vampire Diaries and loads more!

What’s your most liked story on wattpad

This one lmao (batboys x reader)

Do you like voltron if so who’s your favorite paladin

I don’t watch Voltron, sorry, the fandom is insane and scary on Tumblr (without wanting to generalise) . I’ve tried watching an episode but I just can’t seem to get into it!

Will you take request in the future Not that I’m asking for one I’m just curious I love your writing style

Aw thanks! 🙈 That’s so sweet of you. And yes of course!! I just closed them because I didn’t know when I would be able to have a reliable amount of time to write, I’m opening them soon hopefully! :)

Favorite movie of all time/ What's your favorite movie and why?

Logan, the FeElS, plus my girl Laura plus my man Donald Pierce is in it.

The Dark Knight (the one with Bane and The Joker) both villains are extremely intimidating and Nolan was able to portray them in an extremely terrifying way whilst keeping us on edge for the whole movies! True masterpieces.

Also Tomb Raider because kick some ass queen omg.

favorite character characters

DONALD PIERCE, Wanda Maximoff, Pietro Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff, Laura Kinney, Dick Grayson, Wally West, Roy Harper, Jason Todd, Damian Wayne among so so many others.

favorite (video) game,

Outlast and Until Dawn!

Do you have/wish to have any pets?

Yes I have had a bunch! Three rabbits, a sheep and a goat! I wish I’d have a cat though!

How would you describe your clothing style?

Comfortable and tries to be at least a little stylish lol

Any artists/celebs You look up to?

Not really no, I’ve never really looked up to anyone.

What kind of music do you like?

Pop, Classical not the Mozart type of classical.

Do You have any "rituals" regarding your writing process?

Yes! If it’s a series, I write the whole plot down on a book with details and elements that I want included. I keep it besie me to be sure I follow the plot whislt writing it.

Since I write in the evening, if there’s a one shot request that I lack inspiration about, I write something else and think of a plot when I’m in bed before i go to sleep. It really helps be get the requests written and in the queue.

I normally sit in front of my TV, catching up on my series or something and just write. I don’t really have a ritual other than this!

Favourite cartoon?

Young Justice ayyye!

If you were to choose your own name, what would it be?

I’ve never really thought about it, I don’t know, I like my name!

But I really like Kia or *gasp* Sam. Not Samantha but just Sam.

Favourite mythical creature?

Griffin, phenix and dragons!

What language do you wish to speak?

Italian and Spanish!

Any lucky items/superstisions?

A tiger’s eye necklace my cousin gave me three years ago, I wear it everyday! If you could be any animal, real or mythical, what would you be?

A tiger, an eagle or a griffin. I can’t choose lol!

Do you think you'd survive in a post apocalyptic world?

Maybe? I mean I feel like I would be smart enough but I saw World War Z and dying is better than surviving with traumatic experiences running through your head 24/7!

Where would you go for a dream vacation?

Everywhere! I want to visit the world!

If a genie granted you 3 wishes, what would you wish for? (No wishing for more wishes lol)

DANG IT!

1. That everyone should have a different perspective so that they can realise how bad the world is becoming and to change that.

2. Appreciation of every single being on the planet that sexual orientation does not matter in a relationship and that, no matter what you consider yourself, that society accepts you no matter what.

3. That everyone becomes the best person they can possibly be. We could conquer the world!

Do you prefer rain or sun?

RAIN!

Do you like thunderstorms?

Hell yeah!

Are you good at puzzles?

Depends which ones, generally yes. Depending on my mood, I can be very stubborn and finish it and sometimes I’m going to be screw it I give up lol!

What do you enjoy most about life?

My mutuals, happiness, fraternity, you guys and a few other things I’m sure (can’t remember)

What's your favorite fictional world? (DC, Marvel, Shadowhunters, etc)

DC, Marvel, Transformers and the 10 year old in me says Narnia as well!

What do you think happens after we die?

I feel like you’d come back as a different person. I’ve always wanted to believe that you’d become an animal but I have no idea!

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Indian food!!

Do you like to dance?

Yes but alone! I’m horrible at dancing!

Where do you feel most comfortable/safe?

With my best friend! Or at home!

What's something that always makes you smile?

My mutuals, your comments they seriously make my day a little brighter.

Are you good at gardening?

Nope I don’t like it either!

What's your preferred footwear?

Sneakers if that’s what it’s called!

Favorite flower?

Roses!

What fills up your heart to bursting level?

Kitties and puppies! 😍 Also anything including helping people or animals together and/or animals with their owners.

What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever done?

Opening up to someone, showing my feelings and emotions and getting out there to make friends. I haven’t had the best childhood.

What’s your favorite poem or saying?

“Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst”

And most importantly: do you think we'll ever see good writing again in DC for our favorite characters?

I really hope so, the writers are becoming more and more despised. Only DC fans hate DC on a completely different level of hatred lmao.

What'd you think of Heath Ledger's Joker?

Terrifying. heath Ledge did a fine good job at portraying someome that puts that unsettling feeling in your gut. Every one of his scenes are iconic. The best Joker so far in my opinion.

whO rAnKs NumBer TwO iN "Batboys with a fresh booty" since we all know dick ranks number one

Hmmmm,

Conclusion...

That’s a very cute tushy if you ask me!

[not my pics]

what do you think about Erik Lehnsherr and Stephen Strange?

I’m not particularly attacted to Erik but I know he’s misunderstood and I understand why he’s so loveable by many people in the X-Men fandom. But he’s just not my type of guy.

Stephen Strange is badass and a sass master and no one can convince me otherwise. He’s an awesome character.

what would your perfect date with Donnie (Donald Pierce) be like?

Ohhh, going to the movies and then just hanging out somewhere nice, talking and laughing and then ordering takeaway and cuddling up on the couch whilst watching Netflix ahhh! 🙈

#get to know the writer #milestone #75 000 reads on wattpad #wattpad #80k now tho #tag game #q&a #celebration

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serwaymarroyce · 3 years ago

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Starter planned with @brideofcdragons

Meereen was hot. That was the foremost thought on the mind of Waymar Royce as he stood without the audience chamber. For even here, beneath the shade of the pyramid and the marble floors and wall that surrounded them, beneath those layers of black mail and wool surcoat the knight found himself to be stifling and irked by the heat. What irked him even more was the fact that those around him who also waited for their audience appeared to be as comfortable as could be, seated on benches or standing about in groups that flanked the great doors, where a pair of guards stood sentry, who looked as immobile and unyielding as the marble itself.

A less stubborn man ought to have adopted the local custom of loose fitting clothes and silks, who would have found comfort preferable to pride. Not Waymar, Ser Waymar, as he’d reiterated with the loathsome pride that only a highborn lad anointed in holy oils and trained with castle forged steel could have mustered.

He was a knight, after all. A man of the watch as well. The latter explained the black mail beneath the gray surcoat. The former why such a point of contention was raised that threatened this entire venture. That point being Waymar’s refusal to disarm before admittance would be allowed into the Audience Chamber proper.

Headway onto a compromise was only made when Waymar agreed not to approach closer than twenty paces to the Queen herself, as well upon his own insistence that it was tradition for a knight to keep their steel for more than martial reasons. For, as Waymar stated, ‘swearing a sword of air to the ‘Breaker of Chains’ would be among the highest of insults to her Grace’. The fact that Waymar hadn’t intended to do such a thing was beyond the point.

Truthfully, Waymar knew but only what had been told in stories of Queen Daenerys Targaryen. Anyone, even an impetuous lad from the Vale, ought to know that stories were but wind. The measure of someone, even a monarch, ought to be taken stock of before one’s own eyes.

Yet certain things could be discerned without such a sight. For one, Waymar noted the makeup of those who intended upon an audience with the Queen. Highborn and lowborn, young and old. Men and women. It told the tale of a ruler that considered the grievances and concerns of both the most affluent as well as impoverished to be worthy of their time.

Even the title she had been given through her deeds, the ‘Breaker of Chains’, told a tale upon itself. Could such a selfless person be true, one that sought to crush the practice of slavery for no reasons beyond the sheer wrongness of the deed, and to the unabated benefit it would have upon the powerless?

Could such a person exist, one that sided with the powerless, the innocent, the oppressed not for personal benefit, but for the good of those poor wretches? The mere prospect sounded as if it belonged solely to the work of poets and mummers…

Waymar found himself shaken from that flight of thought, as his name was called and beckoned forth, past the threshold of the door into the audience chamber itself. The afternoon had become late, and to his own surprise he was to find that he was, indeed, likely the last to be seen that day. The waiting area had vacated for few except the guardsmen at the door, and those who walked about with a purpose in their stride that spoke of business elsewhere.

Such a place in the queue had likely been the fruit of Waymar’s stubbornness and argumentative resistance to part from his steel. In the end, he’d won. That sapphire encrusted hilt of the blade still lingered in its sheath on his hip.

‘Ser Waymar Royce, of the Night’s Watch of Westeros.’ Were the words the herald within the chamber bellowed to those gathered within. Waymar wasted no time to cross the threshold, bold as one could be, measured steps carrying them across the marble of the floor with black cloak trailing behind.

Those steps halted abruptly to where Waymar judged he ought to halt, twenty or so paced before those great steps that led to the seat of the silver haired Targaryen Queen herself. A Queen that was given the proper respects in the form of a bow that took the knight low, held there with one arm across the chest, before rising with a look of contentment across his face. A look that was resilient even against the beads of sweat that gathered across the brow.

“Your Grace. Thank you for a sliver of your time, this late into the day.” Waymar spoke, with a tone that was both practiced and laced with but the cutting edge of entitlement.

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crowkingwrites · 8 years ago

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The Snow Was Falling When I Fell For You

Pairing: Ramsay Bolton x Reader

Fic Request: Just wanna say one I am in love with your Ramsay fanfics and oneshots and two it's my birthday today and I was wondering if you can do a oneshot of Ramsay x Reader and they're childhood friends I always have that concept in my mind but can never write it since I suck at writing fanfics😭

Words: 2092

Author’s Notes: I oved this up in the queue of requests I had b/c it was the nonny’s birthday. Happy Birthday, sweet nonny! I hope this fic makes you happy :* Two, this is much different than most Ramsay One Shots i’ve been doing. I wanted to take a different take for this one and I’m really proud of it.

Read on Ao3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12969735

The snow crushed beneath your feet as your little feet ran in the snow. Your cheeks were red and you were covered from head to toe in warm furs. Your family had settled in the North months ago. Your father wanted to raise your family around people that had morals and values instead of violence and politics. So, he took your mother, your siblings, and you far north away from king’s Landing where the land was cold, but the people were warm.

Most of them anyways. The butcher’s boys were running after you with an old set of rusty knives. It scared you, so you took off. They kept running after you simply because they wanted to scare you more.

Your feet carried you across the fields by the Weeping Water. The river had frozen over, but people still used it as a guide to where they were. Right now, it was your guide near to your father’s workplace, The Dreadfort.

“Come back Y/N!” the first butcher’s boy said.

“Yeah we won’t hurt you!” the second responded. They laughed as they brandished their rusted kitchen weaponry. Tears began to form as you ran faster in the snow. Suddenly, you tripped over a snow-covered branch. You landed knee-first into the cold dirt. The butcher’s boys caught up to you and loomed over you.

“Did someone fall?” they cackled.

“Please stop,” you begged them.

“She’s crying!” the first one came closer. He had a meat cleaver in his hand. His dirty fingers wrapped around the handle tightly as if he were some knight. “Let’s see if we can make her cry more.”

The butcher’s boy raised the cleaver high above his head.

“Please! Don’t! Stop!” you cried loudly. You heard the younger butcher’s boy mock you and laugh. You closed your eyes. This was it. That’s when you heard another set of footsteps in the snow.

“I would leave her alone if I were you,” you heard his threat and you opened your eyes. He was a little older than you. His dark hair was wild, but his blue eyes were set on the two boys in front of him. He stepped in front of you, creating an obstacle between you and your enemies. “You can’t tell us what to do,” the older one told him.

“Yeah!” the younger one shouted. The older boy protecting you kept a serious face. His hand twiddled with a flaying knife.

“I don’t care what you think I can and can’t do. Leave her alone, that’s an order,” he threatened. The boys stood their ground. The older butcher’s boy was a heavy one. His size was easily twice the size of the older boy. He walked closer to him, making the space between them little and tension higher.

“I’m not going anywhere. Now move, or I’ll cut you.” The older butcher’s boy raised the cleaver above his head again. In a swift move, the older boy took his flaying knife and cut the butcher’s boy’s face. The cut was thin and long. Blood started to leak from his cheek and his eyes caught the end of it. The butcher’s boy dropped the cleaver and screamed in pain.

“My eye!” he cried out. He covered his face and ran off in the opposite direction. You sat up in shock. They were gone. A hand extended out towards you, and you took it. The older boy helped you off the ground.

“Are you alright?” he asked you. You nodded your head. “You’re Kevan’s daughter, aren’t you? My father is a very big fan of your father’s work.”

“Thank you,” you said in a small voice. You winced in pain. Lifting your skirts, a small stream of blood leaked down your leg because of the cut on your knee.

“Don’t worry,” the older boy said. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again. Come with me.” He offered his hand to you, and for the first time you felt the world slow down. His fingertips were in high detail. You could see every groove on them, just as you could see every shade of blue in his eyes. Your heart was swelling. You thought this only happened in the romantic stories your mother told you.

“What’s your name?” you asked as you took his hand.

“Snow. Ramsay Snow,” he guided you back to the Dreadfort.

From that day on, you followed Ramsay like a small shadow. He did not mind. You were his private audience to his entertainment. Every bug he smashed, you were there. Every adult he stood up to, you were there. Every cut he made on someone, you were there watching him, admiring him, falling for him more.

You couldn’t say if your father approved of the special relationship Ramsay shared with you, but it made his pockets swell with coins. Turns out, if the bastard favors you, the Lord of the Dreadfort favors you, then business would do extremely well.

But he was your father first. He had heard of Ramsay’s torment behavior. How he enjoyed inflicting pain upon others. Granted, most of them were enemies of the North, it still concerned him. He secretly looked at you longer every time you came home, and checked for any cuts or bruises. God help the man that inflicted any pain on you. However, your skin was clear of any aliments or pain. You always smiled when you came home and you always helped around the house. Your father let it go.

Ramsay was only two years older than you, but every time his father made him wear ‘proper gear’ when Ned Stark came to visit, he looked much older than he was. Ned made frequent visits to other castles to hear their concerns and such. This particular visit was important to Roose, so he pulled out all the stops.

A feast was held, candles were lit, and nearly everyone was invited. You wore your best dress and half-braided your hair into a wreath crown. Long sleeves protected you from the cold weather, and the rest of your hair cascaded over your shoulders. When you walked into the great hall, young men noticed you as a young woman for the first time. Ramsay Snow, all in proper wear, watched you float like a dream he remembered having over and over again.

That night, Ramsay never left your side. His fingers could never quite leave your body alone, and your father noticed quite quickly how beautiful you looked and how Ramsay’s eyes never strayed from your chest and face.

It had been a magical night for you. Ramsay never treated you like this ever. Of course, you never told him how you felt. How your heart swelled when you saw him or how you admired how he was true to his family traditions. You couldn’t express how your hairs raised when he touched you.

Ramsay led you away from the feast, laughing and shushing you. Both of you stopped near open windows to see the snow gently falling from the black sky. Ramsay touched the ends of your curls and played with them. The next thing you knew, he placed his lips over yours. Your eyes fluttered shut and a warmth grew from inside you. Ramsay’s hands held your face. He kept kissing you like he needed to breathe.

It was wonderful, but your father saw. His head couldn’t get rid of the rumors. The ideas of dark dungeons filled with the stench of rotting skin, organs across the floor, and dead kings on the walls telling him to get his daughter away from Ramsay. This was too much. Yes, the idea of his daughter marrying highborn was a desire among common men, but not this one. Not this bastard.

He looked back at you and the Bolton bastard kissing, and your father had to do something.

The next day, your heart broke into pieces as your father had sent you off to Winterfell, a place miles and miles away from Ramsay. You were a handmaiden now to Catelyn Stark. Although she was kind and warm to you, you missed home. You missed your family, your friends, and you missed him.

Months passed, and you learned to live without him. You heard how ill Robb Stark would speak of Roose, and you would keep your ill-mannered words to yourself. Years passed, and you watched Ned Stark leave home, and soon enough you watched Catelyn and Robb leave home as well. Soon enough, you knew they wouldn’t return home.

Then, you watched in horror as Theon Greyjoy took over Winterfell. He was always so cruel to you. Lingering looks and trying to convince you to warm his bed, pushing you to the ground when you didn’t. He was your Lord now whether you liked it or not, but you were smart. You knew squids couldn’t survive far from the water for too long.

The sky was gray that day. Clouds gathered up in bunches and crowds and filled the sky with something ominous. You were tying to do your chores that day when a Greyjoy soldier cornered you.

“Where you going?” he asked you, his breath smelled of old ale.

“To the kennels, ser,” you looked down. He grabbed your arm tightly.

“No, you’re coming with me. Theon says you’re a good bedwarmer.” His smile had two ‘ missing. One on the top, and the other on the bottom. Another soldier ran towards the center of Winterfell. “Oi! What’s going on?”

“I don’t know! We’re being called! Come on!” the soldier continued to run. You tried to get out of the soldier’s grasp.

“Uh uh, you’re coming with me. Understand?” the Greyjoy soldier dragged you to the courtyard. Your eyes looked down at the ground. Flakes of snow decorated your hair. Theon Greyjoy was shouting something, and that’s when you heard him.

You looked up to see him. He looked more like Lord than the Bastard. He wore his family’s colors like he was a trueborn. His blue eyes were frosted and he had bags under his eyes. He’s aged. So have you. You felt so frozen. He had to know you were there. Ramsay’s eyes scanned the crowd.

“Ramsay!” you shouted. The Greyjoy soldier hit you in the back of the head hard.

“Are you mad? Don’t you know who he is?” he said worriedly. The back of your head burned, but you opened your eyes to see Ramsay’s looking back at you. You saw a mixture of emotions in his face. Confusion. Realization. Love. Depression. Anger. Wrath.

You weren’t sure how it happened, but it was fast. An arrow went through the Greyjoy soldier’s head. Two other Greyjoy soldiers died on the spot. You ran off. You knew better than to stand in the middle of a slaughter. It didn’t seem long until you heard the shouting and fighting. Not long after that, you could smell the Greyjoys piss themselves.

The aftermath was ugly. Several men had lost their limbs. Other men were crucified in X-shaped crosses. Flies had already began their feasts spreading disease and pestilence.

“Y/N,” you heard a voice behind you. You knew who it was. You would run to him while everyone else could run away. You wrapped yourself around him, breathing him in. “Is this where you have been? All of these years?”

You nodded and let yourself cry in his chest. Ramsay pushed you away, but kept you close enough to wipe away the tears.

“My quiet girl. Hush now,” he comforted you. “I promised you I wouldn’t let anyone touch you, didn’t I? Don’t cry, sweetling.” Ramsay turned you around for you to see the whole carnage. Greyjoy soldiers and Winterfell natives lay dead on the ground. Snow fell over their bodies creating an eerie sheet over them. Blood seeped into the dirt; this was Bolton land now.

“One day, this will all be mine,” he whispered into your ear. “And my word will be law. You won’t disappear from me again. No one could touch you. You would belong to me.”

“I already belong to you,” you told him. You didn’t let go of him as you kissed him in the cold weather. Your lips parted for a moment. Your forehead touched his. “I’ve missed you terribly.”

“Don’t leave me again. Stay here. Watch me rule over them all,” Ramsay’s gloved hand lifted your chin.

“Yes my lord.” You smiled, melting to his touch. You fell for him when the sky was gray and ugly, and you would always fall for him.

#the snow was falling when i fell for you #ramsay bolton #ramsay snow #ramsay x reader #ramsay snow imagine #ramsay bolton imagine #one shot #fic request

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sare11aa11eras · 4 years ago

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Lannisters, take notes.

#asoiaf #valyrianscrolls #my art #margaery tyrell #asoiaf fashion hour #are there no true knights among queue #yeah idk what’s going on with her dress either. but it looks pretty?? I think??#yeah I fucked up the board the first time so. tape tape tape! nothings wrong :)

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junker-town · 5 years ago

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Bracketology 2020: Texas is officially back in the NCAA tournament

Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

The first Tuesday of March 2020 was a very good night overall for bubble teams, with the Longhorns the biggest winner.

As Tuesday night’s bubble-heavy college basketball schedule wound down, it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners were going to further cement their place in the field of 68 while simultaneously dealing the rival Texas Longhorns‘ hopes a damaging blow. But at least one bank in Norman was open late enough for the visitors to steal a vital win.

BIG SHOT MATT COLEMAN III @TexasMBB keeps rolling! pic.twitter.com/KNOg3rAZhk

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 4, 2020

Matt Coleman III’s shocking three in the final seconds extended Texas’ overall win streak to five — with three of those on the road. As a result, the Longhorns, the second team out in Monday’s bracket, enter the field at the expense of the Wichita State Shockers. (Note that Monday’s first team out, the NC State Wolfpack, remain on the wrong side of the cut line following their loss to the Duke Blue Devils.)

Here’s what the picture surrounding the bracketology cut line looks like on the morning of Wednesday, March 4th.

Last Four Byes: Indiana, Oklahoma, USC, Rutgers Last Four IN: Texas, Stanford, Utah State, Cincinnati First Four OUT: Wichita State, NC State, Purdue, Richmond Next Four OUT: Tennessee, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Mississippi State

Tuesday’s other results led to some shuffling on the bubble beyond Texas’ entry in the field. There’s even a new name on the radar after another late Tuesday finish.

Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

Rutgers players and fans celebrated like the Scarlet Knights clinched an NCAA berth last night.

Rutgers earned itself a little breathing room by recording a fourth Quadrant 1 victory, 78-67 over the Maryland Terrapins. Naturally, that game was in Piscataway, so the Scarlet Knights’ record in true road games still stands at a woeful 1-8 heading into Saturday’s trip to Purdue. Steve Pikiell’s team should be safe, but if the Selection Committee feels like punishing teams that can’t win away from home, all bets are off.

Speaking of the Boilermakers, they completed a season sweep of the Iowa Hawkeyes, with an impressive 77-68 victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That’s Purdue’s fifth Quad 1 win, but Matt Painter’s club is still the highest-ranked NET exclusion today, at 35th, thanks to a 16-14 overall record. As I mentioned on Tuesday’s episode of College Basketball Coast to Coast, unless a team’s non-conference schedule is truly top-five-level amazing, a record that’s at least four games over .500 is likely going to be needed for selection.

Idle Wichita State departed the field, while fellow projected American Athletic First Four squad Cincinnati hangs in after rallying for a 79-67 win at South Florida without Jarron Cumberland.

Richmond remains among the “First Four Out” after an 80-63 home victory over the disappointing Davidson Wildcats. On Friday night, the Spiders visit a Duquesne squad that hammered the final nail into the VCU Rams’ at-large hopes with an 80-77 overtime triumph at the Siegel Center.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee’s win at Kentucky might have been the most impressive performance of the night.

The SEC dominated the rest of the night’s bubble action.

In Tuesday’s biggest shock, Tennessee vaulted back into the picture by overcoming a 17-point deficit at Rupp Arena to defeat the Kentucky Wildcats by an 81-73 count. The Volunteers are now 17-13 overall following consecutive wins over the Florida Gators and a Wildcat squad that was in line to jump to a No. 2 seed after Maryland’s loss.

South Carolina let a big first half lead against Mississippi State slip away before recording an 83-71 win that merely allowed the Gamecocks to jump the Bulldogs in the queue.

Finally, the Alabama Crimson Tide saw their at-large hopes go up in smoke, thanks to a 87-79 loss to a Vanderbilt squad that earned just its second SEC win of the season and first away from Memorial Gym. Nate Oats’ squad now sits at 16-14 overall.

Wednesday is another huge night for the bubble, with Rhode Island , the sixth team out, hoping to end the Dayton Flyers’ perfect Atlantic 10 season, Indiana hosting Minnesota, the Arkansas Razorbacks looking to get back on track by defeating visiting LSU, and the Providence Friars aiming for a fifth straight win when Xavier visits. I’ll have another update of the cut line picture, reflecting all of these results, on Thursday morning.

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furederiko · 8 years ago

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September 1st!!! And it's the first (of hopefully more) Random-News-Digest of the month...

Quick update before I start! Nope, my situation hasn't really improved since last time. Things are still going haywire and uncertain on my part. Which means I'm still not too sure if I will be able to post more frequently this month as well. But this is a NEW month, and I always want to start anything with a fresh and optimistic mind. So at the very least, I'm going to TRY to post more. Here's hoping... Also, expect this R-N-D to be more... 'Digest' than usual. After all, I actually decided to do this on a whimsy when I woke up this morning. You can expect things to be more shorter and compact this time around. So without further ado, let's start!!!

DC Films

The news in this category has been quite a shocker lately. Martin Scorsese wants to make a stand-alone "Joker" origin story without Jared Leto? And then there's that Leto and Margot Robbie's "Joker and Harley Quinn" movie, that is being fast-tracked to come following "Suicide Squad 2"? It's a new title that was first rumored to replace David Ayer's "Gotham City Sirens", though recent report suggests that all-female movie is STILL in development as well. To complicate matters, "Suicide Squad 2" already lost a potential director, and with Will Smith's busy schedule, it won't start production until late next year. Ouch!

Oh yeah, eventhough the movie won't arrive until April 5th, 2019, director David F. Sandberg teased that the most lighthearted DC Film movie "Shazam" will start production very soon. Yet we don't even know who's going to play Billy Batson, nor his grown-up version. While Matt Reeves is going back and forth his version of "The Batman", saying it's not part of the DCEU, and then it IS. Please make up your mind! Jon Spaihts was rumored to be re-writing "Justice League Dark", though said rumor has been cleared out by The Wrap. The irony in that, is because he was among the writer of "Doctor Strange" for Marvel Studios!!! First Joss Whedon took over Zack Snyder for "Justice League", and has officially been given a writer credit (his involvement is 33% of the movie!!!). And don't forget how Patty Jenkins used to be attached to the first Thor sequel. So Spaihts's name being thrown into the rumor zone didn't feel as 'strange'. What I'm trying to say is, I won't be surprised if more people related to Marvel Studios will end up doing DC movies for Warner Bros in the future.

Clearly, this proves that WB STILL doesn't have a plan nor idea of what they are going to do with their DC Films. A concerning truth, but is definitely far from being a surprise nowadays. I guess since the current DCEU doesn't really have a clear future (despite the success of "Wonder Woman"), WB is already thinking about creating another Universe to complement it. Perhaps, if this one works better, then they can simply erase the one that Snyder started. That's the point of "Flashpoint", right? We'll see. Yes, we'll see...

X-Men Universe

Can't believe it took this long for some people to realize that... as long as Simon Kinberg is still in charge (in ANY capacity), fans probably won't be getting the 'true' X-Men movie they have always wanted. People seems to forget that he was the writer of the disappointing "X-Men: The Last Stand", and supervised the dreaded "Fant4stic Four". Now his upcoming directorial debut, "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", which he also wrote... is already put into a giant question mark, thanks to Kinberg's recent comment.

I admit, I've grown to DESPISE the term 'grounded' in recent years, because it is (ab)used as an excuse to make shitty underwhelming products. But seriously, what good will a "Dark Phoenix" storyline get by making it... grounded? That arc is meant to be a galactic interstellar adventure, involving alien entities and otherworldly stuffs. "X3" was already its grounded version, and it did NOT work. So why bother going the same route? Is this movie 'doomed to fail' then? It's unclear. But I certainly won't be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Just remember how that grounded take on "X-Men: Apocalypse" performed...

Marvel Studios

Marvel is celebrating the late Jack Kirby's 100th birthday this week. Studio's president Kevin Feige revealed on Twitter that the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok" is produced as a love-letter to Kirby's work. Not unlike last year's "Doctor Strange", that served as a clear tribute to Steve Ditko. Actress Evangeline Lilly also celebrated the occassion, by sharing the first official image of her character Hope van Dyne, wearing the updated Wasp suit from "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

About that last one... I totally DIG her hair-style, because Lilly always looks much better with a long hairdo instead of the one she had in the first "Ant-Man". The suit on the other hand? I'm a bit mixed. I don't know why. Perhaps because I was expecting more... yellow/gold in the color scheme? Then again, Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios might be going with Wasp's red-black scheme once again, because it's the one designed by Kirby. Especially with Janet van Dyne being in the movie (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and the report that Michael Douglas' Hank Pym will be suiting up himself in the classic white-red costume.

The writers of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are set to be back for the sequel! Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are also involved in "Ant-Man and the Wasp", so there's a possibility they might end up becoming the next Markus-McFeely of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Assuming all the stars are aligned, they will reunite with director Jon Watts (who was already in talks to return) to work on the first Marvel Studios after "Avengers 4" ends the current Phase 3. Here's hoping this team will keep deliver something better, without losing that irresistible youthful and innocent charm that the first movie exuded.

Marvel TV

When this post goes up, Marvel's "The Inhumans" should be arriving in IMAX theatres everywhere. Not sure if it will be available in my country, but it's surely a definite for the US region, because ABC will begin broadcasting the series on Friday, September 29th, 2017.

According to recent report, the response to its premiere was... much positive. In fact, it's a far cry to the supposed 'disaster' that occured at the Television Critics Association Panel. Is this surprising? Well... not quite. I mean, one man's trash can end up becoming another's treasure, right? So I predict that the overall review, when it officially hits, will be mixed at best. Remember, this is still Jeph Loeb's and Scott Buck's work. Each or both have ruined a show (or two, if we count that much-anticipated crossover that came out last month... or more if we put into account their past forays) before, so there's no assurance that they won't strike again. But I'm honestly glad to hear some people actually enjoying it. Hey, there's one for everyone, right?

As for me, as I said before, I personally won't be seeing this on the theatres. Based on the lackluster trailers and underwhelming clips released so far, I'll have to give it a hard pass. Beside, considering my current financial issue, wasting money for uncertain things can be considered 'suicide' anyway. I'll probably going to hold back on watching the series as well, until the reviews for all episodes are out. Thanks to my doozy experience with the recent Netflix 'crossover mini-series', I'm going to be extra cautious with Marvel TV now. Because really, spending 8 hours for a boring and/or disappointing show felt like a tremendous waste of time. Doing so isn't going to do me any good.

QUICK UPDATE: Embargo for the full reviews hasn't been lifted when I wrote and upped this essay into queue. Those reviews have been made available NOW on various sites, and well... turns out it's as BAD as many initially said. Since I'm too lazy to modify the entire category (although it's only 3 short paragraphs LOL), this note will do just fine as a follow up. My original writing sounded more 'positive' anyways. LOL.

Meanwhile, things are looking A LOT better for Marvel's "Runaways". It seems response for the first episodes was more than great. It is currently being praised as very faithful to the source material, despite its various 'tweaks' (for example, one character was a mutant in the comic, but the copyrights prevent that to exist in live action adaptation). Not that it should be a surprise anyway. When the writer of the comic is directly in charge as consultant, we know that at least things are going to be close to the comics. Might this be the Marvel show to wait for this year? Probably, but I digress. I'm still going to be approaching this one with extra caution. If recent Marvel TV shows are any indications, then we can't really expect it to be... evenly balanced. Some of them had okay to good run in the first half, only to falter into a massive dud in the later half. Yes, even "LEGION", and the 4th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". They started out strong, but ended rather... disappointingly. Considering the same people behind them are also supervising this, said similar treatment can also apply to "Runaways"...

Netflix

It's already September, and I haven't finished Marvel's "The Defenders" yet. How come? The mini-series surprisingly BORED the hell out of me! A full review for it was meant to go up as my first post of September (yes, this R-N-D is its last minute replacement). That's the initial plan anyway, because I still haven't seen the last two episodes. Seriously though, when you've already lost any single urge to do it, there's nothing else you can do right?

Thanks to that, the internet had already spoiled me about what's going to happen to Simone Missick's Misty Knight. I don't even need to READ the whole article to figure out what will become of her... right hand. Yes, the headline already gave it away, and my minor knowledge of the character in the comics was more than enough to lead me to said conclusion. And then the image spreading on social media solidified it. Mind you, I still don't know how or what caused her to lose that body part. My quick and easy guess? Likely by Bakuto, considering up to episode 6, Misty had only spoken with one particular supporting character from the other series: Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. And it's also about her... KATANA, as if it's not obvious enough. Expect Misty to be armed with a prosthetic arm in the 3rd Season Marvel's "Luke Cage".

Yep, if you're like me, hoping for a "Heroes for Hire" show that includes the Daughters of Dragon... then we might as well swallow that wishful thinking. Why? It probably won't happen until the 2nd Season of Marvel's "Iron Fist" is out. Going by math alone, that means we have to wait another 26 episodes, and at least another two years. New season for "Luke Cage" will likely arrive in 2018, while the one for "Iron Fist" might probably land in 2019. Yeah, two years indeed. This is why you can't really expect much when it comes to Marvel TV... *sigh*

"Stranger Things" released a set of character posters for its 2nd Season. They cover the returning cast, as well as the new additions. What's interesting about these posters, is the strong nod to Steven Spielberg! And being a series set in the 80s, that folded-magazine style is also pretty neat. I hope this 2nd season will be as great as the 1st, and unlike most other Netflix shows.

One more thing! It's a rather old news, but worth bringing up. Netflix is currently collaborating with TOEI Animation, to remake the popular shounen-series "Saint Seiya". Titled "Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya", the new series will be created in full CG style. If you're curious on how that might look, think of it like several parts of TOEI's "Precure Dream Star!" movie that was done completely in CG, or their recent "Sekaisuru KADO" series. The latter in particular, already has a character design that's looking VERY Saint Seiya-ish (could it be intended as the warm-up to this one, then? probably). First season will be 12 episodes of 30 minutes, and will cover the "Galaxy War" to the "Silver Saint" Arcs. Yoshiharu Ashino is directing the new series, Eugene Son is the story editor and head writer, Terumi Nishii will be handling the character design, while Takashi Okazaki is doing the armors.

This news is intriguing, because it can end up heading towards into two different territory: actually good, or downright Bad. The latest "Sailor Moon" reboot that immediately divide old and new fans, is a great example of said situation. "Saint Seiya" is among the beloved titles to those growing up in the late 80s, so you can imagine their negative reactions if this remake doesn't suit their taste. The series doesn't have a fixed release date for now, but I believe we can expect it to arrive on Spring 2018. My only hope is that it retains Shingo Araki's anime style compared to Masami Kurumada's manga ones, because it has been pretty much the 'signature' of the series for the fans.

Disney XD Series

I saw the one-hour premiere of the "DuckTales" reboot not long after it aired, and great goodness... I'm LOVING it. I used to have a minor issue with the voices of the nephews before, but that concern quickly faded away when the story started rolling. It's just so engaging and fun to watch! My only complaint, is that it takes too long for the next episodes to start airing. But we're now in September, so September 23rd is just around 20 days away. Shall we start counting down for more Scrooge McDuck's adventure, then? I wonder if Disney XD will debut the first episode of "Big Hero 6 the Series" in advance too? Hmmm....

Pocket Monsters

"Pokemon GO" has been greeted by Legendary Birds Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and Lugia last month. Starting yesterday, August 31st, 2017, Niantic has continued the streak with the Legendary Dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicine. Unlike the Birds, these ones are going to show up as region-based for a particular duration. Entei will be in the Europe and Africa region, Raikou in the America, and Suicine in Asia-Pacific. They will then switch places on September 30th, 2017.

This is great news, right? NOT exactly. While I DID feel overjoyed when the Legendaries were first announced, what came next was nothing more than disappointments. The fact that Niantic is focusing too much on Raid Battles to debut these special Pokemon, had caused inconveniences to some (if not MANY) of its players. Sad to say, yours truly is included in this cluster.

Here's the deal. In order to capture ONE Legendary, it first needs to be defeated in a Raid Battle. Unlike normal Raids, it's a group effort that requires around 15-20 players to be on the spot at the same time, working together to take one down. So what happens when you're a player... living in an area, that does NOT have the privilege of having at least the minimum number of players? You can only bite your nails while grunting and sighing with disappointments, because there's really NOTHING you can do. I've lost count how many 'futile attempts' I've done, singlehandedly (seriously, because there's NOBODY around) trying to defeat one. I've now arrived to the point where I simply couldn't care less about any of them anymore. Which is sad, because I was sort of hoping "Pokemon GO" would be there to help me go through my current situation. I mean, when that role has been surprisingly taken over by a repetitive, kid-oriented game called "Magikarp, Jump!"... That's saying much, right?

Of course, this shouldn't be an issue if "Pokemon GO" is still enjoyable as a single-player experience. Players who can't capture a Legendary, could still focus on doing anything else. Problem is, there's NOTHING much to do beside that. Niantic is too focused on the multiplayer 'Team Gameplay' aspect of this game, that it neglects those who play individually (whether by choice, or who are simply forced by circumstances... like yours truly). The new 'Gym System' was nice, but lately I've noticed a concerning trend: the turnaround has gradually becoming very slow. Many Gyms in my area, have Pokemon with ZERO motivations. Worse, they are stranded there for days (I can personally attest to this, because mine are among them!). That means many players no longer visit the Gyms. To put it simply, this game is just not... FUN anymore for everyone. Only for the 'privileged'.

Niantic can actually fix this, by start releasing Generation III as soon as possible. Adding a horde of new Pokemon, even if not all of them (honestly, releasing 10 new species per month would be a fun options), will give these 'unfortunate players' a renewed 'purpose' to go out and play the game. Otherwise, it's really a dry boring-ish land. IMHO, Niantic could and should've tried another method with the Legendary Dogs by... I don't know... letting them in the wild, like what happened in the core "Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal" games. Then again, it's probably too much to ask for. I mean, Niantic doesn't even allow something as simple as having these Legendaries added as silhouettes to the Pokedex after encountering them. And that's the only thing I've been hoping for... *sigh*. For now, unless Niantic shakes things up big time, my days with the App is numbered. And I'm going to be just another entry to the long list of players who have already walked out due to disappointments...

One more thing for "Pokemon". A quick detour to the TV side! Kanto Gym Leaders and Satoshi's former travel companions Kasumi and Takeshi (or Misty and Brock in the US version)... are coming to Alola this month!!! Many fans are obviously pleased to hear this! After they have been unceremoniously snubbed in the 20th Anniversary movie "Eiga Pocket Monster, Kimi ni Kimeta!", they are set to show up in the series instead. Takeshi in particular, is the character I've been waiting for. After all, his VA Yuuji Ueda is still a crucial part in the series as the voice of Sonansu/Wobbuffet, so he could actually show up a lot more! This pair will be making their Alolan guest appearances on the September 14th and 21st episodes. Which got me thinking: How awesome will it be if Satoshi's other travel friends show up at the same time too, right?

Street Fighter

"Street Fighter V" has welcomed its 5th DLC character for Season 2. As speculated and rumored before, it's indeed Menat, the Eyes of the Future. She is also confirmed to be the apprentice of Rose, by the way. This makes her the first completely NEW character to the franchise, because Kolin, Ed, and Abigail have all showed up before in other games. Judging from her quick and... arguably pointless appearance in Ed's Story Mode, Menat has a fantastic Egyptian-themed design. The mummy queen alternate costume however? Yeeesh. You can check out her reveal trailer online, or you can just get her right away because she's already available since early this week.

Menat's arrival after Abigail, pretty much confirms the identity of the 6th and final DLC character: Guy's teacher, Zeku. His name was already leaked before by Event Hubs' Flowtron, and his report has been proven to be on point until now. So I guess all we need to wait is CAPCOM's official announcement, right? Seeing the release pattern (Ed on May 30th, Abigail on July 25th, Menat on August 29th), we can probably expect this last Season 2 character to arrive later this month, if not late October. So tell me, are you excited about Zeku?

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psychic-readingonline · 6 years ago

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kerylraist · 8 years ago

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Most of the time, as a man, Gabriel M’Gy is the picture of what a Knight, heir to his Lord, should look like: a long ginger topknot he keeps braided into a tidy queue, moss-green eyes ringed by long ginger lashes, fair skin unmarred by scars or hidden by beard, a long, lean frame that moves with grace and ease. He’s got the body of a fencer, someone who can take a man apart with a sword.

He stares at the rapier he’s supposed to wear for meetings like this. It’s long and thin and has sparkly green-yellow opals on the hilts and decorating the sheath. It’s worth a small fortune. He’s useless with the bloody thing because no dragon in his right mind spends a minute training with a blade. He’d sell it in a heartbeat, use the money to get his men better equipment, but it’s a gift from his father, given when he took command of the Furies, so when he’s doing things like this, acting in his father’s stead, he needs to be wearing it. He straps it on, and takes a step, cursing as it gets tangled in his legs. The damn thing is never in the right place, always flapping against his leg, or knocking things over in his tent. He fidgets with his belt, and gets the scabbard into something approximating the right place.

At least when he’s standing still, he’s the image of what a young man of Gynn should look like. But, of course, he would look like that.

All of his kind look, more or less, depending on personal taste and local beauty standards, like that.

All of his kind learn young that magic brings power, and power brings enemies, and it’s much easier to enjoy a long and happy life when your enemies are few and far between. So, almost before they can walk, definitely by the time they meet their first tutors, all of his kind learn to control their magic into a glamour.

After all, most men cannot despise that which they find beautiful. Thus, the first defense any dragon ever musters is his glamour.

He’s worn it so long that it takes little thought and almost no energy.

But almost no energy isn’t no energy, and tired from the fight, from the spells he’s cast, thinking of the spells he still has yet to cast, Gabe lets his glamour drop.

He roots around in Dae’s trunk, knowing there has to be some food in there. Dae’s always got some sort of snack. After a moment, he finds a bag of nuts and dried meat. There are a few stray apples on his table, among the maps and next to the wine. Put that together with a bit of a rest, and he’ll be ready to deal with Blennis.

Gabriel M’Gy, the real Gabriel M’Gy, sits on his trunk, in front of his table, eating fast and weary. He does have moss-green eyes, like all of his kind, his whole eye is different shades of one color; his pupil is almost, but not quite, black; his sclera, light green, the color of new spring leaves; his iris, deep moss green.

His hair was burnished red-gold when the fighting started, and it was long. His queue hung to mid-back. For twenty-one summers he had lovely hair. It had had a little wave to it, and strands of it would work free from his queue and curl slightly around his shoulders, neck, and forehead when he was training hard.

The girls had liked that. Dae did, too. He’d poke Gabe with his elbow when the practice fights were done and tell him to stop breaking the girls’ hearts, while winking at the serving ladies, and when they were out of sight, he’d wrap that queue around his hand and pull Gabe close for a kiss by it. Later, those nights, they’d find one of the girls and play with her, and each other, together.

Now, at almost twenty-eight summers, his hair is almost gone. His long tresses almost got him killed when his father sent him in to a fight as a man, and he’s kept it cropped at less than an inch long ever since. Red-gold faded to almost entirely gray before the third year of fighting ended.

His skin is fair, and always was. Though, in his true form fair means jade with leaf green undertones. On his wrists and ankles, his veins show through, moss-green, like his eyes. He bleeds green, even when he wears his glamour.

Before the fighting started, his skin was smooth, unmarred by scars or marks. Before the war, the few cuts, nicks, scrapes, and dings he gathered in learning how to fight had melted before the tending of the healers.

Then the war came, or more precisely, came for Gabe. It’s been going on, on and off, longer than he’s been alive, so eventually, he was swept up in it. And once it came, Gabe no longer ran to the healers as soon as he was hurt, and none of the injuries he’d dare waste a moment of a healer’s time with came close to a nick or cut.

He, like all of his kind, fights mostly in the air, so his man-shaped body is riddled with scars on his back, sides, and the insides of his arms, where his wings would be on his dragon body. And it’s true that an arrow won’t pierce dragon hide, but a lance wielded by a knight on a destrier in full plate will. He’s got a thin, green lightning bolt scar across his face, and a missing piece of his left ear, to remind him that when fighting cavalry on the ground, a wingmate is just as important as he is in the air.

Worry lines crease his forehead, line his eyes, and ring his mouth.

Should he ever stand next to his father in his real skin, it would be difficult to tell which of the two is older.

Twenty-eight summers, not all that old yet, but as Lorcan says, ‘After the first real battle, all soldiers are old or dead.’

And Gabe is old.

#mgydragons #gabe m'gy #daz3d #iray

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