#battle of wills that ends in unbreakable devotion>>>>>>>

[keiicom]

It seems op deleted this post but I can't stop thinking about this and I need y'all to suffer with me

[untoldreader]

The Call to Duty

Maria Hill x fem reader

Summary

Maria Hill presents the reader with a crucial assignment, drawing them both into a mission that will test their devotion to each other and their cause

Warnings

None?

Tag list

Maria Hill stood before me, her expression grave yet resolute. It was a moment that would define our journey together, a call to duty that would test the limits of our devotion. She held a file in her hands, its contents known only to her and a select few.

"Listen carefully," Maria began, her voice steady and commanding. "A mission has arisen, one of utmost importance. The world is facing a threat that requires our unwavering commitment and expertise. We have been chosen for this task, but I need to know if you are willing to join me."

Her words hung in the air, laden with both the weight of responsibility and the promise of purpose. I knew that accepting this mission would mean venturing into dangerous territory, confronting unknown adversaries, and facing the very real possibility of sacrifice. But the thought of standing by Maria's side, fighting for a cause greater than ourselves, ignited a fire within me.

Without hesitation, I met her gaze and spoke from the depths of my heart. "Maria, I am ready to answer the call, to stand by your side in this mission. Our devotion to each other and to the cause runs deep, and together, we will face whatever challenges lie ahead."

A flicker of pride and relief crossed Maria's face as she nodded approvingly. "I knew I could count on you," she replied, her voice filled with a mixture of gratitude and determination. "This mission will test us in ways we cannot yet imagine, but I believe in our abilities, in the strength of our bond. Together, we will make a difference."

And so, we embarked on a journey that would push us to our limits—a mission that demanded our unwavering resolve and tested the very foundation of our love. Our days became consumed with preparation, honing our skills, and strategizing for the challenges ahead.

As we delved deeper into the mission, we encountered obstacles that tested our physical and emotional fortitude. We faced perilous situations, relying on our training and the trust we had built to overcome each hurdle. The devotion that bound us together served as an anchor, grounding us amidst the chaos and uncertainty.

There were moments of doubt and fear, moments when the weight of the mission threatened to break us. But in those moments, we found solace in each other's arms, drawing strength from our unwavering connection. Together, we faced the darkness head-on, knowing that our devotion was the light that would guide us through.

Our journey took us to the far corners of the world, where we encountered danger and deception at every turn. We infiltrated secret lairs, engaged in high-stakes battles, and unraveled the intricate web of our adversaries. Through it all, Maria's leadership and unwavering commitment inspired me, igniting a fierce determination within my own heart.

But amidst the chaos and danger, we never lost sight of the love that brought us together. In the quiet moments, when the world seemed to fade away, we found solace in each other's arms. Our shared dreams and whispered promises kept us grounded, reminding us of the life we were fighting to protect.

The mission tested our devotion in ways we could have never anticipated. Sacrifices had to be made, and we faced heart-wrenching choices that tested the very essence of who we were. But through it all, our love remained unyielding, an unbreakable bond that fueled our determination to see the mission through.

In the end, our devotion and sacrifices proved instrumental in achieving our objective. We emerged victorious, having faced the darkness head-on and emerged stronger than ever. The world was safer because of our efforts, and our love had withstood the ultimate test.

But our journey didn't end with the mission's success. We returned to a world forever changed, where new challenges awaited us. Yet, armed with the strength of our devotion, we faced each new chapter with unwavering resolve.

Our love story continues to unfold, intertwined with a commitment to a cause greater than ourselves. Together, we navigate the complexities of life, supporting each other through the triumphs and tribulations. Our devotion serves as a constant reminder of the power of love and the unwavering strength it brings.

And as we stand side by side, ready to face whatever challenges lie ahead, we do so with the knowledge that our love and devotion will always be our guiding light—the unbreakable force that propels us forward in a world that constantly tests our resolve.

[gureishi]

I love reading your opinions on Saeyoung! I know I’ve thought about this in regards to Zen so I’m curious what your headcanons are in regards to Saeyoung’s future relationships post game with each member of the RFA and Vanderwood??

Ohhhh, thank you for this wonderful question, dear Lea! The characters’ relationships with one another vary so much depending on the route and the timeline. Even though it makes me sad (because of the glaring absence of one beloved character), I’ll write these for the SE timeline.

Headcanon: Saeyoung’s relationships with RFA+Vanderwood post-game

Yoosung

Saeyoung and Yoosung’s relationship is endlessly fascinating to me. They’re close—they’d both tell you that, if you asked—but their friendship in the game is actually very surface-level. Saeyoung keeps Yoosung at arm’s-length, and Yoosung honestly has too much going on in his own head to devote much energy to trying to break down those walls.

The fight they have toward the end of Saeyoung’s route is a huge turning point for both of them. Yoosung is genuinely hurt to learn that his friend had never planned on sticking around, and Saeyoung is surprised to find that anybody actually cares enough to be mad about it. He never really thought too hard about what would happen if (when) he inevitably had to disappear from his friends’ lives—but when he did think about it, he honestly didn’t think he’d be missed.

It is a huge deal that Yoosung gets mad, because it shows Saeyoung that his existence has had an impact on people. It’s after this conversation with Yoosung that Saeyoung tells you he’s willing to try and open up to you, too; Yoosung is the one who shows him that there is value in letting another person become close to you.

Later, I am absolutely certain that they are able to develop a real friendship: one that’s grounded in trust and mutual understanding. When you’re living in the bunker with Saeyoung and Saeran, if there is one member of the RFA who’s showing up unannounced with a backpack full of sweets and a big grin on his face—it’s Yoosung.

Jaehee

Jaehee needs to feel secure in her understanding of the things and people around her. She likes to be able to think to herself, “oh, here is why this person behaves this way.” And it’s for this reason that Saeyoung drives her absolutely crazy.

She respects him, of course—but begrudgingly, because he is an anomaly, a little piece of chaos in her perfectly-ordered world.

It is your love for him that allows her to wrap her mind around his peculiar existence—because Jaehee cares deeply for you (almost immediately), and she recognizes the look you get in your eyes when you talk about him. She may not understand him (or even want to)—but she understands about love.

Jaehee and Saeyoung are never going to be best friends. But in this timeline, Jaehee is one of your dearest friends—and for you, they will both try. Jaehee will make honey butter cookies for his birthday, and she’ll smile softly when she sees the look of utter delight on his face. He’ll ask her to bring him her laptop, and she’ll complain as he sweeps it from her hands—but when he returns it to her working ten times better than it ever did before, she’ll clasp his hands in hers, her eyes shining.

If she ever gets around to opening her cafe in this timeline—and I’d like to believe that she does—you and Saeyoung will go in often. He’ll annoy her by doodling cat faces on all the napkins—but he’ll always tip her 200% of the bill.

Zen

In this timeline, Zen immediately takes you in as a sort of younger sibling (yes, even if you’re older than him), and he's ready to go to battle for you, if he needs to. Like Jaehee, he feels almost instantly that you are someone special. He doesn’t quite understand why—but he knows that he wants to keep you safe.

A consequence of this protectiveness, of course, is that he becomes very suspicious of Saeyoung. He’s never trusted him (and for good reason: Saeyoung may be trustworthy, but 707 is anything but). Zen is worried that you won’t be safe with Saeyoung—and he’s not entirely wrong.

But: when Saeyoung reveals his real name, Zen is one of the first to use it—and he uses it repeatedly. Every time I play the Secret Ends, and the Vday DLC, I am hyper-aware that Zen is making a massive effort to call Saeyoung by the right name. And this speaks volumes to me.

If you let Zen in—even just a little—he will accept all of you (and he’ll do it with his whole heart). Zen understands what it means to feel like you don’t belong anywhere—to hide your true self behind a mask of pretense and positivity—to become someone else so you don’t have to look too closely at who you really are.

No matter which timeline we’re in, Zen’s success is going to skyrocket—so he’s not going to be around all the time. But when he is, it’s a party: these are the times that the whole RFA gets together again (and if you listen closely, you’ll hear the way he speaks to Saeyoung now—like he actually admires him. The feeling is mutual).

Jumin

This timeline is one of the roughest for Jumin, without a doubt.

The game doesn’t show us how deeply he is grieving—but he is. He has lost the two people who have ever made him feel comfortable in his own skin, and he no longer has anyone he can turn to. I’m not gonna sugar-coat it and say that everybody’s happy in this ending: they’re not, and even months (years) later, Jumin is suffering.

But here’s the thing: Jumin’s not the only one who loved Jihyun.

It takes Saeyoung time to sort through the complicated feelings he has for Jihyun, after everything that’s happened. He doesn’t forgive him right away—and even as he mourns him, he’s angry, too. But time passes.

I imagine that there comes a day—weeks or months or even years later—that Saeyoung and Jumin find themselves talking to each other about the person they both loved. Perhaps they are in Jihyun’s apartment, sorting through his things—or they find themselves alone together at a group event and—at last—one of them acknowledges the grief that permeates the negative space between them.

Jihyun leaves a gaping hole in both of their lives that nothing can fill. But I’d like to think that an understanding develops between them: they may never completely get one another, and it’s okay that they don’t. There is a deep and unwavering affection there—the kind of mysterious and unbreakable bond you only feel for someone who has become your family.

Vanderwood

In my personal post-SE timeline, Vanderwood sticks around for a while to help the twins deal with their father. I’ve written about it a bit (in my Human Again series): if they are able to find the records Jihyun was keeping about Saejoong, it would not be too difficult for them to take him down in this timeline. He has no leverage, here. With the brothers working together, they can expose him—and then, of course, they can really be free.

But Vanderwood doesn’t stick around forever—they wouldn’t want to. They have a whole life outside of taking care of Saeyoung; they have a hometown, and possibly even people there who are waiting for them.

But at least once a year—and never with any notice—Vanderwood shows up at your home. "Just wanted to see with my own eyes that the kid actually managed to keep himself alive,” they’ll say—and they’ll grunt and roll their eyes and maybe blush a little when you throw your arms around them and thank them for being the reason he stayed alive as long as he did.

Vanderwood really respects you, because when you tell Saeyoung to be quiet or sit down or clean up after himself, he does it. They respect you, too, for your bravery and your strength and your resilience.

Neither one of them will ever admit it, but for a long time, Saeyoung and Vanderwood really did only have each other.

You’ll invite them to your wedding, of course. They won’t RSVP—but they’ll be there.

Saeran

I could write a literal novel about their relationship in this timeline and how it develops (and ummm maybe eventually I will), but I’ll try and keep this brief.

SE Saeran is so very tired. It takes time—so much time, exponentially more than the game shows us—for him to even begin to feel comfortable living in his brother’s home. He is physically sick, for a long time, as a result of the drugs he was being fed and the torture he was enduring. There isn’t enough space for forgiveness: there is barely enough space for living at all.

There’s no one moment when the two of them start to feel like brothers again: love and hate are so much more complicated than that. And Saeran has had no agency in his life; every choice has been made for him—his newfound “freedom” doesn’t feel like freedom at all. He feels he has been shuffled from one cage to another: his brother’s horrible, windowless home is no different.

But it is the small things: walking in the grass outside the bunker and feeling the sun on his skin; the way you speak to him, like you trust him; the annoying way Saeyoung follows him around, wide-eyed, trying far too hard to win him over—gradually, he begins to feel that he has a home, after all.

In this timeline, I do believe that all three of you keep on living together for the rest of your lives. You certainly don’t stay in the bunker forever—but when you move, you do it together.

And what’s most important here, of course, is that Saeran chooses this. It is perhaps one of the first choices that he makes for himself—and it sneaks up on him, taking him by surprise one day: he wants to keep on living together.

And this—living with his brother in a home that’s warm and full of love—is the only thing Saeyoung has ever wished for.

[project-rebirth]

PROFILE: Olivia Bonaparte

Name: Olivia Bonaparte

Epithet: Mistress Olivia, Napoleon 2.0

Personal Info

Status: Alive

Nationality: French

Age: 19

Gender: Female

Height: 5'2

Family: Emma Bonaparte (Younger Sister)

Magic Name: Salvare001 - Be the savior of those who are in need of it

Affiliation: Fallen Roman Catholic Church, House of Bonaparte

Abilities

Magic: [Stigma] (聖痕 Seikon (Sutiguma)?, lit. "Holy Mark")

Power Level: Saint-level

Equipment: Sword of Gallicans

Olivia Bonaparte (オリビア・ボナパルテ Oribia Bonaparute) is a major recurring character in A Certain Magical Index: Rebirth Testament, appearing as the primary antagonist of the Inquisitorial Invasion Arc. She is a member of the Fallen Roman Catholic Church and is a member of the elite House of Bonaparte. She's also a saint and the rival and Catholic-counter-part to Kanzaki Kaori.

Background

Olivia was born and raised in Paris, France and was born into the House of Bonaparte, an elite aristocratic family that secretly controlled France from behind the scenes. She spent her whole childhood training in the art of magic and eventually rose to become a full-blown saint at around the same time as Kanzaki Kaori. During one of her first missions, she confronted Kanzaki and the two of them fought which ended in a stalemate but Kanzaki was scared because Olivia had killed many members of the Amakusa church. Ever since then, the two have had a never-ending rivalry and they seek to fight each other whenever they can and want to see the other one be defeated.

Personality

Olivia is a strict disciplinary, always having a hard and stern look on her face and only smiling to those whom she deems worthy of it. She tends to act cold, calm and collected in general and this helps her especially in the battle against her opponents. She has fierce devotion and allegiance to the Roman Catholic Church going as far as to refer to Protestants as "heathen traitors". She is also loyal to France and longs to have it return to the days of the French Empire under Napoleon, her descendant. Olivia also has a rivalry with Kanzaki and tends to want to fight her and the other members of Necessarius whenever she can.

Olivia is also very strict and dedicated to the idea of victory. She believes in scoring victory for the Catholic Church and/or France and is willing to do anything to accomplish that. She has a very strong sense of pride and nationalism and refuses to have either the Vatican nor France cave in or negotiate until they've won. The same applies to her as well and holds her status as a saint in very high regard. Her sense of pride and victory is so strong that upon being captured, Olivia will shut herself out and lay in shame and will refuse to speak to her captors. She will be vigilant against them and will even go as far as to demand to be gagged so she can't speak to them believing that she'd be dishonoring either the Catholic Church or France by doing so.

Powers & Abilities

Like Kanzaki, Olivia is a type of magician born with Stigma. As a result, she has the ability to call upon God's power as a Saint who has bodily characteristics similar to the Son of God, and is endowed with super-human capabilities. It is said that she is capable of fighting with a christian angel in most circumstances. She is highly proficient in non-magical combat, having been trained sense childhood by the sword and other martial arts. Because of her ability, she is stated to be one of the top Magicians in Europe.

She has great knowledge of western magic, primarily christian and kabbalac spells.  

The Sword of Gallicans

The Sword of Gallicans is a sword that is passed down from generation to generation within the House of Bonaparte to the head of state, the French monarch. It is a ceremonial sword that is used during the coronation ceremonies, however this was not its original use. The sword was used in battle by the Bonaparte  family for many generations, and continues to be used as such by the family.

The sword is referred to as the "sword that brings judgement", specifically because it has also been responsible for many executions by the family head.  It does not necessarily mean the sword is the symbol of the monarch but represents the proof of being the person chosen to be the family head. It is also known as the Sword of Honor and the sibling of Britain's Curtana.

Like Curtana, its importance lies in its use as a spiritual item where it is called the sword that determines the country's leader of the angels. The sword is able to empower its weilder with Telesma, the same type of power that Archangel Michael, the leader of angels, possesses. As a result, Olivia gains a significant boost in power. It should be stated however, that while the boost in power she gains is significant, its affects drastically weaken when she is not in France. Still, when armed with the Sword of Gallicans, she is formidable in combat and is capable of empowering her allies from the French division of the Roman Catholic Church and the revived Knights of Orleans.

The Sword of Gallicans does not have the same limitations as Curtana Original and its subsequent variants, as its effects can be used outside of the country of France, although as mentioned before, its effects will be much stronger in the country of its origin. With it empowering Olivia's allies, they also are able to possess telesma to enhance their own abilities, with the conditions that her party must all be French in order to feel its affects, for example, a person from Italy or Japan would not be enhanced by the Sword of Gallicans' power.

Sword's capabilities

Invisible Air Spell

The Invisible Air Spell (風王結界Fū-Ō Kekkai lit. Barrier of the Wind King) is a spell that produces  a sheath of wind that covers the Sword of Gallicans and conceals it so that it cannot be easily recognized as such. It is made up of multiple layers of wind compressed into super-high pressure air with a massive amount of magical energy, which distorts the refraction of light and renders what is inside completely invisible. This spell is not just limited to the blade, as it can also be used on its wielder to conceal herself and others.

Upon the Sword of Gallicans, it takes on the shape of the blade and renders it as an invisible sword that doesn't appear even as sparks fly off of it. It lacks the capacity to annihilate the enemy like Light of Gallicans Spell, being more suited as a "sharp tool" in battle. It isn't used for any particular strength, but it is easier to use in battle than Light of Gallicans and it is a trump card that can bring about victory if used well. It is also possible to implement the barrier on something other than the sword. She can form the barrier in the area around her or as a quick defensive wall of wind, which she can keep active for a number of minutes with her magical energy. She uses it to completely envelop an entire Building in an unbreakable protection.

It is rather simple in execution, but it proves tremendously effective in hand-to-hand combat. The barrier isn't a vacuum, so the air constantly whirling around the blade is essentially a weapon. It increases the damage and cutting power of an attack, and the amount of mana released from each strike is high enough that it is visible to the eye. It also provides for an increased accuracy and defense against opponents unfamiliar with the nature of her weapon as it is difficult for the opponents to parry lunges and thrusts from Olivia. They cannot discern the length, width, reach, or trajectory of the blade, or even the fact that it is even a blade until they actually make contact with the weapon, which leaves them constantly on guard due to having to rely solely on Olivia's movement to decipher her attacks. They are confused both offensively and defensively, only allowing them to approximate the movements of the strikes and keep outside of her range to avoid being easily struck down. Against an opponent who can figure out the nature of the weapon quickly and correct the visual disturbance, or someone with a resistance to visual impediments, it becomes nothing more than wind around a sword.

Once the barrier is released so that the Sword of Gallicans can be used, the previously compressed wind surges around her chaotically, creating a vacuum as it diffuses into the air with enough force to knock over normal people and shake heavy, firm trees like a typhoon. The compressed wind can also instead be released as a single use projectile spell called Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King (風王鉄槌, Fū-ō Tettsui?). Acting like a hammer made out of wind, it creates a gale made out of super high pressure condensed air that is powerful enough to easily crush and blow away armies and fling a stone slab weighing several tons into the air as if it were nothing. It is a long range attack with a constant amount of damage that is not influenced by Olivia's physical condition or her level of magical energy. It can only be blocked by overwhelming it with a higher amount of magical energy. It can also be used to accelerate her own body towards her opponent, allowing her to travel at three times her normal speed. By holding the sword in a backward wide stance, she releases the air and changes into a supersonic bullet that charges towards her opponent. If working together with another person, the partner can use the vacuum left behind by the attack to immediately rush in behind it by using the surge of air taken in by the vacuum as a Slipstream. After releasing it, she can recall it by compressing the surrounding air to reform the barrier.

Light of Gallicans Spell

Her strongest offensive spell yet, the Light of Gallicans is a spell that takes a large amount of Telesma within it and unleashes it as an offensive power. It has been noted by Olivia that it is an extremely dangerous spell to use and that it has a good chance of overloading and destroying her if not prepared properly. Because of its destructive power, it has been regarded as  an "ultimate killing technique" that releases Telesma in its purist form from the tip of the blade once the sword is swung. To an observer, it looks like a giant beam of light, but the attack's target point is only at the tip. It is the "ultimate slash" that cuts through everything in the "area" the light goes through. Its enormous power heats space around the tip, and as a result, it is interpreted as a wave of light that mows across the surface of the earth. One could also call it a directed energy weapon. Even if it is dodged, those in close proximity can still be temporarily distracted by its intensity.

Because of its nature, the spell cannot be used consecutively and runs the risk of overloading the user with Telesma and destroying their body and the surrounding area. It is capable of eradicating entire armies at its fullest capabilities, as well as destroying numerous buildings in a place like Academy City. The sword itself being a spiritual item,  it is able to be negated by Imagine Breaker, however, the Light of Gallicans Spell would have enough force to completely blow Kamijou Touma away, despite the spell being dispelled by Imagine Breaker. It is possible to limit its destructive power if the opponent focuses on close-range combat, and it cannot be used against opponents who fight at extremely close range.

[warwaged-archive]

Loyalty is a huge thing to Nathanos, be it as Marris or Blightcaller. People make fun of it, and I know some people consider him to be blind in his devotion to Sylvanas, but I don’t think it is about blindness: I think he sees her exactly for what she is, and chooses to remain loyal to her nonetheless.

Nathanos’ hatred towards the Alliance stems from loyalty, too, or rather, the lack of it: he fought for it for years, and he was entirely dedicated to its cause. His desire to wage war on them goes beyond even following Sylvanas’ orders, as his dialogue with Garona in BFA evidences:

Garona Halforcen walks over to Nathanos Blightcaller. Garona Halforcen says: The zeal with which you attack the Alliance seems borne of more than deference to your queen, Blightcaller. Nathanos Blightcaller says: I once fought for their cause. The Alliance’s insufferable arrogance has increased tenfold since they turned their backs on us. Garona Halforcen says: Turned their backs? Nathanos Blightcaller says: When the Lich King’s hold over us was broken, Sylvanas sought allies. Instead of embracing their fallen kin of Lordaeron, the humans spurned us. Hunted us. So I vowed to hunt them. Garona Halforcen says: Ah, vengeance fuels you. I can appreciate that. Nathanos Blightcaller says: Vengeance. Contempt. Call it what you will. Nathanos Blightcaller says: When the last of his subjects has been slain and raised Forsaken, the boy-king will kneel before the Dark Lady. And at long last, there will be but one queen to rule them all. Garona Halforcen walks back to her post.

It is vengeance, of course, as he wants retribution for the treatment the Forsaken received after gaining their wills back. Nevertheless, this very desire for vengeance comes not only from what the Alliance did but from the fact the Alliance did it. He feels betrayed because he was loyal to them, he fought for their cause, and when things beyond his control fell upon him, not only did the Alliance abandon him, it actively hunted him. Like, Sylvanas was shunned in the homeland she sacrificed herself to save, but the Alliance literally sent people to kill Nathanos because he became a stain on what they supposedly are.

Quest is ‘Order Must Be Restored’, and this is what Varian said when giving it:

Do you know how many ranger lords exist in this world? How many human ranger lords have ever existed?

Nathanos’ accomplishments were unprecedented. He was a tactical genius, responsible for Alliance victories spanning a decade of conflict.

And now… the champion of the Forsaken.

No. This cannot be. Order must be restored.

Gather an army, <name>. Return to the Plagues with your army and destroy the Blightcaller.

I wish you luck, <name>. Truly, you will need it for this battle.

He literally says Nathanos was an Alliance hero and therefore now he must die because he can’t be a Forsaken champion after the Alliance abandoned the Forsaken and branded them monsters. The Alliance showed him and the rest of the Forsaken not the tiniest bit of the loyalty he had given them, because if he fought for them, if he dedicated himself to the Alliance and won them victories for a decade, you can be very sure he was loyal as hell to it, because Nathanos would not devote himself to anything if it wasn’t completely. He is so bitter towards the Alliance precisely because he gave it so much but it was never returned, and as soon as he no longer fit their mold they sentenced him to die. It’s not that they had to accept him back as he was, but he and the Forsaken weren’t even given a chance. He was actively hunted by the people he fought for before his death. He gave them his loyalty and got nothing in return.

Sylvanas, though?

Sylvanas saw in him enough potential to make him a ranger in an order made entirely of elves, many who had more years of experience than he would have of life. Sylvanas made him Ranger Lord, trusted him with one of the most important positions in the Farstriders even when it made her be questioned for it. Sylvanas trusted in him, and even in life Nathanos was always hellbent in not letting her down. He was already entirely loyal to her in life, and his loyalty did not depend on them having a romantic relationship, either. Like I said, loyalty is a huge thing to him, and he doesn’t commit to things partially. If she put so much trust in him, you can be sure he’d give his hardest to be worthy of it, and that he’d be immensely loyal to her already. Once they do have a relationship though? He’d do anything for her — he does, in sticking with the Farstriders even though it isn’t what he would be happiest doing, because it is what shewants and in the end what he is happiest doing is being with her. He literally does not care if he has to endure prejudiced elves all day everyday and it is a nightmare because it doesn’t matter beyond the fact their relationship might hurt Sylvanas’ reputation, that is how much he is already devoted to her much before his death.

In undeath, however, his loyalty is even more unbreakable, if there is even a way to be. Nathanos died in Lordaeron, became part of the Scourge, and did not manage to free himself alone: it was Sylvanas who freed him. She literally went looking for him (!), and when she does find him he is a mess, because he’s been a corpse for a while and because he was just a minion of the Lich King, his body is decaying and the moment she finds him Nathanos is literally in the middle of being a gross zombie eating people. Sylvanas calls his name and it is enough to break through the Lich King’s mind control (!!).

His eyes drifted down to the mottled skin of his gnarled fingers, stained deep red by his recent kill. A rush of shame banished the thrill of his reunion with Sylvanas. The thought that she would see him like this, a decrepit, nightmarish mockery of his former self, filled him with disgust. Almost of its own volition, his forearm rose to hide his rotting face.

and

He was not worthy to stand with her. To even look upon her. Yet her strength, her power, enthralled him, compelling his arm to fall away so his eyes could meet hers. “You see what I… have become,” he growled. “Why would you want such a monster to serve you?” Sylvanas waved her hand as if dismissing the bits of pulpy corpse strewn about the ground.

She finds him at his worst and she doesn’t even bat an eye at what he became. Nathanos is ashamed of it — he declares himself a monster, thinks he is unworthy of her, but Sylvanas? Sylvanas does not shun him for it. She came looking for him, she saw him at his worst and she does not turn her back on him even when he offers her the chance to because he doesn’t think he is deserving of being by her side.

Loyalty was always immensely important to him. But where the Alliance failed to return it, Sylvanas did not, even when he thought it would be acceptable for her to leave him behind. She stuck with him no matter how low he had fallen — of course he will remain loyal to her no matter what. He has always been loyal to her, but this moment when she goes back for him, when she dismisses the awfulness of what he has become and insists she wants him by her side, this is a defining moment in how loyal he is to Sylvanas. There is literally nothing she could ever do that would be too terrible, nothing she could become that would be too horrific, nowhere she could go that he would not follow, not because he is blind, but because he is loyal to Sylvanas no matter what, because much like she did not shun him when he was at his worse, so wouldn’t he turn his back on her no matter what happened.

Nathanos is devoted to her, entirely and without question or doubt. He would do anything for her. There is but one thing that I can see happening that would cause that to change, and it is once again tied to loyalty and how important it is to him. She hasn’t failed him when it comes to loyalty yet; no matter what happened, she still trusted Nathanos with her plans, still worked to keep him beside her. But if she did, if he was once again left behind by people who apparently cared for him only for as long as he was useful, then I can see that being broken. Like I said, I don’t think he is blind in his loyalty to her, and he is only willing to go as far as he goes for her because she went through lengths for him too, in different ways. She stood with him when he was at his worst and everyone else shunned him. I don’t think it would be easy to break his loyalty to her, but I also don’t think it could withstand her no longer being loyal to him.

[darkpoisonouslove]

Light was what destroyed Griffin and Valtor's relationship but she needs to find some more of that if she wants to survive the darkness he left in her soul.

16 - daybreak

Night was the time when witches were at their best, when their spells were strongest and they made their moves, when the darkness wasn’t just inside them but everywhere around them as well and the light coming from the moon was only a warped reflection of the sun rays that didn’t have enough strength to chase away the shadows and they swallowed everything, deciding on a whim whether to spit it back out in the morning or not. Night had been their time as well, when they’d been together and it had been just the two of them, no missions and dangers, no ambitions and goals, and nothing to keep their attention off each other, their passion for each other running free and unrestricted as it only could in the darkness where it was kept safe. So it had been logical for their love to fall apart during the day.

She’d loved the quiet of the mornings when she’d always been the first to wake and she could look at Valtor who’d still been asleep next to her in her bed. Or it had been her who’d been in his bed – it had depended on the perspective. Either way, it had never been their bed. It just hadn’t been meant to be. And Griffin suspected that somewhere deep down she’d always known that. Still, she’d loved to watch him while he slept. It had been the only time she could see the real him. In the day he’d been wearing the veneer of arrogance like a second skin, and at night she’d been too busy exploring his body and enjoying his touch on her skin for her to care about anything else. But when he’d been asleep and the early rays of sunlight had softly caressed his face, she’d been given the opportunity to see through him.

He looked like an angel, and held the soul of a demon, a beast, a monster. And it had scared her as much as it had excited her, for she knew how to deal with monsters, but she’d had no clue how to stop herself from falling in the inviting embrace of the angel. And in the hesitant light of the dawn everything had seemed softer, kinder, friendlier. It had seemed like they could have been happy. And she’d wanted to freeze the sun in that moment because the bright light of the day revealed all the ugly parts that had simply looked mysterious and tempting at daybreak. And how could her light be the source of the strongest darkness in the universe?

It had hurt to accept it, to leave him and betray not only him but herself as well. But really, it was her own damn fault. He might have been made from the Dragon Fire but he’d never been meant to be on the side of light, and she’d known that. He was darkness powered by the strongest source pf magic, the darkness that could snuff out all the light, and she had to stop him. She had to find another source of light for herself to chase away Valtor’s shadows from her soul. So she’d decided to take the hand Faragonda had offered her and join the Company of Light. Maybe that could restore the balance in her soul.

Griffin is studying some books in her quest to track down the Coven and Valtor when Faragonda interferes and learns something she didn’t know about her friend. Could be considered a sequel to “What is the One Thing That Can Never Break?” but can be understood on its own as well.

I’ve had this idea since my birthday so... for three and a half months. I did manage to write it at last though.

44 - study

“Why are you still awake?” Faragonda’s voice startled her.

She’d been so concentrated on studying the maps that she hadn’t heard her approach even in the dead silence of the library in the middle of the night. It was just proof that her work was too important and she couldn’t abandon it in favor of sleep. They had a hot trail on the Coven and it was their first real chance in weeks to actually turn things around. It would be a crime to let that opportunity slip through their fingers, and while she hadn’t protested when everyone else had gone to bed, she’d stayed up to work. Somebody had to.

“I’m not done here,” Griffin said, making her voice cold so that Faragonda would get the message. She wasn’t joking around. She wouldn’t let anyone pull her away from her work right now when she was on the cusp of finding them, of finding him.

“Step away from the books,” Faragonda’s tone was just as grave, making the temperature in the room rise as the atmosphere became tense with the intent they were both putting in their respective stances on the matter. There was no room to breathe as their silent battle of wills gained speed, both of them not moving a muscle in their refusal to budge.

It was the wave of energy that spilled from Faragonda that made Griffin look at her to see the serious expression on her face as the magic flowed from her, both light and dark. It was untypical of Faragonda to let the side of her powers that fed from the negative emotions at play and Griffin wasn’t exactly certain what her friend was hoping to accomplish. If the fairy was trying to convey to her that her actions were hurting her enough to power her dark magic, then it was a waste of time. She wouldn’t let even that deter her from her task.

“Griffin, I am serious,” Faragonda said when Griffin turned back to her books. “You need to go to bed and I will make sure that happens no matter what,” she said, more magic spilling from her in support of her words and it finally dawned on Griffin what was going on in Faragonda’s head.

“You won’t fight me in the library,” she said as she turned to look at her friend, the smile on her face more intended to hide her hurt rather than to express smugness over calling Faragonda’s bluff. It wounded her that Faragonda would try to manipulate her like that, and her heart quivered in fear for a moment as the thought of all of it being an illusion of Lysslis’ crossed her mind but she shrugged it off. She knew Faragonda’s magical signature. It was her friend who was trying to manipulate her. And she had yet to decide whether that was better or worse.

“Oh, yes, I will,” Faragonda said, her body shining as she transformed in her Enchantix to prove her words, the light blinding and painful, and not just because Griffin had spent hours staring at endless strings of words in different languages as she was hunting for the Coven.

“So you’ll fight me–in the library–even though you think I’m too exhausted to be reading?” she asked, no fake smiles this time, just the genuine disbelief in her eyes as she tried to show Faragonda that it was madness. That whole conversation was insane. They were supposed to be friends, not fight each other–in the library–when she was only trying to help.

“If that will convince you to get some rest, then yes,” Faragonda said, her own voice carrying hints of desperation as her eyes begged Griffin to just listen to her and make things easier for both of them. It wasn’t in her power, though, and the energy coming off of Faragonda was only tugging at her own feelings, pulling them to come forward and power her magic to put a stop to this before anyone could get hurt.

She let them out, let them flow and seek out the energy hidden in her, merge with it and power it for her purposes. There was too much hurt and resentment and despair for her to contain them if she wanted her trick to be efficient but there were also the good things. Her love for Faragonda that would never let her hurt her, the gratefulness for having such a devoted friend even when they disagreed, and her desire to protect all the books from any possible damage this argument could have on them. She couldn’t let that burn – all the magic, and beauty, and knowledge. It would be a sin.

It all flowed together and closed around Faragonda, weaving a silvery sphere around her that held her trapped so that they would all be safe, so that no one would get hurt. Griffin had had too much of that, too much of hurting and getting hurt. She had no more strength to go through more of that. She would break too much, more than she already had, and that scared her more with the possibility of it going on rather than with the possibility of it ending when she tired out and was so crushed that there wasn’t even dust left. It was more terrifying to think that it wouldn’t stop even then, that the relentless conflict inside her that kept breaking her apart would go on even when she was just the stardust left after the star had died and its existence was long forgotten.

Faragonda tried everything to break free from her magical prison but none of her tricks worked, even though they had been almost equally powerful the last time they’d sparred together. It had been long ago, though, when they’d still been studying magic in a carefully controlled environment and not in the realities of the war, and Griffin had never suspected she could do the magic she was currently performing. And it had changed.

“How is this possible?” Faragonda asked when she tried to use her fairy dust to escape but it had no effect whatsoever. “How can you be maintaining this level of magical concentration for so long?” she looked at Griffin, leaving the fairy dust alone now that it had proven useless.

“There’s just enough light magic in this to withstand your fairy dust,” Griffin explained as she basked in the feeling of the positive emotions running through her and making her sphere unbreakable. It was proof that she could do something other than destroying and she could keep it up forever. She wanted to. “I can explain if you’re ready to stop this fight and listen?” she offered even though she wasn’t tired and didn’t want to end the connection between her feelings and her magic that made them both much more distinguished and intense than they were when separated. But she didn’t want to physically be in a fight with Faragonda. It was one of her biggest nightmares.

Faragonda nodded calmly and had her winx vanish, leaving her in her normal clothes and as her usual self, as Griffin's best friend that wasn’t trying to fight her when everyone else was, as the warm presence she could always count on when the fissures inside her filled with too much cold.

Griffin slowly let the feelings fade, causing the sphere to do the same and let Faragonda out so that she could join her as she sat down. Probably for the first time in the last two hours. And now that her resolve when it came to the whole situation with Faragonda was more or less put to rest, her energy drained out of her slowly but surely, letting the exhaustion seep in. Though, that could be caused by what they had yet to discuss.

“What we study in Cloud Tower and Alfea respectively is not all there is when it comes to magic,” she said, her gaze on the books in front of her to occupy the part of her mind that wasn’t captured by her explanation but was rather prompted by it to wander back in memories instead. “The schools teach a more clinical approach to magic which is probably a good idea when you have young and inexperienced magic users on your hands, but it leaves so much potential unexplored.” She took a breath, preparing to dive into the topic truly. “We’re taught that magic is a tool and that it needs to be controlled when you use it but that puts a divide between you and your magic that renders you unable to use your full potential.” She chanced a glance at Faragonda to find her listening carefully and if she was drawing any side conclusions, it didn’t show on her face. Griffin’s own thoughts were scattering now that her whole attention wasn’t occupied, though. “We’re taught to look at magic as something that stands beneath us and not as something that stands next to us, inside us, and is a part of us.” You can’t just do magic, you are magic. “When you really connect with your feelings and let them flow without holding them back, they can power your magic with unlimited power,” she said, her voice shakier now as all her strength was going in just getting the words out, and she hadn’t noticed when her vision had filled with tears as her eyes had been busy watching the memories play out in her head.

“Griffin,” Faragonda called, her voice quiet and full of understanding now, asking to stand next to Griffin and not against her as she understood Griffin needed support since rest wasn’t an option currently, and the warmth that washed over her was a shocking contrast to the cold that had lived inside her for so long now. It had her tremble and that, in turn, forced the tears to spill, which also dragged out the sobs in an avalanche of feelings she’d been doing her best to hide ever since she’d arrived and joined the Company. Ever since she’d left him.

Griffin nearly threw herself at Faragonda’s open and welcoming arms, clutching hard at her because she was one of the only two things that she knew for sure. “I have to find him,” she choked out. She had to see him. She had to stop him. But before that she had to see him.

[diguerra-moved]

Nathanos: hes more loyal than the entire Alliance

UNPROMPTED ASKS // always accepting.

HONESTLY

(I’m sorry anon you brought this upon yourself by giving me an opportunity to talk)

Loyalty is a huge thing to him, be it as Marris or Blightcaller. People make fun of it, and I know some people consider him to be blind in his devotion to Sylvanas, but I don’t think it is about blindness: I think he sees her exactly for what she is, and chooses to remain loyal to her nonetheless. 

Nathanos’ hatred towards the Alliance stems from it, too: he fought for it for years, and he was entirely dedicated to its cause. His desire to wage war on them goes beyond even following Sylvanas’ orders, as his dialogue with Garona in BFA evidences:

Garona Halforcen walks over to Nathanos Blightcaller.Garona Halforcen says: The zeal with which you attack the Alliance seems borne of more than deference to your queen, Blightcaller.Nathanos Blightcaller says: I once fought for their cause. The Alliance’s insufferable arrogance has increased tenfold since they turned their backs on us.Garona Halforcen says: Turned their backs?Nathanos Blightcaller says: When the Lich King’s hold over us was broken, Sylvanas sought allies. Instead of embracing their fallen kin of Lordaeron, the humans spurned us. Hunted us. So I vowed to hunt them.Garona Halforcen says: Ah, vengeance fuels you. I can appreciate that.Nathanos Blightcaller says: Vengeance. Contempt. Call it what you will.Nathanos Blightcaller says: When the last of his subjects has been slain and raised Forsaken, the boy-king will kneel before the Dark Lady. And at long last, there will be but one queen to rule them all.Garona Halforcen walks back to her post.

It is vengeance, of course, as he wants retribution for the treatment the Forsaken received after gaining their wills back. Nevertheless, this very desire for vengeance comes not only from what the Alliance did but from the fact the Alliance did it. He feels betrayed because he was loyal to them, he fought for their cause, and when things beyond his control fell upon him, not only did the Alliance abandon him, it actively hunted him. Like, Sylvanas was shunned in the homeland she sacrificed herself to save, but the Alliance literally sent people to kill Nathanos because he became a stain on what they supposedly are.

Quest is ‘Order Must Be Restored’, and this is what Varian said when giving it:

Do you know how many ranger lords exist in this world? How many human ranger lords have ever existed?

Nathanos’ accomplishments were unprecedented. He was a tactical genius, responsible for Alliance victories spanning a decade of conflict.

And now… the champion of the Forsaken.

No. This cannot be. Order must be restored.

Gather an army, . Return to the Plagues with your army and destroy the Blightcaller.

I wish you luck, . Truly, you will need it for this battle.

He literally says Nathanos was an Alliance hero and therefore now he must die because he can’t be a Forsaken champion after the Alliance abandoned the Forsaken and branded them monsters. The Alliance showed him and the rest of the Forsaken not the tiniest bit of the loyalty he had given them, because if he fought for them, if he dedicated himself to the Alliance and won them victories for a decade, you can be very sure he was loyal as hell to it, because Nathanos would not devote himself to anything if it wasn’t completely. He is so bitter towards the Alliance precisely because he gave it so much but it was never returned, and as soon as he no longer fit their mold they sentenced him to die. It’s not that they had to accept him back as he was, but he and the Forsaken weren’t even given a chance. He was actively hunted by the people he fought for before his death. He gave them his loyalty and got nothing in return.

Sylvanas, though?

Sylvanas saw in him enough potential to make him a ranger in an order made entirely of elves, many who had more years of experience than he would have of life. Sylvanas made him Ranger Lord, trusted him with one of the most important positions in the Farstriders even when it made her be questioned for it. Sylvanas trusted in him, and even in life Nathanos was always hellbent in not letting her down. He was already entirely loyal to her in life, and his loyalty did not depend on them having a romantic relationship, either. Like I said, loyalty is a huge thing to him, and he doesn’t commit to things partially. If she put so much trust in him, you can be sure he’d give his hardest to be worthy of it, and that he’d be immensely loyal to her already. Once they do have a relationship though? He’d do anything for her — he does, in sticking with the Farstriders even though it isn’t what he would be happiest doing, because it is what she wants and in the end what he is happiest doing is being with her. He literally does not care if he has to endure prejudiced elves all day everyday and it is a nightmare because it doesn’t matter beyond the fact their relationship might hurt Sylvanas’ reputation, that is how much he is already devoted to her much before his death.

In undeath, however, his loyalty is even more unbreakable, if there is even a way to be. Nathanos died in Lordaeron, became part of the Scourge, and did not manage to free himself alone: it was Sylvanas who freed him. She literally went looking for him (!), and when she does find him he is a mess, because he’s been a corpse for a while and because he was just a minion of the Lich King, his body is decaying and the moment she finds him Nathanos is literally in the middle of being a gross zombie eating people. Sylvanas calls his name and it is enough to break through the Lich King’s mind control (!!). 

His eyes drifted down to the mottled skin of his gnarled fingers, stained deep red by his recentkill. A rush of shame banished the thrill of his reunion with Sylvanas. The thought that shewould see him like this, a decrepit, nightmarish mockery of his former self, filled him withdisgust. Almost of its own volition, his forearm rose to hide his rotting face.

and 

He was not worthy to stand with her. To even look upon her. Yet her strength, her power,enthralled him, compelling his arm to fall away so his eyes could meet hers. “You see what I…have become,” he growled. “Why would you want such a monster to serve you?”Sylvanas waved her hand as if dismissing the bits of pulpy corpse strewn about the ground.

She finds him at his worst and she doesn’t even bat an eye at what he became. Nathanos is ashamed of it — he declares himself a monster, thinks he is unworthy of her, but Sylvanas? Sylvanas does not shun him for it. She came looking for him, she saw him at his worst and she does not turn her back on him even when he offers her the chance to because he doesn’t think he is deserving of being by her side.

Loyalty was always immensely important to him. But where the Alliance failed to return it, Sylvanas did not, even when he thought it would be acceptable for her to leave him behind. She stuck with him no matter how low he had fallen — of course he will remain loyal to her no matter what. He has always been loyal to her, but this moment when she goes back for him, when she dismisses the awfulness of what he has become and insists she wants him by her side, this is a defining moment in how loyal he is to Sylvanas. There is literally nothing she could ever do that would be too terrible, nothing she could become that would be too horrific, nowhere she could go that he would not follow, not because he is blind, but because he is loyal to Sylvanas no matter what, because much like she did not shun him when he was at his worse, so wouldn’t he turn his back on her no matter what happened. 

Nathanos is devoted to her, entirely and without question or doubt. He would do anything for her. It is almost offensive to compare his loyalty to any loyalty the Alliance might have, really, when his is so complete and unbreakable and the Alliance… well. Tyrande isn’t exactly happy with how her loyalty to them is being paid right now lol.

[orientalonehphm]

The End of the Mystery: Part 4 - To vow your life away

Summary: As the battle threatens to begin, Jacob is reminded of the dirty deed he might have to complete on this night.

The glow of the shield around Hogwarts illuminated the groups of death eaters and snatchers on the hillside. The evil army was restless, their laughs of mischief echoed over the land, eager to kill the boy-who-lived. A lone figure stood in the back by the forest edge, leaning against a tree. His black cloak billowed in the wind, leaves rustled at his worn boots. His head rose as he heard the crunch of footsteps behind him.

"Hello Y/L/N" The woman spoke behind him. He waved the death eater mask from his face as he turned to face her.

"Merula" The woman's violet eyes pierced into his. The sound of more footsteps alerted him to another woman standing next to Merula, her long hair was unkempt and dirty. "Ismelda" The pale-faced woman grunted in response.

"Enjoying the view Jacob?" The two Slytherins came to a stop next to Jacob, staring out into the horizon. The resounding cracks and bangs of the army's attacks echoed off the bubble around the castle.

"What do you want Merula?" The man let out a loud sigh. The sliver of orange in Merula's hair whipped through the air as she turned to face him.

"Now now, no need to get snappy. We're all on the same side here" Jacob's solemn expression changed to a look of annoyance as he was reminded of his allegiance. "We'll all be in that stupid school soon, setting it ablaze, tearing down those walls, killing anyone who stands in our way" Merula's cruel words filled Jacob with remorse, she watched as a look of worry wavered on his face, the corner of her mouth twitched into a mischievous smirk. "They're not strong enough to hold us off, they would have sent out a cry for help, to anyone sad enough to face the dark lord...Do you think they'll be here?"

"Stop it Snyde" Jacob scowled but the cruel Slytherin crept closer to him.

"What am I saying? Of course they'll be here. They're foolish and deranged, just like their family" Jacob's knuckles went white as he balled his hand tightly into a fist. "Oh, but not you Jacob. You know what you're fighting for..." Merula stepped behind the man, swinging around the tree trunk next to him and stopping once they were face to face. "You know what you must do...for our dark lord" Her insidious face inched forwards. "Your vow" A wicked smile appeared on her face. "To kill your own blood!"

"ENOUGH" In a swift move, Jacob gripped Merula by her collar and swung her against the tree trunk. His hand shook in rage as he held his wand out, pointed at the cackling witch.

"Careful Y/L/N, you're making a scene" She hissed. Jacob looked around. A few death eaters and snatchers stared at him, looks of bewilderment and disgust set on him. With a glance over his shoulder, he saw Ismelda with her hand aimed at the back of his head. "I'm not the one you need to kill anyway!" Another cackle prompted Jacob to jab his wand further towards Merula's threat. "I don't think Lord Voldemort would appreciate you killing one of his most devoted followers" With a frustrated grunt, Jacob lowered his arm, returning his wand to his pocket.

"You really are mad if you think Voldemort gives a damn about you, Snyde" the enraged death eater straightened his cloak, composing himself.

"The dark lord values all that have proven themselves" Merula raised her sleeve, revealing the dark mark, the brand was faint against her skin. Jacob's eyes scanned over the mark before returning to stare at the landscape ahead. "Oh I forget, you haven't proven yourself, not yet" Her words lingered in the air "Not yet" Jacob looked to his right where Voldemort himself and his loyal fanatics stood. Jacob's heart pounded as the Dark Lord turned, his dark scarlet eyes bore into him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Crucio!" Pain seared through Jacob's body, his bones felt like they were on fire. The agony would not stop, his head felt like it was splitting open. He wanted it to end. Anything to stop the suffering. His breath returned to him as Voldemort lifted his wand away from his writhing body. The man panted, attempting to raise himself up off the cold stone floor of the Malfoy manor cellar. "Have you learnt your lesson yet Y/L/N?" Jacob looked up at the pale-face of the Dark Lord.

"Yes...my...Lord" The death eater panted, clutching his side as he rose up.

"I instructed you to never see your miserable sibling again but yet Wormtail found you near their place of work once again..." Jacob peered over Voldemort's shoulder, staring daggers at the short man cowering in the corner of the room. "Why do you disobey me, boy?"

"I was merely monitoring them my Lord, ensuring they were not scheming against you" Jacob's words came out confidently yet Voldemort's cold stare did not waver.

"Your excuses grow weak Jacob, do you really think you can lie to me?" The Dark Lord pointed towards himself with his wand, his red eyes unmoving. "I was willing to spare your sibling from a worse fate but you have forced my hand. I'll have Crouch pay little Y/N a visit"

"No!" Jacob drew his wand but was quickly disarmed by the dark wizard in front of him, with a wave of his hand.

"I should strike you where you stand for even thinking about facing me" Voldemort hissed. Jacob's head hung down in defeat, his eyes closed. Anguish filled him, his body clenched as he awaited his fate. "But I have a proposition for you my dear boy: Vow to me that you will kill your only sibling the next time you lay eyes on them" Jacob's eyes widened in shock.

"I would never! You might as well kill me now!" His eyes swelled with tears.

"Well that's exactly the point my son. Make this unbreakable vow or I will kill you now and your darling sibling. I will make your death swift but I can ensure you that your own kin will not have that same pleasure" Voldemort's words hung in the air. Jacob's breath hitched as he thought about his dilemma. The room was silent. Only a faint dripping from the ceiling could be heard, the scuffling of footsteps resounded from above. Finally Jacob held his arm out, looking down in shame. "A wise choice" Voldemort delicately grasped his arm, clasping their hands together. The Dark Lord motioned to Wormtail who hastily drew out his wand and placed the tip onto their hands. "Do you Jacob Y/L/N vow to never contact Y/N Y/L/N?" Jacob paused, staring at his hand.

"I do" He croaked, his throat dry. A ring of fire wrapped its way around their clasped hands.

"And if you were to ever lay eyes on them again, do you vow to kill them by your own hand?" Voldemort hissed, the sound of joy emanated from his words. Jacob paused again.

"I do" Jacob's words were a faint whisper as another ring of fire was added to their bond.

"Or face the consequences if you fail to value these vows" The Dark Lord's cold words rang through his ears as he closed his eyes, a small tear dropping down his cheek. He nodded his head and the rings dissipated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jacob's mind was brought back to the present when a loud commotion by the Dark Lord silenced the crowds. Merula and Ismelda had approached closer to the loyal group surrounding Voldemort. Jacob could spy the dark-cloaked wizard knelt on the ground, Bellatrix Lestrange by his side. With a snarl the evil wizard rose off the ground and fired his wand in a fit of rage towards the castle. The stream of light hit the glowing shield, making it glow brighter. In a split moment, the defense shattered, light exploded all around the castle. A ring of energy flew past the groups, wind blew past Jacob, his cloak flew out behind him. The maniacal laughter of Lord Voldemort ringed through the land, prompting the hordes of death eaters, dark creatures and snatchers to roar in triumph. Merula looked back at Jacob, her wand readied, giving him a taunting smirk. He could do nothing but stare at the large castle in front of him, its grounds open to the evil army surrounding it.

"Please don't be here Y/N"

Part 3 <- -> Part 5 

[askdragonbladetalon]

[FIC] a city divided

The Spirit of Noxus is dying. For Riven, this is not an abstract. For Katarina, this is not acceptable. Katarina/Riven, rated PG for violence. Commissioned by @askriven-theexile​ as a continuation of an AU scenario from this post.

The Spirit of Noxus, they call her, and at first Katarina is too young to understand. She thinks Riven is strong, she thinks Riven is everything she wants to be when she grows up. She asks Riven for the stories behind her scars and listens raptly to the tales of Noxus’ past, forgetting what she asked about. Riven has white hair and a scarred face. It’s not until Katarina turns thirty, and Riven still looks as she did when Katarina was six that Katarina understands Riven’s title is more than a courtesy. The Spirit of Noxus stands before her in the flesh. How can Katarina help but love her? 

   Each time Katarina sees Riven, Riven looks weaker.  Her skin is marred by bruises, purpling masses that resemble sections of Ionia, and there are new wounds weeping blood through the bandages that have started to cover more and more of her arms. “Is the war in Ionia not going well?” Katarina finally plucks up her courage to ask. Riven looks at her oddly for a moment, then laughs. The sound sputters out into coughing too quickly and she reaches a hand up to the bruise that runs around her throat like a collar. “Ionia is not the problem. Noxus is.” Riven’s words are wry and her smile is sad. Her glow of her runed sword is usually matched by her eyes but today, her gaze is dim and distant. “What do you mean, Noxus? Were we attacked on a different front?” Katarina asks. Riven always know the status of the city state better than any of the intel that the Noxian High Council receives. “No.” Riven is quiet then, scrutinizing Katarina. Within her amber eyes, cities burn and Katarina feels herself stripped bare by the weight of ages within Riven’s gaze. She is so young compared to Riven, so raw and so short-lived; Riven’s full attention makes her knees want to buckle, makes her want to kneel and pledge her allegiance to the Spirit of Noxus, again and again. Riven has had her heart since before they ever met and Katarina knows it is only too evident whenever Riven looks at her. “It’s Noxus,” Riven says finally, touching the raw split in her lip.  “Noxus is rejecting me.” Riven’s words leave Katarina staring at her blankly. How can Noxus reject Riven? Riven has been there since the inception of Noxus. Without her, there would be no Noxus - only a collection of buildings and soldiers.

“You are Noxus--” Katarina starts to say. The shake of Riven’s head silences her as surely as a knife to her throat. “Noxus is changing and I cannot,” Riven says, her voice rough as she ghosts her fingers over the bruises on her throat. “I am your Noxus. I am courage, I am honor, I am loyalty, I am strength and I am sacrifice. But the people of Noxus want quicker victories. They choose the chemical weapons of Zaun. They attack civilians and soldiers alike.” Her voice quietens and she looks over Katarina’s shoulder at the sparring soldiers whose skin is marked with chemical burns. “They turn away from the foundations of Noxus and in doing so, they turn away from me.” The truth of Riven’s words stings Katarina. The weapons that Zaun makes for them are a coward’s weapons; they drop from on high and Noxus suffers no risk when they’re used. Soldiers who are caught in the infection radius are written off as casualties, calculated losses compared to how many they’d lose in a conventional battle. Noxus risks nothing but loses everything, if Riven is to be believed. “I’ll talk to my father,” Katarina promises. “He has a voice on the Noxian High Council. He can steer them away--” Riven reaches up and very lightly, lets her fingertips graze over the scar that runs over Katarina’s face and eyelid. She doesn’t say anything; she doesn’t need to. They both know that General Du Couteau no longer trusts his oldest daughter.

“I’ll find a way,” Katarina says instead.  Her tone makes it a sacred vow, a promise unbreakable. “I will, Riven. You are the best of us. Whatever Noxus becomes without you, it will be worse.”

Riven smiles but there is no faith in her eyes. The light touch of her hand against Katarina’s face becomes a caress and Katarina leans into it, her eyes closing. She’ll find a way, she vows to herself, because there is no god at whose altar she worships. There is only the Spirit of Noxus and Katarina will not lose her.

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

Katarina slashes to the left and her dagger hits Riven’s arm - then passes through it. “Is that a new ability? Because it’s cheating if --” Katarina asks, flipping backwards to get away from a counter attack that never comes. Riven is standing frozen on the spot, staring at her arm, and the stricken look on her face makes Katarina’s words die in her throat before they ever reach her mouth. This is no trick. This is a symptom. “I have to leave Noxus,” Riven says, deathly bleak, and her words are coffin lids slamming shut. “No.” The first time, the word never makes it out. It’s just air that puffs past Katarina’s lips before she shakes her head and insists audibly, “No! You are Noxus. You can’t leave us.” “Noxus is more than the city. Noxus is the countryside and the soldiers. If I leave the city, perhaps the belief of those outside the city will sustain me,” Riven reminds Katarina even as she continues to stare at her arm. It looks so solid but when Katarina reaches out, her fingertips drift through it as if Riven were nothing but a Zaunite illusion. “And if it doesn’t?” Katarina asks, hating the hopelessness in her own voice, hating she has to even suggest that the people don’t believe in Riven the way that she does. “Then I will fade.” Riven’s words are calm but her eyes hold a fatal sorrow. It slays Katarina’s heart. “I have been here since the start of Noxus and I had thought to remain until its fall, but if I no longer represent the true Spirit of Noxus--” “You will always be the Spirit of Noxus to me,” Katarina interrupts fiercely, flicking a dagger up into her hand, “And I will kill anyone who says otherwise.” ‘Blood for Noxus’ was her old cry but she will change it if she must, she will cry ‘BLOOD FOR RIVEN!’ and plunge into the thick of battle fearlessly if it will return Riven to her once more. “Riven,” she says when Riven does not respond to her vow, and Riven smiles, sudden and brilliant as a polished weapon drawn from its scabbard. It lasts for only a second but it fills Katarina with fire from the soles of her feet to the ends of her hair. She would live and die for this woman; she would live and die for the Noxus that Riven embodies. “When you say my name, you say it the same way you say Noxus,” Riven says, and her hand is light as a cloud’s caress against Katarina’s cheek but her lips feel warm and real against Katarina’s mouth.

The Spirit of Noxus is kissing her and it is everything good in Katarina’s life. It is the yielding resistance of a blade surging into flesh, it is the adrenaline rush in the aftermath of a successful battle, it is the meeting of an opponent’s eyes, it is the warmth of the Noxian sunshine and the crisp kiss of the Noxian winter winds. It is courage and strength and loyalty, it is the Spirit of Noxus, and Katarina has never felt so devoted.

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

There is a monster lumbering around the barracks and the soldiers say this is the true Spirit of Noxus. This is a soldier, renowned and praised, whose hatred of the Demacians is so strong that he has risen once more to lead them into battle. Even death cannot stop Sion and after all, is that not the meaning of Noxus? To push onwards against all odds, to be strong? Katarina looks at him and sees a dead man walking, one who is incapable of hurt or death. What sacrifice is there in such a thing taking to the battlefield? ‘Blood for Noxus’ has ever been her cry but it works both ways. The soldiers of Noxus must be willing to spill their own blood and Sion has none to spill. If he charges onto the battlefield and eats the Demacian attacks, then he makes cowards of the legions behind him.

He needs violence; death and war are all his corpse can consume. There is no honor in him, no humanity, and Katarina will not pledge herself to him. (She has known the touch of the Spirit of Noxus. This pretender will not take that title from Riven.)

--------------- Her father was a General and before he left, he taught Katarina about the art of war, about the deployment of soldiers, about the importance of strategy. Battles are not won by men clashing on the field, he told her, but by the generals in their tents who plan the battles before hand. So Katarina plans and sends out her troops. Cassiopeia, beautiful once and monstrous now, still holds sway with the nobles of Noxus. They remember a time before the Trifarix, before upstart nobodies like Darius could rise to sit in control of Noxus. Darius isn’t even Noxian, Cassiopeia reminds them, and hisses poison into their ears until their minds reel and all they can do is repeat, repeat, repeat the words she wants spread. Every noble on their side is one less private army that will answer Swain’s call once the rioting spreads. Talon, sharp-tongued and violent, is feared in the Underground from where he rose. He speaks to the poorer people of Noxus, sits in bars and buys drinks while mentioning the armies of children, the way that the foot soldiers are always the poor people while Swain sets his favorites as generals where they’ll be well out of the way of battle. He talks about the Grand General’s demon arm, dredges up again the rumors of human sacrifice and what exactly the demon demands in exchange for the power it gave Swain. Nobody’s ever seen the Faceless. It’s easy to make them believe the Faceless is the demon and what Swain traded in exchange for power is Noxus itself. It’s easy to make them believe that Swain is ruining Noxus because it is true.

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

There is rioting in the streets and blood in the gutters. Katarina has not heard from Talon in hours but she has seen enough sightless corpses with bubbling green skin to track her sister’s passing. They’re winning. She thinks they’re winning, at least. They have to be winning because if not -- if not-- An enraged bellow comes down from the far end of the street. She jerks her head up, soot-streaked hair flying back, and sees Sion barreling down towards her, looking as unstoppable as death itself. She crouches, ready to leap out of the way and then a figure jumps down from a rooftop and Sion stops as if stunned.

Noxus is burning and Riven’s skin is beset by black holes edged with flame. There is fire in her eyes and banked embers in the back of her mouth when she speaks. Fire licks out from the ends of her short hair and flares from the tips of her fingers. It edges her broken sword, glowing from her runes, and Katarina feels the same blaze hot in her heart as she looks at Riven. “FOR NOXUS!” Riven shouts and Katarina echoes. As Riven jumps towards Sion, sword whipping back high above her own shoulder, Katarina runs towards them. Fire frames them, fire and darkness. Every second of the fight burns itself into her eyes as she tears down the street at top speed, leaping over the corpses and jumping, at last, from a table onto Sion’s back. He’s facing two opponents now, one stabbing daggers into him and clinging on to dear life, one slicing with a jagged-tip sword, and they move in perfect sync. For a second, Katarina feels what it is like to be Noxus, feels the glory and the greatness, feels the weight of Noxian hopes and heroism -- “You are beyond redemption,” Riven says and drives her blade through Sion’s heart. Sion collapses forward and Riven jumps back. Katarina, still kneeling on Sion’s back, ends up bowed before Riven. “Rise,” Riven says and holds out her burning hand for Katarina to take. Katarina’s fingers close around hers and she feels no pain, no more than when their lips meet and Riven’s flame engulfs her so that Katarina, too, blazes with the phoenix-fire of new beginnings. Noxus burns itself clean of infection and the Spirit of Noxus heals.

[sparda3g]

Tokyo Ghoul:re Chapter 155 Review

I hope you all enjoyed your holidays. The New Year is almost here and it gives me hope that it will be a really good year in general. I think it’s safe to say the same thing for the Qs Squad, despite one is in trouble, but perhaps it will be taken care of. In a surprise, a new chapter has arrived and before the long break, we have a sense of hope that could start the year better. This was a pretty good chapter with a revelation behind Mutsuki’s action and Urie continues to be the best with a stronger willpower than ever.

The chapter does begin with a flashback, but I will go back to that a little later. In the present time, the battle with the original Qs Squad enters the emotional interaction conflict. It starts off with Urie blocking a devastating strike from Mutsuki and it knocks him so hard that his ear start to bleed. That is brutal. She replicated Sasaki’s Kagune to strike him, which is fitting to her character since she is crazy for him, though the portrayal in general has been just as that.

I thought Saiko and Mutsuki have a sweet conversation; mainly due to Saiko being so sweet. You can already tell that she has matured a lot from the first stage of the series. Even the artwork visions her like a girl who had enough sadness from experience. She’s always the sweet girl that consider her family unbreakable despite how deep end one or two will go. There is a subtle sign of grief from Mutsuki when talking to Saiko. She doesn’t come off as killing them because it is fun rather don’t really want to, but it has come to this. It’s like a no choice situation and more will follow in the later parts.

It resumes the battle within the new Qs Squad and it gets to the point quick in a satisfying way. When Hsiao said you are a wimp, she will make sure you know it. When the wardrobe is off, that’s when you know Aura has done messed up now. I do like the teamwork display from Hsiao and Hige as well. They pummel Aura like a scrub he is and then some. That punch to the face felt satisfying to look at it.

When Aura is on the ground, that’s when the moment to convert him back to his right senses begin. Hsiao is clearly the best member in the new Qs Squad with not only great MMA skills and well, eye pleasers (I can’t blame you…), but smart and understanding of the importance of home. It’s funny because in the past, she probably would have gone for the elimination route; she even admits that it would have been much simpler. It’s that the family did have an effect to her judgment and she would like to resume that.

She is willing to give Aura a chance with a lie that he came here for a provided support. She even lets him know that his aunt is out there working even without legs. She is committed to her job and will do anything because that’s who she is.

Hige shows more character here and that’s good. He was in like a similar position as Aura before he lost his direction, meaning disposable, but as it was slowly showing his character, it got to this moment that he actually gets his two cents in. He comes off as a charming and good guy character in the team; I should have known since his family works under occupation that is good guy traits. Hell, he even has sensible words to share with Aura, which is funny because even Hsiao was surprised that he is like this. I guess Ishida is aware of his character portrayal.

Aura is like a child learning in first grade; you got to take baby steps with him. Words like no more fighting could fill his thoughts with that and devotes to it. Basically, he’s now in the right track; at least I hope so. You could argue that there could be some other agenda behind his words, but I guess we’ll see. Anything else would ruin his chance for redemption. That said if completely converted, well it did clue us in in the last chapter. The only part left is with Mutsuki.

Mutsuki’s reason to fall in love with Kaneki is revealed and it’s actually understandable…to an extent. Surprisingly, Sasaki actually knew that she was a girl a long time ago, yet he acted like he didn’t see anything. How Mutsuki saw it as a way to lie to protect her feelings. She did change her gender because of the past and Sasaki not able to speak the truth was her vision of respecting her choice. In many stories, protecting a woman’s feelings is a reason to fall in love and this is no exception.

Mutsuki has been portrayed as another Kaneki from the eye patch and transformation route. The next copy is about the trait to lie to protect. She sees her within Kaneki’s lies and felt that she can relate to him more than anyone. I guess that’s why she was trying the hardest to please him in the past. Truth be told, this type of story would have been a fine romantic one have her insanity didn’t mixed in. If you remove that aspect, the romance is fairly nice and straightforward, but because she is insane alas yandere, it comes off really unhealthy. The theme of lies fits her since she is a character without self-identity.

I thought it’s reassuring that even Mutsuki know that she has gone far deep from being forgiven to the point she need to die to set her free. Had she done no deed for sake of power selfishly, she wouldn’t think negatively on her behalf. If she is kept alive, she has to do a good amount of work to be seen likeable to many fans. Well, she’s no Hiro, so it might be easier in compare.

The chapter ends in a gratifying way because Urie gets stabbed but took it like a champ. The thought of his character growth continues to surround my head with satisfaction; no doubt, he’s the best member. What I like a lot from that last page is how the present of strong will is greatly realized. Recalled all of his past mistakes and see him standing tall and not feel any mental pain from Mutsuki’s action. That is development at work. He tends to stand back or feel emotionally disturbed by his surroundings, but as a credible leader, he isn’t tolerating it anymore.

The visual is pretty good. I already know what would be one of most talked about from this, but I got to credit Ishida to make them great in all fronts. Hsiao has an impressive aura when taking out her wardrobe and start kicking ass. Again, the punch to the face felt so good; maybe if it was for that chest shot. Anyway, Urie looks like the boss when getting stabbed; show no sign of real pain despite bleeding. That’s how strong he has grown and I do mean by mentally.

This was a pretty good chapter before the year ends (even though it’s not really released). It’s now up to Urie to finish the job. The only question is will he be able to change Mutsuki to the light? It all depends on the delivery from here, so here’s hoping for a good one. We shall see what Next Year has in stored for the series….

[laurelseas]

The Queen, The General and The Wise Advisor

Alright, for a while I’ve been turning this idea over in my head that the story of the Star Wars prequel was foretold on Tatooine, Naboo, and whatever Obi-Wan’s homeworld is (does he even think he has a homeworld? would it be his world of birth? I have no idea). Padme, Anakin and Obi-Wan just seem...there’s something about how their lives intertwine that makes me think of destiny. Not in some sort of prophecy way, but something more nebulous. In Tatooine it’s stories about an angel, a Jedi, and a star child, passed down through families and friends like old clothes. There’s thousands of endings; it depends on who tells the story. In Naboo it’s in their dances and plays, three people who sweep around each other in circles destined to crash but never on-stage, always pulling everyone else in the show in the wake of their gravity even if they’re only there for a few moments.

And in Obi-Wan’s home world, it’s a very popular and very old card game with near to a million variations, played at home with children and played at the bar with friends. The three most powerful cards, always as a trio, are The Queen, The General, and The Wise Man (or The Advisor, depending on the region). I can picture how all of these cards look, but unfortunately my drawing skills aren’t developed enough to even begin to do them justice.

The Queen: A young woman dressed in white robes, her hair pulled up in an intricate braided crown (The Queen needs no jewels to be known as The Queen). She has a blaster in one hand but her other is out-stretched towards the viewer. Hooded handmaidens line either side of her. Personally I think of The Queen as probably being traditionally human, but likely Japanese or Indian because it isn’t like she has to look exactly like Padme and Naboo draws from those cultures, I think.

The Queen is a card used to suggest justice and power. The Queen cannot be denied, but she is always loyal to her people, merciful, and fair. Her decisions change the path of the galaxy; her will is pure and unbreakable. Associated with strong-willed young women and good leaders; could be an elegant and timeless gift from an uncle to his headstrong niece or from a citizen to their senator.

The General (very rarely called The Knight): A tall man in black on a battlefield after the battle’s been won (or sometimes lost, or sometimes still being fought - it depends on who drew the card). He has a sword that glints blue, has a blue jewel set in it, or is a blue lightsaber. Has bright blue eyes and a scar on his face (scars also vary depending on who drew the card). Strangely alike soldiers - The Brothers, some say - are in the background. The sun has broken through the clouds and shines on him. (Possibly as The Queen is not white, The General could be Native? As I understand it that’s where Anakin’s name came from)

The General is a card for loyalty and love. It’s a card of devotion; the understanding is that he fights not for glory but because the Queen asks it of him. It’s sometimes popular in love stories, as it can be seen as meaning “I would fight a war for you.” It’s also more rarely used for friendship, as in “Were you to start a war, I would fight it with you.”

The Wise Man/The Advisor: A red-headed man dressed in plain robes stands looking out the window into the sunrise. His hair is greying a little; his robes are impeccable. He has a flimsiplast set on the table before him, next to a game of dejarik (if that’s a strategy game, it’s hard to tell? If not then a strategy game - think chess or go).

The Wise Man is a symbol of cunning and trickery, though unlike other trickster cards he is considered to have both wisdom and a strong sense of morality. He is someone who cleverly navigates a problem. He is kind and helps people. He is known for predicting future events and carefully planning how to handle them (or, in other words, he’s always two steps ahead of everyone else). A non-romantic card to give to a thoughtful friend or someone who did you a good deed.

The three cards together are the most powerful in the game, and it’s generally agreed that they should be played together. The mythos is kinda that the Queen has a loyal general and a wise advisor and all together they are unbeatable.

But all these cards have another side to them, the darker side. And if one of the cards is turned over to the dark, the other two will turn as well.

The Queen becomes The Ghost. The General becomes The Monster. The Wise Advisor becomes The Recluse (actually I think there’s a word in this world’s language that means “someone who is alone/lonely” and that’s the old word for it but it got translated into Basic as recluse and I think this because I cannot find the proper word for what I want to call him in English).

The Ghost: The same young woman with her curly dark hair unbound, standing in a field of stars or underwater (or both, there’s a really lovely edition that’s managed to blend these two themes). Her hair is strewn with small white flowers and she wears a beautiful but impractical blue dress. She has a small, humble good luck charm necklace in her hands. She is slightly transparent.

The Ghost is everything the Queen is not. She has no power, no way to change the world. Her will and words are nothing but whispers that are lost in the wind. She is a card associated with being unheard, with being unable to help anyone despite a deep longing to do so. Sometimes she’s paired with losing something or someone too soon. There’s a strong element of melancholy to her.

The Monster: The same young man, but bearing a sword that shines red in the light/has a red jewel/is a red lightsaber. Half his face is covered in a black mask; the other half generally has scars. His eyes are yellow, red or orange. The hand not holding his sword is chained to a wall behind him; he sits in shadows (sometimes a dungeon, sometimes outside a castle wall at night) and flames cast the only light in the picture.

The Monster is a card of desperation and self-hatred. The loyalty and love of the General are stripped away and all that is left is a creature that lashes out at anyone that gets close. The chain shows that the Monster is being controlled (this is sometimes considered to be by an outside source and sometimes considered to be a representation of how his fear, anger and hate chain him).  to emphasize the fall from a General who leads his soldiers to someone who can’t break his own chains (there’s also the echo to Anakin’s slavery here). He’s often associated with ruined potential and the concept of being kept in the dark.

The Recluse: The same man in the same plain robe, but now the robe is frayed and he wears a hooded cloak. His hair is more grey than red. He stands in a desert (or other deserted land) looking at the sunset. Sometimes there is a small hut nearby.

The Recluse is a card of failure and deep loneliness. There’s also an element of exhaustion and regret in it. Like The Ghost and The Monster, The Recluse is a contrast to The Wise Advisor. He has lost faith in himself and doubts his wisdom and morality. He is lost in the past and cannot see the future. A card for emptiness, for a wound that won’t heal, for time not being on your side.

The general mythos regarding this side of the cards is that The Queen died, becoming The Ghost. Because he couldn’t save her, The General became The Monster (sometimes he became The Monster trying to save her). Because The Wise Advisor didn’t see that she would die, he felt he failed her and became The Recluse. There’s different mythos depending on which card is turned over first, but this is the classic one.

It’s also worth noting that one card being turned to the dark will turn the others...but this works both ways. If The Ghost becomes The Queen again, then so will The Monster become The General and The Recluse become The Wise Advisor.

And that’s all I have so far. What does everyone think? (Should I try to do Ahsoka?)

[inloveandwords]

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story).

It works like this

Go to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Order on ascending date added.

Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books

Read the synopsis of the books

Decide: keep it or should it go?

  Trial by Fire (Worldwalker #1) by Josephine Angelini

The exhilaratingly seductive new series from the author of the bestselling Starcrossed series

Love burns. Worlds collide. Magic reigns.

This world is trying to kill Lily Proctor. Her life-threatening allergies keep her from enjoying many of the experiences that other teenagers take for granted… which is why she is determined to enjoy her first (and perhaps only) high-school party. But Lily’s life never goes according to plan, and after a humiliating incident in front of half her graduating class Lily wishes she could just disappear.

Suddenly Lily is in a different Salem – one overrun with horrifying creatures and ruled by powerful women called Crucibles. Strongest and cruellest of all the Crucibles is Lillian… Lily’s identical other self in this alternate universe. This new version of her world is terrifyingly sensual, and Lily is soon overwhelmed by new experiences.

Lily realizes that what makes her weak at home is exactly what makes her extraordinary in New Salem. It also puts her life in danger. Thrown into a world she doesn’t understand, Lily is torn between responsibilities she can’t hope to shoulder alone, and a love she never expected.

But how can Lily be the saviour of this world when she is literally her own worst enemy?

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: This one is actually on my bookshelf. I think it looks super interesting.

♥ ♥ ♥

King of the Stars (Starcross Series Book 1) by Elle Michaels

With the galaxy in upheaval, its future rests in the hands of a usurped warrior king and the farm girl that appears in his dreams.

Vi Junrah has never left her home planet. She spends nights staring into the stars, feeling as though she belongs among them, despite the Ansuli people being a humble, unassuming race. She’s always felt different, taller, paler, questioning, and alone. When a spaceship crash lands in the plains during the harvest festival, Vi’s curiosity gets the better of her. A brawny alien man lumbers out and sweeps her into space…for better or worse.

Orin Tarrastone spends restless nights toiling over haunting dreams of a beautiful woman appearing in darkness, a woman he can never reach. When his father, the galactic king, dies at the hands of an invading rebel army, Orin is forced into exile. After blacking out at the controls of his ship, he awakens to find the dream girl on a planet at the edge of the galaxy. Facing few options, and finding their mysterious meeting serendipitous, he steals her in hopes that she holds the key to a triumphant return to the throne.

The two attempt to unravel the mysteries of both their pasts while fate seemingly entwines their futures. Against the backdrop of galactic chaos, interstellar empires, invading rebels, pirates, and outlaws, Orin and Vi find themselves inexplicably drawn together facing it all.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I’m 100% judging a book by its cover and rating here, but this just does not appeal to me anymore.

♥ ♥ ♥

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals–well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem–staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I really need to give this author another chance. I didn’t love the first book in her Lux series, but she’s so popular and this seems to be a pretty popular book.

♥ ♥ ♥

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: I’m not saying I will never read another book in this series, I’m just saying I won’t read it right now… but I probably won’t finish this series lol

♥ ♥ ♥

The Ruby Circle (Bloodlines #6) by Richelle Mead

THEY WILL BE TESTED

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets – and human lives.

Their forbidden romance exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead’s bestselling Bloodlines series.

When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, she and Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world and alter their lives forever.

Don’t miss their unforgettable final chapter…

LOVE WILL CONQUER ALL

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Ditch Comments: ” ”

♥ ♥ ♥

Night of Cake & Puppets (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2.5) by Laini Taylor

In this stand-alone companion to the New York Times bestselling Daughter of Smoke & Bone series comes the story of Mik and Zuzana’s fantastical first date—as a gorgeously illustrated gift edition with bonus content included.

Petite though she may be, Zuzana is not known for timidity. Her best friend, Karou, calls her “rabid fairy,” her “voodoo eyes” are said to freeze blood, and even her older brother fears her wrath. But when it comes to the simple matter of talking to Mik, or “Violin Boy,” her courage deserts her. Now, enough is enough. Zuzana is determined to make the first move, and she has a fistful of magic and a plan. It’s a wonderfully elaborate treasure hunt of a plan that will take Mik all over Prague on a cold winter’s night before leading him to the treasure: herself! Violin Boy is not going to know what hit him.

New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor brings to life a night only hinted at in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy—the magical first date of fan-favorites Zuzana and Mik. Originally published as an ebook, this new print edition will include breathtaking black and white illustrations, plus bonus content in a gorgeous package perfect for new and current fans of the series.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch?  Keep Comments: I will absolutely read this one! I love this series!

♥ ♥ ♥

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: What I’m realizing here is that I’m heavily influenced by high ratings from a lot of people. This is one of those books, so on my TBR it stays.

♥ ♥ ♥

Stay by Deb Caletti

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city and Christian behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: I don’t even have to read the synopsis. Yes. It is my mission to read all of Deb Caletti’s books.

♥ ♥ ♥

Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti

Right away I got that Something About To Happen feeling. Right away I knew he was bad, and that it didn’t matter.

It is summer in the Northwest town of Nine Mile Falls, and sixteen-year-old Ruby McQueen, ordinarily dubbed The Quiet Girl, finds herself hanging out with gorgeous, rich, thrill-seeking Travis Becker. But Ruby is in over her head, and finds she is risking more and more when she’s with him.

In an effort to keep Ruby occupied, Ruby’s mother Ann drags Ruby to the weekly book club she runs. When it is discovered that one of the group”s own members is the subject of the tragic love story they are reading, Ann and Ruby spearhead a reunion between the long-ago lovers. But for Ruby, this mission turns out to be much more than just a road trip….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: ” ”

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The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

Cricket’s on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend—but she’s picked a bad week to sort out her love life. For one thing, her mother’s romance is taking center stage: After jilting two previous fiancés, her mom is finally marrying Dan Jax, whom Cricket loves. But as wedding attendees arrive for a week of festivities at a guesthouse whose hippie owners have a sweet, sexy son—Ash—complications arise: Cricket’s future stepsisters make it clear they’re not happy about the marriage. An old friend decides this is the week to declare his love for Cricket. Grandpa chooses to reveal a big secret at a family gathering. Dan’s ex-wife shows up. And even the dogs—Cricket’s old, ill Jupiter and Dan’s young, lively Cruiser—seem to be declaring war.

While Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, she’s also alarmed by her own desires. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her….

Date added to TBR: Dec 06, 2016 Keep or Ditch? Keep Comments: ” ”

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Here are the stats

Starting Total TBR Count: 2041 Updated Total TBR Count: 2038 Total Ditched Today: 3 Total Kept Today: 7

This post was inspired by Ally’s series (which was inspired by Lia at Lost in a Story…

[strmyweather]

The World Is Wide Enough

“Democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -- the idea that for all of our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.” --Barack Obama, Farewell Address, January 10, 2017

With the recent blockbuster success of the hip-hop musical Hamilton, I’m certainly not the first one to draw comparisons between the politics of 1776 and those of 2017. Widespread on social media has been a video of President Obama nodding along to the performance of ‘One Last Time’, a segment of Hamilton wherein George Washington, despite immense popularity, voluntarily chooses not to seek a third term. His actions thus establish the tradition of a two-term limit on the presidency, his rationale being, “they will see we’re strong … The nation learns to move on.” And right he was; this country has boasted 44 unique presidents thus far, and the peaceful transition of power has been a unique strength of our American country for 240 years and counting.

In our current political climate, Hamilton’s potent cocktail of excitement, fear, determination, frustration, sorrow, pride, and patriotism strikes very close to home, all the more powerfully because of the story’s historical veracity. From a bird’s-eye view, this is not a tale of a single protagonist; this is a detailed depiction of the noisy, bloody, painful transition that birthed our newborn nation. It gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘political theater’. Yet the musical remains an uplifting and relatable tale in many ways -- the young orphaned immigrant whose courage and drive lifted him out of poverty and onto the national stage; the sharp and lively wife who dealt with a heartbreaking double loss, yet displayed forgiveness and became a heroine in her own right; the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood; the hopeful purity of parental love; and, most of all, the small group of brave young men, who triumphed on the battlefield as well as with the pen, consistently playing the long game, demonstrating strategy, foresight, and grit as they slowly assembled the pieces of a brand-new independent country. And it seems that they recognized their own historical significance, at least in the stage depiction; an oft-repeated line is, “Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now!”

The musical’s unlikely headliner, Alexander Hamilton, was orphaned as a child in the U.S. Virgin Islands, immigrated to New York, and became George Washington’s senior aide during the Revolutionary War; after the American victory, he was appointed the first Secretary of the Treasury. He was also an unusually prolific writer who penned the vast majority of the Federalist Papers (essays supporting the ratification of the U.S. Constitution). The end of the 1700s was necessarily jam-packed with political developments, and Mr. Hamilton was right in the thick of it. Hamilton’s updated portrayal of these events -- a sharp, witty 21st-century lens trained on a historically accurate 18th-century storyline -- drives home the inherent conflict and complexity of the American political system from its very earliest days. The parallels to 2017 are unmistakable, and the performance devastatingly relevant, both in terms of content and themes as well as the fast-paced rhyming delivery so representative of today’s popular culture.

Crucial to the musical’s strength is the many layers of unity surrounding the obvious central conflict. The overlying theme is, of course, the young United States banding together as a country -- with a common goal, against a common enemy -- and ultimately succeeding in its quest for independence from England. However, a more subtle display of commonality is found in the juxtaposition of Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, whom the musical quietly demonstrates to be two extraordinarily similar men despite (or perhaps prompting) their fierce competition with one another. Although they have different personalities -- Hamilton fast-paced and hotheaded, Burr restrained and measured -- both are ambitious, intelligent orphans turned lawyers, and both cherish the idea of a united country, under a ‘free government’, out from under the thumb of the British monarchy. Each man reflects lovingly on the woman in his life, and both have children to whom they openly express love and devotion. However, we also know from the opening number that Burr is the one who ultimately will fatally shoot Hamilton; the show thereby highlights the ubiquitous gray area encircling personal friendship and political rivalry (not by any means unique to the eighteenth century, as anyone who has attended a family holiday meal can attest).

In his recent farewell address, President Obama said, “Democracy does require a basic sense of solidarity -- the idea that for all of our outward differences, we are all in this together; that we rise or fall as one.” That, it seems, is the crucial concept separating the America of 2017 from that of 1776. Burr and Hamilton, despite their eventually fatal conflict, both understood this central guiding principle. They lived much of their lives toward a common goal, and the arc of the performance demonstrates that they possessed far more similarities than differences. Under different circumstances, they might well have been friends (in the final number, Burr reflects regretfully, “The world was wide enough for both Hamilton and me.”). Today, however, we are a sufficient number of generations removed from the Revolutionary War that it’s become too easy to take our independence and freedom for granted -- simply because independence and freedom is all that most modern Americans have ever known.

In 2016, a foreign power interfered with our presidential election. It’s safe to assume that, 240 years ago, the major Hamilton players would have been loudly up in arms over this development -- but the 2017 social backlash has been overall tepid, at best. Ironically, precisely because our Founders succeeded so well, we as a society now no longer have a common goal, a common vision for our nation to strive for. In a way, we now have too much freedom. We’ve succeeded in assembling a large country of all different colors, professions, socioeconomic levels, and belief systems -- but with wild variation in our day-to-day experiences of the world, as well as in our sources of news and information. Without larger unifying principles to guide us, and without an acknowledged understanding of the fact that our human similarities far outweigh our differences, we are oddly adrift. This far removed from the struggle for political liberty, it’s easy to instead focus on the social details. We’re now fighting for our own individual ideals of a country, rather than for advancement of the collective, because we all seem to think that one equals the other.

The central question then becomes: if our struggle and victory for national independence and freedom are no longer going to be the glue that holds us together, what then will be? Have we gone as far as our democracy in its present form can take us, with this many people and this many widely differing opinions? Are we still going to be one United States of America in another twenty years, or will we end up with another Civil War, the inverse of the last, this time splitting us permanently into two factions? Could we fix the problem by developing and strengthening a few more political parties, abolishing the two-party system in favor of giving voice to more of the gray-area opinions? Short of making Hamilton required viewing, I don’t know what the answer is. But I do believe that, if we are to survive this, we have to find a way to get back to the days of putting country before party. Hamilton is all about country, which is part of its strong appeal as both a national work of art and a call to action; it inherently relates to all of us. It also feels familiar in its context; 1776 and 2017 are similar in their senses of societal unrest, obvious existing inequalities, and brave individuals who are striving to figure out a successful way forward. The problem is, in 2017 the country has fractured into factions that each see themselves as the primary protagonist in their own show. Each group feels strongly that they are the ones championing the worthiest cause, the ones who are ‘right’, the ones who must win -- and nobody is willing to share the stage. “The world is wide enough” for us all -- we’ve proven that before -- but 2016 and 2017, thus far, have been less about country than about party, which has most often meant pushing from one’s own narrow view of the playing field, attempting to advance ideas that don’t always make sense in a larger context. In other words, the American house has been built, but the structure is swaying on its foundation while we passionately squabble over interior paint colors.

To this end, in the same farewell address, President Obama said, “Democracy can buckle when we give in to fear. So just as we, as citizens, must remain vigilant against external aggression, we must guard against a weakening of the values that make us who we are.” I thought it was quite perceptive of him to use the word ‘fear’ when, at face value, what most thickly permeates the media nowadays is various forms of ‘aggression’; however, any psychologist, schoolteacher, or parent will tell you that anger is typically most prominent when it is masking fear and insecurity. In Hamilton’s day, there were set rules for dealing with interpersonal anger and irreconcilable conflicts. Individuals who found themselves in conflict didn’t just whip out their pistols (or Twitter accounts) and battle in the heat of the moment; they chose seconds-in-command to negotiate on the wronged parties’ behalf. If one apologized, that was generally sufficient. (“Most disputes die and no one shoots,” the show reminds us.) A time and place for a duel were only set if the seconds were unable to agree, and even then, the seconds had another chance to negotiate before the men in question took the field. In the minority of cases, when a situation did actually escalate into shots fired, men would often deliberately miss their opponent, or fire into the air, as a way of preserving both their honor and their conscience. Although men certainly died while dueling, this formal routine was was intended mostly to display courage -- first in the strength of their convictions, and second, the raw nerve that each must possess to stand on the dueling ground and face down the other man. And while I’m certainly not proposing a return to the days of dueling, I do think there’s something to be said for this prolonged, almost ceremonial process of handling grievances. By design, it allowed time for tempers to settle, and also allowed each man’s second to act as an intermediary, so that the parties in question could save face. 

Contrast this to 2017, where we are very much a society of ‘instant gratification’, in terms of our personal whims (pizza delivery, Google searches, Amazon Prime) as well as the words that come out of our mouths (or our keyboards). While I doubt there’s anyone alive who hasn’t at some point made a comment they’ve later regretted, the problem nowadays is that everything is electronically captured; nothing ever ‘disappears’, and therefore, the number of skeletons in each individual’s closet seems to consistently grow -- meaning that, for elected officials, the fear of ‘discovery’ grows proportionately also. Even in the 1700s, men in the public eye had to walk the fine line of choosing where to divide secrecy from honesty; Hamilton himself, as the first known politician to be embroiled in a sex scandal, voluntarily published the Reynolds Pamphlet, publicly admitting to an affair. As he saw it, it was better to be honest and fully air his own dirty laundry than have others do it for him, potentially inflating the story or drawing false conclusions in the process. I’ll leave it to the reader to determine where this tactic might be best applied in January 2017 politics. (For the record, the bold move was successful -- Hamilton’s wife forgave him, and he preserved his eligibility for public office.) ...All this to say that impulsivity, fear, anger, secrecy, and accompanying untruths are easier options now than ever before, which does not bode well for the 2017 political landscape.

One final thought on national character. The cast of Hamilton is largely black and Hispanic. That’s not an accident. As an audience member, once that realization consciously sinks in (which may take a few songs; there are a lot of other things to pay attention to first), it makes the visual representation of the story that much more poignant. We are, after all, a nation of immigrants, a true melting pot, and always have been; the musical conveys this with a clear sense of respect. (“Immigrants: we get the job done!”) There are nearly 320 million Americans in this country today, and, going back far enough, except for those who are one hundred percent Native American, every single one of us is descended from an immigrant -- somebody who came here from somewhere else, seeking a better life. That’s not something to be ashamed of; quite the contrary; coming to this country before the days of transatlantic flight was a physically and emotionally arduous undertaking, and in my mind, it’s a true point of pride to be descended from such brave and hardy stock. The events depicted in Hamilton are proof that even those from very different backgrounds can accomplish great things when a common goal is desired -- and, therefore, that it’s precisely our diversity that makes us great. After viewing a White House performance of Hamilton, President Obama remarked, “It is rare that a piece of art reminds us of what’s best in ourselves.” I, too, want to believe that this same unifying American spirit is still with us today, beneath the surface. After all, 240 years isn’t such a terribly long time. We are still such a young country, and while youth is certainly prone to hotheadedness, stubbornness, and the occasional bad decision, it also inherently implies promise and potential.

I am so proud to be American. I am so proud to be descended from people who displayed such courage and tenacity and fierce commitment to fighting for a better life for all of us. And it is precisely because I am so proud that my heart is currently breaking for my country -- out of sadness and fear over what’s to come, certainly, but also from a certain measure of guilt. Experiencing Hamilton, getting caught up in the intensity of that historic struggle, inevitably leads me to feel as though we’ve now betrayed the Founders, these men who sacrificed everything for us, not so very long ago. I want us to be better than this. Like a child seeking parental affirmation, I so badly want us to live up to the country they envisioned -- to be the legacy they deserve. I don’t want to let them down.

There’s a reason that video of Obama rocking to the beat of ‘One Last Time’ is garnering so much attention. As President, he objectively displays many of the same qualities for which George Washington was renowned -- intelligence, eloquence, charisma, calm demeanor, and ability to consistently look several steps ahead and play the long game. Further, he has a sense of humor that has prompted his embrace by 21st-century young adults and popular culture. Right now, he is literally living that song -- “teaching us how to say goodbye” -- by stepping down with grace and passing the torch with dignity, just as 43 presidents before him have done. However, the process carries a special poignancy now because of the unusual degree of fear and uncertainty about what may be coming next. (Incidentally, this question is also addressed in Hamilton -- by King George, no less -- but I’ll save some surprises for the stage.)

I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I can’t guess, any more than anybody else can. The next chapter in our story hasn’t been written yet; we can’t say what kind of musical might someday be authored about us. But one thing we already share with Alexander Hamilton and his 18th-century compatriots is that we do have the power to shape what happens to us. Near the end of that same farewell address earlier this week, President Obama said, “I am asking you to believe. Not in my ability to bring about change -- but in yours.” In a similar vein, Hamilton reminds us to “look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now.” History is being made right now, as we speak; it never stops. While we’re going through the motions of our day-to-day lives -- driving to work and going grocery shopping and shoveling snow and making macaroni and cheese -- a larger-scale drama is also playing out, and we are a part of that one, too. Whatever’s coming, we are here to bear witness to this moment, and to do what we can to shape it into something we -- and our Founders -- can be proud of.