#i am slain by the parallels

[gotham-ruaidh]

same energy

[sesamenom]

no living man may hinder me: The Gilded Wraith of Numenor

from the Reverse Gondolin AU, based on @who-needs-words's idea for Ar-Pharazon's fate! (they also wrote a ficlet for it, check it out here!)

[bihanapologist]

✮ noob saibot harassing his wife into joining him in death out of twisted love and care for them (feminine terms used but no gendered pronouns for reader)

w/c = 1.7k

cw = slight suicide ideation, noob calls reader "little bird" if that pet name is too cringe then please don't read!

a/n = the reader has a chronic illness and is the physical embodiment of spring simply because it parallels bi-han

You weren’t supposed to be here. You were instructed to hide. Your clan was supposed to protect you. But they’re gone.

Dead.

Your only option is to run. Return to that reprehensible faction. Find your brother-in-law — the only person you trust. Despite knowing that embarking on this treacherous journey would be unkind to your sickly body, you have to try.

Your body condemns your choice. You’re wheezing and hacking up blood as arrows whizz past your face. Your legs throb, begging you to end this excruciating torture. At last, your knees finally give up on you, sending you pummelling into the dirt. You lie there as footsteps grow closer and closer. Debilitated, parched and miles away from Articka, you close your eyes and resign yourself to your fate.

Loud, heavy thuds follow pained squawks. Your eyes snap open. You push through the bursts of pain to turn, to face your unexpected hero…or future killer. A man cloaked in black stands within the shadows — not under, no, he isn’t just shrouded under the shadows; he is one with them — a bloodied sickle in hand.

"Who are you?"

"Your saviour," the man replies with a rasp, his voice soft yet menacing. "Don’t you recognise me, little bird?"

Your blood freezes.

“You can't..."

"Can't what, (Name)?" he asks, a subtle amusement in his gravelly voice.

No, this couldn’t be him. But the only one who called you by that pet name was your ex-husband. Your dead ex-husband.

Years ago, you were wedded to the elder Sub-Zero — Bi-han. Although the union was solely for diplomatic reasons, it was a blissful marriage. Despite your illness and weak body, he never viewed you as a burden. At times, you would sing to cheer him up after a particularly tiring mission. In turn, he affectionately called you ‘oriole’ after the golden songbird. Your former husband — the one who cut you fruits and watched over your feverish form when you were bedridden — couldn’t possibly be the same man as the one in front of you.

His shrouded body ripples like ink, chalky pupilless eyes probing into your soul. His sickle glistens, beads of scarlet dripping down the polished metal only adding to the macabre image. The only word you would describe what you could behold is grim. Grim. Yes, his garb is akin to that of a grim reaper.

If this is Bi-Han, he is nothing but a shadow of himself.

"It's been too long, little bird.”

"You're not Bi-Han," you mutter, holding your breath as you take in his haunting silhouette. "My husband is dead."

"Dead, alive, it makes no difference to me. I am merely the tool of my master's will. But I do remember you."

Every step is slow. Every step is deliberate. Every step echoes through the vacuous forest as he treads past the lifeless bodies. Those same men that butchered your entire clan like they were cattle. The same men that chased you across China and were mere seconds away from claiming your life. All dead in the blink of an eye, slain by ghostly hands. He makes his way closer and closer to you, his presence alone instilling fear and dread as you slowly back away.

"I remember your beauty and kindness, but most of all, I remember your fragility,” he remarks, towering over your fallen form. "You are still so delicate. But you have more resolve than I give you credit for."

"Who resurrected you?”

"The Sorcerer Quan Chi, of course. He perfected me, gave me the power and body I deserve."

He straightens himself, the moonlight casting upon his umbrous form, beckoning you to bask in it. Your eyes only reflect fear and pity. This isn't the man you married.

"Perfect? Bi-Han, you've become a shell of the man you were!" you protest.

The mask covers his perpetually emotionless face, making him impossible to read. Bi-Han watches you in silence as you are overtaken by grief and anguish at the sight of him. You couldn’t even recognise him. You have heard of the horrors of the Netherrealm and creations that Quan Chi constructs but this is beyond anything you have ever seen. He doesn’t have his voice, he doesn’t speak like him, he barely looks like himself, can you truly call this your Bi-Han?

"You have no idea what I am," Bi-Han sneers. "I have become darkness incarnate. I am more powerful than you can possibly imagine, (Name). This perfected body allows me to do things I could never have done as the human Bi-Han. I have been reborn, reforged now by the darkness. And soon, the realms will know my terror.”

"Oh, Bi-Han," you croak, tears forming at the corner of your eyes. "How far you have fallen."

"I have not fallen. I have ascended with the darkness, and the shadows are where I belong."

"You belong with your family, Bi-Han!" you protest, voice breaking. "You belong with Kuai Liang and—"

"A dead man needs no family," Bi-Han states in that unfeeling, inhumane voice. "I am what I should have always been — but you will come to understand, once you join me."

Your eyes widen. "Join you?"

He takes another step closer, his silhouette blocking the moonlight and looming over your cowering form. Your heart hammers against your ribcage, feeling like a cornered animal in his presence.

"Yes, join me.” He extends a gloved hand. "Join me in the Netherrealm and be reborn."

"Why would I want to die?!" you bawl, backing away.

His gloved hand remains outstretched despite your blatant show of horror, his sickle in his other hand hanging by his side. There is a bleak, void-like darkness radiating from him, white pupils glowing in the night.

"For the same reason I did," he replies, his voice low and quiet. So that you can live."

"That doesn't make sense," you object, furrowing your eyebrows. "I am alive. My powers are of spring and rebirth. I'm the physical manifestation of life."

Bi-Han doesn't answer right away. Instead, he stares at you with those unfeeling eyes, his mouth hidden beneath the mask. You stiffen at the sound of laughter. It's the first instance where has shown emotion in this encounter.

"You call this living?" the wraith challenges you. "This existence where you are forced to live like a caged bird, hidden from others, tied to a bed, a slave to medicine. Can you honestly call that living?"

Your mouth goes dry. Your gaze is fixed to the ground, trying to form the words. He retracts his hand and he folds his arms. There is something ominous in the calmness of his movements, in the wisps of shadows emanating from him.

"What's wrong? Nothing to say?" He closes the distance once again, but this time, you don’t back away. "Do you know what it's like to truly live? I do. Being reborn as the shadow, the darkness — it is true freedom. Freedom you can only dream of.”

You bite your lip. "Bi-Han, look at what you've become—"

"I am more than I ever was,” he boasts. “The darkness has freed me, just as it will free you. You know better than anyone, oriole. This flesh you wear, it is weak. You could live without it, without those constraints. Be reborn, (Name). Let the darkness save you from the fragility you have always possessed, the weakness you have tried to hide."

“I can't bear to see you like this…”

"I offer you immortality, little bird. I am offering you the means to escape this fragile existence. There will be no more pain. Only life. Eternal life."

Tears flood your vision. Your head hurts. Your bones hurt, your body hurts. It’s cold and an airy breeze blows past your face, sending goosebumps up your skin. For years, you cried for your late husband. For years, you wish that someday, in another place and time, you could be reunited with him. Not like this. Your husband, your Bi-Han…how could he?

You freeze at the feeling of cold metal against your throat. You swallow, blinking away your tears as you gaze up at the wraith.

"My little bird," Bi-Han whispers, "I would do anything to protect you. Join me, and I will save you. I am the embodiment of death. And you are the personification of life. Let us dance in death together, under the moonlight."

…Living is a burden.

You never chose to live. You never chose to be born with this illness or to be hunted for your powers that you couldn’t even awaken. Is a normal, peaceful life too much to ask for? You had a glimpse of it when you were with Bi-Han. If you squint, you can still taste the sweetness of peaches swirling on your tongue. He always fed you when you were too tired to lift up your arms. He was so good to you.

You miss him.

You open your mouth to answer. But the feeling of hot ichor dripping off his sickle and puddling on your clothes causes the words to vanish in an instant. You stiffen when you catch the glint of the blade in the moonlight. Dread makes its home in the pit of your belly.

You don’t want to die.

A flash of ice hits the wraith square in the chest, toppling him off his feet and sending him colliding into a tree. He lays there motionless, his form sprawled over the ground. For a moment, you think he is dead until he lets out a groan and rises to his feet. His eyes glint under the shadows of his hood and he looks towards the source of the ice.

Lucidity clicks back into place and you let out a sigh of relief as you shake your head. "You arrived in time, Kuai Liang."

"(Name)!" Bi-Han’s younger brother runs over to you and helps you up. "Forgive me, I didn't arrive fast enough."

The wraith’s expression remains emotionless despite being hurled by the ice blast. Yet, you could tell that isn’t the case by the way his grip tightens around the sickle’s handle.

He snarls as the shadows covering his silhouette begin to gather, the darkness swirling around him like a cloak. He grips the sickle tightly in his hand as the shadows rise above him, shrouding his form in a blanket of darkness. The shadow shroud ripples in the night, and then dissipates, leaving nothing but emptiness. The forest is quiet once more.

“Was that really Bi-Han?” you croak, vision blurry from tears.

“Unfortunately so,” Kuai Liang answers. “We can talk later. Let’s get you somewhere safe.”

divider by @/cafekitsune

[drconstellation]

Michael the Watchful

Updated 11 Nov 2023

I'm going to be upfront - I don't like Michael. But I am intrigued by some of their actions in GO.

The above screen shot highlighting their angel ring came across my dash last week, and there was a comment that the ring looked like "Ophanim rings with pearls for eyes." I have to admit that for all that I am fairly widely read in mythology I hadn't heard of these before, and had to go look them up. I realize its probably because I'm not up to speed with all the religious references yet. Don't get me wrong - I'm not a complete newbie in that dept, its just a muscle I haven't flexed in a while and its a kind of "use it or lose it" kind of thing, you know? Happens when you've been around for a bit.

Ophanim: "The many-eyed ones." Oh. Right. That's tv series Archangel Michael to a T, actually.

(There are probably some parallels to the greek monster Argus here, but not sure if I should digress. The hero Perseus, winged sandals, Medusa's snek-locks, the 1000 eyes that never sleep, rescuing a maiden, the goddess queen's grief over the slain monster...)

Michael was the one that presented the incriminating photos of Aziraphale and Crowley meeting over time to Gabriel in S1, then followed it up with a phone call to Hell on the back-stairwell to Heaven.

And Michael is the Duty Officer during S2, they are "on watch" so to speak.

Michael is also the one that maintains the back channel connection to Hell, "the grapevine that obviously doesn't exist" that Beelzebub mentions to Crowley in S2E1, and that Gabriel also officially denies exists in S1E4.

The fact that in S1 they were seen talking to Ligur originally, who was destroyed by the holy water Crowley obtained from Aziraphale, and then in S2 they are talking to somebody else again (Beelzebub) in S2 via their angel phone again, says that they have to have established a new connection in between seasons. I commented elsewhere it seems to be implied the contact is Dagon, due to the little flirtation the tried to send to the angel that Michael quickly shuts down in S2E6,

but the fact the back channel is still working is still something to be concerned about. I mean, weren't you just a little suspicious when it was Michael who turned up with the holy water for the bath during the body-swap punishment scenes, when Hell only bothered to send a disposable Eric clone with the hellfire to Heaven?

Wondering how this angle is going to play out in S3.

Edit:

Found some information about the golden collars in the Job minisode in S2E2 and the detail on Michael's costume adds to this meta.

Around their neck they have row upon row of eyes, and around their sleeves they have wheels.

[adracat]

GWitch ep 19 thoughts

Every episode is a kick in the teeth with candy boots. A sweet misery you've known like no other. This episode was no different and I relished today's destruction as Mio and Prospera take center stage

That's a loaded statement if I've ever seen one. Really enjoyed this brief intro segment. We get Guel's thoughts on Kenanji; uninspired and suspicious, which are a vast change from his once admiration of the man. Guel also seems surprisingly chill about returning to Earth, but cryptically comments he wants to check the situation there and aid in negotiations. I like how Mio and him have fallen into this friendly rapport after everything. We'd like to see him apologize formally ofc, but it's not necessary for Mio. She's focused on greater concerns than the petty school days of Asticassia

Meanwhile, Suletta is a wreck. She's completely fallen apart after her mother and sister dumped her in space like hot garbo. She can't even plaster on a smile and lie to herself any longer. Earth House just thinks she's upset about the break up, so she isn't confiding in anyone at all. Suletta.exe has stopped working :(

Hilariously, Counselor Secilia has decided to make Martin her servant after listening to his confessional. It's great they make a distinct parallel to Miorine here, with Martin explaining he thought the best way to protect Earth House was to give up Nika. The show is filled with instances of people taking away another person's agency in the misguided belief they're doing 'what's best'. So good!

Real Elan finally gets more dialogue and he makes an excellent point, for once. The quickest and dirtiest way into Benerit's graces would be to forcefully suppress the earthian protests. A gundam, let alone one like Aerial, is a powerful statement of supremacy after all. Shaddiq is convinced Miorine would never allow it, and he's partly right. She wouldn't if she was the one truly calling the shots.

Feng is so cool for a spook. She successfully preys upon Belmeria's cowardice and gains her begrudging compliance. Really enjoyed the dynamic here at this little tea party. It was almost like a date 😳 Love me two older women with some tension. Is this the newest gwitch ship to take flight?

I love how Mio recognized these are peaceful protesters immediately. It's another instance of her demonstrating empathy on a greater level than she once did. Her initial ignorant comments about Earthians in cour 1 seem a distant memory, and much of it has to do with her exposure to Earth House. If not for them and Suletta, her pov would be just as narrow as every other spacian's.

And it's off to a terrible start lmao. I think Mio expected an uphill battle but those are some steep demands. A worldwide ban on spacians is unfeasible but absolutely warranted considering everything the spacians have done. Mio doesn't quite know how to counter, and it's so funny Guel left her here without help after previously saying he doesn't trust her diplomacy skills. I doubt he'd be much help tbh, but I guess he trusts her more than he said? Which is, uh, somewhat appreciated? It's the thought that counts.

Sad widow moment. Norea grieving Sophie's death and expressing her fear of death explicitly has been a long time coming. 5lan bearing witness as the floodgates open and she reveals they share this core dread? God this hit so good. You can't help but feel for these kids. Nika continues to watch on in bafflement as the drama unfolds. When is she gonna leave this level of purgatory?? Only Okouchi knows...

OMG, I AM SLAIN. Defeated. This sad husk of a girlboss misses her (ex) wife so much. Normal people would just have a wallet photo or a locket, but she's reduced to watching this goofy ass promo wistfully. I would find it hilarious if it wasn't so sad. It does give her the strength to continue negotiations so that's neat

More importantly, it reminds her of GUND's ideals and the people who've banded together because of that dream; Earth House. She cleverly points out that fulfilling their demands would also mean removing earthians from space, but she won't because they're her partners at GUND-ARM. Her showing them the medical achievements they've already made together was smart and tips the scales in her favor

I keep saying I love Mio but I really do. She's inspired to grasp the presidency for her own goals, rather than just as a tool for Prospera. She found a path of peace in spite of everything against her. It's bittersweet to know, in a kinder world, this would be the end of her struggles. But Prospera won't be satisfied with peace.

This shot was gold. Suletta raiding the fridge like an unwashed raccoon is perfect on so many levels. We finally get unbound Suletta too. Ugh she looks so good 😭

LOOK AT HER!! Babygirl. She looks like such a sad scruffy mutt here. I love it 🥹 Adored Earth House supporting her in her hour of need and giving her a boost with goat milk too. Really cements the rebirth imagery they had in the last episode.

Martin decides to slink home too and reveals everything going on with Nika. This bit from Lilique says it all. There are times when you are left with only so many options. While you may not choose the objectively best path, you can only pick what YOU feel is best. Miorine, Martin, Aerial. Even Delling and Prospera (Perhaps DoF and Shaddiq as well) It fits all the way across the cast.

I didn't expect to get the Shaddiq real name drop from this shakedown, but I'll take it. Kenanji may be a cop with blood on his hands, but he's a keen one. We learned that 'Prince' is a longstanding nickname and it implicates Shaddiq wholly in the terrorist attacks. 'Whoopsie, all my nefarious plans undone by one kid's rambling!'

(I also think the implication was Shaddiq or Jeru Ogul rather, is the 'heir apparent' to Ochs Earth virtue of his dead family. Not entirely certain tbh)

Looks like Guel will be Asticassia bound next episode along with Kenanji. No idea why Kenanji had to tag along but I guess Mio has enough of an escort. Let's hope this detour leads to Suletta using the Schwarzette! Fingers crossed

You saw it here, everybody. Prospera shot first! I'll admit I didn't fully expect her to go this route but it makes sense. I anticipated her gaining Mio support somehow, but she just cut the BS and said let's do this dirty. Controlling Earthian artillery to mask her intentions and provide an excuse is devious and brilliant

Destroying DoF's secret stache of gundams even more so. She really cut Shaddiq's plan for a cold war at the knees and Guel/Kenanji are on track to expose his duplicity entirely. He'll be lucky to not be jailed let alone president of anything. It's amazing that everything works out for Prospera no matter how many risks she takes or gambles made. Lady Luck must love her nonsense as much as the audience

Cut back to Bel and Feng, their date did not end as well as I hoped. While Bel spilled some details about Quiet Zero, Prospera's second hunts her down and interrupts this powow. Can't risk QZ leaking to the corpo spooks after all. We did learn that SAL is not as unified or well intentioned as we might have thought. Their high council was revealed to be backing Ochs Earth of all corps. Feng seemed to be an outlier in yet another shady corpo-controlled faction. I'll miss her, but maybe she somehow escaped this dire situation? I won't hold my breath. RIP Feng, you were a real one!

Elan Prime seems so smug to be right, even if it means their horse in this race has some real competition. He really is a little shit just like 5lan. That MS shot though. Damn evocative. War journalists eat your heart out. It's visual reference too, I believe?

This is the funniest thing he could've said. Shaddiq is malding just like a pathetic incel. Remember when everyone thought he pulled mad game because he's surrounded by women? But the sad reality is he's the most maidenless person in the solar system. The best outcome tbh.

Beyond the laughs, this line speaks so much about how he views Miorine. He views her little better than a prize only he's deserving of; a 'pure' princess to match his crusading prince. He repeatedly disregards her agency, seen in episode 9 when he acts like Suletta controls Mio and here when he blames Guel for what's happening on Earth. He's such a salty little worm.

Finally, we're left with Suletta and Earth House as they react to the chaos. Suletta recognizes instantly Miorine's innocence and her mother's culpability. This was why Aerial sent her away. This was what everyone is trying to shield her from. It was a moment of clarity I hadn't expected, but a very welcome one. Hopefully, this means she'll be spurred into action now that Mio is in very real danger. Schwarzette time? We can dream~

That next episode is incredibly ominous though. End of Hope? Considering they have that promo where GUND-ARM/earth house are the ray of hope... yikes. Let's hope I'm just reading into things and it's not that grim

Edit* additional musings:

A segment was deleted somehow so here it is

Miorine... You know, I've seen people having a bit of schadenfreude at her expense. 'she's so stupid, ofc this happened!' - that flavor of criticism. My counter to this is what could she have realistically done? She was strong-armed into this agreement and manipulated onto Earth. She dared to imagine a peaceful solution based on ideals she slowly grew to believe wholeheartedly. This isn't her fault, much as she thinks otherwise. I can see her willfully remaining on earth to try and correct this atrocity. Girl needs a big hug from her wife ;-;

[hanafubukki]

Lilia and Silver/The Horse and the Infant Parallels

I have heard of the song The Horse and the Infant several times through the weeks and every time I hear it. I am reminded of Lilia and Silver and how it beautifully parallels them, especially when you consider the lyrics at times and then you think about the Human vs Fae war.

I recommend watching the animatic because it’s beautiful and I love how it really shows the scenes the musical coveys through the lyrics.

You have the video starting with Odysseus talking to his crew about getting revenge after a decade of war, which is so reminiscent of the Fae Vs Human War. How, depending how book 7 goes, the fae will seek revenge for the death of Mallenoa and Levan, with Lilia most likely leading the team.

Then the lyrics changes to each warrior fighting, which is props to the singers because wow, some of these names must have been hard to say let alone sing.

Throughout the song, it is said again and again, what do you fight for?? In this case, Lilia is fighting for his kingdom and his family (and those who he lost). His view on humans bordering on hatred at this point because of what they have cost him.

and then

AND THEN

We see a vision with Odysseus and THIS IS THE PART that reminds me of Lilia and Silver.

Odysseus gets a vision of the future of getting slain by a monstrous creature and he is ready to kill the one who will become this creature and lead to his downfall. He is ready to slay anyone, or so he thinks!

He finds out this "monster' is an infant, a boy, the son of his enemy. This boy will grow up and want revenge. He is told that this boy will destroy everything and he won't be able to save anyone. Instead of killing this boy, Odysseus wants to raise him.

Can you tell what I am thinking?! The parallels?!?

Imagine General Lilia, ready to cut down anyone that gets in his way. He finds out the enemy's son is nearby and he sees red. An eye for an eye. The enemy kingdom took away Malleus's parents and now there's the possibility of Malleus never hatching and now he will take away the enemy's greatest treasure.

He expected a grown man, but what he got was an infant.

The realization hits. Can he do this? Can he take the innocent life of a babe. Is this what he has become? He can kill grown men, at least they can fight back, but a child? A babe?

Humans have the ability to commit such atrocities, but Fae? Fae cherish children since they are so rare to his kind.

But if he doesn't kill this child, won't he grow to become a future threat to his kind? To his remaining family?

But no, he can't do that. Instead, Lilia chooses to raise this child as his own. He chooses to raise him so he doesn't become a threat and Lilia's hand isn't tainted with the blood of a child. He becomes the Cradle Seeker/Robber

Just like how the lyrics states, Lilia chooses to live far away from his home and the enemy kingdom to raise Silver.

Now, this is where the tales differs. Unlike the tale with Odysseus, Lilia raises Silver and Silver grows and loves his Diasomnia family. Despite what might be revealed in the rest of book 7, I don't think the love Silver has for them and for Lilia will ever change.

Will he be shaken? Yes. Depending on the truth we learn, Silver will be affected. Because we will learn about his birth, his parents, Lilia's role, and everything else that comes to light, so how can he not be?

But will he lose love for them? For Lilia? No.

In this instance, instead of killing for revenge, Silver saves with love, and he too, will be saved with love.

One of my favorite lyrics goes:

"The blood on your hands is something you can't lose, all you can choose is whose."

Rather fitting for Lilia, isn't it?

[agentrouka-blog]

The rulers of Tarth are called "the Evenstar" and "Evenstar" is the famous nickname of Arwen in LOTR. Does this mean that Martin is pointing out Brienne and Jaime as the Arwen and Aragorn of ASOIAF ? Since Brienne will eventually become lady of Tarth after the death of her father Selwyn. But Brienne is also a blonde warrior lady like Eowyn. Should either parallel be seen as meaningful ?

Hi there!

I am not a LOTR expert by any stretch of the imagination, so I wouldn't be able to give you a credible answer on the finer details of that nickname within those books.

(I do, however, doubt that it's meant to imply a parallel between this couple and Jaime and Brienne, mainly because they don't share literally any other parallels with these characters either jointly or separately, that I can think of. Eowyn comes closer, but that doesn't make Jaime any kind of Aragorn.)

An interesting I thing I found after a cursory search is that Arwen got this nickname in reference to the world as they knew it nearing its end. If that's true, then that's rather melancholy, but it would fit with the general theme in ASOIAF of upheaval, endings and renewal, best summed up by Leaf, one of the children of the forest:

The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The giants are almost gone as well, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the western hills have been slain, the unicorns are all but gone, the mammoths down to a few hundred. The direwolves will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us." (ADWD, Bran III)

This imagery of the setting sun is matched by the concept of the Evenstar and both of these indicate endings.

Something often overlooked is that Cersei shares this imagery, too.

All hail his lady mother, Cersei of House Lannister, Queen Regent, Light of the West, and Protector of the Realm." (AGOT, Sansa V)

Also in reference to Tywin, her father:

By the time they left Maegor's Holdfast, the sky had turned a deep cobalt blue, though the stars still shone. All but one, Cersei thought. The bright star of the west has fallen, and the nights will be darker now.  (AFFC, Cersei I)

Warden of the West, in the westerlands, the Lannisters in all the glittering golden light are still associated with the finality of the sunset and evening.

The evenstar and the morning star both actually refer to the same thing, though: the planet venus, all depending on its visibility in the night sky. It was also historically referred to as "lucifer", which can be translated as "lightbringer", the name of the sword forged by Azor Ahai, which is a hugely ambivalent tale in the books and resonates with both Dany's dragons and several special swords named in the series. The powerful weapon as a mark of a hero or a knight is a central theme in the series, and GRRM is begging us to look closer at what is truly heroic and what is merely a show of power or conceit.

An interesting twist here is that Brienne's House and island of Tarth is equally ambivalent. Their arms are sun and moon both. And their seat has an interesting predecessor associated with a significant knight.

 The Sapphire Isle, as some call it, is ruled by House Tarth of Evenfall Hall—an old family of Andal descent that boasts of ties to the Durrandons, the Baratheons, and more recently to House Targaryen. Once kings in their own right, the Lords of Tarth still style themselves "the Evenstar," a title that they claim goes back unto the dawn of days. Many of the folk of Tarth, highborn and low alike, claim descent from a legendary hero, Ser Galladon of Morne, who was said to wield a sword called the Just Maid given to him by the Seven themselves. Given the role that the Just Maid plays in Ser Galladon's tale, Maester Hubert, in his Kin of the Stag, has suggested that Galladon of Morne was no rude warrior of the Age of Heroes turned into a knight by singers a thousand years later, but an actual historic figure of more recent times. Hubert also notes that Morne was a royal seat of petty kings on the eastern coast of Tarth until the Storm Kings made them submit, but that its ruins indicate that the site was made by Andals, not First Men. (The World of Ice and Fire - The Stormlands: The Men of the Stormlands)

Evenstar and Evenfall vs. the Morning. Obviously, there's a hidden history there that may be as interesting as the more recent connection of House Tarth to Duncan the Tall, another noted knight. But clearly, we are seeing a tension here between evening and morning. Brienne is the daughter of the Evenstar, but must she be an evenstar herself?

Given Brienne's connections to knighthood, to Galladon whose story she tells in AFFC, it may well be that she herself represents that renewal, a shift from evening to morning. Where the story of Duncan is one of disintegrating ideals, Brienne represents the choice to uphold them. She chooses to take up Duncan's abandoned arms, commissioning to have them painted on her shield:

It was more a picture than a proper coat of arms, and the sight of it took her back through the long years, to the cool dark of her father's armory. She remembered how she'd run her fingertips across the cracked and fading paint, over the green leaves of the tree, and along the path of the falling star. (AFFC, Brienne II)

Which GRRM goes out of his way to associated with finality and endings:

She had made a better job of it than he could ever have hoped for. Even by lantern light, the sunset colors were rich and bright, the tree tall and strong and noble. The falling star was a bright slash of paint across the oaken sky. Yet now that Dunk held it in his hands, it seemed all wrong. The star was falling, what sort of sigil was that? Would he fall just as fast? And sunset heralds night. "I should have stayed with the chalice," he said miserably. "It had wings, at least, to fly away, and Ser Arlan said the cup was full of faith and fellowship and good things to drink. This shield is all painted up like death." "The elm's alive," Pate pointed out. "See how green the leaves are? Summer leaves, for certain.  (The Hedge Knight)

The falling shooting being likened to death is another interesting nod to the comet that lights the sky through much of ACOK. The one that heralded the birth of the dragons. Death.

It is the tree that represents life here. Given this context, Duncan's arms may not be her final arms.

A parallel in terms of imagery, knighthood and even history, may be House Dayne. Much like House Dayne (of Starfall) has an ancient origin and a fancy special sword named Dawn, you could argue that it has fallen from grace, the last "Sword of the Morning" (named so for the star constellation only visible before dawn) having been killed after guarding an imprisoned teenaged girl dying from childbirth. That's not knightly honor. Gerold Dayne is called "Darkstar" and describes himself as "of the night". He does not carry Dawn. Ham-fisted metaphors, no?

This is all my convoluted way of saying that no, I don't think this nickname is meant to tie Brienne and Jaime to Aragorn and Arwen, but rather part of a broader metaphor for disintegration and renewal, especially in association with knighthood, all expressed through Brienne herself.

Brienne, caught between Duncan (evening) and Galladon (morning), represents renewal, life, the way forward.

Jaime lacks this imagery entirely. He's no Aragorn. He's walking into the sunset with the Light of the West.

[clytemnaestraes]

Catelyn, Arya, and Alyssa Arryn: unshed tears + weeping statues symbolism

The half-mythic, half-ancestral figure of Alyssa Arryn furthers themes connecting Catelyn and her daughters (Arya in particular) and grief.

Alyssa Arryn had seen her husband, her brothers, and all her children slain, and yet in life she had never shed a tear. So in death, the gods had decreed that she would know no rest until her weeping watered the black earth of the Vale, where the men she had loved were buried. Alyssa had been dead six thousand years now, and still no drop of the torrent had ever reached the valley floor far below. Catelyn wondered how large a waterfall her own tears would make when she died. 

Catelyn VII, AGOT

Alyssa was cursed by the gods because she did not grieve/weep for her family. Catelyn wants the war to be over so that she can weep for her family and grieve her losses.

I want to write an end to this. I want to go home, my lords, and weep for my husband."

Catelyn XI, AGOT

She woke aching and alone and weary; weary of riding, weary of hurting, weary of duty. I want to weep, she thought. I want to be comforted. I'm so tired of being strong. I want to be foolish and frightened for once. Just for a small while, that's all... a day... an hour...

Catelyn II, ACOK

However, she can't, because she's emotionally exhausted and burdened by her duties, and because she thinks she has to be strong for the sake of Robb.

Does he see Bran and Rickon as well? She might have wept, but there were no tears left in her.

Catelyn III, ASOS

Six Brave men had died to bring her this far, and yet she could not even find it in her to weep for them.

Catelyn VI, AGOT

The parallel between Catelyn and Alyssa is furthered when Bronn breaks the statue of Alyssa during the duel and subsequently uses it to pin his opponent to the ground and kill him, thus shattering Catelyn’s hopes of justice.

The Eyrie's plump septon escorted him to the statue in the center of the garden, a weeping woman carved in veined white marble, no doubt meant to be Alyssa.

Catelyn VII, AGOT

Jon Arryn's beautifully engraved silver sword glanced off the marble of the weeping woman and snapped clean a third of the way up the blade. Bronn put his shoulder into the states back. The weathered likeness of Alyssa Arryn tottered and fell with a great crash, and Ser vardis Egen went down beneath her.

Catelyn VII, AGOT

Catelyn dies in ASOS and is resurrected as a vengeful, inhuman fire wight, Lady Stoneheart. Lady Stoneheart demands vengeance, but that's not the true route to rest for Catelyn’s soul. In order for it to rest in peace, Catelyn needs to grieve her dead family members properly. She needs to let her tears fall. Mother Merciless needs Mercy. It has been theorised that her path will intersect with Arya's for this reason.

Art by Nejna on devianart

There are several passages in the books connecting Arya in Braavos to weeping statues of stone, unshed tears, and Catelyn/Lady Stoneheart.

Arya and Cat/Catelyn/Lady Stoneheart:

Cats never weep, she told herself, no more than wolves do.

Cat of the Canals, AFFC

Braavos was a good city for cats, and they roamed everywhere, especially at night. In the fog all cats are grey, Mercy thought.

Mercy, TWOW

Arya thinks cats are grey, and cats do not weep, paralleling the symbolism surrounding Lady Stoneheart.

Grey was the color of the silent sisters, the handmaidens of the Stranger. Brienne felt a shiver climb her spine. Stoneheart.

Brienne VIII, AFFC

Arya and unshed tears:

Some nights she might have cried herself to sleep if she had still been Arry or Weasel or Cat, or even Arya of House Stark… but no one had no tears.

The Blind Girl, ADWD

Arya and Weeping statues:

I am carved of stone, she reminded herself. I am a statue.

The Ugly Little Girl, ADWD

The nearest was a marble woman twelve feet tall. Real tears were trickling from her eyes, to fill the bowl she cradled in her arms. The Weeping Woman was the favorite of old women, Arya saw.

Arya I, AFFC

The statue outside the shrine of the Weeping Lady of Lys was crying silver tears as the ugly girl walked by.  

The Ugly Little Girl, ADWD

It can be fairly reasoned that Arya and Lady Stoneheart's paths will intersect at some point. She is the Mercy to her Mother Merciless.

[aroace-moron]

I HAVE FINISHED 'WAY TOO MANY PARALLELS'!!!

Here you go, I worked way harder on this than I wanted, and I am so proud of how it came out.

Faint Music

Summary:

I am honored to meet thee, Samwise Gamgee. But if I may ask, what tower dost thou speak of? I have seen none during my travels through these vast lands. Perhaps, one of thy size has been able to find an opening in the mountainside? If thou hast, then please, i beg of thee to tell me."

Sam stared at Findekáno, utterly perplexed. "The – the tower we are standing in," he said, though there seemed to only grow more confusion (and suspicion, again) in those strange eyes. "In Cirith Ungol?", Sam tried. "On the border of Mordor?"

Or, Sam, Fingon and Lúthien all have a quest so similar that, against all odds, they meet. Confusion ensues.

Sam slowly crept around the corner, careful as he did so, and his heart seemed to thunder louder in his ears than the sounds the old Mister Bilbo had described the stone giants make in their battle, though hearing those tales lay a long time back, and the little boy that had clung to the old man's words (though he had never seemed old, not to Sam, at least) and the events Bilbo had spoken of laid even farther in the past.

None of this mattered now, though, as Sam crept through the long corridors of Cirith Ungol, desperately trying to find a way to his Frodo and to spot any orcs that had not yet killed each other or that had been scared off by the 'mighty elvish warrior' (and the ones he had slain himself of course, stars, what would his old Gaffer think of him). He was so desperately listening that when he heard steps behind him, he spun around with a roar that startled even himself, his sword held in shaking, yet determined hands, and he threw himself forward, expecting an orc.

He was flung against the rough stone wall before he had seen movement, and could only stare in shock into strangely bright, and strangely familiar eyes, which were ripped open in an unmistakably elvish face, and try not to move so as not to slice his throat on the pale dagger holding him in place.

The two stared at each other for a second or two, before the elf whispered, "Th'art not a creature of the Enemy," and let him go. Sam felt as though he had fallen from great height, and took a moment to steady himself, to slow his breath, before answering, "No, I'm not. You're not either?"

Those fey eyes widened in what could best be described as disbelieving horror. "I am not," the elf answered, his pupils pinpoints of light in the darkness, "Nor shalt it ever come to it, if the Valar yet hold love for but a single one of us."

(Continue reading here.)

[digipigichopshop]

520 (feat. Shuhua of (G)I-DLE)

“Bro, you good?”

Your phone chimes as a message finds its way into your inbox. You flip the phone, and the dim, diffracted rays from your cracked screen parallel the broken visage of its owner.

Breakups are hard.

You silence all notifications and swipe to clear the message. You don’t want to turn on “Do Not Disturb” hoping that a reply to your barrage of texts will surface.

But that’s wishful thinking at this stage.

Return to the comforts of your mattress and blanket, the angry warmth and lingering odour of your body casting a darkened shadow on the spot that you haven’t moved from in hours.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

They all sound the same. All messages from people you kind of care about but don’t bother reaching out to. Wallowing in your hole of self-pity feels like better catharsis than actually hanging out with people who don’t treat you like shit.

At least, not as shit as she treated you.

You didn’t want to look at the time, but mentally you counted every digit down to the second.

20th May, 2:13 am.

Chinese Valentine’s Day. 5/20, “我爱你”. 

The date you confessed your love to her was precisely 365 days ago.

And she couldn’t even wait 365 days to cheat on you with another guy she met at the bar.

If she couldn’t keep her promises, why should you?

Because I’m kind. You try to reason with yourself. 

Because I want to be better.

“Because you’re a loser who likes getting taken advantage of.”

Hear her words repeatedly, church bells tolling as they signal her repeated siege against the walls of your mental fortitude. The crumbling of stone brick echo tears that stain your sheets a darkened hue, and the jarring screams of slain men bear your failed attempts at reparations against the relentless enemy.

Demons run rampant through the desecrated ruins of your fallen city. You don’t bother to control or restrain them. It’s not worth it.

She’s not worth it.

“I’m not worth it.”

You try to shut your eyes, but your body refuses to sleep. Even the blissful release of death wouldn’t offer even the slightest bit of ease to your broken heart. A hole in the shape of her figure eats its way through you, the edges of which still crackle and pop like embers of the fire that once was.

Buzz Buzz Buzz.

Your phone refuses to shut itself up. Even amidst the pitiful tranquillity of your room, the piercing toll of the bells reminds you that someone, something out there still cares for you. That even under all this self-hate and anguish, there is a ray-

“HEY! GONG CHAN YONG! FUCKING ANSWER YOUR PHONE ALREADY!”

The screams of a very irritated housemate accompanied by the persistent banging of your dorm room door force you to look at your phone. Past all the “Hope You’re Ok!” and “Stay Safe <3” messages, you see a special invitation from the individual outside your door.

<<From 🤬 Boss Baby 💣>>

Hey! Get your ass down here and stop worrying about that girl. We’re holding a post-finals party and since your stinky butt isn’t here, the place doesn’t smell (Yet). 

Drinks are free flow until someone passes out. I know you’re not the kind of person to pass up free drinks 🤪

Ah yes. Typical Shuhua behaviour. Yelling at people until something happens.

“YA! CHAN YONG! IF YOU DON’T COME OUT I’M PERSONALLY GONNA BREAK YOUR DOOR DOWN AND GRAB YOU MYSELF!”

You groan and pick yourself up. If you couldn’t sleep yourself to death, why not try and drink yourself to it? At least it’ll taste nicer.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.”

You toss on a random sports tee and open the door, only to be met with empty space. Of course, Shuhua would run off to the party without waiting for you. After all, she had never turned down free drinks before, and she was likely there to snatch up all the soju before the rest drank it all.

You walk to the common room, and lo and behold, the entire dorm is there partying it up. The common room was sizable but with 9 other, rather inebriated fellows dancing and singing off-tune Karaoke, you were bumping into drunken bodies left and right. They were all dressed in rather revealing clothing and from the lingering smell of body odour and weed, you could recognize the distinct stench of coming back from a rave. 

“Hey, Chan Yong! You’re finally here! Get a drink!”

Your attention is stolen by a group of 5 individuals sitting in a circle in front of the television. 

Shuhua, Elkie and three other guys are playing a rather intense game of truth or dare, and sounds of cacophonous laughter ring throughout the common room as the three dudes watch Elkie attempt to lick her elbow.

You pick up a bottle of soju from the fridge and another two bottles of Yakult. You mix the two in a random soda cup just lying around and pray that you don’t catch HIV. The circle widens to accommodate you, and you sit next to Shuhua. 

“Nice fit,” You say, looking at Shuhua as she leans back against the couch. It’s a bit too punk-metal for your liking, but the dog collar choker around her neck and the matching black bracelet paired well with her Metallica strapless top and raw trim black denim shorts. Her faded mascara and natural look would have most men’s heart’s flatlining at the sight, but to you, it was just a nice outfit. Shuhua smiles back, and your attention is brought to the bottle in the centre of the circle.

“Dude! OH MY GOD! Jinsoul was SO gone. Like she disappeared halfway through the rave and then she reappeared in the corner near the bathroom, puking her eyes out. Thank fuck Luke was there else she’d be a goner.” The tallest of the three dudes says out loud. “Oh hey, new person!” He waves and you shyly wave back. 

“Why didn’t you go to the rave, man? Shit was INSANE!” The guy to his right excitedly says, almost spilling his beer in the process. He grips the empty bottle in the middle and then spins it with excessive force. The repeated clink of glass against the stone tile slows the bottle until it comes to a stop, the mouth pointed at Shuhua. 

“Dare!” Shuhua excitedly yells, and the three dudes look at each other, debating on a suitable punishment for her.

“Take a photo of yourself right now and send it to your ex.” The tallest guy says. Almost immediately, Shuhua whips out her phone and poses for a selfie with her half-empty Soju bottle. She puffs up her chest, squeezing it between her elbows and biting her lip. She twirls the seam of her shirt around her fingers as she gives her best “Fuck Me” look to the camera. A quick series of key taps later, she passes her phone to her challenger. “Anything to add?” she says, and the three dudes look over the small screen like the council of elders putting their one collective brain cell to use.

“Holy shit Shuhua you fucking killed him.” One of the dudes says as the other two break out in fits of laughter. He passes Shuhua back her phone, and both you and Elkie look over. The high angle shot already offers a copious view of Shuhua’s cleavage, and from the way she tucked her thumb under the hem of her top, there was practically nothing left to hide. 

The image caption only made things worse. 

“Wish you were here to fuck me, but I guess this bottle will have to do. At least it’ll last longer than ten minutes.” You say, impressed that Shuhua would have the balls to even type such a charged message, let alone send it.

Shuhua smirks and leans forward, spinning the bottle. And just as fate would have it,

It lands on you.

“Truth or Dare?” The tallest dude asks. You hesitate, especially since you’re not familiar with the other three dudes.

“Don’t be a wuss,” Shuhua adds.

“Fine, fine. Dare.” You say and look back to the “council of elders”, awaiting your judgement.

“Call up your ex. Tell her she left something at your place then hang up.” 

A bitter taste immediately fills your mouth. All the heartbreak and pain comes barrelling into your chest like a five-ton truck, but before you can mutter a word, Shuhua lifts your cup to your mouth.

“If you can’t do the dare, finish your drink.” She says, shooting a stink eye at the guy who issued the challenge.

You realise that you hadn’t touched your drink at all, and the fiery heat of the full bottle of Soju soon courses its way down your throat, accompanied by the sweet, milky notes of the Yakult mixed in. You down the beverage, cheered on by Elkie, Shuhua and the three guys. 

You put down your cup, resisting the urge to return the concoction to its original vessel. Holding back the beast, you give a thumbs up and spin the bottle. The “liquid courage” thunders through your system, your face flushing from its influence. You feel like you were spitting straight fire as you cough over the thumps of the subwoofers, Shuhua slapping your back to help you breathe.

The bottle fatefully lands between you and Shuhua, and you groan at the thought of having to down another full bottle of Soju. Shuhua looks confused, and the three guys rambunctiously cheer at the result. “It landed on two of ‘ya, so that means you both gotta do something!” The middle guy shouts. 

But before Shuhua can even pipe up, she’s interrupted by Elkie. “You know what would be fun? I think the broom closet’s empty at this time of year. Why not test your luck?” Elkie’s teasing gaze hovers over your face onto Shuhua’s and the normally boisterous girl is suddenly silenced, her face flushed even redder than before. Sensing Shuhua’s sudden change in mood, you stand up and try to take your leave. That’s when you feel Shuhua’s hand tightly holding onto yours.

“Fine! But you’re gonna regret saying that!” Shuhua says, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the closet. “You guys have seven minutes!” You hear Elkie say before Shuhua closes the door behind you.

Trapped in dim conditions in a tight, claustrophobic space, the closet door muffles the raging party so well that all you hear is Shuhua’s breathing. You’re forced against the wall, Shuhua’s hand still holding onto yours as she continues to look at her feet. She notices what she’s doing, and hurriedly releases her grip.

“What’s going on?” 

Shuhua gulps, hands behind her back as she leans against the opposing concrete pillar. She momentarily looks up at you, before looking away.

“I swear I’m going to kill Elkie when I get out of here,” Shuhua mutters.

“I’m sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable. I should probably just head back–”

“No. It’s fine.” She huffs.

A moment of awkward silence finds its way lodged between the two of you as you're unsure how to proceed.

“You’ve never played seven minutes in heaven before, have you?” 

You shake your head.

“Well, to summarise, two people are locked in a room for seven minutes. They can kiss, talk, or do nothing inside there, but they have to leave the room after seven minutes.”

You nod to signal your reply, then the room falls into a deathly silence once again.

“So…uhh… How’ve you been?”

“Really? You’re beginning with that?” Shuhua mocks.

“Well, I haven’t seen you since–” Your voice trails off.

“Right. Your breakup. I’m sorry, by the way.” 

“Don’t worry about it.”

Another pause and you regret accepting Shuhua’s invite to drink in the first place. You’re undeserving of her companionship because you’re just a weird, boring, useless individual with little redeeming factors. You’re not worthy of pity, friendship or love because you’re the one who always digs a grave for yourself. The choices you make are yours and yours alone. 

You chose to hang out with your friends instead of staying home with your girlfriend. You’re the one who didn’t bother to stop that other dude’s advances on her at the bar. You’re the one who just had to take a half-day off because you felt “weak” and “needed rest”-- 

And come home to the sight of another dude raw dogging your girlfriend on your sheets, her moans of pleasure louder and more profound than any you previously coaxed from her. Her eyes rolled back as he tugged on her hair like a rope, the redness of her buttocks marking his claim on your property. You watched in stunned horror as she came again and again as her partner pistoned himself in and out of her body at a furious pace, her slick staining his thighs as it ran down his leg and stained the bed below. His feverish grunts and moans signalled his arrival as he filled your girlfriend with blasts of white cum, volumes of which bled out from her pussy and painted her snatch with a thin, glossy veneer. The two of them collapsed onto your bed, their faces red and sweaty from exhaustion. You closed the door behind you to avert your eyes as he went in for a kiss, to which your girlfriend so happily obliged, letting his tongue violate its way into her mouth, swirling and snaking around her own.

You could never make her cum as much as he did.

You could never make her happy as he did.

You could never be her first choice.

Like he was.

Glassy tears glint against the straggling light fading through the ventilation splints of the wooden door. Shuhua’s taken aback in shock by your sudden change in mood, and she offers you an embrace in her open arms. Her body reeks of sweat and alcohol, but there’s a calming respite in her steady breathing as she slowly strokes your back.

“Fuck. I-I’m sorry.”  You say between sniffles. 

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know, but–”

“But what? Miyeon took advantage of you and she openly hooked up with that dude from the photography studio. She let herself get caught because she didn’t have the balls to openly admit her faults to her boyfriend. She didn’t care for your feelings so why should you care for hers?

You’re so much better than this, Chan Yong. You’re fucking amazing. Miyeon wasn’t worth your time anyway. I know deep inside you’re a wonderful person, and even though you make mistakes and act kinda distant, I know you still care. I can’t bear to see you in such a sorry state like this. I just– I–

I like you.”

The cascade of tears slows as the realisation sets in. Your flatlined heart jolts to life, gradually racing as a flush finds its way across your cheeks. 

“Shuhua–I,” 

You don’t get an opportunity to talk back as she throws herself onto you, hugging you tightly. You cherish the embrace the two of you share in the romantic ambience of wet mops and musty wood, the first moment of peace your aching heart has felt in a long while. Shuhua rocks herself back and forth on her toes, and you follow her lead until the two of you are swaying gently to an inaudible tune. You bury your head in her frizzy hair, uncaring of the grime and sweat that plasters it to her scalp. Shuhua smells uniquely sweet, like a lone lily flower blooming in its tourmaline pool. 

You don’t care about how warm and stuffy the closet feels. With the comfort of Shuhua in your arms, the pain of Miyeon’s absence burns just a little less. It’s not completely gone, but at least in your moment of vulnerability, you know there’s someone out there that cares for you.

Someone willing to look past your mistakes.

Someone willing to give you a second chance.

“Thank you, Shuhua.” You whisper in her ear.

Keep her close. Hug her tightly. Don’t let her go.

“I’m sorry I brought all this stuff on you. It’s just– So hard to move on.”

“You don’t need to apologise. You’re the bigger man here for letting go of the relationship so peacefully. I know it’s tough, but you’re safe in here. With me. You can say whatever you need to say.”

“For all the times that Miyeon threw me around and left me out on the streets outside her place, thank you for being there for me.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Why do you like me though? With looks like those, you could snatch up any person you wanted.”

Shuhua giggles. “Who knows? Maybe I’m crazy? Maybe I’m drunk and high?”

Shuahua turns to you and puts her arms around the back of your head, pulling you closer so that you could look at each other’s eyes, “But unlike most other guys I’ve met, you’re not the kind of guy who wants to just to get in between a woman’s legs the moment they meet. You treat people well. You care so much for your partner and yet you don’t expect anything in return.”

The room falls into a hushed silence once again, as your bodies press against each other. Yet, the silence feels all the more comforting, no longer awkward or painful. A soft blanket of serenity that you and Shuhua snuggle up under. 

“This is nice.”

A hum of acknowledgement. Shuhua doesn’t break eye contact and neither do you. Though dimly lit, you can make out the features on Shuhua’s face from the soft reflections of the pouring moonlight, and you opt to repay Shuhua’s bravery.

“I love you too, Shuhua.”

You close the distance between your face as you slip your hands onto Shuhua’s back for stability. Your lips went for a quick peck before pulling back. Looking at her eyes, and confirming her approval, your lips meet again in a burst of pent-up passion, and traces of sickly sweet soju and matte cherry lipstick find their way onto your palette. Shuhua lets you lean more into her, allowing you to kiss her more deeply. You feel her hand grab onto your wrist, slowly dragging it down. Shuhua lets you feel more of her as she brings your touch past the rough, scratchy fabric of her shirt and further down her exposed hips and waist. She lovingly leaves your hand at its destination cupping her round and firm buttcheek. You give it a playful squeeze and Shuhua giggles into the kiss.

Your hands continue to feel and grope Shuhua’s body, her pillowy soft butt a wonderful stress toy to release your tension. Her supple lips clash against yours in a fiery crescendo as you pluck her strings like a seasoned harpist, each careful caress and warm grasp eliciting soft moans into the shared air between your mouth and hers.

Shuhua’s eyes scream for you to raise the stakes, and you offer your gambit by slipping your hand around her front, teasing the buckle of her belt with your finger. Shuhua catches you off guard by catching your hand before it can dive any further. 

“Are you sure about this?” Shuhua’s voice returns to a caring tone, but her eyes ooze a burning lust that was dying to be attended to. “I want to take this further, but if it's too much for you, then we could stop here–”

“No. I want you. I want more of you.”

Shuhua smiles, pulling you closer to her lips again, eager to oblige to the courage you mustered.

“Shuhua, fuck, I–”

“Alright! Your seven minutes are up!” The door flies open with a bang to reveal Elkie and the three stooges happily eating up the sight before them. 

“Seems like we’ve got a contender for ‘Quickest turnaround in a relationship’!” Elkie proudly announces to the entire dorm. The three guys are drunk out of their minds, the shortest of the bunch practically fighting to stay on his feet while the other two are dazed and giggly. You stiffen like a dear caught in headlights as the entire party turns to look at the sudden commotion. 

“What the fuck, Elkie?! Not cool!” Shuhua wraps her hand around your waist as she brings you out of the closet, heading back to the couch to pick up her bottle of soju.

“Hey~ Don’t be a spoilsport Shu~ It’s just a game!” Elkie drunkenly replies. “I mean, it’s not like he’s worth your time anyways. He let himself get cheated on by that slut Miyeon after she hooked up with that one guy at the bar. Heh. What a fucking loser.” 

The words tear at the stitches keeping your heart together. With Shuhua by your side, they don’t seem to hurt as much. The hand lingering around your waist anchors you to her figure, and you fight to keep the dark thoughts from infiltrating your mind.

“Shut the fuck up Elkie. You’re as much of a drunken whore as Miyeon.” Shuhua snaps back, grabbing an extra bottle on the way out. “Come on Chan Yong. Let’s get out of here. Don’t listen to them.” 

“Have fun fucking a side hoe Shuhua!” Elkie yells back, before flopping onto the couch.

“Fuck You Too!” Shuhua shoots back, the two guys laughing along as they take a swig from their beers. Their remaining member passes out cold on the concrete floor with a thud, but the party carries on without him. The two men creep their hands around Elkie’s waist, and she groggily leans on their shoulders, giggly from all the alcohol in her system. Shuhua interlaces her fingers between yours and drags you along. “Come on!”

You follow Shuhua’s lead up the stairs to her room. She locks the door behind you and plops herself onto her bed, patting the area next to her to invite you to sit down before unlacing her combat boots and taking them off. “Can’t believe the nerve of that bitch. Don’t fucking listen to anything she says.” You take a seat and Shuhua leans her head on your shoulder with a huff. You smile and lean your head back on hers, slipping a hand under her arm to bring her closer to you.

A soft hum and a soju bottle finds its way into your hands. You oblige and take a shot, letting the burning liquid warm its way down your throat to your stomach. The fiery beverage is sweet and comforting, like the girl resting her head on your shoulder. Shuhua takes the bottle back and has a swig of it for herself, tilting her head back so much that the two of you lose your balance and crash back-first onto her bed.

Thank god for Shuhua’s drunken stability, otherwise, the two of you’d be covered in Jinro and smelling like shit for the rest of the night.

“Oh gosh! I’m so sorry,” you blurt out. 

Shuhua’s comforting laughter melts away your fear and anxiety, her bubbly personality shining brighter than the pale moonlight streaming through her window. “Ya, Chan Yong. Stop apologising for everything. You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.”

“But, I–”

“Hush.” Shuhua kneels on the bed, her index finger over your lips.

“Enough talk. I want to see you fulfil that promise from earlier.” 

Shuhua reaches behind her and flicks a switch, and a string of fairy lights spring to life on the wall opposite her. Their warm amber glow fails to hide the messy state of her room, but at this stage, all you’re concerned with is the messy state you want to leave Shuhua in throughout the minutes to come.

Shuhua places both bottles on her bedside table, throwing her arms around your neck and straddling you. You lean back, using your arms to support your combined weight. Her eyes gaze longingly gaze into yours, as her fingers gently play with your nape and hair. She pulls herself closer to you, her lips like magnets drawing you in. 

You feel Shuhua’s hands run down your shoulders and chest, privy to the wild thundering of your heart. She finds her way to your wrists, tugging on them to shrink the distance between your bodies. You oblige, though a little clumsy as you fumble to find a good hold on Shuhua’s shirt.

Shuhua’s hands wander around your body again until they find the hem of your shirt. She tugs it upwards, revealing the toned body you so desperately tried to hide from the rest of the world. You let Shuhua take in the sight of your abs in the soft glow of the amber lights, and Shuhua throws a soft punch to your shoulder when she sees that you’re so obviously flexing. 

“Show Off.” she chides, and you giggle along. She runs her fingers along the outline of the scratches on your chest, tracing them like a child fingerpainting. “Pet the wrong cat?” She playfully teases, and you nod, kissing Shuhua on the lips as your hand finds its way to her shorts.

You undo the button on her shorts and help Shuhua shimmy her way out of them. You can’t help yourself when your hands come to cupping her jiggly butt, and a light squeeze is all it takes to make Shuhua whimper into your ear. You hurl her shorts across the room, to join your shirt in a pile. 

Shuhua pushes you down, your body lay supine on her mattress. You get a full few of her half-naked body as she begins to rid herself of every remaining article of clothing. The next to go are her bracelets, necklace and belt. You follow suit and strip as well, leaving your pants in a heap on the floor. Her top comes off just as easily, and tugging it over her breasts has the added side effect of reminding you how much fun playing around with physics in the bedroom could be. You pepper the seam of her bra with a series of chaste kisses before something a glint up above catches your eye.

“You forgot about your choker.” 

“Oh, did I?” Shuhua playfully says, grabbing onto your wrist. She places your hand on her neck, making sure of your grip on the collar before slowly leaning in. Her lithe movements have your heart beating faster and faster, and the weight of her chest pressing against yours awakens the growing heat in your core into a raging inferno.

“You’re safe here, baby. You can have all the fun you want tonight. I’ll treat you better than she ever could.”

With a click, the collar unclasps and falls to the bed while you spring upwards, pulling Shuhua’s body closer to yours. She pulls on your back and you follow her lead. You run your fingers through her hair, but hesitate when she adjusts your hands to try to undo her bra. 

“Don’t be shy. I don’t bite. You can put your hands on me.” 

You help Shuhua unhook her bra, which she tosses aside. She flexes her back, and her breasts bounce inches from your hungry lips. She giggles as she sees you enraptured with her perky peaks while she rids herself of her white lace panties, which join their sister in a corner of the room.

Shuhua pushes you to the bed with her body following suit, crashing herself onto you. Her hardened nipples graze your pecs as you admire the jiggle physics of her pillowy bosom. But what steals your attention is her drenched heat pressing against your clothed crotch, grinding deeper into your raging erection. Her leg hooks under yours as she presses her lips against yours. She’s in no hurry and neither are you. 

You both take it slow, exploring each other’s figure in a moonlit waltz under the stars. Shuhua breaks away to pepper a series of soft kisses along your collarbone, her hands running down your abs to your groin, where they stir the beast from its fabric cage. She displays her expertise in garment removal by setting your cock free in one swift motion, carefully dropping your underwear in the heap of clothes on the floor.

You don’t sit there idly. Shuhua’s body is a marvel to explore, her chest voluminous and jiggly, her abs toned and well defined. Shuhua’s got your ex beat two-to-zero, and you’re intrigued by how fluffy they feel between your hands. Grasping her left boob in the palm of your hand, you give it a gentle squeeze. The sudden action earns you a gasp followed by a moan as you run your thumb in circles around her tiny pink areola, kneading and squishing the flesh in your hands. Your other hand offers Shuhua some support as she lines herself up with your cock. “You’re so sensitive,” You whisper, and Shuhua nods in agreement. 

And in a flash, it all connects. The heat in your core meets the heat of hers as she eases her way onto your penis. You experience a great degree of resistance as Shuhua isn’t used to handling someone as large as you, struggling to fit your entire length in her. You try to offer some help by holding onto her waist, but Shuhua swats your hands away and interlocks her fingers with yours.

“I– I got this.” She says, her breathing fragmented and heavy. The tightness of Shuhua’s pussy feels euphoric, her walls squeezing and hugging your cock with a vigour unlike any you’d experienced before. 

“Fuckkk~ You’re so big, Chan Yong. I swear if you were any bigger, I’d need my stomach pumped tomorrow morning.” Shuhua teases back, laughing at her joke. She then begins warming herself up to your length, slowly stroking and teasing your cock with her pussy as she attempts to swallow more and more of you within her. Shuhua bites her lip to stifle a moan, your toying with her tits having the indirect benefit of stimulating Shuhua’s pussy, the clear liquid now running down her thighs and onto yours. The added lubrication helps just that much more, and you can’t help but groan every time she goes down on you, your cock enveloped within her.

Shuhua finally makes her way to your base, heaving a sigh of relief at the monumental feat. Her forehead beads with sweat and a tear of exhaustion runs its way down her cheek. You wipe it away, and Shuhua giggles and holds the hand caressing her face, snuggling into your palm.

Both of you pause, looking lovingly at each other, letting her walls adjust to accommodate your shaft. After a while, she releases her grip, guiding your hands to her hips before putting hers on your shoulders. With the leverage gained, she grinds her hips against your crotch. Her cute whimpers of pleasure are music to your ears as she pulls you in, her hands running through your hair while yours play with her soft butt cheeks. She builds up to a steady pace, her whimpers now moans as the growing stimulation from gyrating against your body rocks her clit.

Trying to stifle her growing moans, she bites down on your shoulder blade as she quickens her pace, eliciting a growl from you. Looking to return the favour, your hand lets go of her rear and moves to her boob. You lean into her and your lips meet her tout nipples, dotting chaste kisses around her tits. You playfully nibble on her teat and the resulting gasp lets you know that you’re doing a good job.

Shuhua nearly screams from the building pleasure coursing through her veins. The hands that ran through your hair now pulls on them, but the pain was the least of your worries as she grinds her hips faster, chasing something. You knew she was close, your lips leave her nipples as you pepper her collarbone and neck with kisses, trying to find her sensitive spot. But before you could do so, her pace slows to a halt.

You hear her speak between heavy breaths. “Shall we swap positions? My back is getting tired.”  

You caress her face, feeling sorry that you couldn't help her reach her high. Shuhua sees your disappointed expression and cups your face, cutely pouting as she squeezes her boobs together to try and get you to cheer up. Naturally, it works, her little aegyo melting away your fears of not being good enough for her.

Shuhua slowly eases herself off of your erection, grimacing as your full length slides out of her pussy. She lays supine on the bed, the sweat on her body glinting in the pale moonlight to highlight her figure. 

You line yourself up with her, and begin your journey of ins and outs, slowly establishing Shuhua’s tolerance level by her facial expressions and her short, stifled moans. Shuhua looks even more like a rockstar with her luscious hair all frizzled up and splayed on her pillow. Even after all the partying and drinking, she’s still so composed and loving, and you’d do anything in your power to make her feel better. 

Wanting to reciprocate all the love Shuhua’s given you thus far, you slowly piston in and out of her pussy, her resulting whimpers of pleasure cute and needy. Your hips work double-time through slow gyrations and thrusts, teasing the walls of Shuhua’s vagina. 

You smother her with kisses, not one part of her left unexplored by your lips and tongue. You lick her earlobe and gently nibble on it, earning you a giggle from Shuhua. Your lips start to drag down to her neck, licking at the parts where you think she's most sensitive. She moans in approval as try to explore her body a bit more. Finally, her body jolts when your lips meet the spot in between her collarbones. Thinking you've finally hit a jackpot, you give it another teasing lick making her upper body arch she moans deeply. You've finally found the jackpot.

Wanting nothing more than to push Shuhua off the edge, you slowly tease around it. You drag your tongue across her nipple and lick around it before sucking it, letting it go before you drag your tongue towards the middle of her collarbone again just to only barely graze on it. You do it over and over, making Shuhua a whimpering, needy mess. Her arms wrap around your neck trying to pull you in more to dive into her sensitivity, but her grip falters. Weak with all the soft, loving you are giving her.

Feeling that Shuhua has had enough teasing, your lips finally dove into sensitive skin, sucking on it hard, wanting nothing more than to leave your mark, a symbol of your territory. Her body spasms out of control, your actions giving her more pleasure than before. Her nails claw at your shoulder blades and you wince in pain and pleasure as you pull your lips off her body. 

The memories come back in waves. Leaving your mark on Miyeon only to get scolded and slapped when you bit down too hard. The clawing and scratching that Miyeon loved to do whenever you were too harsh with your loving, or whenever she felt like making you subconscious of the skin you used to bear so freely. Whispers of pleasure turn into shrieks of pain, then into screams of anger.

“Why can’t you move your hips faster? It’s all you need to do to get me off. Stop being a fucking liability in bed.

Why are you so shit at fingering? It's just two curled fingers going in and out of my pussy. It’s not rocket science.

Why are you crying? It’s just some minor scratches and bites. Don’t be a fucking pussy.”

You lose yourself momentarily in thought and subconsciously pick up the pace as you thrust yourself faster and faster in and out of her pussy. Shuhua’s moans reach a rushed crescendo, but there’s something wrong. Her breathing becomes erratic and punctuated, but you’re so deeply trapped in the recurring nightmares that your attention to the girl under you phases out entirely.

“Ah~ Ah~ AH~ Cha~an Yong~! Chan Yong ah~! CHAN YONG PLEASE~!”

It isn’t until Shuhua yells that you snap back to reality.  You watch as tears stream down her face, Shuhua’s pussy quivering and her legs trembling from the experience. Shuhua winces as you slide yourself out and join her at her side, hugging her tightly.

“Ohmygosh Ohmygosh Shuhua I’m so, so sorry.” You say back, tears welling in your eyes from inflicting pain on your first time with another girl. Shuhua embraces your hug, wrapping her arms around your back. She wipes away your tears, before wiping away her own.

“Ya, Chan Yong-ah. I’m not used to your size yet. Don’t go so fast on me, ok?”

“I’m sorry, Shuhua”

“It’s ok. We all make mistakes in the heat of passion.” 

“Did you just quote Jimmy Neu-”

“Shut up and kiss me.” Shuhua interrupts, and your lips are back on hers, wet kisses punctuating a slowed rhythm. Shuhua caresses your face, the soft touch of her fingertips resting against your cheekbones offers a soothing comfort after your minor hiccup. Her hands leave behind lasting impressions as she strokes your neck like she’s petting a cat, your touch-starved self leaning in to embrace her every action

Shuhua breaks the kiss to breathe. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m alright. We can go again if you want to.” You nod and she smiles back, her hands creeping their way towards your shaft only to find it slowly softening under her touch.

"Omo, looks like you lost some health from that little scare," Shuhua says, slowly inching towards your crotch while she lovingly strokes your shaft, which was still wet from her own juices. 

"Don't worry. I can fix that," she says, teasingly licking the underside of your cock, which twitches in contact with her wet tongue. 

She giggles as she strokes your gradually returning erection, amazed at how fast her careful ministrations had you riling and ready to go. "You'll be healthy again in no time." Her hands smother and tease the rod in her hands, her head now in the game as she kisses and sucks on the tip of your penis. Her tongue laps at your slit, the taste of precum mixed with her juices a sweet, yet salty flavour that she doesn’t seem to mind.

“You’re excited to see me, huh?” Shuhua says, putting the tip of your cock in her mouth and swirling her tongue around it. Shuhua’s mouth is as tight as her pussy, and the added motion of her hands around the base of your shaft has you at full attention to the girl so tenderly sucking you off. You tuck away the stray strands of hair that fall on her face as she tries to take more and more of your massive cock.

With a wet pop, she releases your cock from her mouth with a cough, letting a strand of saliva web its way from your tip to her lips. 

“Feeling good, baby?” Shuhua says, wiping away the drool on her face. “Ready for round two?” You nod, and Shuhua crawls over you, eagerly to have your cock back in her dripping wet pussy. From how swollen it looks, Shuhua’s desperate to cum, and you’re not one to deny her pleasure twice in one night.

You pay careful attention to Shuhua this time around as you begin your reentry. She nods to signal her approval and you slowly thrust into her pussy, the tightness and accompanying warmth of her walls slowly adjusting to fit the outline of your penis. 

Shuhua’s gentle whines of pleasure give you the signal to pick up the pace, your cock venturing deeper and deeper into her pussy with every thrust. You begin to understand Shuhua’s body language, a soft whimper tells you to go faster, and a hard grunt asks you to be more gentle. You gather enough confidence to maintain a steady pace plowing in and out of her body, your hands holding Shuhua steady as she loses herself in the sea of pleasure.

You can feel something building within you, and Shuhua is the first to exclaim her arriving pleasure. Her hands can’t decide between digging into her bedsheets and pulling at loose strands of her hair as her toes curl from the force of her orgasm. Her hitched breaths fade into a moan-turned-scream, one that has Shuhua arching her back to such a degree that it looks like she’s been possessed. Bathing in the aftermath of her orgasm has you in a state of bliss as her walls clamp down hard on your cock, the way they squeeze and tighten around your shaft bringing you to your climax. 

You hurriedly attempt to slide your way out, but the loving strokes of Shuhua’s hungry pussy drive your cock insane from the stimulation. A rush of heat breaks through your iron will and shot after shot of warm baby batter coats Shuhua’s insides in a thick, milky white. What doesn’t fit inside her leaks out in the tide of slick, dripping from her sex in a loving brew of raw passion.

“Fuck! Shit! I’m so so so sorry, Shuhua. I-I-I didn’t mean to cum inside you!”

“It-It’s fine. I’m on the pill,” Shuhua says as she tries to catch her breath. “But wow. You’re pretty good in bed. Can’t say I didn’t enjoy that too.”

You shyly blush at the unexpected compliment, and you slide forward next to Shuhua. She slowly makes space for you as you cuddle up against her side, her heavy panting the only sound that cuts through the silence of the night.

Match your breath to hers, and let the warmth of her naked body offer you a respite from Miyeon’s unyielding siege. A silence falls upon the battlefield, for corpses cannot scream, and dusted ruins cannot crumble. Shuhua gently runs her fingers through your hair, softly scratching your scalp as you lull yourself to sleep to the metronome of her breathing.

“You were amazing. I can’t see why she would want to hurt you so bad,” She says, her words like a siren song, guiding you to a blissful sleep in her arms as she whispers more sweet nothings.  

Your drunken and exhausted state blur together in a palette of blacks and greys, your mind fogging up as you try to get out the last word before you succumb to fatigue.

“Thanks for tonight, Shuhua.”

The sweet release of sleep whisks you away to dreamland, and soon the room fills with snores of equal magnitude.

That night, you dream of a pirate stuck in stormy seas. You can’t hear your captain over the deafening roar of the surrounding squall, yet you can see the whirlpool that’s threatening to capsize your ship. Sprays of ocean mist repeatedly buffet the sides of your ship, and Miyeon is with you on deck, gesturing to the centre of the whirlpool. At its eye sits a lone figure perched on a jagged rock. You can’t make out who or what it is, but the long, flowing black locks echo an air of familiarity. 

=============== 

But even after such a high-octane rollercoaster of partying, kissing and sex, Shuhua lay on her bed fully awake, unable to close her eyes even for a second. Intrusive thoughts of what could have, and what could be run rampant through her mind as she gazes at the ceiling fan spinning lazily overhead.

He confessed his love to me! But he did it under duress.

He kissed me and had sex with me! But he did it while drunk.

He wants to move on from his toxic relationship! But he can’t go anywhere else when he’s at the lowest point in his life.

He put a baby in me!

Rolling dark clouds shrouded the light of the moon as thunder boomed in the distance. Shuhua’s eyes drifted to the unopened blister pack of pills jutting out from her cosmetics drawer, their silver shining like a blade hidden in the darkness.

Shuhua slowly rises from her bed, throwing on a set of clothes before heading back out to the common room, both unfinished bottles of soju in hand.

“Miyeon-ah~ Miyeon~ Don’t go.” Chan Yong mumbles, a hand reaching out to pat at the warmth where Shuhua once was. Her name strikes a painful chord that reverberates through Shuhua’s heart, the painful dissonance something that she’ll never be able to drown out no matter the volume of soju.

She stands in the doorway, one foot out the door as she looks back at Chan Yong’s sleeping figure. Tears began to well up in her eyes; she could barely afford a glance.

She knew that even in his dreams, she would always be portrayed as Miyeon number 2. Just a replacement, nothing more. A short-lived rebound for a broken heart. An opportunistic one night stand there to fill the empty gap in his life torn by his unforgiving ex.

“Am I not good enough?” She whispers to the moon, looking up at the white crescent peaking through the dark clouds. The silent arbiter returns nothing but an unwavering stare, reflected in the bottle’s viridescent green as she takes a swig. 

Tears fall like gems which catch in the moon’s pale glow as the soft pitter of rainfall accompanies her soft sobs. She picks up the phone in her hands, and the cracked home screen shows a photo of her and Miyeon happily partying the night away with their mutual friend in the middle. 

Shuhua unlocks her phone, and types a short message to the first contact she sees. She can’t bear to look at the name. 

===============

You feel dream Miyeon grab tightly onto your hand, and she pulls you along as the two of you jump overboard just as the ship gets blown to pieces by the storm. The swirling vortex claws and rips at your throat, plunging you under the waves as Miyeon is dragged away by the current. Your flailing body is swept up by an unseen force, and the last thing you recall is looking up at the sunrise from a sandy shore.

You wake to the harsh rays of sun scorching their way through the open window. The worst part about drinking is always the hangover, and this day feels like all others. Your head feels like it weighs twenty tonnes, and your feet feel like they’re made of concrete. You slowly sit upright, fumbling around on the floor to find your pants.

You fish your phone out of the pocket, and your eyes are drawn to the first notification that pops up. You can’t help but smile at how cheesy the text is.

<<From 🤬 Boss Baby 💣 >>

520, 1314 ❤️

“我爱你，一生一世。” 

“I love you till the end of time.”

You say out loud, clutching your phone to your chest as your face flushes in happiness. 

A/N : Welcome to the fic that was due on the 20th of May but WHOOOOP fecal matter hitting the fan 🥵

I hope y’all enjoyed reading this stuff haha! And shoutout to @iznsfw for helping me proofread and edit!

[free-chozo-hrt]

The Chozo's "Life Energy" (and Taking a Game Mechanic Too Literally)

Perhaps the most important part of Metroid lore left vague by the games is the way that the titular creatures drain the life from their victims. In their extensive studies of metroids, even the scientifically driven Space Pirates have been unable to determine the exact type of energy that metroids consume. It defies explanation. It seems like magic.

In a previous post I discussed how the Chozo had mastered the transmutation of energy into matter and vice versa. In addition to this, they also have some knowledge about the "life energy" that is required to sustain all living things. Or at least some of the Chozo understand this mysterious energy.

In the last few games, it has been confirmed that the metroids were the last great creation of the Chozo, artificial creatures bio-engineered to keep in check the equally dangerous X parasites. But we've also seen clear proof that the Chozo are not a monolith. The Thoha, a scholarly tribe of scientists, were responsible for imbuing metroids with the power to manipulate life energy. The Mawkin, a warrior tribe with ambitions of power, sought to control the metroids, eventually leading the sole survivor Raven Beak to take drastic measures to acquire the last remaining metroid DNA. It stands to reason that he couldn't just engineer his own metroid from scratch: the life-stealing power of the metroids must have been privileged knowledge that few could harness.

However... allow me to take a game mechanic a little too literally, and argue that the metroid's ability to steal life energy is also used in Chozo power suit technology.

I am, of course, talking about these things:

In most Metroid games, you restore health by defeating enemies. Enemies drop these little objects that can restore health or ammunition. It's just a necessary game abstraction, sure, but what if they represent something real?

In the same way that a metroid can drain life energy from its host, a Chozo power suit can absorb the life energy left behind by slain creatures. This is how it can repair itself and remain powered indefinitely while in use. The energy taken from living creatures can be converted into either energy shielding or ammunition. When the suit is struck by enemies or harmed by the environment, it uses its stored life energy to protect the user (indicated by the user's health bar).

There is more that I'd like to talk about with regards to the Chozo power suit and how it's integrated with its wearer, but I'll save that for another post.

I'm not sure I entirely believe this theory. If the Chozo are capable of so easily manipulating life energy in their common technology, what makes the metroids special? I just think this a fun explanation for a game abstraction, I noticed the parallel to metroids, and I wanted to put it out there.

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

Parenthood + ACOK, JON VI

While I was re reading this chapter I noticed that there are a lot of mentions of mothers, fathers, parents and parentage. So, I decided to make a post and analyse those passages and what they tell us about Jon and his own questionable parentage (questionable within the story, I always treat R+L=J as canon).

The wind cut like a knife up here, and shrilled in the night like a mother mourning her slain children.

That's a very devastating imagery. When I read about a mourning mother in asoiaf my mind always return to Catelyn (the first mourning mother we encounter in the text). On the previous chapter, Theon decided to burn the miller boys and present them as the youngest Starks. Which means that sometime soon after, Catelyn Stark will mourn her - as far as she knows- slain children.

"The mountain is your mother" Stonesnake had told him during an easier climb a few days ago. "Cling to her, press your face up against her teats, and she won't drop you". Jon had made a joke of it, saying how he'd always wondered who his mother was, but never thought he would find her in the Frostfangs.

Jon used to be so sensitive on the topic of his mother. AGOT Jon would never make a joke on this subject. He has come a long way, to be able to casually joke about it.

"Were they your kin?" he asked her quietly. "The two we killed?"

"No more than you are".

"Me?" he frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You said you were the Bastard O Winterfell".

"I am".

"Who was your mother?"

"Some woman. Most of them are". Someone had said that to him once. He didn't remember who.

It was Tyrion the person who told him so, on Jon's very first chapter. He also told him to wear like an armor who he is ( aka a bastard) so the world can't harm him. At first, Jon couldn't always follow his friend's advice but after his personal growth and development we see him finally following that advice on ACOK.

The most important information we get on this chapter is the retelling of Bael the Bard. That man was once King-Beyond-The-Wall and he travelled to Winterfell where he pretended to be a bard. After performing for the Lord of Winterfell, the Lord asked him what he wanted as a reward. The bard asked for the rarest flower and next day the Lord's daughter was gone and in her place was left a single blue flower.

This story has several parallels within the asoiaf universe and all are linked to Jon (after all, we learn this tale on his own pov). The most obvious one is that of Jon's parents: Rhaegar Targaryen "stole" Lyanna Stark. And the blue flower they left behind is Jon himself. It's not the only time Jon will be linked to a blue flower as he's probably the blue flower on the Wall on Daenerys' vision in the House of The Undying.

However, Bael the Bard is also very similar to Mance Rayder. Both are Kings -beyond-The-Wall and both went in an undercover mission to Winterfell. Mance was acting under Jon Snow's orders. However, he didn't stole the Lord's daughter but Lord Ramsay's wife and captive instead (Jeyne Poole and Theon Greyjoy).

Finally, the chapter closes with Jon hesitating to kill Ygritte and eventually deciding not to do it. Before he makes up his mind, he tries to draw strength from being Ned Stark's son. The way the author decided to word it, says a lot:

He was his father's son. Wasn't he? Wasn't he?

[spicymiilk]

OK so for Mythology. The way I'm thinking of this is that they are Proto-Indo-European gods whose roles overlap with Greek mythological counterparts, but I'm also mixing in some Roman, Norse, and Celtic deities. So it's not so much "Mo'at is Gaia" as "Mo'at is a mythological figure LIKE Gaia." The Omaticaya would be forest and earth deities. Mo'at would be the Earth Mother, like the Earth Primordial Gaia. Eytukan would therefore be her opposite, the Sky Ouranos that was made by Gaia. Their daughter, Neytiri, would be the Dawn Goddess, like Eos, most fair of all their children and born of the union of light between Sky and Earth. Sylwanin was the goddess of wild forests before she was killed (we'll get to who in a minute). Tsu'tey, then, is a War God, but in the sense of society and defense, like Athena or Mars.

In this AU I'm operating under 'the recoms and humans all exist at the same time.' Grace Augustine was a human who has received so much love and devotion that she had an apotheosis and became a goddess (like Psykhe or Dionysos), but her nature as Former Human means she is not on the same level of divinity as the other gods and can be killed. As the goddess of knowledge, and seeing how vulnerable knowledge has become in this world consumed by human greed, she created the "Avatars" or humans she elevates to divine status to help her protect knowledge and gain more. This makes the 'Avatars' gods like her, but also gods without patronage that act solely as enforcers of her will, like Valkyries.

Quaritch and the Recoms are deities that rebelled from Grace's control. They used her divine gifts to co-opt a new source of divinity, Unobtanium, so they can exist with divine power but without her ability to take that gift away. They resented the control Grace had and the limits that the Omaticaya enforced, and seek to become gods in their own right.

Jake is a Trickster God, a mix of Loki and Prometheus. Originally, Tommy was going to be one of Grace's deities, but upon his death the divinity settled onto Jake by accident. His divinity, and existence outside of Grace's will, made him a curiosity to the Gods of the (Home)Tree of Life, and they invited him to reside there to learn both about him and the way of true divinity. He initially was secretly working with Quaritch, seduced by Quaritch's promise of freedom, but his love of the goddess Neytiri and his realization of how the Recoms were destroying the balance of the world convinced him to truly join the Omaticaya. Still, when the Recoms attacked the Tree of Life (think the battle between the Olympians and the Titans) Grace and the Omaticaya were so disgusted by his treachery that they severed his connection to the divine. However, Jake uses his wits to trick the Great Leonopteryx into giving him a portion of its power, making him a true god on the level of Neytiri and the other Omaticaya.

The final battle happens, and most of the Recoms are slain, and Quaritch almost severs Jake's connection to the Divinity of the Leonopteryx, but Neytiri saves him and Quaritch flees into the world. It is only after this that Jake is granted true divinity by Eywa and becomes the patron god of tricksters.

I'll get to ATWOW in a bit. People are calling me

Tonowari and Ronal would be ancient water primordials, who lived before gods or titans, like Oceanus and Tethys.

I love and I love your brain, wow. Mo’at and Eytukan as the earth and sky is SO good, Grace as an ascended human who’s created the Avatars is unbelievable— the story and the way you’ve connected all the canon events into comprehensive parallels to GODS??? I’m in awe

You need to expand on this, I would eat up every single word. Literally still speechless at Grace and the avatars that’s so good, I love it so much and Jake’s trickery and wit being the reason that he’s both severed from divinity and gifted godhood DAMN DUDE

You are wonderful and I am patiently waiting for more

[horizon-verizon]

What do you think about the deaths of Laenor, Harwin and Lyonel? I myself am convinced, thanks to Preston Jacobs, that Laenor was simply killed in a skirmish with people to whom Qarl owed money. On the other hand, I do not necessarily agree with about Harwin and Lyonel - Preston claims it was most likely an accident, which is possible, but I am more inclined towards Daemon setting the fire out of jealousy (maybe to prevent Rhaenyra from getting back together with him, now that her husband is dead?). I am mostly thinking of parallels between this scenario and Blood&Cheese incident, where Daemon is motivated by emotional reasons to order a hit on someone, which results in unintended collateral damage (in the case of Harwin's murder Lyonel).

@minetteskvareninova

I still have yet to watch a vid from Preston Jacobs.

This is the account of Harwin and Lyonel's deaths plus the speculations of people in-world about them:

The cause of the fire was never determined. Some put it down to simple mischance, whilst others muttered that Black Harren’s seat was cursed and brought only doom to any man who held it. Many suspected the blaze was set intentionally. Mushroom suggests that the Sea Snake was behind it, as an act of vengeance against the man who had cuckolded his son. Septon Eustace, more plausibly, suspects Prince Daemon, removing a rival for Princess Rhaenyra’s affections. Others have put forth the notion that Larys Clubfoot might have been responsible; with his father and elder brother dead, Larys Strong became the Lord of Harrenhal. The most disturbing possibility was advanced by none other than Grand Maester Mellos, who muses that the king himself might have given the command. If Viserys had come to accept that the rumors about the parentage of Rhaenyra’s children were true, he might well have wished to remove the man who had dishonored his daughter, lest he somehow reveal the bastardy of her sons. Were that so, Lyonel Strong’s death was an unfortunate accident, for his lordship’s decision to see his son back to Harrenhal had been unforeseen. ("A Question of Succession")

And this is the quote for Laenor's death:

The Lord of the Tides and his lady were still in mourning for their beloved daughter when the Stranger came again, to carry off their son. Ser Laenor Velaryon, husband to the Princess Rhaenyra and the putative father of her children, was slain whilst attending a fair in Spicetown, stabbed to death by his friend and companion Ser Qarl Correy. The two men had been quarreling loudly before blades were drawn, merchants at the fair told Lord Velaryon when he came to collect his son’s body. Correy had fled by then, wounding several men who tried to hinder him. Some claimed a ship had been waiting for him offshore. He was never seen again.

The circumstances of the murder remain a mystery to this day. Grand Maester Mellos writes only that Ser Laenor was killed by one of his own household knights after a quarrel. Septon Eustace provides us with the killer’s name and declares jealousy the motive for the slaying; Laenor Velaryon had grown weary of Ser Qarl’s companionship and had grown enamored of a new favorite, a handsome young squire of six-and-ten. Mushroom, as always, favors the most sinister theory, suggesting that Prince Daemon paid Qarl Correy to dispose of Princess Rhaenyra’s husband, arranged for a ship to carry him away, then cut his throat and fed him to the sea. A household knight of relatively low birth, Correy was known to have a lord’s tastes and a peasant’s purse, and was given to extravagant wagering besides, which lends a certain credence to the fool’s version of events. Yet there was no shred of proof, then or now, though the Sea Snake offered a reward of ten thousand golden dragons for any man who could lead him to Ser Qarl Correy, or deliver the killer to a father’s vengeance. ("A Question of Succession")

I don't think Harwin and Lyonel's deaths were accidents. Felt too convenient.

List of Suspects for the Strongs' Deaths and My Conclusion

Corlys:

gains nothing guaranteed by killing Harwin and Lyonel--maybe the Hand position for either himself or Rhaenys but Laenor died BEFORE Harwin & Lyonel. Wasn't him.

knew Laenor was gay, and he was very willing to just let Rhaenyra’s sons live as Laenor’s trueborn sons for his own ends. He cared for and loved Jacaerys

Viserys:

was not very violent (unless publicly pushed to affirm his authority, like with Vaemon's relatives after Vaemond's death).

was not a very proactive person in comparison to people like Daemon or Rhaenyra or Alicent or Larys

was not a person given towards underhanded schemes, preferring open partying, feats, and as little conflict as possible except when Vaemond’s relatives mention bastardry again after he already ruled it forbidden, preferring to be open and aboveboard as much as conventionally possible.

very much loved his grandchildren and never resented their presence or the fact that they weren't Laenor's.

could have killed Harwin much earlier before even Rhaenyra birthed her second son if he actually cared so much about Harwin "ruining" his daughter. If for anything for his father, Lyonel’s, continued service. Viserys, even though later reinstating him, didn’t want Otto to have an easier time coming back after already dismissing him for questioning Rhaenyra.

knew what he was getting Rhaenyra into by marrying her to Laenor, a gay man, for the sake of political "peace" with Corlys. You can read why Viserys accepted Rhaenyra's kids HERE. Wasn't him.

Daemon:

had far more to gain and was more willing to kill Harwin and Lyonel since I very much believe he was in love w/Rhaenyra AND wanted to be a direct ancestor of any and all Targ rulers after her. Or responsible for their training, make a name for himself in history.

HOWEVER -- Viserys would have never allowed Rhaenyra to marry Harwin Strong after Laenor's death so he could protect the secrets of the V boys' parentage. Viserys put the Strongs out of court, so Daemon had no reason to see Harwin as a legitimate rival for her hand in marriage. As for romance alone, still, Harwin was exiled from the court and no longer a rival.

If Daemon wanted to kill Harwin, again, he would have done it much earlier -- if he loved & desired Rhaneyra -- at least sometime after Lucerys' birth.

Larys:

was allied with the greens nearly from the jump, knew that Viserys would go for familiarity above all and avoid Rhaenyra and Daemon as candidates for the Hand position, thus opening the Hand position for Otto

killing Harwin/Lyonel opens up the seat of Harrenhal for himself AND allows a strategic location for the war definitely coming (even without Lucerys' or Jaehaerys' deaths) -- which is why Daemon himself even went there later

during the Dance, proved nearly invaluable to the greens while being the very sneaky, calculating/shadowy, deceptive manipulator willing to betray anyone for his own goals and was the person in the shadows spreading those rumors about Rhaenyra -- even his own family

Both Rhaenys and Corlys, again, lived close to Daemon when he was with Laena and moved her and their twins to Driftmark for 3 years. They would have witnessed his habits, etc. It's possible that they were too grief-stricken to actually be able to discern his involvement or lack of involvement, but to be so unobservant after the worst of the grief (from shock) went...eh, unlikely.

Harwin and Lyonel's deaths benefit Larys and the greens most of all. Larys is the best suspect, and I personally think he killed Harwin and Lyonel. Ironically, I agree with HotD on how those deaths turned out.

List of Suspects for the Laenor's Death and My Conclusion

Laenor's death is a dicier thing.

Debt Collectors:

accidentally -- in them trying to get Qarl OR to get Laenor to pay for his debts OR in the streetfight

Qarl:

Qarl had no characterizations or described traits in the account I could point out other than:

being gay/queer

had "low" birth

being Laenor's second-known lover

was a gambler with huge & many debts

Qarl argued with Laenor, and I personally think it had something to do with his debts. Perhaps Laenor refused to pay them off and Qarl got angry, feeling jilted and rejected. It's a possibility, but I don't think that this is 100% exclusionary from Qarl also under someone's else pay OR promise of escape.

Daemon:

like Harwin, removing Laenor opens up the path to Rhaenyra's hand, whether or not he loved her or not (personally, I believe he did love her)

and he marries Rhaenyra mere months after Laenor's death

Qarl Correy managed to evade capture despite Corlys putting out alerts and Driftmark being smaller than other regions -- not many places to hide ... unless you know your way around or have capable people hiding and guiding you to safety

Qarl had debts to pay and wasn't rich despite being Laenor's lover

HOWEVER -- also lived with Laena and their daughters in Driftmark with the Velaryons for 3 years or so BEFORE Laenor died. He still seems to live close to or with them, after Laena dies, so Corlys would have had a better sense of whether or not Daemon killed his son and take some action against him BUT he never does. It would have been beyond stupid for Daemon to try to kill Laenor being so close and knowing that people will suspect him. Corlys sent out rewards for Qarl’s capture, with no indication of suspecting Daemon.

he and Rhaenyra married 4-5 months after Laenor and Laena die and even that time was too little for everyone else. In this context, the idea that Daemon killed Laenor to get to Rhaenyra is less likely. Because if he didn’t care about the “appropriate” time to wait to marry his target, why would he wait 4-5 months after killing Laenor?

has a cousin, called Princess Rhaenys, mother to Laenor. There’s no indication that she ever actually liked Daemon, yet we hear nothing of her suspecting Daemon. With her personality, if she ever suspected Daemon, she'd never let him go.

still needs the Velaryons for Rhaenyra's claim. Even if he only wanted Rhaenyra for power, the risk of the Velaryons finding out he killed their son would remove Velaryons' support for Rhaenyra-Daemon and any of their kids or at least significantly reduce it and open up the path to retribution. Simply not worth it.

Septon Eustace (who disliked Daemon and wasn't given towards elaborate or detailed descriptions unless he detested a person [Rhaenyra and her cut from the throne]) maintains that Qarl was responsible for Laenor's death

Daemon is the only person ever suspected of having Laenor killed apart from those who were after Qarl for his debts (by Mushroom, who though given to embellishment, also was still close to nobles to hear their whispers and understand quiet implications BUT he also wasn't there and there is the stuff I already speculated). But I can't put all my faith in the possibility of him being responsible for Laenor's death with the information we do have AND those I've speculated above. I'm given to thinking that Laenor was just killed by Qarl in a passionate confrontation.

[qqueenofhades]

42 Minutes of Pain and Suffering Brought to You By Disney+ and Deborah Chow!

SORRY, BUT I AM STILL DEEPLY, DEEPLY SHOOK, AND THEREFORE THERE IS ABOUT TO BE A LOT OF CAPSLOCK BULLET POINTS AND SEMI-COHERENT SCREAMING UP IN THIS JOINT, THOU HAST BEEN WARNT

THEY CASUALLY START OFF THE EPISODE with Hayden-as-Anakin like. CHOOSING VIOLENCE DIRECTLY OUT OF THE GATE. I knew this was coming because I had seen gifs, but a) not immediately to start the episode, and b) IT’S NOT JUST ONE SCENE

OH NO

IT IS AN EPISODE LONG SUSTAINED FLASHBACK THAT BOTH VADER AND OBI-WAN ARE HAVING THE WHOLE TIME BECAUSE THIS SHOW IS SOMETHING OUT OF MY TEENAGE FEVER DREAMS I GUESS

Hayden, bless his heart, doesn’t look like he’s in his 20s anymore, but he has aged like a fine wine so can I complain? No

Really making use of that A+ Ewan and Hayden lightsaber duel practice, that is still some impressive shit (also the Revenge of the Sith parallels killllllll meeeeeeeeeeeee)

I’ve screamed about it at least twice but “all he’ll see is me” like ARE YOU KIDDING ME

(also Ewan what even was that voice you said it in, what are your acting choices, what are you doing)

They’re so SICKENINGLY ENTANGLED IN EACH OTHER and it’s agonizingly terrible and painful and they can’t get out and they just end up getting MORE tangled! THIS IS SOME SICK AND TWISTED DARK-MIRROR LOVE-TURNED-TO-HATE BRONTE SISTERS-ESQUE SHIT MY BROTHERS IN CHRIST! AND I EAT IT UP! I EAT IT UP!!!

TALA, NO

I KNEW SHE WAS DOOMED BECAUSE OBI-WAN’S TRAUMA CONGA LINE JUST KEEPS GETTING LONGER BUT OH MY HEART

LEIA!!!! TAKING CHARGE LIKE A BABY BAMF, AS ONE DOES

“get me a ladder” and “stop talking” liKE

also Obi-Wan rushing to hug her has once again SLAIN me

OKAY BUT LET’S TALK ABOUT SITH

REVA THIS EPISODE, OH MY SWEET BABY JESUS

Moses Ingram absolutely KILLED IT during that door scene with Obi-Wan, which I have been asking for this whole time

Please let this near death experience make her decide to fuck over Vader even harder and she comes swooping in on Tatooine to absolutely explode his sand-hating old man machine ass and wreck his shit

THE CINEMATIC PARALLELS OF A BLUE-ON-BLUE LIGHTSABER DUEL IN THE FLASHBACK AND A RED-ON-RED DUEL IN THE PRESENT

I live for the moments when they remind us how TERRIFYINGLY POWERFUL Vader is like, GODDAMN

First the whole ripping-the-starfighter out of the sky and then just.... toying with Reva

We saw her fuck up some major shit during the last episode when Obi-Wan and Leia were escaping from the Inquisitor stronghold, we KNOW she’s powerful, and she can’t even lay a FINGER on Vader

I DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT ENDING WITH LUKE ASLEEP ON TATOOINE MEANS BUT IT CAN’T BE ANYTHING GOOD

OH GOD I AM TERRIFIED

IS VADER GONNA MEET BOTH THE TWINS AND HAVE NO IDEA WHO THEY ARE

ARE LITTLE LUKE AND LEIA GOING TO SEE EACH OTHER (EVEN IF FROM A DISTANCE)

/HYPERVENTILATES MADLY

/ROLLS AROUND ON FLOOR

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Thursday, December 14

Spike: So, you ever think about *not* celebrating a birthday? Just to try it, I mean.

~~Older and Far Away~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Stocking Stuffers (Crossover with Minions, G) by spikesgirl58

Stake In The Heart (Buffy/Spike, G) by FairlandFae

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Like Old Times (Buffy/Spike/Angel, NC-17) by MillennialCryBaby

Spice (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

Art Therapy (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by scratchmeout

Everything (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by honeygirl51885

The Mistletoe is Hangin' Above and Everybody's Lookin' for Love (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by honeygirl51885

The Merry Month of Magnus Presents...Tis The Damn Season (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by TheSunnySlayer

The Wingman (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Dusty

[Chaptered Fiction]

Amara Time, Chapter 11 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Joan963z

2 Spikes 1 Buffy, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Spikelover4ever

Destiny or Choices Made?, Chapter 34 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by charmed4lifekaren

Cherry on Top, Chapter 15 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by Maxineeden

To All We Guard, Chapter 13 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by simmony

Rise, Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, NC-17) by CheekyKitten

Harry's Next Great Adventure in Sunnydale, Chapter 13 (Crossover with Harry Potter, FR21) by Khatix

Cross Purposes 4, Chapter 45 (Multiple crossings, FR13) by DianeCastle

Side Effects, Chapter 2 (Buffy/Spike, AO) by hulettwyo

A Very Summers Winter, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by VeroNyxK84

A odd Couple of grumpy old Brits, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, G) by Julikobold

Spuffy's Little Helper, Chapter 14 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13) by Alyot

Poems in A Minor, Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, R) by all-choseny

[Images, Audio & Video]

Artwork:Angel & Spike vampire portraits - Oil on linen by murkycrush

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Video:Dusk Rising by isevery0nehereverystoned

Gifset: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | 4x22 "Restless" by mycatismyfriend

Gifset:"With the bed in the distance. Giles' feet are on the top step. They don't move. Neither does Jenny Calendar." by mycatismyfriend

Gifset:BUFFY SUMMERS IN BEWITCHED, BOTHERED, AND BEWILDERED by detectivedawnsummers

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Video: Buffy, The Vampire Slayer - Ooh La La La by Boo Harder

[Reviews & Recaps]

Everyone is real except you 😬 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x13 "Blood Ties" | Normies Group Reaction! by The Normies

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 7X01 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 7X02 REACTION | First Time Watching by EvilQK

HE'S BACK!!!! - Angel Reaction - 5x8 - Destiny by TheLexiCrowd

Tough Love: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x19 Reaction by Dakara

Spiral: Buffy the Vampire Slayer 5x20 Reaction by Dakara

The BTVS Twisted Guide S02E03: School Hard by Twisted View

Podcast: Girl Rights & Girl Wrongs - Angel S05E09 - Harm’s Way by Pop Culture Role Call

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New Year...new changes to the community by Comment Fic

[Fandom Discussions]

reasons btvs could have used for Spike getting is soul back if Seeing Red never existed by aphony-cree

[Faith loves Buffy] by juanabaloo

BTVS doesn't get enough credit for ending the "secret identity" plotlines at the right spot by runawaymarbles

Classifying Vampires by NotASlayer

Who has better hair? by multiple authors

Does Anyone Else Hate the Slayer Line Origin Story? [Cont.] by multiple authors

Cordelia and Glory Parallels by multiple authors

"How many hostiles would you say you've slain?" by multiple authors

Am I the only one who wanted Buffy to be with Xander? by multiple authors

These two by multiple authors

Did Buffy get too human for fans to appreciate? by multiple authors

Excited first time watcher by multiple authors

The series finale "Chosen" doesn't feel as epic as it should and it ends too abruptly by multiple authors

What do you think Faith’s presents were for Buffy and Joyce? Also, in the “Dawn always existed” universe, what did she get Dawn? by multiple authors

I just noticed this foreshadowing… by multiple authors

First time viewer update by multiple authors

Bronze scene in Dead Things by multiple authors

Buffy should've kicked everyone out of her house in "Empty Places" by multiple authors

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Willow = Spoiled by multiple authors

Character beat your sad ended? by multiple authors

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