#i do wish i could have answered some of those in box messages

[taurussbabe]

hey !! its my birthday today and i was wondering if you could possibly write a joao fluff where him + reader just celebrate the reader’s birthday ?! i love your work 💗

a/n: happy belated birthday! i know it's superrr late but i hope you like it anon!❤️ wc: 1.3k

Today was your birthday, you were happy, sure, but honestly, you wished someone else was here. João had a game away so that meant you woke up to an empty bed, you turned around, seeing the sun illuminate the bedsheets and half of your bedroom.

You reached for your phone, seeing a couple of messages from your mom, your dad and some other family members, but your attention diverted from all of those when you saw a text from your favorite boy in the world.

“happy birthday!!!” read one, followed by few others: “and good morning”, “have the best day”, “sorry I can’t be there”, “love you to much bebé”

You smiled to yourself as you read them all, quickly typing a thank you message , alongside with one where you said you wished he was here too.

You got up, showered and got ready, you didn’t have work today because you had called in for a day off, it was your birthday, and you deserved a little bit of time for yourself before you had your party with your friends that night.

The doorbell sound brought you back to reality, stepping outside, only to find a huge flower bouquet and a box. You picked both the items up as you read the little cart attached to it “happy birthday, linda. Sorry I can’t be there, call me before opening the gift :)”

You placed the flower on the counter and smiled to yourself as you tapped on the little facetime icon, setting the phone up while you filled the vase.

“hi angel” his voiced echoed in the house, making you look at the screen “how’s my favorite birthday girl?”

“you didn’t have to, in fact, you shouldn’t have, they must have been so expensive”

“oh c’mon, you really think I wasn’t going to do anything, you know I wish I could have been there, but I love you so much”

“I know” you let a beat of silence run between the two of you as you admired his face before speaking again “and I love you too”

“I have to go soon so can you open the box?” he asked softly

“oh yeah sure, how are you feeling about the game?” you spoke while unwrapping the little box.

“good. Confident. A little nervous, but confident” he said “oh and just so you know, that’s not your real gift, that you get tomorrow, this is just a little something”

Tears filled your eyes as you opened the box only to reveal so many envelopes in there, each one of them had a little description saying ‘open when feeling sad, angry, anxious, insecure, happy, excited….’, inside the box were also your favorite chocolates, bath bombs and face masks.

You didn’t know what you had done to deserve this boy, but it must have certainly been something incredible because never in your life you thought you would be so lucky as to have someone like him.

“oh god, are you crying? please don’t cry, I didn’t think the gift was that bad” his voice echoed again, by now, tears were streaming down your face

“shut up, this is so perfect, I love you so so so much, thank you for being you”

After your reassurance, you could teel that he took a breath of relief, but you didn’t get to talk much more, because soon enough he was called.

-

It was now the afternoon and you were getting ready for your birthday party, your friends had arranged everything for a dinner at a restaurant they knew you loved, you had just finished watching barça and you were so happy because they had a good game, you loved seeing joão so happy in this team, even when they were losing he seemed genuinely happy to be there, but it was, of course, better when they won.

-

You laughed as you took pictures alongside your friends, no one else in sight since you were in the most private part of the restaurant, obviously you were very happy to be there but also a bit worried because joão hadn’t answered ever since before the game, you had congratulated him after, praising his performance but he hadn’t even seen it.

You couldn’t think more about that, though, because your friends dragged you, claiming they had a huge surprise waiting for you.

“okay, you have to keep your eyes closed, promise?” one of your friends said

“yes, I get it”

You stretched your arms in front of you as to try to find out what your surprise was, you smelled a cologne that seemed familiar to you, but didn’t think much of it, until you felt a pair of hands grabbing yours, and those you immediately recognized.

“João?”

“damn, I thought you would take longer” he hugged you tight, pressing a kiss to your cheek as all your friends applauded.

“oh my god, what are you doing here? I though you were away” you smiled at him when he let go a bit, still not completely letting go of you.

“I had to be here for your birthday” he kissed your forehead, smiling through the kiss

“thank you” you smiled up at him, your eyes full of tears, your hand clasped together with his

The rest of the dinner was spent laughing and taking and awful lot of pictures, until the time to sing happy birthday came. You sat on João’s lap, his hand immediately wrapping around your waist, is thumb rubbing against the material of your dress.

“happy birthday,  bebé, I love you” you heard as soon as you blew the candles, thank you for being born”

You were gonna turn around to thank him when you felt him reach for cake’s icing and place it on your cheek, you audibly gasped when you felt the cold it your skin and soon heard everyone’s laughter.

-

You said your goodbyes to last person to leave as you left the restaurant, holding hands with João, turning around to meet his smiling face.

“did you have fun today?”

“I did, it was the best day, thank you for being part of it” you got on your tiptoes to kiss him “I love you”

“you’re welcome, you deserve it, you deserve everything” his hand came in contact with your cheek, gently caressing it, instantly making your jaw relax. “wanna go home?”

“yes, please” he pulled at your hand, leading the way to his car.

You felt his hands at your waist pulling you to stay on the opposite side of the road and smiled to yourself when you realized.

“Amo-te” (I love you) he whispered, hugging you from behind as you reached the car “muito” (a lot)

“I love you too” he opened your door, letting you in before getting in himself

During the ride home you were blessed with João’s singing voice, his hand on your thigh and yours on his hair, playing with it.

-

“dance with me” you whispered, your chin resting on his shoulder

“what?”

“dance with me, please, it’s my birthday” you looked at him through the mirror, your arms wrapping around his torso.

“of course” he turned around, his hands finding its way to your waist and your arms around his neck

You both started to sway dancing in the middle of the bathroom, he leaned in for a kiss, soft but passionate, and a million little pecks after, making you giggle.

He did a little dip in the end, causing you to laugh.

“thank you, for today” “well, thank YOU for existing” he lifted you up, your legs wrapping around him “close your eyes for you gift”

And you did, and soon felt him peck your lips multiple times “that’s one for each year you lived”  he kept giving you soft, little kisses

“and what are those for?”

“for all the years I’m gonna be spending with you”

[cyncerity]

HAPPY 3 YEARS TO THIS BLOG!! 🎉💕🫶

i’m so happy i’ve been a part of this little community for as long as i have. everyone is super nice and inspiring and unbelievably talented, and im so glad to be posting content with people like y’all.

it’s absurd to think i’ve been doing this for 3 years and that i almost have 800 people here seeing it, but the love and support i’ve received over these years has been incredible. given that this is such a small community and i’ve either spoken with most of you or have at the very least interacted with your content, i feel confident in saying that every single person here is incredible in their own right and truly are the reason i stay here. you guys are genuinely the best, even if i forget to answer your asks or sometimes leave you on read for a while (i do that with everyone i’m so sorry) i mean it when i say that i do consider a good portion of you my friends. even if it’s been a while since we messaged or talked, you’re all awesome. and if i don’t know you personally, please feel free to message me! i love making friends, especially in a community like this that has time and time again proven to have some of the genuinely nicest people on the internet <3

i love writing and drawing and i’m not leaving here for a long while yet. the asks i’ve received saying that i inspired people to write, draw, or post are some of the nicest things i’ve ever received, and i truly mean it from the bottom of my heart when i say that those have changed my life. the self confidence and love for my craft that i’ve gained from being here is immeasurable, and that’s thanks to all of you, whether you’ve been here for years or are new to this blog.

given that this is an anniversary thing, i wanna thank @bittydragon, @baka-monarch, @wendy130, @darkeninganon, and @awesome-slime-lover for introducing me to this community. i was stalking their blogs on google far before i had an account here, and i only made an account so i could send them fanart, so you have them to thank for dragging me here lmao

i also wanna tag @plant-gt-thought-box, @kayla-crazy-stuffs, @blurrybunnie, @apersonstories, @funtimemoth, @mysticalblue09, @corysmiles, @pixy-stix-art, + some others who are not on tumblr anymore for being friends with me and actually being some of the kindest and funniest motherfuckers. Ik i haven’t spoken to some of you in forever, and i hope this isn’t coming off as parasocial, but you guys are awesome and i wish you nothing but the best (and if you wanna message more or get on vc again some time please lmk cause i am a social wuss)

and if i’m gonna list people i might as well tag the people who even if i don’t know as well, are all super talented and leave me marveling at everything they post on here (whether or not you post mcyt g/t anymore, you’re all still incredible creators who make me want to improve my own work): @eyes-eye-eyes (my /p wife <3), @wren-writes68, @jkknight98, @arc852, @brick-a-doodle-do, @oh-i-need-a-name, @quotemenevervore, @melissa-s23, @i-am-beckyu, @random-tinies, @archaxwii, @itty-bitty-rainbow, @goosedawn, @beansthough, @make-a-memory, @aslitheryprinx, @avengerofsquids, @thatoneteadrinker666, @shushiyuii, @x-pair-o-dice-x, @jammanthejam, @trouble-off-grid, @lunar-but-little, @frickfrackiwastakingabath, @chequered-career, @bio-nerds-corner, @dingbatnix, @cottoncandythetrashpanda, @sprite-addicted-artist, @colossal-red, @sheena-yuet, @quackxolotl, @local-squishmallow, @nobodywritingao3, @deity-of-keys, @astraymetronome, @a-xyz-s, and tumblr has now told me that i’ve hit the max of 50 mentions so i will have to reblog this with the rest of you (crazy to think that there’s that many of y’all but i really do want to shout out everyone) (also if you’re one of these blogs that doesn’t post mcyt anymore and don’t want yourself associated with it, just lmk and i will remove your tag from my list, just know that your previous work in this community was admired and appreciated <3)

also can’t forget the anons and the followers that aren’t outwardly a part of this community (don’t have g/t blogs, don’t have mcyt blogs, or just don’t post in general). i’m lucky enough that i’ve never received hate from an anon before, everything you guys have ever sent is so nice and you also have great ideas! I am so sorry if it takes me forever to share those ideas publicly, but know that each of you are appreciated. and for my followers, i truly wouldn’t be anywhere without you guys, so thank you for supporting me <3

anyway, i might be getting over sentimental about all this, but 3 years is a long time, and over that time i’ve grown very attached to this little group of creators and i just wanted to let you know how loved and appreciated you are

💕💖🫶💕✨

[perpetualproductions]

Im not sure if you already wrote this but can we get Jordan taking care of marie

(Am a big fan of your work)

Omg, yes. Say less. I haven't done this yet, so I will gladly write this, lol. (Thanks!!)

--

As You Wish

- Jordan Li takes care of Marie Moreau.

- Marie's not used to that

2k words (;-;)

If there's one thing Marie Moreau hates, it's being sick. The coughing, the body aches, the constantly stuffy/runny nose, all of it. The most annoying part of it all was how much of an inconvenience being sick was. Marie didn't have time to be sick. She had things to do, classes to pass, a superhero to become, and you can't do all of that if you're sick. So to say she was a bit annoyed to wake up feeling like utter death, would be an understatement.

Marie has always been stubbornly independent. Even when she was a kid, she always insisted she could take care of herself, (though she'd always fold when her mother made her favorite soup and cuddled up with her to watch some of her favorite movies). Sure, now she was sort of forced into it, but at this point it was second nature for her. She didn't need help, she could take care of herself just fine and a measly flu wasn't gonna change that. Marie tried to convince Emma (and herself) that she was fine enough to sit in a classroom, but her body betrayed her pretty quickly when she could barely pull herself out of bed. Emma promised to bring her some soup at the end of the day, then bolted out to avoid contamination. Apparently Emma was a bit of a germaphobe. Though Marie couldn't blame her after she'd already gone through a whole box of tissues just that morning.

-

At first Jordan didn't really think much of Marie's absence. Though they definitely noticed it. They were both in a weird, unclear, place in their relationship. Jordan wasn't even sure if they could refer to it as a relationship. Just a few months ago they couldn't stand her presence, then, she somehow wormed her way into their friend group with her big brown eyes and radiant smile. That's when they realized they had a stupid crush on the freshman, and Jordan being Jordan dealt with that by constantly arguing and pushing her buttons, which Marie retaliated with just as much force. Then they kissed her... And then they were kissing some more; in her dorm, in the library, in their dorm. The making out quickly evolved to sex in all those aforementioned places (and more). How that even began, Jordan was still confused about. One moment they're bickering about some pointless things that Jordan can even remember anymore, then they're pushing her up against the wall and taking each other's clothes off. That became sort of a regular thing, along with study sessions either before or after. Marie quickly cleared up Jordan's hold ups, telling them that she doesn't care what form they're in when they are with her (a massive relief to Jordan), but that was basically the extent of it. Not much further than being more than fine with each other's presence, study dates and sex. And after a month or two of that, Jordan became terrifyingly aware that there was so much more that they wanted out of this. The more time they spent with her, the more they really got to know her, they were beginning to realize their real feelings for Marie Moreau weren't purely sexual attraction... They were in love. But, too terrified to break the status quo, they decided to keep that hidden for now.

So by the time classes wrapped up and Marie failed to show to their scheduled study session in the library, they finally folded, shifting to their female form and near sprinting over to her dorm. Jordan had left a few messages already and Marie never answered any texts so they didn't feel bad banging on her dorm door, now half convinced she's either kidnapped or finally ghosting them (they never thought they'd wish so hard for the former option).

"Moreau! You in there?" Jordan shouted, continuing to knock after not getting an answer. Just as they were about to give up and look somewhere else, they heard some shuffling on the other side of the door. It takes a minute for Marie to shuffle her way to the door, slowly pulling it open and looking down at Jordan.

"Wow. You look like shit." Jordan states bluntly, looking Marie up and down in her sickly and disheveled state. She's wearing an oversized grey hoodie and black sweats. She looks miserable, face pale, and a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"Gee, thanks." Her voice was sore as she spoke. The look she's giving Jordan quickly made them aware that she wasn't in the mood for comments. She leaned on the door for support, too exhausted to stand. "what do you want?"

"uh-" Jordan wasn't really sure what they wanted. They were going to tell her off or at least ask why she blew them off today, but the answer to that was clear. And seeing her like this, all sick and miserable, it did things to their heart that they didn't understand. A protective feeling falling over them.

Without saying much else, they let themselves in, throwing their bag aside and reaching out to steady Marie as they close the door. "What the hell are y-"

"Just get in bed, Marie." Jordan interrupts, trying to lead her to the bed, but Marie pulls herself out of their hold, just to walk over herself and get in bed herself.

"what are you doing?" She asks, sitting up in her bed, looking at Jordan confused.

Jordan took off their iconic bomber jacket, leaving them in a black tank top, as they looked around the room. They noted the multitude of used tissues and discarded cough drop wrappers, along with empty water bottles. At least she's staying hydrated - they thought. They eventually registered Marie's question, looking back at her. "You're sick." They stated as if her question was ridiculous.

Marie just shook her head, looking at them, genuinely confused by their actions here. What were they doing? Yes, she was sick, but that was her problem, not Jordan's. So why were they in her dorm trying to, what? Take care of her? Don't get her wrong, she was always happy to see Jordan, be in their company, but it was usually under much different circumstances. Marie still wasn't 100% sure what they were yet, but they didn't think it involved this. "Yeah, okay... And?"

"And?... Being sick sucks. And your roommate's obviously not here to help you and I am, so just lay down, will you?" Jordan tries to reason with her. They decide to get moving, grabbing a trashcan from the corner of the room and scooping the used tissues and wrappers into it.

Marie just watches Jordan move, picking up after her. "Jordan, you don't need to do..." she waves her hands around as she tries to find the right words, "this-"

"-well what if I want to do this?" They argue, but they pause, realizing what they might have admitted. "I mean, you obviously need the help. You're really not looking too hot, have you taken your temperature yet?" They tried to backpedal, but it was hard to hide their worry.

Jordan can't help themselves as they lean forward, placing their hand on Marie's forehead, then moving it down to her cheek, letting it linger there for a second. They get lost in each other's eyes for just a moment, Jordan's words working their way through Marie's mind. Wait- they actually want to be here and help her? , the idea itself wasn't something Marie was used to. It's been a long time since someone actively wanted to be in her company and care for her... She wasn't sure how to feel, but looking into Jordan's eyes sent a flutter through her, and not to the kind that she usually feels when they're about to have sex. This was different... The only thing that pulls her back to reality is an oncoming sneeze, ripping through her as she pushes Jordan's hand away, turning away so she doesn't sneeze in Jordan's face. Marie's head rings as three more sneezes come on, leaving her reaching for some tissues, only to turn and see Jordan (now in male form), holding out the box of tissues for her. She reaches out and grabs some tissues, trying to decipher Jordan's unreadable, yet soft expression. There's an undeniable look of adoration, but a hint of uncertainty or shyness behind those deep brown eyes of theirs.

Jordan clears their throat as they put the tissues back down, moving the trashcan closer to the bed so Marie can throw the tissues away when she's done blowing her nose. "Look Moreau, you're obviously pretty sick, and I know you're too stubborn to admit that you need help. But- God, Marie, just let me take care of you. Cause I do want to help, I- I care about your fucking well-being, believe it or not." They sigh, scratching the back of their head, trying to collect their thoughts. "I- If you really want me to leave, I'll fucking leave, but... Just- If you need anything, seriously, just text me. I'll be right there." They said genuinely, radiating a sort of comfort that Marie hasn't felt in a long time.

All Marie could do was slowly nod her head, lips pressed in a thin line as she thought over Jordan's proposal. "Well... I don't want to get you sick."

Jordan just shrugged. "I'll deal."

Marie couldn't help but laugh at that. "and you say I'm stubborn."

Jordan laughs a bit as well, "Fine. Maybe we're both a bit stubborn."

Marie shakes her head, finally deciding to lie back on the bed, the exhaustion pulling on her bones. Her eyes drift close for a moment, before fluttering back open to meet Jordan's. They're looking down at her, a smile still on their face as they shake their head. "So fucking stubborn." They tease as they get up from the bed, grabbing their jacket and putting it back on. They then grabbed their stuff and began to head to the door.

Marie watches a bit confused. "Wait- we're you going?" She tried not to sound disappointed.

Jordan looked back, a soft smile still resting on their face. "Well, you haven't kicked me out yet, so I'm gonna go get you some medicine, more tissues, and cough drops. I'll be right back." They reassured, walking back over to give a quick peck on her forehead. "Also gonna grab a thermometer so I can properly take your temperature. You feel a bit warm." They said, rubbing her arm a bit before getting back up and heading to the door."

"wait!" Marie called, causing Jordan to stop and look back at her. "Do you think you could get me some soup as well? If it's not too much-"

Marie spoke shyly, really not wanting to ask too much of them, but Jordan swiftly cut her off. "Of course I will. What do you like? Chicken noodle?"

Marie nods, "creamy chicken noodle. From the can."

Jordan smiles, putting those beautiful dimples on display. "Perfect. I'll be back." They said, finally heading out the door.

Marie couldn't help the large smile, tugging at her lips. How did she get so lucky? Sure, her and Jordan weren't "official" by any means, but something told her that after this, things were gonna be different for the better.

Once Jordan came back, they both cuddled up on Marie's bed, eating soup and watching The Princess Bride on Marie's laptop. After that, anytime Marie would ask for something, Jordan would bow their head and say "as you wish," just like Westly would in the movie. They started it off as a joke, but continued, just to see Marie smile and laugh at it.

After a few days, Marie got better, just in time for Jordan to get sick. Which Marie did say "I told you so," only to return the favor and take care of Jordan (making sure to sanitize and wear a mask so she didn't get sick again. She refused to miss more classes). Marie also adopted the "as you wish", just to taunt Jordan back.

After that, there wasn't much question about what they were. They both knew they were more to each other than just casual sex. They loved each other, and would always be there when the other needed it. No matter how stubborn the other was about it.

--

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed. I sort of just wrote this, stream of consciousness, so I hope it makes sense, lol. I wanted to write more, but was losing it a bit, so I just wrapped it up there. But yeah, thanks for the ask!! Love writing about these two so much. Hope you all have a good day.

Much love, 😎👍❤️

-PB

(check out my Masterlist for other fics n one-shots n stuff)

[daenysthedreamer101]

Daughter of Steel and Bronze ~ HOTD

Ch 14 - Total Eclipse of the Heart

HOTD x Targaryen!OC, Targaryen!OC x Harwin Strong

Warnings: Daena is not doing well, she gets jelaous, like really jealous/ Minor mentions of blood, death, fainting spell, overall chaos, and angst

A/N - it's a long one guys, so buckle up and get some snacks lol

Corresponding episode: HOTD 1x05

HOTD masterlist

"In the waning months of the year 115, a Royal wedding was held - Crown Princess Rhaenyra was married to Ser Laenor Velaryon, heir to Driftmark and the future Lord of the Tides. He was said to have arrived at King's Landing on the back of his dragon, Seasmoke, the same way his mother, Princess Rhaenys, arrived at her own wedding on her dragon, Meleys. 

The wedding was not without scandal. To everyone's surprise, the grieving Princess Daena showed up. She recently lost her lady mother, Rhea Royce, and was not expected to attend. Many said that her somber behavior was an ill omen that contributed to the violent event at the end of the wedding - the murder of Ser Joffrey Lonmouth."  

(Fire & Blood, Being a History of the Targaryen Kings of Westeros, by Archmaester Gyldayn)

~

115 AC, Runestone 

The cold wind howled through the night. Lady Rowena stood at the foot of the table as four Silent Sisters took care of her late daughter's body. Never in her wildest dreams, did she think she would bear witness to this - her only child, cold and dead in front of her.

"My lady, you may wish to leave the Silent Sisters to their work. It is ill luck to look upon the face of death." Maester Cirion said to her. 

"The Stranger has taken many people away from me: My parents, my lord husband, my brother, and now my daughter. I assure you Maester, he cares little whether I watch or not." Rowena replied quietly. 

"If not for yourself, then you should leave for your granddaughter. I'm worried her mind will spiral. The Princess had always been quite attached to her mother. I'm afraid Lady Rhea's passing has unstabilized her state of being." Measter Cirion suggested. 

"A raven must be sent to the Eyrie. Lady Jeyne must know of my daughter's passing. And to King's Landing, of course. I can trust you will deal with those messages?"

Maester Cirion bowed slightly. "Of course, my lady. At once."

~

"Ser Harwin."

He turned at the sound of his name. It was Lady Rowena. Her hair, usually neatly held by a hair net, was now loose. Her eyes were bloodshot and there was a crease in her brows. There was a large wooden box in her hands. 

"My lady?" 

"Ser Harwin, forgive me for seeking you out in the middle of the night but I'm afraid you're the only person I could think of for what I need," Rowena said as she handed him the box. 

It wasn't too heavy but something was definitely inside it. "Give this to Daena. Let her talk about it. Distract her mind. And if you can, encourage her to get some sleep before the...before the funeral." 

"What is it?" Harwin asked. 

"Her old dragon egg. The one that never hatched. Daemon never bothered to return it to the Dragonpit and it has stayed here ever since Daena was born." 

Harwin remembered Daena talking about this egg and how angry she was it never hatched. 

"I hear she refuses to sleep." Rowena comments. 

"My sisters tried everything but she is...restless," Harwin answered somberly.

Rowena cast her gaze down and shook her head. 

"She needs you, Harwin. Now more than ever. Be there for her, please." Lady Rowena pleaded. 

"Of course, my lady."

~

Gently opening the door, he found her sitting on the room floor, next to the fireplace. Her back turned to him, he couldn't see her face, only the back of her head. Her silver curls were now loose, reaching down to her waist.

She was crouched, her knees close to her chest as she stared into the fire. She didn't seem to notice him, or at least, she failed to react. He slowly approached her, setting the box next to her. 

"Princess..." He called for her as he crouched next to her. 

No reaction. 

Sighing, he took hold of her hand and squeezed it. "Daena." 

This seemed to break her stupor. She slowly turned her head toward him. Her lilac eyes were red and puffy, her face tear-stricken, her silver curls messy. It broke Harwin's heart into a million pieces seeing her like this. Gently, careful of her bruises, he took hold of her face. He wiped away the tears. 

"My love...please. Talk to me." He cooed. This was the first time he addressed her in such a manner, yet she didn't seem to notice it. 

"There's nothing to talk about! My mother-" She yelled but as soon as the words left her mouth, her mother's death became so much more obvious and real. 

For the 100th time that night, she broke into tears. This time, Harwin was there to hold her. She sobbed and sobbed, drenching his shirt with her tears. After what felt like hours, she stopped. With her head on his chest, she could feel the beat of his heart; it calmed her down. 

Her eyes fell upon the box Harwin brought with him. Removing herself from his arms, she pulled the box closer. With her fingers, she traced the intricate carvings in the wood.

"I know this box." She whispered, sniffling. 

She opened it and her eyes fell upon the dragon egg inside it. The last time she saw it, she was a little girl, dragonless and fearful. She picked it up - it was dark in color, almost black with a violet tint to it and the scales glimmered purple in the fire. 

It was as magnificent as the day it was first laid in her crib. It was as heavy as she remembered. Laying it in her lap, she sighed. It had her mind racing - so many things would've been different had this egg hatched. 

She would've bonded to this dragon from birth, yes, but then she would've never claimed Vermithor. She didn't like that thought. Vermithor was her everything, she couldn't imagine her life without him. Speaking of her dragon...

"Vermithor. I want to see him." She said as she caressed the egg in her lap. 

"...It's the middle of the night, my love."

"So?"

Harwin sighed. "You need to get some rest before the-"

"I don't want to. I want Vermithor!" She repeated. She hasn't seen her dragon in over a fortnight. Both dragon and rider were getting restless without each other. 

"On the morrow, then." Harwin offered. 

Daena thought about it. She was tired from all the crying. She caressed the egg some more before putting it back onto the velvet cushion inside of the box. 

"I could do with some sleep." She commented quietly. 

Harwin sighed again, this time from relief. 

~

The rising sun was covered by the clouds; grey and heavy they were. Just like Daena's heart. Outside the walls of the castle, the funeral burial of Lady Rhea Royce was being held. All of the castle staff was there; stable boys, cooks, cleaning maids, guards, everyone. 

The older members of the staff wept, for they knew their lady well and they too were shocked by her sudden passing. But no one felt more pained by Rhea's death than the two women standing at the very front - Lady Rowena, her mother, and Princess Daena, her child. 

Grandmother and granddaughter held each other tightly, as if letting go of one another meant losing each other forever. Both were clad in black, from head to toe. Lady Rowena wore a long, black hood that covered her hair but not her face. Even in her darkest hour, she stood tall, a somber expression on her face.

Daena was a completely different story. Not expecting to attend a funeral, she had no appropriate black gown, so she borrowed one from Amanda. It was made of cotton with puffy sleeves and a high collar. 

On her head, she wore a veil made of black Myrish lace that covered her tear-stricken face. Her hair was pulled in a bun and she wore no earrings, bracelets, or necklaces. Only the simple garnet ring her mother gifted her years ago. 

Even the heavily pregnant Amanda was there; she refused to lie and bed while her aunt was getting buried. She stood next to her husband, Ser Jasper, and clutched her belly. She too was in a black gown with a black veil on her head. 

Harwin and his sisters were slightly off to the side, seeing as they weren't residents of Runestone, only guests. Both of the twins had their hair up. Hanna had a black velvet headband on her head while Joy wore a short black veil. Harwin too was in black. 

As the funeral went on, Daena felt her patience disappearing by the second; on one hand, she wanted to give respect to her mother one last time. On the other hand, she hated bearing witness to this. She wanted to run away from the darkness and the pain.

Finally, it was over. It was customary that after the funeral, the bereaved would go inside, raising cups and eating in honor of the deceased. But Daena had other things in mind. Detaching herself from her grandmother, she started walking toward the hill.

~

Ignoring all calls, she continued without turning back. From the other side of the hill, Vermithor appeared, hissing and clicking. She walked up the hill, determined to get away from any man or woman. Once she reached the top, Daena fell to her knees. Vermithor lowered his head, wanting to be closer to his rider. 

Feeling his need for contact, she lifted her veil, showing her face to her dragon. Vermithor's great amber eyes looked over Daena and he could see and feel her pain. He's been feeling her pain ever since she was assaulted weeks ago at her name-day party. With trembling hands, she touched his snout and leaned her head onto his. 

A deep rumble left his mouth as he nudged her body with his snout; it was his way of comforting her. Usually, she would play into it and pretend to fall. But not today. Today she stayed seated, her eyes glued to the wet grass. She could feel his hot breath as he opened his mouth and growled. 

A great wave of emotion washed over her - anguish, pain, a sense of injustice, a desire to just disappear, and anger. Anger at her father not being there for her. Anger at herself for not being able to stop her mother's passing. Anger at the gods for taking her mother away from her. 

Perhaps being next to her dragon amplified her feelings or perhaps she was just fed up with everything. Either way, the fire in her blood ran hot and rage flowed through her veins. Hot tears ran down her face as she beat her fists against the cold earth. Gripping the grass tightly, she screamed. Feeling her immense sorrow, Vermithor roared, his voice echoing through the valley. 

Pulling the grass harshly from the ground, she keeled over, sobs wrecking her body. Feeling the distress of his rider, Vermithor swished his tail against the ground, making the earth below him shake. 

~

Upon hearing the news of his wife's passing, Daemon knew he had to return to the Vale. Not because he cared for Rhea, but because of Daena. He knew how attached she was to her mother. 

Looking down from atop Caraxes he could see the castle of Runestone getting bigger and bigger. But something else caught his eye - on a nearby hill, Vermithor stood, furious and wailing from what Daemon could see and hear. Caraxes let out small clicks and whistles of acknowledgment as he descended and landed at the base of the hill.

As he dismounted Caraxes he could see someone approaching him. At first, it just looked like a big ball of black running down the hill, but he quickly realized who it was. 

"Kepa! Kepa!" (Father!) 

The frantic voice of his daughter rang loudly in his ears. Before he could register what was happening, Daena was in his arms. He stumbled a bit from the force of her hug. She was a sobbing, coughing mess, clinging desperately to him.

 "It hurts! It-it hurts. Daddy, please! Make it s-stop!" Daena babbled. 

"What hurts?" He asked as he guided both of them down to sit on the grass. 

"M-my heart! It hurts so b-bad. Daddy please!" 

Daemon didn't know what to say. He was never the best when it came to comforting people, but for her, he would try. He pulled her into his lap and played with her hair, just like when she was a toddler. 

"Mother is - she's...she's g-gone." Daena sobbed.  "Please don't leave me. Please. I need you. Stay." 

"I'm not going anywhere," Daemon promised. And this time, he meant it. 

Two months later

The royal wedding of Princess Rhaenyra to Ser Laenor Velaryon was to be held at the Red Keep in King's Landing. Lords and ladies from throughout the realm were descending upon the capital to attend this once-in-a-lifetime event that would unite the two most powerful houses in the Seven Kingdoms. 

Seeing as Daena was a member of the royal family, she knew she had to go. Perhaps, she could've used the excuse of being in mourning as an explanation as to why she would not attend. But once her father told her he would go, she knew she also had to go.

And now here she was, back in King's Landing, after almost a year in the Vale. Her grandmother decided to stay at Runestone, seeing as Amanda gave birth just one day after Lady Rhea's funeral. Harwin, Joy, and Hanna would join Daena in King's Landing. 

She, alongside her father, decided to arrive at the wedding on dragon back. The two stayed behind at Runestone and only started their journey south one day before the wedding. Her gown and accessories for the wedding were with the twins who had traveled down from the Vale over two weeks ago. 

Arriving at King's Landing in the early morning hours, long before sunrise, Daena made her way to the Red Keep. Immediately upon arrival, Daena was greeted by the twins who ushered her to her old room where she was to rest before the start of the wedding feast.

~

The great Throne Room of the Red Keep was transformed into a banquet hall fit for a royal wedding. The banners of House Targaryen and House Velaryon hung on opposite sides of the Iron Throne. A long table was set before the throne where the royal family sat.

With trepidation, Daena made her way to the Throne Room. This would be her first public appearance since the death of her mother. She was still in mourning and wanted nothing more than to seclude herself and ignore the rest of the world, but what choice did she have?

"Princess Daena Targaryen!" The voice of Ser Harrold Westerling rang across the Hall as he announced her presence. 

The Princess strode into the Great Hall, tall and gaunt. The black silk of her dress only accentuated her pale complexion and the emptiness in her eyes. Her dark gown flowed behind her, making her look like an unworldly wraith.

Murmurs and whispers could be heard all across the room but Daena paid them no mind. With her head high, she made her way up the stairs to the royal table. She curtseyed to her uncle and Rhaenyra.

"Your Grace. Cousin." She greeted politely. A look of pity formed on the King's face.

"My dear, I must say, I was most distressed to hear of  Lady Rhea's tragic passing. I know how close you were with her. I'm very sorry for your loss." 

Daena gave an awkward smile. "Thank you, Uncle."  

"Iksan sīr vaoreznuni, hāedar. Iksis konīr mirros kostan gaomagon?" (I am so sorry, little sister. Is there anything I can do?) Rhaenyra asked. 

"....Are you happy, cousin?" Daena asked. 

Rhaenyra seemed confused by the question. "I am." 

Daena nodded. "Good. At least one of us is." 

And with that, she sat at the edge of the table, somber and quiet. Lord Lyonel, who was sitting to her left, offered his condolences. As did every lord and lady who approached the royal table. She was getting sick of it and wasn't sure if she could handle it for another couple of hours. 

To her immense pleasure, Alicent was nowhere in sight as she was "still readying herself for the celebration" as His Grace explained to Jason Lannister. 

~

"Lord Corlys of House Velaryon; Lord of the Tides, Master of Driftmark. His lady wife, Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, and their son and heir, Ser Laenor Velaryon - the future king consort!" 

Dressed in rich fabrics embroidered with gold, House Velaryon made their entrance. Everyone in the Hall stood up and clapped. Once they reached the foot of the table, Rhaenyra walked around it and greeted Laenor and he kissed her hand. Daena noticed Uncle Viserys glancing at Alicent's empty seat. 

Once the Velaryons were seated, an unexpected visitor arrived - Prince Daemon. Strutting confidently down the Hall in his red and black clothes with a smirk on his face, he silently approached the table and gave his brother a mischievous smile. 

King Viserys wordlessly gestured for another chair to be added to the table. Daena watched as her father sat down next to her. He made himself comfortable in the chair and once he did, he turned his head toward her. No smile was present on her face, yet her eyes gave away how glad she was of his arrival.

He grabbed her right hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. They continued holding hands, which warmed her broken heart just a little bit. 

Uncle Viserys then gave a speech about uniting House Targaryen and Velaryon and how much of an important ally they were to the crown. Yet, he stopped, looking at something down the hall. Everyone, including Daena, followed his line of vision. 

At the top of the stairs, on the other side of the Hall, stood Queen Alicent. Dressed in a dark green gown, she stood out amongst the crowd. She walked with a look of determination on her face and a certain fierceness was in her eyes, never before seen on the young queen. House Hightower immediately stood up, and everyone else followed suit. Except for Daemon and Daena, who remained firmly seated. 

Daemon completely ignored her, looking down at his nails, while Daena stared Alicent down with a look of pure disgust and vitriol on her face, not caring for what others might say in the slightest. Alicent walked past them, walking up to Rhaenyra. 

"Congratulations, stepdaughter. What a blessing this is for you." Alicent said connivingly to Rhaenyra and proceeded to kiss His Grace on the cheek. 

Daena caught sight of Rhaenyra's face - a look of surprise and worry was on her cousin's face. She also shared a look with her father; his pale eyebrows were raised and he was hiding his face behind his cup, almost like he was trying his hardest not to laugh. He obviously found Alicent's stunt ridiculous.  

~

Laenor and Rhaenyra proceeded to perform an Old Valyrian dance that imitated dragon flight. It was a sight to see as the two spread their arms like dragons do their wings and circled each other. Daena noticed how intensely her father was watching Rhaenyra and she couldn't help but wonder if Rhaenyra had something to do with Daemon's banishment. 

Rhaenyra in her stunning, pure white gown looked like the Maiden herself. Her silver hair was pulled up in an intricate hairdo with a bunch of rubies sewn into her hair. Daena could not say if she liked it or not. In the end, everyone clapped, Daemon more enthusiastically than others. 

Other people proceeded to stand up and join the soon-to-be-wed couple on the dance floor. Among them, Daena easily spotted Joy in her bright violet gown as she practically hopped her way to the dance floor. She somehow managed to drag Hanna along, which brought a small smile to Daena's face. 

Alicent then stood up and walked down toward the Hightowers and conversed with her uncle Hobert. Daena's eyes then fell upon her secret lover. Harwin was sitting next to his brother, Larys, and the two were having a conversation. 

She couldn't help but admire his rugged beauty; his dark blue suit sat perfectly on his broad shoulders, and his dark curls were pulled back into a bun, freeing his handsome face. Almost like he sensed she was watching him, he locked eyes with her. She instantly looked away, her heart skipping a beat. 

Her happiness was short-lived because the next time her eyes found Harwin he was on the dance floor, dancing with Rhaenyra! She did say to him before the feast she wouldn't be dancing as she was in no mood to do such things, but she didn't expect him to go and dance with her cousin of all people. 

She watched as Rhaenyra giggled at something he said and how happy he seemed around her. Why wouldn't he? She was the Realm's Delight. She was the crown Princess. She was the future Queen. Of course, he was enamored with her. 

Bitter jealousy nested itself into Daena's heart. Jealousy and envy. Jealousy, for she had no desire to share her lover with Rhaenyra. Envy, because Rhaenyra seemed to be the most desired woman in the Seven Kingdoms and had so many things Daena wanted.

Over the course of the night, Daena also noticed Ser Criston staring intensely at Rhaenyra. It seemed every man in Westeros desired Rhaenyra. Daena knew all of these feelings were irrational and knew Rhaenyra would never hurt her in such a way but, jealousy was a mad viper and its venom spread through Daena's heart. 

She was so deep into her head that she failed to notice Lady Laena sharing glances with her father from across the table. The food that was in front of her went cold for she had no appetite to begin with, now, even less. She also failed to see Joy dancing and smiling with Ser Elmo Tully. 

~

Her body was turned to the right, that way she wouldn't have to look at Alicent. The one time she did glance at Alicent, she appeared to be just as miserable as Daena was. At least that brought her some satisfaction. 

Her father proceeded to get up from the table and go into the dancing crowd. First, he conversed with Laena. After that, he went up to Rhaenyra who was still dancing with Harwin. Father said something to Harwin who stepped away. 

Harwin caught sight of Daena's face - it was twisted in anger. Her lilac eyes fell upon him and even from across the Hall, he could feel a rageful fire exuding from them. He wondered why that was. 

"Your dear Princess seems less than happy with you," Larys commented as Harwin sat down. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Look at her. She is fuming. I wouldn't be surprised if she started spitting actual fire upon you." 

"And why would she do such a thing?" Harwin inquired. 

"Something tells me she wasn't overly pleased seeing you dance with Princess Rhaenyra," Larys clarified. 

"...It was all in good faith." Harwin tried explaining. 

"I don't think that's how she sees it," Larys commented before taking a sip of his wine.

~

From her seat at the table, Daena had a clear view of her father grabbing Rhaenyra by the neck and pulling her closer. She furrowed her brows; What in the Seven Hells are they doing? 

Then, a scream echoed through the Throne Room. 

Something was happening at the dance floor, but thanks to the crowd Daena couldn't see a thing. She quickly stood up from her chair and tried peering through the mass of people. 

"Where's Rhaenyra?" Daena asked, those being the first words she uttered after hours of silence. All her negative feelings disappeared once she realized her cousin was in danger. 

"What in the Seven Hells is going on?" Uncle Viserys said as he got up. Quickly, a group of guards appeared.

"RHAENYRA!" Daena yelled trying to locate her. Daena tried looking for Nyra's silver hair but, she was never the tallest, so she was quickly engulfed by the mass. Joy and Hanna were also on the dance floor, so Daena worried for them as well. 

Uncle Viserys walked around the table, trying to locate Rhaenyra as well. It was absolute mayhem. Daena joined her uncle at the front. She locked eyes with Harwin from across the hall. 

"Get Rhaenyra!" She yelled. Harwin proceeded to fight his way through the crowd. 

Next to her, Uncle Viserys bent forward, not feeling well. 

"Uncle! Are you alright?" She asked, worry lacing her voice as she noticed his nose bleeding. He didn't respond.

As she turned her gaze once again to the crowd, in the corner of her eye something caught her attention. A short girl in a light pink gown held onto a chair for dear life; Lady Patricia Beesbury, Daena quickly realized. 

The girl, blind from birth, had no idea what was going on and a look of terror was on her face. Springing to action, Daena jumped from the small platform she was standing on and ran toward Patricia, her black gown billowing behind her. 

She could hear Lord Lyonel yelling her name in the background but she didn't care. She needed to help Patricia. 

"Patricia! It's me, Daena! Come with me, quickly!" Daena said to the girl and tightly grabbed her arm. 

There was no way they could get back to the platform so instead, Daena set her eyes on one of the pillars. With an iron-tight grip, she held onto Patricia and the two tried to escape the crowd. She heard what she thought was Harwin's voice calling for her, but she wasn't sure. 

The two girls were pushed and pulled by the crowd but somehow managed to escape. Daena pulled Patricia and swung her around, pushing her against one of the large pillars. There, they stayed hidden. 

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Daena asked, breathless. 

The poor girl looked horrified and had tears running down her cheeks. Daena looked her over and besides her hair being a mess, she seemed fine.

"I-I-I...Thank you. I'm f-fine."  Patricia spoke, her voice barely above a whisper. Daena let out a sigh of relief. 

Then everything went silent and the cries of Ser Laenor echoed through the Hall. Daena peeked out over the pillar and saw Laenor crawling over to a man's dead body. Daena would later learn this was Ser Joffrey Lonmouth. 

~

"We stand here tonight in thanks and praise to join two souls as one." The dull voice of the Septon continued reciting the wedding prayer. 

"Father. Mother. Warrior..."

Daena stood behind Alicent and Uncle Viserys. Her tight bun was now loose and barely in shape, thanks to her little rescue only minutes ago. Lord Lyonel was to her right. She couldn't have imagined a worse outcome for a wedding; a man dead and the rest of the celebrations canceled. 

"Hear now their vows." 

Rhaenyra approached Laenor, kissed him on the cheek, and said her vows. 

"I am yours and you are mine. Whatever may come." 

Laenor did the same, but truth be told, neither of them sounded honest or happy about it. 

"....I proclaim Laenor of House Velaryon and Rhaenyra of House Targaryen to be man and wife...Now and forever." 

Daena's head was pulsating, almost like someone took a hammer and was hitting her repeatedly with it. She gripped the skirt of her gown tightly, taking in small breaths through her nose. Her left wrist, the one sprained months ago, was hurting as well.

All this newfound chaos only worsened her already fragile mental state. Now her cousin's wedding was ruined, her father was gone, again, and she didn't even know where to start with Harwin. It was all too much.

It seemed she was not the only one feeling that way. Uncle Visers keeled over, his crown falling from his head. Rhaenyra, Alicent, Lord Corlys, and Lord Lyonel all rushed to help him. Closing her eyes, she sighed. Her ears were ringing and her vision was becoming fogged. An uncomfortable heat spread through her body. 

I can't take it anymore.

Without even thinking, she started walking away, leaving all that mess behind her. The click of her heels echoed as she practically ran toward the door. She barely missed the puddle of blood still left on the floor. 

Harwin stood in front of the Throne Room, waiting for Daena to come out. Suddenly, the great doors were opened and she came rushing out. Not noticing him, she started walking briskly down the halls of the Red Keep. 

"Daena!" He called for her. She seemingly ignored him and started sprinting toward the grand staircase. 

He started running after her. 

Right when she reached the stairs, she fell to her knees, her hand grabbing onto the railing. 

He caught her just before she toppled over. "Daena! What's happened? Tell me!" 

"The king has fallen...Call the measter..." She whispered, her voice weak and broken. 

"What? What do you mean?" 

He grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. He called her name, asking if she could hear him. Her gaze was blank and distant, unfocused. The grip she had on his arm lessened. She leaned her head onto his chest and then she went limp.

"...Daena? My love, please! Get up!" Harwin pleaded, his usually stoic voice now ripe with emotion. 

He picked her up and carried her to her chambers with haste. He hated the feeling of her limp body in his arms. He wanted to scream from the top of his lungs. Once again he failed to protect her and the shame pierced his heart. 

[mlm-writer]

If I Should Become a Stranger (Smokescreen x GN!Reader)

Pairing: Smokescreen (TFP ver.) x Human!Gender Neutral!Reader Rating: General Audiences Words: 1608 POV: Second Summary: Smokescreen left you over a decade ago to rebuild Cybertron and until today, you had not heard from him since. Note: Read a Transformers novel and then it really dawned on me how beings with such a long life span must view time differently. So this fic explores that a little. Inspired by this song. Tags: angst, hurt no comfort (for smokey tbh), breakup from Smokescreen’s POV and song fic. 

Humans would argue that in war, there was nothing as precious as love. In war, one should hug one's friends more often, hold one's family tighter and kiss one's lover longer. Such was the philosophy of men; cherish what you have now you have it. It was quite befitting to a race with such short lives. Cybertronian's however…

Even in war, many acted like life would never end. There was plenty of time to fight one's friends. There was even more time to find it in you to mend things, patch up the wounds you created together. Even when friends started to lose the light in their optics, when the streets started to fill with the husks of neighbours, when tomorrow was more a wish than a promise, even then, Cybertronians were often found doing anything but cherishing the moment. 

Smokescreen was no different. Sure, he was impatient and young by comparison, but even to him, everything seemed to be able to wait, 'fore there will be a later. Hence why he had no reservations about going to Cybertron to rebuild. Hence why he could look upon his human lover with a smile as bright as the full moon on a clear night, while saying his goodbyes. "I'll see you soon," he had said while swaggering backwards into the space bridge. You had believed him as much as you had loved him back then.  

"Hey Ratchet, any messages for me?" You asked as you always did when visiting the medic at the old base. Ratchet looked down at you with those same sorry optics. He didn't need to say anything, but he always gave you the courtesy of an answer. 

"I'm sorry, there has been no communication for you," he spoke evenly, trying to keep the pity out of his voice. It was always like that. At first you stopped by every few days, then weekly, monthly, every few months… at some point you forgot to go altogether. You moved for work, so it was suddenly a whole journey to come visit. You got fired from that job, then you got a new job. You fell in love, got your heart broken, broke a limb, healed both and what else? It was just life - life without sentient alien robots, explosions and secret government missions. 

It almost seemed like it had all been a dream. You had almost forgotten about all the adventures of your youth, were it not for that scar on your arm you got from a brief brush with Soundwave at the satellite array. That was just the start, but somehow you made it through several threats to the planet fairly unscathed. That scar on your arm was the only big reminder you had of those days aside from the pictures stuffed in a box in your garage, somewhere on a shelf that was too high for you to reach without a chair to stand on. 

You were about to drive back from work to that garage when you caught sight of a familiar car in the parking lot. The colours were not as you remembered them, but it was strange to see a sports car like this at an office like yours. You stared at the vehicle for a long time and then sighed, before opening the driver's door to your car. However, as soon as you opened the door, the sports car you had been staring at earlier flashed its lights and started honking. You squinted your eyes and closed the door again. 

You locked your car and walked over to the other car that was making a ruckus. As soon as you approached, it quieted down and the driver’s door opened on its own. Against your best judgement, you got in. When you sat down, the seat belt wrapped itself around you and the engine revved to life. “Missed me?” A familiar voice came from the radio as the car drove out of the parking lot to God-knows-where. However, hearing that voice, you felt no fear, no worries, just a deep-seated resentment that had been dormant for many years. 

“Smokescreen,”  you greeted your ride with a tight voice. Said Autobot made a joke about how you simply could not forget him. It only angered you more. You had forgotten, mostly, until now. After that greeting, the air chilled down and not a word was exchanged, until Smokescreen pulled up at the side of an abandoned road. There used to be a factory at the end of it, but since the building had been decommissioned, no one used the road anymore; it was leading to virtually nowhere nowadays. 

The seat belt unfastened and you got out. When your shoes hit the dusty ground, the vehicle transformed into a shape that you used to know. You marvelled at his size as if it was the first time you witnessed his transformation. Cybertronians did not age, but that young face you used to know seemed more mature anyway. There was something about his gaze that got more intense, more serious. There was a slouch in his posture that was the telltale weight of responsibilities befitting an adult. 

Smokescreen whispered your name after a while of quiet staring. “Why are you here?” You inquired as a response. Hurt was evident on his face, but you thought it was a valid question. For over a decade, there was radio silence. Why would he be here if not for another danger looming over your planet? 

Smokescreen let out a scoff. “To see you of course!” He beamed in spite of everything. It was your turn to scoff as you crossed your arms. Your ex looked you over and then, very intelligently, said: “You’ve become bigger! That’s really cool! I forgot humans could do that… Want to go to the drive-in theatre today?” 

You sighed and turned to walk back to your car. It was gonna be a long walk, but you were stubborn and too prideful to tell him to drive you back. “There are no drive-in theatres in this area..” 

You barely got a few steps away when Smokescreen yelled from behind you. “I should have left you a message! I’m sorry!” You kept walking, tears prickling in your eyes. “I forgot!” He added as if it was a valid excuse. 

“Well, I forgot who you are!” You yelled over your shoulder, speeding up your walking. You heard your ex transform behind you and like a bad movie, he started driving next to you. All that was missing was pouring rain, but the sky was so clear, you could see the many constellations gradually making themselves known. 

He was driving with the door closest to you open, trying to get you to get in. “Come on! It has not been that long! I admit I have changed a little, but I’m still me, your Smokey…” You tried to block his voice out, stubbornly trudging on down the abandoned road. “I came back, because I started talking about you so much, Arcee practically shoved me into the space bridge to shut me up. It’s been like my processors always circle back to you.” He swerved and came to a halt right in front of you, forcing you to stop walking. “I told you I would see you soon…” 

You took a deep breath, ensuring that whatever you said next would be spoken in a normal, even tone. Smokescreen reverted back to bot mode, looking at you with pleading optics that could once pull your heartstrings. However, those times were long behind you. “Smokescreen,” you started like you were lecturing a child, “it has been like what? A decade and some? That may not be a long time for you, but I am human. A decade right now is about a third of my life. You made me wait a third of my life. Does that sink in with you?” 

Smokescreen seemed to shrink, pinned under your intense gaze. “I’m sorry,” he muttered eventually. His servos clenched and unclenched. You could see his processors working overtime, just to formulate a response. “I guess you’re right. Cybertron has become quite lively. I proved myself a leader. I made a lot of new friends… Maybe it is a long time…” For someone with a seemingly endless supply of RAM, he was awfully slowly putting the events of the past decade in perspective. His voice trailed off after every sentence. Eventually he just whispered one last thing. “A third…” 

You pitied him. You had enough time to mend the heart he broke many years ago. To him, however, he came back like he said, just to find what he left behind to no longer exist. Without a word he transformed into his alt mode. “I’ll take you back,” he stated. You did not resist this time and got in. 

The drive back was quiet. You did not speak. He did not speak. Only white noise filled the spaces between one heavy spark and only a slightly lighter heart. He drove you back to the parking lot where you had your car. You were about to get out when you heard his voice one last time. “For what it is worth, let me just say: I love you. You’re the best thing I ever had.” 

In spite of him being a stranger from the past, your heart ached. “Your life is long. You’ll love again. Don’t worry.” You patted the steering wheel and then got out. You did not look back and by the time you sat in your car, your car was the only one in the parking lot with the lights on.

[paperclipped-mongoose]

Convincing Enough For You?

Pairing: Angus Macgyver x F! Reader

Summary: An important mission came up, and during the briefing it became clear that Mac didn't think you were the right fit for the flirtatious role.

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: 18+ MINORS DNI, Use of Y/N (not excessive), First Person, Fight Flirting, Arguing, A malfunctioning MacGyver, A villain who likes to take advantage of women, Couple Arguments. Let me know if I missed anything!

A/N: Hey Guys! This my first MacGyver Fanfiction, I love writing the series and characters so let me know if you guys like it! Comments and messages mean the world to me! If you've got any ideas for future fic's my idea box is open! ENJOY!

“I’m not sure if this is the best idea, Matty. You know how they feel about each other.” Riley trailed after her boss as they made their way down the hall to the war room. She had been let in on the game plan for the next mission early because Matty needed her input.

“They’re adults. They can put their feelings, undefined they are, away in order to do their job professionally.” Matty could hope. Ever since you joined the Phoenix Foundation there had been a certain animosity between you and a certain human encyclopedia. You were never sure if it was flirting or trying to get on each other’s nerves. 

Matty could hear the sounds of shouting from the war room down the hall. “Oh, get your head out of the clouds! You know all too well that if it wasn’t for Bozer and Jack you would have blown yourself up, gotten shot, or made some kinda poisonous gas to kill yourself. You think you’re way more aware than you are. But newsflash: you’re not!” You paused to take a breath, you had made sure to choose your words carefully, they were nothing if not the truth. Mac could make a plane out of a recycling bin and some potatoes, but he routinely got his ass saved by Jack in the field, and Bozer in his own home. 

Mac stood in front of the coffee table, his arms crossed tight across his chest. “At least I actually do things to save our asses on missions. Or were you the one who made infrared glasses so we could see the cameras when Riley couldn’t access the system?”

Something about Mac’s defensiveness made you want to egg him on continually. Maybe it was because you liked to hear him talk, even when it wasn’t in a positive way. There were days where the two of you were civil and even friendly, but those days were boring. No conversations would be had, and the day inevitably turned into awkward silence and stares. 

Neither you nor Mac liked it that way. 

So you picked on each other. It was clear there were never any ill intentions, but sometimes it rode the line and, you were sure, made your coworkers wonder if you and Mac were actually mad. To be fair, it was a question that rarely had a simple answer. But that was just the way the two of you were. Complicated. And you wouldn’t have taken it any other way. 

“Can we go one meeting without you two saying something distasteful to each other? One meeting. That’s all I’m asking.” Matty pulled up her screen on the wall before shooting a pointed look at those who stood around the room. Jack observed the screens as they came up, and Riley sat on one of the chairs doing her best to ignore you and Mac, knowing how this would go, and something told her Matty wouldn’t get her wish for peace.

“This is Bryan Snyder.” A rather unpleasant-looking man was pulled up on the full screen along with his Phoenix records. “Hacker extraordinaire with a rap sheet a mile long of gambling offenses.” Matty flashed a couple photos across the screen of Bryan surrounded by presumable winnings and women. 

Riley finally took a cue from Matty and spoke up. "He's had incidents filed with multiple casinos, all stemming from his pension for picking up women who've just fought with their partners, while the partner is around."

Jack scoffed as he found his way to the empty seat next to Riley. “Sounds like he's made a game out of picking up girls on the rebound."

Jack’s comment earned a grin from Riley, who added: "At least he looks like he tips well."

Your leg bounced involuntarily as you fiddled with the few paperclips in your hand—not bending them, just linking them together one after the other to make a chain. It drove Mac mad, and you knew it. He was one who did things with purpose, so idly fiddling with some paperclips without reshaping or bending them clawed at him internally. “So what is our position in this?” you finally spoke up. “I didn’t know the Phoenix Foundation did personal vendetta work for ex-girlfriends.” 

Matty shook her head watching Mac who silently but unsubtly stared you down as you wrapped the paperclip chain around your wrist to make a bracelet. “Not a vendetta. A prevention service for the Parisian government. Snyder holds a virus on his laptop that, if released onto the broadband servers of France, would cause nationwide blackouts and hold millions of people’s information hostage.”

Jack’s face soured at the thought. “Oooh, okay, yeah, so not an angry ex-girlfriend. Got it.”

“We’ve had Riley coding a USB drive that, once plugged in, can give her access to the computer’s system. That way she can corrupt the virus so that when he tries to open it, none of the code will be salvageable. The only thing our team needs to worry about is getting that drive plugged into Snyder’s computer for 8 minutes without him noticing.” 

Another scoff came from Jack. “No offense, Matty, but this guy seems like the kinda nerd to be obsessed with his computer. He’s probably one of those weirdos who treats it like his baby or something.” He immediately turned to Riley who had her computer in her lap. He pressed his lips together and stood up, walking towards the other wall to get as far away from Riley as possible. “I’m just gonna shut up now.”

“Yeah, smart choice.”

“The plan, if you guys will ever let me get to it, is this: Is to send in (Y/N) with a partner to pose as our unhappy couple, Bryan has a stay booked with a casino in Monaco this weekend. It’s his last stop on the way into France. A messy breakup in the middle of the casino should be enough to pique Snyder’s interest, and from there all (Y/N) has to do is get him to take her to his hotel room so she can connect the USB to his laptop, which shouldn’t be so hard given his M.O. After 8 minutes, once Riley’s USB has done its job, (Y/N) will take it out and destroy it so it’s not traceable.” Matty pressed her lips together firmly when she noticed Mac shifting his stance and uncrossing his arms, which normally meant that he had something to say. “Can I help you Blondie?”

Mac took the opportunity and stepped forward. “Why don’t we just send in Riley? If the USB doesn’t work, she’ll be able to disable the virus manually. Plus,” a strong look of disdain settled on his face, “I don’t think (Y/N) can flirt convincingly enough to get him to take her back to his room. It’s dangerous to put the weight of a mission on it without a backup.” 

That got you mad. You stood and eyed Mac in his stupid power stance. His hands on his hips while he stared at the screen as if he was avoiding eye contact with you. You wondered where all of his confidence had suddenly gone.

“Oh? You don’t think I can handle it?” You took a confident couple steps towards Mac. A well-placed hand on his forearm brought his big blue eyes back to you, somewhat confused as to what you were doing but it didn’t seem as if he was going to stop you. 

You took his silence as permission to continue and slid your hand down his arm, bringing your free hand up to play with the suede lapel of his jacket near his chest. You lifted your eyes to meet his for a single, shy moment and couldn’t help the way your cheeks flushed. Who thought it was a good idea to give a man with such a perfect face those baby blues? Fuck.

Mac was malfunctioning, his jaw slack as he tried to focus on anything other than how close you were to him. Or the fact he could feel your breath on his neck, or the way your hands held him. Tantalizing and unobtainable. He was sure if either of you did anything in the oncoming moments he’d find himself too deep to back out. 

You slid the fingers fiddling with his jacket past his chest to his abdomen, felt the shiver run up his spine even though he tried his best to hide it. Your fingers reached his beltline with more confidence than you felt, and…there was a undeniable tension. One that left you wondering if perhaps you should excuse yourself and drag Mac into some unoccupied office down the hall. 

A quick smack below the belt and Mac was half-keeled over, gasping for air as you stepped aside with a prideful smirk. “That convincing enough for you?” 

The rest of the team broke into laughter, the sexual and uncalled for tension that was in the room had gone.

“The Macbook needed to reboot there for a moment huh,” Jack said patting your shoulder. “You’ll do just fine, and your mission partner will be there as your backup, you can trust them 

Matty just pulled on that subtle smirk she wore when she knew something was bound to be entertaining. “Well, glad you’re working on your chemistry, because Mac is your mission partner. Try not to cause a scene before the target gets there, though. Wheels up in 2 hours.”

Mac had finally been able to gather himself and recover from the unexpected tap. “Let’s just hope you’re ready for 2 to be playing that game.”

A/N: Thank You guys for reading! I am thinking about making another part about the actual mission or what the aftermath would look like for your and Mac's relationship.

A/N: Remember I'm always open to talk to people (18+) about MacGyver! I love the fandom and want to interact as much as possible. If your interested don't be afraid to shoot me a message!

[redheadspark]

June Prompt Session (CLOSED)

Hello darlings and HAPPY PRIDE!

We are diving right into June and Pride month and I am SOOOO excited, it's a favorite month (also because it's my birthday month!). I wanted to wait a minute to do another prompt session since I was moving and wanted to focus on cleaning and sort my new space.

This is one of my fav prompts to right since we need to see more of this in fan fiction and in shows for that matter. And since we got a taste of this in the new season of Bridgerton, I decided I can write this for our new session.

This Prompt Session Theme is :

Friends to Lovers

Here are my rules:

1.) You may choose ONE character from my list Here. It’ll have the list of characters that I write for or have written for in the past.

*(If you have a character not listed that you wish for me to write, PLEASE MESSAGE ME AND CLEAR IT WITH ME FIRST TO SEE IF I CAN OR WILL DO IT!)*

2.) There are Twos Prompt lists for this session, so please request the numbers you wish for me to write.

Please provide BOTH the numbers you would like (Both the scenario and dialogue) AND the character to pair it with.

Example: May I have Azriel from ACOTAR with #5 for Scenario and #3 for Dialogue?

*I write out the requests as a first come first serve. I will try my best to fulfill every request that comes my way, but please bear in mind I work full-time as a teacher. Because of that, I’ll be busy most of the day so please be patient and I’ll write in my spare time as much as I can :) *

3.) If I get two requests that are exactly the same, (same character and same number) I will only write it once! Please don't be afraid to ask if someone has already requested the character and number, I don't mind answering that for you :)

4.) You can request in my ASK box neither as yourself or anonymously. Although I would LOVE to give you a shout if you request as yourself, anon is perfectly fine!

5.) I will stop taking requests for this prompt session on Sunday, June 23rd, at 3:00 PST

6) Have fun and enjoy :)

This Prompt Session was created by @creativepromptsforwriting

Dialogue Prompts

“We can’t go on like this. Like friends is all we are.”

“You know I love you, right? But maybe in a different way than you think…”

“We’ve known each other for so long. I can’t imagine my life - myself - without you anymore. And I really don’t want to.”

“I was always jealous of them and it took me some time to realise why.”

“Everyone is already thinking that we’re dating.”

“You and I together… would that be weird?” “No. No, I don’t think so.”

“We’re already basically an old married couple. What harm could it be to try it out for real?”

“I’m just scared of losing you.” “Don’t think of it as losing, it’s more like evolving. You’re not losing your best friend, you’re getting something extra.”

Scenario Prompts

Growing up together means that so many of their memories and experiences involve the other person, that if they talk with other people who never met their friend, those people still feel like they already know them.

Having had sleepovers together since they were little, it’s not uncommon for them to sleep in the same bed.

They have always known each other better than everyone else, so becoming teenagers and starting to change their behaviours in groups and having different hobbies is putting a strain on their friendship.

Because they have always been best friends, they accompany each other to every event, to family parties, sport events and school activities. When it’s time for their first school dance, they naturally want to go together, but they are at an age now, were this can become a little bit awkward.

Having so many inside jokes that just the two of them know, that other people often don’t understand their humor.

They had been best friends in their childhood, but then one of them moved away and they lost contact. Meeting each other again by accident and seeing someone they once knew everything about, but who is now basically a stranger is a weird feeling.

They have always been close and they are very comfortable with casual affections, hugging each other, laying their head in the other’s lap, even holding hands.

Having pet names for each other, that no one else uses, which confuse some people.

When they were in elementary school, they created a secret language to avoid their teachers reading their notes they passed back and forth in class. Now one of them uses that language to write a love letter.

There was always that one place they would both run off to - to escape parents, annoying siblings and just the world in general. They haven’t had contact in a long time, but when things get rough, they both end up in their safe place again.

Once again, I will no longer take requests on Sunday, June 23rd, at 3:00 PM PST

Happy Requesting and Happy Pride!

Tagging -@a-lumos-in-the-nox @botanicalbarnes @heliosphere8 @virtueassassin @ethereal-athalia @heartofwritiing @valeridarkness @pemberlyy @saradika @basicrese

[iamlittlelostsoul]

Are asks open? If so, can you write a fluffy epilogue of twst boys x reader x yan ver of them set in 6 months from now to give the reader some time to adjust

OMG HELLOO!!

THANK YOUU this is my first time getting requests and I really appreciate it!!

I hope this reaches your expectations although I don't think that I've made it that fluffy but I hope all is good!:D

Just so everyone knows my asks are always open and I'll do my best in answering it all!☺

oh and if you wanna check it out here's my masterlist! ><

Enjoy!

Mending Hearts

Part 1 Part 2

Part 3 of which is which...

Twst boys x reader x yan!twst boys

It's been 6 months...6 months since the incident. And they barely made much progress...

6 months since the love of their life came back but is in a terrible state and despised and feared them so so much.

3 months since they found a spell to see Mc's memories to find the truth and is horribly haunted by it.

They were so lost...

They wanted to help...but how?

How can they help someone that used to love them so much but now despised them so much that they would rather drop dead than have them close...

If only they could find a way to turn back time to avoid such things happening maybe their life would remain as it was? or become official lovers and all...?

...

But this won't stop them from trying...

It is a challenge but if it is to get them to trust and befriend them once again or at least...have them not look at them with eyes filled with fear, uncertainty, and so much hate.

it has only been 6 months so it's ok! Even if it would take them years and so to help them. It's ok even if...it means having to return them back to their own world...

So it is not the time for them to dilly dally and lose hope. It's time to pay them back for everything they've given to every single one of them.

In those 6 months, they started with itty-bitty steps...by allowing them to adjust at their own pace and also 'finally' getting a therapist and a counselor for the school.

They've also sought advices and to do's and not to do from people with a wide knowledge of such cases.

They did their best to not to trigger traumatic flashbacks by avoiding sending too many presents, less contact, and trying to be as calm and patient as they could whenever they are nearby to not overwhelm and pressure them.

Instead of forcefully conversing with them in person instead they try by giving encouraging notes/messages or simply encouraging them to let out everything they feel and etc. Or sending them flowers and little trinkets.

"Hello Mc! This is Riddle...I can't really say to you to stop worrying or everything is alright so...instead, I wish you to get better soon! If you are still not comfortable with our presence it's ok take your time! I know you might be thinking I'm doing this to control you and all but all of us are being sincere in proving we are better than our alters.

you should open the little box by your bed. It's ok the queen of hearts never really gave a rule about doing such things...so I hope it could comfort you in some way. P.s it's a hedgehog btw...just so you know." -Riddle Roseheart

" Ace and Deuce hereee. Get better soon!! We don't really know what to tell you but we hope you start healing well. We really missed you...we made you something...it's the same tart we made on our first birthday party...so we would be really happy if you eat but it's fine if not just...just try to not throw it out the window or... just get well soon." -ADeuce

"Hiii! This is Cheka uncle Leona's nepew!! Remeber me? I heard from uncle Leona that you wernt feeling good :( I'm sorwy jus t so u know uncle and I relly like you mama papa tool! Get well sooon! Uncle tld me I canot relly sea yu know witch made me sad but its okay! I maid you this drawing of you and me plus uncle and mama and papa eating cake in the guarden! I hope this comes tru! Get well soon big sister/brother!!!" -Love Cheka!💗

"Human it is I Sebek! Eat your meals, get some rest, stop hurting yourself and love yourself...You deserve to do so, I'm not asking on behalf of my young master, everyone and for myself but for you. I will not force you to do anything you dislike but at least take great care of one's self. Hate us if you wish just care for you so take this Tamagotchi the diasomania dorm bought for you ." -Sebek

They couldn't blame them to start crying and panicking when they were nearby or when receiving their gifts and letters...so it's ok. But of course, they also seek professional help to also avoid another overblot.

Because of it all slowly they start having improvements like them not having panic attacks when passing by and on some occasions, they would even text back.

It was very little but for them it is everything.

It motivates them to do more but notes not to overdo it, to go forward because little by little they are slowly but surely putting down their walls.

They even had the chance to sometimes be able to chat with them in person but behind doors/walls.

Grim could even visit them occasionally in person!

And some of the trinkets and presents they gave them weren't always thrown or burnt.

it was a great improvement which made them so so glad!

although they still try to commit suicide and inflicts self harm it was less worst than before.

So they continue to do as they did and would only do things when they feel comfortable in doing so.

It has already been 2 years already and...

"Hey Mc, Let's sit here!" Ace shouted as he sat at an empty table.

"Mmh...kay" they answered.

"Myehehehe! Look Mc! I passed the test!" Grim proudly said.

"That's nice!" They said with a soft smile as they petted the cat monster's head.

Although their reply tends to be rather dry and empty at times it is fine. They are happy to study, hangout, and spend time alongside them.

The graduates would also often visit them when they have time they too notices the differences but are satisfied to how it is now.

"Ace! Deuce!"

"Shit...heyya Riddle-senpai! Long time no see!" Ace said as he nervously rubs the back of his head.

"Oh you to are wanna be the end of me!!! Just because I'm not always in school means the two of you could just go and break the queen's rules!!!! Hah I shouldn't have entrusted the dorm to the both of you..." Riddle said as he massages the bridge of his nose.

"Ahahhaah....sorry dorm leader." Deuce said sincerely apologetic for the trouble he's been causing.

"JNJAKWJDJDJJDJDJSJDNJDDHSJS-"

"Hello-I Riddle calm down...I've brought some newly baked tarts everyone." Trey said upon arrival.

"Epel Flemier!"

"Oh no....Good afternoon Vil-senpai!" Epel said with a 'sweet' smile. "why is he here. He already graduated! JAJSJSJDJ I thought I finally escaped him." He whispered.

"I've heard that! Have you been doing your skin care? Why is your skin so dry and your hair! AJJDDJJDDJC"

"hello Mc and everyone! Seems like everyone's having fun lemme join too!!"

"Kalim-hah there's no stopping him."

"Good day all."

"WAKA-SAMA! THANK YOUAND IT'S AN HONOR FOR SUCH AS YOU TO VISITING US."

Soon all of them are finally present in the cafeteria causing a lot of the 2nd to 1st year's to admire them although with such childish displays from each and everyone of them Mc can't help but chuckle and feel more at ease.

Hearing Mc laugh at their antics made their hearts swell with pride and joy. They've did well. Although they wouldn't be like the person they were before it makes them so happy to see them feel more comfortable than before since the incident.

Although it was quite a shame they couldn't take their friendship to another level yet...it was still fine. They can't really put all their efforts to waste when they've already reached this far! They just need to be more patient and understanding.

Besides if it weren't for their new found 2nd and 1st year's friends they couldn't have done better.

"Heyya Mc, Acey, and Juice-senpai's!” Kroner a nice and goofy 1st year although he is quite dumb but he makes great food and and...talks to squirrels...

"It's Deuce not Juice, Kroner!!!"

"Oh, Sorry Bruce-senpai"

"DEUCE! DE U C E"

"Doesn't he remind me so much of you deuce" ace said teasingly.

"Shut it Ace!"

"Ohhh~! There you are Kroner! Hello senpai's" Yza a very power hungry 2nd year (just like Azul lol) that stick to them like an annoying leech! He has the face of a dinosaur and totally shameless!

"Hey there Yza!” Kroner cheerfully said after all he is his henchman.

"Hey there Kroner!" Yza said with the most fakes and plastic smile.

'Plastic annoying dino' is what most of them thought.

'Today isn't so bad. Everyone is having tons of fun and the air felt light and comfy.' Mc thought as they watched them with a very fond smile.

It has been really hard for them to trust, love, and smile once again. Without their friends, they would have long been 6 feet under. It was a really traumatic experience and they truly wish these kinds of moments stays forever and that they would NEVER meet their alters once again.

Their heart may have shattered and was beyond repair, but their friends still gave their all in sharing theirs slowly while slowly but surely building up their broken heart, although the cracks remain they built a foundation to make be like how it used to be yet warmer and filled.

'I really am lucky to have such people by my side. Soon I will be finally spending these moments with less worry and pain.' They thought as they join in the fun.

Fin<3

[bacchanal333]

Turning the Page: A Gruulfriends Snippet

There is so much pain when Nissa wakes up, and sees what is left of herself. What Zhalfir saved and what they couldn’t. There is weakness, nausea, darkness. Awareness that she will carry some of Phyrexia’s gifts - forever.

And there is Chandra. Nissa lets herself go to pieces for a little while, in arms that feel like home.

Time passes. Beyond the little room where she coalesces, the world spins in a million directions. For Nissa, the other planes will have to wait. Her spark is in no shape yet to carry her home to Zendikar. So she only rests, and heals.

She does not keep the arms Phyrexia gave her. Does not trust the sickly gleam of their copper, sees in their harsh lines only the atrocities she caused at Norn’s command. Chandra takes no small pleasure in reducing them to molten slag.

 Nissa knows a sick plant must be pruned, its dead branches removed, if it is to thrive. She cannot be free of all the metal which Elesh Norn sank into her, but these limbs at least - she can trim.

At first she is helpless, and Chandra is her everything - more, that is, than she already was. Dressing her, feeding her, scrubbing her clean and changing the bandages around her stumps. Several times a day Chandra sighs, or sniffs back a tear. Starts to say - if only. I wish I could have saved more.

You saved everything, answers Nissa, her voice soft. Everything which matters.

The two of them settle into a routine. During the day healers fuss over Nissa, leeching any remaining trace of the oil from her flesh, seeing that the cavities and lacerations left behind by Meliria’s intervention remain free of blight; that skin and muscle heal and bond together without forming abscess or too much scarring. There are exercises she must do, stretching her limbs and forcing herself to take shaky steps for as long as her energy holds out - slightly longer each session, slightly further each morning.

At night, Chandra feeds her dinner bite by bite, and then they talk, or they sit, until all too soon Nissa’s weariness weighs down her eyes and they crawl together into bed. Since that first moment when they were reunited, they have done no more than kiss while Nissa recovers, but each kiss writes a new chapter in her memory from which she draws strength during the long and wearisome days.

Nissa focuses on what she can control and what senses remain. She studies the twinkling freckles on Chandra’s cheeks and the way her hair refuses to lie flat, when it isn’t bursting into flame. With her long ears, untouched by the oil’s depredations, she listens to Chandra’s soft breathing in the dark, or the tears which run down her cheeks when she thinks Nissa is asleep. Smells her scent, when the fire mage lies beside her. And feels - oh, even without fingers, how she feels her. 

Nissa feels the beat of Chandra’s heart against her chest when they lie skin to skin; she feels her love’s fingers tracing gentle lines along the tattoos on her back, shoulders, face. And of course those lips. Chandra kisses her chin and cheeks and even, growing mischievous, her ears. Nissa returns each kiss, and each press of her lips is a caress she wishes she could give. More will wait for later.

Then, a message comes for Chandra, from another plane.

I won’t be long, Chandra says. Back before you know it.

She is gone only day. She returns not alone. Saheeli, and Huatli too, are with Chandra when she bursts back through the door into Nissa’s chambers. Fresh from Kaladesh, their arms filled with treasures from another world. Saheeli brings the greatest of all. Chandra practically vibrates with anticipation, with - hope. She kneels by the bed as Saheeli opens the long box she carries. 

Pia’s work is unmistakable, and Saheeli’s own efforts too. Two splendid, glittering arms of lattice and filigree. Fingers and wrists and elbows to reach and grasp and hold. Independence. Possibility. A fresh start. 

It will take time. Long weeks of practice and exercise, strengthening muscles and teaching them new tricks. Nissa will not spend a single one alone. Chandra Nalaar, her love, her all, will stand by Nissa’s side (Nissa Revane, her strength, her cause) through every step.

Hand in hand.

Thanks to @sunokasai for the inspiration for this story.

[wildemaven]

Try Again

Pairing: Dave York x F!Reader

W/C: 1805

Warnings: 18+; Mentions of food and alcohol, not beta’d

A/N: I initially didn’t want the ending to be happy, because Dave was a dick and didn’t deserve a second chance. But for the sake of I can do what I want, I’m going those who wanted things to work out a happy ending. Hopefully it’s what you had in mind.

One Last Try / Alternate Endings / Masterlist

He knew he fucked up the minute he answered that first call. And yet he still continued to do so.

He could see the hurt written all over your face as the night went on, but you sat there and endured his blatant disregard for your time and your feelings— you were too good for him.

How hadn’t he realized the empty seat across from him? Did you say you were leaving?? Looking around as if there was a chance you’d just stepped away to the bathroom and would return shortly.

After 10 minutes and no sign of you, he knew he’d royally fucked up, yet again.

He tried to close out the tab, only to discover you had done so without his knowledge, the waiter giving him a pointed stare and he knows he deserves it.

He knows you’re probably at home by now, and he also knows he is the last person you want to see after this evening.

He called a few times, only to be met with your voicemail at each attempt. He could send a text and ask for your forgiveness, but he knows you would rather hear anything but him begging for mercy.

He calls one last time, gathering his thoughts and waits for the signal before he starts talking.

“Babe… I-I’m so fucking sorry. I got so caught up in work, I-I didn’t see the how it was affecting us— you. I know nothing I say right now is going to make you see how sorry I am for not seeing the pain I’ve caused you. I just want to let you know that I love you and I’m hoping you can forgive me, again. Please let me know you’re okay. Bye.”

He doesn’t feel any better once the call has ended. He hopes that you’ll listen to it at some point, and give him another chance. All though he’s not sure he really deserves one at this point.

*

The clinking of the melting ice settles in his glass, the burn of the whiskey was just enough to help him get out of his head before calling the girls to wish them goodnight, followed by a quick chat with Carol.

After spilling everything that had transpired that evening to her, she reminded him why they were no longer together. While he is driven and likes to provide for his family, he becomes so consumed by it that everything else becomes an afterthought. She’d warned him that if he didn’t figure out how to prioritize his time, he would once again lose the people that mattered most to him.

Her words still sink in even after he’s hung up the phone. She’s right, this is his own doing and it’s cost him potentially losing you.

He throws back the remaining now watered down amber liquid, it’s burn not as intense as earlier.

Letting his body fall down on to the couch, his head falling back to rest on the cushions as he rubs his hand down his face, he’s still so fucking mad at himself for not seeing how much he was hurting you.

As he leans forward to shrug off his suit jacket, he feels something knock into his chest and it’s then that another wave of guilt surges through him. His shoulders fall and a heavy sigh leaves his chest as he reaches into the inner breast pocket of his jacket. The small velvet box sits heavy in his hand, the reality of what tonight was supposed to be hits him hard.

Opening the box, the overhead lights catch the diamond sitting on a delicate gold band staring back at him. He thinks back to how nervous he was this morning, ready to ask you for your hand, now he’s not sure you would have even said yes.

The screen of his phone catches his attention, a message from you. Setting the box down he picks up his phone to see what you’ve sent.

-Hey. I’m home and I’m safe. I appreciate your apology, I just need to be by myself right now. I don’t know what this means for us going forward but I can’t keep going like this anymore. Maybe we can take some time apart and see if us together is truly what we want and go from there. I love you Dave. We’ll talk soon. -

He feels gutted. His head hangs down as he looks down at the message still pulled up on his phone that sits next to the ring. This feels like the end and he’s the cause for all of it.

*

Dave weaves his way through the small crowd waiting for their orders, the coffee shop is busy, tables packed already for a Saturday afternoon.

When he’s made his way through the wall of customers, is when he sees you. You’re seated at a table next to the window, the afternoon sunlight shines on your face, he thinks you look angelic like this. You’re smiling and it hits him how much he’s missed seeing your face light up.

Movement breaks him from his trance, you’re waving him over to your table. His feet begin to move before he’s even realized it.

Your name falls from his lips for the first the first time in a few weeks, but it feels like it should— absolute and perfect.

“Hi, Dave.” You’re smiling at him, he doesn’t feel worthy of your beauty but he can’t help but relish in it.

He settles into the chair across from you, a steaming cup already waiting for him. It would be like you to have it waiting for him, made just to his liking.

“Hi B—“ He has stop himself from using that affectionate name, he doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Been busy with work… I got that promotion, so I’ve been working on settling into that for the last few weeks…” Your voice trails off as you look down at your hands cupping you half emptied cup as you sigh. “I miss you.”

He can feel his chest constrict at your admission, you wouldn’t have to miss him if he hadn’t been such a shitty boyfriend. But hearing you say that you’ve have, allows him to feel an ounce of hope.

When you said you needed time, he respected it and prayed time was all you would need before you were ready to reach out.

It took about 3 weeks before he heard from you, a simple text asking him to meet you today for coffee. He wasn’t sure if this was where you would be telling him things were officially over or not.

“I’ve miss you so much, you have no idea.”He reaches for your hand across the table, he needs to feel your warmth again. “I just want you to know how sorry I am again— for not only that night but for how I hadn’t seen how much you were hurting. My focus was everywhere else instead of what was right in front of me, you.”

He catches the single tear that begins to fall down your cheek, instinctually his thumb brushes it away, he doesn’t want to be the reason for your tears anymore.

“I asked you here today because I don’t want this to be over as crazy as that sounds. I love you and I’ve missed you so much. I-I just needed time to clear my head, give myself some space to think about my future and what I wanted.” You grab his other hand, your grip firm and grounding. “But we can’t keep going like we were before. I won’t let myself go through that again, not matter how much love I have for you, I respect myself too much to be treated like that.”

“I promise you that I will never let you ever feel like you are not one of the most important people in my world. I know that it will take time for you to see that, and I mean it when I say I’m sorry and it will never happen again. These last few weeks have been literal torture.”

Dave takes a moment to look into your eyes, really emphasizing his commitment to you moving forward.

He takes his hands from yours and begins to reach into his jacket pocket, pulling out the small velvet box that had been taunting him since that evening— the little reminder of his own undoing.

Setting it down in front of you, the lid removed revealing its contents to you.

You’re at a loss for words as you try to wrap your head around this. “D-Dave… what is this?”

“That night, I had planned to ask you to move in and marry me so we could start a new life together.” Saying it out loud feels worse than he’d imagined. “And as you already know, the night went in a different direction.”

You look as if you’re trying to find the right words, brows furrowed as panic washes over you.

“Hey, hey. Look at me.” Tucking his fingers under your chin to direct your gaze back to his. “This isn’t a proposal, not yet at least. It’s more of a promise from me to you, that I want this and you. A promise going forward that I will be there for you always. See how things go and maybe if the times right, we can revisit this.”

He can see the instant relief as a small smile breaks on your face.

“Okay. But the second things slip and you go back to your old ways, I’m out— for good.”

“I promise you. I’m going to make you see that will never happen.”

“Put this away for another time then, before I’m tempted to wear it now!” Shoving the small box back to him. He can’t help but mirror your smile and laugh a bit at your comment.

The rest of the time is spent catching up on each other and enjoying each other’s company. Allowing you to take control of the conversation, he just wants to listen to you talk about anything and everything.

“The girls miss you.”

“I miss them too.”

“The amount of times Carol ripped me a knew one over messing things up, I can’t even remember.”

You laugh at that, and he can feel his heart swell with elation.

“Good. I knew I loved her for a reason.” The way you bite your lip when you try to hide your smile, it’s always been his favorite.

You lean over the table and pull his face to you, his lips welcoming the kiss you give him— packed with devotion and tenderness.

“I love you Dave.” You murmur against his lips and he smiles softly as he tells you how much he loves you.

[thegirlwhowrites642]

Ahh, finally used expelliarmus on you-know-who? Well 👏🏼 done 👏🏼. It was long overdue 😂 💕

Bloody hell guys.

I woke up, did my things, then I checked Tumblr and there were messages like this one, people writing in my DMs that you-know-who (for lack of better terms) is attacking me...

Like, wtf?

I feel trapped in a mystery novel where I witnessed a crime, tried to do something about it, and somehow ended up as the prime suspect for the crime.

Yes, I know, you people told me to block him ages ago, I'm an idiot, you were completely right.

Mea culpa

There, I said it.

Also, because I'm curious af, I can't help it, I went to see what the hell he wrote and what he's claiming he said it's not even what he really wrote under the post and it's completely decontextualised. Is this how someone feels when they get trapped in a conspiracy?

I'll start from the beginning so everyone can understand.

I published a post where I fundamentally celebrated some of my favourite female characters.

One of those was Ginny. And of course, every time I say anything remotely positive about Ginny (who is probably the main topic of this blog) he had something negative to say in return instead of just... I don't know... stop following me????? Like every decent reasonable human being?????

One of the things I said was:

And also breaks that idiotic pattern of the hero ending up with the helper. Ginny is truly a character who deserves her own saga.

So, of course, under a post that celebrates female characters, in a blog that is very Ginny-centered, he felt the need to comment that Ginny for him was a helper even if not as close as Ron and Hermione.

Now, of course, I was supremely annoyed by that comment, and I had three options here:

Leave it there

Answer it disagreeing with it

Erase the comment

I didn't want to leave it there because well, first of all, it annoyed me and this is my blog but also because I don't want my posts used to spread ideas with which I disagree. You are free to do that with your posts, but not with mine (also, he could have easily just reblogged it and said what he apparently absolutely needed to say).

So I could answer the comment, I already did it plenty of times, but I exactly because I already did it plenty of times with this specific person, I knew it would have been pointless as usual.

So I erased the comment. Seemed a reasonable solution. It's an option I have, a boundary that I'm absolutely free to set.

He re-wrote the comment under the post.

I know, nuts.

Maybe he thought it got cancelled as a mistake? Possible, I re-erased the comment.

He re-wrote it.

This happened like four times.

Every single time I checked Tumblr he had re-written the comment. I went to sleep with the comment erased, I woke up with the comment there again, I erased it, and five minutes after the comment was there again. Surpassing by a long mile a boundary I had every right to set for myself: not having comments under my post that annoy the fuck out of me, written by someone who takes as a personal insult every post I make about a character I love (because obviously the fact that this was the 50000th post in which this subtle bashing happened played a huge factor, a behaviour displayed in such a way that lead multiple people multiple times to tell me to block him).

So I just decided to block him. Seemed the reasonable route at this point.

I don't want to be followed by someone who can't take a hint and can't respect other people's boundaries.

Turns out I wasn't exaggerating considering that he started leaving that comment under my fanfictions on ao3.

I wish I was joking but it's totally true. And now I'm wishing I hadn't erased them so you could all see the absolutely psychotic behaviour.

And now, apparently, he is writing posts on Tumblr about me.

Anyway, if this to you sounds like something normal to do, please stop following me.

I'm in no way against people disagreeing with what I say and telling me (I would prefer the asks box for that though), I'm against people who do it with no valid argumentation and more importantly obsessively.

[hazbinhoteloc-ninlil]

(a message for the mod :D)

sorry if i'm bothering you with this ask, mod. it's fine if you don't answer this. i know that my words can't worth much to anyone on the other side of this screen, but my gosh i'll try to spread the positivity and my appreciation for all RP blogs, so i'll send this in, mod. there could be a better way of doing this, which i have learned is through the art of tagging (yes i'm slowly learning my way through Tumblr because i, myself, am still a huge Tumblr newbie, lol), and i'm too nervous and shy to do something like that haha, so here's a personalized positivity ask in your ask box :D.

first, i love seeing your OC. their design is such a cool one, both of the designs. they are just so cool. i'd wish i could have interacted more but i get crazy anxious with things that i'm not quite familiar with, but i wish to interact more in the future :D.

the lore that you have made with the other RPers is that even a word? i don't know and i hope that i'm not pulling that word from out of nowhere, lol. is literally so cool to see. but that last one before they ascended just tug at my heart strings T^T.

i do hope that those anons/people would stop sending everyone hate because frankly those people have no clue what they're talking about >:(. you all are frankly so cool and lovely people, so >:(. again, sorry i'm bothering you with this rather man, i didn't expect it to be this long ask.

and that i hope that you have a wonderful day/night/whenever you manage to read this ask. don't feel the need to respond if you don't want to, just wanted to send this positivity ask in :D.

you might be able to tell who this is, but in case you don't, i wouldn't want to expose myself, so i hope you understand this being on an account with literally nothing but a tracker of who i've been to already (yes, i made an account just to do this but without any identifiable information on this account :P).

luv you and all that you do for this community :D.

you do what you do best so keep on doing it, mod :3.

-spreading positivity anon :D (the anon account that only interacts with mods unless the characters are in need to raising their spirit :3, even if this is an account.)

(yes i see the contradictory notion of me having this sign off, lol, but i'll also probably be around the other RP blogs and try to spread some positivity with the same sign-off as an attempt to fight off the unnecessary hate that seems to be thrown around :D. and i will become a virus which spreads positivity if i need to >:3)

Ooc: // Hello sweetheart, thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words.

This is what I meant when I said I am so proud of what this community has become, I’m so honored to be able to be apart of something that seeks to lift up and make others smile, while also gathering to support one another through hate.

Those Hateful anons haven’t come near me, and for that I am grateful, it makes me sad that they went after some of my friends however and I’m glad they seem to have stopped. Hopefully they will reflect on their actions and realize flaw in their own behavior.

I don’t expect apologies from them though it’d be nice if they do read this. “It Starts With Sorry” after all. 😉

I love story telling, writing and drawing. The fact I was able to Share Ninlil with you all and you all have been receptive and fell in love with her has made my heart full. I’m sorry I scared people with her almost death in the Last RP. I was not yet aware of the negativity being spread, otherwise I would’ve put a disclaimer stating her soon ascension. I have no plans to leave this platform anytime soon.

I love you all, and I hope you have a wonderful week, have plenty of food to fill your stomachs, may the weather be fair, and may you be surrounded and protected by joy and peace.

My heart bleeds and goes out to those who are unable to be in peace right now, and I hope they find peace soon.

[vox-multimedia]

(a message for the mod, if you need it :D)

i am so sorry if i manage to bother you with this ask, mod. it's completely fine if you don't answer this. and i know that my words can't really do or worth much to anyone who happens to be on the other side of the screen, but that doesn't stop me from spreading the positivity and appreciation that i feel to all of the RP blogs, so i'll send this in, mod :D. there could be a better way of doing this, which i have learned is through the art of tagging (yes i'm slowly learning my way through Tumblr because i, myself, am still a huge Tumblr newbie, lol), and i'm too nervous and shy to do something like that haha, so here's a personalized positivity ask in your ask box :D.

i love seeing how your Vox interact with everyone (anon or not). even if they happen to slightly be different, i still like it because it was made by you. because you added your own twists and spin to his character :D. interacting have really been a blast and i'm sure everyone have fun with your characterization of Vox. seeing new posts from you brings a smile to my face because i just love it so much.

i do hope that those anons/people would stop sending everyone hate because frankly those people have no clue what they're talking about >:(. again, sorry i'm bothering you with this rather man, i didn't expect it to be this long ask.

and that i hope that you have a wonderful day/night/whenever you manage to read this ask. don't feel the need to respond if you don't want to, just wanted to send this positivity ask in :D.

you might be able to tell who this is, but in case you don't, i wouldn't want to expose myself, so i hope you understand this being on an account with literally nothing but a tracker of who i've been to already (yes, i made an account just to do this but without any identifiable information on this account :P).

luv you and all that you do for this community :D.

you do what you do best so keep on doing it, mod :3.

-spreading positivity anon :D (the anon that only interacts with mods unless the characters are in need to raising their spirit :3)

(yes i see the contradictory notion of me having this sign off, lol, but i'll be around the other RP blogs and try to spread some positivity with the same sign-off as an attempt to fight off the unnecessary hate that seems to be thrown around :D. and i will become a virus which spreads positivity if i need to >:3. don't test me on this claim. i have enough positivity for everyone >:3.)

Oh my.. Thank you SO much for this, I don't know when it was sent, and I'm so so so sorry that I did not see this sooner, I genuinely am so grateful for this and it really brignted my mood, you really don't know how bad I needed this right now. I have been super unactive on tumbler and I haven't posted on this blog for over 6 months, but I was just taking a look through my inbox and saw this. I clicked immediately to respond and I feel super bad for not seeing it for so long.

I am genuinely so thankful for this and I want you to know your efforts have NOT gone unnoticed, you took time out of your life and out of your day to write all that for me and I am so thankful.

My life has been very hectic and a lot of things have happened over the last 6 months, if I'm being honest I have been in a pretty bad place but this means so much to me and I want you to know how much this really impacted me.

I wish I had seen this as soon as it was sent and I want to apologize to not only you but all my followers for being so inactive. I'm also sorry to all the others that have asks in my inbox that where not answered!

Anyways, Thank you for your support and you have my utmost gratitude. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[stormyoceans]

Monica I'm really scared. It's ep 11 next week. We haven't got Mork crying. (Sam mentioned to me that we haven't even gotten the day bawling scene from the trailer?) This eye donation thing seems a little bit too happy and hopeful for an ep 11.

I know this sounds bad but I really hope day doesn't regain his sight. Because everything the series built up about how blind people also are able to experience this world will all go down the drain. And some part of me knows p'aof will not do that. But then. It's so cruel. To give Day the eyes, the hope of vision just to yank it back so heartlessly. It's so mean. I am scared for next Friday monica.

i feel like i should probably wait to answer you because rn the episode is still too fresh in my mind and i don't have the emotional detachment necessary to be, if not positive, at least not utterly and embarrassingly overdramatic about this but. my mood really flipped a whole 180 degrees because of that ending and ngl. im not doing too well ;;;;;;;

FAIR AMOUNT OF NEGATIVITY UNDER THE CUT I ALREADY APOLOGIZE FOR IT

the thing is. i don't think the surgery next episode is gonna be successful, but i still so deeply dislike this eye donation plotline regardless of how it's gonna end because what's the point of it? if the surgery is successful and day gets his sight back, then it's gonna defeat the entire message of the show. if the surgery fails and day remains blind, then it just feels completely purposeless since he didn't need this to accept his disability and learn that he can still have a fulfilling life: he had already accepted this at songkhla, and it was perfect. honestly the only reason i can think of for them to go down this road is to have the surgery be unsuccessful now, only to end the series with day getting it again after some years and this time working out to show that 'you should never give up hope'. and i can't even begin to explain just how much that wouldn't sit right with me. and i mean i don't have a disability so i obviously don't have any right to say this, but still

not to mention that i actually still feel like those two moments with day and mork crying that we have yet to see are both related to the two of them breaking up because mork doesn't feel like he can take care of day, so they're gonna make him leave until he can prove to day's mom that he can provide for day. which is another thing i would hate

i just don't understand why would they choose all of this when, instead, p'aof could have had mork and day figuring out their future TOGETHER and BOTH trying to prove to day's mom that they can take care of EACH OTHER. like the show made such a point of making day become more independent and empowered but now they're not allowing him to be. i wanna see him walking outside alone with a cane, i wanna see him go back to school and finish his studies, i wanna see him open up his little bookstore while mork works as a cook. it can still happen, i guess, but i still wish it would have been given more focus

im also the kind of dramatic person who can't be like 'at least we have the first 9 episodes, they were perfect and nothing can ruin them'. unfortunately that's not enough for me. unfortunately i need them to stick the landing or it WOULD ruin the entire show for me. and not being able to get back to it and find comfort in morkday would honestly be heartbreaking for me. and you know, obviously the message and the representation of the show is the most important part in this, but also i would be lying if i said i didn't want to have a damn DVD box set of a jimmysea series to actually hold and enjoy since we won't ever have one for vice versa, but what would be the point of buying the last twilight one if i dislike the ending

ANYWAY. im really sorry ismay, i ended up ranting because i needed to vent but im afraid im only making you feel worse with this ;;;;;;; maybe after i sleep on it i will be a bit more optimistic about this but. im really scared too ;;;;;;; for what is worth im holding your hand and im here for you whatever is gonna happen

[sourdoughservitor]

The Twelve Days of Omen

Merry meet and welcome to the Twelve Days of Omen are a tradition associated with Yule in pagan circles. Traditionally, these days were seen to present gifts of knowledge from nature. On each of the twelve days following Yule, practitioners who knew where to look would receive a message about their future: a warning about an event, advice about their actions, or perhaps insight into their innermost questions.

But where does one find these omens?

The answer is both simple and complex. The omens arrive, typically from nature, in a quantity equal to the number of Days of Omen that have occured (this cycle). For example, on the third Day, a witch will encounter an image of some kind of triplet.

"But grizzly, lots of things come in ones and twos and threes and so on. How do I know what's just random or normal and what's a message?"

Great question! And here is the beauty of magic, witchcraft, and this form of divination in particular. It's up to you. See, this omen is coming to you, specifically. It's a message for you. So what meaning you derive is up to you. Whether you choose to see it, to accept it, is up to you. This kind of intuitive/interpretive gnostic "sight" is a skill acquired through practice, but a good rule of thumb to follow is asking yourself "What speaks to me? What do I feel calling my name, versus being simply there?"

Again, this comes with time. But today is the first Day of Omen, and if you're staring at every single rock you find, every lone branch, and the single leftover chocolate (probably one of those fruit-filled ones) leftover in your office holiday assortment, I do have one more piece of advice. Look for things that seem out of place. Yes, many things come in pairs and quadruplets. Not every dozen eggs in the supermarket is a dire warning for someone. But maybe you stumble across a trio of twigs on Day Three, placed in a perfect equilateral triangle, by chance. Maybe it's Day One and you see a single blade of grass poking stalwart through a sheet of crisp, white snow. Maybe you grab that last carton of eggs for your breakfast scrambles on Day 11 and--what? You're one egg short? What does that mean? Should you take the eggs, or leave them?

What Omens Mean

We've talked about how to identify the twelve omens, but understanding them is another manner. I wish I could provide more advice on that matter but that part is up to you. Do some journalling and reflecting. Why did this message come to you? Why was it presented in the way that it was? What about it is special, and how does it relate to you, your past, and your future? Consider too the circumstances surrounding the omen. It's not just the shitty baker's dozen, it's the fact that it was the only one left at the back of the freezer, and the missing egg is nowhere to be found. What does that mean? If you're still struggling, think outside the box. Ask a friend for an outside angle. I'm confident the meaning will come to you.

Enjoy observing the Twelve Days of Omen! I wish you good tidings moving into the coming cycle. Blessed be 🐻💚

see my Year of the Wheel masterpost for more!

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Yet Another Disney Rant, Because...

... Bob Iger is just not reading the room...

Bob Iger, CEO of Disney for those who may live under a rock, did some talking today in the wake of WISH flopping... In addition to a centennial year full of financial flops...

Never mind the many ways Disney as a corporation could go about this set of failures... He chose to say stuff like:

“THE MARVELS was shot during COVID, and there wasn't enough supervision on set [from execs]”

Also...

He stated that the **creatives** at the studio "lost sight" of "what their job should be"...

That is... "Entertain first. It's not about messages."

So we're kowtowing to the defective geese that honk "WOKE WOKE WOKE" at everything that so as much moves?

This ain't it, Bob...

More executive interference is not the answer. Remember how buckling Disney Feature Animation top to bottom with execs that warded off the creatives every step of the way worked out?

Ideally, they should just let the filmmaker do as they please (and be open to suggestions, of course) with a reasonable budget at their side. We saw a taste of that in big budget moviemaking this year pay off quite nicely... BARBIE and OPPENHEIMER, hello!!

Disney made that happen on a few occasions outside of all-animated features. Remember how they gave the director of MOUSE HUNT and THE RING a massive budget to make a goddamn pirate movie? In an era where pirate movies were considered "box office poison"? Yeah...

Now let's look at some of Disney's biggest hits when Iger was in charge. The STAR WARS sequel trilogy and ROGUE ONE? No messages? No themes? Not political? Whatever qualms one may have with the sequel trilogy, the one thing you can't say is that they're not political or have some kind of message. It's always been the people vs. space fascists, who are very clearly based on real-life fascists. Aaaaaaall the way back to the original 1977 STAR WARS, which George Lucas based on the Vietnam War, the Richard Nixon administration, you get the idea!

The AVATAR sequel that opened just a month after Iger's return? Like, need I say more?

Marvel? Absolutely, for all the MCU's faults, they are political and message-y. All the IRON MAN movies, THE WINTER SOLDIER, CIVIL WAR, RAGNAROK, BLACK PANTHER, CAPTAIN MARVEL, they all chipped at something like that. If not that, then they're all basically propaganda for the military industrial-complex. Not the desired political message, but it is one nonetheless. If we're saying "dial down the messaging in these movies"... See how contradictory this all is??

Animation, both Disney Animation and Pixar. ZOOTOPIA, made a billion, the whole damn thing is an Aesop-like parable of prejudice. MOANA, very much a parallel to colonialism and environmentalism. FROZEN II is also about colonialism in some way or another, sins of the past. ENCANTO's generational trauma is completely rooted in its setting's history. Even something like COCO or TURNING RED (the latter greenlit when Iger was in charge) are still political in some way or another - having representation in a large white male-dominated field, that these movies exist and are somewhat doing something for representation. All art is political, really. It's silly to suggest that art isn't, or that art doesn't have some kind of "message".

If this was about poorly integrating the messages into the narratives, like - say - STRANGE WORLD does, then I would understand... But this reads to me as "hey now, don't get political, just giving the masses mindless entertainment comes first"...

Like... Why?

These dunderheaded statements don't make any sense to me.

Especially when the whole history of Disney films and entertainment has some kind of "message" or theme or idea that it's all relaying to the audience. Hell, they made a ton of World War II propaganda films back in the day! You think something like, say, BAMBI was just about cute deer and forest critters? And not about how human beings carelessly cause mass destruction to an animals' habitat and callously take the lives of animals? You think DUMBO was just a cute elephant tale and not at all about prejudice and not othering others for their differences? Or how's about movies like THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and MULAN? Which were slandered as "politically correct" (the late '90s version of "woke") back in the day? Hell, it doesn't have to be overtly political. It can be a personal kind of message, like there was in - say - MARY POPPINS. Like hey, maybe be nicer to your kids?

Like, there's messaging in Disney's legacy. It's how stories work and connect. And that's aaaaall the way down to the parks, too. Hell, a whole park in Walt Disney World - Epcot - is *supposed* to be educational, didactic, and pushing a message in some way or another. Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land, etc. etc. The future, space, the world around us and how we must keep it safe. C'mon now.

Instead of meaningfully addressing the situation, and realizing that what was popular circa 2015 isn't all that big anymore and that maybe Disney should be less concerned with how "Disney" they should make their films, it seems to me that Iger just wants to meddle in the productions more and tailor-make them for audiences that are far smarter than they'd like to believe. Prolonging the funk that they're in...

Like, look at other distribution companies. BARBIE is first and foremost Greta Gerwig's movie, not "Warner Bros. Discovery's BARBIE". OPPENHEIMER is Christopher Nolan's movie, not "Universal's OPPENHEIMER"... Disney needs to get past this "Disney's [Insert Movie Title Here]"... If they did that, they'd be able to make more dynamic movies that the public loves, stuff that wouldn't normally be associated with them. This is why they regularly don't lock acclaimed directors for more original productions, or ones that aren't 20th Century Studios or Searchlight. If they do get one, like Best Picture winner MOONLIGHT director Barry Jenkins, it's because they're attached to some Disney franchise extension. Like wouldn't it be so cool if Jenkins was directing his own movie for Disney and not a fucking tech demo LION KING prequel? They may as well have put him on a Marvel movie!

I mean, yes, Disney did try this a few times in the more recent years to little success. Ava DuVernay directed the massive flop that was A WRINKLE IN TIME (based on the classic novel), and Gore Verbinski didn't find pirate treasure with THE LONE RANGER (based on a character from old radio dramas from the '30s). Even animation familiar Andrew Stanton, who was behind some of Pixar's most beloved films, couldn't turn his John Carter of Mars movie into a franchise starter.

Disney has a sorry history of that, unfortunately. In the '70s and '80s, they turned down the likes of STAR WARS, BACK TO THE FUTURE, and a rather curious Steven Spielberg alien movie that would later morph into E.T.

It even goes back to Walt Disney's later years. Upon seeing TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRG, he remarked "That's the kind of film I'd like to make, but I can't."

Disney has long pigeonholed themselves, they spend too much on their movies, and it's also just fucking hard to second-guess the zeitgeist when something is a year out from release... That should be the evaluation from Iger, NOT "less messaging" and "more executive interference."

I know what Disney CAN be, but it just seems like - between the two Bobs - they actively don't want to pursue that. Well, for the most part. I did say on a piece three-or-so posts ago that I still see interesting stuff coming out of Pixar, 20th Century Studios, and Searchlight. Films like TURNING RED, BARBARIAN, THE MENU, and such have been the highlights of these past couple of years of the Mouse House's movie offerings in my not-so-humble opinion. POOR THINGS looks ten times more interesting than half of the stuff that came out from Disney this year alone.

You may say "but it's all about money." Yeah, I get that! But audiences are clearly rejecting the same ol' same ol! If Disney wants money, maybe they should stop doing this same ol' same ol thing!

A suggestion you know?

As for what he said about sequels today... Iger repeated some well-worn statements there, sorta-kinda "we make too much of them" and "now we'll only make them if there's an artistic reason"... Ehhhhh, maybe do something cool with the sequels to old chestnuts. What if TOY STORY 5 or ZOOTOPIA 2 said "screw it" and went all PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH-style soft reboot on these franchises? People will keep coming for sequels if the storytelling doesn't feel like moldy oldies. Your stale old favorites. "Disney, the way you always liked it."

Right? Another suggestion.

Add-on: It's as if Bob Iger, David Zaslav, and El*on M*usk are in a race to see how they can devolve and strip the respective companies they run of what makes them special.