#i mean who knows what happens in the remaining seven seasons

[blackbleedingrose]

Long Lost Morningstar - Part Four

Fandom: Hazbin Hotel

Pairing(s): Seven Virtues' x reader (platonic), Charlie x reader (platonic), Lucifer x reader (platonic), Lilith x reader (platonic)

Genre: Angst/Betrayal

Warning(s): Cursing, lies, betrayal

Notes: FINALLY! I'm sorry this took me forever to post. I was, and still am, dealing with some school stuff. Truthfully it was a little rough trying to get this one out - along with school and work, I am losing motivation to write this. It could be that I burnt myself on Hazbin after reading so many fanfics for days on end until I eventually got tired. I'm still going to be writing this either way, I'd feel bad to suddenly stop out of nowhere. Funny thing is I'll probably feel motivated again once the second season airs. Oh, well. I'll post part five when I can and am able, so please bare with me and hopefully enjoy this long part for the time being. Thank you for your support - I'm really writing this for the ones reading this series and am grateful for your patience.

Words: 3,298

"I-Is that. . . my name? W-Why would my name be in Lucifer's court record?".

After learning about the exterminations (Y/N) wasted no time flying to the archangels' castle - her home.

She needed to know if they knew about the exterminations, and if so. . .

No, there's no way.

The Virtues' duty were to help remain peace and order - there's no way they'd be okay with the murdering of sinners.

Still, the fear and pain she felt for Charlie and Sera's betrayal made her impulsive.

So much so, that she flew past the archangels' secretary and burst through the doors of the meeting room where they were discussing important matters.

The archangel's were shocked to see (Y/N), who had just interrupted their meeting, looking completely disheveled and breathing heavily.

This behavior would normally be unacceptable, and if it were any other seraphim or angel they would be scolded and punished depending on severity of the offense.

But this was their little (Y/N), whose never interrupted their meetings without reason (or when she was a curious infant who somehow wandered in).

Michael stood up from his seat and flew over to his distressed daughter, "(Y/n). What's the matter?".

(Y/n) struggled to catch her breath, her mind and heart racing.

Michael placed his hands on her shoulders, "Deep breathes, sweetheart. Try to calm down". He gently cooed at her trying to help her find her breath and calm her nerves.

When (Y/N) had finally caught her breath she looked up at her father staring right into his eyes, "Did you know?".

Michael furrowed his brows confused, "Know what, sweetheart?".

(Y/N) took a deep breath before looking at him with sorrowful eyes, "About the exterminations."

Michael and the other archangels' were even more confused than before, "What exterminations?".

"The exterminations of the human souls in Hell."

The archangels' eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Michael looked down at his daughter with slight sternness, "What do you mean?".

(Y/N) went on to tell them all about what had happened at the trial from Charlie's hotel, Angel Dust, Sera's betrayal, to Adam's threat towards her cousin.

To say the archangels' were pissed would be a gross understatement.

How dare Sera and Adam play God and order such an atrocity right under their noses - and for it to be going on this long!

They were embarrassed to have been so ignorant.

Michael felt very uneasy about (Y/N)'s interaction with the Princess of Hell.

Yes, he had been aware his brother had birthed a child in Hell and hadn't seen an issue of (Y/n) of knowing as he was confident the two would never meet.

Well, that back fired horribly.

He couldn't discuss that with (Y/N) right now because, other than letting curiosity get the better of her once again, she hadn't done anything wrong.

She was clearly out of sorts with worry. She didn't need anything else but reassurance and comfort.

"Thank you for telling us. Don't worry, we'll be sure to handle this," Michael said trying to comfort his daughter.

"B-But, Charlie," (Y/N)'s breathing spiked, "A-Adam threatened t-to, to!". Tears flowed down to her red cheeks, her eyes red and puffy.

Michael gently shushed her wiping her tears, "Calm down, sweetie. We'll handle everything, especially Adam. Just go to your room and try to relax. I'll tell the staff to get you some tea."

(Y/N) shook her head, "B-But I need to help Charlie. I-I need to do something -,"

"No." Michael's tone was stern but gentle. "This is for the higher ranking angels to handle and you're too emotional right now to think clearly. Let us take care of this."

"Listen to your father, (N/N)." Azrael said his grin more menacing than usual. "And don't fret over Adam, we'll make sure to deal with him personally."

The other archangels' agreed without question. Adam wouldn't get away with making their precious niece cry.

(Y/N) realized her father was right, she was too emotional right now.

She was in no condition to deal with this as she was.

After saying goodbye to her family, (Y/N) went to her room to try and calm down.

Feeling completely exhausted and emotionally drained, (Y/N) passed out the second her head hit her pillow.

The next day (Y/N) woke up later than usual and saw a note on her beside table.

It was from her father telling her not to worry about her duties that day and to just rest.

(Y/N) was grateful to her father, but she was so restless about the trial and the upcoming extermination.

She got ready for the day and went down into the courts archives.

Maybe there was something she could use in the courts records to help Charlie.

Since she was a stenographer, a seraphim, and Michael's daughter no one questioned her being there.

In fact, many of the simps angels there were more than happy to help her.

(Y/N) declined most of their help, not wanting to garner unnecessary attention to what she was looking for or why.

She continued doing this for days making sure to cover her tracks so her father and uncles didn't catch wind of her little excursions.

Which was why most of them were in the dead of night.

She hadn't heard a word of what her father or uncles' were going to do about the exterminations.

But the times she's seen Adam and Lute, the two were still their cocky and douchey selves.

So, she knew the extermination was still on.

Why?

Why haven't the archangels' done anything yet?

What were they waiting for?

A small part of her wondered if they ended up agreeing with Sera and Adam and wanted to keep the exterminations on, but she quickly pushed those thoughts aside.

The archangels' duty was to follow the laws of Heaven, and the exterminations clearly went against that.

There's no way they'd be okay with keeping it going.

Still. . . they weren't working fast enough.

The month was almost over.

So, she continued researching wanting to find anything that would prove Sera and Adam wrong about Hell and prove Charlie's hotel worked or could work.

One night while everyone had turned in, (Y/N) snuck into the ancient archives - court records that dated over billions of years ago.

Maybe there was something in the older court records she could use.

She spent hours going through file after file, pulling out possible references to use, and making piles based on the dates.

The long hours started to get to her, the bags under her eyes more prominent with each passing minute.

Without realizing, her eyes lids shut and she slowly drifted to the side accidently knocking over a large pile she hadn't checked yet.

*THUD*

The sound of the falling files scared her awake.

"Oh shit!"

(Y/N) rubbed her eyes awake before going over to the scattered files. She really hoped no one had heard that thud.

As she was gathering all of the loose documents, there was one file folder that caught her eye. Labeled on the tab was 'Morningstar vs Heaven'.

Morningstar? That was Charlie's last name but this file was in one of the older court piles meaning this file was about -

"Lucifer. . .".

She's never read her uncle's trial record before. . . but if he was anything like Charlie then maybe there was something in those documents that could help her prove her cousin's dreams and beliefs.

After all, it was because of Lucifer's desire and dreams to show humanity free will that gifted humans the ability to dream and choose to be better.

She knew her father would frown at her view on Lucifer, but she had always thought there might have been some merit behind her uncle's choices.

She started to collect the documents, sometimes glancing over certain parts that caught her attention. However, as she was going through the files she saw something in one of the documents that she had never expected to see.

"I-Is that. . . my name? W-Why would my name be in Lucifer's court record?". (Y/N) bit her lip deciding if she should look through it or not.

In the end she decided to go through with it and read the document. It was probably nothing, just her mind playing tricks on her. She had been up for hours, after all.

However, the moment her eyes scanned through each line her heart dropped into her stomach.

Sera: Take the child.Court angels: (takes the infant (Y/N) Morningstar from the arms of her parents, Lucifer Morningstar and Lilith)

"P-Parents?".

The rest of the documents recounted Lucifer and Lilith's guilty verdict, their sentencing to Hell, and the courts final proceedings.

(Y/N) wanted to refuse everything she had read, wanting to call it all lies.

But stenographers, especially in Heaven, cannot lie when recording. The magic imbedded within the typewriter wouldn't allow it.

Still, it just couldn't be true. . . Maybe this was another (Y/N), one she's never met. There was no way it was talking about her.

However, before (Y/N) could attempt to convince herself even more she noticed one final document lying on the floor. She recognized what kind of document it was immediately.

It was a Heavenly Ordinance.

She slowly reached for the golden paper and started to read it.

"By Heavenly decree, it is now ordered that all residents, and new ones to come, are forbidden from tempting humanity or breaking Heaven's rules. All residents must obey and turn from all misguided thoughts, dreams, and or endeavors. All violators will receive punishment. It is also ordered that the Heavenborn seraphim, (Y/N) Morningstar, is now under the care of the Seven Virtues; specifically Archangel Michael Demiugros. The infant's name will be changed to (Y/N) Demiugros. The child will have no connection to Lucifer Morningstar and Lilith, and will be told Michael Demiugros is her father/parent who crafted her from stardust. All Heavenly residents aware of the child's true lineage are forbidden from speaking on the matter. All violators will be punished severely."

(Y/N) felt like she couldn't breath.

Her hands were shaking, her heart pounding in her chest.

Oh, God.

She wanted to deny it and believe all of this was some sick prank.

But even she knew no one in Heaven would dare fake writing a Heavenly Ordinance, let alone play such a cruel prank or joke.

Besides, the Heavenly Seal at the bottom of the document was proof of its authenticity.

Heaven would never allow a fake to be placed with the court records.

It took a while for her to calm down.

Looking at the clock mounted on the wall, she saw how late it was.

The court angels who had the early morning shift would be here in two hours.

Wiping the tears that had gathered in her eyes, she used her magic to help clean up her mess and put all of the documents back into their original places - except for one.

When she started to put Lucifer's file away, she stared at the ordinance.

She paused for a moment before folding it up and shoving it into her pocket.

After everything was put away (Y/N) went back to her room with her mind buzzing and heart racing.

She woke up five hours later to the sound of her alarm.

She felt absolutely exhausted.

At first she thought it had all been a dream, a really bad dream.

But when she checked her pockets and pulled out the folded up golden paper, she knew it wasn't.

She was heartbroken.

The feeling of betrayal and hurt plaguing her soul.

Why?

Why did they lie to her?

Why did they do all of this?

Now everything made sense.

Why she was so restricted from practically everything.

Why everyone in her family kept her so close and away from any of the higher seraphim duties.

Why she really looked like Lilith. . .

To top it all off, the person she had believed to be her father this whole time was actually her uncle.

She truly didn't know how to feel, and she wondered if Charlie knew.

Probably not given how shocked the Hellborn had been to hear she had a 'cousin'.

Though, now she knew why she felt such a strong connection to Charlie.

They were sisters.

And if Charlie hadn't known about her, she doubted Lucifer or Lilith did.

She wondered what else Heaven has lied to her about.

. . . Did they even love her?

If she really was the spawn of the ones who damned humanity, did they only keep her for their own benefit?

Have they actually hated her this entire time?

These thoughts brought tears to her eyes.

The rest of the day as she continued on with her duties, she thought back to her family and her newly discovered ones.

Whenever she interacted with her family in Heaven, she did her best to keep up appearances.

There was no way to tell what would happen if they found out what she knew.

So, she decided to bite her tongue.

No matter how much she wanted to scream and cry.

She wondered if they were even going to do anything about the exterminations.

She was starting to doubt it since she hadn't heard anything new; though, would they even tell her?

And Adam and Lute were as smug as ever.

That made her angelic blood boil.

Did they really hate Lucifer, Charlie, her, and sinners so much that they would allow this atrocity to continue?

Even though it went against everything Heaven stood for?!

No.

(Y/N) wouldn't stand for this.

If she was going to help Charlie, she would have to take matters into her own hands.

Luckily, Michael and her other uncles' taught her basic combat.

Hopefully that would at least help her fed off a few exorcists.

The next few days leading up to the extermination, (Y/N) secretly stole some angelic armor and weapons.

She eavesdropped on Adam and Lute trying to find out their plans and the exact time of the extermination.

She even continued to gather information for Charlie to help prove her hotel could work.

She acted as she usually did in front of others to avoid suspicion.

She planned to sneak out the night before the extermination to help Charlie and her hotel prepare for the fight.

She was a little nervous about seeing her newly discovered sister, and possibly her biological father, but she knew she would have to suck it up and wait until after the battle was over.

The morning before the extermination, (Y/N) felt more than prepared - she had everything she needed before tonight.

Everything was going according to plan.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Michael asked the court angel who seemed to be a bit out of sorts.

"W-Well, sir, there seems to be a document missing from one of the court records".

Michael rose a brow, "Okay? Which records?".

"U-Um. . . one of the ancient records, sir."

'Ancient records?'

Michael's brows furrowed - why would a document be missing from one of the oldest records in Heaven? Hardly anyone uses or reads them. They're mainly there as historical records now.

"Strange. . . Which record was it then?"

The court angel gulped, "U-Um. . , i-it-"

Michael glared slightly annoyed, "Just say it!"

"I-It was from Lucifer Morningstar's, s-sir!"

Michael's eyes widened, "Lucifer's?"

"Y-Yes, sir. We noticed some of the court records had been a little out of place the past couple of days, but thought nothing of it as everything was neatly put back. But this morning one of the court angel's found a feather between Lucifer's record, and when they opened it they saw one of the documents inside was missing."

Michael frowned, "Which document?"

". . . The Heavenly Ordinance, sir."

'The Heavenly Ordinance? Why. . . Why would anyone take that?'

"This was the feather that was found inside the court record."

The court angel presented Michael a singular feather. It was beautiful and the design looked very familiar -

Michael's breath hitched as he looked closely at the feather. He snatched the feather out of the court angel's hand looking at it even closer.

'No, no, no - it can't be!'

Without another word Michael flew out of the room leaving very confused and concerned court angels'.

'There's no way! She cannot possibly know!'

Lost in his own frantic thoughts, Michael failed to notice a certain archangel in his path, and proceeded to crash right into him.

"Woah, Michael! What's the rush?" Azrael asked wincing from the impact.

Michael looked at his brother, fear in his eyes, "Azrael. I-It's terrible. . . (Y-Y/N). . . S-She-"

"(Y/N)? Did something happen to her?" Azrael asked worried. He's never been his brother so distressed before.

"S-She. . . She knows."

Azrael furrowed his brows, "'Knows?' Knows, what?"

"About Lucifer. . . the truth about Lucifer and Lilith."

Michael proceeded to tell Azrael the events that happened taken place in the courts archives.

"That's strange," Azrael hummed. "Just as strange as the report I just got that some angelic armor and weapons are missing."

Azrael saw Michael's expression morph into one of absolute horror and waved his hands trying to dismiss his brother's thoughts, "But it could all just be a coincidence!".

Placing his hands onto Michael's shoulders, Azrael looked into his eyes, "Michael. You know (Y/N). As curious as she is, she's not reckless or stupid. She knows her place in Heaven and wouldn't dare ruin that. Have more faith - after all, you are the one who raised her."

Michael calmed his nerves as he listened to his brother's advice. He's right. (Y/N) was raised right and she would never do something that would jeopardize her place in Heaven. Someone else had to have misplaced the document, armor, and weapons.

. . . Still. . .

He couldn't shake off the ugly feeling in his gut.

Hours had passed and it was now late into the night.

To everyone around her (Y/N) was her normal graceful, polite, and dutiful self.

Almost like she hadn't been stressed out the entire month worrying for her cousin, who she recently discovered was actually her sister, and finding out her entire life has been a total lie.

She really played the part of the obedient seraphim quite well.

But right now, she was anything but.

Right now she was the sleep deprived heartbroken, scorned girl who no longer knew who she was or who she could trust here.

But, she was going to find out.

While the rest of the castle was asleep, (Y/N) changed from her night gown into light but durable angelic armor.

She wore her long blonde hair in a high ponytail and carried a long angelic spear on her back (along with a few angelic daggers and a whip on her hips).

Once ready, she quietly unlocked her balcony door trying to make as little noise as possible.

She could feel her nerves shake.

She's never been in a real fight before.

She knew what she was doing was dangerous; and if found out, could lead her into a world of trouble.

Looking back behind her she glanced over her room.

Her eyes landing on a picture frame found sitting on her vanity.

It had a photo of when she was little.

In it she was hugging Michael with her favorite duck plushie in her arms.

They both had such big smiles.

Sadness filled her heart as tears pricked her eyes.

Had it all been a lie?

Well. . . either way, she would find out later.

Charlie needed her right now.

She smiled sadly at the duck plushie laying in her bed silently wishing for luck.

Steeling her nerves, (Y/N) internally prepared herself for the battle ahead.

What she wasn't prepared for was to come face to face with Michael the moment she turned around.

Taglist:

@soobryu @kyo-kyo1 @miyako-night20 @charliecharlie65 @unknow-sama @myluckymoon @lbcreations-blog @moonchaos18 @sirenetheblogger @jagharamira @el-hajj @azharyy @glowymxxn @itsmonicabc @lxkeee @aria-tempest @glowinthedarkbones1150 @sashaphantomhive @0strawberrysorbet0 @serenity-loves-red @snowy-violet @aishallnotbefound

[queers-gambit]

When Pride Married Prejudice

[ part two ]

[ series masterlist ]

prompt: in the beginning, your mother delivers disturbing news, but perhaps, not all is as it seems.

pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Velaryon!reader

fandom: House of the Dragon

word count: 9.7k+

warnings: spoilers, cursing, small angst, 150% filler, small background, author breaks the fourth wall once but go with it - i promise it works. author is also given free rein of her imagination and this came out...hmm... ❗️major season one, episode seven spoilers

"What?" You asked with a beg over the sounds of the crashing waves on the cliffside your mother, Princess Rhaenyra, had lead you out to stand on. She had just delivered devastating news with a sympathetic gaze, making you beg her again, "Say it's not true, Mother, please, no, no. Th-This isn't... Mum, how could this happen?"

"I am truly sorry, my sweet girl," Rhaenyra sighed, nodding at you as her hands caressed both your cheeks to sweep stray tears as they fell. Her forehead met yours, making her whisper, "But while I could not stop the entire proposal, I was able to bargain for leeway."

"What does that mean?" You pulled back to look into her lavender eyes. They were full of sadness and regret.

"You will remain at Dragonstone with your family, so I might continue to teach you - and so you do not have to interrupt your other studies. But..." She sighed deeply, blinking a few times to clear her thoughts.

"But?"

"They want you married before you turn ten-and-eight."

"No," you blanched, shaking your head in refusal to free yourself of her comforting hold, "they cannot make me marry him. Mother, please, do not let this happen."

"I could only barter for us a few years yet, my love."

"This is the payment they demand?"

"Better this, my sweet dove, then that of blinding your brother," she countered with a frown. "The Queen was unwilling to barter at first, but the King thought it a rightful proposal."

"And who, might I ask, offered my hand to Aemond Targaryen for payment over a childish squabble - that, yes, did maim the boy, but that's not... It's not like... Oh, Gods, yes, okay, when I say it out loud, I suppose I can understand the reasoning. Then why does this still feel so wrong, Mother?"

She frowned and reached for you, pulling you in closer to hold. You clung to her in fright, allowing yourself a moment of rare vulnerability as you stood alone; the only sounds around you, that, of the temperamental sea. She spoke softly in your ear, "I am truly so very sorry, my sweet girl. I am." Her hand pet the back of your head, but her grip remained strong. "But there is honor in fulfilling one's duty. I wanted very different things for you, but fate is funny at times."

You tightened your hold on her. "Tell me the truth, Mother, what's happened?"

She sighed and laid a long, solemn kiss to the top of your head. "You are of an age now that you will understand." She gave a soft pinch to your chin, "And have always been much too mature for your age."

You chuckled softly, "I often think there's much you don't know about me. I am not the perfect child you've tried to mold me into."

"Oh, I know everything, my girl," she grinned, making you feel heated from embarrassment. "You were truly restless as a child, it was hard to keep you within the castle walls. But might I tell you a secret?"

"Of course."

"Ser Harwin was always looking after you," she chuckled. "He would take extra shifts in the night to patrol the city just to ensure you were safe. But what he reported back always made my heart swell with genuine pride."

"Might I tell you a secret?" She nodded and let one hand hold your upper arm and the other to caress an unruly strand of hair back behind your ear. "I always wondered if one day, you would name me your heir... So, when I could not sleep, I liked to linger around the city. I liked knowing the people, thinking, if I were to ever govern them, I'd better know them best."

"See?" She nodded. "Always far too mature for your age. Yet the matter of succession with us has differed..." You braced yourself. "You are my eldest child, and my only girl," she spoke fondly. "And when my Father named me his heir, going against decades of tradition, I always promised myself that I would not do the same to my daughter unless I had no choice. I would never make her endure what I was forced to. Yet, you were still young when Jace was born, and your Father and I had a conversation. Should the matter come up publicly, you were always to be heir to Dragonstone, and that was the end of the matter. When Luke was born... Things shifted again, but only just. You were still my heir to our home, but now, Jace is to be my heir after I take the Throne, and then Luke is to succeed his father's birthright to Driftmark."

"And now? With Joffrey?"

"Much will be discussed later," she promised. "But I have declared to the King that you are to inherit our home on Dragonstone, and there is no change in that. He approved, but..."

"But what?"

"He also approved of your hand being offered," she swallowed thickly.

"You would tell me in truth what has happened?" You nodded, holding onto her waist to keep yourselves anchored. She nodded, sighing deeply before starting her tale.

And yet, Dear Reader, to fully understand, we need to go back.

Your hand was held tightly in your father's ever since he received news of his beloved sister, Laena Velaryon, passing away due to complications from childbirth. In an effort to avoid being sliced open and bleeding out to death, Laena had risen from her bloody birthing bed, and hobbled outside to beg her dragon, Vhagar, to let her meet her end through dragon fire.

Neither your Mother, nor Father, the Lord Laenor, knew you had snuck into the study and read the scroll sent to them by your Great Uncle Daemon - who gave an honest recount of events.

Now, he and his two twin daughters, your cousins, Rhaena and Baela, were flying from across the Narrow Sea to lay the charred bones of Laena to rest on her ancestral home. And because Laena was a Velaryon before she took the name Targaryen, she was to be launched into the sea by means of an intricately carved coffin.

She'd rest with other Velaryon's at the bottom of the raging waters.

Laenor stood stoically as his Uncle Vaemond spoke in High Valyrian, proceeding over the funeral service as your entire family - both Velaryon and Targaryen - had gathered to pay their respects. Laena's coffin, which was carved to encapsulate her ethereal beauty, was set to a launching-cliff, and ropes were thread around to push and plunge her into the crashing waves beneath.

However, as Vaemond spoke clearly above them all, he was offering dirty, hardened looks to your Mother as she held your younger brothers around the shoulders. For a moment, you thought it looked as if they were shielding their mother, and you, who had inherited the Velaryon-Targaryen trademark features, stood between them and your father; creating a visual divide, unknowingly.

But you didn't think that way.

Your only concern right now was being there for your sweet, honorable Father, as he grieved silently with tears sliding down his cheeks. His hand was tight, and you knew he drew strength from your presence.

Daemon stood across the way, somewhat beside Vaemond, and could observe those around him as he stood with his hands crossed in front of him. Vaemond's words were veiled with threat, head turning to stare directly at your mother, "Salt courses through Velaryon blood. Ours runs thick. Ours runs true." King Viserys even recognized the tone; sparing a look to his daughter, who pulled her sons closer. "And ours must never run thin."

And then, oddly, Daemon started to chuckle.

Oh, one could chalk it up to hysteria of a grieving husband, but you knew better. You were a sponge in the courts and listened to everything said; forming your own opinions and often needing to sort through what you'd heard to form something of a mixed-truth.

You knew of the rumors surrounding your Great Uncle and his niece, your Mother, Rhaenyra... And this moment, where he literally giggled to himself, was in an effort to get the attention off of your Mother - and shift those beady eyes who offered her judgement onto himself.

You knew half-truths, mostly content to observe and just listen. It served you well enough - now, a perfect moment to see through Daemon's hysteria. He was offered nothing but silent, dirty glares - most of which came from your grandparents, the Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen; who stood, comforting Daemon's children while still grieving their own lost daughter.

Two young girls who had lost their mother and were watching her about to be laid to rest... And their Father laughs?

While Velaryon blood ran thick with salt, Targaryen blood was hot with fire - and the devastating need to protect one another. In those moments, Daemon felt the burning, pressing need to protect Rhaenyra over comforting his own daughters - something you'd come to grow used to.

The ropes were tightened, and your Father's arm wrapped around your shoulders to pull you in for a hug; something you returned with tight arms. He needed you, and you were there for him.

Salt was thrown over the coffin as it was edged over the cliff and Vaemond gave the final words of service. Just before Laena was plunged over the edge, he spoke, "From the sea we came. To the sea, we shall return."

The day had passed sluggishly and after a meal, you found yourself still with your father - but watching him sadly wade in the waters lapping at the rocky shoreline of the island. Dragons flew above you all, and once or twice, you saw your great emerald beast circling the island; playfully soaring around other (smaller) dragons.

"Daddy?" You called from the shoreline, feeling your nerves spike the longer you stood there. The sun was moving into position to sink and knew the hours grew later. "Daddy? Maybe we should go in now? 'S getting a bit cold - the waters are freezing! Daddy! Come in, please!"

He did not respond, he just stood there; waist-deep in the tide with you watching on the shoreline. Your fingers twisted together in nervousness, feet shifting in the weighty sand.

"Father! Please, come inside with me?" You tried again, but to no avail. He had waded out there after the funeral's dinner, and while everyone gathered on the stone courtyard for drinks and mingling, your father had fancied a walk. For an hour now, he's been standing in the water.

Your head looked up towards where you knew the courtyard was, and caught sight of your grandsire glaring down at your father. He frowned when he caught your eye, then nodded, waving for you to come up. You nodded in return, looking to your father once more.

"Daddy, I have to go in, it's getting late," you tried. "I do not wish to leave you, come with me, please."

"Go on, my sweet darling," Laenor finally croaked - but did not turn.

You sighed with defeat and turned for the archway, hustling up the stone stairs, and just as you reached the top, Ser Qarl was rushing towards you. "Princess," he muttered with a nod, making you smile.

"He will not come in, even for me," you spoke softly, "good luck. Might have to force him out."

"Of course, thank you, Princess," He nodded and darted past you, letting you enter the courtyard finally. There were respectful nods from those who attended the funeral; most offering words of condolences before you caught the eye of the King.

Approaching the two men, you bowed with respect and laid a hand to your Uncle Daemon's arm. "I mean no intrusion, Your Grace, my Prince," you nodded to them both, "and apologize for the interruption I pose, I only mean to extend my condolences to you, Uncle. How sorry I am for your Lady wife, and for this loss you feel."

He nodded, letting his free hand pat over your own. "Thank you, my gentle niece."

"My Prince," you nodded, "Your Grace."

As you took your leave, you heard Viserys offering Daemon to return to King's Landing - to court, or other. You did not hear the rest, finding your mother in the crowd and making a beeline for her through a slew of distant family and members of court offering their words of sorrow.

"Sweet girl," she sighed when she embraced you. "Are you all right? Where is your Father?"

"I could not get him to come in with me," you admitted with shame. "He prefers to stand in the waters, I think it makes him feel close to Laena... Like they're both together again, if only in the tide."

She sighed, petting over your head, "You shoulder too much of your Father's grief, my sweet girl."

"It is never more than I can handle, Mother," you assured. "My skin has grown thick and there is little else to be whispered that can faze me now. My Father needs me, and I am happy to fulfill that duty."

Truth was, once upon a time when you lived in King's Landing, your older cousin, Aegon, started to publicly tease you for being a "Daddy's Girl," and let that come churn-up negative connotations. Rumors grew and festered because of your complexion, where your skin was shades lighter than Laenor's and had bright white hair - while your brothers were pasty-skinned with dark hair.

Aegon liked to tease you for your close relationship and others joined in, thinking it got under your skin. Thinking it was something to laugh about when your Father started to train you beyond what others thought "acceptable". He was your biggest supporter, and helped you push yourself to new limits with horse riding, sword fighting, archery, even just a bit of spear throwing. Laenor and Coryls even once took you on an adventure at sea, where you learned the 'ropes' of sailing and how to fish "properly". You never let the snide comments and vile words taint your view of your "Daddy" because you knew the truth.

Plus, you could just say to Aegon, "You wouldn't know a Father's love even if it slapped you in the face." That shut him up every time.

Rhaenyra smiled at you and gently caressed your cheek, but movement behind your shoulder caught her attention. When you turned to stand at her side with her arm around your waist, you noticed your Uncle Daemon surging past everyone - but stopped when Otto Hightower, Hand of the King, who had a public distaste for the Rogue Prince, stopped him to mutter something. You imagine it was condolences, but you were too far to hear it.

When Daemon managed some comment and then escaped down stone stairs, you mother looked around cautiously. "Mother," you warned through the corner of your mouth. "I would not, now is not the time."

"Hush now, my girl, come with me," she sighed, taking your hand, and leading you towards your brothers. When you reached them, she stooped to speak to them, "Your sister is in charge, do as she says, but I want you all to go to bed."

"But, Mother - "

She cut Jace off, "Go to bed."

With a meaningful look to you, you understood and gave her a reassuring nod with a squeeze to her hand; often thinking your minds were connected by some string - making nonverbal communication essential between you. You often found that was what you searched for in a person, first. How their body spoke, despite the words their mouths form.

"Come on, let's say goodnight," you coaxed your brothers, turning to your grandmother and cousins first. You knelt before them, offering, "My sweet cousins, I cannot say how sorry I truly am for this loss. But should you need it, I am here for whatever you need."

"Thank you, cousin," Rhaena whispered, leaning forward to hug you.

"I'm only a few doors down," you whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. You bid Baela a goodnight as well, letting your brothers step up as you helped your grandmother to her feet. She smiled at you and pet over a lock of hair. "We're going to bed, Grandmother, I will see you in the morning, yes?"

She nodded, sparing a glance to the kids before taking you a few steps from them. She sighed, "How's Laenor?"

You frowned, "He would not come in from the sea, Grandmother. Not even for me..."

"He always had a soft spot for you," she sighed, "surely, if you can't get him in, he'll have to be moved."

You nodded, "I did try."

"You did incredible," she praised, taking both cheeks in hand. "I have heard nothing but songs of how you have been the support your father needs. Thank you for being there."

"It is the least I can do after all he's done for me," you whispered. "I only wish I could take his pain. It is a weight that I fear he is buckling under slowly."

Rhaenys sighed and nodded. "I fear for it, too, my sweet. All right, well," she sighed and leaned in to kiss your forehead. "You get some sleep, some well-deserved rest. You've had a day."

"We all have," you whispered, taking her hands in yours, "and Grandmother? I-I want to tell you that I am sorry for you loss. No parent should ever have to bury their child."

She sighed and nodded, squeezing your hands. "You have always been the sweetest girl - and I am so proud to be your Grandmother. I love you, thank you for your words."

Your eyes shut and let her lean in to kiss your forehead. "I love you, too," you promised, smiling at her when your eyes opened to her softened gaze. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she nodded, letting go of you so you could take your little brothers under your arms.

"Grandfather," you spoke to Corlys as you approached. "I hate to interrupt, but we are off to bed and wish to say goodnight."

He gave you all a smile and gentle hugs, speaking softly, "Goodnight, my dears. I'll see you in the morning." Finding no other family members that you cared enough to speak to, you lead your brothers into the Driftmark castle.

You nodded to those you passed, easily navigating the boys to their rooms and did not leave until they were changed and in bed properly.

"Sister?" Luke whimpered.

"Yes, my sweet?" You paused to turn back to him, single candle in your hand and one on his bedside table.

"I-Is Ser Harwin truly gone?"

You sighed, pausing to sit on his bed and pet some hair off his forehead. "I'm afraid so, sweet boy. But Mother speaks true, the Strongs are not our kin and we are needed here. But that does not mean you cannot mourn him, Luke. He was a gallant knight and truly felt part of our family - though he was not our blood."

He nodded, "Could we say prayers for him?"

"Of course," you agreed. "I'll say one for him tonight, too, all right?"

"Thank you," he whispered, letting you lean in to peck his forehead.

"I love you," you promised, letting a finger push the button of his nose.

"I love you, too," he nodded, snuggling into the blankets. "Good night."

"Good night, sweet boy," You whispered, blowing out his bedside candle and parting ways with your own single candle in a holder. You shut their door and moved for your own room, but just before you could prepare yourself for bed, you heard a strangled roar from your opened windows.

It could've been any dragon, but something felt familiar about this sound.

Something felt wrong and you were quick to change into a pair of trousers, a tunic, and boots; rushing off from your room with the intention of checking on your dear, sweet Kasta. She wasn't by any means the largest around but she showed no sign to stop growing - making her rival a few older dragons already. You worried she was being challenged, and easily snuck from the castle walls.

However, you gasped when you rounded a cliffside and almost ran straight into someone.

"You!"

"Aemond! Gods!" You hissed, glancing around and pushing him towards a small alcove of the cliffs in case of any patrolling guards. "What're you doing out at this hour? You should be in bed!"

"What're you doing out? You should be in bed, too," He retorted quickly.

You narrowed your eyes, "I have reason - "

"Maybe I do, too."

You hummed, eyeing him a moment. "What if we agreed to go about our business - never seeing each other, hey?"

He considered it before nodding. "Deal. I didn't see you, you didn't see me."

"Exactly," you chuckled to your 'uncle', though you were 18 months older than him. It was strange, indeed. "Whatever you're doing, just be careful, Aemond."

He nodded, "Yeah. You, too, Y/N."

You both snuck away in opposite directions - where you made for the mouth of the Dragon Pit, and Aemond, in the direction of open sand dunes. You were curious and considered following him, but you were distracted by wanting to check on Kasta more.

After sneaking beneath the Pit, you could not locate your great beast and didn't know if you felt relief or not. So, you spent the better part of an hour searching for the emerald green beast, sighing with relief when she was located at last. Only after you had to scale a fucking cliff, but she was worth it.

"Kasta," you panted in High Valyrian upon approach, the lazy dragon lifting her head from the sandy nest she'd made. "What're you doing, my girl? Hey?" You chuckled lightly, hearing her whine lowly. You sat at her head, giving it a loving stroke. "It is warm in there?" She lipped at your hands, making you wonder, "You okay? I heard something and worried it was you - that you might've been in trouble?"

She growled lightly, lifting her head in interest when the distinct beating of wings was heard - along with a voice shouting in exhilaration. You lifted your head to spy Vhagar circling the island, curiosity peaking; but also assuring you that it was not your dragon that you heard before.

"I thought Vhagar had no rider?" You questioned Kasta, but the dragon lifted her head to stare into your eyes - giving a knowing look. "I see," you whispered.

There was a shuddering quake to the ground, and you knew somewhere nearby, a dragon landed. When your own dragon gave a soft snarl, you felt something on the back of your neck stand on end. She left her head fall back down as you stood.

Unknown to you, your siblings and cousins had searched for you in your rooms before deciding to confront Vhagar's newest rider by themselves. Yet, unknown to them, you were expertly scaling down the cliffside to rush for the Dragon Pit.

Yet, you were still too late.

Aemond had Luke by the throat - all the kids bloodied and bruised to some capacity - and with a large, jagged rock in a raised hand above his head, Aemond was threatening, "You will die screaming in flames just as your father did! Bastards!"

"Aemond! NO!" You raged, rushing to the scene out of pure panic from seeing your younger siblings, cousins, and uncle all bearing marks of a fight.

"My father's still alive!" Luke struggled in Aemond's grip, sobbing.

"So, he doesn't know, does he, Lord Strong?" Aemond snipped at Jace with a sneer, and to your shock, Jace then brandished a dagger.

"NO!" You finally made it to them; first yanking the two girls further back for safety, but it left time for your brothers to attack. "JACE!" You screamed with Baela, trying to keep them back as the boys were so intertwined in a fight, you could not intercede them. And with a dagger in play, you did not risk being an accidental casualty.

Aemond had thrown back Luke and wacked Jace in the head with the rock - knocking both to the floor in whimpering pain.

"All right, that's enough, hey, hey, no more - no fucking more," you stepped in, hands held in peace. "No, you've all made your points - Aemond, please," you begged when your uncle rose the rock above his hand again, smirking in taunt, with the intention of bashing Jace's head in. "Aemond - think for a moment, do not do this," you tried to reach for him, but it was too late. Jace threw a handful of sand to Aemond's face, blinding him a moment, and leaving time for Luke to pick up the forgotten dagger. "NO, LUKE, DON'T!"

But it was far too late.

Luke swung his brother's dagger upward and sliced through Aemond's face - both boys screaming. One in exhilaration and the other in unfiltered pain.

"NO!" You screamed again, reaching Luke first and making him drop the dagger by wrangling his wrist in your hand; your adrenaline pumping so harshly that you didn't realize when the blade sliced through the skin of your palm. You turned quickly, only vaguely hearing the Knight's Guards arriving. "Aemond, Aemond," you begged, taking hold of the moaning and groaning Prince. "Oh, let me see, let me see, c'mon, lad, 's all right, let me have a look," you hushed, huddling over him for privacy and coaxing his hand away. "Gods be good," you hissed, snapping his hand back in place and using your own to add pressure. Both of your hands bloodied within seconds. "Hold pressure, hold the pressure," you told him softly, looking up to see the White Cloaks. "L-Lord Commander, the Prince Aemond needs a Maester at once."

"Let me see," he knelt.

"No, no, it needs pressure for the bleeding," you told him, keeping firm hold on your distant uncle. "Come, help me get him to his feet."

"What happened?" He demanded, doing as you bid.

"I do not know, I arrived too late," You covered, helping Aemond but turning to walk at his back to keep hold over his hand, over the sliced eye he was basically holding in socket.

It was pure chaos from then on, and once you were all gathered in the throne room, the Maester took over.

"Y/N!? Aemond!? Oh, my Gods! What has happened!?" Alicent demanded as she rushed into the room; Viserys limping with his cane in hand not far behind her.

"In a moment, Your Grace," you pleaded, the boy sitting with your hands still holding in injury.

"I need to see the wound, Princess," the Maester frowned.

"All right," you agreed with him, and then looked to your uncle. "Easy, easy, easy, it's gonna gush a little," you whispered, your bloodied hand peeling Aemond's with your own to give sight to the full injury.

You could've thrown up from the sight, but only stepped away as more members of court arrived on scene and the Maester was swooping in.

Turning to Alicent, you explained, "In truth, Your Grace, I do not know much - other than the boy has been maimed. I read it's important to hold pressure to injury before a professional can take over, so, I only helped the Prince do that," you showed your bloodied hands.

"Dear girl," Viserys took your one hand, "you're bleeding on your own, I can see the cut."

"Oh, i-it's just a small cut, Your Grace," you nodded swiftly.

"How did you come by it?" Viserys demanded. His voice then lowered as he bowed his head to tell you privately, "You alone have always told your Grandfather the truth, do not let that change now."

You gulped but held your head up to tell him quietly, his withered hand still holding your wrist, "When I disarmed Lucerys, Your Grace."

"Why were you not in bed?" Alicent asked.

"In truth, I heard a dragon roar, and it sounded so familiar, I worried it was my dragon, Kasta. She's larger than some and still grows, I worried she was being challenged and then feared she was hurt. I was only out of bed, Your Grace, to check on Kasta, I swear it."

Viserys' eyes flashed to gaze heatedly over the others gathered from after the fight - but otherwise, just sighed. He nodded at you, "You're not at fault for worrying. Go on. Clean your hands, dear girl, let someone bind them."

"Thank you, Your Grace," you whispered, nodding with a small smile, "Grandfather."

He smiled briefly in return and patted your shoulder as you turned with dismissal, a handmaiden stepping up to help you wash your hands of blood in a basin and then examine the 'wound'. "It is shallow, Princess," she informed with a nod of her head. "It will heal, but I will bind it to help protect it. Perhaps avoid a sword in this time."

You smiled mutely and nodded, letting her work as the room was stewing in anger and tension as more and more members of the court showed up.

You waited patiently for your mother, letting your anxiety fester to new heights as you began to understand, as the eldest present to the scuffle, you'd be expected to recount events. But you didn't know all of the situation, only what the children had tried to tell you in a jumbled rush on your way there. But they didn't get far as the guards couldn't stand their squabbling, telling them to silence themselves until the King asked for explanation.

As the Maester worked, Viserys was demanding answers of the Lord Commander Westerling, and his Guards; who were not watching the Princes, and therefore, assumed fault for letting everything get to this point. By extension, as second in command with the Queen's Guard, Ser Criston Cole stood under interrogation, as well.

And the King was beyond angry; making you gently flinch when his voice turned hateful towards his guards.

Your hands were wrapped, and you moved along the edge of the crowd to then take a seat on the stone stairs that lead to the throne room to take a moment and think about what you witnessed. You needed time to absorb it all, to just think; to digest.

From beside the light of the hearth, Alicent, watching the Maester work on stitching Aemond's wound closed, asked, "It will heal, will it not, Maester?"

He paused a moment, the room turning towards the Maester and Prince for the answer; and your head lifted to listen. Your brothers stood beside one another without any cleaning to their wounds - simply because they were still on trial for this entire ordeal.

The Maester answered, "The flesh will heal, I'd wager because the Princess Y/N acted quickly to hold pressure." Eyes turned to you as you felt tears of embarrassment and anxiety fill your eyes, bowing your head to avoid their gazes. "But the eye is lost, Your Grace."

Both of Aemond's parents looked genuinely distraught as you finally stood to near your brothers; taking each of them under your arms. They noted the bandages on your hand, but did not get to comment as the Queen was rounding on her eldest son, Aegon, to demand, "Where were you?"

"Me?" Aegon asked, gasping when his mother's hand clapped against his cheek to whip his head to the side. "Ow!" He yelped, "What was that for?"

"That was nothing compared to the abuse your brother suffered while you were drowning in your cups, you fool!" Alicent hissed, teeth bared; her anger tangible.

The doors above you clanged open, and Corlys charged through them, demanding, "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Baela? Rhaena!" Rhaenys gasped, following her husband down the stairs. "What happened? What happened?" She asked, taking the girls instantly into her arms.

Corlys looked around with a fierce gaze, standing before you lot as you tightened your hold on the boys. Not a moment later, your mother was finally opening the doors - looking spooked by the news she received. "Jace?" She looked around - and when she located you three, she was shouting, "Luke!"

You stepped back to let your mother kneel before the boys; and felt a hand smooth around your shoulders. Looking up, Corlys brought you into his side for a tight hug. Your bandaged hand laid on his stomach, making him take it up and examine it with a tight jaw.

"Show me, show me," your mother rushed to your little brother, pulling Luke's hands from his face and revealing his own injury. "Who did this?"

"They attacked me!" Aemond shouted from his seat.

"He attacked Baela!" Jace shouted back.

"He broke Luke's nose!" Baela shouted, and then, the over-lapping voices were too great and many to make out. Yet, bits and parts met your ears as Uncle Daemon arrived on scene, and chose to lean on the door with crossed arms instead of rush for his injured daughters. You did not speak, Corlys and you stood silently and listened.

"He stole my mother's dragon!"

"Enough," Viserys demanded, but the children still shrilly argued.

"He was going to kill Jace!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Enough!" Viserys tried again.

"It should be my son telling the tale!" Alicent joined the efforts.

"He called us - "

But Viserys roared over everyone, cutting Jace off, "SILENCE!"

The room echoed with the aftermath of ringing voices; everyone shying into themselves, and making your father's father tighten his hold around your shoulders. Behind you, your brother whispered to your mother, "He called us bastards."

Rhaenyra stood in thought and kept the bloody boys behind her, sharing a small look with you as her eyes skated over your bandage. But nothing could be said as her hands came to wring together as Viserys called, "Aemond..." His cane struck the stone with each step he took, "I will have the truth of what happened... Now."

"What else is there to hear?" Alicent interjected. "Your son has been maimed. Her son is responsible."

"It was a regrettable accident," Rhaenyra swiftly defended - but even she sounded shaken.

"Accident," Alicent repeated, Corlys pulling you back a step to let your mother be seen. "The Prince Lucerys brought a blade to an ambush. He meant to kill my son."

You wanted to correct her that it was Jace's dagger and Luke only picked it up when her son meant to bash in Jace's head - but now wasn't the time, because your mother was snarling in defense, "It was my sons who were attacked and forced to defend themselves." You nodded in agreement, and Viserys saw the motion. "Vile insults were levied against them."

"What insults?" Viserys questioned.

It was silent before Rhaenyra responded, "The legitimacy of my sons' birth was put loudly to question."

"What?" The King asked.

"He called us bastards," Jace spoke up, making the room go still. This was the confrontation everyone was waiting on...

"Y/N?" Viserys asked, making you tense up.

"What?" Rhaenyra turned to you. "You were involved?"

"I only arrived at the end," you shook your head. "I do not know what was said or done in full," you begged to the King to understand through your words, and it seemed, your other Grandfather did by how he shifted slightly in front of you. "Though, yes, the word 'bastard' was hurled as insult, Your Grace..."

"My sons are in line to inherit the Iron Throne, Your Grace," your mother swept back in, making you shudder a breath. "This is the highest of treasons..." Her words settled over everyone. "Prince Aemond must be sharply questioned so we might learn where he heard such slanders."

Aemond had turned in his seat to glare at your mother, his older sister; making the King look down at him. But it was the Queen who asked the Princess, "Over an insult? My son has lost an eye - possibly his life, should your daughter not of been there!"

Viserys looked again to Aemond, asking, "You tell me, boy. Where did you hear this lie?"

"The insult was training yard bluster," Alicent tried to save. "The lot of boys. It was nothing."

"Aemond..." Viserys prodded. "I asked you a question."

To save her son from answering, Alicent asked, "Where is Ser Laenor, I wonder? The boys' father? Perhaps he might have something to say in the matter."

"Yes. Where is Ser Laenor?" Viserys agreed, eyes looking to your mother.

"I do not know, Your Grace. I... Could not find sleep. I had gone out to walk," You mother answered.

"Entertaining his younger squires, I would venture," the Queen snipped, making some in the court smirk and snicker as the insult registered.

"I beg your pardon, Your Grace," you pushed away from Corlys to face Alicent and the King, but your gaze was set on the redheaded woman, "because I understand you are distraught from your son's injury, but do not mistake that for giving you leave to openly insult my father, or add fuel to such allegations. This is not the training yard, Your Grace, leaving no room for bluster. Mind your manners."

"Come here, girl, and hush yourself," Corlys sighed, pulling you back to his side. He sighed as Viserys chose to ignore your comment, which made the Queen stiffen her spine and avoid your heated gaze.

"Aemond... Look at me," Viserys directed to his son, making the One-Eyed Prince meet his father's angered, hardened eyes. "Your King demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?"

You didn't see the Prince's eyes cut over to his mother, but saw the King straighten his spine to look at his wife - and knew.

It was as if a collective breath was held as the King was then told by his son, "It was Aegon."

"Me?" Aegon repeated quietly, looking truly shell-shocked to be thrown into the mix. You sighed gently.

The King now turned his sights on his eldest son, growling, "And you, boy?" He stalked up to the taller kid. "Where did you hear such calumnies?" But when his son did not answer, nor meet his gaze, the King shouted, "Aegon! Tell me the truth of it!"

With a tremble to his tone, Aegon spoke, "We know, Father." He met his father's gaze, "Everyone knows... Just look at them," his lip curled, "and then look at her. She is true-born, that cannot be disputed."

Your chin lifted as your glare turned deadly, daring anyone to say more as the King was silently surveying the room. But he chose not to pursue this further, and snapped, "This interminable infighting must cease!" His cane punctuated his words. "All of you! We are family!" He only glanced at Aemond, perhaps finding the injury too gnarly to look at longer; turning his gaze to the room again. "Now make your apologies and show good will to one another. Your father, your grandsire, your King demands it!"

But nobody spoke as the King's words did not feel truly fair. Perhaps, the others were going to wait for him to leave to 'handle' this situation, but before he could, Alicent was speaking, "That is insufficient." The King turned to hear her words. "Aemond has been damaged, permanently, my King. 'Good will' cannot make him whole."

"I know, Alicent, but I cannot restore his eye."

"No, because it's been taken!" Alicent refused her husband's words.

"What would you have me do?" Viserys growled.

"There is a debt to be paid," she decided, and the room went still. "I shall have one of her son's eyes in return."

Heads turned to look at your mother and brothers, and you broke away to then stand at your mother's side and kept Lucerys behind you. The crowd muttered with discomfort as the King approached the Queen, "My dear wife..."

"He is your son, Viserys," She begged through her tears. "Your blood."

"Do not," Viserys warned, "allow your temper to guide your judgement."

That was supposed to be that, but chaos still rained. She spoke defiantly, "If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will. Ser Criston... Bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon."

"Mother!" Luke gasped, and she kept him back and between you.

"Alicent," Viserys tried.

"He can choose which eye to keep, a privilege he did not grant my son," Alicent sneered.

"You will do not such thing," Rhaenyra defended and your hands tightened on your brother.

"Stay your hand," Viserys demanded.

"No, you are sworn to me!" Alicent refused with a shout, making it known she was desperate for action. And eyes turned for Cole, knowing he was nothing better than her leashed dog.

"As your Protector, my Queen," Cole refused - a smart decision.

"Alicent, this matter... Is finished," The King leered fiercely. "Do you understand?" It was quiet as the woman did not respond, everyone watching as Viserys turned from the room; but paused to address, "And let it be known: anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra's sons," he then directed at Alicent, sneering, "should have it removed."

"Thank you, Father," Your mother spoke softly from her place, something making the hair on your neck stand on end. You did not turn as your mother did, lowering herself to speak to her sons - you watched the Queen.

And thankfully, you did.

You watched her stride for Viserys and yank a dagger from his belt and turn. "Mother!" You gasped, stepping in front of her protectively as the Queen charged.

"Alicent!" Viserys screamed.

"Stay with the King!" Westerling demanded of Cole as he followed Alicent. "HOLD YOUR APPROACH!"

"My girl!" Rhaenyra pushed you out of the way in time to step forward and take hold of either of Alicent's wrists. It was chaos as they engaged; everyone trying to space out and move from the way as the King's Guards were tangled amongst each other.

Luke screamed shrilly in fear as your mother took on Alicent. You wanted to turn for the boys and huddle them close, but Corlys was back at your side, and together, you both stood as pillars in front of them while Princess and Queen struggled against one another.

"Stay your hand, Cole!" Westerling demanded of the disobedient knight; making Daemon push off his post to intercept the man.

"You've gone too far!" Your mother struggled with Alicent.

"I?" The Queen repeated breathlessly. "What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law! While you flout all to do as you please!"

"Alicent! Let her go!" Viserys demanded.

"Mother!" You worried, wondering if you should step in. Would you be reprimanded for cutting down the Queen? You eyed the sword at your Grandsire's hip - leaving it open for you to take.

Yet, you dare not.

"Where is duty? Where is sacrifice?" Alicent spoke tearfully still. "It's trampled under your pretty foot, again!"

"Release the blade, Alicent!" Otto, the Queen's father, called from the end of the hall.

"And now you take my son's eye," she told your mother, "and to even that, you feel entitled."

"Exhausting, wasn't it?" Your mother countered. "Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness." She whispered, "But now they see you as you are."

Alicent shouted in anger; the women pushing away from each other and blade sliced through flesh. Corlys and you both caught your mother when she was flung back, but the sounds of trickling blood pattering onto the floor drew your attention.

"Mum," you worried when her wrist was sliced open to let blood drip freely down her hand, through her fingers; pooling to the stone floor beneath you. "Gods," you whispered, looking up in shock, muttering for those who did not see, "you cut her."

"Darling," your mother hushed, but you were grabbing at her wrist to try to hold pressure - like you were trained to do.

It was silent besides that as everyone waited for the next move to be made. Nobody did until Prince Aemond stepped into the circle; earning the attention of those lingering.

"Do not mourn me, Mother," the Prince spoke softly, looking at Alicent. "It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye... But I gained a dragon."

Vhagar had a new rider.

"This proceeding is at an end," Viserys decided, giving everyone a stern look. Cole wrangled free and Daemon stalked forward to crowd you closer to your mother; Luke coming up to hold your waist as you were holding the wound as tight as possible.

Aemond moved to hug his mother in comfort, something you were doing in your own way. Jace took the rear, and stood with Daemon and Corlys, giving Alicent a first look at the family that would bring ruin to her own. But your mother, too, got a good look at the family who would bring your own doom.

"Could we please see to this?" You asked, nodding at the blood that seeped, again, from between your fingers.

"Yes," Rhaenyra agreed. "Perhaps in our rooms."

"Let's go," you pleaded, offering the Hightower Queen one more glare before turning with your mother to keep the pressure on her wound.

"I sought an audience early this morning," your mother explained softly, "before the King and Queen were to depart for King's Landing. And I know it is feeling unfair, my girl, and I do not want to see you go, but the tension can not fester beyond this. Vengeance is a powerful weapon, and I would not see my family harmed for something as petty as this. My hope is that with Viserys around, they will warm up to you, and you will be safe."

"So, after you sent Jace, Luke, and I away this morning, you and Father discussed, what? Selling me off?"

"I know it hurts," she relented, but you sighed.

"No, no, I am only being jealous."

"Of what, sweet girl?"

"Perhaps of not having a cock of my own, so that I might have some say in these matters. Or maybe I am merely jealous of the idea of leaving you while the boys stay. Yet, at least, I will have some time with you yet before I am to marry - not many Ladies can say they have that luxury."

She took a sobering breath, "I knew you'd understand. But for all it can be worth, I am sorry."

You nodded, sighing, "For our family's honor, and for Luke's full vision, I will marry Prince Aemond when the time comes..."

"My girl," she breathed with relief, bringing you in for a bone-crushing hug. After a moment, she pulled back to sniffle; and just over your heads, three of the royal dragons took flight - with Vhagar swooping low to the waters before following the King's ship.

You both paused to stare after them.

"Do you trust them, Mother?"

Rhaenyra sighed, "I trust my father, but the Hightower claws are dug deep." You both breathed for a moment. "You will be a single spot of Targaryen Black in a sea of Hightower Green, my love. Our House words must not be forgotten..."

Your chin lifted, knowing in heart, you would always be a Targaryen Dragon more than a Velaryon Sea Horse - telling her gently, "Fire and Blood..."

"When the time comes," Rhaenyra sighed, "I can only pray I leave you with dragon scales instead of skin - so that their green flames do not burn you, my sweet girl."

You smirked gently at her, "Mother, fire - whether Green or not, cannot kill a dragon. Though I know I've salt in my veins, too, it is the blood of Old Valyria, and fire will be my ally."

Rhaenyra sighed and turned to pull you in closer with a kiss to your head. "I know it is sudden news, but we still have years with each other. Much will change, but I will never leave you feeling unprepared." Movement, again, caught her eye over your shoulder; making her sniffle and sober up. "Go on, go now. Find your brothers for me, please."

You agreed, and after a kiss to her cheek, left her be; passing your silent Great Uncle Daemon along the way with only a head nod of acknowledgement.

Time on Dragonstone was never the same. Days after laying your Aunt Laena to rest, you lost your own father, Lord Laenor, to a petty quarrel he had with his lover, Qarl. The lad was never found, apparently somewhere lost to the Stepstones, but the anger never dissipated. Your mother had welcomed the Knight into the family, and he turned blade on your father?

In Laenor's father's hall?

The devastating blow was hardest on you, who could not grieve far enough. You internalized a lot of it, but your brother's tried to help you shoulder it all - yet this was a path you walked alone. Seemingly only days after that, on your ancestral home, your mother then married her Uncle Daemon, and your cousins Baela and Rhaena were now your step-sisters.

They lived with you all on Dragonstone and your mother took your education very seriously. Professors came into port to be guests of the castle, dedicating hours upon hours a day to tutor you in a broad arrangement of subjects.

History, philosophy, reading, philanthropy, writing, specialized tutors to broaden your Valyrian, a whole class on just diction - forcing you to learn new words; first-aid training, and even drawing.

Your step-father also took up your training after your beloved father had passed. Daemon recommended you work your anger and grief out through the training yard, and you took that advice to heart. He posed as a challenger in damn-near everything, and by the Gods, you tried not to feel competitive, but it sharpened your wit and instincts. Daemon knew what he was doing, and yet, never showed an ounce of 'loving warmth', only stoic respect.

Your mother taught you what she could about being both Lady and wife - taking meals privately with you to go into more expressive details. Questions you had, she answered; and as you grew older, you wondered deeper - and she often answered with red, flushed cheeks. Yet your mother kept her promise and would not let you go off to King's Landing unprepared.

You read books. Wrote letters, kept journals. Learned from experience, learned from reading; did what you could to understand as much as possible, never quenching your thirst for knowledge.

Perhaps, subconsciously, you wondered if this would create more distance between now and your marriage - but your 18th nameday was creeping up, and you were out of options.

Three months before, your summons arrived.

Your mother tried to deliver the news softly, but tears broke her waterline; and you understood that she meant to say goodbye. Apparently, by Queen Alicent's hand-written letter, you were to marry the Prince before the week's end, and it was already midweek.

Aemond did not wish for a big wedding, but your family insisted on something. Viserys had called upon the royal dressers, and all festivities would be covered. All you had to do was show up, and yet, it felt like that was the hardest chore. Your mother had sniffled as she pet your hair off your shoulders, nodding, "It's time, my girl."

Daemon opted not to attend the wedding and after a bit of persuasion, your mother and brothers decided to stay on Dragonstone with him. You were to travel alone because you were to hit the ground running, and you were beyond nervous.

Your mother helped pack your things - sending servants and maids away to let you two have moments of privacy. She gave you last second advice, promising that when you need it, she was always there for you. Dragonstone wasn't far by dragonback and there were always ravens to send - but she warned you about the Hightowers more than likely intercepting letters.

She advised you to write in code.

Promised she loved you.

Swore to you that marriage wasn't always all so bad; and before you knew it, you were standing with Kasta's packed saddle - facing your family for the final time.

"Well," you breathed, nodding at them all, "I wish to say that I will miss you all, and thank you for the incredible years."

"Good luck, sister," Jace nodded.

The night before, the boys had snuck into your room for the last time and let you hold them; tears of sadness weeping into their dark brown locks. You smiled at him, "Thank you, brother. I will send a raven when I am settled, and... Well, you know."

"When you're married," Luke teased, giggling lightly.

"Hush," you mother chided gently, but smiled at the boy, glancing at you. "Go hug your sister goodbye, love."

Luke frowned deeply and rushed for your waist - though, no longer being a small child, he was still a young lad; and you could wrap your arms around him tightly. You kissed the top of his head and sighed, "I'll miss you with my heart, Luke. I promise to write you, you can practice writing me back if you want."

"But, sister," he worried, pulling back only so to hush, "what if the nightmares come back?"

You smiled at him, "I left you a present on your bed. I hope that helps you through the nights. Let it be a comfort." It was a red and black stuffed dragon toy, something you prayed would comfort him in your absence.

He nodded, tears falling down his cheeks. "Do not go," he begged gently, holding your skirts.

"I'd stay if I could, but this is for the best," you assured, never having the heart to tell him that your marriage arrangement was made some years ago, and now, as you were a woman, it was time to 'pay up' to save him from being blinded. He didn't need to know the truth.

Jace pulled Luke back but instantly stepped up in his place, instead. He sighed into your neck; much taller than the last time you remembered, and letting yourself loose a few tears. "Do not let them change you, sister. Please, be safe," Jace rushed in your ear, tightening his hug.

"I will," you cried, giving him a squeeze. "Be there for Mother... She'll need you now."

"I won't disappoint you," he promised, pulling away.

"Be good," you chuckled at him, patting his shoulder as he moved back. Baela and Rhaena stepped up to hug you goodbye, having grown fond of their older 'sister' during the time you had together. You kissed their foreheads, bid them well, and again, promised you were only a raven away.

Daemon was next, and he did offer a hug (shockingly). You squeezed into his embrace, and when you pulled back, he wished, "Good luck in the city, niece. Remember the leech will feed, even when fat. My brother's blinded by..." He sighed. "Nevermind. It's not your responsibility. Just do not let him forget his family loves him."

"I'll be sure to be there for him, Uncle."

He nodded, "Then - good luck. Marriage is mostly political, so, play your part with caution in mind."

"Your advice has always been appreciated," you nodded. "And thank you - for all the lessons you gave these past years."

"What a student I had," he smirked, giving you a final nod as you moved on to your mother.

She took a long, shuddering breath. "You'll write, won't you?" Her hands reached, as they always did, to pet over the silver locks that spilled down your shoulders.

"Of course," you promised softly. "You will not be rid of me so easily."

"I should hope not," she chuckled, but held her tears at bay.

"Say it now, Mum, and I will stay," you promised in a whisper. "You need me, and I will stay - "

"No," she sighed, moving to hold your cheeks. "You are no longer responsible for me. I would not let you go if I thought it was feeding you to the wolves... Though I wish for you to stay, there is a duty to be performed, my sweet girl."

You nodded, letting a few tears fall down your cheeks. "I'll just miss you terribly. Who will I go to for advice?"

"You'll understand who to trust, but keep in mind that you might write in a journal. Let it act as if it's me, and write, my girl. Hide it away, burn it even, but do not let yourself feel so isolated."

"A Black Dragon in an Emerald Mine," you snickered softly, making her grin. "I will not disappoint you, Mother."

"You never do," she promised. "Be careful, and do not trust anyone. You're in the snake's garden now, and their bite is fierce."

You nodded, hands over hers to hold your cheeks. "I wish you'd be there."

"I do, too," she promised. "But you are my strongest girl, you will endure this with grace."

You nodded, leaning in to hug her one last time. She sniffled into your neck, but after a moment, you had to giggle, "Mum, you've got to let me go. Mumma, c'mon, now."

She groaned and released you, "All right, fine. Go on. I love you - so much. Do not forget that."

You climbed onto Kasta's mighty back; needing something of a rope ladder to get on her properly. With another wave, your family called their love and luck; hearing Kasta roar in departure before surging forward, spreading her wings, and then leaping off the cliffside. You held on tightly as she cut through the air, your family all watching as Kasta roared once more but otherwise, did not turn back.

You cried during the whole flight; truly afraid of what you were to encounter when you landed. Alicent and the Hightowers knew of your arrival, and you wondered why she insisted on such a swift wedding.

Last you knew, your fiancé had both concurred the largest dragon in the world but also lost his left eye.

Perhaps there was a rush so you could not back out. But you had honor, and if your hand in marriage is what it took to heal the rift between your families, to soothe the wound Lucerys inflicted, then so be it. There was honor in completing one's duty.

You prayed, through tears, it was enough.

[ part two ]

[ series masterlist ]

[profeyandere]

𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐋𝐄𝐘 ─── ☾ 𝐒𝐀𝐘 𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍

Masterlist || Good Omens Masterlist || Wattpad

Word Count: 3k

Pairing: Aziraphale x Human!Reader, Crowley x Human!Reader, Crowley x Aziraphale

Warning: Angst, insecurities and spoilers from season 2

English is not my native language, so I apologize for any mistake and if you can help me improve it, I will greatly appreciate it. I hope you enjoy it :D

Your mind was a complete basilisk, not as much as Maggie and Nina's, but enough to make you feel powerless after having witnessed before your eyes a battle between angels and demons in which you participated with the other two humans who, like you, they had decided to stay by Aziraphale's side to face the enemies who, unintentionally, had entered the bookstore in order to take with them the archangel missing from Heaven that you, the angel and the demon had kept hidden between the varied walls of the large bookstore belonging to the man with greenish eyes; It was an enriching experience because you played babysitter for a supernatural entity from Heaven who had the appearance of an adult man over fifty years old and with the mental age of a child of seven or eight. They were very approximate ages, and perhaps the example, or assumption, that you had made about Gabriel was exaggerated, but at least that's how you felt during the last days that he remained in your care. You ended up exhausted, and that was evident by the way your body moved stumbling around the bookstore after putting Jim to bed each day, who was the same person as Gabriel but without memories. The image of your delicate body against the sofa was something that Aziraphale and Crowley would never be able to forget and that they would cherish with all their hearts because, even though they were both supernatural entities and did not have the same needs as an ordinary human, many sometimes they forgot about your mortal condition and went so far as to ignore that you needed to sleep just like the rest of the living beings on Earth did; That did not mean that they did not care about you resting properly, they simply sometimes overlooked what your body and you needed to keep you completely alive and full of energy.

Spending so much time with the two men brought with it many things, both good and bad. You didn't know them in the same way that they already did, no, but your first meeting had happened a couple of years before Armageddon, where you met that duo that hit you hard in the face with the door of the Ritz, the restaurant that Aziraphale liked so much and that you had been so fascinated by since you heard about it. You were leaving the premises when, while both men were arguing about God knew what, the demon pushed the door with such force without paying attention to whether anyone was willing to leave the establishment that the huge glass of the door hit your face and caused you to small rows of blood came out of your nose caused by the blow your nose had received; There was no need to add how much the angel cared about the state you were in and how ashamed the demon was for having hurt you.

It was from then on that the three of you began to see each other at the same time at the Ritz, every Wednesday, and, eventually, it only took a couple of 'miracles' for you to become an inseparable trio, despite the differences that were supposed to prevent that a friendly relationship would take place between you. It seemed very strange to you then that you always agreed with them, but you didn't take it much importance either because of how good and accompanied they made you feel; you were home with both of them, no matter where you were physically.

It was Aziraphale, Crowley, and you against the world. So it was perfect and wonderful.

"Miss, Miss!" Exclaimed a voice close to you, Maggie's.

A small smile couldn't help but settle on your face. That sweet woman with golden hair had brought a lot of happiness and encouragement to your life after being Aziraphale's tenant; She was one of the women who had understood you best from the moment she saw you enter her store holding the arm of the angel, always looking with curiosity at her merchandise and being one of the few trustworthy clients who still bought records for her collection. She wondered then, the first time she saw you if you and the white-haired man were a couple in love who only took care of their adorable bookstore that was located in the middle of the long avenue. But she quickly discovered that you were just two friends completely fond of each other who shared an exquisite taste for old and classical music and vinyl records.

"Maggie, I have told you on countless occasions to call me by my name," you said before turning around and being able to face the blonde who had left the bookstore in the company of Nina, the woman who owned the cafeteria that was in front of the establishment of one of your best friends, making your surprise even greater at having to talk about something in front of her too. "Wow. You've cornered me. Something happens?"

Both women looked at each other for a moment and, although talking to Crowley had been easy for them due to their little knowledge of him and the little relationship they had with him, talking to you about the same topic was going to be a little more complicated. They didn't know you well, they knew that you were the woman who accompanied the short, pleasant man from the bookstore and the taller, grumpier man who drove a Bentley, and you had frequently passed by the coffee shop of one and the record store of the other, so you were more than just a regular customer because of the conversations you occasionally had with them, and that was why bringing up the topic of conversation was going to be so complex for both of them. The two looked at each other for a moment as they tried to find the right words and, although Maggie wanted to approach the subject as carefully as possible because she didn't know how you would react to bringing something so delicate to light, she was aware that it would be very difficult to make you understand what they wanted to tell you if they thought about the matter a lot; Everything was so simple and, at the same time, too complicated.

"We know," Nina said quickly when she saw how your face contorted into a look full of confusion and concern as you saw how the blonde opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. Her intervention saved Maggie, but it only made your eyes drift towards her in curiosity and surprise at the sudden raising of her voice that caused the attention of other passersby to focus on her. "I mean, we know what's happening. We have gotten the idea after everything we have been through these last few days, and I think you are as aware as we are."

"What?"

Maggie ducked her head to try to control the laugh that was about to escape her lips. You didn't understand the reason for her action. You simply found her way of acting strange and the signs so non-obvious that they sounded almost Chinese to you; You didn't understand what they wanted to tell you, and unless they were willing to explain better what they had supposedly noticed in you, you were going to continue to have a question mark on the top of your head.

"What Nina means is that we know what happens between you, Mr. Fell, and Mr. Crowley," the blonde indicated once she had calmed down, making you frown suddenly. Deep down, you hoped it wouldn't be so noticeable, but it seemed like it was as obvious as the sun appearing every day in the east and falling in the west. "The problem, as we have commented to Mr. Crowley, is that none of you three speak specifically about that topic."

"Are we really going to discuss this here, in the middle of the street, without me being too drunk to talk freely about it?" you asked, interrupting Maggie in a slightly rude way. "If it's that obvious, then neither of them is aware of my feelings or, if that happens, it's a clear rejection that they're putting forward. No one has mentioned anything about a love that has settled in their hearts, nor the fact that they feel unconditional affection for me."

"It is precisely the lack of communication that is the central problem of your relationship," the brunette intervened, making your sharp gaze now directed at her person, being able to notice in her eyes how she wanted to demonstrate to you that point that they were trying to point out to you with so much impetus. "You are the inseparable trio. You need each other. You are a team of three, and I think the love you feel for others is more than evident. You can't deny me that. It's obvious."

"And what do you want me to do?" You questioned, shrugging your shoulders. "Do you want me to go into the bookstore and tell them how much I love them, that I have wanted to be in their arms all these years, and that the only thing I long for is their happiness? Do you think that this is a fairy tale and that with a kiss I will convince them that I am enough for both of them and that it is worth it for them to be here, with me, instead of choosing their respective sides?"

Nina and Maggie looked at each other for a second before nodding in slight confusion. They knew that Aziraphale was an angel, the halo trick made that pretty clear, and the appearance of the demons and their slight resemblance to Crowley made them assume that he was a demon, and they quickly assumed that you were like them seeing that none of them both sides mentioned or needed you in some way; at least you were completely normal in that world full of madness.

"Yes," they stated in unison.

"And Mr. Crowley is waiting for you," Nina continued, gently turning her head towards the bookshop window where the tall, slender body of the demon could be seen facing the shorter, stockier angel, seeing how the former seemed to move doubtfully the time his mouth opened and closed. It was as if Crowley was talking to Aziraphale about something, something really important. Your eyes, completely focused on the different bodies of those who were and were your best friends, began to shine with intensity thanks to the small rays of sun that began to affect them, finally discovered behind the soft movement of the clouds to allow a small path of light will make its way through the passers-by to guide you towards the bookshop; that scene almost seemed to have been made on purpose for you, to take you to what would be your last destination to achieve the purest happiness. You almost felt like you were in a romantic or comedy movie. You could even laugh at the absurd situation you were imagining. With agile and quick steps, taking care that no car was in the way to hit you, you crossed the street to approach the door of the bookshop, inadvertently colliding in the process with a man of your height who simply looked at you askance almost in a defiant and disgusted way; You swore you had seen him before, but you were unable to pinpoint where specifically, but his sharp gaze gave you a strange chill that made your hair stand on end. You didn't give it any more importance either. Finally, reaching the steps that would lead you into the bookstore, you looked one last time at Nina and Maggie, who were smiling at you encouragingly from across the street, giving you the push you needed to get inside the store.

That bookshop, so wide and calm, so full of light and love, evoked a big smile in you as if a ray of hope had bathed your person and had caused a comforting feeling to settle in you. You were at peace, calm, and all thanks to the encouragement you had received from one moment to the next from the woman who owned the cafeteria and the woman in charge of the record store. Your footsteps were deaf, you weren't even able to hear them thanks to the carpet that decorated the main entrance, but you could feel the slight tension in the environment because of what both the angel and the devil were discussing before your arrival. Seeing Aziraphale's broad back and Crowley's soft locks of reddish hair gave you that boost you knew you needed, you were finally ready to talk to them; You were finally going to declare your feelings to the two men in your life, your little angel and your demon.

Crowley's sigh stopped your steps when you were about to step on the creaking wood of the establishment, making you stay in the shadows that the high shelves of the library provided you to remain hidden.

"Oh, God, right," the demon muttered between his teeth while he turned around on himself and tried to compose himself from what the angel said. The way he acted surprised you slightly. "I didn't get a chance to say what I was going to say. I think I'd better say now." He began, stopping again while he tried to embolden himself and pick up the last hope he had after what Aziraphale had told him, trying to find an opportunity for him to stay there. "We've known each other for a long time. We've been on this planet for a long time. I mean, you and me. I could always rely on you, and you could always rely on me. We're a team, a group. Group of the two of us. And we've spent our existence pretending that we aren't."

Crowley's words caused your heart to stop beating. You didn't want to fully believe his words because, after all, you were important to them, right? You were a group of three, right?

"I mean, the last few years not really" the redhead continued, stopping again as he took a deep breath and tried to hold back the tears that had begun to well up. "I mean, if Gabriel and Beelzebub can ledo it, go off together, then we can. Just the two of us. We don't need Heaven, we don't need Hell, they're toxic. We need to get away from them, just be an us,” he declared. "You and me, what do you say?"

"Come with me, to Heaven," the white-haired man intervened, quickly approaching his demonic counterpart, leaving just a small space for both of them. "I'll run it, you can be my second in command. We can make a difference."

"We can't leave her," Crowley whispered with grief and pain, looking intensely into the green eyes of the angel who only smiled softly at him.

"Oh, Crowley," Aziraphale murmured, smiling sadly and shrugging his shoulders. "Nothing lasts forever."

With those words, you felt a weight settle in your heart, and a wave of nausea suddenly came over you. You refused to think that those words had come from the mouth of your little angel, your Aziraphale.

"No, I don't suppose it does," the demon denied, causing the last hope you had to collapse.

You were a mere mortal, Gabriel had already warned you two years ago when he found you on the side of Aziraphale and Crowley when you tried to help them stop Armageddon at the last minute, but you preferred to ignore all the negative aspects of what could have been your relationship only for them. For what they had always made you feel, for those wonderful memories that you treasured with affection, and the feelings that you had gradually developed towards them. You had taken into account that great difference in years between you and them, including how their relationship was much closer to what you could ever develop with them, but you worked hard to earn a place in their enormous hearts, and you believed you had achieved. You had many doubts, and insecurities, that approached you at the moment they declared that they were an angel and a demon because of the fear you felt that they would see another human in you when there were others more beautiful or intelligent who could understand them better, you even had fear when thinking about your mortality and how at any moment you could disappear from their lives by suffering a sudden death or the pain they would feel with your loss, but it was those affectionate hugs from Aziraphale and Crowley's soft smiles that made everyone doubt vanished when you were with them.

But you had to be realistic. It was never you three, but the two of them.

When Armageddon happened, they both walked away and you were so afraid that you spent several nights crying for the sudden abandonment of both beings. Although you hadn't seen it, they had both been terrified of losing you at the End of the World and while Aziraphale was involved in tirelessly searching for the Antichrist, Crowley just wanted to find a perfect planet for you to inhabit with them in case that everything went wrong; They did not want to lose their human, the perfect creature of God who had stolen their hearts. Of course, once the angel possessed your body and you were able to face the possible end with them, they confessed their angelic and demonic nature to you, and that was when you finally felt the weight of your heart fade away.

But now there was no longer a 'you'. Now, there was only 'them'.

Aziraphale and Crowley heard the loud slam of the bookshop door, making them both approach the door to see who the person had entered, but seeing your sweet and gentle face completely covered in tears broke their hearts and souls in pieces.

You had not been able to face reality, and you had lost your angel and your demon forever. They would never choose you over Heaven, their true home.

[buckttommy]

I hope ABC continues to let Ryan do press because he is the most insightful and articulate cast member. I'm always blown away by his comments

i just. oh my god, okay. let me try to, like, wrangle my thoughts together. sorry. you did not ask for Anything i'm about to say (i agree with you, btw) but i'm in my feelings so here we go because, like. like.

he is. so beautiful to me. so thoughtful, so insightful, so, like. you know how we say that, like, when we're contemplating our blorbos, we're rotating them in our heads like a rotisserie chicken? that's what hedoes. you can so clearly see that he takes so much time, and attention, and care with eddie diaz, and who he is, and how he thinks, and it makes me so, like. i am literally tearing up (again!) as i type this. because he is so emotional, and so full of depth and awareness and gentleness. eddie diaz is who he is, in so many more ways than we realize, because of who ryan is. and i just love to read his words and hear him talk and listen to him probe the depths of this character that we ALL (him included) love so much. it's so, like. i remember years ago, we'd laugh because his Hypermasculine social media persona was so incongruent to who/how eddie is, we were like "how the fuck does this guy make that guy happen?" but overtime, he's allowed us the honor of seeing more and more of himself, and he's just. he's so soft, and he's so genuine, and so sincere and i can so, so fucking clearly see how ryan makes eddie work. he's precise in his thinking and curious and hungry to make the things that don't make sense, make sense, and i'm just so. i'm so fucking grateful for this opportunity to peak inside his head, and hear his thoughts, and really, like, bask in the love and care he has for this character that means so much to me.

seven seasons in, it would make sense for him to have so many conflicting or negative thoughts about this character and the choices he makes. i've seen it happen before where actors become... encumbered by their characters' existences rather than remaining in the joy of keeping them "alive." but ryan loves eddie as much now as he did the day he was created, if not more. and as someone who loves eddie, and as someone whose healing journey has (in part) been shaped by and tied to eddie's, it's very... i don't want to say healing... but, like, comforting to know that this character - this character who is so much ME in so many different ways - is treated with such great love and respect. like. god. i can't even describe how many of my favorite characters have been shafted by the writers and/or the showrunners, leading to an absolute apathy in the actors themselves. but this is the first time where a favorite character of mine has been Treasured by all people responsible for their existence and i'm just. so grateful. to everyone, but to ryan especially because he's the one who brings him to life. i'm just. yeah. yeah. no parasocialism but i just want to reach through the screen and thank him and maybe get tears and snot all over his clean shirt because what the hell, he made me cry, dammit!!!!

[late-to-the-magnus-archives]

Tea - a Magnus Archives one-shot

"You must be Martin. Jon used to go on about you a lot."

In MAG 149, season 4, Georgie recognized Martin the moment she saw him just from Jon's descriptions, but we didn't get to hear that.

Have a glimpse into my mind-palace of how it could have happened.

Notes: none. This is just fluff. Spoilers thrugh season 4.

AO3

------

“And then Martin—would you believe this—let a dog into the Archives! A dog! ”

“A whole-ass dog, eh?” said Georgie, sipping her tea, trying not to sound dubious.

“It took him all day to get that thing back out of my Archives. Ridiculous.”

“So… you didn’t fire him?”

“No, I didn’t fire him! Elias put him there for some reason, and I… well, I thought it might be more suspicious if I got him out of the way. The next spy could be worse.”

Spies. Dogs. Evil bosses. “Are you still not going to tell me whatever happened at your weird cult workplace?” she said.

He glared over his coffee. “No, I am not going to tell you what happened at my weird cult workplace. Just. He also makes good tea. That’s all.”

“Bully for him.” She left to go to work.

#

“And then you wouldn’t believe… Martin insisted on ice cream for his birthday. Like we were all children!”

“Oh, no,” Georgie said, pencil posed over her crossword puzzle. “Whatever did you do?”

“Well, I ordered ice cream, of course. No need to rock the boat,” Jon said, leaning on his Oxford English drawl. 

“No, no need to do that,” said Georgie. “What kind?”

He huffed. “Rum and raisin. It was serviceable.”

She knew him too well. “You talked about emulsions again, didn’t you?”

If Jon had feathers, they would have ruffled. “Yes, I talked about emulsions! They’re an important part of modern food theory!”

Georgie laughed, filled out wiseguy for a seven-letter know-it-all prompt, and called it a day.

#

“Martin insists on tea. Insists on it. If I don’t have a hot cuppa, he just… he…” Jon gestures.

“He what?” said Georgie, who really wasn’t sure where he was going with this.

“Well, he gets all… big-eyed, and sad, as if I somehow did it at him,” Jon mumbled, looking down. “I have drunk more tea in the last two years than in my entire life.”

“With your grandmother? I doubt that,” said Georgie, who had come into the picture early enough to meet her before she passed.

“No, she insisted I make tea. She never truly cared if I drank it,” Jon mumbled into his empty cup. “Martin cared.” And then he stared at the leaves at the bottom as though offended they were all that remained.

“Well, I’m sure my tea-making skills hardly compare,” said Georgie.

“They don’t,” said Jon, who did not mean cruelty by it.

Georgie spoke fluent Jon. She understood he wasn’t saying, You suck. He was saying, I miss Martin’s tea. “Are you sure you can’t reach out to him? Maybe outside of work?”

Jon went deep red. “I can’t do that.”

“You sure? I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.”

“No,” Jon said softly, looking now at the floor. “I can’t talk to anybody. It isn’t safe.”

“Safe?” she said.

He seemed to realize he’d said too much. “I… excuse me.” And he closed himself in the guest bedroom to make another of his weird tape recordings.

#

“I’m telling you, Martin might be sending them!” he said, holding up another batch of suspicious documents.

Georgie was fuming. “How could he be? Did you tell Martin where I live?”

“I… no, I didn’t.”

“Then I doubt he’s sending them.”

“I just thought… no, you’re right. I doubt he misses me at all,” said Jon, hangdog supreme.

Georgie threw her hands in the air. As Jon’s ex, she didn’t really think she had the right to push it further.

#

“Martin made me take his jumper home, and it… well, I never returned it. It’s so very comfortable! I feel oddly safe in it. Isn’t that odd?” A confession, wide-eyed, over breakfast. 

“Martin hates oolong,” said Jon over lunch and oolong. “I’m not sure why. Something to do with his mother, I think.”

“Martin always smiles. It’s suspicious,” Jon declared over dinner.

Georgie began to tune it out.

#

“He was terrible at research,” Jon mumbled late as they both sipped some brandy. “But he always tried so hard. He brought in a jar of worms once, did I tell you that?”

“Uh, no?” said Georgie. “Why would he bring in a jar of worms?”

Jon waved his shot glass. “Reasons,” he said like the grim reaper.

Georgie shook her head and threw back the last of her shot before going to bed.

#

Later, much later, Georgie went to the Magnus Institute, trying to find Melanie. She hated the place; it gave her the creeps, and not only because of what she now knew about Jon. It wasn’t even proper fear. It was just yucky, like something slimy between her toes.

Finding no one, she wandered downstairs, into the Archives, and spotted a man at a desk. He was tall, kind of cuddly-wide; his hair was curly and red, and his freckles were bright. His eyes were, intriguingly, the same color Jon had wistfully described as spring green one very late night.

Like Jon, he had a tape recorder going. She was really beginning to hate those things.

He did a double-take. “Oh, you can’t be here. It’s not allowed.”

“Sorry, Melanie told me to wait for her here,” Georgie said.

“You’re here for Melanie?” the man clarified, standing (good lord, he was tall).

“Yeah. I’m Georgie.”

And out came the smile (which Jon had described) and the awkward aw-shucks body language with one hand behind his head (which Jon had also described). “Sorry, sorry, I didn’t realize! I’m sure she’s around here somewhere.”

She knew. He could’ve been conjured from Jon’s imagination for how perfect he was for that man. “You must be Martin.”

He blinked. “Has Melanie been talking about me?”

“No, um. Jon used to go on about you a lot.”

Martin brightened like the sun shining, and then Georgie had to go on for minutes about why she wouldn’t help Jon anymore.

Which Martin insisted she should.

Hell. Jon had no chance. They both had it so bad.

She still didn’t like this place. She still had issues with Jon and everything Jon was doing; but this… she could see this.

Martin and Jon, Jon and Martin. It worked in her head. They fit. 

She hoped it worked out. 

She hoped Jon didn’t drag Martin with him to the grave.

[the-little-moment]

Nice to meet you! 😊

Hi there! You can call me Lil. I'm in my early 30s and my pronouns are she/her. This blog is dedicated to Star Wars content, mostly Clone Wars/The Bad Batch.

About Me

I majored in traditional art in college and have recently started learning digital art as well.

I love anything to do with flowers, plants, and gardening.

I enjoy reading and writing poetry. A lot of the inspo for my art and writing comes from poetry.

I'm a painful perfectionist when it comes to my pet projects.

I'm married to a huge Star Wars fan whose knowledge, esp. for EU/Legends stuff, far exceeds my own. He's the one who got me to watch The Clone Wars years ago when I said the animation was too ugly. 😅 (It still is in those early seasons; I'm sorry.)

I'd love to make friends on Tumblr, so always feel free to leave asks, comments, or message me.

Masterlist

My art is all tagged as "#the little moment art".

The tag I use for my writing, which is also being added periodically to My Ao3, is "#the little moment writes".

I'm currently working on two main fics:

"Not Just the Carcass, But the Spark", which is an Echo fic,

Part One - Home

Part Two - Regrets

Part Three - Consequence

Part Four - Lost

Part Five - Dreams

Part Six - Heat

Part Seven - Free

Part Eight - Fragile

Part Nine - Hurt

Here's art for "Carcass" too: There's Never Been a Time

And

"Only What Burns You Back", which is an AU of "Carcass" that focuses on Crosshair.

Part One - Out From Under Our Feet

Part Two - Loss

Part Three - Changed

Part Four - Only Smoke

Part Five - The Sniper and the Surgeon

Part Six - Memories

Part Seven - Through the Heart

Part Eight - Choices

Part Nine - Hope is the Hardest Love

Both fics feature my OC, Senna, who is my profile pic. You can click "#dr divehdi" below to see everything related to her, including art.

Febuwhump 2024

Day 6: Broken Promises

Day 8: Love Sees Not with the Eyes

Angstpril 2024

Masterlist

Other Works

Lunch with Clone Command (Senna meets with some of her friends from the first clone command class. It doesn't take long for things to turn ugly.)

The Quiet Part (An injury brings Crosshair back to Kamino, where he says more than he means to.)

A Small Visit (Four years after she was first hired as part of the Republic's secret cloning project on Kamino, Dr. Senna Divehdi is surprised by a late night visit from one of her favorite cadets.)

A Tender Memorial (Dr. Senna Divehdi, Chief Medical Officer of the GAR, reflects on her time with the clone soldiers of the Republic.)

In Another Life (Crosshair can't face his family after all they've been through, especially what happened to Tech on Eriadu. Even though his brother is now recovered from his injuries and living happily with his fiancée on Pabu, Crosshair's guilt forces him away from the others. In an attempt to maintain their life-long connection, Senna moves away from the rest of their family, knowing it's the only way she can still see Crosshair. This fic is an AU of "Carcass".)

The Dress (Echo has never had an opinion on flowers, never even really noticed them, until now.)

Braided Together (A collection of hair stories featuring OC Senna and the Bad Batch.)

The Embers at the End (Eleven years after the end of the Clone Wars, Sergeant Char, one of the last remaining Imperial clone troopers, is forced to trust a traitor when he and his brother have nowhere else to turn. This fic takes place in a possible future of "Not Just the Carcass, but the Spark".)

[fadedmunson]

show me going r. diaz

pairing(s) : r. diaz x f!reader + remaining nine-nine squad x f!reader (platonic)

a/n : i rewatched episode 20 of season 5 and got an amazing little thing i needed to write down so please enjoy :) this is a best friend au things because those are my fav

wc : 1.1k words

warnings : rosa death rumors </3 & the nine-nine squad getting really stressed but fluffy ending ! also one tiny sexual joke because it was funny

active shooter. multiple casualties. nearby officers responding to the scene.

"what are they saying?"

"show me going and their badge number. they're telling dispatch that they're close by and they're responding." holt informs.

"diaz, 3118, show me going." is heard over the staticky radio loud and clear.

"diaz, rosa diaz?" jake repeats.

"that's her badge number. rosa's there."

the room goes quiet.

your breath hitches and you can feel your heart drop to your stomach.

there is an active shooter in a hotel in brooklyn heights and you aren't there to help.

"so there's limited information about the situation in brooklyn heights, but i did manage to speak with a captain at the nine-seven who offered an update." holt states.

"do we know how many shooters?" jake asks.

"two, possibly three. again, the situation's still developing, but as of now, there are three dead and multiple wounded, all civilians."

"excuse me, i gotta go." you quickly leap up from your seat in the briefing room and dash into the bathroom.

you're on the brink of an emotional breakdown. there's so much to take in and now you're lost in your thoughts you almost didn't hear a knock on the stall door.

"doing alright y/n?" amy asks in a soft tone.

you open the stall door to find her worried face which causes your emotions to get the best of you as tears are now streaming down your face.

"amy im gonna loose rosa." you begin to sob as she immediately takes you into her arms as she rubs your back, trying to soothe your violent shaking and cries.

"this is just so scary" hiccup "and, and im so nervous" hiccup "about whats gonna" hiccup "happen to her." ending off your sentence with a loud sob which is now muffled into amy's uniform.

"listen, the captain advised us that it's best to distract ourselves with work and other tasks in order to not think about it. plus, rosa is a badass. if anyone is going to come out of a hostage situation alive and well, it's gonna be rosa."

"you're right, ames. i can almost imagine her dragging those bad guys by the throat." you lightly giggle while you dry your face with your sleeve.

"c'mon. let's get out of this *very* gross bathroom stall." you both intertwine hands, giggling as you exit.

───────────────────────────

you end up with gina in the break-room, reheating your cup of coffee and listening to her ramble about her 'amazing song' she used to calm down.

captain holt peaks his head in as he calls for you.

"ah, detective y/l/n. come see me in my office once you're done here."

"sure thing, sir." you say almost emotionless.

he tilts his head as if in confusion but quickly walks away.

"woah there y/n. you okay girl?" gina questions while putting down her phone.

"yeah, i will be once diaz is back here from the mission." you say while nursing your mug

"it's better to not focus on it. think of something boring that doesn't really mean that much to you. for example, amy's pantsuits."

"i think talking to holt in his office would take my mind off of it. thanks linetti!" you say while walking off.

"no problem lovebug." she answers while not taking her eyes off her phone

you enter into the captains office

"hey captain you wanted too..." your words slowly die off once you see his office. there are scented candles and blankets everywhere. you can see the lights that are slowly dimmed and there's relaxing music playing in the back.

"captain what is all of this?"

"hello detective. i saw how stressed you were and it seems you're the one who has been taking this the worst. since you finished all of your work ill give you today off. i believe its in your best interest to 'netflix and chill'."

"uhhhh sir netflix and chill doesn't mean what you think it means."

"i should've known google would be my downfall. peralta has hounding me about my word choices and i felt like i should have read up on new words to use around the workplace."

"love your effort captain. anyways, why is all of this in your office?"

"it's for you. i want to monitor and make sure you don't have another panic attack. santiago told me."

"oh. im sorry for not saying anything."

"no need. its been a long day for all of us. you deserve the rest so please feel free to crash on my couch."

"thank you sir." are the last words you say before getting comfortable on the couch and dozing off

you feel someone patting your head as you slowly blink awake.

"peralta, where have you been?"

"been getting pizza for the squad. want some?" he smiles

"yeah sure that sounds really good right now."

───────────────────────────

"okay, i don't have the names of the injured officers but if diaz is unharmed, she should be contacting us shortly. or, if her phone is dead perhaps she'll be walking out the elevator shortly."

just then an elevator ping is heard and everyone turns their heads only to find scully.

everyone voices their frustration.

"come on scully!"

"you can't do stuff like that, man!"

"c'mon man go easy on him." rosa chimes in.

that was probably the best thing you heard all day.

you're the first person to run up and hug her tightly

"oh my god why did you do that you scared me half to death never do that again." you whisper.

you give her a secret little head kiss.

"missed you too, y/n" her lips creep into a smile as she admires your face for a minute and then quickly pulls back.

───────────────────────────

the squad enters shaws bar and you buy two drinks (you and rosa) as you both sit outside the bar on the stone steps.

"i was really scared something bad was gonna happen to you. well other than amy hugging you with toilet water all over you." you cringed

"oh yeah that was kinda weird but i really do love them. all of them." rosa smiled

"i love how sappy you get when no one is around." you giggle as you wrap your arms around her waist, facing her.

"shut up." she jokingly said.

she put her hand on your face but then took it off to stare at you.

"is it bad i wanna ruin our friendship?"

"read my mind." you mumbled.

your lips crashed for the first time. she tasted slightly of mint gum and beer. you felt like your insides were bubbling. you both pull back from the kiss and look around everywhere.

"that was ─"

"something. something, that was something." you answer quickly.

"do you.. regret it?" she asks nervously.

"i don't. do you?"

"nah." she quickly answers softly kissing your lips after.

you both sit and sip on your beers while you lay your head on her shoulder and intertwine fingers.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Please I need some information on lucinaaaa

Also I'm betting her and cam are good friends especially because both of them were essentially created by magic

Cam 🤝 Lucina (Inexplicably Existing)

(But fiiiiiiine, fiiiiiine, I'll tell ya....you're just not allowed to yell at me until the end tho. I can never do anything simple, I swear)

SO *claps hands* Lucina Garmadon comes from a parallel timeline to Show!Ninjago where Lloyd a) was found by Wu almost immediately after he ran away from Darkley's and b) he never had the chance to open the Serpentine Tombs...meaning his life was way, way better than the way we know it to be. And, basically, the only things Alter!Lloyd really ever had to do as the Green Ninja was purify his father + seal up the Overlord, and then he had a mostly easy life afterwards, up until the Wildbrain seasons.

Which, in the briefest summary possible means that:

Serpentine not unleashed -> Devourer never freed -> City not destroyed/Garmadon doesn't get the Golden Weapons -> Overlord is defeated on Dark Island as opposed to Ninjago City -> Borg Tower is not built on top of Overlord's remains/S3 basically doesn't happen -> Zane doesn't die tragically -> Master Chen is unable to obtain the required EMs for his spell -> Garmadon doesn't have to be banished to the Cursed Realm -> Morro isn't unleashed/Lloyd isn't possessed/Cole isn't a ghost -> Djinnjago isn't destroyed/Nadakhan is far less of a villain/no Jay torture/no reality erasure -> 20X3!DotD doesn't have all those shenanigans -> Wu is better prepared to deal with Acronix's return and thus prevents S7 -> no one is lost in time -> Harumi's parents never died + she didn't worship Garmadon/remained a huge fan of the Ninja leading to her legitimately falling in love with Lloyd -> both S8 + S9 don't happen because there is no Garmadon to revive/no Sons of Garmadon anyway -> but because they never met Faith, they are caught off guard by the arrival of the Oni -> because Garmadon is purified and also not a zombie, he can't tap into his oni form as easily -> but they still manage to fend off the Oni with the Tornado of Creation, but Garmadon is killed instead of Lloyd as a result.

*deep breath*

The depression over losing his father is what causes the slump leading to S11, and basically all the Seasons up to Crystalized still happen the same, except there is no Vengestone buyer/no Lloyd agonizing over Harumi/Nya doesn't return from being the sea. In the time that passes after Seabound, Alter!Lloyd and Alter!Harumi have a kid (whether by ~natural means~ or by magical manifestation, whichever fits your hcs better). Instead of just one year passing though, there's like seven (because it takes way longer for The Overlord to enact the plans of his return without having a Vengestone Buyer to supply him with what he needed in the meantime)

So, seven years later, the Overlord still returns to extinguish Alter!Lloyd as the prophecy dictates, and still aims to do it through a Crystalized/Vengestone army + manipulating Alter!Harumi -> Although here instead of bringing her back to life, he just straight up possesses her because she's so close to Lloyd, and also infuses her with his Essence/Element. She's then made to kill the other Ninja (who were terribly out of practice after seven years not ninja-ing), Wu dies taking a hit for Lucina, and without literally any of his support, Lloyd is finally stricken down, and this world of Ninjago is finally banished into the oblivion of the void.

But, Alter!Lloyd has his grandfather's Realm Crystal, as it was never used for evil + nor destroyed in the wake of the Oni Invasion.

As the world is being voided, Alter!Harumi uses the last of her strength to impart the remnants of the Overlord's Essence into her daughter, at the same time Alter!Lloyd does with his (hence Luci's heterochromia). She survives this somehow (probably easier to believe if we go the "magical manifestation" route), and the actively perishing Alter!Lloyd then uses the Realm Crystal to drop her into another realm where she doesn't already exist and will hopefully find a place to thrive.. And thus, the Alter!Ninjago hits a bad ending...

...and Lucina arrives in Legacy!Ninjago, perfectly timed with the coming of the Merge.

(She's also got horns and tail now. Which, weird, but cool!)

Haven't sorted out how she managed to find Legacy!Lloyd (maybe via the Green Element-connection powers she now has), BUT she does, and Lloyd...is very, very, very in denial about this being his child.

Lucina: I'm your daughter from an another dimension!!! *Svtfoe theme plays*

Lloyd: ...honestly, the 'other dimension' part is the part that's easier to believe. But there's no way *I* have a kid–

Lucina: But I literally look just like you-

Lloyd: Tch, a lot of people look like me! *a lie*

Lucina: I literally have your eyes! Well, one of them. And that's something only YOU could have?!

Lloyd: ...maybe they're contacts—

Lucina: DAD

Lloyd: Don't call me that

But she manages to convince him with her horrifyingly OP powers (even worse than Legacy!Lloyd ever had lmaooo) and Lloyd caves and agrees to keep an eye on her because he can't let this gremlin loose when the world is already so unstable and he's probably the only person alive that's even able to match what she's capable of, on god.

(and that's when Kai shows up to absolutely dunk on Lloyd for the sheer absurdity of the situation before fucking off again skfgddfdss)

Lloyd: ...is there really no way to get you back to your dimension or timeline or whatever?

Lucina: Nah. That shit gone bro.

Lloyd: Language, young lady.

Lucina: *giggling* Okay, Dad~

Lloyd: *groans*

In the years that pass before Dragons Rising, Lloyd is still, like, dreadfully lonely...but, Lucina at least takes some of the edge away. He catches her trying to attempt the training course sometimes and and very detachedly gives her some pointers (only to stop her from hurting herself; he totally doesn't actually care). She stops him from moping around by running around and causing chaos, leading him to give chase to stop her from destroying everything (she absolutely is just doing it for the attention). And when she finally tires herself out, he totally doesn't carry her to bed or let her crawl herself into his own bed when she has a nightmare because he totally doesn't know what that's like

And he most definitely does not grow attached.

Lloyd: ...don't you ever miss your own parents, though?

Lucina: ...all the time. But, not as much as when I'm with you~!

Lloyd: ;w;

Lucina: I mean, you're exactly like my dad, but, grumpier, I guess? I don't mind though~

Lloyd: Hey?!

Lucina: But speaking of...is my other!mom still around here somewhere, orrrrrr...?

Lloyd: I...that's...it's...complicated.

Lucina: Ugh, you sound like Grandma and Uncle Wu.

Lloyd: *running his hands down his face* ...yeah, I know. I know.

She tells him about how awesome Alter!Lloyd's life was compared to his, making Lloyd somewhat jealous. And he tells her his life's tragic story and she's just sitting there in second-hand traumatized awe (what do you mean her mom was evil here?! unfathomable.) while Lloyd feels more and more inadequate for this.

Lloyd: ...how come you're even bothering with me when your dad was so great and untroubled and...not angry at everything...and didn't, y'know, cause problems for everyone just by existing...

Lucina:

Lucina: Well, the way I see it...he lived a very, very good life even if it got shaky at the end, but...he never had to fight as hard as you did, or had to learn from a bunch of a mistakes, and maybe...that's what cost him in the end.

Lucina: And even though you suffered, like, a lot, and went through soooo much, and lost a lot of people you loved too...you're the one that's still here, right? And I think that's gotta count for something, yeah?

Lloyd: ...that's really insightful.

Lucina: I get it from you! :D

Lloyd: ...heh.

Five years finally pass, Dragons Rising kicks into gear, and Arin and Sora have a heart-attack at the twelve-year-old mini-Lloyd gremlin lurking around the monastery and cackling down the halls. But despite everything, Lloyd proudly introduces her as his.

Lloyd: This...is my daughter, Lucina Lloyd.

Lucina: *hanging from the ceiling with her tail* Yeaaaah, that's me!!!!

Sora: What—

Arin: So ninja *-*

Bonus-

Jesse: Where in the hell did THAT come from?!

Lloyd: HEY HEY, I know YOU of all people are not about to call me out for having children spawn in out of nowhere!!

Jesse: ...I revoke my previous outburst.

Cam, meanwhile: Friend???

Lucina: FRIEND!!!

[signor-signor]

June 27, 2023 - 7 Years Later

And now a TED Talk-type presentation (a DET Discussion) by Lord Hater.

Attention, fans of Wander Over Yonder (and Lord Hater, #1 superstar), I'm reaching out to you today to give you the current status of our show and explain why you need to pull yourselves together and pull your own weight in acknowledging the show's need for one more season! For those who are completely clueless, Wander Over Yonder is a sci-fi comedy cartoon show created by veteran cartoonist Craig McCracken, and it debuted in 2013 on Disney Channel before being moved to Disney XD. It ran for two seasons, but one more season was planned and probably primed for production.

Seven years ago, the second season showcasing our lives came to an end, in which I single-handedly stopped Lord Dominator, who, by the way, nearly destroyed the entire galaxy and spurned my affections for her. HOWEVER, because of the uncalled-for cancellation that was decided by the "higher up bosses of bosses of bosses," the majority of the world keeps calling this event the... ssseries... finale... oh, it's painful to call it that... and frankly, I'm really, really sick of it. So let me tell you this...

Our show is NOT dead! It's just left in limbo! Two seasons were NOT enough! The End of the Galaxy is NOT the true series finale and I have the information to prove it!

As you can plainly see, the people who worked on our show NEVER planned on stopping after two seasons. The show itself even has some details pertaining to the plans for our third season, which was pitched back in early 2015.

For instance, in The Waste of Time, there were two images that briefly appeared during the final time travel sequence: one of an orbble-powered ship called the Star Nomad, where, according to Craig McCracken, I'd have to bunk with Wander (shudder), another is one of what fans are speculating to be me in a past life as a space ape. I can see the resemblance, but the facts remain to be known and proven true. Nevertheless, neither of them appeared anywhere else in the first season or the second.

Another telltale sign of our show's unfinished business is the absence of the other villains, including Emperor Awesome. Last time I saw them on the show, they were still on Suburbon V; oddly, they never reappeared when Dominator seemingly destroyed every planet except the one Wander and Sylvia found. As a result, after I defeated Dominator, I was unable to brag about it to the villains!

(EMPEROR AWESOME (off stage): Dude, just because I wasn't in that episode doesn't mean I don't know what happened!)

Anyway, another reason our show is not finished is this: In Craig's Tumblr post announcing that gropforsaken cancellation and concession, he told the readers, and I quote, "We had plans for new characters, the return of old characters, and even a bit of backstory!" Back in 2015 at Comic-Con, just a couple of weeks before our second season premiered, he confirmed he had an origin story planned out for me; the second season only revealed that Major Threat's evil deeds inspired me to take up villainy, but no origin story explaining how I, Lord Hater, came to be!

(MAJOR THREAT (off stage): I'd sure love to hear all about it, man, but for reasons beyond my understanding, we have to keep it in the vault until the big cheese himself gives Craig the okay.)

Yes, Jeff, I get it. Just so you know, you were planned to be a recurring character. Now, in the case of the new characters, I heard they would include a team of space cops called Star Forcement Forcen Force.

(COMMANDER PEEPERS (off stage): It's Star Force Enforcement Force, sir.)

Whatever. Apparently, these new characters were set to be introduced in the third season we were denied years ago, and because we don't have that third season, they have to hide themselves under question marked sheets and we're not able to say their names, like [NAME REDACTED], [NAME REDACTED], or [NAME REDACTED]. AAHH! It's so annoying!

And don't get me started on how Craig ended his post with some of the words from a song Wander sang to cheer me up, or rather, reignite my ire. Believe me when I say his post will ignite your ire when you read all the way to the end, unless, of course, you're a hardcore fan of some overrated show that gets so much attention. I'm talkin' to you, blue cat boy.

Moving right along, in the finale of one of Disney's underappreciated shows, Future-Worm, the titular invertibrate and his companion Danny warped to various universes, including the alternate version of the one in which our show takes place. And guess what they saw when they arrived in it... Wander and Sylvia aboard the Star Nomad! Remember when I said I'd have to share a room with Wander on the ship? This is the very ship, the same one you saw in The Waste of Time, and if there's something I know about it, it's that it started out as a regular airship seen in The Secret Planet, and Wander and Sylvia would use it as their new mode of transportation to bring any refugees remaining on the planet I saved back to their home planets. You know, the planets I wanted to conquer as soon as I saved the galaxy. The point is, this ship was planned to play a BIG role in Season 3, and while I'm thankful for not bunking with Wander at this time, I'm still determined to know more about it.

(WANDER (off stage): Hey, Hater, if you wanna know more about the Star Nomad, you can join me at Underappreciated Cartoons Anonymous and Fyootch and I will be more than happy to tell you all about it.)

No thank you, and I'm still not your buddy. Oh, that's another reason our show's not finished: Wander has not yet befriended me. Even if he did, I'd still keep my distance from him, but I digress.

Now, what else is there? Waste of Time images... absence of other villains... origin story... new characters... Future-Worm cameo... Oh yes.

Fans, I have saved the most obvious reason for the show's total lack of closure for last... A DOWNED SPACE CAPSULE WITH GREEN LIGHTNING AND MONKEY-LIKE SCREECHING FADING INTO MY EVIL LAUGHTER! Words alone cannot describe how serious this is for a show that got canceled prematurely. If you look up "cliffhanger" in the dictionary, there would be a picture of that space capsule. To add insult to injury, Disney kept shunning us and continued to show more love for that strange Oregon town show, which the Internet never seems to stop talking about even though it already ended perfectly, and that anime-influenced show about a naïve princess with a powerful, cutesy-wutesy wand that got not three seasons, but FOUR seasons! Honest to Grop, I'm really fed up with their popularity. They ALWAYS outrank us!

(Clears throat) Thankfully, the SaveWOY campaign was flourishing since the day Craig made that dreadful announcement, but as the years went by, most supporters simply gave up and moved on, almost as if they were telling us that we can't reason with those "higher up bosses of bosses of bosses." It’s pathetic. You know what I say to that? Giving up is quitting, and quitters never win! Don't make those bosses think they were in the right when they canceled the show. Not doing anything gives them the impression that you're giving in to their demands. If a show has more to tell, THEY should be giving in to YOUR demands. And if you dare to discourage the curious fans from fighting for a proper conclusion, consider yourself likely to be struck by lightning.

Don't forget, our show is currently accessible on Hulu and Disney+, but with Disney being focused on the present, the future, and the shows that are hard to surpass in popularity, like that one about the school girls and cold-blooded critters and that one show about a Hispanic girl in a fantasy world, saving the show has become more impossible than difficult. Seriously, what has an entertainment conglomerate got against shows with guys as main protagonists? What does it have against a show that doesn’t feature Earth? And for that matter, why is it still not swayed by the SaveWOY campaign? How are they not comprehending what the fans have been trying to communicate on social media? We’re in the 21st century, for crying out loud!

After seven grueling years, the SaveWOY campaign's efforts to save the show have been absolutely futile, leaving the public perpetually in the dark about the plans for Season 3. That's why I, Lord Hater, propose we start up an entirely new campaign where fans old and new come together to meet a common goal: FinishWOY! Instead of begging Disney to bring back the show, we can make it our mission to collect the missing details, put the pieces together, and create that third season in the cheapest format possible! In doing so, we can spare Disney the trouble of getting the crew back together and spending tons of money to make it. At this time, Craig is back at his alma mater working on that Powerpuffed Girls revival and the Foster’s preschool retooling for Imaginated Friends, and he said that "movement, music, and McBrayer” would do our show’s third season justice. However, in these difficult economic times when he can't be bothered to spill the beans, the crew is already scattered, most of the world fails to acknowledge our existence, and the bosses don't give a zbornak’s pajamas about the show's unfinished business, it's probably best if we make it ourselves, and if it has to be relegated to web comic form, I'm willing to take it as it is!

In conclusion, if a show is suggested to be incomplete, it would be totally foolish to say it ended and even more foolish to leave it ignored. If you do that, you push it further into obscurity and let it bite the dust. If that third season bites the dust, everything planned for it bites the dust as well... my origin story... that orbble ship... Star Forks and Forks Galore... and most important... MY CHANCE TO CONQUER THE REBORN GALAXY! Yes, we may be lucky enough to have two seasons and that instance where I defeated Dominator and won, but it’s hard to be happy about it when there is CLEARLY a space primate in peril! There are people who know all that was planned for Season 3, but they pledged to never share everything they know about it to anyone in any instance for any reason, whether that’d be their children, their neighbors, or at a convention center. Now, if you want to see me back in action, stop lamenting on "what could have been" and start ruminating on "what there could be." Why wait for Disney to make Season 3 a reality when you fans can simply do it yourselves? You don’t need their permission. Nothing's gonna stop you. You've probably watched Seasons 1 and 2 multiple times, and we have just enough information to get an idea of what might happen, so make that third season and the show will be revived, at least in your imagination. Or if the bosses finally decide to revive the show themselves for one more season, that would be a miracle. Either way, this wrong is still waiting to be righted, and I’m not gonna wait another seven years for that to happen. Tag and support "Finish Wander Over Yonder" and I shall resume upholding my reputation as THE GREATEST IN ALL THE GALAXY! Hater out!

That’s right, FinishWOY is a brand new campaign where we fans get the facts we have about Season 3 (SFEF, “Monkeyboy,” the Star Nomad, etcetera) and figure out the overall plot. It’s just like Team Sea3on, who are responsible for giving Sonic the Hedgehog (SatAM) the third season it was never given back in the ‘90s, but the animation is totally optional.

Mind you, this is entirely a suggestion. If you endorse the idea, though, then welcome to the club!

[theminecraftloser]

Grian Art Designs over the years

I adore Grian fans. The way the fanart of him has evolved over time is amazing! I’ve been watching since basically the start of EVO (description of EVO at the end of the post for those who don’t know it) and seeing all the different ways he’s been drawn through the years is crazy!

During EVO, Grian was drawn with his old skin until they updated enough that they got their current skins back. So all the fanart was basically a Link from Legend of Zelda cosplayer. Then when they got their skins back he was drawn as Just A Guy with a red shirt.

Flash forward to season 6 and he began as Just A Guy but then fans began drawing him with wings!

Grian was wing-ified due to his skill with Elytra! If you’ve seen season 6 he was awful at them at the start of the season because he’s never used them due to him playing mostly creative mode after a certain point with updates in Minecraft so he was unfamiliar with a lot of new features used in survival play. However, within a few episodes, he was one of the best fliers in the server, even setting up a complex elytra course in the shopping district for which he held the fastest time.

During season 6 Grian was often depicted with either white/black feathered wings or purple feathered/bug like wings. The purple wings relate to a popular Headcanon fans carried over from the ending of EVO when Grian became a watcher. In Watcher!Grian AUs there were various designs that depicted several different aspects such as masks, multiple eyes, being based on Biblically Accurate Angles, wings (sometimes multiple sets), claws, fangs, robes, etc. the list goes on and on.

Grian’s popularity skyrocketed during season 6 as HermitCraft is a well known series that had loads of fans prior to his joining and attracted many more to the series afterwords as well. So many people knew Grian to be proficient with Elytra and the general consensus among fans was “Grian has wings”.

Sometime between the second part of season six and early season seven, artists swapped his red shirt for a red jumper.

His design regarding wings was adapted in season 7 to give him parrot wings due to the Pesky Bird shenanigans. Season 7 also had a massive increase of viewers as it happened during the major part of the COVID-19 lockdown with the season kicking off in late February, just weeks before the lockdowns began. Once again, an influx of new fans seeing Grian in fanart being depicted with Red Parrot wings was majorly influential to artists designs.

Some fans began drawing winged ear things (don’t know the word for them lol), goggles, and bird feet/legs around this time also, further cementing his place as an Avian of some sort.

His design since then has remained mostly the same due to the similarity of his skin and no new justifications to have changed (excluding MCC art which shows him in his Team’s Colour for outfits rather than his typical red)

Grian has experienced yet another increase of fans/fanart due to the Life Series, especially double life. This gaining interest and Martyn’s inclusion of Watchers in his Last Life series has lead new fans to watching EVO and bringing back the popularity of Watcher AUs meaning there are Watcher!Grian designs circulating the internet again!

What is EVO?

Evolution SMP, commonly called EVO or EVO SMP, was a survival multiplayer series that began in late 2017. The players included Grian, SolidarityGaming (Jimmy), InTheLittleWood (Martyn), MiniMuka, NettyPlays, SalemsLady, BigBStatz, Tomohawk and SystemZee. Later in the series, Taurtis and PearlescentMoon joined as well.

The premise of the series was to take players back to old versions of minecraft and as time passed, upgrade into the next version. Often they would skip through a couple of versions each update as older updates didn’t add much to the game at a time. They updated by completing challenges and scavenger hunts as well as solving riddles and puzzles set up in the world by The Watchers.

As the name suggests, The Watchers watched over the world as unseen powerful entities. They created the portals that lead Evolutionists to the next versions. Grian has said that Watchers are meant to be the audiences of EVO because we watch the episodes. This is further shown when Grian leaves the EVO series because he was invited to join HermitCraft Season Six and simply didn’t have the time to manage both series. Grian departed the series and had a conversation with two Watchers (named Watcher 1 and Watcher 2) in an altered version of the End Poem that played after Grian defeated the Ender Dragon. At the end, Grian becomes Watcher 3 and says he looks forward to watching the rest of the EVO as he has now joined the audience.

Watchers were seen by fans in AUs as cruel tormentors who dragged Grian away from his friends in EVO that imprisoned him and forced him to become a watcher rather than a human that he was originally. This is an incredibly popular interpretation of the Watchers and one you will see very often if you engage with any Watcher AU content.

(My own opinion on the watchers disagrees with this headcanon however that’s discussed further in this post.)

[animehouse-moe]

Manabu Otsuka, Mappa, and Jujutsu Kaisen & Yuri On Ice!!

Today (or well, yesterday in Japan), an interview went live with Manabu Otsuka (who is the CEO of MAPPA), which is equal parts disheartening and disappointing, making it an important read for any anime fan out there, and I'll explain why here.

The single largest red flag here is this paragraph. They want to reach the heights of Kyoto Animation and Ufotable, but in a fraction of the time. This entire concept is a fallacy and just ridiculous in nature.

Why? Well, because Ufotable became a studio in the year 2000. They are just past 20 years of business. Kyoto Animation? That ones a little more valid since it was 1985, so I'll just provide an example to the former.

Ufotable, as a studio gained massive critical acclaim and success with Kara No Kyoukai / The Garden of Sinners, thrusting the studio into the limelight. The year that movie was released? 2007.

Only seven years after the official formation of the studio, they put out an insane success as a studio. Of course, that wasn't entirely consistent, but when you speak to the critical acclaim and refinement of a studio such as Ufotable, Kara No Kyoukai is by no means off of the table. Though, it's not like Fate/Zero was much further behind in 2011.

These dates will remain important later, but I just want to address the final part while I'm here.

Otsuka's solution to "catching" these studios that have a decade or more experience over Mappa? Brute force. Need experience to get better? Well, we're just cram in as much as we can to improve. Oh, but you're worried about quality? Don't worry, we'll make sure to maintain high quality.

Forget what's going on with Jujutsu Kaisen, forget even the issues with Hells Paradise. Series that they 100% funded struggled with production, outsourcing an incredible amount of frames to Chinese studios, even the original season of JJK and its movie struggled with production timelines while delivering.

The sheer hubris of Otsuka as a producer and the CEO of the company is impossible to grasp. During a season where staff members have been crumbling on social media, getting upset over complaints and words from fans, struggling to do good work, Otsuka believes it a good time to provide an interview about front-loading on productions to increase the rate of growth with the studio.

Incredibly frustrating to read, I can't imagine how the actual staff from Mappa feel about the direction they're being dragged in.

But that's only one of two parts to this interview that are just beyond repair.

Otsuka directly credits Yuri On Ice!! and In This Corner of The World for the success and modern image of Mappa. But wait, isn't there supposed to be a Yuri on Ice movie happening at some point? Oh yeahhhhh, it's in production hell and Mappa won't say a word about any actual developments.

I think the only good thing to arise from this paragraph is the fact that they give credit to In This Corner of The World and have recently released Alice and Therese's Illusion Factory. It's the first movie they've release since 2016 that is not a complement to an existing anime IP.

Still, incredibly disheartening to see them credit such foundational series and yet stray so far from them. But hey, they're adapting battle action shonen #3451 so it's all okay.

Anyways, the numbers I mentioned earlier. It took Ufotable 7 years, or even 11 if you want to focus on TV anime only, to find massive success as a studio.

Mappa? They did it in 6 years with Yuri on Ice. Yuri on Ice!! quite literally built Mappa into the studio it is today. Otsuka admits that as fact. But still, Yuri On Ice!! remains by the wayside as a priority for the studio that owes it its standing in the anime industry.

I know that a lot of high level staff with various studios are very much out of touch with the industry as they focus on tradition and the more enigmatic (to Western populations) Japanese business practices, but this exists on an entirely separate level.

Which is incredibly disappointing because there's good conversation from Otsuka about independently produces anime and the monetary challenges that face a studio. But it's hard to feel sympathetic and agree with them when they handle so many other aspects so poorly.

So yeah, I'm not really sure I have some grand reason for why people should read it, but I think it's important in pulling back the curtain on the industry and your favorite studios to realize that these are all corporations trying to make money before they do anime.

[knickynoo]

Back to the Future: The Animated Series, s02ep07 “The Money Tree"

Previous episodes linked here.

In this episode: Everybody is mean to Jules + a "money doesn't buy happiness" plotline.

They really got their money's worth out of the green screen this season, huh? This time, Doc is deep in an unnamed rainforest, researching the deforestation happening (and also eating bananas).

After mentioning how valuable the trees in the rainforest are, he recalls the time his son, Jules, had a tree with a "very different type of value."

We begin with Jules walking home from school. Two kids on bikes come racing by, sending the papers in his briefcase flying. He is quite upset.

Turns out, one of the biking troublemakers is none other than Verne. Jules yells at his younger brother for both his recklessness and the damage he's caused. Verne's reply is awful.

"Good thing you don't got any friends, or we might've hit somebody and done some major damage."

Jail for Verne Brown.

On the other side of the fence, one of Verne's classmates invites him to come swimming, and Verne quickly jumps at the chance. Jules pokes his head into the yard, asking if he can "join in on the frivolity." He's promptly told that he's not allowed, then splashed by a cannonball.

I CRY. Look at him. He is so sad and ostracized. Jail for Verne's classmate.

So far, this episode is no fun at all.

We cut scene to later that afternoon, where Marty is playing some basketball outside the garage while Jules works on his latest project: a genetically modified tree that grows colorful leaves with all different patterns on them. Two thoughts here.

1. This series really pushes the "Marty is a cool, sporty guy" thing. He's played baseball in past episodes, collects baseball cards, helps to coach Verne's soccer team, and is now shooting hoops while excitedly narrating his every move like a sports commentator. And, I mean, I don't really mind it as a whole. It's possible our Trilogy Marty is into sports (though I don't see him as being the sporty type). It just feels kind of forced in the cartoon. As if Marty being his own sweet, goofy self wasn't appealing enough, and they needed to make him into some sort of jock because that's what's expected of a college-aged guy? I don't know. I guess it helps that he isn't particularly good at any of the sports, which feels true to Marty.

2. All of the kids who look down on Jules are wrong. Jules is SO cool. Look at this tree he's created!

When Marty asks Jules why he doesn't have any friends, Jules tells him sadly, "Martin, intelligent children are always outcasts." Marty replies that he's never had that problem, lol.

Verne soon comes running into the yard, upset that Doc won't give him an advance on his allowance. He ends up inadvertently giving Jules the idea to create a money tree.

Some time later, at school, Jules is about to take his turn for show and tell. He's tripped on his way to the front of the class, taunted, and laughed at by all the other children. He remains unfazed and proudly displays his tree, covered in various bills. Naturally, this gains him a sudden influx of new "friends." Unable to see that none of the kind words and attention is sincere, Jules allows himself to be swept up in his newfound popularity.

All the attention soon goes to his head, and Jules soon has Marty and Verne doing all the heavy lifting in an attempt to find the perfect spot for the money tree.

Even though the bills on the tree aren't ready to be picked, Jules decides it's a good idea to start buying things left and right on credit. He gets toys for all his new friends and even has a swimming pool installed in the yard. Though Clara and Doc initially protest all the spending and the attitude change in their son, a trip with him to the mall has them changing their tune when he lavishes expensive gifts upon them.

Doc gets a brand new, giant TV and seven VCRs (one for each day of the week), and Clara gets a diamond necklace.

Jules soon lands himself an interview on the local news, bringing his money tree to the attention of Biff and his son, who catch the broadcast at home. Uh oh...

Meanwhile, Jules hires Marty to guard the money tree, offering him "ten leaves an hour." And since Marty is very rarely at his college attending his classes or ever at home with his family (who may not even exist in this cartoon), it's a good job for him.

I should also mention that the news of the money tree catches the attention of the FBI, who assume Jules is the leader of a counterfeit money ring.

Anyway, Marty is terrible at his tree-guarding job. He stays fast asleep on his lawn chair while Biff sneaks by in the middle of the night to steal it, then continues to sleep through the loud argument Jules has with Verne—accusing his brother of stealing the tree. By the way, this is where things are at in the Brown household...

There's not a single level-headed person in this family anymore.

Desperate to recover the tree, they all pile into the car and take off into town, where a police officer quickly pursues them. This happens.

Doc engages the car's flying mode, and they lose the cop and take off after Biff's tow truck, which has the tree strapped to it. Jules hangs out of the car to try to get it, but his seatbelt rips, and Verne grabs hold of him just in time. Clara then has to catch Verne, who almost falls out of the car, and Doc changes the car's path just before Biff tries to send them crashing into a tunnel.

Relieved that the boys are safe, Clara comes to her senses and realizes that they were all blinded by greed. Doc promptly drives the car to the police station to TURN HIMSELF IN for going over the speed limit and resisting arrest.

Biff takes the tree to a car dealership and buys himself a fancy Winnebago RV. He's immediately surrounded by a group of federal agents, who tackle him and send all the money he's recently picked fluttering around the lot. One by one, the bills all shrivel up and turn brown. So, no money for anyone. Jules's project was doomed from the start.

Things quickly go back to normal around Hill Valley, and Jules returns to being a social outcast. Without the promise of money, almost all of his new friends drop him like a hot potato. Except for Franny—a classmate who reveals to Jules that she likes him for who he is (and has a crush on him!).

The two walk off hand in hand, and we return to Real Doc, who is still hanging out in the rainforest. He shows us the new money tree he had Jules cultivate, explaining that his plan is to allow it to mature and eventually use it so that he and Clara can make their "golden years" comfortable.

And that statement makes me laugh because Doc is already well into his golden years. Sixty-five at the start of the trilogy, then the ten years to build the time train, plus the additional however many years have passed since he and the family moved. (It's 1992 in the series, but I don't think the Browns settled straight into 1985 because Jules and Verne's ages don't line up properly with how old they were at the end of Part III) But anyway! Doc has to be somewhere close to eighty years old. Though, with the medical overhaul he went through in 2015, it did give him an additional thirty or so years, so...I guess it all evens out.

Here he is, sneezing away all the newly-grown money because he discovers he's allergic to the pollen it produces.

Add money-tree pollen to the list of Doc's allergies.

The episode ends with him slipping on the banana peel he had tossed in the beginning of the episode. Silly guy.

Join me next time to see Marty and Verne travel back in time to meet Jules Verne.

[pinkeoni]

Will is a Christ Figure + Season 5 Predictions

This is probably going to be in multiple parts, but basically a while ago I made a post discussing how Will is a Christ figure, but I was unsatisfied with that post and have since made some new discoveries.

So anyways, my theory goes like this:

A Christ-figure is a popular literary technique where a character is paralled to the biblical Jesus. This is a popular technique that many famous characters fall under, including Neo from The Matrix, Aslan from Narnia, and even a character that Will is heavily paralleled to, Harry Potter.

Here is part of the definition from the Wikipedia article on Christ figures.

The second paragraph discusses qualifications for a character to be a Christ figure. While it is heavily speculated that Will has powers, there are still other aspects of a Christ figure that have already been shown that align with this. “Displaying kindness and forgiveness,” and “sacrificing themselves for larger causes” being two of them.

Of course, we see time and time again how kind Will is. Despite everything he’s gone through, he is still able to remain kind to everyone. In terms of sacrifices, we first see that in season two, when Will urges Hopper to close the gate, despite the fact that he knows it will kill him.

And of course, in season four, Will sacrifices his own feelings for Mike in order to keep Mike and El together.

The most obvious allusion, however, is the “death and ressurection” part. Of course, in season 1, Will dies and then comes back to life. What’s interesting too is that Will’s “body” is put in the ground in episode 5, and he comes back in episode 8, three episodes later. This aligns with Jesus rising from his tomb three days after his death.

(In a lot of ways, El is also a Christ figure, but considering that Will is the focus for next season, I think we are going to see how this plays out for his character specifically.)

Another thing I wanna note is how the Wikipedia article mentions healing as another attribute of a Christ figure. Will is stated in the show to be a cleric, who has healing powers in DnD.

Something about Will that has been pointed out numerous times before is that there usually seems to be surrounded by light. This is not unlike how Jesus is often depicted in pre-renaissance art with a halo of light around his head. Here is a portion of Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel painting that illustrates this. Jesus is the figure who has a gold halo around his head.

Now here are images of Will being surrounded by light.

People have theorized that the number seven in the show has major significance. It’s the number that Will rolls which kills his character in the game from the first episode.

The number seven is also theorized to have significant biblical meaning. There is, of course, the seven days over which the world was created by God. This is from the site Christianity.com

This theory correlates with a theory I’ve seen that Will has powers of creation. In Christianity, Jesus and God are thought of as one in the same. I’m not sure if Will created the Upside Down in it’s entirety, but I would confidently venture that he was the one who made it look like Hawkins and froze time there. There is also Will being an artist that makes him a creator in that way as well.

The number seven also has significance in the crucifixion story, as Jesus proclaimed seven statements as he was dying. Furthermore, the Lord’s prayer contains seven petitions. There are other instances to seven in the bible, but these were the ones that were the most important to this theory.

When it comes to how this fits in with the plot of season five, I wouldn’t be surprised if it followed the crucifixion story. There have been many talks of Will sacrificing himself, and I can see it going this way. I think it will also be in episode seven. It would follow the pattern of seven, but it makes sense storytelling wise that something dramatic like that would happen in the penultimate episode. However! I do think that this will include ressurection. The way I see it, Will will try to sacrifice himself, will die, and will come back to life before his final battle with Vecna. But that’s just how I see it.

Two very important characters in this theory are Vecna and Mike, who I will make seperate posts on discussing their importance. Basically, Vecna opperates as an Antichrist figure, and Mike operates as Judas in the crucifixion story. Don’t worry, this theory is actually pro-Byler endgame! It’s more that their characters have allusions to each other and function similarly in the story, and less that they will have each other’s exact fates.

[trillscienceofficer]

Hi! I saw your tags on that post & I thought I'd send you a question about B7 that I'd love to hear your thoughts about :) Quick disclaimer: I haven't seen the last few seasons of Voyager & I've only *heard* about Picard so if I'm missing anything that's probably why. Having said that - if we assume that B'Elanna & Seven dated during the events of Voyager & came back to the alpha quadrant together, what is your favourite post-Voyager version of events regarding their relationship? Thank you & take care!

Thank you so much, this is a REALLY good question!

I find myself going back and forth on various versions of this canon-divergent post-Voyager scenario, and I find it hard to settle on one in particular. Would a relationship between them implode in the abrupt transition to life in the Alpha Quadrant, since it was something that started in the relatively isolated environment of Voyager, or would it survive the change? I think it ultimately depends on how that relationship between them developed, and when. Most of the time in my writing I assume B'Elanna and Seven get together in late season 5 or early season 6, and that would mean they had around two years to figure things out about each other and themselves before being faced with leaving behind the life they've known for so long. However, I wouldn't describe the dynamic of a relationship between them as stable, either.

Both because I'm a hopeless romantic and what compels me most about this relationship is the potential for growth and self-discovery it could spur in both B'Elanna and Seven, I really would love to see them working it out in some way, and remain together. I think a relationship still wouldn't cancel out their restlessness, though. Honestly, I think B'Elanna would hate a Starfleet-type job, and I don't see either of them settling down unless it was for a short-lived, unsuccessful experiment. I think it would be fun for them to have the kind of elastic bond that would allow them to work and travel across the Quadrant doing their own thing while periodically seeing each other whenever they have time, and sometimes going on wild tangents together (honestly if Seven still got in the Rangers or a similar organization, I see them working together pretty often trying to make old, banged-up starships fly again!)

Another important question to me is, would that relationship allow B'Elanna and Seven grow in such a way that they'd be able to face their future in a less dysfunctional way? Again I think it depends on how you look at it, but my favorite interpretation of this ship is a resounding yes! It's no secret that I think Seven on the Picard show is not doing very well and is not getting particularly better, but the way in which she's not doing well is very interesting. I think Seven's main problem on Picard is that she's avoidant, both wrt her own needs and feelings and wrt the people who care about her. All this sound to me like... she's essentially taken on a lot of the issues B'Elanna had on Voyager. Simply put, I think that wouldn't had happened if she and B'Elanna had been closer and had stayed close. Not that I think that they are particularly good at recognizing each other's issues, but they would certainly have more experience with dealing with them because, again, I think some growth has happened to allow them to stay in each other's life.

As for B'Elanna... we know nothing about her post-Voyager so far, but I really would love to see her forging her own path in the Alpha Quadrant, no strings attached, while still having a partner that she can be sure she can trust (however tumultuous her relationship with Seven is) and won't force B'Elanna to shrink herself into someone she's not. I want her to have the freedom that comes with that kind of partnership, even if it would probably take time for her to realize that not settling down doesn't mean that she's failing.

tl;dr my fave version of post-canon b7 is that with some growing pains they remain together in an elastic and informal arrangement, and still see each other when they're not having wild adventures (and maybe even have some adventures together)

[stlispenard]

‘now I know your name but not who you are.’ 

enjolras said: ‘now i know your name but not who you are.’ 

      in a small, apprehensive gesture grantaire reaches for the side of enjolras’ face. he traces his fingers along the lines he used to marvel at, that he has committed to memory. there are new additions now (although few) and he does not mean to pause at them, but they break the symmetry of his former patterns and forces his fingers to find a new course. the variance is beautiful to him, but the lines are also an expression of the time he has lost. 

      enjolras’ words hang poignantly between them, intangible, but still like an invisible wall that needs to be penetrated, punched through, before they can talk. there is no passiveness in enjolras’ defense, it is quick, brutal and aimed directly at his heart. synonymous with ‘you’ve changed’ or ‘i was always wrong about you’. he knows what vein to cut to bleed him out quickly and efficiently. it contradicts itself and everything grantaire hears in his words, interpreted or otherwise; he knows exactly who he is still. 

      he reaches through that invisible barrier, prepared to see himself and his repulsiveness in enjolras’ reaction to his touch. he waits for the jolt, a flinch or worse. a real stranger would perceive him reaching through it as an incoming threat, but enjolras remains perfectly, perfectly still. his fingers stop moving near the tip of his chin; thumb resting in its cleft and his index finger right under it. he practically cradles it. the touch is cautious, it’s light and completely at odds with the simultaneous rage and confusion he feels. enjolras has already noted the blackness in his eyes and grantaire supposes that anger must be new to him because he never faced it.

      “lies, lies, all fucking lies. you know exactly who i am, matthieu. isn’t it plain to see that i have not changed? my world ended a long time ago and i became the same shell of the man i was before you. right where you left me. i am frozen in time and perpetually haunted by you and all your lies. hah, even your death is a lie!”

      his voice is weak even when his words are harsh. they taste of bile. he laughs so bitterly because he has lost the ability to cry ages ago. there was never any closure for him. enjolras had died that july and grantaire had mourned him, even if he never forgave him for pushing him away. he blamed himself for not being there and time and time again he tried and failed to join him. he never stopped hurting, even seven years later he lives in a perpetual cycle of grief, pining and desire. 

      “you are turning thirty this year. you don’t look it, unsurprisingly, but your face has changed. you weren’t this thin when you left me and you had more colour then. your lips were a pinkish red then, but never purple. now it could be the season, you could have a cold, but…” he hums like he’s thinking, like he’s theorizing and just now coming to a conclusion, but he knew it the second he saw him that the change was caused by something severe, “that’s not it, is it?” grantaire tries not to imagine what might have happened to him in the seven years he has been gone. his imagination is vile and exaggerated and it inflicts so much pain. he will avoid it until he knows what he is up against. even now, i’d kill for you and die for you. even now.

      he removes his hand from enjolras’ face and he reaches for his hand instead. he tugs at it to tell him to follow him: “you have things you want to say, you probably want to yell at me, but i want to draw you while you do it. i don’t care if you walking out that door again in half an hour, but you owe me this much. ten minutes and you can go back to wherever the fuck you came from. hell or heaven. purgatory? the nine circles of hell?”

sentence starters /@andthe6

[exammole]

Link to Miraculous master thread here, polishing my rewrite of Season 0 and the Magic System

I'm slowly beginning to get reinvested in this rewrite, so I wanted to update my Season 0 plans. I only will be explaining the changes relating to the previous posts linked above, so make sure you read them.

Paragraphs highlighted in red relate to the Miraculous, ones highlighted in green relate to the story/characters

The origins of the Miraculous remain the same, they're made by Gimme and given form by the mage guy in the comic. In the original drafts of this rewrite I was keeping the Chinese Miracle Box, but I've decided to remove every single one but Barkk. Having twelve Kwami in the story makes everything too crowded and takes away screen time from the OG's. So in the rewrites current version, only the main seven survived the Guardian Temple's destruction.

Bringing up Barkk, I ended up changing the name of her power from Adoration to Location. Barkk isn't one of the main seven Kwami Fu saved from the Temple's destruction, but instead who's Miraculous was recreated in modern day by Lila. (I tried so hard to give this power to Fluff you don't even know 😭😭😭)

I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this part, but in the Season 0 post I mentioned the mage who created the Miraculous passed down his magic to his children, and to theirs, and that was the new origins of the Order. Lila is a descendant of that mage, meaning she can both read Miraculous texts and create new Kwami.

Shown in the Magic System post, I gave a rundown through each Kwami's power, but I'm feeling like the way I wrote them down was too intricate and boring, so here is the updated definitions:

Tikki - Creation - Can create anything

Plagg - Destruction - Can destroy anything

Nooroo - Transmission - Can send anything

Wayzz - Protection - Can protect anything

Trixx - Perception - Can project anything

Pollen - Action - Can move anything

Duusu - Emotion - Can change anything

Barkk - Location - Can track anything

In this updated version, any power the user can think of that relates to the Kwami's concept, they can have that power. The catch is that the user can only use that one power forever. Using Tikki as an example, you could manifest the power of Creation as creating any object, or you could make little minions, or maybe you could fix damaged objects.

For the sake of the plot, these powers can't infringe on another active Kwami's magic, so you can't manifest the powers as to reveal a users identity (mostly due to Quantum masking), nor could you nullify or prevent another's power.

The Prodigious in my rewrite stays the same, the Guardians wanted to see if they could make Miraculous on their own and created a highly volatile and unsafe object, so they sealed it away with the help of the Mages and Gimmie. The Prodigious allows the user to transform into eight different animals correlating with different values. if you're motivated by the virtue you can transform safely, but if not, you will get your life force drained (kinda like what happened to Gabriel when he didn't feed his Kwami's) and die horrifically or something.

Since the Dragon Kwami doesn't exist anymore, I'm thinking of giving the Prodigious to Kagami instead of Fei Wu, this gives me an excuse to give Tomoe an actual motive, that in return of kick starting Gabriel's fame, he'll give her the Prodigious for power. And then we can repeat mirror the Adrien/Cat Noir, Gabriel/Hawkmoth dynamic with Kagami and Tomoe.

Kagami isn't an amok anymore, but Adrien still is. Felix and his whole side of the family have been cut, and Emilie is a non-royal, only child now. Alike my Season 0 rewrite, Fu gave Marianne the Butterfly Miraculous to help her fight during Frances occupation, never got it back because he ran off as soon as he heard of Marianne's engagement, X years passed and she gave birth to Gabi Grassette, and his dad gave him the Butterfly Miraculous after she died.

Because I like to give characters unnecessary connections; Gabriel, Natalie and Emilie all attended Francoise Dupont as children, and the old Grassette family home is the now the Boulangerie Patisserie.

Atm I've left character backstories on hold, however since I've pretty much done an yet-to-be-updated Marinette's, maybe I'll post that soon. I'm also trying to figure out the villain order, I'll be shifting and rewriting villains from different seasons into the first one, but that's all for a later date. Sorry for the break, if you have any questions I'm free to ask :P

Edit: Changed the colour of a few paragraphs, mb