#i saw so many people like saying how they hate her mythic

[stuckontheflipside]

genuinely dont understand why some people dont like anas mythic this season shes so silly i love her

also she has a unique "my ultimate is ready" line that i havent seen anyone mention? "my ultimate is ready, are they? (laughs)" shes so evil gives her a little kiss on the cheek /p

[heartmii]

TOA 01

✮⋆apollo x male!reader

!warnings!: angst, mentions of blood, anything else anyone sees and is uncomfortable with please let me know!

✮⋆˙ woo chapter two!! I'm excited to release this but also super nervous because I added a twist that I'm not sure everyone will love but I mean, it's a story about mythical beings so I decided to just have fun with it!

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“What did you do?” Anger seethed through the ex-god, his shaky breath competed with the rapid thump of his heart against his chest. Apollo’s eyes snapped to the now smug smiling emperor, the fury in his chest growing. 

“Oh? Are you not happy with what you see?” Caligula asked, voice laced with fake concern. He clicked his tongue, his eyes surveying his servants in dissatisfaction. “The gods,” he sighed, shaking his head. “So hard to please. You surprise them with the dead love of their life, and still, it’s not enough for them to say thank you. Such egos, it’s a shame, really.”

Apollo swallowed, an attempt at soothing the dryness that was now overtaking his throat. “That’s not possible. It’s an illusion. It has to be…” he faltered, his body deflating as he dropped onto the ground.

 Apollo was a god turned mortal. He was from the mythical world and saw many things, things that one alone could not comprehend, things that don’t make sense, that shouldn’t be able to happen because it went beyond the natural order of the mortal and mythical world. Yet, somehow, you being brought back from the dead was not an acceptance that came easily to him. 

It’d been years, years, since your death, but you lived. Alive in Apollo’s mind. There was not a day, not a century, not even a millennium, that Apollo did not think of you and the bittersweet memories you two shared. Your grace and your beauty, along with the essence of your soul, were immortalized for eternity in his heart, where he could forever nourish your memory and honor your legacy. 

Please… Who was he kidding? Honoring your legacy? Him? Apollo had done nothing but trash on everything you stood behind! If anything, he went against what you fought so desperately for. There was blood on his hands. The blood of many innocent lives he so easily discarded with no regard for their being. The option of others having a choice was previously nonexistent in the ex-god’s mind. He’d force many people to do his bidding and castigate them if they rejected. 

Including those he loved after your time. 

His heart clenched as Daphne’s horrified face filled his mind. Her expression contrasting his hopeful one as he chased her through the forest surrounding mount Olympus. It was Eros who, so full of spite, caused her to hate the mere thought of Apollo’s face. So much so that she begged her father, Peneus, desperate for help. He’d heard her prayers and granted her salvation.

 But even after the last branch formed from Daphne’s outstretched arm and she had fully become a prospering laurel tree, Apollo did not allow her to rest peacefully. He had plucked the leaves from her branches and formed what was now known to be one of his most notable symbols. The laurel reef.

 Daphne didn’t love Apollo. No, she despised him so much that she believed death was better than remaining on earth with him, but even that he had stolen from her. 

Just like you, Daphne was immortalized in the memories and stories of people but met the tragic fate of being forever tied to the very god that she had died escaping, tainting her name with his own and taking away her right to a peaceful death. Apollo may not have been the one that forced her to take her last breath, but it was he who pushed her to such a state of helplessness that she felt there was no other option. 

Perhaps that was why the thought of you being alive was so agonizing to him, because then you would learn about the monster he had become and how all of those promises he made to you under the moonlight had become nothing but empty words he spewed under the drunken spell of love.

 How could he look you in your eyes now? Eyes that always glimmered with determination as you spouted your ideals and all the great you planned to do in the world…how could he look at those same eyes and say that he failed to do what you had dreamed, what you both dreamed. Even if that dream died for Apollo a long time ago. 

Caligula considered Apollo for a moment before grabbing your arm and moving you back into his line of sight. He turned back to the ex god, his smile now wicked and sadistic, vastly enjoying the conflicting grief in his eyes.

“You haven’t taken a proper look at him. As he was once your lover, there’s no doubt in my mind you’ve memorized his body. You should have no trouble deducing if he’s a fake or not.” 

How odd was it that Apollo, who had been literally fighting for his life these past few months and wanted nothing more but to evade conflict, wished he was dodging swinging swords, and running from giant monsters that chased him and his friends instead of being here, simply standing and being forced to stare at the person most precious to him. 

Yet, he had succumbed to the small part of him that was a tad curious if it truly was you. 

His breath staggered, and he stood on wobbly legs, anxiously meeting your stare, only to regret it immediately. 

There they were, those eyes. Hypnotic as they had willed Apollo into your grasp, and enchanted him with an infatuation that ran deep in his blood. The same hunger swirled within them in a way that could only be described as honest passion. The intensity made Apollo’s heart skip a beat, and he trembled under your gaze. 

It was said that one’s eyes were the window into their soul, a quote which honestly was quite dated and overused, but as you searched deep within Apollo, he felt his own soul stir in response. His body had recognized its missing piece and, like a magnet, it fought to connect again.

Your souls were bound to each other. The fates decreed that the moment you two met. There was no way Apollo wouldn’t have known if you were a fake. 

In case he was completely wrong and in over his head, he took action to make sure he was absolute in his observation. It hurt to tear his sight away from your face, but he allowed himself to survey the rest of you, as Caligula suggested. 

His eyes roamed your body with a frown. 

 How strange. You appeared to be… out of this world. 

Your aura, although it had always been charming, was different in a way Apollo could not put his finger on. Something about you filled him with an irresistible sensation he had never felt with you before. 

Could it be Lester’s human hormones could not handle the gorgeous sight of his past lover and therefore appeared to be more appetizing than usual?

No, that couldn’t be it. Yes, mortals could definitely be extremely tempting creatures, but they didn’t hold the same weight and power as they did with gods. Many felt enchanted just by the mere sight of one. It was not a simple task to break away from their inviting aura and fight the urge to give in to their desires. 

Your aura was similar; An inviting force emitting from you. But how? You weren’t a god… were you? 

Apollo gagged internally at the thought, his insides twisting at the possibility of you being a deity. 

Being mortal was the very essence of your existence. It was nauseating how you nurtured the role like it was your life’s purpose, facing no fear towards things such as death or illness, claiming that these tragedies were simply just a part of being human and running from it would do nothing but force you to live in a world of clouds where you’d constantly be lost amongst the fog. 

Becoming a deity would’ve made your death a vain sacrifice for what you believed and enduring an eternity of grief would’ve been for nothing. Days of forcing the sun to shine upon the earth when Apollo himself was lost in the overwhelming darkness of his heart as his guiding light, his sun, was gone. Constantly, he searched for another you because the void left in him hurt too much, but of course, none had come as close to his heart as you did because in the end, all he wanted was you and he caged his heart behind iron bars out of fear of experiencing grief on that level ever again. 

There was only one who had been close to unlocking his heart again after you. His dear Hyacinthus. Oh, how the boy had reminded Apollo of you in so, so, many ways. The both of you were graceful, heads held high as you smiled at all that you loved. Adored by many as anyone who came to meet you was always enthralled by your allure and hearts of gold. But alas, love was never in Apollo’s favor, and his precious Hyacinthus met a tragic fate when he was murdered by the conniving and envious wind god, Zephyrus. 

It was almost comical how similar your deaths were. A sadistic joke played on Apollo. All hope he ever had for another love as great as you and Hyacinthus went out the window and following that was a now numb and manipulative god who allowed himself to know his lovers but never allowed them to know him. 

All of that guilt he felt for abusing his authority and refusing to see his lover’s as equals, all the shame for not living up to par with what you wanted, would’ve been for nothing. Along with the stab of knowing that you didn’t choose HIM over your ideals when he would’ve burned the world for you, was all too much. No, you couldn’t be a deity because then Apollo would never forgive you. 

He could not bear these thoughts and, for once, Apollo was glad when Caligula spoke to him as he had distracted him from the fogginess building up in his eyes.

Caligula waved his hand in the ex-god’s face, surveying him. “I’ll take the dumb look on your already idiotic face as confirmation that you’ve recognized that this is the real deal.” He turned to you, “I know how, uh… different…Apollo must look to you. Surely, it must be traumatic to come back from the dead and your once powerful and radiant lover is now pathetic, weak, and ugly. Do you believe this to be the god you once loved?”

Apollo huffed, once because he could not deny that Lester’s face was, in fact, idiotic and again because of Caligula’s question. Your eyes were good, but they weren’t that good. Unfortunately, you hadn’t been blessed with seeing beyond the mist, a trait that could’ve saved your life.                  

“You ask him a question he cannot answer. He would not recognize me in such a body—“ 

“Yes.” You cut him off and stepped closer. Apollo sucked in his bottom lip as your hands had come up to run your fingers through his hair. Oh, how he missed your touch. The way you handled him like he was a piece of glass. Then you spoke again, your voice being in that delicious and melodic tone that made heat travel up Apollo’s neck to the tips of his ears. Damn this body. 

“Although in a different body, your scent remains the same… how bizarre. Might it be your soul I smell?” You muttered, your fingers dragging down Apollo’s cheek. 

Apollo shuttered at your touch, the coolness of your finger soothing his warm face. But as much as he wanted to allow you to continue your exploration of his body, he could not shake off what you had said. “My scent—- What does that mean? — How is your nose even that good?—“

“Bravo! It appears love truly conquers all!” Caligula clapped, pulling you away from Apollo and making the ex-god frown. Something wasn’t right about you, besides being a walking corpse. Death was not his domain, but as far as Apollo was aware, coming back from the dead did not include the nose of a hellhound. 

“What did you do to him?” He asked Caligula, pinning his arms to his side as they had once again trembled. 

Caligula stared at Apollo questioningly. “What did I do?” He laughed. “You are funny, dear. This fiasco was not my idea. All I want from you is to squeeze out the final essence of godhood that’s left in that lanky vessel. If you were smart, you would’ve directed your attention to the only witch in the room.” 

Apollo’s eyes swiftly met Medea’s sadistic ones. She had silently been watching the previous conversation from the side. Gods, he was so caught up in the sight of you he had forgotten all about the Wicked Witch of the East.

“How rude of you to put me on the spot. I haven’t prepared my speech.” Medea purrs and approaches, circling around you before landing her hands on your shoulders. “On the contrary, love does not, in fact, conquer all.” She said, referring to Caligula’s earlier comment. 

“Instead, it leads people to their doom. It makes them think with their hearts and not their heads. The most powerful beings,” Apollo cursed himself for flinching after she had eyed him with a knowing look. “Have been brought down onto their knees in the name of love. As you all know, I, myself, have been a victim of this. After Jason betrayed me.” 

“I don’t understand.” Apollo interjected. “I had nothing to do with Jason’s betrayal against you.” 

“Oh, I am aware. But that is not why I brought him up.”

“You see, my heart had never bled as much as it did when I was in love. I yearned to serve Jason. To become half of his soul as his life, his goals, had become my own. I was high on that feeling. A feeling you must know well, yes?” The smile on her face was one Apollo did indeed recognize. 

A smile that did not reach one’s eyes, that was all for show to hide your true misery. He hated sympathizing with the witch, but he knew exactly what she meant. 

It seemed his face wasn’t so good at hiding his feelings either, as Madea had nodded to herself in what seemed to be satisfaction. “I needed something against you, Apollo. But what was something that would hold such great power over an ex-Olympian God? It couldn't be physical, no, that would be too merciful. I needed something, or someone, that could cause such turmoil within you that the thought of even fighting against it would cause you great sorrow.” 

“Well, isn’t that thoughtful? Putting in all that effort into destroying little ol’me.” 

She sneered, her eyes narrowing. “I studied you. Studied how I could control you, and imagine my surprise when I found out about an unclaimed lover of yours.” Her hands go to you, caressing your arms and making Apollo livid. “It seems not everything made it into the history books.”

Grime stained Apollo’s face, becoming one with the hot tears sliding down his cheeks. His hands ached as he pulled apart dirt from the ground with none other than his fingers. He could’ve called someone and ordered them to do the laboring task on their own. But he refused. He had to do this alone. He had to bury you himself. 

 No one should be able to see you, to touch you, to be around you. Not anymore. You were too sacred, too precious for this cursed world. But Apollo was selfish. He took you away from the earth, took you away from the rest of your family, just to have you rest under his domain. 

The god’s choked cries turned into loud sobs as his fingers dug deeper into the sacred dirt of Delos, shimmering gold tainting the soil. He welcomed the blood seeping from his hand; the pain was deserved. It was nothing compared to what you must’ve felt when his father had struck you down, but he needed to feel something. Anything that would compensate for the agony you went through before drawing your final breath. 

Delos, where he and Artemis were born. The land that had once been his aunt, Asteria, who had transformed herself into a floating island to get away from the advances of Zeus.  Where she provided sanctuary for his mother as she ran from the wrath of Hera on earth. This is where Apollo would bury you, a place that would now provide you sanctuary as it did for his family. A place where you could rest unbothered by the world. 

The hole was deep enough now, and Apollo had pulled himself out of it. A coffin waited for him and he involuntarily walked towards it, dragging his hand against it. The coffin had been turned from a simple block of stone to a grand piece of imagery. All along its sides had Apollo carved into it, creating depictions of milestones in your relationship. The first time you met, along with the time he revealed to you he was a god followed by the countless times he’d let you play on his lyre and of course, the first ‘I love you.’ Amongst many more. 

He was gentle with the coffin when he picked it up, moving slowly when he brought it over to the open ground. Apollo bit his lip, holding back his weeping so that he could focus on lowering you into the hole. 

It was done. You were really gone, and Apollo would never be yours again. 

“What are you doing here?” Apollo asked, his voice hoarse and his eyes bleak. He was sitting on the ground, painting a gravestone. 

Grass crunched behind him as someone approached. “You’re burying him here?” 

Apollo’s wrist kept moving, his brush creating faces on the gravestone. Still, he answered, “Cut the crap, Artemis.”

Artemis crossed her arms, frowning at her brother’s words. “I was born here too, Apollo. I have just as much right to be here as you do.” 

“You knew, didn’t you?” Apollo snapped, the brush falling from his fingers. 

“Knew what?” Artemis asked. 

“Don’t lie to me Artemis.” Apollo stood, finally facing his twin. “You knew father would kill him!” 

Artemis flinched as she caught wind of Apollo’s face, the puffiness under his eyes red and throbbing. Yet she recovered quickly, shaking Apollo’s arm away. “Don’t touch me.”

He placed his hands back onto her, gripping her in more of a desperate plea than before. “Please, sister, tell me the truth. Did you know that father would kill him?”

. “I…” she started, her chest growing heavy as she felt Apollo’s fingers shake against her. Swallowing carefully, she moved her eyes to your grave. “Yes, I knew… we all did.”

Apollo’s grip on her tightened, his eyes becoming glassy at the revelation. “Why didn’t you tell me? Were you sworn to secrecy? Is that why you didn’t tell me? Father is frightening. I understand if he forced you to swear on the River Styx—”

“He didn’t force me to do anything.” 

“What…?” 

“Oath did not bind me to not say anything to you. I simply chose not to.” Artemis stated, throwing Apollo off of her once again. Her head held high as she watched for his reaction. 

Apollo stared at her, his eyes widening in disbelief. He shook his head. “You knew how much I loved him, you knew father was going to kill him and you didn’t tell me! I don’t understand, Artemis. You are my sister, my twin, my blood. How… how could you?”

“That is exactly why! Apollo, you are my other half. We are two sides of the same coin. We might be related to the others, but their bond is not like ours. That boy was leading you to your demise. I have nothing against him, but you are who I care about most. I didn’t want to see him dead, but I didn’t want to see my brother subjected to an eternal punishment, either.” Artemis finished, her own resolve fading as she too shook at the thought of Apollo being hurt. 

Apollo’s jaw clenched. “Well, sister,” he started, malice seeping into his voice, “It seems you’ve failed anyway because a life without him is the worst punishment I could ever endure.” 

“Demigods!” Medea yelled out, bringing awareness to Meg and Jason’s presence in the room. They couldn’t speak anyway, not while they were stuck in the wind tornadoes Medea had stuck them in. “This is important. Pay attention.” 

“Delphi was a known city-state of ancient Greece. A city state where you, Apollo, were the patron god of. But the Delphi that lives in myths, the one that we know, is not the Delphi that has always been.” 

Through the corner of his eye, Apollo watched as both Meg and Jason’s expressions formed into one of confusion. 

“Once upon a time ago, Apollo betrayed Zeus. However, that’s not a surprise, that is a story that still lives. What didn’t make it, though, was the entire punishment your father had you experience. The gods said you were forced to build the gates of Troy alongside Poseidon. But what they failed to mention was the part where Zeus took everything from you. Your lover and your city. Isn’t that right?”

Apollo opened his mouth to speak, eager to defend his story. He knew where this was going and dread filled his stomach.  

Medea spoke before he could. “Oh, but that’s not even the best part! The original Delphi had its own royal family, a family that your boy-toy had been born to.” She comes to your side, raising your hand up. “Here stands the last prince of Delphi before its initial destruction. After a few years, Apollo rebuilt Delphi and got rid of all the evidence of its history. But thanks to my digging, I could uncover all of this.” 

Behind him, the Pandai were ready to lunge forward and capture Apollo as he had taken on a defensive stance against Medea. “Who told you this? The only person who knew about where I buried him was my sister.” 

Medea scoffed. “Oh, please, if you want to hide the body of your dead lover, do it somewhere that’s not your famous birthplace that everyone knows about. It was the first place I checked.” 

Apollo’s eyes ripped away from hers as blood rushed to his head. She was right, and he was an idiot to think that if someone wanted to find your body, they wouldn’t look on Delos. In his defense, it had been four thousand years since your death. 

Medea smirked at the red dusting Apollo’s cheeks. 

“Everything fell into place for me after that. You preserved his body well, I expected dust only to find that his body was enchanted to stay in good shape. It was perfect for my plan. I needed to bring him back from the dead without actually bringing him back, as I did not want to deal with Hades. He needed to be undead. I looked for spells beyond Ancient Greece and came upon the perfect solution within the dark arts—

“I’ve had enough of your talking,” Apollo sneered, glaring at the witch. “What have you turned him into?” 

“Patience.” She hissed, “I sacrificed my rarest properties along with human blood to create an elixir that would wake up this sleeping beauty. It took days to restore him to full health. But finally, when he did wake, he was radiant. No longer was he a meek mortal. His senses had heightened as he was now strong and blessed with speed, his ears picked up on sounds from miles away, and a nose made for hunting. There’s more, I'm sure of it, but he is still fresh and needs time to develop. So what did I turn him into, you ask?”

Medea sent Apollo one last wicked smile before dropping information that made the ex-god wish he was dead. 

“I have turned the long-lost Prince of Delphi into a vampire.” 

[whomstress]

Keeping the Skies Clear

One shot of Ragatha and Jax! @estro-gem Thank you for finally pushing me over the edge with your amazing fics! to finally start writing for my current hyperfixation. (I was the fan anon this is just my side blog)

Anyway, this about year before the pilot. Zooble's the new kid in town and pushes a dumb bunny just trying to do his "job" keeping a close eye over a devastated Ragatha at another lost friend. I would say poke the bear and find out but Zooble's tough as nails, they can handle anything thrown at them.

Ragatha was the nicest and most stable of them. When Zooble first came, Ragatha was the one to calm her down, as she often did for everyone who allowed it. And, despite how many times it happened, she was always so sad when another one of them abstracted. She was here the longest next to Kinger, yet she was still the most sane one here.

Zooble would like to be in the same mood that Ragatha was always in, but they also knew that behind closed doors she was one of them who was struggling the most. She cared too much about other people before herself. She found this out after Zooble saw their first abstraction. They couldn’t sleep that night, so they wandered the circus until they finally decided to head back to their room in the middle of the night, thinking everyone was asleep by now.

Only when they crossed by Ragatha’s room and heard muffled, sorrowful sobs dulled by a pillow did they figure out the truth. Zooble was never the first person to comfort someone; in fact, they hated being a shoulder to lean on, considering Ragatha had been by their side since they first got there. They felt a kind of guilt for not returning the favor.

As they were about to knock on the door, a gloved hand caught theirs. They nearly jumped in shock, only to realize it was Jax, and the shock was replaced with a glare. “What the-” They said before he gave a hushed “Shut it!” He pointed to the door with his thumb, obviously telling them to be quiet, or Ragatha would hear.

Zooble once again looked at him in shock before he grabbed them by the elbow away from the door a little before Zooble yanked away. “What the @#!$ Jax?” Zooble said, annoyed, but still made sure to keep their voice to a lower volume. His smile seemed to widen at their annoyance.

Even after two months, they still didn’t really care to get to know anyone beyond surface-level things, except Ragatha, who did her best to keep the unwilling newcomer company. Jax was only what they saw on the outside. A mythic A-hole.

So without beating around the bush, they cut to the chase and asked, “Why do you even care?”

His face drops for a nanosecond before he switches back to his regular yellow grin, looking bored at where his finger nails would be. “I actually don’t, for your information.”

Zooble scoffed, rolling their eyes. "It doesn't seem like it. You’re the one stalking her door in the middle of the night to stop anyone from seeing if she’s okay, Jeez. I knew you were a sadist prick picking on the only person who no doubt deserves to be here all the time, but I didn’t think you actually hated her.”

A loud thump on the floor snapped their vision back to the rabbit man. His slightly tinted purple face suddenly filled with a darker purple angry flush, and the rabbit ears that shot up past his hair pulled back. His smile finally turned downward as they glowered over Zooble. “You’ve been here, what? A month, and you think you know me? Get real, @#$%@.” He pointed a gloved hand in their faces.

Despite the slight surprise of seeing him for the first time, seeing him actually pissed off Zooble’s face remained in a glare that matched his slapping his hand out of their face. “You have all of two seconds to get out of my face, or you’ll wish you were the one to go today. Maybe everyone else puts up with your #&^$ but not me %#&*!^.”

He scoffs and backs off, making his face go back into a neutral expression. “*@ off, the only reason I’m not making your life more of a hell than this place is so you don’t wake up. Raggedy dumb@$%.”

Wake up? Zooble only just noticed the sobbing had stopped, replaced with an oddly louder snore. “She’s been crying for like two hours; she thought she’d never stop.” He said it once again, looking bored, but as he listened to her snore a bit more, they could see he was visibly almost completely back to his normal relaxed and annoying nature.

“Why?” They asked.

They knew Jax didn’t need a clarifier but asked, playing dumb anyway. “Why what, Crabby?”

Zooble once again cut straight through his bullshit, “Why do you care? Really.”

He scoffed and placed his hands in his dumb, cartoonish overall pockets. “I told you I don’t.” He looked at Zooble's deadpan face and knew they wouldn’t drop it until they got an answer. He almost told her to buzz off again before they threatened to ask the whole circus if he wasn’t going to give them an answer. “Freaking nark”.

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes until they went almost to the back of his head. “If I tell you, you can’t say jack. If Rags finds out, this will all be for nothing, got it?” Zooble stayed silent but nodded.

“When she gets this way, if anyone says a word to her, she’ll get even more depressed for, like, a week.”

“Why?”

“Some dumb need to never ‘upset’ anyone. The one thing she hates more than anything is thinking she hurt someone. Which is dumb as hell. I get she has this bleeding heart or whatever, but the woman needs to seriously bite the bullet and be an @#$hole one of these days.”

He continued after a moment of silence, “When she’s all depressed, everything and everyone feels like shit. I hate to admit it, but she kind of makes this place bearable for everyone. like the sun through the clouds or whatever that dumb poet said. Anyway, this place gets dark as shit at that point. And doing funny things to people when they have a reaction of a brick wall is boring as hell. Messing with people is the only thing that keeps me from going insane in this place. That’s why.”

Zooble stays quiet for a moment, like they're processing everything he said before they nod, brushing their pink hair out of their face. “Makes sense. Kinda.”

He rolls his eyes again, not caring whether they approve of his reasons or not. Until they broke the silence again, “Like the sun through the clouds, huh?”

His head snaps to theirs, and they let out an amused exhale through their nose before speaking again before he can retort. “Don’t worry, Romeo; the secret's safe with me.” They laughed as they walked away.

He actually almost strangled them at that moment, but was interrupted by a particularly loud, pig-like snort/snore from across the hall, and he rolled his eyes, smirking a bit. Before catching himself and pitching the bridge between his nose trying to stop the oncoming headache. Whatever she’s asleep, she’ll be back to her cheery facade in the morning. He’d done his personal job of keeping the sanity in this place level.

His personal job of keeping the sun out of the clouds.

[mastermindmp3]

I feel its no secret that I try to analyze the songs within the context of the album and that alone. I think there's so much artistry that is often ignored when trying to focus so solely on passing paternity tests about parables told by the potential paramour's songs. ( ok, I really reached for that alliteration, sorry. )

But like, I've been a Swiftie since 06. I do know that these songs are about Taylor Swift's life, and frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Empathy and connection are what, I think, her music is about. How deeply personal is absolutely part of the appeal.

I feel like this acknowledgement will definitely be more prescient in analyses to come, but... god, god, this song is heartbreaking, and it feels so personal. Some songs are vertical slices of the author's life, and dear god, does this feel like one.

Suppose the only thing left to do is place the slide under the microscope, yeah?

There's so much to go into here. The song is so mired in death. There's loss and grief, but this one feels more potent. The speaker isn't trying to justify her grief to other people this time, isn't trying to preempt it (see: Down Bad, saying she was heaven struck, even if for such a short time.)

We open on the title, framed in the same interval as church bells ( and Big Ben ) and throughout the song, we realize that the bells are for a funeral. Cause of death: disaffection and depression.

Can I say? I really love the delivery on the very first verse. I saw in my mind fairy lights through the mist. She delivers it so softly, so warmly, with the last bit of hope the song holds. Fairy lights could be so many things - it could be literal, the fairy lights on someone's porch. It can also be literal for the homophonic meaning: ferry lights, seeing the boat leave as she says goodbye to London. It could be the mythic suggestion of the will o' the wisp, which exist to mislead the traveler who sees them. Perhaps our speaker's later actions are all in vain, because she was following ghostlights.

She tells the audience all she did to try and save her love. Kept calm and carried the weight of the rift. Keep Calm and Carry On being, memeticly, a piece of propaganda distributed in Great Britain during the lead up to WWII. This tells us that perhaps she tried to ignore the ways her relationship was failing, and then, when that didn't work, pulled him in tighter each time he was drifting away.

Then, she tells us how her clinging hurt her. To hold so tightly to someone causes muscles to ache, and even the speaker says, [Her] spine split from carrying [them] up the hill. The speaker is starting to lose hope, here, I think. As she sees how much she's putting in, and how little her lover is giving back.

I left all I knew, you left me at the house by the heath. / I stopped CPR / I was going down with [the ship.]

It is so clear, through vocal desperation and how deep Taylor's notes get, that the speaker gave everything she had to try and save this romance. But she was only given "quiet resentment" in return.

I try to only pull from TTPD for these posts, but the talk of going down with the ship, the imagery of rain ( wet through my clothes ) it all brings to mind just... One thing. Well, actually, two things:

Rain as a symbol of depression is very classic shorthand. We call rainy days "gloomy." I feel like, very obviously, the Speaker's lover is depressed, but I think, less obviously: the speaker is too.

How much sad did you think I had in me?

For me, it calls to mind an old friend, who was going through a dark spot at the same time as me. They... refused to work on getting better, and I hate to say it, but yes, getting better is such nasty work. In a way, the Speaker is expressing that too. She was putting in the nasty work of keeping their relationship together, but also, of putting herself back together.

And her lover didn't. He swore he loved her, but the speaker died on the altar waiting for the proof. You sacrificed us to the gods of your bluest days. Refusing to care, allowing yourself to wallow in depression when someone else is doing the work for you, will be the final straw in many relationships.

I think, by tying the two together, over this running beat, the speaker is explaining why she has to go. Why, for her own mental health, the relationship must end, before she, too, is sacrificed.

I founded the club she's heard great things about.

The speaker put so much work into the relationship (and by proxy, her lover's mental health) that she feels she reinvented her lover. And as he finds new loves, ones who've heard 'great things' about him, she feels resentment... And yet, she also doesn't. After all, she still says that they:

Had a good run / a moment of warm sun / but I'm not the one

In the end, though worsening mental health played a role, the death knell was the all too real: changing hearts and minds. Life went on, and the speaker and her lover fell out of love with each other. The Speaker could no longer choose to stay, not when their love was so obviously corpse cold. I stopped CPR, after all, it's no use.

She knows she'll take blame (You say I abandoned the ship,) for being the one to officially pull the plug. In the context of this song, though, the blame lays with everyone and no one. Some romance can't be resuscitated, and to continue to try well beyond expiration only creates dull, dying pangs.

Taylor creates such a living picture, for such a dying love, and it's genuinely such good songwriting.

[linguist-in-a-blanket]

I saw so many BBC Ghosts fans here trashing the American version that I finally gave up and watched the original.

Well, thanks, I hate it.

Some of the plots were more amusing, yes. I personally liked how the sister story played off. I mean, when in American version we see Jo from Mythic Quest show up with that "nice" smile for one episode, we know what's up from the first second. When it's a seemingly genuine woman who has a couple of episodes to actually earn Alison's and our trust, it's much better. I also liked most of the ones that didn't make it into the remake.

But the core of this premise is characters. And British characters... They're just bad, I'm sorry, they're bad. They are all one note! There is no arc for anybody! Even the most annoying one, Thomas! His whole thing is that he doesn't know what boundaries or consent are, and this goes on for five seasons! Come on, man! Trevor in the American version has charisma, and he comes a long way in just 2 and half seasons we've seen him. This all really makes up for him being a huge jerk: at least he's a lovable jerk, plus he changes. Julian is not lovable at all, Thomas never changes, he's the same since episode 1 till the finale one. Why should we care about two one-note jerks? Flower has a lot about herself aside from being not-all-here: sex-drive, pacifism, commitment issues, basketball, backstories about at least three close people from her life (two boyfriends and brother)... Kitty is just a stupid cutie who is not-all-here, nothing else.

And this drives me to my next point. Such one-note characters without any development simply cannot have a deep connection. Nobody likes each other in this show. I've seen a lot of takes that American ghosts and Sam are friends, while British ghosts and Alison are family. Well, if you mean an abusive family that you can't get away from, that never gives you any good feelings, sure. But do we really need that? Whom of the ghosts does Alison actually like? She hates Thomas and Fanny (never has this realization about her unrealized motherly feelings, and Fanny herself never realizes why she is like she is and how she can change), she doesn't understand Robin (after spending a day with him and learning what he knows, she just gives him to Fanny as a pet), at the very best she pities Kitty. The only one who actually likes Alison as a person is Kitty, but she has her own projections, she is like a duckling who saw the first person near them and said "mommy". She's actually not much better than Thomas in that way, same level of neediness and clinginess, just more lovable than him, and it's not sexual harrassment, more... platonic harrassment? Yay?..

By the way, Alison also doesn't change. Whenever she sees a new ghost in a new place, she is creeped out. This was okay in the beginning, but after living in a house with 9+ ghosts for a couple of years, she is still creeped out by others! Oh, I'm so sorry for your inconvenience, mam, this guy just, you know, didn't have anybody to see him or talk to him in a couple of centuries, but no, no big deal, sure. Sam is fascinated by her gift, she is always happy to explore and talk to new ghosts, Alison just finds it weird and unsettling, even after, what, five years? Girl, you are a fucking superhero! Talk to the invisible people, damn you!

Sure, it could be about not being able to change, especially after you're dead, but then... why? Why should we look at bad people who stay bad, and most importantly, why should we look at them for five seasons?

When Alison weighed pros and cons for staying, she put "ghosts" in both columns. I'm sorry, but why? We almost never see her enjoying their company, almost never see the ghosts helping her (which is petty, but when American ghosts did this for Sam a couple of first times, that's when she warmed up to them)... They are always an incovenience for Alison. Never do they respect any boundaries, all they can do is do one big gesture (song, dance, theater) and move on to being annoying and needy. Never can they hear "no", never can they respect what she asks of them.

Sam says a lot of times she can't leave the ghosts, and I believe her. Even Jay loves the American ghosts! Sam has this whole group of friends and enjoys their company. They all have connections with each other and with the livings. British don't, they move in a pack and look for somebody to annoy, be that Alison or that poor neighbor ghost.

[westrangecollectionkoalaposts]

Think about how fucked up the mating bond is, people get bonded to whoever tf the magic chooses for them considering only how much powerful you are and that your kids will be powerful as fuck, and if you don't like them or some shit happened between you two earlier, sorry but the chances of you ending up with said person in a toxic relationship are still high, look at how many toxic bonds we saw:

we have tamlin's family, his father and brothers were worse than the vanserras and his mom and father were mated, so it didn't matter how much shit his father was, the mom just accepted that.

feysand's bond, fucked up as fuck. after all rhysand put feyre through during UTM, we get to acomaf (and there is also that stupid ring quest, imagine if she died..) where he gives her a long ass sad background story and she just accepted it.... yet if she wasn't his mate she would be pretty much death in book 1, and oh wait, let's not forget the fact he hid life threatening information about her pregnancy, and like, she is still with him as if nothing had happened.

nessian bond! also fucked up, we have cassian watching nesta fall the stairs and be like "haha i watched bc if get to the end, i would have to take you back upstairs, also you fell bc you didnt train so it is all YOUR fault", cassian telling her everybody hates her, cassian doesn't understand how her sisters love her, cassian taking her to a hike bc she (25 years old) was the only one between all those 500+ years old bitches who had balls to tell feyre she was gonna die before christmas, makes her carry a bag that is a third of her weight (lets say she is 1,75m and weights 60kg, she was carrying around 20kg and according to a search in google, a hiking backpack shouldn't weight more than 10 percent of the person's weight, which in this case Nesta should be carrying 6kg and not more than that...) during this hike. He has sex with her after she gets sexual assaulted by a mythical creature, he gets butthurt when she says a fact about riceman, gets angry when she gets uncomfortabled about the fact he wants everyone to know they share bed (and he literaly says exactly that), like, he even says that he didn't choice to be shackled to her, that means he wouldn't choice her => he wouldn't be with her if there wasn't a bond. During acosf we see that he knows shit about her and he doesnt even like her but he stilld wants her exclusively bc of the bond and nesta is molded and treated like shit until submission so she can fit him and his family. Let's not forget that whatever thing nesta disagres, cassian get like "is that because i am a bastard low born nobody and my ass is flat?". Also from a logic point of view (considering the power thing and that the cauldron chooses who you are mated with and it blessed elain with gifts and got angry at nesta bc she took its power) wouldn't make more sense if nesta ended up with a high lord/high lord heir or azriel? nesta is powerful as fuck, powerful to the point rhysand, a pOWErfuLl high lord (take his telepathy away and he is in the same level as the other high lords) struggles to contain her power, she is in the same level of a high lord, and i know cassian had 7 siphons but it is azriel who has not only 7 siphons but is also a shadowsinger, they are poweful but not in the same level as a high lord/nesta yet azriel at least has a special power, so between them two azriel is more logical, and in a general point of view, a high lord/heir... (i repeat, this bond was a curse threw at nesta)

drakon and miryam, too fucked up, she was a slave, that was given to him as gift from his bride/wife/girlfriend whatever. she was a slave, and half human, and during this time humans were all slaves. and drakon, prince, faerie... she was with jurian then somehow she fell in love with drakon(?) i don't remember their story properly, but i am pretty sure that if there wasn't a mating bond, they would not have any relationship. I honestly find this one too weird/absurd that I even have a theory that drakon is daemanti and manipulated miryam to ''love'' him (pretty much like rhysand seems to be doing/did to feyre... maybe that is why drakon and rhysand were friends or something, drakon taught him the telepathy things)

vs non-toxic:

Lucien and Elain, they aren't together, elain doesn't want to get close to lucien and he respects it, lucien doesn't force himself into her, keeps his distance s he is aware she is not comfortable, he let her know they are bonded from the beginning as opposite to some people up there...

Kallias and viviane - we didn't see much about them but considering they were friends since young age, so we are supposed to assume they are good...

Honestly if i was faerie i would be afraid of having a mate.

[justamessedupdisneyprincess]

RANDOM IZZY FACTS

Before I go and hide again I wanna drop some random facts about my Onward OCs who will be playing a big role in Forbidden and whatnot.

1 - Izzy is a warden! You remember Quests of Yore? Well did ya know you can get the actual game IRL?! My big sis got it for me for my birthday a year ago and we played some of it. I looked at the classes and saw Warden which fits Izzy perfectly! Before I knew of this I used to have an idea where Izzy was a “whisperer” before I knew it was sorta already canon LOL. It means basically they have a connection with nature and do what they can to look after it. They can tame wild animals easily! Since Ian happens to be a wizard I figured why can’t someone be a warden in modern times too? Izzy cannot talk to animals or understand their language but she can read their eyes and understand their feelings with ease. She has a special connection with them. Animals who tend to be agitated or aggressive even tend to calm down in the presence of Izzy. She can even tame fierce shadow beasts and familiars of witches! (which is also why Barley drags her with them on their quest later on LOL)

2 - Izzy is an imp, a mythical creature that is known for mischief. They were not featured in Onward but I wanted to add more fantasy creatures to it for fun. Much like the folklore they are of course mischievous and small and can sometimes be dangerous when their little games go too far. They were infamous in the olden days for playing pranks and stealing from adventurers for mere fun. Nowadays imps feed their hunger for mayhem by picking on one another or trolling on the internet. Izzy is an unusual imp who is against such things as she believes these so called pranks and games are just far too mean. As a result she became a target for many of her own kind to pick on.

3 - Since imps are so small they tend to be quite good at sneaking around. They also have great night vision! This helps Izzy with breaking in and stealing only what she needs when she got lost from home. She came from overseas and basically there was an accident and well…I won’t spoil much. She isn’t too sure how to get back after witnessing some bad guy stuff and being scared they will hunt her down. She rescues an adorable jackelope and her main priority is to keep her safe and happy.

4 - Izzy is extremely sensitive, to the point it annoys most people she meets. This just became fuel for the imps back home as a result. “It was just a joke!” They would say before getting annoyed. If someone raises their voice just slightly at her or talks to her in an annoyed tone it is enough to hurt her feelings. She often has trouble telling if someone is shouting at her or just scolding her or if their tone of voice is just a bit grumpy. She gets emotional easily during sad scenes in shows and movies. She rarely fully cries if it’s a show or movie but she will get teary. However if it has something to do with animals she will sob like crazy!

5 - Izzy hates crowds! It could be because as part of being a warden she much prefers to be surrounded by nature, or that she is just shy by default. But it could most likely be because she is suspicious and angry towards humanity for having to deal with bullies most her life. She is tense and scared in crowds! On occasion in public if someone bumps her just slightly she will scream out loud and huddle up in a ball somewhere, the more crowded it is the more likely this will happen. She may also hiss by instinct if she is feeling threatened. To some she may seem moody or even a bit rude but in truth she is nervous to the point of nausea.

6 - She loves almost every animal but she is scared of spiders, snakes and sharks! If a snake isn’t venomous would feel a bit more comfortable with it, where she came from there are quite a lot of poisonous snakes. However spiders just simply make her skin crawl and she believes it is impossible to tame a shark and that their only instinct is to eat. She fears sharks and snakes for danger but…spiders just seem to scare her in general as well.

7 - She is a major sweet tooth! She loves baked goods, especially if they are gooey. Soft fresh gooey cookies with lots of chocolate chips, gooey brownie that is probably just the tiniest bit undercooked and ice cream that has been defrosted by a few minutes. Sadly she can’t eat too much though since her tummy is smaller due to being a little imp. She also likes to try and be moderate as she can get blood sugar easily. She often warns Barley about eating too much in fear he will make himself sick and other times she envies him for being able to indulge himself more than she can.

8 - HUGE temper! Izzy has a super bad temper! If she loses just ONCE in a video game she will start to feel frustrated. It is why she prefers to avoid anything too tricky as the anger can lead to stress and the stress can lead to anger. When someone is being rude though, for example if someone cuts in line than you better watch out! Barley usually has to hold her back and help her calm down. She also swears like a sailor LOL She can also be vengeful so if you hurt her loved ones she will come up with creative scenarios to get her revenge in the most brutal way possible. This trait tends to shock others given how timid she seems on the surface.

9 - Drama Queen. Izzy can be a bit dramatic, during Forbidden you will often see Izzy screaming how they are all going to die. She often writes out wills before embarking into the next temple. She says to Barley before they embark on the quest he dragged her into: “If I die in here I’m going to kill you.” If she drops her snack she won’t pick it up, but just look down at it in despair until someone tells her to snap out of it. It is like an invisible anime styled gloom cloud hangs over here in those moments.

10 - Shockingly affectionate! Izzy often says “I don’t DO friendship.” throughout the beginning of Forbidden. But when Barley earns her trust and she realises she can actually trust him and the gang she opens up quite a bit. Turns out she is a big hugger! She usually hugs Barley even before they started dating cause he is a big hugger too. When they do start dating she becomes so affectionate it can make others feel sick!

11 - this is a weird one I came up with recently. This is NOT canon to the warden class but I thought it would be hilarious to make it that if a warden sings from the heart then flowers will bloom! Izzy refuses to sing though for stage fright related reasons and Barley keeps begging her to try it. Different plants may grow depending on the lyrics.

12 - She does not care much about fashion (it mostly depends on her mood) but she will NOT wear makeup as she doesn’t like the feel of it. Her money however does tend to go towards plushies and other collectable items. The cuter the better! She likes to surround herself with the things she loves. Cute plushies, gemstones, cute little figurines and more!

13 - Izzy loves physical touch, as seen in one of my dumb short comics. It doesn’t have to just be from Barley, she likes to get a rub on the back by friends and family! She really is just a demanding cat who wants pets. She will literally sit still for hours for a massage.

14 - She loves ghost stories and stuff to do with the supernatural! It fascinates her a lot! However at times she can be a bit of a scaredy-cat still. She enjoys lots of horror and Creepypasta but on occasion she may find one that really scares her. On those rare occasions she is all jumpy at night and may awkwardly ask Barley if she can stay for a sleepover or if he can come to her without saying what prompted it exactly. The ones that scare her are the things you cannot fight. Haunted house? I just won’t go in. Creature that follows you and is literally inside your head with no way to kill it? Yeah that is terrifying.

15 - she hates loud noises and she especially would not survive in a rave. However ironically she seems to be a huge fan of dubstep, especially Kawaiistep.

16 - She is very creative! Izzy has many ideas of how she can expand her favourite (or what was her favourite) TV show with more fan characters, stories and more! She worked hard to come up with a story where there were hidden islands which were invisible to the naked eye, all hidden to keep something dangerous locked away but as a result society evolved in a different way with different types of technology, some islands don’t even have technology yet and there are bizarre creatures she made up there too! She is a deep thinker and is constantly thinking. She often ponders about the unknown such as space and the deep sea. Many people hated her for having different ideas that stood out so much but Barley actually loves them and is eager to hear her ideas and stories.

17 - Given how Izzy prefers little to no competition to avoid anger and stress, she usually prefers cozy games. She especially enjoys farming simulators or ones where she can be as creative as she wants by building her own worlds and even her own characters. On occasion she will play a game where you can win or lose, you can hear her go crazy and screaming if she is struggling a lot in one level. She doesn’t rage quit though, she rage continues! If an enemy kills her she will grind until she reaches godmode before coming back for her revenge.

18 - Izzy tends to have trouble understanding social cues. She is never able to grasp the art of sarcasm! When someone is sarcastic she thinks they are being truthful and is fooled constantly.

19 - She has a shockingly dark sense of humour!

20 - She is actually really good at doing impressions, so much so that others often suggest that she should be a voice actor. She can do all kinds of weird voices!

21 - she likes to make people laugh and smile, if someone laughs at a joke she makes it makes her feel really good! She also appreciates a good pun.

22 - she cannot STAND when dogs, cats, bunnies, horses, pretty much most animals die in a movie. If the dog dies she will often scream out “NO!” And if there is a dog in a horror sort of movie she will chant “Please don’t let the dog die, please don’t let the dog die.”.

23 - She HATES sad endings. Everything needs to have a happy ending for everyone! (Unless if the bad guy was super evil but if it was a clearly misunderstood bad guy then she would want them to get a happy ending too).

24 - she often thinks about painting her nails but she has a bad habit of chewing them.

25 - she gets nervous and quiet around strangers, tense even but if they have a pet with them she warms up instantly and is eager to pet their animal companion and learn about them! When out in public if she sees a dragon she eagerly points at them saying “Draggo!”.

26 - her overall aesthetic is pastel goth with a tomboyish touch.

THANKS FOR READING! LOL

[qwertzze]

Is it weird to feel honored to be someone's mutual

Like, you followed them, and they thought you were good enough to follow back? I think that's partially my own limiting how many people I follow talking, but I love all those I'm mutual with

Reason for this side note is that I saw Ly's four gijinka again and it's one of the greatest four designs I've seen and it feels impossible to be able to reach out to someone that I would usually interact with three steps removed

Like if I wasn't active on Tumblr, they might become one of the artists that I think of as mythical when I see their art on Pinterest. Same for digits, although to a MUCH higher degree because I DID find them on Pinterest and I DID admire them from a distance

Even for people I didn't really know of before they interacted with my main account like heart2, it just feels weird to have a vaguely positive relationship with someone on the same level of art/better art

No offense meant to the people I know irl with art, most of them don't do digital art and started recently, or uhh. I mean I don't want to say that I'm better at drawing than them because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but as the beholder myself, I prefer one kind of art over another. That's just my preferences though

I feel like an asshole now, but continuing what I was talking about, even small things like reblogs with tags added like "fav" feels nice

Now we're reaching the point where I try to dig around in my mind to figure out where this feeling comes from. Desire to be special and jealously (in the actual definition of the word) is what I think it is

For the first one, its pretty self explanatory, and ties into the next point a lot. I made drawing and being the "artist" my whole thing for a while, and every time someone else would get praised irl for something they clearly didn't try on, I would envy them. I thought (and somewhat still do) of my artwork as my best quality, and the only thing about me truly worthy of praise. It was (and is) kind of my only chance to be in the limelight, even though I still struggle with compliments

I like to draw, I do. I wouldn't want to live without it, but it's so ingrained in my perception of myself that I don't know HOW I would live without it

Everyone in the house I live in does art, though. My brother and my father are no competition to my selfish, hungry ego, but my mom is. She does realism well, one of the things I struggle with. She has a college degree in art, and she's been doing it longer than I've been alive

But I don't hate her for it, surprisingly. If I knew about my worldview and had to guess how I would feel about my mom as a third-party, I would probably guess I hated her, and envied her

But she's the person I trust most, bar none. I just want her approval. When I messed up on drawings we were doing together when I was younger, I would cry and apologize. Her compliments will always be something I seek more than air

While I'm talking about parents, fuck you birth contributor (male)

[infinitebread]

reasons why i love taang because this ship is beautiful and won't leave me in peace:

- their differences: the contrast in the way they were both brought up just fascinates me to no end. like she's basically a billionaire heiress and he's a simple nomad with barely anything to his name. toph is blunt and strong willed. aang is gentle and with his head often in the clouds. this dynamic is so *chef's kiss*.

- their similarities: i will literally never shut up about how both their journeys began with them running away from home or how the aforementioned running was born from a powerful desire to be free from the roles they were born into. they both love to travel. they're both child prodigies who mastered their native elements at outstandingly young ages.

- he was her first friend and the first person she told about her seismic vision using earth bending!!!

- that they both had feelings for a water tribe sibling (i mean who could blame them). i could totally see an alternate universe where they bond over heartbreak and first loves. they then both make a pact to help each get over their crushes and to protect each other from further hurt only to fall for each other instead...

- they challenge each other: nobody gets under aang's skin quite like toph. and like we saw during the dinner scene in the 'blind bandit' he can definitely challenge her right back. he was able to discover an unbendable rocklike aspect of himself thanks to her. he could also help her get in touch with her spirituality through meditation and the like. i just feel like they'd have a lot to teach and learn from each other :')

- i feel like earth and air is such an underrated opposite element pairing. there's something so lovely about this combination especially when you take into consideration that many creation stories (as in the creation of the world) across multiple cultures include an earth mother and sky father. there's just something so epic, so mythic about this combination.

- "best friends to lovers" trope. nuff said.

- "childhood best friends to lovers" trope. like the former but even better. especially in scenarios where aang has to leave for avatar training and they reunite years later and have to reconcile who they remember each other as with who they've become.

- the fact that king bhumi foretold their meeting. bhumi would ship them so hard, dont @ me. and he would affectionately embarrass aang in the process, much to toph's amusement.

- the fact that he saw a vision of her in a mystical swamp where you see visions of people you "loved and lost". and how she turned out to be nothing like the demure, giggly vision he saw in the swamp but was still awestruck by her and her power anyway and was determined to meet her almost like he was inexplicably drawn to her.

- the fact that there is a, very convincing, theory that toph is the reincarnation of avatar kuruk's slain lover, ummi. that that's why toph was born blind because her face was stolen in a past life so not all of her features were reincarnated with her and that their spirits found each other again after nearly 1000 years.

- the beifongs reacting to taang: toph's dad canonically believes that aang kidnapped his daughter. it's hilarious on so many levels. he probably thinks aang is some dangerous, bad boy who's influencing his daughter. which just sends me into space tbh. also lao beifong probably always pictured a wealthy suitor marrying his daughter and contributing to his vast fortune. but the man his daughter loves doesn't have a copper piece to his name. "i mean yes he's the avatar sure but his only possessions are the clothes on his back and a literal stick. a stick, poppy!"

- i think poppy would be cold to aang at first but after seeing how hopelessly in love toph and aang are and how much he genuinely cares about her daughter she'd grow to love and accept him wholeheartedly.

- the thematic and elemental symbolism: i mean technically yes, every ship in atla has this at least to some extent, but i once read a taang fic with the phrase, "she keeps him grounded and he gives her wings" and y'all... i haven't been the same ever since. because like, yes! that's it, that's the ship!

i say all this just to say:

i love them. i love this ship.

thanks for coming to my ted talk.

*******

***NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS POST TO HATE OR CRITICIZE ANY CHARACTER OR SHIP (CANON, FANON OR OTHERWISE) I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT IF THIS POST COULD REMAIN JUST FUN AND SHIPPY AND DISCOURSE FREE. THANK YOU :)***

[reverieregina]

Curse of the all-knowing part 1

Caspian x fem!reader

Summary: Y/N was living her life like anyone in the 21st century, until one day she comes across a portal to a magical kingdom, Narnia. A kingdom she believed to be fictional, is suddenly real. What is the reason for her arrival? And what are the surprises that are awaiting her?

Words: 1806

Warning: None

English is not my first language

I look away from my laptop screen, where Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is playing. I look out at my window, noticing the nice weather, and get the sudden urge of going on a walk. I look back at my laptop. The movie is nearing its end and I can already feel my throat tighten and few tears running down my face. No matter how many times I watch this movie, the ending always gets me. Lucy, Edmund, and Eustace say goodbye to Aslan and Caspian before going to the waves and get back to their own world.

I wash my face so I don't look like I just cried and put on some comfortable clothes for a walk. I would rather chill on my bed but something told me to take a walk. I leave the apartment complex with AirPods, some random song playing in my ears, and go to the woods nearby. I found the familiar path through the woods. The birds are chirping and there are flowers here and there. The forest is giving away a different energy today, something I never have felt before. A gust of wind blows past me, almost pushing me off the trail. I look at the direction the wind is blowing. Should I? I just make sure not too far away from the trail. I follow the wind like I'm Pocahontas or something. I reach a door and furrow my brows. That's random, who would put a random door in the middle of the woods. I open the door like something else would be at the other side, but of course, it's just the same forest. My phone gives away the sound of a notification and I take out my phone as I go through the door. Just as I do that, I lose reception, weird. I close the door behind me and take off my AirPods as I look up.

I look around and notice I'm in some kind of garden, full of rose bushes. Impossible, a second ago it was just trees. I turn around to the door, if it took me wherever I'm then it can take me back. Just as I'm about to grip the handle, it fades away, like the rest of the door.

"No, no, stop it. come back!" I banged my hand on the door but keeps fading until it's gone and it's just bushes. Great, there went what could be my only way home. I look around, it's just roses. I walk around, trying to find my way from here. Survival mode on.

If I had any.

I reach what seems like a Medieval age's castle. How come it looks brand new while the rest in the world is in ruins? I try to find someone and just as I'm about to shout, a person walks by and by the sound of it, a horse is nearby. The bushes are in the way so I'm well hidden. I hate talking to strangers but I need to know where I am. Once again, just as I'm about to shout I stop myself. The bushes are no longer hiding the lower part of his body, his horse body. My eyes widen and my breath thicken. I must be dreaming. The centaur looks around like he could feel someone staring. I crouch down. I stay like that until I no longer hear his steps.

This can't be happening. Centaurs are supposed to be fiction, so why did I just see one? I must be dreaming. I pinch my arm and feel a bit of pain, okay so not dreaming. Still doesn't explain my whereabouts. Think Amy, you were on a walk, you left the trail and went through a randomly placed door. My eyes widened in realization. The door! I'm in a new place and I just saw a mythical creature. I must be in another world. Time to find out where and just work from there. I stand up and am met with an older man. I yelp leaves my lips and the man gets startled by my sudden appearance. After calming down for a few seconds I get a better look at him. He kinda looks like Santa, but shorter.

"I have never seen you before. Who may you be?" He asks. Pretty calm for someone that just saw a person come out of bushes.

"Me? Just nobody, no one!" Great Amy, lie when he seems nice and you need help. The man chuckles at my embarrassing state.

"Well, just 'Nobody.' Care to tell me your name and what you're doing here?" I look at the man that is staring at me very patiently. At least he doesn't see me as a threat. I sigh. I will sound crazy but it's the only explanation I can come up with.

"My name is Y/N L/N and I think I'm in the wrong world." Just as that leaves my lips, I realize how crazy that sounds. On the other hand, I just saw a centaur. The man just stands still, like he is comprehending what I just said. We just stay there staring at each other for some seconds until the man finally says something.

"Come with me." He says and walks away to the massive castle.

"Hey I'm not following a stranger anywhere, I don't plan on dying today!" I shout back. I was raised better than that. The man stops and turns around.

"Do you know where you are?" I shake my head. "Do you know how to get back to your own world?" Once again I shake my head. "Then follow me." Sorry mom, but I have questions and someone has the answers. I follow the man that is faster than you would think but I catch up fast.

"Excuse me sir, but where am I?" I ask. The man looks at me and then forward again. That man has a destination and he is determined to get there.

"You will get answers soon dear child." Good to know.

"Okay, but can I at least get your name." The man smiles at me, making me feel a bit calmer about this situation.

"I'm Professor Cornelius." Finally an answer! But why does his name sound familiar? I'm sure I never have meet him before, have I? As we walk to wherever he is taking me I notice the people around us. People dressing in Medieval clothing, dwarfs, minotaurs, and centaurs. I would think that we were on a movie set but I'm pretty sure we passed by a badger that was talking to a mouse.

We reach some enormous doors and the professor opens them up, looking around for someone. I slow down my steps. This place is magical, with pillars and a glass roof. It is so new yet so familiar. People were happily chatting, clearly happy for something since they have a small celebration of some sort. The deeper I go into the room the quieter the people get. Guess I crushed the party and I'm pretty sure I heard someone mention my clothes. When I reach the Professor I see him with his back turned to me while talking to someone and the surrounding people look at me with suspicion. Ignoring their staring, I look behind them. There are two thrones on a dais. Am I about to meet royalty?

"Miss Y/N, come here." Says the professor, taking me out of my thoughts. "There is someone you should meet." I walk the few steps to the professor and as he moves to the side I'm met with the most handsome man I have ever seen. He smiles and a warm feeling is spreading in my chest. The more I look at him, the more I realize.

I know who he is. I saw him just two hours ago.

"Miss Amy, let me introduce you to-" The professor starts, but my mouth worked faster than my brain and didn't let him finish.

"Caspian." His name leaves my lips. The man in front of me is Caspian. Everyone looks perplexed but I don't care, I can't stop staring into his eyes. They just give me comfort, I could stare into them forever. I finally know where I am.

"Professor Cornelius," Someone is talking but who I don't know. I just can't move. "I thought you said that she is from another world."

"She said that she is and her clothes are something I have never seen before. Also, she seemed so confused over where she is." He answered. Well, obviously my clothes are something you have never seen before, I'm from the 21st century.

"And how do we know she is telling the truth?" The same man asked. I finally find my voice and talk for the first time since I saw Caspian.

"I am in Narnia, aren't I?" I ask. Caspian chuckles and takes a step towards me.

"Yes my lady, you are in Narnia and I'm its king. Tho it seems you already know that." Caspian explained. I feel the blood rush to my cheeks and I look away from him. I look to my right and I see a balcony. Not saying another word I walk towards it. I can obviously hear someone laugh a bit and their footsteps following me but I keep going. While out I see the clearest ocean I have ever seen. A bit to the right and I see a cave in the distance. Must be the cave the Pevensies came from in the second movie. Someone stands beside me but my eyes are back on the ocean.

"Beautiful isn't it? It takes your breath away." Caspian. That man has been taking people's breath away for years.

"Yeah," I answered. A few seconds go by until I realize my mistake, he is royalty. "Your majesty." I bow, more or less. He laughs, gosh I could listen to that laugh forever.

"No need to bow and Caspian is just fine, Lady Y/N." Once again I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. I don't know if this is better or worse than watching him through a screen.

"Well then Caspian," I emphasize his name. "Call me Y/N." He put his hands on the rails and looks at me, the atmosphere goes from comfortable to extremely serious.

"Lady Y/N, I was told you were from a different world yet you know my name. I would really like to know why and how."

"I think it's for the best if we speak somewhere a little more private. Because what I'm about to say will change everything." He nods in understanding. A new world is nothing new to him, his friends and his ancestors were from another world. But what is new is that I'm not from the same one as the Pevensies.

"Follow me."

Next chapter

[ginazmemeoir]

May I request a story with my boi Krishna pleeeaaase?

this is about my boi Krishna, who is actually a socialist and vehemently hates capitalism. yes it involves bloodshed.

Yes, this is about the mythical Syamantak Mani.

The story starts with the wealthiest merchant in Dwarka, Satrajit. Imagine Jeff Bezos, but not as politically powerful or cruel. This dude was an ardent devotee of Lord Surya, the Sun God. One day, while he was walking along the beach, Surya decided to spook him for fun by appearing before him spontaneously in a flash, to which Satrajit responded by lying down before him. Since this was an awkward situation (imagine Jeff Bezos bowing to the Human Torch in the middle of a beach on a Sunday morning), Surya offered him a boon, and Satrajit, our greedy clever little merchant, asked for Surya's necklace - the Syamantak Mani.

Now this was a 170 pound solid gold necklace, embedded within which was the mani (gem)(legend says that the Koh-i-Noor diamond is a fragment of that mani, but instead cursed following Gandhari's wrath). Whoever possessed the necklace, woke up to a shower of gold coins each day. The land where this person would live would become the richest, most prosperous and happy land anywhere, and the person themselves would become the richest human ever.

Rumours reached Krishna's ears about Satrajit's legendary wealth, and he himself inspected the situation. Since Krishna was a good person and did not believe in the concentration of power* or money in the hands of an individual, he demanded that Satrajit give up the Syamantaka Mani to the Yadava council treasury, so that it could be used for the common good. We all know where this leads too. The necklace was given to Satrajit's brother Prasena promptly for safekeeping. Proof that shitty audaciously rich bussinessfolk have endured since ere.

Prasena had a stone for a brain, for he wore that necklace while hunting in the forest (yes. he wore a 170 pound gold necklace which grants eternal fortune. while hunting). Sadly, he was eaten by a lion which ran away with the necklace. The lion in turn was killed by Jambavanta, the immortal Emperor of Bears, who took the necklace for himself.

Meanwhile, there was uproar in Dwarka when people got to know of Prasena's death. Satrajit immediately accused Krishna of his brother's "murder" (bitch that's what you get for giving your necklace to a knucklehead), and Krishna was produced before the Yadava Council. Krishna, flipping everyone off, said "You dumb cucks. Imma show you who did it. Heck imma even bring the cursed necklace back. So long bitches." and then set off on an epic quest to find the necklace. All this time, he was being stalked by Satrajit's daughter Satyabhama, who was heels over heads in love with him.

Krishna followed Prasena's trail, then the lion's trail, and then talked to some monkeys who told him that they saw a cave glowing. Krishna, approached said cave, where he saw Jambavanta's young cub chewing on the necklace. (why. was that kid dumb enough to not know it was not chocolate?) Anyway Krishna was sneaking away with the necklace when Jambavanta "caught" him. They fought for a month (idk how) over the gem, when finally the tired Jambavanta accepted his defeat and gave over the necklace. Krishna was also married on the spot to Jambavanta's daughter Jambavanti, to cement an alliance between Dwaraka and the bear kingdom.

Krishna returned back after a month, victorious, and all charges against him were dropped. Satrajit was remorseful when he heard what actually happened with his brother, and apologized to Krishna, allowing him to keep the necklace and even married him to his daughter (yes the one who had stalked him in Dwaraka), Satyabhama.

Yay happy ending. No you dumb bitch we haven't reached the bloodshed part.

Krishna though didn't keep the necklace. He gave it back to Satrajit since it was his "divine property" and just instead increased his taxes by like 1000%. Now, at the same time, the Pandavas had escaped from Varnavata, where they were almost burnt alive in their newly constructed summer palace (made of wax. Madame Tussaud's somewhere turning in her grave). Krishna went to meet the Pandavas, and immediately Satrajit's enemies took use of this opportunity. They murdered Satrajit in his sleep, robbed his house and the Syamantak Mani. The main culprits were Satadhanwa and Akrura. Satyabhama immediately rushed to Hastinapur where she approached Krishna for vengeance. Krishna pursued Satadhanwa, and then killed him near Mithila. Only, he didn't posses the gem. Akrura had stolen the gem for himself and fled to Kashi. Akrura was brought back to Dwaraka in chains and apprehended, where he plead guilty. He was made a political prisoner for life, and the necklace was returned to the Yadava treasury.

PHEW THIS WAS LONG

*The Yadavas were a democratic community with no single king, and instead a committee and council of different factions, clans and people of all backgrounds.

[hb-writes]

Gestures of Fairness

Summary: Set in 1927 in the Little Lady Blinder universe. Thomas Shelby isn’t ticklish, at least that’s what a few decades of Clara’s intel says. Charles and Clara test the theory of his god-like ability to remain stoic in the face of writhing fingers. 

Inspired by this request: I am not sure if you would write this but I thought of something pretty adorable. Clara finding Tommy’s ticklish spot. Ugh. I can just imagine how adorable 🤣🤣🤣

Featuring: Tommy, Charles, and Clara (Shelby sister)

Charles’s breath tickled Clara’s ear and neck, his small hands clasped around her neck as he told her his secrets, warm puffs of air accompanying his confiding words. Their ragged breathing, interspersed with bouts of snickering, had filled the walls of Tommy’s office for only a few minutes, Charlie having chased his aunt there before they both tumbled to the carpets, immersed in a tickling struggle so immersive not even Tommy’s more irritable of glances or throat clearing could bring a stop to it. 

 “But daddy’s not ticklish, Charlie,” Clara offered, her voice a bit hushed though not quite a whisper as she looked into her nephew's mischievous eyes. 

She rested her head back into the carpet, tilting her head to see her brother as her nephew rolled away from where he had landed half on top of her, reclining beside her on his back. 

Tommy glanced their way for only a moment now, acknowledging their presence but offering nothing more now that they'd settled. He was in the middle of something, always was, and despite his throat clearing and glaring, Tommy hadn’t sent them out, so Clara stayed there with her nephew, the two of them lounging on the carpet. 

“Every single person in this family is ticklish,” she continued, reaching under Charles’s chin as he giggled, quickly catching her hand and pushing her away. “But not your dad, as if he’s a god or something, safe from the disparaging attacks that bring mere mortals like you and me to our knees.”

Charles tilted his head back as Clara had done, looking at his father upside down from the carpet.

Charles turned back to his aunt and whispered the words, “But he’s not a god.” 

Clara snorted and observed her brother again, certain Tommy heard them though he no longer seemed to be paying their conversation any mind. 

The boy was right. Thomas Shelby, despite all the pretenses, despite the power and the glares and the titles, was not a god. But, mythical deity or not, Tommy was seemingly impervious to tickles and had not a single weak spot, a feat of seemingly divine providence considering how the rest of them fared in the same situation, and his unaffected guise certainly wasn’t from a lack of a search on the part of the other parties involved. 

Though for many years it was only Finn and Clara receiving tickles, the twins began reciprocating the attack quite early on, their pudgy toddler hands squirming in the same spots the other Shelbys used on them, in the crook of the neck and under the chin, at the sides of the torso, and deep in the underarms or across a sock-clad foot whenever they could gain access to it.

John was the first one Finn and Clara had any genuine luck with, the spot under his chin so sensitive that even their imprecise attacks brought on a bout of genuine laughter, the man entirely compelled to it while the others were simply amused by the babies and their often inexact attempts. 

Then came Ada’s demise, the twins pouncing on her together one morning while she enjoyed a late lie-in. They’d found Ada’s most ticklish spots without delay, just behind her knees, and for a long time, it took a true partnership between Finn and Clara in order to make it happen, both bodies needed to hold Ada’s thrashing body down well enough. 

It was the soles of Arthur’s feet that were his downfall, as well as the very reason why he almost never slipped his shoes off when he was at the family home on Watery Lane, but Clara had caught him twice since he moved out to the country, his sock-clad feet propped on an ottoman as he napped in a chair, starting a ruckus that had everyone but Linda in a fit of giggles, though she’d at least smiled at them, pulling Billy up and out of harm’s way, the harm being the two siblings tousling on the floor as Arthur sought out retribution for his sister's childlike crimes. 

They got Polly once, Finn’s hands grazing at the back of the woman's neck, but she’d threatened the two of them so severely and with such striking detail of what would be coming their way at a second attempt that they never even considered trying it again. 

Even Michael was ticklish, in the very same spot as his mother, actually, and before he was gone to America, Clara never tired of passing a set of cold fingers along the back of her cousin’s neck while she walked behind his desk or when he was focused on a bit of paperwork they were going through together. There was something so delightful about the shriek that came through his lips, well worth the smack that usually accompanied it, a reflexive movement of Michael’s that usually left her hand stinging well beyond the humor of the moment subsided.

Tommy’s weak spot was an enigma though because for several years he had been quite adamant that he wasn’t ticklish at all and quite adept at hiding any sort of response if he was lying. It always had been that way for as long as Clara could remember, even before the war, Tommy being passive and stoic in the face of tickles. Even Polly and Charlie and Arthur couldn’t recall if there was ever a spot where they’d even once been able to get a giggle or the hint of a smile out of him when he was small. 

Clara turned over to her stomach and propped herself up on her elbows, watching her nephew as he crossed the room and climbed into his father’s lap, separating Tommy from his papers. 

“Auntie Clara says you’re not ticklish.” 

Tommy smirked, eyebrows raised as he met his sister’s eye from across the room. 

For two children who screamed and thrashed about when they were tickled, it baffled Tommy how often they engaged in the practice amongst themselves or broached the topic with people who could easily have them writhing on the floor within seconds. He supposed Clara and Charles didn’t hate it as much as they sometimes put on, even enjoying it up until a certain point so long as it stopped when requested.

“Your aunt would be correct," Tommy answered, settling back in the chair.

“But everyone’s ticklish, Dad.”

Charles had never met a person who didn’t share the affliction, though his exposure was limited to that of his family and the staff of Arrow House, but Clara hadn’t met a person with immunity to such a thing in her life either, so the sentiment held as far as she was concerned. 

“Not me,” Tommy answered. “Your aunt and uncle have tried unsuccessfully for almost two decades.”

“Can I try?” 

Clara pushed herself off the floor at Tommy’s nod, a bit impressed with the allowance. She’d figured over the years that Charles had a higher probability of getting a yes out of her brother, and she’d used that to her advantage the same way her siblings had once used her, sending Charles off to garner Tommy's permission for something whenever he was sullen rather than asking after things herself, almost certain the boy could get a yes when she’d get a no. 

“Three attempts, my boy, and then you can take your aunt out and keep her out of trouble for me until dinner, eh?” 

Clara rolled her eyes, leaning against the side of Tommy’s desk, just a pace or so away from them. “Why only allow him three if you’re not ticklish?” 

“Because I have business,” Tommy answered, nodding towards the papers scattered across his desk.

“Always with the business," Clara mused. "Always frowning at your paperwork all Sunday afternoon.” 

“That’s why we need to find where he’s ticklish, so he can laugh.” 

Clara snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, her eyebrow raising just a bit. “Well said, Charlie.” 

Tommy looked about to say something but Charles jabbed his hand into the space beneath Tommy’s chin, the spot most obvious to the boy since it had always worked for him and his Aunt Clara and Uncle John, but Tommy barely responded to the intrusion, his body almost entirely still as Charles continued his assault, the boy’s hand finally dropping with a huff after a second endeavor in the same spot.

Charles then poked his fingers into Tommy’s stomach, another unsuccessful experimentation, a bewildered hum coming from Charles’s lips before the boy reached out again, this time his fingers barely grazing the side of his father’s ribs before Tommy trapped the small hand in his. 

“You’ve already had three.”

Clara narrowed her eyes, stepping closer to them. “You’re cheating, Tommy.” 

“How am I cheating?”

“Because he—”

“I only had two tries!” Charles shouted before Clara could get the words out herself.

“You went twice under the chin and once in the stomach,” Tommy answered in an even tone. "One and two is three."

“That’s not fair!” Charles pouted.

“Life often isn’t. Best to learn that now,” Tommy said as he slid Charles from his lap to the floor. “A good lesson to you both.” 

Clara knew well enough the world wasn’t fair, knew well enough that her brother wasn’t often very fair either, but her young nephew had no need of coming to expect that type of unfairness in life, and certainly not at such a young age. 

“Maybe the world isn’t always fair, but family should be,” Clara said. “You’re cheating your own son, Thomas.”

Clara saw it, she knew she did, a small tremble in Tommy’s cheek when Charles’s fingers grazed his ribs. The rest of him had stayed still, immersed in perfunctory indifference to his son’s pursuit, but Clara saw the twitch. Without the distance, without her being a casual observer, she never would have noticed such a small movement, the well-disciplined facade of her brother almost concealing it.

Tommy wasn't sure which part of her sentence he wanted to go for first. The accusation or the 'Thomas,' but in his deliberation, Clara filled the silence herself.

“And me,” she offered. “You’re ticklish. I saw.” 

Clara stepped in front of her nephew. “He touched you right—”

Tommy grasped her outstretched hand. “Enough.”

Clara pouted as she pulled her hand back. “You’re no fun.”

“I have calls to—”

The twitch was more pronounced when Clara dug her fingers into his side, the hint of a smile there on Tommy’s face as he jolted, some small noise merging a laugh and a throat clearing coming from his lips. But the moment was gone almost as quickly as it had come on because Tommy caught her, his hand firm around her wrist.

Clara recognized the message. To anyone else, it might have read as an adult telling a child they had reached their limit and were edging towards trouble, or as a gangster threatening a subordinate to fall back in line, but grasping the wrist was precisely the same gesture of fairness Clara and Charles adopted between the two of them, an irrefutable request to stop, a removal of consent for a game no longer being enjoyed, and Clara understood that her long-pretending brother was indeed ticklish, but unlike her and Charles and the others, not even a small part of him enjoyed it. 

Clara smiled at her brother though his hand still held her wrist, the tightness of his grasp uncomfortable enough she wasn't eager for it to continue for long. Though a part of Clara was giddy at finally solving over a decade's long riddle and more than a bit entranced by the idea of an encore, she’d not discredit the nearly sacrosanct vow indicated by the gesture she and Charles had developed, and she would not reinforce for the boy that he should expect the world and his family to be cruel and dishonorable at every turn. 

“Alright, Tommy. Peace, then,” Clara offered.

“But—” 

Clara glanced down at her protesting nephew, nodding towards the wrist the boy's father was still holding, Tommy's fingers slipping off Clara's wrist only as she turned to Charles and continued speaking.

“Your dad’s asked us to stop, Charlie boy. He’s got calls to do before he joins us for dinner, eh Tommy?” 

Charles moved around Clara and leaned into Tommy's knee, distracted from his aunt's lesson by the notion of his father joining them for dinner. “Are you joining us, Dad?” 

It seemed fair by Clara’s standards, that her brother should grant them that small concession since he was prematurely stopping their fun, and Tommy stared at his sister for only a short moment before nodding at the boy. “You best go on and let Frances know to set an extra place.” 

Charles sprinted off to find the woman, leaving Clara and Tommy smiling in his wake. 

“Clara, it’d be best for you to—”

“Forget I’ve finally found where you’re ticklish?” she asked, smirking as she stepped back from him. “Of course. Can’t have word getting out Thomas Shelby, OBE is a mere human like the rest of us.”

“I mean it, Clara.” 

Clara rolled her eyes. “I know, Tommy. I’ll keep it to myself.” 

Tommy took a breath, nodding once before he looked back to the papers on his desk. 

“Right, so you’re back to paperwork and calls and frowning, then?” Clara asked.

“If you and my boy are demanding my presence at dinner, then, yes.” 

Clara smiled. She’d leave him to it, and she’d not tell anyone her brother was ticklish, not even Finn as tempting as that was, but she’d not forget. She’d store the information away, kept safe until needed, until Tommy needed a subtle gesture to remind him of what it felt like to be on the receiving end of family not being fair.

-----

Read more Little Lady Blinder stories here.

🏷:

@beautycinders​ @buckybluebarnes (can’t tag) @cecii22me​ @lovemissyhoneybee​ @marquelapage​ @midnight-dreams-23​ @mo-onstarrs​ @ohhersheybars​ @pollyrepents​ @unicorndetective22 (can’t tag)

[xialing-tenrings]

What We Know About the Character: Shang-Chi + some speculation about the events

Shang-Chi (played by Simu Liu) is the main character of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. GET READY FOR A LONG POST ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW AND WHAT WE DONT KNOW ABOUT HIM

EVENTS IN HIS LIFE/TIMELINE

-Born to Jiang Li and Wenwu, leader of the Ten Rings organization, aka the Mandarin. He has an estranged sister named Xialing. We don't know if she's younger or older.

-In the trailers, we hear Wenwu say he gave Shang-Chi "ten years to live [his] life" and we see him being happy being friends with Katy and Jon Jon and using the name Shaun according to his name tag and working as a hotel valet. This movie likely takes place in 2023-2024, similar to other films and shows that have been released recently, so that means Shang-Chi likely began living in San Francisco (we saw the Golden Gate Bridge in the trailers) in 2013-2014. After this is when the movie takes place.

-Prior to this, he was trained to be an assassin at a very young age for his father. (I couldn't find the age of the actor, Jayden Tianyi Zhang, but I would guess maybe 5-7ish?) It appears that Wenwu directed his training, though Death Dealer, one of the warriors of the Ten Rings, was his mentor and trained him more personally.

-During this time while being trained, Wenwu also demonstrated his power and his penchant for murder with the rings, as it seems. As the user of the ten rings (the maybe-magical weapons). In the trailers, we see a young Shang-Chi witnessing his father in fights and likely teaching him about the Ten Rings (organization), likely how to rule it someday.

-At some point, Xialing, his sister, leaves him and their family, assumably cutting contact. Judging from their fight in the fight ring in the trailers, there is some kind of bad blood between them. Probably a sibling rivalry, though with more to it, maybe a certain event. However, they later team up (discuss it later in the post).

-Wenwu wants Shang-Chi to take his place by his side, according to the trailers.

-It seems like Razor Fist is sent to attack Shang-Chi on a bus (maybe one of many places), kickstarting the events of the movie. He is said to be a mercenary sent to kill Shang-Chi. I think this happens in the beginning because one of the promos has Katy saying "and a guy with a machete for a hand just attacked our bus" in an incredulous tone, so this is before Shang-Chi's identity is revealed to her.

-"I trained you so the most dangerous people in the world couldn't kill you...glad I was right" is said from Wenwu to Shang-Chi in the trailers. Because of this, I think there's a possibility that Razor Fist may have actually been sent by Wenwu to test/retrieve him. Also see the gif above from when Shang-Chi exits the helicopter with his dad. Razor Fist is behind him and clearly not attacking him.

-At some point, Shang-Chi end up in some sort of fight club with Katy (Jon Jon might be there too, I think he's in the background of a shot from the Most Likely Featurette at 0:29). Abomination and Wong are there too, but we haven't seen Shang-Chi interact with them. Shang-Chi is set to fight Xialing, and we can assume this is the first time they've seen each other in a while.

-I think they make up very soon after. Also from the same featurette, we see a shot of Katy telling Xialing "you're like, such a badass, everything you do is like so cool" with both of them wearing the same outfits as the organized fight scene.

-From then on, Shang-Chi, Katy, and Xialing are presented as a trio (they also are in the featurette as the primary trio who save the world). They eventually meet up with Wenwu as guests, it seems. We see them sitting together with him and arguments between Shang-Chi and Wenwu (Shang-Chi: "you're just a criminal who murders people." Wenwu: "be careful how you speak to me, boy" at a table).

-It becomes very clear that Shang-Chi hates Wenwu and everything he stands for. After Wenwu realizes Shang-Chi doesn't want to be an assassin, I guess that then they start fighting over ownership of the ten rings (weapon) and possibly the destruction of the Ten Rings (organization). We see tug-of-war between the two for ownership of the rings.

-At some point, Shang-Chi meets a dragon and something akin to a civil war breaks out, where he and Xialing and Katy (who may or may not also have a secret identity) are fighting together.

-Also at some point, Shang-Chi is in a fight with Death Dealer. I would guess this is towards the beginning, as it seems like they're4 still in San Francisco, but idk

-At another point, Shang-Chi meet up with Jiang Nan, who is the guardian of some mythical city. My guess is that they visit her for advice or info

-Shang-Chi, Xialing, and Katy save the world. From what exactly, something to do with Wenwu and the ten rings (weapon), but we don't know exactly.

PERSONALITY / ABILITIES

-Master martial artist and generally a good fighter. What more is there to say?

-I guess he knows how to use the ten rings (weapons) and can use their magic?

-Awkwafina says he (and Xialing) have superhero genetics, so maybe he also has a little something going on there

-A classic snarky Marvel protagonist who likes to say wElL lEt'S gO bIg BoY and could maybe talk his way out of a fight

-Not as likely to get into a fight as Xialing

-Could survive a zombie apocalypse, or at least stay alive a while

-Probably wouldn't fall for a phone scammer

-Would maybe, possibly, potentially order coffee in more than five words

-Enjoys saving the world ig

anywho, get ready for this movie!! I'm excited.

Feel free to add on/tell me to add on something :) I'll be making something similar for other major characters in this movie:

Katy

Xialing

[theresnosafeharbor4myships]

TITLE: Out of the Grave - Chapter 4: The Rest of All Time (Chapter 1 here, Chapter 2 here, Chapter 3 here)

A/N: Final chapter. I’d love to know what you think of this happy little fic! :D

Ichabod slowly came awake, his mind taking its time to acquaint itself with reality. He stretched languidly, feeling pleasantly rested for the first time in days. And then he remembered last night. His eyes flew open to find the space beside him empty, and his heart plummeted into his stomach. Had it all been a dream? An alcohol-induced fantasy? But no...the pillow beside him still held the faint dip of having been slept on and the bedroom door stood wide open. The deep scent of coffee and the tantalizing smell of bacon reached him, and he knew he hadn't imagined Abbie's return. With eager purpose, he hopped out of bed, making a pit stop before padding a tad anxiously down the hall to the kitchen. The Lieutenant stood at the island, flipping pancakes on the hot griddle in front of her. Her eyes darted up as he moved into the room. "G'morning, sleepyhead," she greeted with a smile. "Good morning, Lieutenant." He stood watching her, her ease in the kitchen (so unlike him), her small hands deftly pouring batter and flipping hot cakes. "I wanted to run to the bakery and get you some donut holes, surprise you, but I didn't want you to wake up while I was gone and think..." She fluttered the spatula in the air, glancing up at him. He nodded in appreciation. "Thank you," he murmured. "So instead," she moved on brightly, "I'm making some of my blueberry chocolate chip pancakes. And maybe a little candied bacon...?" "Ohh, you do know how to spoil me, Lieutenant," he stated eagerly. "I shall prepare our coffee." "Sounds good 'cause everything's just about done." Ichabod poured two cups of coffee, making them perfectly to their preferences, and set them at the breakfast bar. He retrieved plates and utensils, butter and syrup, as Abbie finished cooking. She set a plate piled high with pancakes and another full of candied bacon on the bar, and together they sat down to eat. "How'd you sleep, Lieutenant?" he asked after praising her for blessing him with such delectable sweets. "Well," she acknowledged with a nod. "You? You seem rested..." "Yes. My sleep was most peaceful." He filled his mouth with another bite of pancakes before he let it spill that she was the reason for his respite. Though he suspected she knew that after exhibiting how vulnerable he'd felt last night. They passed into comfortable silence, and Ichabod reveled in this simplest of pleasures, one he thought he'd never experience again. Abbie made his world, this world, come alive in a way he desperately feared losing. And while he'd never alter the way they fought monsters and demons and solved crimes and queries together, he'd take these moments—sitting in the early morning quiet, enjoying good food and better company, watching the morning sunlight play off her flawless skin, knowing he could just be when he was with her—over all the adventures in the world.

Abbie pushed her plate away as he took his last bite, and they both sat nursing their coffee. "What time are we expecting Miss Jenny this morning?" he asked after a few more moments of bliss. "Mm, I had a text from her when I woke up. She'll be here in a few hours. Seems she got to bed late." She turned her head slightly to look at him. "And I suspect she wanted to give us some time to catch up." "Mmm," he hummed, his face resolute as he nodded in agreement. He saw her waiting for him to speak, but he didn't know where to begin. He'd spilled enough last evening to quell the overflowing tide of emotion he'd been drowning in for days, but so much more remained. Not to mention he longed, if apprehensively, to hear her thoughts on all he'd conveyed. His expression must've revealed his pensiveness because the Lieutenant leaned forward slightly to catch his eye. "Crane?" He looked at her and nodded to let her know his willingness to talk. "I shall just refill my cuppa. Would you like more as well?" She gave him a look that told him she believed he was stalling—and maybe he was—but she replied anyway. "Water for me, thanks." Abbie set their plates and silverware in the sink and put everything else away as he prepared their drinks, and when they were done, he followed her into the living room. She sat at one end of the couch, and he chose a spot near her, leaving a bit of space between them. He glanced at her, and their arrangement struck a memory from not long ago, after she'd revealed her connection to the then-unknown emblem of Thura by nearly letting him expire. As much as that had frightened him, it paled in comparison to losing her, to watching her vanish before his eyes. "Crane...tell me what happened after I... disappeared into the box." She asked gently, softly, and though it still made his heart ache—even as she sat next to him—he couldn't refuse her. He took a brave breath and spoke. "I was so sure we'd defeat them. I thought it was an inevitability; we've faced so many things before. But I looked up, and you were just...gone. I'd never felt as empty as I did in that moment." He paused, trying to think past the second she'd dissolved into that mythical box, but the visual played in his cursed eidetic mind once more. He felt Abbie grip his hand, and he squeezed hers once in gratitude for the tether to the present, even as he relived the past. "You are not an easy person to lose, Lieutenant." He swallowed hard. "With the Hidden One weakened, Miss Jenny shot him. And Pandora, endowed with her husband's power and longing to rule in his stead, betrayed us. She and her box disappeared. Miss Jenny and I devised a plan and, using the map, tracked her to the cemetery above the tunnels. I...called forth the headless horseman to fight against her." He paused to gauge her expression, but she still listened intently without judgement, eyes wide. "When his broadax stuck in a tree and she began pulling him into her box, I knew she would defeat him without assistance. So I retrieved his ax and threw it to him just as he reached her. He cut her down where she stood." Abbie nodded slowly, taking it in, and he could see she regretted not being there to help him finish their job. "She was defeated," he assured her. "They both were in the end. I demanded she release you before she expired, and it was then she confirmed your...demise. When she breathed her last, the box began to glow, so I grabbed it and ran for the tunnels. I secured it in the Masonic cell, and as I started to retreat, it blew up. The force pushed me through the tunnels, and it knocked me out. You came to me then. At least I thought it was you." He looked at her questioningly. "Did you come to me? From wherever you were?" She shook her head, sadness and empathy written on her face. He nodded, then turned back to stare straight ahead, into the recent past. "I dreamed of you then. Just like it happened the first time we met when I was imprisoned in that infernal cell and you came to me. This time you told me I had to say goodbye. Then, in the way that dreams do, we were suddenly in the Archives....you told me your job was done...your soul was free. You took me by the hand and...led me home. We sat on the porch and you...you consoled me while I...." "While you what, Crane?" Her whispered voice came to him, floated through him as he remembered his words to her. "What is there for me in a world without you?" he repeated the sentiment that’d haunted him since she’d disappeared into that box. His eyes met hers. "It's what I said to you. What I should've said." He shook his head, closing his eyes momentarily in frustration. "What I'm saying now. Because I should've said it before." He saw her expression soften, her expectant look filling him with hope. "These last few days, all I could think of was how I told you...the dream you...that I'd miss you. How I kissed your hand and bowed low and when I looked up, you were just...gone again. How I didn't tell you while you were here all the ways you've changed my life. I couldn't have found a better guide through this modern world if I'd stumbled upon the Pope himself. You mean everything to me, and everyone saw it but I didn't say anything." He balled his hand into a fist as he bit off the last few words. One of her hands covered his fist, the other coming up and cupping his jaw, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "You're saying it now. And I hear every word." Her thumb traced over his lips, and he closed his eyes, the frustration evaporating, his heart floating into his throat. He kissed her thumb, captivated by her closeness, her sweet acceptance of all that he'd said. And still...he longed to know her thoughts. He grasped her hand and brought it to his lips for another kiss, and this time when he opened his eyes she still sat before him. "There are some things I need you to hear, too," she admitted quietly, her expression tentative and vulnerable. "Things I haven't told you." He nodded once and took a deep breath, mind racing at what she might reveal, heart thundering with worry that she would reject him gently but definitively and he'd be destroyed all over again. "When we were in that boat crossing the Delaware and I told you how rare it is for someone to have the kind of unwavering faith that you do, I meant it. Your kind of devotion is nearly unheard of, but what makes it more...intense is that that faith is in me. And I've been...afraid for a long time." He didn't follow her logic just yet, and he knew confusion had crept onto his face, but he waited for her to speak her mind. "Afraid I'm some kind of curse, that the people I care about always leave or die because of me. My father, my mother, then Jenny. Corbin, Frank, and now Joe." She veiled her expression in that way she did when things hurt too much but she had to press on. Ichabod longed to comfort her but made himself stay frozen in place to hear the rest of what she'd say. "I hate what happened to all of them, fates that I couldn't prevent, and I never wanted you to be on that list. Despite that concern, you're my closest friend. My fellow Witness. And that makes the threats against you that much more dangerous and palpable." He saw her steel herself. "But that's not the only thing I've been afraid of." "What is it, Abbie?" he wondered with a whisper when she didn't continue, brows drawn in concentration. "I've been afraid..." She sucked in a deep breath. "That all the things I've been feeling for so long now were unrequited. There've been others in both of our lives that've made me... question, but regardless of who's come and gone, my feelings for you haven't changed. Have only continued to grow, no matter how hard I tried to deny them. I've been afraid of them because...I didn't want you to leave too. You did, and when you came back, I wasn't sure how you felt about me. Then we were in that boat, about to head straight into the catacombs, and with that same rare, unwavering faith, you told me that when it came to you and me, you had no greater certainty." He nodded, affirming his sentiment once again as he stared intently at her. His chest felt tight, as though someone had his cinched it in a vice, and he waited anxiously for her next words. "In that moment, I saw it in your eyes. Felt it in my soul, like a puzzle piece locking into place. And when I heard what Betsy said to you, I didn't want to pretend what I felt wasn't real anymore." "You heard what Betsy said?" he queried a bit shyly. She nodded. "I heard how you didn't deny it, and I knew I wanted to tell you too. I just didn't get the chance until now." Her eyes held his, soft and open, looking at him as if she could see right into his soul. "I've wanted to tell you since I came back from the catacombs, but everything felt so raw and abrasive when I returned. Now...now everything feels fresh and new." Her body turned to face him more fully. "And I need you to know now...I love you. Your friendship, our partnership, is and has been the most important thing in my life, and I couldn't have faced the evils of this world without you. I never want to. I always want to be with you." Ichabod felt a flush race over his skin, his mind reeling from her admission, his pulse racing. He cupped her face with one hand, staring blissfully into her eyes. His thumb brushed over her cheekbone as he marveled at this most perfect of dreams coming true. "Abbie," he murmured in wonder, half statement, half question. "Shhh," she whispered softly, staring at him dreamily, her gaze darting to his mouth and back to his eyes. "Enough talk for now. Let's just...be." He moved to kiss her then, soft, languid, lingering kisses that deliciously teased and tortured him with their sweetness, her perfect lips responding to his better than every fantasy he'd ever conjured. He trailed kisses to her cheek, her cheekbone, her eyelid, before finally easing away from her. Abbie's eyes slowly fluttered open, and a pleased smile teased her lips as he drew his arm around her and she settled into his side. They sat in silence for some time, his fingers trailing up and down her arm. He'd never thought it possible to find himself here: content, fulfilled, free to hold Abbie in his arms, to kiss her. To hear her readily admit she loved him. To unabashedly speak of his love for her. God's wounds, only yesterday she'd been forever lost to him. Someday, when the biblical prophecy came true and he and Abbie met their demise, he'd spend an eternity thanking God for his Lieutenant, his better half, and the rest of all time loving her all over again. But for now, he held her in his arms.

[mst3kproject]

The Giant of Marathon

For some reason, probably because I've seen them all so many times, I thought I'd already done all four Film Crew episodes.  Evidently this is not true.  Here's one, and if you haven't seen it... wow, Mr. Honcho was not exaggerating about the thousands of sweaty men.

Philippides of Athens is the greatest athlete there is, having won the entire Olympics. With the games over, he returns to his day job as commander of the Athenian city guard.  Followers of Hippias the exiled tyrant are plotting to take control of the city with help from the invading Persians, and they try to seduce Philippides to their cause by offering him wine, women, and homoerotic wrestling (it was ancient Greece, after all).  Philippides refuses to be seduced, and sets off to secure the help of Athens' old enemy Sparta in opposing the Persians.  His mission is a success, but upon his return a spy tells him that the Persians are planning a sneak attack on the harbour of Piraeus.  Can even Philippides get there in time to deliver the warning?

I don't actually know if it were possible to win the entire Olympics in ancient Greece.  I know there were several events and at least one of them involved reciting poetry.  The Battle of Marathon was in 490 BC and a table on Wikipedia suggests that there could have been up to twelve different sports, but some of them were only for children.

The Giant of Marathon touts itself as a tale of epic battles, daring deeds, and political machinations.  I'll get back to the epic battles and daring deeds, but what stands in for the political machinations is mostly a bunch of people pining.  Unimpressive villain Theocritus is pining for the beautiful Andromeda, whose father has promised her to him but she thinks he's a dick.  She's pining for Philippides, who is also pining for her but thinks she's one of Hippias' followers, so refuses to speak to her.  Meanwhile Theocritus' concubine Charis is also pining for Philippides because he's the only man who ever refused to fuck her, I think.

These relationships are important to the plot, too.  Andromeda's love for Philippides is one of the reasons her father refuses to join the traitors, and when Theocritus realizes he cannot have her, he ties her to the prow of his ship to force Philippides to watch her die.  Charis' crush on Philippides leads her to her death, as she is executed for spying.  Yet none of it is ever developed beyond 'these two pretty people saw each other and now they want to bone'.  Philippides declares his love for Andromeda after a single five-minute interaction.  Charis has seen Philippides twice, and both times it went badly, when she decides to betray Theocritus.

Why do the writers hang such important plot points on the 'love' between people who have barely spoken to each other?  I can't decide if it's because they're lazy, or because they're hacks, and I lean towards a combination of the two.  There is absolutely no subtlety to the writing in The Giant of Marathon at all.  Everything is told, not shown.  We know that Theocritus and Creusus are traitors because they talk about it, in dialogue that's clearly written for the audience, not as anything that sounds like a natural conversation. We know that Charis and Andromeda are both in love with Philippides because they say so.  The only thing we're really shown is that Andromeda hates Theocritus, which comes through in her body language (though we are also very much told), so props to actress Mylène Demongeot for that much.

The movie doesn't care about any of this character stuff, anyway.  It just wants to get straight to those epic battle scenes, and it's very obvious how much work and time went into those as opposed to everything else.  The battles are lengthy and elaborate, full of impressive stunts and props and miniatures being destroyed all over the place.  We get to see Persian chariots run down Greek infantry, and while I'm pretty sure this would have been orchestrated so the stuntmen didn't get hurt, I'm not nearly so confident about the unfortunate horses (and neither was Bill).  There are ships in flames and injured men screaming as they fall overboard.  There are even some pretty good deaths, like the guy who was hit in the eye with an arrow.  The desperate last stand of the city guard against the entire Persian fleet, with the Spartans arriving just in time to save the day, is very tense indeed.

I get the impression that this is what somebody really wanted to put on screen, and they did a decent job of it, but pretty much the entire rest of what ought to be the story is just an accessory to the fighting stuff.  It's as if the film-makers wanted so badly for their fight sequences to be epic that they forgot what makes epic-ness – which is the characters and their stake in the events. We don't know any of these people, none of them have anything we might call a personality trait, and so we don't care.

The focus on how epic it all is makes I seem a little strange that the battle ends on a shot of dead Persian guys floating in the water. You'd think they'd want to end with something that more decisively shows the Athenian victory, maybe the men cheering as the Persian ships turn around and flee.  Or perhaps some kind of victory celebration, which could mirror the celebration of Philippides winning the Olympics in the opening and call back to the scene where Philippides asks the goddess Athena to protect her city.

Instead, we cut to a shot of Philippides and Andromeda walking across the farmland together.  This feels a little too sudden, and is also a poor fit with the rest of the movie.  The only time we've seen Philippides on his farm is when he's gotten disgusted with the politics of Athens and returned to the countryside to sulk.  If the farm is supposed to be a place where he's happy and at peace, the movie never establishes it.

So that's political machinations and epic battle sequences, let's talk about some daring deeds.

Unlike the Hercules and Maciste movies we've seen in the past, The Giant of Marathon wants to be grounded in real-life history.  This means that while the script does reference gods and mythical heroes, none of them ever appear and there is no hint of them working behind the scenes to bring events about.  Likewise, Philippides is not a demigod, so we avoid several of the tropes associated with the genre.  Nothing important ever happens (or fails to happen) because the hero was asleep, and he never bends prison bars or drinks a love potion – although a love potion is mentioned, as if to draw attention to this.

This doesn't leave Philippides a whole lot of scope for daring deeds, and when they try the results are a little lackluster.  His main feat is, of course, running all the way from Marathon to Athens (the proverbial forty-two kilometres) to let them know of the impending attack, but while this ought to be the highlight of the movie it's shot in terrible day-for-night and we have nothing to suggest how far this is... I think the writers just assumed everybody knows the length of a marathon.  If we'd seen the army tired from making the march earlier, we would have a better sense of it being a long and tiring journey even at a walk or with horses, and it would seem that much more formidable as a distance for one man to cover before sunrise.  Of course, showing us these things is apparently beyond the scope of The Giant of Marathon's writers, but you'd think they could at least have a character say something like, “it's twenty-six miles!  He'll never make it!”

His other major daring deed is when he pushes giant boulders down a hill onto the attacking Persians.  This is kind of weird because Philippides is not Hercules or Maciste.  He's good at track and field, but we haven't seen any evidence of him having godlike strength, and this is a universe where gods don't seem to do much anyway, so it comes out of nowhere.  The rocks are huge – there are similarly-sized ones at the park near my house and I know one guy couldn't move them no matter how buff he might be.  Did somebody just forget that they weren't making a Hercules movie?

Between the battles and the various plot twists, The Giant of Marathon could have been a pretty fun sword-and-sandal movie, but it's like a tower without a foundation.  The fights have nothing to hold them up, so we just can't get into it. Also, what the Underworld happened to Hippias? We see him once, chatting with the king of Persia, and then he vanishes and the movie decides weaselly little Theocritus is the big bad instead. I'm sorry, but if you've got a character with a name as cool as 'Hippias the Tyrant', you really can't just drop him like that.

The Best Brains liked to complain about the tinyness of the costumes in these movies but honestly, nothing here is as off-putting as actual ancient Greek sports would have been to the modern viewer.  When I was in university I TA'd for a course called Introduction to Greco-Roman Civilization. It was an adventure in several ways – the students were mostly dumb freshmen who spent the lectures playing Farmville, and the professor didn't give a shit because she'd just been denied tenure.  I don't know how much anybody learned in that class, but I'm sure they all recall how, after the professor told us that Greek athletes stripped naked and covered themselves in olive oil before wrestling, somebody raised a hand and asked if they removed their body hair.  The professor cheerfully told him that they did not, so next time we see a Greek vase we ought to remember that these guys were much sweatier, oilier, and hairier than terra cotta can possibly convey.

[mizelophsun11]

Mizeloph's Tale Chapter 10

Pairing - It is building up to General Kirigan x OC Sun Summoner and when it changes to Kaz Brekker x OC Sun Summoner I will make sure it is mentioned

Summary - Anna is faced with a lot in just one day, she meets two faces while faces something from her past. While she has been able to find a nice get away in literature, Anna cannot hide from the world forever and must face reality.

Word count - 2789

-

The next morning Anna went to combat training, on her way back to her room she spotted the library. As she roamed the rows of books Anna came across one that she recognized.

Anna smiled and pulled the book out “The Bone Road Ebbs and the Bone Road Flows, I remember you..” she opened the book to the first page, not realizing she wasn’t alone

The Apparat approached her from behind “educated?” he asked

Anna jumped and dropped the book “sorry, I didn’t hear you come in..”

He nodded, then picked up the book and gave it to Anna “it is alright, I should have announced myself, but you didn’t answer my question, for a book like this there must be some level of education involved, so are you?”

She nodded “when I was growing up in the orphanage the head mistress, Ana Kuya, always seemed to be after me. She said no one would want me because of the way I looked, my hair. So she made me read every book that was in the library at the orphanage. However, reading became an escape for me”

The Apparat paused for a moment, watching Anna admire the book in her hand “I would like to be friends, I am the Kings spiritual advisor, we will be seeing each other a lot, it would be good for us to be friends”

“Alright, I guess” Anna was feeling weirded out and was about to leave, she put the book away and went to leave, but was stopped when The Apparat began to speak

“You're curious about the lore of the Stag, correct?” The Appart asked

“Yeah, I guess I’m just trying to learn more about this whole grisha life” Anna was really trying to consume as much knowledge as she could

The Apparat walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out a book, he brought it over to the table and began to flip through the pages until he found the one. On this page Anna saw four animals, one being the Stag, with a man in the middle.

“One of the first Grisha in recorded history, the Bonesmith. He knew that Grisha would be hunted so he worked on a plan to magnify their power” The Apparat looked over the page

Anna looked at him confused “why was he called a Bonesmith?”

“He made creatures from his own finger bones..” The Apparat went to continue but Anna cut him off

“What the.. There wasn’t some other way to help save Grisha? Instead of using his body parts..” Anna couldn’t imagine what the process must have been like

“No there wasn’t, as I was saying with his bones he created mythical animals attuned to only Grisha. They learned that killing one of these beasts and then melding a piece into their bodies would amplify their abilities. There have been reports of the amplifier only working a minor miracle, but with the right binding, the increase of power could be astonishing” he smiled and closed the book

“So, to amplify a Grisha's power.. They would have to kill a magnificent animal? I know it’s suppose to help, but it feels wrong to kill something to just get some power” Anna did not like the idea, she remembered when she and General Kirigan were riding to the Little Palace and mentioned an amplifier, she wondered if he already knew about her dreams of the stag at this point

“Sometimes sacrifices must be made in order to protect the greater good” The Apparat went and grabbed a book then handed it to her

Anna looked at it “The Lives of Saints? Are you giving this to me? Why?”

“It’s a gift, we are to be friends after all like we talked about, this seemed like a nice gift to mark the beginning” he made his way towards the entrance of the library then turned around when Anna wasn’t following him “come, Baghra awaits”

Anna looked at him confused, “Wait, who is Baghra?”

The Apparat and Anna walked through the courtyard with a few Oprichniki following behind them. Anna was still not used to having this much attention on her and while she did appreciate the protection, it still felt unnatural. They approached Bagrahs little home, the Apparat stopped Anna before she went in.

“Do not worry, every Grisha trains with Baghra to harness their power and while it can be quite brutal it can be very rewarding in the end. Most of the peasants hate Grisha, but I believe it is because the Grisha don’t suffer. However, you have suffered, haven’t you? It is only the beginning…” The Apparat walked off

Anna watched him leave and thought about what he had said, it was unsettling for sure, she was definitely reconsidering this friendship. She went into Baghras place, Anna walked down the steps and looked around. To her this felt like more of a dark cave, her eyes landing on the women sitting in a chair. Anna set her book down near the bottom of the stairs and walked over to her, Baghra got up and approached her.

“Well um.. Hello” Anna said

Baghra looked her up and down “you should have been here yesterday”

Anna sighed “sorry, I only found out that you existed a few minutes ago on my walk here”

“Hmm, let’s take a look at you shall we?” Baghra began to circle Anna “a Sun Summoner who wastes her time training with Botkin, do you think you will punch your way through the Shadow Fold?”

“No of course not, but it’s better to know how to defend oneself in case of something happening” Anna knew that if she was ever ambushed she would not want to be the weak link

“Where’s the rest of you?” she asked ignoring Annas combat training comeback

“I don’t know, but I mean where is the rest of you? You’re short” Anna laughed a little

Baghra ignored what Anna had said “where are your parent’s?”

She stopped laughing “I don’t know, probably somewhere in Ketterdam dead in a ditch or at the bottom of an ocean” Anna never knew her parents so all she could do was guess, at this point she assumed they were dead

“Where did you grow up?” Baghra asked, continuing with her questions

“Depends, I was on the streets of Ketterdam until I was 10 then crossed the Fold to go through the rest of my childhood in Keramzin at an orphanage ” Anna felt like she was all over the place, so many places she lived

“Then where do you belong?” Baghra was trying to just get all of the information she needed before truly beginning Anna’s training

“You think I know the answer to that question? I have been everywhere and never stuck, Ketterdam didn’t work, then the orphanage wanted me out when I was old enough, I was once a map maker until I suddenly became the Sun Summoner. I just don’t know..” Anna felt like a mess, yes she had been trying hard to believe that she now belonged at the Little Palace, but it was all just so much. She had been tossed from place to place without really being able to stick, she missed the simpler times, when she wasn’t Grisha. Anna thought about if she had never been discovered, what she would be doing right now, probably dead.

“Well, if you don’t know where you belong, do you know what you are?” Baghra could see that this girl was lost and desperately needed her guidance

“I mean, I am a Sun Summoner” Anna said, she wondered what the purpose of these questions were, shouldn’t she be training to summon or something?

“Oh really? Then can you summon the sun without holding onto General Kirigan? Did you know that he is a human amplifier?” she asked

Anna was surprised by that, she was still learning “I did not know that..”

“Now, can you summon the sun on your own?” Baghra was now getting to the real questions that had the answered that mattered

“No.. just the one time when we were in the Fold, but other than that, I haven’t been able to..” Anna realized that she didn’t have any real control over her powers

“People are looking to you to be the answer for all of their problems, you also need to believe that, take some time and come back tomorrow, we will continue then” Baghra said, there was so much pressure for Anna and maybe she should have been harsher, however Baghra did not believe that harsh words would accomplish their goals

Anna nodded, grabbed her book then headed back to her room and looked over at her desk. A few pieces of paper and a pen were there, she had forgotten about her promise to write to Alina and Mal, Anna went over to the desk and began to write a letter.

Dear Mal,

You would be so proud of me, I was able to hold my own in a fight yesterday, it felt amazing. I am so sorry I did not keep up with writing, things have been really crazy with all of the changes. I wish that you were here with me, it would make all of this easier to deal with, to have my friends with me. I will make sure to talk to someone so then I can get you and Alina here to the Little Palace. I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely Anna Mizeloph

Anna finished writing her letter to Mal, she grabbed an envelope then folded the letter and put it in. She sealed it closed and set it to the side, Anna grabbed another piece of paper and began to write another letter for Alina. She did not know if her friends were together on the same journey so to make sure that they got a letter she wrote two different ones.

Dear Alina,

I miss you so much. I made two friends here and they always seem to cling onto me, I wish you were here. Sometimes I feel like everyone just wants to be close to me because I am the Sun Summoner, but I know you are not like that. Maybe they aren’t with me because of who I am, but it’s something that runs through my mind. You are the one who always stood by me no matter who I was, I want to try and get you and Mal here sooner rather than later. I hope you write back to me, it would be great to hear from you soon.

Sincerely Anna Mizeloph

Anna did the same thing with Alinas letter that she did with Mal’s, once it was sealed shut she set the letters off to the side. She would remember to tell Genya to send the letters, while Anna was slightly hurt that she had not gotten any letters she could not really complain. It was something Anna should have also been on top of as well, to keep in touch with her friends. Anna went to her bed and pulled her sketchbook out from under her pillow. She looked at the drawings of the Stag then moved to the drawing of a younger Kaz she remembered. Anna pulled out a pencil and began to work on the details of the one drawing, after a few hours of drawing she noticed it was late. She put her sketchbook back in its hidden spot under the pillow and made her way to dinner.

Nadia waved over to Anna, she walked over and sat between her and Maria “how was your time with Baghra?”

Anna thought for a moment “it was.. Good, a lot of questions though and not a lot of summoning, but it was just the first day”

They continued to chat when a few servants brought over a nice looking plate of food “oh! It’s to celebrate your victory with the King” Nadia said

“Victory? You mean the demonstration?” Anna asked, Nadia nodded

“Oooh, you even have the otkazat’sya taster, they are normally reserved for the royal family” Maria said and a few others watched the royal taster eat Annas food

“Delicious, you will be happy with the meal I am sure, I just have to, um, survive” the tasters smile faltered but continued to taste “I believe it is safe”

Anna leaned forward a little so then she could whisper “this is not some type of punishment for you, is it? Because maybe I could talk to someone for you…”

“Oh no, this is an amazing job, I was so happy when the other taster died…” the taster realised what he said and stopped eating “it should be good” he left the table

Anna watched him leave “thanks..”

“Don’t get use to it” Maria said

“General Kirigan makes sure that we have peasant food to keep us humble” Nadia continued from Marias comment

Ivan stood up and everyone became quiet, he pulled out a large parchment “News from the Fjerdan front, in the First Army, many casualties in the 18th, 27th and 36th battalions” Anna’s interested peaked at the mention of the 36th battalion but decided to stay quiet for now and could ask later “among those dead, six Healers, four Inferni and Three Heartrenders. The Fjerdan’s will be no match against a unified Ravka” his attention then turned to Anna “why are you eating figs? When you should be training every waking moment to tear down the Fold”

Something inside of Anna snapped at what Ivan said and she stood up “don’t blame me, you think I ran from that test? I was locked into a dark room when testers came. You might be taking your anger out at me, but you have no right to! You have no idea what kind of hell I was given on those days!”

In her mind she went back to those days, darker than she let on

-

Anna had her back to the door while she was talking with Mal and Alina, it was the first day Grisha testers were coming when Anna was there. Suddenly Ana Kuya walked in, Mal and Alina ran while little 10 year old Anna was grabbed by her hair and dragged up to a room a few stories up. She tried to fight back, but with the tight grip that Ana Kuya had on her hair only made the pain worse. Ana Kuya took out a skeleton key and used it to open a door to a dark room with only one window that was high up enough for Anna to have light, but not see out of.

“Please stop! You are hurting me!!” Anna struggled and then felt the release of her hair, which was then replaced by the sharp sting of her cheek, she had been slapped

“Be quiet you stupid child, you are to stay in here every time Grisha testers come, do you understand? Or the punishment will be much worse than a single slap”

Anna felt tears running down her cheek “I don’t understand” she felt another stinging slap fall upon her other cheek

“You are not to make a sound, girl, understand?” Ana Kuya said harshly

Anna nodded, then sat down on the ground, the room she was in was empty and so the only place she could be was the ground. Ana Kuya left the room and locked the door behind her, after that every time Grisha testers came Anna became scared. She never understood where Ana Kuyas rage came from when the Grisha testers came and it was directed only to Anna. After that day Anna would basically run to the room she had been locked in the first time to make sure Ana Kuya did not become angry. She always thought Ana Kuya was a kind caretaker, for the most part, but that day changed her opinion forever.

-

To everyone else in the room it was only a second, but that memory for Anna felt like years. She slowly put her hand up to her cheek remembering the pain of being slapped, but she felt something wet, it was tears. This was the first time she had cried since she got to the Little Palace. Anna took off to her room, she ignored the calls of Marie and Nadia, she just kept running until she got to her room and slammed the door shut and completely broke down. She went to her bed and sobbed into her pillow, Anna pulled her sketchbook out and went to the page of young Kaz. Anna held the sketchbook close as she cried herself to sleep, it was all just too much for her.

-

Author Note - Thank you so much everyone for being patient with me while I got this chapter together! I was struggling to write this week but I wanted to fulfill my promise in getting this chapter to you all. I am looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say, reading everyones comments is always so much fun! I don't know if updating chapters will be this long for the rest of this story, but I will try to update a bit more than just once a week.

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