#i think i did lance but i cannot find him for the life of me

[afaramir]

do you think faramir ever found out about gandalf’s part in denethor’s death. oh yes i do think he had a part in it. i think he knew him too long to not know the effect of what he said. i’m generally very enamored by the concept of the gandalf faramir wizard-pupil relationship being very close so just a blanket disclosure that that is the theory i am operating from but like…no matter how much he cares for and trusts gandalf. it was his father he cried out for at the end. and everyone tries to keep the specifics of what happened in the house of the stewards at the end from him but i mean, he is who he is. if he sits beregond or pippin down and very seriously says to them i will not have you keep secrets from me any longer, even if it is for my own sake. i mean it is over for them. i just think that it would take him a certain amount of time to process through how he feels about all of it at all and eventually he comes down solidly on the side of being absolutely incandescently angry. which is an emotion he has never ever directed towards gandalf and i don't think either of them come out of the confrontation particularly well at all.

i mean its so complicated because faramir cannot tell if what he's feeling is grief at all and in there is also a certain amount of guilt for feeling. relieved? freed? by the absence of that presence at the same time as there is an enormous gaping hole in the middle of his life. a part of his foundation has been torn out and people address him as lord steward and the tower guard salutes him as he goes by and he thinks that isn't me that should never have been me. and i think maybe he thinks i would have traded any amount of scorn for having him back. and when he finds out that gandalf was there, that he stood by and watched - no, he may as well have lit the pyre himself - no, it is neither, but the point is that he did nothing to stop it. he did nothing to stop it and by doing that he has robbed faramir of any choice in reconciling - OR CHOOSING NOT TO - with his father because his father is dead and he will never know how he would have loved him without the war. it IS his father's own fault but he cannot blame him for it. not when he knows precisely how he got there and precisely why he made the choices he did. and of course it is the fault of the war but he cannot shout at the war and the war is gone and over and they have won but faramir is not feeling victorious in the least and gandalf is Right There and he is Someone To Blame.

gandalf does not want to tell him what he said, at the end. but faramir makes him, or perhaps is he so angry that he takes it by force - for a moment he is the very image of his father and his mind is the same keen lance that denethor's had always been - and he should not be able to but perhaps gandalf lets him - if faramir takes it then he does not need to be responsible for needing to tell him. and faramir goes very still and quiet and terribly, terribly coldly he says you should never have taken me from him and gandalf says you do not understand he would have burned you with him and he says maybe you should have let him. and he says i would always have died for him. and he says perhaps it is you that does not understand.

i don't know how much of it he means. i don't know how he reconciles all this with his very real love for gandalf (perhaps easily. after all, he has spent a very long time knowing love as a double-edged blade). i don't know if he ever completely forgives him (it is always a scar, even if he does). but. just thinking about it.

[randomingoftherandomness]

Fic: Love is when you try to place it out your mind

A/N: For @lovesickfolly and based on their deliciously wonderful plot bunnies :) The title is based on Mona Lisa by Dominic Fike

Fair warning, as of writing this fic, I'm on episode 10 of the show but I'd been Tumblr-watching it while it was airing so I have a gauge of what's what. If there are some discrepancies with the details or whatnot, *handwaves* consider this a Canon Divergence?

As a whole, I hope I did the prompt I chose some proper justice. This fic is not betaed. Enjoy!

--

It happens a little like this:

Fang Duobing holds on a little tighter just to keep Li Lianhua from running away. Li Lianhua uses some sleight of hand to keep him at a distance. Fang Duobing falls for it but only for a moment, before he catches the corner of his sleeve, holding on just long enough to say, "I love you, I have loved you for the longest time. I can't live when you aren't near, yet I can't breathe when you are away from my side."

"You frustrate me, you drive me insane, but there's no one better for me. In this life, I want no one else. I've never had to beg anyone for anything but, please..."

"Fang Duobing, I think you've drunk too much tonight."

A gentle push at his wrist that he doesn't fight is strong enough to have him stumbling back. Hurt lances through his heart at the way Li Lianhua's dark gaze lifts and meets his own unwaveringly. Like two bottomless pools in a moonless night, there is little he can do but to listen to his heart break when Li Lianhua says, "I'll forget everything you just said. Bury this deep and never think about me like this again."

It ends a lot like this:

Li Lianhua leaves him behind without a second thought.

It has been a year since he last saw him.

It feels very much like this:

An ache in his heart follows him closer than a shadow, far more familiar than his own skin, settling deeper in his marrow than his own blood. He cannot eat, he cannot sleep. The best wine is tasteless, the finest dishes are ash on his tongue.

For the first month, he knows his mother spends sun up to sundown cursing the jianghu. It takes his youngest Aunt coming to his room to hold him by the hand as she'd used to do when he was little and ill from a bout of sickness, tearfully pleading with him to please, just eat something, just one bite, one sip of water, just do something instead of staying in his room like he'd lost all his will to live.

(if he only climbs out of bed because his mother and aunt threaten to bring this case up to the whole of the jianghu, if he only takes his first bite of food because they bring Fox Spirit to his side to comfort him, that's something for him and him only to know)

By the time the seasons change, his mother only kisses his cheeks in goodbye and tells him to take care of himself on the road when he leaves to roam the jianghu and carry out his duties to the Baichuan Court.

And through all that, the ache settles in like an old friend. His aunt says that heartbreak will take time to get over. Fang Duobing doesn't know if he wants to wait to find out.

He's probably cursed at this point, but there's nothing much to be done about that.

The first time he hears that Li Lianhua is back is half a year since he spilt his heart out and it is through gossip he overhears in a tavern in the middle of escorting a criminal. There's a twinge of instinct like a cut-off nerve ending that still feels sensation even when it shouldn't, to get up, ask those men where they heard such a piece of news and chase that man down by hook or by crook.

Instead, Fang Duobing takes a deep, calming breath, swallows down his mouthful of food, and takes another breath.

In the months after, it's as if he is seeing ghosts.

A glimpse of a lotus leaf hairpin on someone, the scent of herbs and fire on another, the sight of red ribbons floating in the wind. The touch of warmth on his wrist as he walks in a crowd. Despite all these, Fang Duobing trudges on. Smiling when he has to, laughing because he wants nothing but to put the frown off his mother's brow, joking when all he wants to do is scream that the withered and dying heart in him is so hollowed out that nothing matters.

Not helped is how the rumour of Li Lianhua's return was anything but an exaggeration.

Everyone seems to have seen him. Everyone but him.

The masters of Baichuan Court had a meal with him a week ago. Su Xiaoyong managed to corner him for tea a day ago and Qiao Wanmian is having him over for lunch in a week. Sometimes, if he comes back at the right time, he spies Fox Spirit's food bowl filled with his favourite snack that only Li Lianhua knows how to make.

He swallows down the bile and keeps trudging on. Pulls himself up by the boots and solves case after case, making an empty glory for himself. Runs himself ragged so that at night he can just fall into bed and sleep. It is a small bliss when he doesn't have to think about how Li Lianhua hates him so much that he won't even seek him out to show him just a glimpse of the hem of his robe.

What goes around comes around. Or so the saying goes, and no good deed goes unpunished. Fang Duobing would call it a relief when he slips up enough that a rogue swordsman can get an upper hand long enough to stab him through and through with a blade, pinning him up just enough that he can get away.

As the darkness takes him, Fang Duobing wonders if he can sleep this time without dreaming of Li Lianhua.

"You fool."

The ceiling he wakes up to is not his own. The bed he wakes up in is familiar in a way that makes his heart stutter and skips a beat in pain. He must have groaned because deft hands are quick to be at his shoulder to settle him down. Fang Duobing gasps. Gropes through the breathlessness at a thin wrist, looking up to meet eyes that watch him with undisguised worry.

"You con artist..."

Li Lianhua sighs, the corner of his lips twitching. "I probably deserve that."

"You absolute mother--"

"Hey, no need to bring my mother into this!" Li Lianhua laughs, trying to pull away, only for Fang Duobing to hold on to his sleeve.

"I..." He tries, licking his dry lips. Blinking rapidly, he looks around him. "Where am I? What happened?"

"You got stabbed. The fogeys at Baichuan Court brought you to me, telling me to help." Fang Duobing can taste the familiar acridness of rejection creep up the back of his throat. Letting go of the sleeve in his hand, he huffs a soft chuckle.

"So that's the case." Fang Duobing swallows thickly. "You're only helping Baichuan Court."

A silence grows and sits between them. Eventually, he hears Li Lianhua drag a stool closer to the bed. "Fang Xiaobao, look at me."

He closes his eyes, turning his face away with great difficulty. "My apologies Physician Li. I am sure this is a great inconvenience to you that I am here. Let me rest awhile and I'm sure I'll be well enough to leave by then. I do not want to bother you too much."

"You-- Fang Duobing, you fool, look at me!"

He pulls the covers over his shoulders. "That's not necessary--"

"Fang Duobing, look at me, please..."

The thread of pleading is thick in the syllables, and by the gods above, Fang Duobing has never mended his walls to protect him against Li Lianhua. So, he opens his eyes, slowly turning back to look.

And sees the red-rimmed eyes. Then sees the long grey hair that is a shade away from white. He sees the lines on Li Lianhua's face that have deepened in the year that they've not seen each other.

"Li Lianhua..." Fang Duobing starts, heart pounding like a war drum when he reaches out to run his fingers through his hair and finds that instead of pulling away, Li Lianhua is leaning in.

Pressing his cheek into the palm of Fang Duobing's calloused hand, he lets out a shaky breath, as if he is releasing all his worries in that one exhale. "I don't deserve you, Fang Duobing. I never have."

"You came into my life and you made yourself home like you've always been there. You didn't care for how much hurt I inflicted, you didn't care that I pushed you away. You stayed when all others left." Li Lianhua lifts his hands to keep Fang Duobing's hand to the side of his face. The curtain fall of his hair wraps itself around their hands, tangling black to grey on the bedspread. "Every time I tried to hide, you always knew where to find me. Every time I ran, you followed. You've bewitched me, body and soul."

Li Lianhua sighs, turning his face into Fang Doubing's touch. Giving into an impulse, he reaches out, ignoring the twinge of pain. Carding his fingers through Li Lianhua's hair.

Softly, he whispers, "Please don't say things you don't mean."

The hurt that colours the browns of Li Lianhua is tinged with regret. But with a blink, it is replaced with a steely determination that has Fang Duobing reeling when he barely has a moment to process how Li Lianhua swoops in and slides their lips together.

"Li Lianhua--"

He shakes his head, lips still pressed to the corner of Fang Duobing's. "I'm a normal man now. I have nothing to give you. Everything that you have loved about Li Xiangyi, everything that you idolised about the man I was, I am not that anymore. That's why I couldn't reciprocate your feelings that first time. I didn't even know if I was coming back. That's why I ran."

"And what's this?" Fang Duobing asks, the words tripping over themselves as they burn their way into the air between them. "Did you do all this because of, what? Guilt?"

Li Lianhua looks absolutely gutted at that. He shakes his head, eyes begging him to believe him. "No! Never! I... I came the moment I received word that you were injured." Ducking his head, he presses his lips to the jut of their joined hands. "I knew I couldn't stay away from you. I know now that I shouldn't have."

Fang Duobing lets himself process this. Sniffling a little and not fighting Li Lianhua when he smiles wetly as he wipes away the tears that make tracks down his cheeks.

"You hurt me."

"I did." Li Lianhua leans in again. This time, Fang Duobing moves back so that there is space on the bed for him to climb into.

"You really hurt me."

"I know, but if you're willing," Li Lianhua says, the light of the sun catching in the pale strands of his hair as he pledges. "I swear on everything good and true, on everything I have left, on the love you have given me, I, Li Lianhua will be good to you, will spend the rest of my life making it up to you for every moment you were hurt by me."

Fang Duobing feels himself smile genuinely for the first time in a very long time. Lifting his hand to cup at Li Lianhua's face, he rubs his thumb over the dark circle under his eye. "Liar. You can't promise me the rest of your life if we aren't married."

This sparks a gleam of mischief in Li Lianhua's eyes that curls something warm in his gut. Something alive that he wants to chase and pin down with joy.

"You did promise to take my name if I could bring a dead man back to life." Li Lianhua murmurs, plush lips curved upwards. "Haven't we been married since then?"

And really, who is Fang Duobing to deny that? Especially since he has the rest of their lives to figure it out.

The hurt isn't gone. Not by a long shot. But as Li Lianhua willingly takes strands of their hair, braiding them together with a smile before carefully kissing his shoulder and laying back down beside him -- the weight of him so very real, so warm to the touch, and here because he wants to be -- he can feel the space where his heart is start to come back alive.

And that, if nowhere else, is a good place to start again.

[siriuslysatorusimping]

Hey kiko!

First off, i saw the stardew valley stream right before going to office (twas my mom's birthday the day you streamed and an ungodly hour where I'm at) and i was in such a good mood🥹🤌🏽💖 gojo is adorable, I cannot.

Second, I was recently diagnosed with high functioning autism and adhd (not a surprise, figured i was ✨ neurospicy✨ since i figured what it meant) and I was wondering... Gojo is neurospicy for sure, it's canon. But the way you write him, it's even more so. So out of curiosity, how would Goinko react to finding out their kids might be neurodivergent? And would that lead to satoru getting his own diagnosis?

HELLO!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY TO YOUR MOM!!

Thank you for your message and question!!! 😊

Gojo in Stardew is so fucking cute that it makes me wanna die. My Kiko playthrough is already in year 2 and they’re living their best life (though, I did discover SVE Lance, recently, and all I’m sayin is that if Satoru didn’t already have my heart, Lance would be the first contender that’s actually piqued my interest).

I FUCKING GAVE YOU A HELLA LONG RANT SO THE REST IS BELOW THE CUT

WELCOME TO THE NEUROSPICY (I love this and I’m stealing it) COMMUNITY. We don’t have t-shirts yet because we got distracted before we could finalize the design and then all of our inspiration left and now we just cringe in self-hatred whenever we think about another project that’s half-finished… 🙃

I will die on the hill that canon Gojo is one of the most autistic coded characters I’ve seen in my entire life. There’s literally no valid argument against him being a member of our wonderful neurospicy community.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am also very fucking autistic and adhd. I wasn’t diagnosed with adhd until a few years ago, and I didn’t find out about my autism until last year 🫠🫠 the journey to that discovery was a wild one… To give context for how extreme my adhd is, I’ve gotten distracted mid sentence for this reply a total of three times already and went on my own tangents of making random notes and literally forgetting about this for ten minutes while I started googling things and then I looked down at my phone and realized I’d completely forgotten that I was TYPING THIS REPLY 😭

ANYWAY. YOU ASKED A GOINKO QUESTION AND I WOULD LOVE TO ANSWER IT.

How would Goinko react to finding out their kids might be neurodivergent? And would that lead to Satoru getting his diagnosis?

I LOVE THIS QUESTION. I LOVE IT. WITH MY WHOLE HEART.

I’m assuming we’re talking about Physical Paradox Goinko because you sent this not long after I posted begging for questions about them and their kids!

For those who don’t know, neurodivergence (adhd, autism, ocd, etc.) tends to be hereditary, which essentially means that neurodivergent parents have a high chance of having neurodivergent kids.

I’ve specifically written Physical Paradox Gojo with the idea in mind that he’s got a variety of neurodivergencies (Rai’s fun facts about brains have helped a ton and I always love hearing them! Rai, this is me telling you I wanna know more fun facts when you have the time). I’ve talked before about how he’s absolutely got adhd, whether hyperactive or not remains to be seen in the story, but I’ve been nailing a few things down lately so I’m excited to explore that more…

BUT THATS NOT THE POINT OF THIS REPLY. FUCKING FOCUS, KIKO.

I’m gonna answer these backwards because Gojo will get his diagnosis before they have kids. Because Rinko is studying cognitive and behavioral psychology, as of Summer Nights, she’s already noticed a few ticks and signs that Gojo has something. But she’s avoided saying anything for multiple reasons. (she’s still only a student, she doesn’t want to overstep in case he already knows and doesn’t want to talk about it, and she doesn’t want to offend him if he doesn’t know and doesn’t receive that kind of information well.) She literally had the thought in Summer Nights that it wasn’t like she could give him a diagnosis.

At some point in their relationship, she’s going to realize that he has no fucking clue and she’s going to say something. I haven’t decided if she does this before or after they start dating, but my main point is that by the time they’re talking kids, they’re gonna know they’ll have some neurospicy in them.

As for how they’ll react? They’ll love them no matter what and do everything they can to support them. They’ll struggle and have their bad days but they’ll figure things out and do their best to be there for them.

I imagine Eiji will be a lot like Satoru. I see him being loud and excitable as a young child and becoming more reserved and closed off as he gets older, which is how Satoru was.

I don’t know if I’ll explicitly include it anywhere in the series, but Satoru was loud and outgoing and friendly as a kid. As he got older, he struggled to connect with people because they couldn’t keep up with how chaotic he could be or they showed no interest in what he was passionate about. We’re sprinkling some rejection sensitivity that’s manifested as “fuck you, I don’t care about your shit, either then.” He keeps things surface level with most people because it’s not worth the time and energy just to be rejected or misunderstood. Obviously he’s different with Rinko, but that’s mainly because she’s shown that she can keep up with his ranting and there’s a part of his brain that desperately wants her to know he isn’t a shitty person and he doesn’t realize it’s because he’s pretty much already in love with her 😂😂😂 but really, Rinko can keep up with him and she meets his sarcasm with her own instead of brushing him off.

IM FORCING MYSELF TO STOP HERE OR ILL GO ON FOREVER. DID I ACTUALLY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?? I HOPE I DID 😭😭

I hope you have a wonderful day or night!! 💕💕

[khaleesiofalicante]

dani can you make a list of the main takeaways from this chapter? so much happened that I think my mind missed a couple of details...

also,the chapter was amazing.i fucking loved it. petition for chapter to be from other magnus pov. also we need the diary of other max

Not y'all making me write a 25k chapter AND Sparks Note lmao. Okay. But let's see.

What do we know about the Other Timeline:

Max and David (with their kids) lived a very different life in the Other Timeline. They went into the mundane world (not Australia hehe, Staten Island) and lived as mundanes, hoping it would keep them safe.

This means in the other timeline A LOT of the things that happened in LBAF 5 and 6 did not happen - including Arcaid, Blackbane, Arthur getting arrested, Other Max drama etc. It was just...It was a very quiet and peaceful life.

Mavid family knew about Arthur's power. He tells them as we saw. They also know Lucifer killed him.

They had a very quiet life until the day of Winter Solstice when Arthur dies, Lance gets triggered and destroys Idris and all the nephilim in the world.

His power kills Lance and the door between the demon world and mundane world breaks, turning the real world into a demonic one where demons just live freely (because nephilim aren't there to kill them anymore)

All the nephilim died except for David (who switched to his demon blood). But 11 days after his boys' deaths, he takes his own life by changing back into his angel blood and drawing an agony rune on his chest. He dies before the demons find him.

Warlocks can't use magic in OT because demons sense it and kill them. So, they all wear Arcane binders (which takes their magic away).

A lot of warlocks in the other timeline are dead too - including Ragnor and Catarina.

The Warlock Academy in London is where baby warlocks are brought in (Magnus teleports them there) and trained not to use their magic (this makes me very sad btw). Tessa runs the place. Tessa does not wear arcane binders because she needs to put it on everyone else.

The Specials (Eldest Curses) who can use their 'special' powers learned to expand on them. Tessa can turn into demons too (she once turned into an angel in TID), Magnus can teleport through dreams (dream walking), Max can time travel because he used lightning/light to create portals that break through the fabric of time.

The Other Timeline is a fucking mess. People die every day. It's not hospitable and it's dangerous and it's literally dying. I'd give it another 300-400 years before everyone (mundanes) dies.

That's when Time Travel idea is brought up. There is a lot of research to figure out what to do. There is an ENTIRE team of people working together to fix the timeline - under Max's leadership.

The first attempt is to bring Arthur back (because it was the obvious trigger) but then Max finds out about canon events and how they cannot be changed.

That's when Kincaid comes up. Everyone knows a little bit about him even though he doesn't exist in their timeline. They see him in the mural. Hermes knows the Knightstorms (because of Mikkel). Max knows him because Arthur used to mumble his name in his sleep.

Hermes sacrifices himself (because Michael's blood is guarded by his own at Nico's orders) for Kincaid to be created.

Max creates Kincaid and then they all wait patiently.

ENTER THE CURRENT TIMELINE.

What happened at the end:

Other Max says he won't change a canon event

David forces him (by threatening to take his own life) to open a time portal

But they don't let Other Max change the canon event because they fear he will go through the portal to his own timeline

So Max puts him to sleep

When Other Max wakes up, he finds out that Arthur is alive and Winter Solstice is over. Meaning someone changed the canon event and prevented Arthur's death.

[adventuretolkienlover]

Hugo's Dynamics with the Tangled Gang

I noticed that a lot of people think Hugo would be at odds with the rest of the Tangled team. Or even straight up disliked by them! But I don't think that would be so. Now keep in mind, these are just my headcannons. But I think this is how it would be. Also, just as a heads up, I prefer Varian and Hugo as really good friends as opposed to lovers. So I'll be using that AU instead. (EDIT: Fixed some Grammer mistakes.)

Rapunzel:

At first, Hugo finds Rapunzel's enthusiasm a bit off setting. But there's one thing that starts the friendship. They are both outgoing. They both like trying new things! And soon they're trying all kinds of things together. New restaurant? They'll check it out! Some sort of new traveling show passing through? Sign them up! Alchemy Convention? Heck yes!

I like to think Rapunzel likes teaching people to paint. And one day, Hugo ducks into her painting class to evade a ticked off Eugene. (Guess who was snooping through his cosmetics again? Lol!) Rapunzel convinces him to stay and help him paint a simple painting of maybe flowers and or his mouse Olivia. Hugo doesn't think he has much artistic talent. But Raps thinks it's adorable! And after that, Raps will give him art tips and lessons every once in a while.

Rapunzel also help him learn how to relax. Hugo can be a bit uptight. And she shows him how's okay to slow down and enjoy life. After a life of being on the run, Hugo needs that. Things like nice rests from the lab in the castle gardens or even just spending time together with the family, (I.e Varian and the rest.) are all on the agenda.

OH! One more thing they have in common! Being manipulated by someone they considered a mother figure. Hugo had Donella and Raps had Mother Gothal!

Eugene:

They don't like each other at first. They're still sore at each other about an old job they did together. Spoiler alert. It didn't work out great.

They are super competitive about all sorts of things. Like, ALL sorts of stuff! Who's got the best sneaking skills. The best sword fighting skills. Who's got better hair.😂 A lot.

And they are definitely competitive when it comes to Varian. Both want big brother privileges! But they don't seem to understand Varian loves them both equally. Eventually they come to an understanding and agree to share big brother duties for Varian's sake.

Their competitiveness does settle down a bit after a while. Eugene realizes the Hugo is actually not that bad. And Hugo realizes that the past is past and Eugene is a different person now. They still have banter. But it's not really ill natured. Just regular dude trash talking.

Cass:

I'm going with a friend on this one. INSTANT FRIENDS! Why you may ask? Let me explain.

They both can give a hard time to people they dislike. And you KNOW they'd gang up on Eugene.🤣 Between Cass's "Fitzjerk" nick name for him and gosh knows what nick names and insults Hugo can come up with, Eugene's in for a ride!

Weapons. WEAPONS WEAPONS WEAPONS! Knives are their favorite. They regularly show off their knife collections to each other. Hugo got really excited to see Cass's. She's got some really high quality knives!

Conversations like this.👉 (Rapunzel: Cass. You cannot take a sword to a ball. Cass: If Hugo can take his knives, I can take my sword. Varian: What?! Hugo: *Grins and somehow pulls three knives out of his sleeves* Rapunzel: No. Definitely not. Hugo: We don't have any fun. Do we Cass?)

I'm pretty sure the two of them have rather controversial views on the royals. And sometimes Varian joins them.

Lance:

Again, INSTANT FRIENDS!

They have all sorts in common! Flamboyant? Check! Love to be fabulous? Check! Still slightly has thief instincts? Check! Love to preform? Check! Drama queens kings? Definitely a big checkaroonie!

Also, I like to think they both have some abandonment issues and are both looking for parental support. Both went almost their whole lives without a good family so... Yeah. Support buddies!

And I think Hugo is inspired by Lance adopting Angry and Catalina. Giving kids the best life possible to make up for the horrible one you had? Yes please! Hugo probably decides to adopt a few of his own someday. And speaking of Angry and Catalina...

Angry and Catalina:

I imagine that when I come to these two, Varian is Catalina's favorite and Hugo is Angry's favorite. And vise versa.

Not saying Hugo doesn't like Catalina. She's very sweet. But Hugo's very... LOUD. In his demeanor and general presence. And a bit brash sometimes.

Because of this though, I think Angry would latch on eventually. Maybe not right away. Because this is Angry after all. But soon enough.

So that's all I got for now! Feel free to reblog and add your thoughts onto this!

[leclerced]

Here we go, drivers in law school (caveat - my experience of law school 2016-2019)

- Carlos, Lewis, and Oscar are all gunners but in different ways. Lewis is sitting in the front row asking every question known to man because he’s genuinely interested, Carlos is working through every possible hypothetical with the professor, and Oscar has a patented five color highlighter system that he’s done on every case you guys were supposed to read but it’s easier for him to just let you borrow his book than fully explain it to you

- Checo is the head of FedSoc iykyk (ew) and definitely the guy playing “devil’s advocate” all the time even though you know he holds the views he pretends to think are so outdated

- George is an editor in law review and hates his life because he did all this work to get there and it sucks even more now that he’s gotten there

- Charles, on the other hand, is president of mock trial and is having a blast

- Max applies for family law clinic thinking it’s just a resume pad but winds up finding a lot of peace helping these kids in tough situations

- Lance gets this really cool and prestigious internship and everyone thinks he got it through his dad’s connections but he had to interview like everyone else, he just knew he could knock their socks off and went in and nailed it (can you tell I pulled this one once)

- you’ve never seen Alex study ever but somehow he graduates magna cum laude because he’s just brilliant like that

I’m trying to think of how to slot more guys in but I think this is all I’ve got lol

- 〽️

AHH I LOVE THIS THANK YOU BABY

i love ur asks sm. i dont have anything to add bc my knowledge of law school comes from clueless. my day is entering orders and telling customers, “no, i cannot get 1000 shirts printed by friday if you get me blanks tomorrow. it is wednesday.”

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Forbidden Friendship (How To Train Your Dragon)

"Okay, this is the track that plays when Hiccup is trying to get closer to Toothless. You know, the one where he lets Hiccup touch him? Yeah, that was a BIG moment for the movie and it makes me cry every time cause this creature that's been attacked by humans countless time has decided he can TRUST one of those humans"

Poll Runner: Everything about this is just so soft and beautiful, it's definitely one of the most memorable moments in the film. It's a song about a relationship that changed the course of their people's history.

The Lonliest (Måneskin)

You'll be the saddest part of me/A part of me that will never be mine/It's obvious/Tonight is gonna be the loneliest/You're still the oxygen I breathe/I see your face when I close my eyes/It's torturous/Tonight is gonna be the loneliest

"this song submission is totally inspired by a fic I read based on it (written by the lovely negative4iq on ao3). it WAS v*ltron sorry in advance. but anyway it was a super angsty song lance sang in the fic, and the lyrics are alr emo enough but now every time I listen I'm thrown into the context of space soldier longing for his other half that's off god knows where putting his life at risk and never being able to see him. that they weren't quite a couple but they were so much more than friends, maybe they were getting there, who knows? but then the one left and now they can't really be anything but missing each other. anyway like I said the song is super emotional even without that context, and the vocals are SO RAW it always hits me so hard when I listen to it. also I cannot leave out these lines sorry: And I just keep on thinking how you made me feel better And all the crazy little things that we did together In the end, in the end, it doesn't matter If tonight is gonna be the loneliest this song is so good to me because it can be romantic or platonic. at it's core, its just a song about missing the person you want around most. a lot of the times when i listen to this song, if I'm not thrown into the voltron head space, I think about some of the people who used to be my best friends and of how much I still miss them sometimes, and especially how hard it was immediately after stopping being friends. how I used to always, and sometimes still do, think about how funny they would find certain stories, or how I still find myself doing things the way they taught me, or when memories in my camera roll pop up and i remember "all the crazy little things that we did together". pieces of them that stick around and don't go away - still the oxygen I breathe. idk it's just always a punch to the gut when it comes on."

[gauldheri]

[ spaghetti and meatball ]

“...repeat to me once more if you may, why is it a singular meatball if it is a plate for two?” Lambert eyed the pasta with a mildly judging gaze. It did look and smell good, definitely tasted good, but it was more of a ‘spaghetti with tomato sauce and one disappointing surprise’. Anyway, food was food, he wouldn’t complain much less refuse.

Though he did wonder…how did he end up sharing that meal with this boy- who seemed to be ominously familiar to him. It felt almost painful to look at the guy- that red hair and those fox-like eyes, the feeling that he must have seen those somewhere at some point in his life. A tall figure with a cold gaze, black armor, a living lanc-

-the pasta. Yes. Pasta.

“Actually if this pasta helps me make sure that you do not go out there and get your eyes clawed off by girls angry at your shenanigans, then I may use this sad pasta with single meatball as a defense mechanism. You stay here, young man.”

Sylvain is chatting to a very pretty caterer when time stops.

At first, he thinks it's Dimitri coming at him and he considers making a break for it, despite how rude it would be to the young lady. He hasn't even been here an hour yet - as much as he enjoys Dimitri's company he'd prefer to avoid a lecture. Put it off until he's at least done something to earn it. It isn't Dimitri though - the man is too tall and broad, his face gracefully but clearly weathered by time far more than the prince's. Not elderly by any means but far closer to his father's age than his own. Closer still, Sylvain clearly recognises the face before him as that of the late King Lambert.

He freezes in place, finding himself corralled to a table by the gentleman. Words, sentences, questions all bounce around his head but he can't actually seem to open his mouth. There has to be a more logical explanation.

The dead don't rise from the grave to attend parties.

"Shenanigans -- what shenanigans, sir? I was only complimenting her hairstyle," it's likely pointless trying to argue his case, as effective as if it was actually Dimitri who had cornered him. Still, Sylvain finds himself reeling in shock - since when did he call anyone but his father sir? He pushes the plate away, not sure whether he's annoyed or curious. If he wasn't speaking to the late King's face (even though it cannot possibly be him, that would be absurd) his tongue would likely loosen. Sylvain's words are still firm and direct but he can't quite bring the outrage and disrespect lingering in his stomach to voice. "What makes you feel so comfortable assuming authority over me anyway. This is a party and I'm here trying to have some fun. I'm a grown man, not an errant child on the loose. You don't need to babysit me when you could be enjoying yourself."

"You aren't my father, my professor or my prince. Just who are you anyway?"

[silentreigns]

Australian GP 2023 Reflection that nobody asked for

I don't even know where to start. I started watching the race in the middle of it, and at that point George's car just caught on fire. Charles and Alex were already out and I was so confused. I had such high hopes for them and to see them taken out so early made me so sad. But little did I know about the amount of fuckery I was about to witness.

First of all, if there is a red flag with less than 5 laps to go, the race should finish under a safetycar. The FIA keeps putting the theatrics before the drivers' safety and it's so tired. Like we could have avoided the Alpines getting taken out and Pierre & Esteban getting the points they rightfully deserved. All the drivers were talking about how hard it is to get temperature into the tires. This was a disaster just waiting to happen.

Carlos did not deserve the 5 second penalty. Max hadn't even completed the first sector of his lap when the race was red-flagged. And I am still confused as to why it seems that the lap counted but it didn't at the same time. Lance and Fernando were given their positions back so I don't know why the penalty was enforced. Like we all have our differences but I think we can all agree that it is not fair to give 1 driver a penalty when there were like 4 other incidents to happen in the same timeframe.

Logan Sargeant rammed his car into Nyck de Vries, not even an investigation. If the FIA had braincells they would be giving Sargeant a grid penalty, but it won't make much of a difference since it's a Williams and the car is a tractor (although Alex is making the most out of it). Lance and Charles had a racing incident and nobody was penalized. Pierre locked up and crashed into Esteban and no further action was taken. I mean, y'all saw the same footage so like what's the tea???

The McLaren didn't even make much gains pace-wise but they went from 10th to 5th in the championships. Like how is it possible that they're ahead of the Alpines when the Alpines were matching pace with the Ferraris? But good for Lando and Oscar, you could tell they were mentally and emotionally distraught from the first couple of races. They stayed out of trouble and I cannot fault them for it. Oscar getting his first points in his first home GP is a feel-good story that we needed. But I am salty because Pierre was in 5th and it was going to be his best finish in his new team.

One positive to take away from this is that Lewis got a podium despite not feeling connected to the car. He's getting closer and closer to another race win and I am so excited with what he can do in Baku. George complaining about Lewis racing him is whatever because Lewis was under pressure from Max and Fernando so of course he's gonna be fighting for his life. A lot of TeamLH find George annoying but all I see is George trying to make a name for himself. Like the best way to do that is to challenge yourself against the GOAT. And as long as Lewis ain't upset by it then why should I care?

Another positive is that Yuki & Zhou got their points. I feel like if Yuki finished p11 again he would have self-destructed. Now I just want the other rookies to get a chance at points so we can have another season where everyone scores.

Also Max not lining up on the grid "properly": to me it does not make sense for it to be allowed that the car touches the white line. Like in track & field, you're not allowed to do that, you have to be behind the white line. So that was my reasoning for posting about it initially. Also I wanted Lewis to win something and I can admit that. I ain't taking back my initial post though it's kinda funny seeing the responses to it.

[aspiringtrashpanda]

(CONTINUED maybe we're back on track if I didn't mess up my text splitting pls don't eat a part tumblr, I THINK there's 5 if I counted right??? im so sorry OP you're an angel for putting up with me and I'm starting to think I didn't give you an adequate enough heads-up) This fic is my baby, it has grown up with me, I’m literally sending Leaf to College at one point to project that life on 🤣 hey Blue Oak did it, so can she. (but Highschool first, can’t convince me anyone with the education of a 4th grader (or 8th grader tech, Ash is 10, she's 14 Let's Go-style where he was born during "protagonist years") will be allowed to be a Champ who wants in on how to run a region and detective work) schooling is a bit different in Pokeverse, you take Uni classes for fun, don’t need two years of an AA or AS Degree. Pokémon Toxicology, BioDiversity and Medicine re: using their natural abilities VS Organic Chemistry ANY DAY + Law Student-like internships at the League to learn Champ duties + fun bonus of Lance doing extra and involving his League with the Interpol.) "Where do you think you're going?" "Out." "Without doing the paperwork?" "You can give it to the intern!" "You are the intern." “I cannot believe this betrayal. This slight against me will not be forgotten.” “You mean just like how you didn’t forget the League duties you insisted on being allowed to do?” eyebrow raise “…well.” Lance is not exempt from bullying.

"You're the one wearing a bib!" "A what?! It's a cape!" "And it's on the wrong side!" "It's a cape! And it's elegant!" "It's tacky is what it is!" You're likely to find her complimenting Leon's cape just because of how offended Lance gets. Choosing a cape is a science. But nobody wants to hear a one-hour monologue on Cape Studies. Payback uwu. He's actually the reason she ends up having to finish Highschool. He's not giving an obviously emotionally tired 14 y/o Boring Adult Work even if she's eager to do it because SOMEONE needs to fix the atrocious state of the Kanto Region. (Lance was overworked, he's trying, but Indigo Season...what is wrong with all these citizens. It's ok, once she's ready they can split uuuh, the work between Kanto, Johto, The Orange Islands, and the Sevii Islands + G-Men Investigations so Lance doesn't have a heart-attack at his desk. But seriously, who gave him this much work anyways??? Not to mention running the League, the Gym Budgets, restocking Badges, employee paychecks, monitoring trainers during League Season, and the influx of tourists and establishing Pokemon Contests in KanJoh, etc.) So it's off to learn The Magic of Friendship with Ash and friends and falling victim to their puppy-dog eyes. (Occasional meet-ups during Kanto turn into full Joh-Hoenn adventures, and Sinnoh encounter when investigating with Looker about Team Galactic as Lance I presume is off training in Galar, he needs a break too.) So for Johto (*insert horrified look at the GS Ball because that's what you use to capture Celebi, she would know~ "well heck, guess I have to steal that when no one's looking.") And everyone going, "You know Leaf, I was a bit worried when we heard about The Incident but you're still you :)" Cue Leaf "oh...*laughs nervously.*" (That moment when you disappear off the face of the earth after The Incident, and re-appear to win the Indigo League and Clean House and don't know how to tell people you kind of regained memories of your past life and had an existential crisis. They're a bit come and go/the ones getting triggered upon meeting Steven in the Granite Cave episode was fun lol (not) *Gets to Ecruteak, sees Morty, books it the other way because she remembers his warnings to not chase after Celebi from The Other Timeline/Gameverse and does not need him seeing the many ghosts of her dead Pokemon clinging to her if they are.*

BLUE OAK DID IT, SO CAN SHE! This is gonna be my new motto for everything, whether it's relevant or not lmao. These Lance interactions are everything to me. I LOVE found family League shenanigans. So precious I want to cry. Okay I want to read this fic so badly. It sounds so heartwrenching and fascinating and I can tell you've put SO MUCH thought into it. Gimme. *Grabby hands motion* (actually though, i am happy to beta read if you ever consider posting!)

[irl-morros-account]

Hey man, I'm the anon who pointed out you and Lloyd's switched fates (You can call me Lance!), and I just wanted to say: A) The fact that Lloyd finds it funny and you don't perfectly sums up the different flavors of fuck up your lives have been

and

B) Look at him, Morro. Look at his sad little hero-complex lookin' ass and tell me that he isn't emo. There is only ONE reason this child does not wear all black and it's purely because of his daddy issues

Oh, and personally I think that fucking fate over back is a little shallow, not because revenge isn't deserved, but because, I mean- Looking back, the Head Writer back when you were on your dead guy rampage was already a corrupt piece of shit, why waste your time on something that's already broken?

There's nothing funny about it. I'm just normal, and Lloyd is delusional!

Ok, OK alright fair point. He has some serious issues that would may define him as emo. I see that now. You're correct, you've shown me the light.

I'm going to start calling him that now. You know, as a child, he did practically wear all black?? I saw it in his memories. Lloyd has always been an emo at heart, and he cannot escape his roots.

Ahh, Garmadon. Yeah, like I said, issues.

Shallow? Leave me to my vengeance fantasies in peace, Lance. I happen to be a very petty person.

(.....dead guy rampage??? really?? is that all i am???)

True, the Head Writer was very corrupt, but alas, so am I. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, I wasn't exactly in the right frame of mind to consider that I was wasting my time on already broken things. I just wanted the Sword of Sanctuary.

And, well, if I 'accidentally' happened to hurt those that made my life like this, then I consider than a bonus.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

**Cultivating Love**58**

**The problem with divine peaches after having your divine peach plundered and now your fiancé wants to go on a trip to his home clan** prt 3**

A second physicians visit and only echoed what Lance had been by the palace physician and firmly supported his belief that medicine within the cultivation realm needed an overhaul. Nausea, lack of appetite, stomach cramping, and increased sensitivities were common symptoms of a number of things. Not that he was with child. Keith had laughed so hard that Lange had smacked him for it. Such a ridiculous notion would have spread through the whole clan quickly if they had not had privacy. A small house hidden behind thick camellia shrubs, whose delicate scent soothed his agitation. He did not understand the Black Wolf Clan. Not in the slightest. Whispers followed his little family around, many a wife eyeing Keith as a suitable mate for their daughter, whilst giving him the cold shoulder.

Nipping at his bare shoulder, Keith was insatiable. Having done it enough that he was pestered, not flattered, by Keith’s attentions. Each time they’d met someone knew Keith had made sure to introduce him as his “fiancé Lance”, though with how often they’d done it, Lance was sure that people didn’t need a disclaimer when he was so soaked in Keith’s scent. His mate failing at reading the mood as Lance sipped his tea and mentally rewrote how he intended to write up the clan physician over his wrong prognosis

“No more. Behave yourself or I will have to be cross”

“I cannot keep my hands off of you… You do not need to be so mad”

“I do when your village lacks basic health services. Were you listening to his words? I wanted to hit him. You don’t need to do anything to encourage him either”

“Maybe I like it when you’re cranky with me?”

Keith said it as if it were a good thing. Lance had thought his temper would return to normal after expelling all the demonic energy from his body. Instead he was still short tempered, easily annoyed, and cranky at himself for it. He felt completely out of place, not a wolf and not an outsider either, but a little of both at the same time. He’d allowed Keith to pack for him and was now finding that Keith had packed all of his best clothes, leaving him further to stand out and almost yell that he was clueless. On top of the fact he’d insulted their hosts. Wolves were very proud and any offers of help were a deep insult. He didn’t know how not to offer his help. Not when the clan seemed to be doing well and he wanted to show his gratitude in some way for the use of the little house when he couldn’t offer actual assistance.

Sighing heavily, Lance threw his head back to smack Keith in the nose, not hard enough to make it bleed yet hard enough to stop him nosing his neck

“Don’t. I mean, I don’t want to be cranky at you so do not tempt me. If I’m acting out it could mean that I am not as clean of corruption as I believe myself to be. Though right now, little Keith is to blame. What kind of a wolf attacks a man once he’s done cleaning himself up?”

Determined to continue his clingness, Lance gave up on Keith giving him space as his mate slipped his arms around him

“I’m sorry. I know you’re ill, but you’re also incredibly attractive when you walk around half dressed”

“Oh, so otherwise I’m not?”

“No! I mean, you are. I’ll try contain myself more”

“That’d be appreciated. I still haven’t gotten the feel of the tribe and I doubt Kang will be happy that I was unavailable due to illness”

“Who cares about him?”

“Me. At least until he agrees to the proposal laid forth. Compared to how things were, I’m missing the demon realm. Not the fighting for my life thing, but the lack of paperwork. I would murder for an actually relaxing holiday with you and little Shiro”

“We could ignore the wishes of the other masters?”

Lance chuckled at the thought before thinking of the paperwork and wrinkling his nose. He was being too impatient with Keith. Not ever touch meant sex, even if Keith was acting in a manner he would call sexual, his poor wolf was probably projecting his past fears onto Lance the only way he knew how

“They’ll only keep adding to it. I’m sorry for being in a mood. I know you’re all over the place returning here, and I know the masters shouldn’t have added work, even if we had our own reasons to accept. I want to be accepted here, as your mate and as a fox. To be honest, I am struggling. I think that’s part of it all. I’m overdressed, anxious, ill and cranky… and you come along solving all my troubles with kisses, but what do I do for you?”

“You’re here with me”

“Shiro could have been here with you too. Two years a captive, they’re all thinking it, and that my freedom came at the cost of him”

Lance had been too honest. Wishing he could return the words to his mouth as soon as they’d slipped out. Despite being comfortably sat in the edge of the veranda, Keith hefted him back into his lap and buried his face against Lance’s shoulder. Lance proud to have not spilt his tea, which would only have made it all more awkward and added to his embarrassment

“I’m sorry I’m not him either… yet I am glad you’re here. I’m sorry that you worry about what they think, you worry so much about me and all I was thinking about was showing you off”

“No, I shouldn’t have said what I said. I mean, I miss him… I’ve been ill, yet if he were here, he would haven’t been. I don’t want to do anything that embarrasses you”

“You don’t embarrass me. Embarrassing was the first time you kissed Shiro, not getting a little sick while we were walking”

Lance closed his eyes. Keith was terrible at picking the right words to comfort him. Especially at the memory of that kiss

“You aren’t supposed to still remember that”

“How could I forget? You charged off on the battlefield trying to get yourself killed so you would not have to face Shiro again”

“What do you expect? You were there. I kissed him and zapped him at the same time. I made his fringe stand on end. I’m not sure who was more shocked”

“Shiro. His hair said as much. It’s a cute memory”

“It’s cute if you don’t go into the details. Besides, he was exhausted and worried for you and then suddenly I was kissing him”

“And the second you left I had to stop him charging right after you to ask you out”

Lance opened his eyes. He’d heard the story enough times he could relay it from the three perspectives

“If you hadn’t gone and got caught up in your own flames, we wouldn’t have been so worried. You singed your own hair. I thought for sure you’d be badly burned”

“And I thought for sure that you wouldn’t wish for two wolves as mates. Shiro worried for you so much”

“And you. He picked two hard mates with frightful powers. I thought him the most beautiful graceful master to have ever existed. We were all so jealous of how pretty he was and that everyone else had Iverson”

“And what did you think after you kissed him?”

“That I couldn’t believe I’d made such a mistake. You and Shiro were so beautiful and I felt so foolish worrying… and I was so sure that Shiro would hate me. He pretended not to know me because I treated you so poorly in the past. I don’t blame him. I was horrible”

Reaching up, Keith took the tea cup from Lance’s hand, setting it next to them both, before taking Lance’s hand in his

“Not on that battlefield you weren’t. Nor the one before it, or the one before that, and so on. I was mad at you for joining the Emperor’s army, sure that you had done it to continue pestering me. Then I saw how much you cared. How much you put into each fight. I was so confused that Shiro laughed and told me I had feelings for you. We only took a dozen battles to be on the same page and a dozen more to share our first kiss. It was because of you that I confessed to Shiro I felt confused because I felt like that with him and you. Then you kissed him and it clicked that maybe we could be together as a trio. He was so conflicted too”

“I think Shiro was conflicted to the very end”

Keith interlaced their fingers, bringing Lance’s hand up to kiss the back of it

“Why do you say that? He did make his choice”

“He did and he regretted it. That night never healed for any of us. He was afraid and ashamed of his own failings, and then everything started changing so he dug his heals in to stop it and it all fell apart. I thought to myself at least a hundred times that I would not love him again. Even his sincere apology and making love to him… I love and hate him and I miss him. By heavens I miss him. I miss him. I miss talking to him. When he would lay with his head in my lap and ask my day. Or he would get excited when I learned something and shared it. We went from master and student to lovers to master and student over and over. My memories started coming back too. And at the palace it’s so comforting but it’s also not. Why did he not love me right?”

As Lance started crying, Keith turned him, folding him in his lap so his legs were over Keith’s and his side to Keith’s chest. The hand he’d interlaced their fingers with now kept his hand to his stomach while Keith’s other hand cupped his cheek as Keith started rocking him, nuzzling and kissing Lance’s hair line

“I miss him too. He was so damn proud. Too proud. I can’t forgive him much either and I do at the same time. I hate all the unsaid and I swear sometimes I will hear him call my name. I want the anger to leave. I want to go back to before Adam was reborn and you were injured, yet I knew before I left that wanted to marry you, and I swear upon the heavens that my four months apart were spent making sure that my heart and my head aligned. You were special to him. He would talk on and on about you when we would leave. Sometimes I was indeed very jealous”

“See. It is my fault. Had I never been wounded…”

Keith shushed him gently and cut him off

“No. You are brave. You always do the right thing in your heart and you tolerated things for so long. I was too complacent. Me. I took you waiting at home for our return for granted. And I drugged Shiro so I might not have to see him until I saw you. I robbed you of those months we could have had to fix things”

“But I had never left…”

“Nothing would have changed. You were so very ill. I’m trying not to let that cloud my worry now but I am. You’re a brave little thing”

Lance snorted wetly. Shiro loved to tell him he was. He really could have used a hug from Shiro… and less talk about the embarrassment of his first kiss with Shiro out of sheer relief that Shiro and Keith were both okay. They’d all kept up such a facade, expected by them, at the palace yet he’d gotten to know them for real away from it and he’d fallen head over heels before his heart knew what was happening. Shiro had… Shiro had been so dazzling that Lance had kissed him, then too dazzling to talk to until Shiro tracked him down to return the kiss

“I’m a crying mess. No general sobs like a baby”

“No general still has a kind heart in the face of all we see”

“You’re being too kind. I really am sick of myself being up and down”

“You’ll figure it out. Are you still craving divine peaches?”

Sniffling valiantly, Lance nodded

“Yes. Though I know we have none left”

“No, but if we leave here and head for the royal palace we can get our hands on some”

“We can’t do that. You haven’t shown me your childhood home and I need to pay my respects to your father”

“We can do that today and leave this night”

“But the masters…”

“Can’t tell us off if they cannot find us”

“And Kang? Our plans for the clan?”

“Mean nothing if my mate is worrying himself because of me. I think you should listen to what your body is telling you. If it’s telling you to eat peaches, we’ll go get peaches”

“And if it’s telling me that I love you?”

“Then I’m afraid I’ll have to take you to bed and mark my beautiful fiancé until the whole village knows exactly what we do alone. You know, the demon king tournament will be approaching soon. What do you say we turn it into an extended holiday? Krolia would love to see you too”

Lance sighed, Keith was far too tempting with his sweet words

“We can’t. I’m not riding across the realm because I am ill. You won’t lead me astray, oh great fiancé of mine. We must stay and deal with Kang”

“Then I want a promise in return”

“What?”

“I get one wish once we are done with Kang. One wish to spend how I please without you telling me off. The old man makes me miserable and in return I won’t set him on fire. But only if you agree”

“You said you would behave as it was”

“Then consider this a reminder. If I’m a good cultivator and don’t lose my temper, you will grant me one wish, otherwise I do not know what I may do”

Lance knew Keith would wish to go to the royal palace for peaches. That’s who he was. Lance would need to remind of the terms of this wish when Keith came to making good on it

“You can have one wish. But that wish must be utterly selfish and no one expect for you may benefit from it”

“I can live with that”

“Then you have a deal. But that doesn’t get you out of showing me your childhood home”

“Oh, we’re going tonight. I’ve got a surprise for you and you can only see it at night”

*

Following Keith through the village at night, Lance worried for little Shiro. Their son bundled in a blanket to keep him warm in the cold night air. In the dead of the night Lance felt like a thief. As if they were doing something very wrong, yet with the promise of seeing Keith’s childhood home, he’d not raised protest with their excursion.

Towards the back of the village we’re sharp cliffs, a path barely wide enough for a horse the only indication something lay beyond. Keith keeping a slow pace for him, a ball of flame within his right palm to light the way, and his left hand hovering to help Lance keep his steps. Even a small fall would result in injury, he’d scraped his wrist carelessly in protection of little Shiro as it was, and the same damn illness that had plagued him sat low in his stomach as if he’d swallowed a fistful of nettles. He knew Keith had lived in isolation, yet he hadn’t thought isolation would be this… isolated.

Continuing through the narrow pass, Keith stopped as the sharp walls gave way to inky darkness

“Hold on a moment. I need to find it”

Biting his lip, Lance squatted down, making as if he was fussing over their little boy. Anything to shift the pain in his stomach. Turning the light away, Keith felt along the rock wall, needing a few very long moments before pulling something from a small crevice. Holding something over his flame, there was a small crackle and the scent of something burning, before Keith was turning back to him, smiling softly at the thing in his hand, then frowning at the look of him

“Lance?”

Drawing himself back up, Lance kept his face down and slightly turned away so that Keith couldn’t see his expression. The cramping would pass. It always did. And now Keith seemed excited

“I’m okay. What do you have there?”

“My father made this… it… the desert can be big and scary. So he made me this to lead me home”

Hiking little Shiro up, Lance looked over him to the pendant in Keith’s hand. He couldn’t see much in the dim light, only the soft green glow and shadows of the pendant

“What’s it doing here?”

“I left it here. When I left with Shiro the first time, I was sure he’d send me back. Everyone gave up so I left it here so I could get back home… Kang didn’t like me coming out here. Said I was insulting the good will of everyone else. No one knew what to do with me and…”

Keith was beginning to babble. Reaching out Lance placed his hand over the pendant. The magic there was weak, yet even with all this time, he could feel love lingering

“He loved you. You were a child and they failed you, not you them. I may be biased but I can tell a spell when I see one. He loved you very much. You should keep this treasure closer to you, because I feel he never wanted you to let it go”

Keith ducked his head, coming back up with a smile that made Lance feel blessed to see it

“Maybe this time I won’t leave it behind… You can’t really see it, but he carved a wolf’s head for me too… and there’s a K for Keith”

“He would have been so proud of you. I wish I could go in time and thank him for you. I wish that we could have spoken and that I could go back and hit my old self for all the wrongs I did”

“All those wrongs aren’t right, but I forgive you for those things in our past. They should stay there. And thank you, Lance. If you hadn’t given me another shot in the demon realm… well… it hasn’t been easy, but we made it eventually. It’s mating season for the desert rays so everyone stays away… I’m not saying this right, it’ll be easier to show you”

Keith hadn’t said it right, he’d made Lance’s brain hurt, yet it was alright with how cute Keith was acting in excitement

“You’d better not get us lost now you’ve found your treasure again”

“I won’t. Here, it’s a drop down to the next step, let me help you”

Making the mistake of letting his precious treasure too close to their son, Keith had to negotiate the return of the stone from little Shiro, now coated with the babe’s saliva. Lance had nearly lost his temper the moment little Shiro had put it in his mouth, instantly feeling ashamed he’d nearly yelled at the baby boy. Keith had laughed. Despite how precious the stone pendant was, his mate had laughed, then taken the stone back and reduced little Shiro to tears. Holding Keith’s arm, Lance had had to sing their baby back to sleep, not wanting little Shiro to cry too loudly when they were alone in an unknown environment.

With the levelness of the terrain, Lance would call, what Keith called a desert, a sand plain due to the lack of dunes. Silence sat between them with Lance unable to find the right words to prompt Keith to tell him more about his childhood. It was easy enough to imagine little Keith in the village stealing bread. He would have been such a handful, surely biting whoever would catch him, then kicking them in the shin before making a run for it. The children seemed to be treated well in the clan now, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t room for improvement.

Thinking too soon, they came to a steep slope. Keith extinguishing the ball of flame and bathing them in darkness just when Lance needed him not to. Stumbling, his mate plucked little Shiro from his arms before they could both fall

“I’ve got him. Take it slow, it’ll be worth it when you see it”

After all the walking they’d done, Lance sorely hoped so. He thought they were following the stone to Keith’s childhood home, not to slopes of doom

“Alright, but don’t blame me if I smack you when we got to the top”

“You won’t. We had to take a deviation, but I promise it’s worth it”

And it was. Reaching the top of the slope, before him was a swirling scene of browns and golds. When Keith had said desert rays, he’d thought they’d be small. Not massive creatures large enough to comfortably stand upon their backs. Rising and falling, they moved as if the air was water, swimming on unseen ripples

“They only get like this during mating season. Kang closes the pass to everyone, not that they come out here, and when he mentioned not to bother coming out I knew it must be the season. They’re big bastards, with a barb as big as you, but they don’t get angry if you don’t interrupt them. Pretty amazing isn’t it?”

Lance didn’t know rays like this still existed. They really were amazing

“I would expect something like this in the demon realm, not here. You never told me they were this big”

“I remembered them smaller”

“A bit like how you remembered the fish bigger?”

Keith groaned at him, Lance sliding his arm around him as he did

“I’m teasing, my love. Did you show this to Shiro when you two came?”

“No. He didn’t want to come out here at night…”

“He was probably smarter than we are. Shall we sit for a bit? They’re kind of magical to watch”

Keith huffed at him as if they didn’t have time to sit and rest

“I want to take you to the house”

Even if Keith didn’t need a break, Lance did. Sitting down, he kept his gaze on the scene below. The space must have been solely for breeding, and like birds they returned year after year. Something so pretty would have been lost forever if Zarkon had ever seen them

“Fool, if we’re going back down that slope, you can at least let me catch my breath. I think these rays are big enough to ride upon. You should have given me more warning”

“I’ve done that before. Ride them. It’s not a pleasant feeling”

Unable to tell if Keith was joking or not, Lance tugged on his robe. His mate finally sitting next to him

“I’ve been wracking my brain trying to ask you about your childhood on the walk out here and now I don’t know if you’re lying or not”

“I guess you’ll never know. I wanted you to see this. I think my father would bring me out to see them. Some of the wolves have had run ins with them before, and there used to be a trade network through here. The house isn’t too far from here. Shiro put a barrier over it, but I’m guessing it won’t be there anymore seeing he isn’t. It might not be much more than rubble by now”

“Or it could still stand. Either way, I’m honoured that you’d share this with me. This place is precious to you, even the clan. I know how poorly they treated you, yet I know how much you care. Tonight we’ll sleep there, then tomorrow we’ll go pay our respects to your father. I hope I make a good impression”

Keith leaned into him, kissing Lance’s shoulder before settling

“I’m sure you will. We have a lot to tell him… Little Shiro too”

“He’s bound to drool over everything. I’m sure he gets his drooling from you”

“I’ve never met a baby who drools as much”

“You’ve never met many babies. Should I take him back?”

“No. I find myself wanting to spend this moment with my family a little longer”

“Alright. Let the make the most of it. Who knows how many more moments we will have?”

Raising his head, Keith kissed Lance’s cheek

“A lifetime. And the next. The four of us will surely meet again”

There were three of them there. Did Keith mean he hoped for the reincarnation of his father? Lance questioning

“Four?”

“Or should I say five? That little one inside you. Shiro. Adam. You. Me. I think it would be a fine life to be together in the next life”

Groaning at the not so funny joke, there was no child within his belly

“Four, Keith. Four. And I see you’ve come round to introducing Shiro to Adam in this life”

“I know I would never convince you otherwise. Besides, I have to tease you as much as I can, my pregnant fiancé”

“Keep this up and I will take little Shiro and leave”

“Somehow I do not see that happened”

Keith was right. He wouldn’t up and leave with their son. Instead he cuddled into his mate, watching the show the desert rays were gifting them.

[kellyvela]

Idk if anyone’s pointed this out, but Sam and Jon talk about goodness being told in lies when they unite in ASOS. it reminds me of Sansa’s words when she lies to sweet robin, about lies being kindly meant being okay.

Oh Anon, you are so right and it's something Jon and Sansa learned from their father —the honorable liar— Lord Eddard Stark:

EDDARD STARK

"I hate them," Arya confided, red-faced, sniffling. "The Hound and the queen and the king and Prince Joffrey. I hate all of them. Joffrey lied, it wasn't the way he said. I hate Sansa too. She did remember, she just lied so Joffrey would like her."

"We all lie," her father said. "Or did you truly think I'd believe that Nymeria ran off?"

Arya blushed guiltily. "Jory promised not to tell."

"Jory kept his word," her father said with a smile. "There are some things I do not need to be told. Even a blind man could see that wolf would never have left you willingly."

"We had to throw rocks," she said miserably. "I told her to run, to go be free, that I didn't want her anymore. There were other wolves for her to play with, we heard them howling, and Jory said the woods were full of game, so she'd have deer to hunt. Only she kept following, and finally we had to throw rocks. I hit her twice. She whined and looked at me and I felt so 'shamed, but it was right, wasn't it? The queen would have killed her."

"It was right," her father said. "And even the lie was … not without honor."

—A Game of Thrones - Arya II

JON SNOW

"You know you cannot keep her," Jon said gently, "no more than I could stay with Ygritte. You said the words, Sam, the same as I did. The same as all of us."

"I know. Gilly said she'd be a wife to me, but . . . I told her about the words, and what they meant. I don't know if that made her sad or glad, but I told her." He swallowed nervously and said, "Jon, could there be honor in a lie, if it were told for a . . . a good purpose?"

"It would depend on the lie and the purpose, I suppose." Jon looked at Sam. "I wouldn't advise it. You're not made to lie, Sam. You blush and squeak and stammer."

"I do," said Sam, "but I could lie in a letter. I'm better with a quill in hand. I had a . . . a thought. When things are more settled here, I thought maybe the best thing for Gilly . . . I thought I might send her to Horn Hill. To my mother and sisters and my . . . my f-f-father. If Gilly were to say the babe was m-mine . . ." He was blushing again. "My mother would want him, I know. She would find some place for Gilly, some kind of service, it wouldn't be as hard as serving Craster. And Lord R-Randyll, he . . . he would never say so, but he might be pleased to believe I got a bastard on some wildling girl. At least it would prove I was man enough to lie with a woman and father a child. He told me once that I was sure to die a maiden, that no woman would ever . . . you know . . . Jon, if I did this, wrote this lie . . . would that be a good thing? The life the boy would have . . ."

"Growing up a bastard in his grandfather's castle?" Jon shrugged. "That depends in great part on your father, and what sort of boy this is. If he takes after you . . ."

"He won't. Craster's his real father. You saw him, he was hard as an old tree stump, and Gilly is stronger than she looks."

"If the boy shows any skill with sword or lance, he should have a place with your father's household guard at the least," Jon said. "It's not unknown for bastards to be trained as squires and raised to knighthood. But you'd best be sure Gilly can play this game convincingly. From what you've told me of Lord Randyll, I doubt he would take kindly to being deceived."

—A Storm of Swords - Samwell IV

SANSA STARK

Sometime during the night she woke, as little Robert climbed up into her bed. I forgot to tell Lothor to lock him in again, she realized. There was nothing to be done for it, so she put her arm around him. "Sweetrobin? You can stay, but try not to squirm around. Just close your eyes and sleep, little one."

"I will." He cuddled close and laid his head between her breasts. "Alayne? Are you my mother now?"

"I suppose I am," she said. If a lie was kindly meant, there was no harm in it.

—A Feast for Crows - Sansa I

[emkini]

OKAY here’s my first cassunzel week post-- please keep in mind most if not all of these will have pretty much nothing to do with the actual theme because I couldn’t follow a theme to save my life and are more just me throwing excessively niche cassunzel content at y’all that’s been sitting in my backlog.

THAT SAID, 

Context + Writing Snippet under the cut 

So this is an AU @laikaspeaks and I came up with a few months ago. The premise is that Cassandra works with a traveling rodeo event as kind of The Ultimate Challenge in bronc riding, and Rapunzel is an adrenaline junkie who somehow, for some reason, cannot be bucked off. They end up having a very intense homoerotic rivalry and eventually get stuck together doing a show, creating an enemies-to-lovers speedrun involving several major injuries

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

Now onto the writing, in which Eugene and Lance decided it was a good idea to get Rapunzel to enter the centaur bronc riding competition to knock her down a peg after her long string of successes on horses. 

Spoilers: It was not a good idea they created a monster and the monster is gay

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

"Eugene, buddy....I don't know if this is such a good idea."

Eugene scoffed, slapping his friend on the back. "Relax, Lance, who do you think she's gonna pull, Cass? I bet you a dime to a dozen the system's rigged so beginners can't pull her." Lance raised an eyebrow, and Eugene groaned. "Oh come on, Lance, she'll probably take a good hit from Ronnie or someone and finally know how it feels to get her ass whooped! We get a good laugh, she gets her ego knocked into place, everybody wins! Well, mostly we win. But....well....tough love, am I right?" Lance still looked unamused, but whatever he might've said was interrupted by the heavy thud-thud-thud of footsteps moving rapidly toward them. Eugene turned just in time to catch Rapunzel before she barreled into him, catching her by the shoulders. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy, Sunshi-" "I pulled my name out of the hat!" Rapunzel was beaming, bouncing on her toes as she held a folded piece of paper in her hand. Her hair was already wildly disheveled and her shirtcollar was haphazardly bent. "I thought I'd come find you before I opened it!" Eugene smirked, glancing gleefully at Lance before turning his attention back to Rapunzel. "Well, let's see what you got, Blondie," he moved in behind her shoulder as she started unfolding the paper. "Oooh, let me guess-- Ronnie? Or Ronnie's husband? Dammit what's his name I can never remember his name-" "It says Cassandra." Eugene's train of thought careened off the tracks and his eyes bulged out of his skull. “Cassa-- wha--?” Rapunzel, completely unperturbed, beamed up at him. "Oh, that's a pretty name! Don't you think, Eugene?"

Eugene grabbed the paper out of her hands, reading it over once, twice, three times. "Ho-o-oly cheese and crackers-- Rapunzel I don't think-- I don't know-- how did you pull that name?!" Lance leaned down and cupped a hand around Eugene's ear. "Told you this was a bad idea," he sing-songed quietly. "Shut it, Lance," Eugene snarled. Rapunzel frowned at them. "They told me to pull a name out of the hat, so I did! I don't see what the problem is, you guys." Eugene took a deep, steadying breath. Of all the ways for this to blow up in his face-- "Oh, Sunshine, I don't know if this is such a good idea--" "It's a horrible one, in fact," Lance cut in. Rapunzel glanced back and forth between them for a moment before her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Oh, oh I see." She snatched the paper back from Eugene with a huff. "What, are you afraid I'll win and show you both that I'm more capable than you think I am?" "No no no, Blondie, that is definitely not what I'm worried about--" Eugene yelped as Rapunzel pushed past him and Lance with a scoff. Eugene wheezed. "Why am I always surprised by how strong she is?”

Lance shrugged, and the both of them hurried to catch Rapunzel as she marched off toward the arena. When she heard them coming she adjusted her collar with a huff. "What's so scary about this Cassandra girl anyway?" 

Eugene opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by a scream and the shadow of something big descending upon them. Eugene grabbed Rapunzel and dashed to the side, but Lance wasn't so lucky. He shrieked as a hundred and seventy pounds of cowboy landed directly on top of him with a massive thud, sending them both hurtling to the ground. Eugene gawped at the scene. "What the--"

"How's it feel to get your ass kicked again, McConnell?" A woman of far too much stature to be human was leaning easily on the six-foot railing, eyes glittering from behind a wall of whirling dust. Eugene swallowed thickly and backed away from the fence. The raging dust cloud kicked up by the commotion cleared lazily, slowly revealing the mare herself-- harsh angles gleaming in the sun and muscles quivering with murderous intent. The cowboy took a deep, gasping breath as he shakily stood. "Fuck you, Cass," he grumbled, weakly raising his left fist to flip her off. Cassandra blinked at him slowly, letting the silence hang for a second, and then turned faster than Eugene could blink. The newly-settled dust tore up into the air as Cassandra kicked out, quick as a viper and even more vicious. The cowboy yelped and scooped his hat off the ground, hurriedly disappearing behind a maze of temporary corrals and leaving a few flustered roping horses in his wake. Cassandra didn't stop to see him off, instead charging right back to the chute and calling out for another practice run. There wasn't a drop of sweat on her body. "I'm fine, in case anyone was worried," Lance called out wearily. He still hadn't moved from the ground.

Eugene snorted and started toward his friend, but was suddenly aware of Rapunzel imperiously making her way toward the fence. She leaned forward and grasped the rail, eyes wide and mesmerized. Eugene hurried to grab her shoulders, hoping now she would see reason. "So, Blondie, do you see now why I think you should reconsider--" "She's--" "Terrifying, I know--" "beautiful." "ah-- pardon?" Eugene paused mid-breath, staring down at Rapunzel. Her eyes were sparkling, and a maniacal grin was rapidly spreading across her face. "Eugene look at her, she's incredible!" Eugene gawked at her, finally managing to shut his jaw after a few moments. "I'm sorry, did you not see the grown man get viciously thrown over the railing?!" "Oh no, I saw." Rapunzel's eyes never left Cassandra as she flew out of the chute with a new brave dumbass, throwing him in seconds with a flying kick that Eugene couldn't believe hadn't snapped her spine in half. The fire in Rapunzel's eyes only burned brighter. "This is going to be the challenge of a lifetime."

[teamxdark]

Mirror, Mirror

Based off of this little interaction between @damnitd and @silvermun a long time ago. It’s basically unedited, but the story I’ll end up putting on AO3/FFnet another day won’t be much different from this one here.

What can one do, when the heart is split in two? Where does one end, and the other begin? Where is the line drawn? 

Or should it be drawn at all…?

Sonic stared at the twisted heap of metal on the kitchen counter, bisected by a sword, and tried his hardest not to scream.

“Lancelot,” he said, struggling to keep his voice even, “that was a toaster.”

The knight in question wrenched his sword from the mess, causing sparks to fly and little bits and bobs, both mechanical and breadlike, to scatter across the counter and fall to the floor. “It was burning up,” he explained gravely, “achieving heats far too intense for today’s weather. I could not trust it, and when it let out a scream, I had to act.”

“That ‘scream’ was an alarm,” Sonic snapped, too tired and hungry to deal with this nonsense. “That means that the toast is done and we can eat. Which we can’t now. Because you attacked the toaster.”

The dark hedgehog turned his sword over in his hands, and Sonic braced himself for his rebuttal, and then they would argue over who was in the right, but the knight uttered a soft, “I simply wished to protect you. I am still getting used to the complex machines of this era, and I cannot bring myself to trust them. I realize that this is… unbecoming of me, and an irritation to you. I apologize, and I will try my best to keep my impulses under control.”

Sonic let out his breath in a loud exhale. It was so easy to forget, still, that this wasn’t Shadow in front of him.

No one could quite explain how the switch had come to pass; one day, Shadow and he had parted ways, the sensation that there were still words left unspoken between them that would be better saved for another time, and the next day, Lancelot had been found in his place. 

The knight was having trouble adjusting, to put it lightly. It had been weeks, but the advanced technology of contemporary times drove him to paranoia, and Sonic had seen many a monitor, vehicle, and appliance fall victim to Arondight’s wrath, much to Tails’ chagrin.

Worse, still, was that Lancelot refused to stay anywhere aside from Sonic’s home. The knight graciously declined Shadow’s place, leaving Rouge and Omega down one roommate, staying instead in any spare room he could find, so long as it was where Sonic was staying as well. Rouge had laughed it off, waving the knight away with a taunt that he was ‘Sonic’s problem now’, but the hero had seen the flash of hurt and worry in her eyes.

No one knew where Shadow was, or if he was ever coming back.

And now incidents such as these, with another appliance in pieces, were commonplace.

Sonic rubbed at his forehead, trying to put his buzzing thoughts together in his head before he spoke. “Lance, I get that you’re trying to protect me from my evil cookware and all that, but I don’t get why.”

The knight started, one ear tilting to the side in confusion. “Why would I not? I swore to do so, did I not?”

“No,” Sonic deadpanned. “You didn’t.”

That seemed to offend Lancelot, who let go of his sword for a moment to cross his arms. “I do not wish to speak out of line,” he said, sounding like he was struggling to remain calm, “but you are mistaken. A knight is loyal to the sovereign who knights him, until the last of his days.”

“But I didn’t knight you!” Sonic protested, at the end of his rope. “I’m not your king!”

In response, Lancelot pushed up his visor, and Sonic took in the set jaw, the way his pointed white teeth bared themselves in a snarl, by all means, the spitting image of Shadow, with just the smallest thing here and there that harshly reminded Sonic that the one standing before him was not the one he had spent so many years with. He saw it in the same set jaw, as it trembled with the effort to keep everything held back. He saw it in the snarl, which was more dismayed than hostile. Most of all, he saw it in Lancelot’s eyes, red and wide and so very expressive without the visor to shield them away.

Sonic was so used to seeing those eyes guarded, cut off from him, with only the smallest of opportunities to peek inside before they closed him out again.

Lancelot reached out, holding one of Sonic’s hands in both of his, delicately, like he was something infinitely valuable and the knight was afraid of sullying him with his hands. Sonic had only blinked when Lancelot dropped to his knees, his head bowed forward, and he heard him clear his throat before he spoke.

“You are him. You may not believe me, but I know it to be true. You are Arthur, my king, in this life and all others.”

Sonic sighed, unwilling to let this go but also not wanting to keep on this path of conversation, especially on an empty stomach. He tried to wrench away his hand, but Lancelot held tight, lifting his head, eyes ablaze with passionate certainty that made Sonic freeze in place.

He had never been looked at like that before…

"Every piece of you is the same,” Lancelot declared, his eyes unwavering, drawing in the hero and refusing to release him. “It is not only in image, either. I see it, I hear it, I feel it... It's more than just the body, the vision I see before me. You have his soul, free and unbound and hungry for adventure. You have his heart, strong and kind and noble. I see it in your eyes, you are him, you are who he would be if he were not burdened by his destiny! Don't you understand, Sonic? The only difference between you and Arthur are the memories you keep! You are him! You are him, and that's why I will follow you and protect you with my life. I gave you my vow, and I will not break it. No matter the time, no matter the life... I will stand by you until any and every version of us ceases to exist. That is my promise to you, as your knight!"

He said it so resolutely, so earnestly, that Sonic couldn’t find the words, nor the will to argue against him. In all his life, in all his wildest fantasies, Sonic could never have imagined those words, coming from that mouth, spoken in that voice… It was enough to get his heart pounding, that was for sure.

Sonic closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, but Lancelot’s hands clasped around his kept him anchored in this strange reality he was in. He didn’t like it; it had taken so long to get to where he had gotten with Shadow, so much time and effort and tenacity to get every last crumb from him, but Sonic had been adamant. He had wanted to break Shadow’s walls, to reach through, to understand him and be someone trusted and cared for. He had tried so hard, made so much progress… and now Shadow was gone, and in his place, Lancelot knelt before him, eagerly baring his soul for him without so much as a command.

Sonic would have been a liar if he said he didn’t like what he saw in Lancelot, either, but after all he had done for Shadow… it felt… wrong? Bad? In poor taste? Off, to be feeling similar flutters in the chest for a man who shared his face but not his past, nor his experiences.

Yet, as he opened his eyes and saw Lancelot still staring resolutely at him, as though desperate for him to understand, Sonic had to wonder if the knight had a point; Shadow had had amnesia twice, now. His memories had reset, but he had still been Shadow at his core. Sonic had never doubted that.

Did memories truly make a person who they were? And if so… were Lancelot and Shadow truly two different people?

Are you him? Sonic wanted to ask as he was burned alive by those eyes, crimson and intense, focused on him and him alone. Are you who he could have been if things had been different?

He wasn’t sure, but at least he could kind of understand where Lancelot was coming from.

Sonic heaved out an exhale, using both hands to pull Lancelot to his feet. “Okay,” he conceded. “Okay… but no more protecting me from my house or my friends. I’ll let you know when we’re in danger, okay?”

And Lancelot beamed, overjoyed, his teeth poking out through his lips and his eyes crinkling with happiness, and Sonic would be an even bigger liar if he denied that it was one of the most gorgeous sights he had ever seen.

Lancelot… I think I want to know you, too.

...

The sound of his pen scratching along the page was the only sound in the room. King Arthur sat back in his chair, stretching out his fingers, his eyes seeking out the room’s only other occupant, who was standing by with his back against the wall, looking displeased.

Shadow was silent, as always.

Arthur let out a breath, drumming a couple of fingers against his desk. “I cannot solve anything if you do not speak,” he finally remarked, much to the displeasure of the other.

“I don’t want to be out there with the others. This is the only room where no one barges in. That’s all.”

“Hm. Quite.”

It was mostly true, he supposed. Sometimes an advisor would poke their head in, but usually those weren’t the people Shadow was hiding from.

Arthur had started hearing the rumors a while ago; Sir Lancelot, his greatest and closest knight, and his longtime friend, was deeply in love with him. The rumors had followed him every day, and plagued him by night, as he wondered if they could be real, and wondered what he would do if they were real.

He had started to see and feel it, too. Lancelot’s habit of looking his way, his gaze, hidden behind his visor, lingering just a moment too long before he looked away again. The way his knight’s hand would remain on his person, his touch still warming him even after he drew his hand away. These moments had grown in number in the latest months, though their time together had remained fleeting, as the life of a king and the life of a knight were wrought with busy schedules and hardly enough time for a ‘hello’ to be exchanged.

For a while, Arthur had felt that something unsaid but reciprocated was between them, but Lancelot was gone, now, and Shadow had taken his place, and now the knights and the maids and the servants all looked at Shadow in the same way they had done to Lancelot, and the whispers and giggles followed the dark hedgehog until he ran into Arthur’s study and shut them all out behind him.

He made for some rather unsettling company, this sullen, tense man who shared his face with that of his closest friend.

Arthur missed him. Arthur missed him so much it hurt, and every day that passed he wished for the man who had stood by him from the very beginning to still be there, by his side, in a world that demanded the most he would be able to give as the bare minimum, but that didn’t mean he was allowed to take it out on Shadow. Nor was he about to dismiss the fact that Shadow was in a strange new world, and likely every bit as confused, disturbed, and frightened as he was.

“Would you like me to speak with them?” Arthur offered, figuring it was worth a try.

Yet Shadow huffed in response, the proposal seeming to offend him, and Arthur wondered why. “Don’t bother, I can handle my own problems.”

That was the other thing about Shadow: he had never, at any point, treated Arthur like he was royalty.

“It’s considered bad form to refuse the offer of a king,” Arthur pointed out, partly as a piece of advice; though he didn’t mind it himself, he knew Sir Gawain would throw a fit upon hearing that Shadow had shown such dismissal.

And the other part of him wanted to push Shadow just a little more. To get more of that strangely satisfying feeling of being treated like a man instead of a crown.

“I don’t care,” came the instant reply, and Arthur had to fight back a smile. “There are no kings where I come from, so your title means nothing to me, and even if it did, I won’t bow to you, or to anyone.”

The ‘not again’ went unsaid, but Arthur could hear it in Shadow’s voice, could read it in his body language. Arthur was always rather adept at deciphering Lancelot’s small cues and gestures, though Lancelot kept many of them hidden behind a wall of steel, but with Shadow, who bared his face and his body for the world to see, nothing could be hidden from Arthur’s discerning gaze. It was fascinating, truly, to be able to read someone new so well and so easily. Shadow was a puzzle with clear edges, but with many, many pieces that Arthur still had to search for.

All in all… a refreshing individual, despite the circumstances.

“Okay,” Arthur relented, and the sight of Shadow’s eyes narrowing in confusion only served to make fighting back his smile impossible. “In that case, I shall leave it to you.”

With that, he picked back up his pen, continuing to draft the latest ordinance on adjusting the limits of imported goods past Avalonian borders. The work was tedious, boring, dull, and even though he had just taken a break, Arthur felt his hand start to cramp with just a few words jotted down. The king sighed, rolling his wrist a few times, before getting back to work.

Just grin and bear it, he thought to himself as an involuntary noise of discomfort escaped him as his hand twinged again. You’ve done it before and you will always be able to do it. A king cannot show weakness. A king may not make excuses for poor judgement. Everyone is counting on me to do the best I can.

The thoughts only served to worsen the sense of anxiety that always seemed to cloud his mind, and Arthur grimaced, dropping his pen, holding his head in his hands and wishing for comfort for a man who was no longer with him.

His ears perked up as he heard a noise, something akin to a footstep taken in his direction, and when the king lifted his head, he noticed that Shadow no longer had his back flush against the wall. The dark hedgehog was doing his best to mask his emotions, but Arthur could still peel back every layer he put up, seeing the concern and the discomfort in the smallest things, from the slight narrowing of his eyes to the light raising of his spines. Shadow’s body language was silently screaming in empathy, something Arthur wasn’t used to receiving from others, and it intrigued him more than it should have.

“I’ll be fine,” he assured Shadow, not waiting to be prompted; he doubted the other would have asked, anyhow. “It’s simply sobering, sometimes, to remember that I have a kingdom’s worth of expectations to meet.” The king looked back down at the piles of papers on his desk; it was the same work, day in and day out, with decisions ranging from laughably easy to crushingly difficult. Yet, he had to make them all. Without thinking, he murmured aloud, “A single mistake could cost me everything I’ve done up to this moment. All the good I’ve done, all the efforts I’ve made, all the reputation that I’ve struggled to build up… it could all go up in smoke in a second, and I would be back at the beginning, needing to prove myself over and over again to people who expect everything from me.”

It was a moment of weakness, of cowardice, wherein Arthur was so tired from years of work and the loss of his most precious ally, for whom he still had almost no time to mourn. His eyes flicked back up to Shadow, and he prepared to apologize and ask that he forget all that he had just divulged 一 it was hardly fair on his guest, after all 一 but then he saw Shadow’s face, stunned and amazed, his red eyes wide and fixed on him, welling with a look that Arthur almost never saw on another person; understanding.

Shadow was looking at him with such mind-blowingly clear understanding and empathy that Arthur’s breath was taken away.

For a few more charged, heart-pounding moments, all they could do was stare, the sensation of something new connecting them becoming stronger and stronger with every passing second.

Then Shadow tore his gaze away and flung open the door, stepping outside and closing it behind him, leaving Arthur alone in his study.

As the king sat back in his chair, he stared into space as he tried to make sense of what had just happened, and what that might have meant for Shadow.

He was certain that, even though his dear friend’s face was too often hidden from view, that Lancelot had never once looked at him like that.

Shadow… what is your story, I wonder?

…

Just when Lancelot thought he couldn’t hate the odd technology of Sonic’s world any more, it came to a sudden and violent peak as the blue hero was called into action as a swarm of machines called ‘robots’ began invading Station Square. To make matters worse, they were created by some sort of mad doctor, and upon seeing an image of the man in question, Lancelot had to restrain himself from running the monitor through with his sword.

This mad doctor held a horrible resemblance to a certain ‘emperor’ that had caused Arthur far too much trouble, back at home in Avalon, and it made Lancelot desire nothing less than for this man’s complete and utter demise at his hands.

According to Sonic, these attacks weren’t anything new to him and his team, and though he knew it was a distraction or a trap, they didn’t have any options aside from stopping them quickly and efficiently, for the sake of everyone who lived in the city. He rallied his team effortlessly, leading the chase down to the battle, not bothering to bark orders because of the trust he carried in his followers…

Lancelot’s heart swam with affection. Sonic truly was Arthur, whether he believed it or not, and it showed in everything he did. He was a leader who cared not for the title, a man who cared for even the smallest life under his protection, and his bravery was unmatched, inspiring, and absolute. Someone of such immeasurable importance that needed to be protected at all costs.

So what else could Lancelot do but run to shield him when, during the battle, he saw a robot take aim at Sonic’s back?

His ears registered the sound of Sonic moving, then stumbling, but he only paid attention to the blast that came his way, soaking up the impact with his legendary strength, but he was not indestructible. Blood began dripping from a wound on his arm, and the scent of singed hair prickled in his nose in the most unpleasant way. Lancelot hissed in pain, his mind threatening to cloud with this new kind of pain, like fire but so much more unnatural, but he took pride in knowing that he had done his job. Sonic was safe. Sonic was safe and…

And he was dragging Lancelot to the side?

“What the hell was that, Lance?” Sonic demanded, panic and fury coloring his tone, and Lancelot’s feet almost froze in shock. Why was Sonic so frightened? Why did he sound so angry?

Had he done something wrong?

In a space several yards away from the battle zone, Sonic sat Lancelot down, and swore under his breath when he saw his battle wound. “Damn it Lance, I knew that robot was there! Why didn’t you just let me dodge? Oh Chaos, you’re bleeding, why did you run in like that?!”

Lancelot only gaped at him, his mind struggling to make sense of his leader’s words as Sonic inspected his arm and fretted over how it wasn’t healing.

Was he supposed to heal quicker than the average being? Lancelot supposed that maybe, with the help of his mother or Merlina, that could be possible, but the young girl who appeared to be his mother’s counterpart appeared more of a fighter than a healer, and he had not yet seen a counterpart to the royal wizard.

Lancelot wanted to ask these questions, to get some answers, but the near furious look on Sonic’s face made him hold his tongue. Such a look on someone he admired and loved so strongly… it was enough to make him feel like the scum of the earth.

The knight sat out the rest of the battle, staying in place even as Sonic left to finish the job, and the humiliating feeling of utter shame managed to overpower even his need to ensure his leader’s safety. Every time he felt the urge to stand up regardless, to charge into the battle even while wounded, and fight by his leader’s side as his sword and shield, the image of Sonic’s distraught face would flash before his eyes again, and he would remember his words, sharper and more painful than any sword, demanding why he had interfered.

Why had he failed his job as a knight?

What good was he, if he couldn’t even fulfil his one objective?

Lancelot’s head remained bowed in shame, even as he heard rapid footsteps coming his way. It remained bowed, even as he felt steady hands clean his wound and wrap a bandage around it.

It was only when Sonic lifted his chin and forced his visor up did Lancelot finally manage to look him in the eye.

“Why did you step in front of me like that?” Sonic asked, his voice calm again, though it did nothing to soothe Lancelot’s inner turmoil. The knight wanted nothing more than to no longer speak, to be swallowed by the ground and forgotten, the pathetic knight who couldn’t do his job when it mattered.

But he couldn’t refuse his leader, and so he forced himself to talk.

“It was the promise I made to you,” he said, and he struggled to keep his dismay in check as Sonic immediately looked displeased at his answer. “I am… protective by nature, and even moreso as a knight. I swore to protect Arthur, and I must protect you, too, even if that comes with my own life as a cost. That is something I must do, for I--”

“Oh stop it!” Sonic interrupted, once again looking angry and upset, and Lancelot bit back his speech, both ashamed and relieved. Had he gone even further, he might have lost control of his emotions and revealed just how deeply his affections for the blue hedgehog lied.

And then, Sonic asked something very, very strange.

“Isn’t there more to being a knight than serving a king?”

Lancelot, who up to that point had felt so certain of his standing, of his mission, of who Sonic was and what he represented, felt his heart break in two as cold reality settled over him.

“No,” he whispered in response, having never felt further away from the other than he did in that moment.

Sonic was not his king. Sonic was Arthur, but he was not his king. Sonic had no want for a knight, no desire to act as a king.

But if that were the case, what was Lancelot to do?

“Lancelot.”

Sonic’s voice was firm, and Lancelot braced himself for some hard truths.

“I’m not a king, Lance. I’m a hero, I guess. That’s what people call me, anyways. But the point is, I’m a free hedgehog. I’m not here to give orders or have people die for me, I’m just around to have a good time, to go where the wind takes me, and if I have to save a few people from some robots in the meantime, I will. I just gotta do what I gotta do… and I can’t do that if all you can do is try to protect me.”

Even with his face raised, chin still supported by his leader-- no, by Sonic’s hand, Lancelot tried his best to look away. His eyes watered treacherously, threatening to spill over. Being a knight was Lancelot’s life, his identity, the air that he breathed, the reality he lived in. It was everything he knew, but… but now it was…

The hand disappeared from his face, and then Sonic was reaching for his own hand on his uninjured arm, and Lancelot was pulled to his feet. Sonic looked him full in the eyes, their pull hypnotic, and even as Lancelot tried to choke back his tears, he felt his breath catch in his lungs.

“Hey… I need you to trust me with my own life, okay?”

Lancelot blinked, and the smallest of tears managed to escape him. Sonic didn’t think he trusted him.

In a sense, Lancelot supposed that he didn’t.

Yet when he reopened his eyes, he saw the look the other hedgehog was sending him, a look he had seen in Arthur’s eyes many times, mixed with a sense of sad resignation. Lancelot had never been able to read it perfectly, a fact which had always frustrated him to no end, for all he wanted was to be Arthur’s closest, to be the one who knew him at a level that no one else could hope to achieve.

But in Sonic’s eyes, the message was plain and clear.

He wanted to be seen as an equal, not someone above him, unattainable, on a pedestal. No, it wasn’t just that… Sonic looked determined to pull them both onto equal ground, to the same level, and the thought made Lancelot’s head spin.

“Lance… I know it’s scary, but you can choose how you want to live your life now, and trust me, it’s a good thing.”

And Lancelot, who knew nothing aside from being a knight, felt the crushing weight of the world in front of him, dark and untamed, when before he had Arthur’s light to follow. Paths were branching in front of him, too many to count and too many to walk down individually and explore. His head spun with possibility, and fright gripped at him, tempting him to deny, to refuse, to hide his face, or perhaps, to die as a knight in a world that refused to house him as he was.

Then he felt Sonic’s hand, still holding his, warm and comforting and safe, and somehow, in the midst of his existential turmoil, Lancelot felt a warm glimmer of hope.

“Okay,” he murmured in response, and Sonic’s brilliant grin soothed and delighted him more than he could properly understand.

Sonic… I shall do my best. For you… and for me, as well.

…

It hit too close to home, in this place that was about as far from home as Shadow could get.

Every day, whether he looked for him or not, Shadow saw King Arthur struggle silently. He saw him work day in and day out, endlessly trying to prove that he was worthy of being king, of being in everyone’s good graces and that he wasn’t just entitled to be there, but that he was supposed to be in his position. Even while all around him there sat obstacles and red tape and tough decisions and divides and people who were just never satisfied and…

And…

Shadow closed his eyes, recalling every debriefing he had had in G.U.N.’s headquarters. He remembered feeling as though he was on a leash, that every mission, every move he made had to be executed perfectly, otherwise he would lose his right to exist as a free being.

No… Shadow had never been free. Not since the day he was created, with the power to hurt and to heal, and every day he had to face the consequences of actions he had committed years prior. Shadow remembered the feeling of the imaginary leash shortening, tightening around his throat, reminding him that no matter what he did, it would never be enough.

Shadow would never be considered a true person by the people who saw him as a weapon.

And Arthur… Arthur seemed to be considered in the same way by the people who saw him as a king.

Shadow’s heart ached, and the dark hedgehog grit his teeth as he recalled all the times he had caught the other wincing and massaging his hand while drafting laws and messages, how he plastered a smile on his face as he met people and made addresses when he clearly would rather be anywhere else, and how he kept his voice even as he ordered his knights around, even though he obviously didn’t want to be giving orders, he just wanted to be looked at as an equal, but he was so ingrained in this life that he felt resigned, and so he stopped trying to fight where the fight could not be won. Shadow knew all these feelings, all the sensations of being worked to the bone, of putting on an act to protect himself, of accepting that there were some things that, like it or not, would simply never change…

But Arthur, unlike him, was not the Ultimate Lifeform. This man was not made of infinite power and energy, was not capable of rapid healing or boosting himself in body and mind with his own energies whenever it suited him. Arthur was a remarkable but regular hedgehog, who had been working off of nothing but his own willpower and strength of mind, and that knowledge hurt perhaps the most of all.

Arthur and himself… they both pulled a painfully similar weight, a weight that, even on his worst days, Shadow had never wished upon another person.

So what else could Shadow do but grab Arthur’s hand and run him out of there, out of the castle, yelling vague excuses at anyone who tried to stop them?

Arthur followed easily behind him, not asking a single question as Shadow ran, ran away from suffocating walls and legal obligations and the knowledge that it was never, ever enough.

Shadow was used to Sonic keeping up with him. They had always been on equal grounds, and Shadow knew it, even at the beginning stages of their rivalry when they both had asserted that they were the stronger, the faster, the more incredible hedgehog. With time, that knowledge became easier to swallow, as their rivalry held a friendlier edge to it, and especially so when their friendship and partnership had become more undeniable, and when those dumb, weird feelings started springing forward and…

And…

But with Arthur and his frightfully similar situation, Shadow’s empathy had hit him like a truck, and seeing him in so much concealed pain every day had turned into something too much to bear, and so, just for this one, Shadow decided he would be the man’s savior, even for just one evening.

They stopped in a meadow, far beyond the castle and away from the treeline where the forests began, and Shadow avoided looking at the exhausted king, unsure how to express what was in his head, in his heart, in his soul.

How was he supposed to tell him that watching him take all this weight, all this responsibility, was too much for him?

How was he supposed to say that he had similar issues, with G.U.N. and the people of the United Federation breathing down his neck and observing his every move, and that perfection was the bare minimum?

How could he express that they both deserved to live their lives without earning the right to exist without constant scrutiny, where one slip up meant everything falling apart, absolute ruin, the end of the world…

Shadow took in a deep breath, his mind spinning with thoughts and feelings he wasn’t sure he could put into words, but when he finally looked over to Arthur, the breath left him and wouldn’t return.

Arthur didn’t look angry or annoyed or anxious, even though Shadow had ripped him from his work that he couldn’t afford to fall behind on. Arthur didn’t look upset at all.

He looked grateful.

He looked serene.

Arthur looked directly into Shadow’s eyes, his own green ones reflecting the stars up above, and Shadow wanted to tell him everything, even though his body refused to breathe and his tongue refused to move.

The hand in his hold shifted, and Shadow felt Arthur squeeze his hand softly, just once.

He understood.

Chaos above, Arthur understood, and Shadow didn’t even need to say it.

Shadow swallowed, feeling overwhelmed, and Arthur seemed to understand that, too. Wordlessly, the blue hedgehog moved closer, his hand never leaving Shadow’s, and he leaned his body against Shadow’s, answering an unspoken need for comfort without smothering him, without trapping him in place with a hug or an embrace.

Shadow closed his eyes, hating how the gesture reminded him of one time Sonic had done something similar, a small shoulder check that had lingered a moment too long, and at his side, he felt Arthur breathe in deeply and hold it in, as though he were resisting the urge to sigh.

Shadow knew he was probably thinking about Lancelot.

Their hands both squeezed at the same time, and they both knew.

It was a strange feeling, as though both of them had lost a large piece of their lives, only to gain another to take its place. It was something that felt like infidelity, even though nothing warranting such a thing had been established with the other person on their minds.

Yet this closeness… this was something that Shadow had wanted for a long time, but had never been able to truly obtain. Shadow didn’t always know how to use his words, how to explain what he wanted or what he needed or what he was going through, and now here he was, with Arthur, a man who understood him without words. A man who he understood, who brought out his empathy to an almost painful degree, and Shadow wanted in that moment for nothing more than for them both to be happy.

As he felt the warmth of Arthur’s body and the beautiful comfort of being understood, even in a world that wasn’t his own, Shadow figured he might be on the right track.

Arthur… I don’t know how to thank you.

…

When Sonic first kissed Lancelot, it was after another battle, in which neither escaped without injury. Sonic could see Lancelot try his hardest to hold back his instinctive reactions, struggling to trust him and not place the blame on his shoulders, and Sonic looked out the window, knowing that life was short and uncertain and that any day might be his last.

He also did it knowing that waiting for Shadow was not going to help either of them at all.

He felt Lancelot tense up in shock, then relax, lifting his hands up to his head and burying them in his spines. Lancelot was pilant, willing, eager to receive whatever Sonic wanted to give him, and Sonic responded with his best efforts to make the kiss special, the sort of kiss that Lancelot deserved, after so many years of putting himself second. Whenever Lancelot made a noise that suggested he enjoyed what Sonic was doing, Sonic resolved himself to keep going, to deliver the indulgence that Lancelot had always been denied of.

It was completely different to how he always imagined kissing Shadow would be like. He had always imagined a competition, with both of them trying to one-up each other like they always did, but Lancelot’s sweet eagerness as their lips met again and again pushed all thoughts of Shadow from Sonic’s mind, and as they finally parted for air, it was Sonic’s name that escaped from Lancelot’s mouth.

…

When Arthur first kissed Shadow, it felt like a long time coming. The king knew he would need to take the initiative, with Shadow struggling to come to terms with his own feelings, and he felt the striped hedgehog become rigid in shock when Arthur’s hands landed lightly on his arms and he pressed their lips together.

He also did it with the knowledge that he might never see Lancelot again, and if that were the case, that Shadow was someone he couldn’t bear to let slip through his fingers as well.

When Shadow recovered from the shock, he kissed back, roughly and intensely, and Arthur found himself being pushed to keep up. It was like a battle, fueled by unspoken, deeply internalized feelings, finally being let loose until their heads swam with a lack of air and an overflow of emotion and the immeasurable feeling of connection without words.

Kissing Shadow lit a fire in Arthur’s soul, even as he felt Shadow start to calm down, finding enjoyment at being able to be vulnerable without pain for once in his life. Arthur could feel the heat flush off of the other’s face in waves, and when they finally parted, gasping for air, he was so, so glad that there was no visor or helmet to create a barrier between him and those eyes, softer than he had ever seen them, that he could read like a book.

[merlinfic]

group ask for lost fics #38

Hi y’all! Below are a few lost fics that us mods just can’t seem to find. That being said, we’re hoping that you lovely followers are able to help! If anyone knows any of the fics below please reply below or send in an ask with which anon/user and group ask that the fic corresponds with when the ask is back open!

Note: previous group asks and all lost fics!

Anon 1 asked:

Hiya! There is this fic i’ve been searching for forever but I don’t remember a lot of the specific details. Everyone is surrounded by a group of bandits (maybe?) and they threaten to kill someone. They all try to protect Gwen, assuming it’s her they are talking about, but they stab Merlin instead. I cannot remember anything else about it, so hopefully that’s enough info to go off of!

@itismerlin asked:

Hi yall, first off all you guys are incredible and this blog has introduced me to so many amazing fics. Now I need help finding one I lost! It's a longer fic set during canon and I know it starts with Merlin returning to te castle to discover that Arthur has been impersonated by a doppelganger. The "fake" Arthur is being flogged publicly when he arrives and upon visiting him in the dungeons figures out he's the real Arthur and helps him escape and they eventually retake Camelot. I remember a specific scene at the end where Uther asks Merlin how he could've known his own son when he could not.

Thank you so much! Keep up the awesome work ❤

@ellililunch asked:

Hi everyone! I hope you're doing well! I'm looking for a fic that set in modern day and there's magic but most people don't know. I remember a bunch of specific details:

The main relationship is merlin/arthur. I think

Arthur is not technically royalty, but he's related to the royal family

Merlin doesn't know Arthur's relation to royalty, but he's convinced that he's the reincarnation (?) of the wizard merlin (he also has magic) and is supposed to get arthur onto the throne (of the UK?). Most of the other characters think he's lost his marbles on this.

Members of the royal family keep dying (murdered)

when Arthur reveals his heritage, there's a bit where Merlin's like "shit how many members of your family have I been planning the murders of" and Arthur's like "none I hope"

I think Will was in it and dies (or hunith?) and while Merlin's giving the eulogy, Arthur is at some fancy event (wedding?) at the same time and merlin senses arthur's in danger so he runs out and teleports while running and does a lot of public magic to save a bunch of people including arthur and morgana

Morgana wasn't evil btw I think

at the end of the fic Uther becomes king and Arthur is second in line. the author ends with a note along the lines of "did I spend (x a lot) of words re-establishing a modern day au?" or something like that.

it was definitely on ao3 (most likely) or ffnet

I've combed through my 3000+ bookmarks as well as the modern royalty, modern magic, modern magic au tags on your page as well. I'm going nuts over here. Any help appreciated!

Anon 2 asked:

Thank you so much for this blog, I love it! I was hoping you can find me a fic. Merlin accidentally gives Morgana a love potion and she falls in love with him, Merlin rejects her, Gwen is heartbroken, and Arthur tries to kiss Merlin but Merlin thinks he *also* drank the love potion so he rejects him. There was also a scene where Arthur was using Merlin as sword practice and enchanted!Morgana tried to run in and save him.

Thanks anon for sending in Love Potion No. 9, or: A Midsummer Night's Dream in Camelot! by rubberbutton!

Anon 3 asked:

Hi I’m looking for a two fics i read a long time ago. 1. I think Merlin and Arthur used to date but then they broke up and then years down the line they end up back in each other’s life. Arthur wants to try again and he asks Merlin to dinner or something and Merlin lied and said he had plans with Lance and Gwen but invited him along and Arthur realized that he never actually bad plans with them, he just didn’t want to be alone with Arthur (1/2)

Anon 4 asked:

Hi! Love the work you do!

I was wondering if you could help me with a lost fic. It's a bamf magic reveal where there's this like big monster outside of Camelot and all the knights and Uther are there trying to fight it but they can't and Merlin puts on this cloak with a hood up and fights it and almost dies and like his identity gets revealed in the process.

Thank you so much :))

Anon 5 asked:

I’m sorry that I can’t give y’all anymore info, but i’m looking for a fic (that I think was on ao3?) and it’s basically a role reversal where Morgana stays good and it’s Merlin that becomes evil. The only part I remember specifically is that Merlin gets poisoned when the Knights of Medhir show up.

As always this post will be updated if any fics are found!