#i was convinced as a small child (read: 4 or 5) that snow white and sleeping beauty were my favorite princesses

[thisbrilliantsky]

brought to you by madeline's song while she's in solitary confinement in the illegal lace factory being stuck in my head at 5am

[quirkwizard]

Spoiled Sushi

For a while, a certain article has been vexing me. One that seems to have a great misunderstanding of the series it was writing about, missing obvious points and core parts of the worldbuilding. No, it wasn’t by CBR, nor was it by Screenrant. But it was by Cruchyroll of all places. They decided to make an article about the Top 5 Misused Quirks in My Hero Academia. It was not good and has been bugging me. So I decided to give them a taste of their own medicine. I mean they try to shut down whoever even attempts to do what they do, so why not make fun of them for trying to do what I do? Plus you guys seem to like it when I’m snarky, so this could be fun for everyone.

For clarity’s sake, this was written at the beginning of 2019, when the most recent chapter was Chapter 214 and the the anime had only reached Season 3. I’m keeping that in mind as I write. I will also be skipping around some of the parts of the article as I am talking about it. If its not worth mentioning, I won’t bring it up, simple as that. For instance, I’m skipping the intro because it is completely superfluous and would only serve to make a completely different fanbase mad. Might as well, most of what I am passing up are just dumb jokes. But if you are curious... don’t waste your time reading this. Your time is valuable and you have better things to do then read this article.

5. Kurogiri Can Create Free, Renewable Energy

“In all seriousness, though, Kurogiri is probably one of the most powerful characters in the anime, with their being virtually no limit to how far he can extend his Warp Gate portals.”

I mean there are certainly limits for his Quirk. Besides the need to know the coordinates or see where he is moving, there’s obviously a limit to how much he can spread out his body.

“Why then doesn’t he use them to create near-infinite energy? Open two portals one above another, throw in a heavy object inside and watch it fall endlessly. Devise a way to hook a dynamo or something to it and, bam, you have free power that would make Kurogiri a billionaire overnight and a hero to the entire planet.”

This idea has so many problems that I don’t even know where to begin.

One, if this could work, it likely wouldn’t make a lot of energy. Besides the various physics problems involved in this, Kurogiri would just be one guy doing this, meaning that it’s unlikely he’d be able to make enough power to matter.

Two, Kurogiri would still need rest as he is a living being, meaning he wouldn’t to keep up this theoretical contraption forever and you’d get even less energy relying on him. At most, it would work best in a small bunker as a last resort.

Three, that sounds like it would be a lot more dangerous then it would be worth for the energy made. If Kurogiri would to lose focus for a moment, the portals fall apart and there would just be a lot of damage from this heavy object moving at high speeds.

“Even if Kurogiri only cares about taking down All Might, it would still be much easier to do if he had a literal mountain of money/public goodwill at his side.”

What kind of bizzaro universe are you living in where the guy who makes energy could possibly turn public option about the very well liked Number 1 Hero that saves lives every day? That’s literally what Lex Luthor does and people hate him for it.

4. Koji Koda Could Help Feed Billions Of People

“Koji is the resident Class 1-A stoner (get it? he's made of rock? come on) with the power to control ANY creature in the animal kingdom. This would logically also include spiders, meaning that Koji could literally end all street crime in, like, 5 minutes tops by swallowing all the criminals up in a giant arachno-tsunami.”

While this article is infuriating in many ways, it did give us the mental image of an “arachno-tsunami”. Which is totally worth sitting through this jumbled mess of words and ignorance.

“But, you see, Koji is just too shy and nice to be an effective hero. He wants to do good but he just doesn’t have that fighter instinct in him. Which is why he should instead use his Anivoice Quirk to revolutionize agriculture all around the world.”

You can be an effective hero and not beat people up. Sure, it certainly can come up in the job description, but that isn’t all of what a hero is meant to do. Koda’s Quirk makes him great at information gathering and rescue work, two very important aspects of hero work that suit his personality perfectly.

“Give him a megaphone and fly him over American fields, telling feral pigs to stop causing $1.5 billion worth of damage a year in destroyed crops. Fly him to Australia to tell the invasive cane toads and rabbits to kindly lemming themselves off a cliff. Have him tell the aggressive lionfish the get the hell out of the Atlantic. FORCE HIM TO GET OVER HIS FEAR OF BUGS AND MAKE AGRICULTURAL PESTS A THING OF THE PAST. “

There is no possible way Koda could be everywhere at once to pull that off. And considering that the average human voice can only carry for about a mile, IE, about the average size of a single farm. You know, because animals need to hear his voice in order to receive his commands. So even if it was limited to a single farm, its unlikely to do much to help. But by far the biggest issue with this entire plan is that what Koda does to an animal is not permanent. The second his control is interrupted, the animals return to normal, bound to just go back to whatever they were doing before. 

So if Koda tries to change anything, its just going to end up undone by the time he leaves, just delaying the inevitable problem that comes from these animals. So even if Koda told the pigs to go away, they’d likely be back by the next day, destroying farmland like nothing happened. Even then, because of the previous limitations, he’d still have to go farm by farm to pull it off. That’s not even mentioning all of the other suggestions. Honestly, if you wanted to do something with Quirk, you should just convince all the animals to line up during hunting season. Dark, yes, but it least it would offer a more permanent solution then what the writer is suggesting.

“If Koji was utilized properly, he could travel the world undoing mankind’s mistakes and creating organic, pesticide-free crops instead of doing what he does now, which is largely sitting around on his ass roleplaying Snow White.”

Which, in spite of many fans joking about his Quirk, has shown to be very helpful quite a few times.

3. Inko Midoriya Would Have Made A Great Nurse

“Izuku’s mother in My Hero Academia has mainly done two things so far: jack and squat.”

I mean she did design Izuku’s costume, even if it got replaced, its is still a corner stone of his design, and she offered a good amount of drama after the fight with All Might and All For One. 

“She did try to be a good mother but kind of failed at that when she tearfully apologized to her son because he was born without a Quirk, essentially telling him: “I’m so sorry I gave birth to such a loser.””

Would you believe that this one line was what really prompted me to talk about this? Because that is probably one of the worst takes I have ever in relation to this series. If you honestly believed that is what Inko was doing, the woman who practically raised her child by herself and constantly talks about much she cares for him, you must be watching the wrong series. That’s the only way I could explain why that is.

“So, she doesn’t really have much going on in her life. That’s why she should try nursing instead. I realize that becoming a nurse takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but Inko would be a natural fit for it. Despite her initial shortcomings, she is a very caring person with loads of empathy.” 

Inko’s empathic? Could have fooled me. I mean she did feel the need to apologize to her son for giving birth to a loser. No, I am not over that, how could you have possibly gotten that from the scene?!

“She also has the power of limited telekinesis. Inko can move small objects over short distances, and while that would not be helpful for stopping crime, it would be great for, say, removing kidney stones. Or things stuck in people’s throats. Or coins from children’s stomachs.”

Trying to use a Quirk like this in any kind of medical procedure is laughable at best and dangerous at worst. Imagine if Inko had to remove a bullet from someone. From what we see, the process of her moving objects is slow and need several pulls from her to attract the object to her. So if she’s going to try to pull it out and its going to get caught on something, causing more damage to the person she is trying to save. She’s basically going to be keying the insides of whoever she is trying to operate on.

The entire reasons doctors, especially surgeons, train for so long is because the human body can be extremely delicate. It needs a lot of care and time so the doctors don’t make things worse for the patients. It’s why surgeons need to have such steady hands and a lot of time even to due minor procedures. But trying to do that with a Quirk is just going to cause more problems then it can solve. Doing that with a Quirk like Inko’s just lacks a lot of the precision and dexterity necessary to pull this off.

2. Uraraka Should Go Work For A Shipping Company

“Ochaco Uraraka has one of the most well-rounded Quirks out of all the main characters: Zero Gravity. With it, she can make objects and people float, which is great for offense, defense, and rescue operations. As a superheroine, she is doing everything right with her Quirk.”

I mean “Zero Gravity” can kind of be used offensively, but not effectively as other Quirks. Its why she did all of that training with Gun Head to make up for her lack of an offensive presence. Eh, two of three ain’t bad. I’ll take what I can get.

“I just think Uraraka should never have become a superheroine in the first place. Uraraka has actually always been honest about her motivation: she wants dem YEN YEN BILLS YO (for her struggling family.)”

That’s because hero work is an extremely frugal business even super minor heroes can still seem to make a decent living out of it.

“But regular jobs also exist in that world, and that must include shipping companies that would instantly hire Uraraka to Zero-G their freighters, trucks, and planes. Even if she cannot make them float, she can still remove enough gravity from them to save the company tons of fuel. Company profit margins are razor thin.”

First off, its mentioned several times that if you want to use a Quirk for a job, you need to have a hero license. Its to make sure you know how to use your Quirk properly so you don’t end up hurting someone with your powers. So for her to even try this, she needs to go through hero school anyway. Might as well get the most out of it. Second, Uraraka cannot lower the gravity of her target. Either the object is floating or it isn’t floating. There is no in between for Uraraka. 

Third, given what we’ve seen from Uraraka, there is no possible way that she could ever lift that much. She’s barely able to lift three lower numbered robots and that was only for a few seconds. So, at the most, she can lift a few tons. How exactly do you expect her to work with something like a cargo plane, which, on its own, can weight over forty five tons, not including fuel or any extra cargo?

Which is another thing I noticed throughout the article: the writer seems to severely overestimate how effective Quirks actually are. The range and scope of Quirks is much smaller then other power systems, even when compared to similar “low level” series like HunterxHunter. Like every kind of application listed goes far beyond what most Quirks are capable of, such as forgetting certain drawbacks. And that is most notable with the last suggestion.

1. Momo Could Solve Literally All The World’s Problems

I bet Kohei Horikoshi was really proud of himself when he came up with Momo Yaoyorozu’s design: No, see, she HAS to dress scantily because her Quirk is Creation, i.e. the ability to create any object she wants through her skin, which must be constantly exposed. Peachy.”

Oh boy, it wouldn’t be any sort of discussion about Momo without beating that long dead horse. What’s next? Bakugou angry? Izuku cry? 

“Momo can apparently create anything as long as she understands its composition, and seeing as she’s made an ethanol spray can, infrared goggles, a lighter, and a tracker, it seems like there’s nothing she cannot make.”

Oh boy, it wouldn’t be any sort of discussion about Momo without a grievous misunderstanding of how her Quirk works either. Maybe they are in the fandom. As I have mentioned in my Momo Misconceptions post, Momo needs fat to make what she does. She’s not an alchemist where she can just clap her hands and make whatever she wants. If she doesn’t have enough fat, she cannot make items. By those very rules, some things are just out of her reach because it would just take too much fat. It’s why she limits herself to simpler items.

“Cool. MAKE US SOME HELIUM THEN. The world is running out of the gas and we need it for MRI scanners and the like. Momo could make more of it.”

Actually, we don’t even know for sure if Momo is capable of making gases. All we have seen her make is solids and a few liquids. There is the lighter she made, but that could easily run on lighter fluid.

“Or thorium. She could make thorium that we could use to make thorium-based reactors that are apparently way safer than uranium ones.”

Thorium isn’t even that rare, just as about as common as lead and three times as common as uranium. Even if it was a problem, it would likely kill her, either from burning through all of her fat or from the exposure to radiation.

“Medicine, fresh water, cheap electronics that we could send to developing countries: Momo could crank all of those out in an afternoon.“

Yes, in theory, Momo could do that, but not the extent that she would make a major difference in the world like they are suggesting. There are just more practical and better long term solutions then trying to force a single person to do all of that. It’s almost as if Momo is a regular human being who has limitations you need to keep in mind when making these ill informed suggestions.

“And while spending your life as a walking Everything Faucet might not seem that glamorous, it actually has the potential to change the entire planet for the better.”

Given the kind of set up and effort that would be required to even attempt that, I think “horrific” would be a more appropriate descriptor since it would be done to a living, thinking person.

Honestly, I think that most of these people are doing more with their Quirks now then with any of these suggestions. At least, when you actually think about the rules and limits of the characters. Sure, Inko isn’t doing much, but she is a civilian with a fairly weak Quirk. Kurogiri acts as a major player within the League, getting them around quickly and evading capture. I mean he is using his power to help out a bunch of villains, but my point still stands that he is not “misusing” his Quirk.

In fact, a majority of the people on this list are doing more to help people and save lives by being heroes. Given the limitations of their abilities, using them to stop superpowered criminals who risking damaging the people around and helping victims of these crimes is doing then any of those roles in spite of the fact that the article tries its best to downplay that these people are already saving lives. So, in reality, they are doing far more to help people then doing any of these ideas, you damp sock of a writer.

[adeliaharris]

My Favorite Books...

1. Harper Lee "To kill a Mockingbird"

The story of a small sleepy town in the South of America told by a little girl. The story of her brother Jim, dill's friend and her father - the honest principled lawyer Atticus Finch one of the last and best representatives of the old "southern aristocracy". The story of the trial of a black guy accused of rape a white girl. But first of all it is the story of a turning era when xenophobia, racism, intolerance and bigotry inherent in the American South are warming to the past. The "wind of change" has just begun to blow over America. What will it bring?

- This is probably one of my favorite books.The book captured from the very first pages and did not let go for a long time after reading. You can say a lot of things but better read it.

2. Khaled Hosseini "The Kite Runner"

A heartfelt story of friendship and fidelity, betrayal and redemption, penetrating to the very core. Delicate, ironic and sentimental in a good way, Khaled Hosseini's novel resembles a painting that can be looked at endlessly set in pre-war Kabul in the 1970s. In this magical city shimmering with all shades of gold and azure two weather boys Amir and Hasan live. One belonged to the local aristocracy the other to a despised minority. One's father was handsome and important the other was lame and pathetic. Master and servant, prince and beggar, handsome and crippled. But there were no people in the world closer than these two boys. Soon the Kabul idyll will be replaced by formidable storms. And the boys, like two kites, will be picked up by this storm and scattered in different directions. Each has its own destiny its own tragedy but they like in childhood are tied by the strongest bonds. You run after the kite and the wind as you run after your destiny, trying to catch it. But she will catch you.

- Psychological novel on the theme of "crime and punishment". Deeply elaborated images, convincing children's characters, a remarkably built plot - everything speaks of a great master. For me it is "heavy" literature but it has the right to be because it calls things by their proper names. And most importantly there is light in the stories of Hosseini! The light of true human feelings.

3. F. Scott Fitzgerald "The Great Gatsby"

A jubilant, sparkling thirst for life, a desire for love, alluring and elusive, exciting pursuit of wealth - but now the dream breaks to the sound of jazz and the eternal holiday turns into a tragedy. "The Great Gatsby" is a novel about "how illusions are wasted which make the world so colorful that  having experienced this magic, a person becomes indifferent to the concept of true and false." F. S. Fitzgerald

- I read it and was not at all disappointed! Elegant presentation with high meaning - everything in this life is done for the sake of love. And no amount of money can replace the woman you love... And even if she is stupid, frivolous and idly living her life. I have great respect for Gatsby and contempt for Daisy. There are a lot of wonderful quotes, phrases in the book, it's worth thinking about. I didn’t expect to literally fall in love with this piece! In the future I will definitely re-read it more than once!

4. Daniel Keyes "Flowers for Algernon"

Forty years ago it was considered a fantasy. Forty years ago it read like fantasy. Exploring and expanding the boundaries of the genre eagerly absorbing all sorts of newest trends trying on a common human face bravely ignoring the Cain's stamp of the "genre ghetto". Now it is perceived as one of the most humane works of modern times as a novel of piercing psychological power, as a filigree development of the theme of love and responsibility. It is not for nothing that Keyes called his book of memoirs published in the 1990s "Algernon, Charlie and Me."

- The book is an emotion that will not make you think about something particularly difficult. All the thoughts that it generates are very simple and understandable. Without revelations, of course, but not bad either. The assessment will, rather, depend on the degree of personal sensitivity because the author often uses the concept of "naive hero-evil reality-collision-squeezing out sympathy" during the work.

5. Agatha Christie  "Murder on the Orient Express"

The great detective Hercule Poirot who was in Istanbul returns to England on the famous "Orient Express" in which it seems, representatives of all possible nationalities travel with him. One of the passengers an unpleasant American named Ratchett offers Poirot to become his bodyguard since he believes that he could be killed. The famous Belgian brushes off this absurd request. And the next day the American is found dead in his compartment with the doors closed and the window open. Poirot immediately takes up the investigation - and finds out that the compartment is full of all sorts of evidence pointing... to almost all the passengers of the Orient Express. In addition the train gets stuck in snow drifts in a deserted place. Poirot needs to find the killer before the express can continue on its way...

- I liked the book. Pretty easy to read. The plot is "confused" from the very beginning but Mr. Poirot is yet  a world-famous detective. It is better to read about all the twists and turns of the investigation on your own, "immersion" is guaranteed.

6. Stieg Larsson "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo"

Forty years of the mystery of the disappearance of a young relative haunts the aging industrial tycoon and now he makes the last attempt in his life - entrusts his search to journalist Mikael Blomkvist. He takes on a hopeless business more in order to distract himself from his own troubles but soon realizes: the problem is even more complicated than it seems at first glance.

What is the connection between a long-standing incident on the territory with the use of mobile devices which happened in different years in different parts of Sweden? What does the quotation from the Third Book of Moses have to do with it? And who, after all, attempted on the life of Michael himself when he came too close to the solution?

- The whole trilogy left a deep impression. Such books appear very rarely. Out-of-the-box characters, amazing Sweden, dark atmosphere. I advise absolutely everyone!

7. Ray Bradbury "Fahrenheit 451"

Perhaps the best of Bradbury's writings. The story "Fahrenheit 451" depicts a dystopian society of the future but in fact - "our reality, reduced to absurdity." Bradbury invented a state where reading and keeping books is prohibited. For the sake of political correctness and general peace of mind the general level of spiritual and intellectual demands of citizens is artificially lowered. But there are rebels and fugitives.

This is one of Bradbury's rare sci-fi works. Very exciting touching and at the same time very lively and dynamic. With a relatively simple plot, it is full of allusions including biblical texts and complex symbolism.

- This is just a great book! I advise everyone to read it! Despite the fact that the author wrote it in 1953 this does not feel at all. A very interesting and poignant plot for our time.

8. Victor Hugo "Les Miserables"

All the works of the great French poet, novelist and playwright Victor Marie Hugo (1802-1885) are covered with a halo of romanticism. The idea of ​​life-giving love, mercy, the triumph of good over evil - this is the core of his novel "Les Miserables". Among the "outcasts" are Jean Valjean sentenced to 20 years for stealing bread for his starving family and the little dirty Cosette who turned into a charming girl and a child of the Parisian streets of Gavroche...

- Brilliant work! So thoughtful, so overwhelming and so humane. The inimitable Hugo put all his philanthropy into this magnificent novel!

9. Stephen King "The Green Mile"

Stephen King invites readers to the eerie world of the death row where they leave in order not to return, opens the door of the last refuge of those who have transgressed not only human but also God's law. There is no more deadly place on this side of the electric chair! Nothing you've read before beats Stephen King's most audacious horror experience - a story that begins on Death Road and goes deep into the deepest secrets of the human soul...

- I have been familiar with the work of S. King for a long time and have read more than a dozen of his books. The work "The Green Mile" is a story that will not let you go for a long time. She leaves a residue in her soul - mixed feelings and indescribable impressions from the story itself, unique and ingenious.

10. Gregory David Roberts "Shantaram"

This art-refracted confession of a man who managed to get out of the abyss and survive, has sold four million copies around the world and has earned rave comparisons with the works of the best writers of the modern era from Melville to Hemingway. Like the author the hero of this novel has been hiding from the law for many years. Deprived of parental rights after a divorce from his wife, he became addicted to drugs, committed a number of robberies and was sentenced by an Australian court to nineteen years in prison. Having escaped from a maximum security prison in his second year, he reached Bombay where he was a counterfeiter and smuggler, traded arms and participated in the showdown of the Indian mafia and also found his true love, to lose it again, to find it again...

- It is very difficult to somehow categorically evaluate this novel. There are many advantages here: a fascinating story of the wanderings of the protagonist in the world of a harsh exotic country. Together with him, the reader develops, absorbs the alien culture and energy of other people, people of another world to which we are not used to. However there is something ridiculous about this.  At times it seems that we are watching real Indian cinema - the brainchild of Bollywood naive and merciless. In general I liked the novel, it is interesting, bright, impetuous. During the period of reading this great story, I have never been bored. Despite some controversial points - I advise!

[jadekitty777]

What a Wonderful World

Some of you may read this and say “shouldn’t this have been for Day 3, Family?” And, okay so, hear me out... I ended up using that prompt too for tomorrow’s entry so, yes these stories could have gone either way (kind of like Qrow).

Day 2: Domestic

Dedicated to: @evebun/@evebun-primary

Rating: K+

Pairing: Qrow/Clover

Word Count: 6000

Ao3 Link: What a Wonderful World

Summary: After Salem's attack leaves Mantle and Atlas scrambling for an emergency evacuation, all of its former citizens are left misplaced and homeless, including 5-year-old Citrus and 6-month-old Mint. With no where else to go, the two are placed in Clover and Qrow's care, and Clover soon finds that the future he once envisioned him having with Qrow was changing in a way he could never of imagined... but could never regret.

~

The heat was stifling. Even aura had its limits, leaving his skin stinging and slick with sweat. The smoke that hung in the air choked at his throat and burned at his eyes until they watered. So, it was by pure luck he spotted her, wedged in the space between the wall and the couch.

“Found another!” Clover pulled his arm band down from his mouth long enough to shout over the roar of the fire. He gripped the leg of the heavy furniture, muscles straining as he lifted it up and angled it away from the wall so he could get to her.

As he gathered her limp form in his arms, he realized how small she was. Perhaps only 4 or 5. The youngest they’d found. Her face and little white dress with orange slices patterned across it were both covered in ash. Shakily, he looked for a pulse.

“Is she okay?!” Qrow hurried over, eyes bloodshot from the fire and cape tied around his face like a bandanna. Elm or Harriet must have gotten out the twins he had found trapped in the laundry room.

There it was, weak but steady. Tiny little beats under his fingertips.

He pulled his arm band over her own mouth, giving a relieved nod. Nearby, the stairs to the second floor collapsed, sending up sparks and the couch he’d just moved caught fire. The structure was creaking dangerously around them.

“I-” He started to say, only to start coughing as the smoke invaded his lungs.

Qrow lifted up one edge of his cape over his mouth to help him filter, his other hand encircling his bicep. “Time to go lucky.”

Too woozy to argue – and that probably wasn’t a good sign – he allowed the other huntsmen to guide him back to the front door. Elm came into view as they got close, gaze falling to the bundle in his arms.

Before Clover could hand her off, he felt the grip on his arm turn painful, Qrow’s nails digging in like claws. He gave a hiss, looking towards him – could only see his wide, terrified eyes – and then suddenly he was ripping away from him, running back into the firestorm with an order of, “Get them out of here!” yelled over his shoulder.

“Qrow-!” Clover turned around, trying to follow him, only to feel his own teammate’s arms encircle his waist, lifting him up effortlessly.

“You heard him captain!” He didn’t have it in him to struggle as the powerful woman dragged him out of the complex and set him down on the snow-covered streets of Mantle. His heat-burned skin begged for him to sink into the ground’s icy embrace, but he fought against the urge, eyes darting over the sea of little faces crowded on the other side of the street, Harriet zipping between them at an alarming rate as she tried to check and re-check each child for injury or signs of smoke inhalation.

He turned back to the burning building, the blaze lighting the area in a fiery orange and covering the sky in thick, black clouds. The past few minutes came back in a rush.

It had been awful. They had just been trying to clear the streets, looking for more survivors to bring back to the underground, when a stray shot from a manticore caught one of the building’s ablaze. They hadn’t expected it to be occupied. With no ice dust, they had to go in the old-fashioned way, quickly realizing by the number of toys and kids inside that the caretaker of the orphanage must have sheltered down with them while waiting for help.

They stumbled upon her and three of the kids dead in the kitchen where the blast had exploded the fire-dust infused oven.

Part of the roof collapsing yanked him back into the present and Clover found himself desperately staring at the front door and willing Qrow to walk out of it.

Elm’s hand clutched onto his shoulder. “Cap’n, you need to sit down. You’re swaying.”

“M’fine.” He declined, gritting his teeth as a window on the second floor exploded. They couldn’t wait for Qrow any longer. “Harriet-!”

The rest of his command fell away when the man himself came leaping out of the same window. He landed hard, falling to the snow on his knees. He curled around the bundle he held in his arms swathed in his cape.

Clover’s heart leapt to his throat – No. No way. – before he tore from Elm’s grip, crying out hoarsely, “Qrow!”

He stumbled just as he reached him, collapsing beside him, his grasp on the girl he still held tightening so the fall didn’t jostle her.

“S’okay. It’s okay.” Qrow gasped, pulling back one of the folds of the red cape.

Watery eyes the same shade as Clover’s own blinked back up at them both, before the little infant began to cry.

It was the sweetest sound he’d ever heard.

He fell against his boyfriend’s shoulder, feeling like he could cry himself. He checked on his own charge, testing her pulse and breathing again. Still there, but the unconsciousness worried him. “Elm, what’s the status of our back-up?” He croaked out as she came over, probably intending to assist them to the other side of the road.

“May’s on her way with a transport truck now. Jaune’s with her.”

Good. That was good.

He shut his eyes a moment.

When he opened them again, he was in the truck, silvery white aura dancing across his vision. He focused on the young man hovering above him.

Jaune sighed in relief. “Oh good, you’re awake. I was beginning to think I needed to perform CPR.”

“I appreciate you sparing me.” He voiced roughly. He swallowed, flinching at the pain. His throat had never been so sore.

It felt like a smack in the face when he remembered how it got that way.

“Wait, the kids! You should be helping them.”

Jaune didn’t move, smiling reassuringly. “Only two people were in need of immediate care, yourself included. So, I’m multi-tasking.”

Clover furrowed his brow, about to question how that was possible, when a small tug on his lapel has him glancing down.

Years from now, Clover would tell Citrus this story – that the very first time he looked into her smiling face and honey brown eyes, he knew he loved her.

“Hey mister!” The little girl he’d rescued pulled at the badge on his chest once more. “I like your pin.”

“Oh yeah?” Admittedly, he hadn’t interacted much with really young kids, so he dd his best to mimic the way Elm would talk whenever her cousins came to visit. “I like it too. It’s my lucky charm.”

Her eyes went extra wide. “Is it really lucky?”

Clover couldn’t help his grin. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”

A snort drew his attention to the left, the sight that greeted him warming his heart. Qrow was against the wall, looking run down yet calm as he rocked the slumbering infant. He looked so… natural, like that. As if he’d done it many times before.

Upon catching his gaze, Qrow offered him a smile, one Clover tiredly returned.

~

That night had been their last search-and-rescue mission. Not because the work was done, there had certainly been several zones in both Mantle and Atlas still left to cover, but because…

Well…

“Daddy, catch me!”

Clover felt all the air in his lungs leave him as Citrus divebombed him from the wardrobe he’d told her a thousand times not to climb. “What do you think you’re doing you little rascal?”

“I told you, I’ma kitty!” She said, making little claw movements with her hands.

“Well, that sounds bad for dad’s health.” He walked her over to her bed, setting her down on the plush duvet sporting happy faces of various cartoon dinosaurs.

“Daddy, you’re silly! Dad’s not an actual bird.” She explained patiently.

Clover snickered. One day, they’d tell her.

But that day was certainly not today. “Alright, what would the kitty cat like to wear this morning?”

“Plaid!”

“Again?” He asked, quirking a smile as she prowled around her bed like a tiny lion.  

“Uh-huh. Mint likes to trace the lines.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you Trissy.”

As she hissed and bat her stuffed animals to the floor, he searched through her dresser for the requested pattern. A lot of what filled it were merely hand-me-downs of Ruby and Yang’s that’d been hiding up in Tai’s attic. The same was true for everything from her furniture and toys right down to the very room they stood in.

He had never considered kids as part of his future. It didn’t seem a possible concept when factoring in his particular interest in male-only lovers. So, to suddenly have two practically dropped into his lap, Clover had no issue accepting any help the more experienced father had to give, to say nothing of the paragraphs of advice he had to hand out at any given moment. He and Qrow certainly couldn’t thank him enough.

Well. He certainly couldn’t. Qrow, on the other hand, was all off-handed comments about how this was all ‘only fair payback’. Which, if Tai overheard, resulted in the two bickering like teenagers. It never got heated and no one ever stormed off upset, but it still baffled Clover that they couldn’t just talk it out.

But, puzzling out their seemingly crooked foundation of a friendship was just one thing too many for Clover to add to his ever-weighted plate of things to worry about.

Like how to convince Citrus to wear her shoes today. “Come on Trissy, you’re going to rip up your leggings again. How about just the left one?”

“No.” She plopped down on her rear, scooting away from him. “Don’t like ‘em. They make my feet hurt.”

“You haven’t even tried these ones before. And look! They have little stars on them.” He tried to cajole.

A picture of defiance, Citrus crossed her legs and held onto her feet, repeating firmly. “No!”

If his former subordinates ever found out he could be so effortlessly taken down by a child, they would never let him live it down. With a conceding sigh, he placed the sneakers back under her bed. “Alright, no shoes for now. Would you like to do your hair instead?”

“I want dad to do it.”

The gentle reminder that this was dad’s morning to help Mint get ready was right on the tip of his tongue – when another voice beat him to the punch.

“Good call squirt. I’m the one with all the fashion sense.” Qrow was standing in the doorway, somehow still able to look incredibly smug despite the fact he was a forty-four-year-old man currently rocking an infant.

Citrus raced over to him, clinging onto his leg. “Dad!”

“Need something?” He lifted his foot off the ground held it up high, letting her dangle from his shin – it was still a wonder to Clover how he managed to keep his balance.

She started to swing back and forth like a monkey. “Can you do my hair up in cherries like before?”

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Qrow made a big show of thinking it over really hard. “I believe there’s a magic word I need to hear first.”

“Please? Please, please, pleaaaase?” She stretched out the last one.

He chuckled, lowering her back to the floor. “Alright already squirt. No need to pull my leg.”

Clover turned away just so Qrow couldn’t see how that awful joke made him smile.

Thankfully, he was too preoccupied to notice. “Go sit at your spot for me.” As she hurried over to the little vanity desk with its nail-polish stained top, missing drawers and cracked mirror, Qrow approached him, handing off their son. “He’s not too fussy today.”

That had about a 60% chance of changing the moment Qrow left Mint’s line of sight.

A month into their not-quite official parenthood, Clover started to collect parenting guide books and every night, he would read a chapter or two before bed. One evening when he was thumbing through Infant Milestones and What to Look Out For, he came across the term “separation anxiety”. Apparently, it was a common in babies of Mint’s age – which they’d guesstimated to be 6 or 7 months. Despite the worrisome name, it was defined as a developmental period in which a child understood that things and people could leave and return, and they responded to this by wailing. The chapter went on to assure it was a temporary issue that would crop up in small bursts over time.

Eight months and some mild improvement later, it was still an issue laser-focused on Qrow.

But, if he were honest, it was one that went both ways. With such sudden unconditional love being given to him on a daily basis, Qrow had formed a paternal bond with the boy that became unshakable as the months went on. In fact, Clover suspected the other huntsman had decided on adoption well before he had.

For Clover, that moment came several months in.

Originally, Citrus and Mint’s care was to be temporary. Unlike the rest of the kids they’d saved from that fire, the two were much too young for Patch’s already over-crowded shelter to feel comfortable taking charge of them during the crisis. Not wanting the two to be lost to a hectic system or to just dump them on Tai who was already the lynchpin of the evacuation efforts’ portaling system, Clover and Qrow had unanimously agreed to foster the two children until things could calm and better arrangements for the two could be made.

At the time, they had just shrugged it off. How long could it possibly take, really? A few days? A week, at most?

When they passed the first month and the first groups of Atlesians were only just being ferried across to Vale to further the relief program, they realized they may have been just a little off on their prediction.

After the second, Mint had his name bestowed upon him accidentally when Qrow realized his eyes matched the mint chocolate chip ice cream the boy was trying to take out of his hand.

By the third, Clover had grown pretty used to reading Citrus fairytales before bed. He was just picking through an anthology for something new when it happened:

“So, are you my new daddy?”

The book almost fell out his grasp. He met the little girl’s unwavering gaze and felt more effortlessly pinned by it than any glare his superiors ever managed to dish out. “What makes you ask?”

“’Cause you do all the things a daddy is supposed to.” She picked up a stuffed rabbit. “You give me Mr. Cuddlesworth. And you read me stories. And make me brush my teeth before I go to bed. Which is yucky and we should have a vote on that.”

He may have laughed had his mind not been going a mile a minute.

It came to a complete stop when she looked at him and asked again. “So, are you?”

He didn’t end up giving her a definitive answer that night. Later, Clover found himself lying awake and staring at the ceiling until it eventually annoyed Qrow into rolling over.

“Alright, I can hear those cogs in your head struggling to turn. What’s wrong?”

He answered the question with one of his own. “Have you… ever wanted kids?”

“Always.” No pause, no doubt.

He looked at him. “Really?”

Qrow propped his head up in one hand. “That so hard to believe?”

“A little, yeah.” He admitted, suddenly feeling guilty over his own thoughts. There was still so much that was new between them – why was he trying to throw a wrench into that?

Even in the dark, he could tell Qrow was studying him. “You’ve been thinking about them too, eh?”

“It’s just – Citrus is starting to ask questions. She’s thinking this place is permanent. And Light knows Mint can’t go anywhere without you.” Clover rubbed a hand over his eyes. “What are we going to do?”

“Guess we just got to keep ‘em.” Over his incredulous spluttering, Qrow added, “What? That’s what you were trying to ask, right?”

“But it’s crazy. And stupid! And-And-”

“It’s far from the craziest or stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

He turned onto his side, facing him fully. “What about us? We haven’t even been together for half a year yet, Qrow. And this is a lifetime commitment.”

“Yeah, and?”

Did someone in this house have a personality switching semblance? Where was all this confidence coming from? “I kind of figured you’d be more concerned about this.”

Qrow hummed, resting his head. “Did I ever tell you I used to teach at Signal?”

“No.” He’d been in the primary combat school dozens of times by now. With the facility shutdown due to the disaster in Atlas, the classrooms had been repurposed for sleeping space for the thousands who’d been relocated. He had to wonder which of the many classrooms had been Qrow’s. “Seems an unusual choice for you.”

“Heh, you’re telling me. That’s because I didn’t take the position because I wanted to.” He swept a hand above them, as if encompassing the room around them. “I took it because I had to help out here. When Ruby’s mom died, Tai was a wreck and needed help with the girls. And I just, shelved everything else in my life to be here for them.”

“That’s an incredible thing to do.” The sentiment was genuine, but he couldn’t help the grin as Qrow tried to hide in his pillow.

“Point is, I’ve already had to make a decision like this before. Making it again isn’t so hard for me.” He reached out, tapping his chest. “Sounds to me it’s just you having doubts.”

He wasn’t wrong. Clover was feeling uncertain – but he couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until the next day, when he mentioned his and Qrow’s conversation to Tai and shared his own confused misgivings, that he finally figured out why.

“Give me your scroll.”

Confused, he dropped the device into his hand, watching Tai pull something up, before handing it back. Clover looked down. His heart fell at the ‘Decommission of Huntsman Duty Request’ staring back at him. It seemed obvious when presented like that.

“Being a father means it comes first.” Tai clapped him on the shoulder. “When you can submit that, then you know it’s what you really want.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then you can’t.” He echoed. “Starting a family isn’t about sacrificing happiness, it’s about creating it. There’s no shame in admitting that it’s not something you want.”

Clover sighed, running a hand through his hair. Laughter from outside had him looking up, seeing Qrow holding Citrus above his head as he strolled around the property. She had her arms held out in front of her, mimicking a superhero flying through the sky. What really captivated him was Qrow himself. The other man was not known for smiling big, if much at all – but right then, it had enough brightness to it to power the sun. The sight made his chest swell so much, it could burst.

“And if I can?” He whispered, like a secret that shouldn’t be told.

“Then you can.” Having been watching the two outside as well, Tai’s smile and eyes were distant. Perhaps his own girls on his mind. “And one day, you’ll look back at that moment and realize that even though you never saw your life going this way, it was the best decision you ever made.”

All his life, Clover had been certain he would die a huntsman. That he would fight and protect and fight some more until something finally got the better of him. If he was lucky, he’d go out heroically, sacrificing his own life to save even one last person. He never thought he needed anything else.

But as he watched the two play, filling the backyard with such innocent, simple joy, he wondered if he could truly leave this behind without regret.

“What do you think Qrow’ll do?” He asked.

“I think that’s a question you should ask him yourself.”

So, he did.

And now, five months later, here he was playing peek-a-boo with Mint while Qrow put hair ties with little red bobbles on them up in Citrus’ hair.

He hadn’t yet regretted a single day.

~

Raven was in the kitchen when they got downstairs.

Mint started to fuss immediately, and Clover didn’t put up a fight when Qrow reached out to take him.

“Brother.” She said around a sip of tea.

“Raven.” He returned, expression thunderous on their intruder.

If Tai and Qrow’s relationship was one that Clover didn’t have time to figure out, he didn’t even try to touch Qrow and Raven’s. It just had bad blood written all over it.

“Auntie Rae!” Citrus, still too young to really understand all the hostility in the air, skipped over to the woman with no hesitation.

Despite the fact there were three other huntsmen in the room, Qrow tensed up every time. Clover placed a hand on his back.

“Dad did my hair, isn’t it pretty?” The girl lowered her head, pointing to the ties.

“It’s, fine.” In an instant, Raven’s mask broke into something lost and confused. It was hilarious how one child could make her go from borderline threatening to uselessly awkward. “Why don’t you show Tai, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“’Kay!” She chirped, running over to the counter where the man was preparing a stew that would be left to shimmer until supper.

The taunt muscles under his hand started to unwind. Clover rubbed the rest of the tension away, giving Qrow a kiss on the cheek. “Sit down. I got breakfast.”

Shooting him a grateful look, the other man did just that, addressing his sister, “I assume if you’re here, you’ve got news?”

“Do I come for any other reason?”

“Thankfully, no.”

Clover listened with one ear as he went about the motions. Warmed a bottle for Mint. Poured a cup of coffee for Qrow. Popped on the top of the sippy cup filled with apple juice for Citrus. As he lifted the fresh tea kettle for himself, he paused, giving Tai a suspicious glance when he realized it wasn’t filled with the usual Jasmine, but a dark, bitter Darjeeling.

The blond pointedly pretended to not notice, as if he hadn’t made his ex’s favorite tea despite the fact his relationship with the woman across the room was arguably worse than Qrow’s.

He was never going to understand this family, was he?

Clover set the kettle back, deciding to opt for coffee as well but drowned it in sugar. Delivered three of the four drinks to the table. Took sips of his own while he got down Citrus’ favorite cereal and made a few slices of buttered toast for himself and Qrow. Sliced some grapes into small pieces for Mint. On his second return to the table, the conversation had delved into an argument.

“I just don’t see why you can’t stay closer to them.”

“I’m staying as close as I need to. It’s bad enough they have one maiden in their group – what good would it do for me to be there?”

“You could train Penny, for one.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Raven snorted, reaching for her tea.

Clover spotted Citrus imitating her with her juice. He wasn’t sure if he liked her odd admiration of the older woman.

His own feelings on her were… mixed, at best. On one hand, it was obvious her stuck-up, selfish attitude and harsh nature had soured the relationships with the people around her. Most notably the one with her own daughter, who would either ignore her or leave the room entirely. If such a thing bothered Raven, she was too stubborn to admit it and too concerned with keeping up appearances to show it.

On the other, it was Raven they owed Atlas’ evacuation to. If not for her semblance, allowing for them to quickly and safely transport people by the hundreds from Mantle’s belly of underground mines to the safe island of Patch, he was positive the death count would have been much more severe. If not, a near total genocide. Salem’s seize had been all encompassing, entrapping the citizens of both cities within their own walls. With nowhere to go and no chance of surviving the tundra, the people had bunkered down in their homes and prayed for a miracle.

So, when Raven heeded her brother’s call and agreed to help, it felt like that prayer was being answered.

Qrow told him not to be fooled by her act of kindness – because that was exactly what it was. An act. He was positive his sister only stepped in to put herself in their good graces, so that when it was her life that was in danger, they would all but leap at her feet to protect her. While Clover couldn’t precisely refute that, it was certainly possible that was her aim, he also couldn’t help but point out that she already had the leverage she needed for that. After all, it wasn’t exactly like they’d allow Salem to just add another maiden’s powers to her growing entourage of followers.

It also didn’t explain why she was sticking around to be a glorified messenger bird, transporting information between their little family in Patch to Vale where the remaining members of the Aceops and the Beacon teachers were stationed, to Vacuo where Ruby and the various teams following her were keeping guard on the other relic.

Qrow blew that explanation off, just as he blew off Raven now, “How is it ridiculous to give our very important key player in this a fighting chance?”

“Oh please, don’t give me that drivel.” She snarled nastily. “You just want me to babysit those brats like you were doing.”

Before more could be said, Tai smacked the top cover of the pot down firmly and said, “If you two are going to go at each other’s throats, do it outside.”

The twins glared at one another, but Qrow was the first to back down, focusing back on Mint. “I’ve got better things to do.”

“As do I.” Raven got to her feet, setting her cup down on the table. “At least the tea was lovely. Can’t say the same for the company.”

Tai rolled his eyes. “Well thanks for coming.”

Like the tornado she was, the woman went sweeping out the back door, leaving everything behind in a disarray.

Clover exhaled slowly, studying the room. Tai had turned away to fetch a mug of tea for himself. If not for his brother-in-law’s sobriety, he may have looked for something stronger. What concerned him more was Qrow. His boyfriend was fighting a scowl, jaw locked like iron and lips pressed in a hard line of anger that seemed ready to explode out of him.

“Hey,” He started to say, reaching out towards the man beside him.

So preoccupied, none of them noticed until the back door shut a second time.

Head snapping around, Clover took one look at his daughter’s empty chair, before he was leaping up to chase after her. He was out the door and in the yard in seconds, the shout tearing out from his throat.

“CITRUS!”

The sight that awaited him had his heart turning to ice cold dread. Raven stood in front of one of her vortexes, awash with the bloody glow and sword poised above her like a guillotine. Underneath it, hanging helplessly by the back of her dress, was his daughter.

“Raven. Put her down. Now.” He said firmly, shaking fingers going for Kingfisher – only to find it wasn’t there. Red eyes met his, the surprise in them confusing him.

“I-” She started.

Vaguely, he recognized the sound of footsteps on the porch behind him, but his attention didn’t waver from the situation in front of him. So, he didn’t miss the way her expression steeled over once more.

“What are you doing?!” Qrow bellowed.

“Just making a point.” Raven tossed the girl through the air, right into Clover’s waiting arms. “Would have been a tragedy if I’d been an enemy, wouldn’t it of?”

With that parting gift, she walking through her portal and vanished in a blink.

~

The first lesson ever taught to him at the academy was no amount of preparation could plan for the unplannable.

With a snap, the book was closed, Clover tossing it onto the table in front of him with a scoff. He fell back against the couch cushions, raking agitated hands through his hair. With Tai having gone to town and Qrow and the kids upstairs, there was a rare bit of stillness to the home. Yet, the quiet only seemed to invite the echoes of his own shouts until they were the loudest thing in the room again.

“What were you thinking? You can’t just run after people with swords!”

“But, but dad has a sword!”

“I don’t care! You could have gotten hurt!”

“I-I just wanted to-”

“I don’t want to hear it! Go to your room, right now!”

Citrus’ tear-stained face as she ran up the stairs plagued him like an illness. He groaned miserably, pressing his palms against his eyes hard enough to see stars. Even with the many years leading the Aceops under his belt, he was never really a man known to shout. What had happened?

The stairs creaking had him looking up, seeing Qrow descending them. “Mint’s down for his nap.”

“And Trissy?”

“Still doesn’t want to come down.”

Who could blame her? Clover heaved a sigh. “I made an awful display of myself, huh?”

“Wouldn’t say that.” The other man joined him on the couch. “When Yang was about the same age, she took herself and Ruby out into the woods.” He paused, before snorting. “Trying to find Raven actually.”

Did this woman just attract danger by merely being in someone’s thoughts?

“So, of course they got attacked by Grimm out there. I barely got there in time.” Qrow ran a hand over the back of his head, smile sheepish. “You should have seen how I lost my head that day. And I was nothing compared to Tai. A volcano erupting would have been calmer.”

That managed to wretch a chuckle from him.

Qrow bumped their shoulders together with no more force than a pat. “Sometimes, kids are frustrating little tyrants that’ll make terrible decisions and drive you up a wall. Getting mad about it doesn’t mean the world ended, just means you care.”

“I know. I just,” He gestured to the forgotten book, Disciplining Positively, he’d tossed aside on the table, “I want to do things the right way for them.”

“Why didn’t anyone tell me there was a ‘How to do everything right’ guide? Coulda sold that to me ages ago.” He drawled sarcastically.

Clover curled an arm around him, pulling him closer. “Very funny. You know what I mean.”

“I do. And I’ll admit, you do better than most, but even you can mess up lucky charm. All you can do when that happens is roll with those punches. Citrus’ll come around. And if that fails,” His grin was downright devious, “Bribery always works.”

“Oh, stop!”

Qrow only laughed, not fighting the kisses Clover attacked his face with. He had almost made it to his mouth, when a pitter-patter from upstairs interrupted. A moment later, a small shadow stretched down the stairwell. Testing, a foot came into view, landing on the first step. When nothing ill happened, the other foot followed.

When she made it to the first landing, Qrow spoke, “Whatcha doing there, squirt?”

She had brought Mr. Cuddlesworth with her and was hugging him. “Can I come down now?”

“I think that one’s up to daddy.”

Clover gave the other an appreciative look, before smiling up at their daughter. “Of course you can, sweetheart.”

She came down the rest of the stairs, only to pause once she got to the carpet. “Are you still mad?”

He chose his next words carefully, “No, I’m not. I’m sorry I yelled at you. I was scared that Aunt Raven was going to hurt you, because she was holding her sword.”

She tugged idly on one of the rabbit’s long, floppy ears. “I think I scared her too.”

That had Qrow leaning forward, asking. “What do you mean?”

“She said a no-no word when I tried to run into her portal thing. That’s why she grabbed me. Then she snapped at me like daddy did.”

Clover frowned. He had a feeling he had another apology to give. “Trissy, why did you do that?”

“Because,” She twisted and untwisted the ear, tapping her little feet, “If I went with her, then she would have to bring me back.”

Oh. “You wanted to spend more time with her, huh?”

“Uh-huh.”

He eyed his boyfriend carefully, seeing the confliction all over his face. He dropped a hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. This had to be hard for him. “Well sweetie, next time, we can just ask her if she can stay longer okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m also sorry I made you upset and sad. Can you forgive me?”

Citrus nibbled on the end of the rabbit’s ear as she thought, before giving a slow nod.

Relief pushed out of him in a soft sigh. “Thank you.” He shifted back, sinking into the cushions more. “Hey, since Mint’s asleep, why don’t we all watch a Gleamworks movie?”

“Sounds good to me.” Qrow got to his feet. After all that, he was probably eager to just veg out for the next hour and a half. He lent down in front of the media center, pulling out one of the drawers. “Your pick squirt.”

“I like the one with the funny panda!”

“Funny panda it is.”

While Qrow got things set up Citrus came over and, to Clover’s surprise, climbed up right next to him. She held her bunny up at him, reporting matter-of-factly, “Mr. Cuddlesworth needs to be able to see too.”

“Okay.” He picked up the stuffed toy, setting it on her head. “What about here?”

“No, daddy! Somewhere higher!”

“Oh, got it.” He turned the rabbit around, setting it on the back of the couch. “How about this?”

She giggled behind her hands. “Noooo. That’s the wrong way. He can’t see out of his butt!”

“Are you sure?”

She gave him a look. “Can you see out of your butt?”

He winked. “Maybe that’s my semblance.”

“No, it’s not! Now do it right!”

He chuckled but did as asked, righting the toy. As Citrus snuggled up to him, he wrapped an arm around her. A moment later, he did the same with Qrow when he plopped back down beside him.

While the movie played, Clover had to wonder how his life had both become congruently simpler and harder at the same time. Sure, he no longer faced anything more dangerous than bruised knees from tripping over Mint’s toys and the most terrifying thing he had to confront was not a crazed Grimm Queen but Citrus trying to run after her criminal of an aunt. But now he had to contend with new difficulties, like learning how to deal with sleepless nights when Mint was teething, or adapting to the new developments and understanding as the kids grew, or just having long talks with Qrow about their plans for their future together and the one they hope to give to their children. Every new decision they made wasn’t the same as facing the end of the world, but at the same time it was.

Because, somewhere along the way, this family had become his new world.

In that, there was something that hadn’t changed – his resolve to protect that world with everything he had.

So that tomorrow, it could flourish and grow.

To his right, Citrus laughed as the panda went flying across the sky. To his left, Qrow yawned and rested his head against his shoulder for a nap of his own. Clover only smiled, arms still holding on, never intending to let go.

So that tomorrow, they all had something wonderful to wake up to.

[princessselene126]

TLC Second Generation (Wincin)

Alright folks, Winter and Jacin have eight children. Yes, you heard me right. Six of them are adopted and two are biological. Initially they didn’t plan to have any kids at all. With how Winter’s mother died they were concerned about the same thing happening to her, and they also didn’t think that they’d want to adopt because they were content alone. Yeah… that changed pretty fast. 

Unlike the others, these kids are in the order of when they came into Winter and Jacin’s life, not when they were born.

Codex “Dex” Clay was born on 15 March 129TE, adopted 133TE

He has Indian features. Dark brown eyes and jet black wavy hair. He’s skinny and lanky. He stops growing at 5’10”

About 4 years old when they find him. They don’t know his actual birthday so they have it set as the day he was adopted.

Asexual™ 

Winter found him in an alley next to a bioelectricity security block factory that she and Jacin were checking up on outside of Mumbai. 

She was cautious when she approached him, asking his name and where his parents were. When he said he didn’t have any parents, Winter offered for him to stay with them until they could find him a family. She didn’t plan on keeping him in the beginning because she wasn’t sure she was fit to be a parent.

When Jacin sees the malnourished child for the first time his first thought is “we need to get some nutrients in that boy stat.”

After taking care of him for a few weeks, Dex already starts to look fuller and happier than when Winter found him. They bring up starting to find him a family, but he starts to cry. He thinks Winter and Jacin are his family. He wants to stay with them.

Winter and Jaicin are hesitant, but they can’t say no to this little boy they’ve already grown attached to. “Look at him, Jacin. He needs us.”

So that’s that.

He was very shy at first, but warmed up to Winter immediately. Jacin took a little more time, but he got there after a few weeks. He continues to be shy whenever he first meets someone for the rest of his life, but after a few conversations, he gains a lot of confidence and talks to people like they’re his best friend.

He’s smart, very strategic. He’s great at chess and other strategic games. There’s this one video game that he’s gotten so good at he’s now one of the top 10 players in the world.

He’s kind just like Winter. He remembers the time he spent alone on the streets as a small child and doesn’t want anyone to ever feel that way. So when he gets older he starts charities and organizations to help out homeless kids.

He’s also pretty responsible because he’s the eldest in his family and of all the rampion kids

Andromeda “Star” Caemron Clay was born on 10 April 135TE, adopted 10 April 135TE

She’s named after the galaxy/constellation and her biological mother.

She has Asian features. Medium brown hair and black eyes. Her skin is on the lighter side, kind of like Uncle Kai’s. She’s generously curvy and 5’4”

Uses glamour to make her eyes pale blue, add a beauty mark to her cheek, and constantly change her hairstyle and color

Bi Babe™ 

Can manipulate bioelectricity pretty well

One of Winter’s servants (Caemron) fell pregnant after a… non-consensual night. Caemron didn’t want to keep the child but she also didn’t want to abort it. Winter found her crying in a closet about it one night. She consoled the Caemron and said not to do anything yet, that she’d help her figure it out. 

That night Winter goes to her husband and says “We’re adopting a baby.” Jacin blinks a few times, asks if it’s really a good idea to do that now that they were finally getting Dex settled. But once he hears about what happened to Caemron, he can’t help but agree. They could take care of a second child, no big deal.

And since Caemron knew her baby would be in good hands, she agreed, thanking Winter over and over again.

When Andromeda was little Jacin and Winter called her their star and the nickname stuck, so everyone calls her Star instead of Andromeda

Because she was adopted at birth, she’s never known a different life. Of course she knows that she’s adopted, she doesn’t look a smidge like either of her parents. She knows that Caemron is her mother and they spend time together.

Caemron was the one to teach Star how to sew and embroider. She’s really good at it and enjoys making things for her family. Those drapes? Star made them? The dress her mother wore for the peace ball in New Beijing? Star made that too.

She’s an excellent violin player as well.

Many would think that because she enjoys traditionally feminine hobbies, she would act more feminine too… yeah no.

Star is incredibly outgoing and loud. If her favorite sports team loses, the entire house will know about it. Whenever they visit the Benoit-Kesley farm, she’s the first one to jump in a mud puddle or into a hay pile. Of course she’ll mend some of Scarlet’s clothes while she’s there, but not during the day when the sun is bright and the air is crisp.

Summer Solstice Clay was born on 5 June 136TE

Her middle name was decided right away, and Jacin suggested that her first name be Summer because she’s due in summer and it matches her mother and grandmother’s names.

Summer gets her mother’s curly black hair, high cheekbones, full red lips, long lashes and darker complexion. She gets her father’s piercing blue-gray eyes, and more muscular stature. She’s a little curvy, but not like her mother. Basically looks like an Amazon warrior. She’s 5’8”

Lovely Lesbian™ 

Technically has the ability to manipulate bioelectricity, but she’s more like Jacin and can’t do it very well.

Summer was not planned… at all. Winter and Jacin were busy taking care of one month old Star when they found out Winter was two months pregnant. There was definitely some panicking over how in the stars they would take care of 7 month old and newborn at the same time. When they eventually calmed down, they were happy, though concerned about Winter’s health. Winter was perfectly fine though, maybe even better than Scarlet was during her pregnancies. 

Anyway Summer is the apple of her father’s eye (snow white pun intended)--a daddy's little girl since the moment she was born, and that has yet to change. 

When she was little Jacin would curl up in bed with her and read her stories about princesses that saved the day, no princes required. She took those stories to heart, declaring that she would never need a prince herself--boys were gross.

Even though Jacin is now a doctor, he maintains his guard required physique for a long time and teaches Summer how to fight and shoot a gun. They consider training sessions their bonding time. “There’s no better stress relief than kicking someone’s ass” according to them

She enjoys spending time with Star outside getting dirty. They cause Scarlet many headaches whenever they visit the farm because they track mud everywhere. 

She’s more mischievous than her sister though��� so mischievous that Jacin jokes (in that dry voice of his) she should live with the Thornes because she’d fit in better. Summer just gives him a pretty smile and then convinces him to get her a puppy for saying such a mean thing.

Oh yeah, she loves animals like her mother. They still live in the palace and so she visits the menagerie often. She and her mother make sure all the animals have enough room to roam and wander around without being cramped like they used to.

Alexandra “Alex” Evret Clay was born on 31 July 139TE

Dead name is Alexander which meant “defender of the people.” Before she transitioned, Alex made it feminine but kept her middle name because she liked honoring the grandfather she never knew.

Her skin is perfectly between her mother and father’s, so a medium brown. She has straight black hair. Eyes are dark brown, and she too inherits high cheekbones and long lashes from Winter. After transitioning, she develops slight curves. She’s 6’0”

Trans(mtf) Demisexual™

Starts going by she/her when 12-13

Can manipulate bioelectricity extremely well just like Star. Before she transitioned, she would use her bioelectricity to appear female.

After having Summer, Winter and Jacin decided to have another child since Winter handled pregnancy well. Winter easily got pregnant again and they agreed that Alex would be their last child. They were kind of right… Alex was their last biological child.

Alex always knew she was a girl. She loved wearing dresses and trying on makeup, and she never felt masculine. She felt awkward in her body--like something wasn’t right. There was a voice inside her head that kept asking “but what if I was a girl?”

She told her parents when she was 12-13 and they understood. They’re fully supportive, having known that their child was trans for a while already. The only thing they ask of Alex is that she wait until she’s done growing to transition because otherwise the procedure could negatively affect her. She agreed and they started calling her by she/her pronouns. 

The nice thing about the future is that gender change surgery is perfect now. She has fully functional female reproductive organs and she doesn’t have to take estrogen her entire life because they implant something that produces it naturally.

She’s elegant. The way she walks and carries herself is so much like Winter Alex loves getting dressed up and going to balls and galas and feels at home in luxury. 

She’s kind like her mother. This girl has a heart of gold. She would give up the luxuries she adores so much in a heartbeat to help someone.

She’s smart. She wants to be a doctor like her father one day, specifically one that does surgery for gender transitions. Because she’s gone through it herself, she thinks she’ll be able to relate to her patients better than doctors who haven’t gone through it themselves. 

The only real flaw Alex has is that she’s not very reliable when it comes to her family. When she does eventually become a doctor, her patients are her first priority. If something feels wrong to them, then she’ll make house calls

Tadita Clay was born on 14 December 131TE, adopted 8 August 141TE

Her name is Omaha and means “runner.”

Native American features, dark brown eyes, straight black hair, and a round face. Her skin is tanned. She’s skinny and has a boyish figure. She’s 5’5”

Uses glamour to make herself appear a bit curvier when she’s older, but doesn’t make any significant physical changes.

Straight

Can manipulate bioelectricity, not perfectly but not poorly either

Tadita’s father dragged her into the hospital one day after she’d broken her arm “falling out of a tree.” Considering her eye was starting to bruise and she had trouble breathing, Jacin didn’t buy that story for a second. He asked the father to head back to the waiting room, claiming it was standard procedure.

Once the man was gone he asked about what really happened. Tadita was hesitant of course. She’d seen other doctors who didn’t believe her when she told them what her father did to her home. But she knew that this doctor was married to Princess Winter… and if he was married to her than surely he would believe what Tadita said.

So when the ten year old girl started crying about how her dad hit hit her if she didn’t do what she was told, Jacin pulled her into his arms and promised her it would be okay.

Jacin comes home with Tadita that night and Winter smiles at the little girl, welcoming her to their family.

It takes many years for Tadita to work through her childhood with therapists.

Because of her background, she’s incredibly shy and timid. She has trouble looking people in the eyes when talking to them.

She has pretty bad anxiety. Unexpected loud noises scare her and make her want to hide. She obsesses over being on time for things. A wrong sentence she said years ago haunts her when she tries to sleep at night. She knows there’s nothing she can do to change it, but she still worries.

She has the patience of a saint. Which is good because she went from having no siblings to having four in the span of five minutes. She’s always willing to play with her little sisters when they ask her.

She’s an excellent writer. Part of her therapy was to write a journal entry every day about whatever she wanted. It started as therapy but transitioned into a hobby and eventually a passion. She’s always writing about her day or about some random idea she got while helping Caemron with laundry.

Now the last three kids were all adopted at the same time. 

Cleopatra was the daughter of a Lunar ambassador who got lost on a trip to New Beijing when she was nine. Her family went back without her much to Kai and Cinder’s frustration. Kai and Cinder sent people all over the city to find the girl, but she never showed up, eventually she was presumed dead and people stopped looking for her.

Cleo uses her glamour to trick people because she’s now a poor street kid

When Toni was five, his father ODed (and his mother died years before), leaving him in foster care. He didn’t stay there for very long though. He ran away from the mean lady he lived with the first chance he got. 

Three years of living alone and only taking care of herself later, Cleo finds Antonio dirty and crying in an abandoned building. 

Without a second thought, Cleo basically went "well I guess this is my child now, I'm taking care of him and will bite the hand of anyone who goes near the precious baby. 

They were on their own for two years before Niko came into the picture, a very touchy ten year old who got caught trying to steal food. 

A policeman was trying to ship Niko off to a home, or possibly to a juvenile detention center, before Cleo came in, worked her magic and pretended to be Niko's mom. 

Niko tried to leave after that, like “thanks for the favor, peace out” but Cleo wasn't having that shit

The three of them were their own little street family after that, often plotting little schemes to get food, or cash from rich people's pockets.

It's Cress who notices Cleo one day when she and Winter are walking around New Beijing. There's this clearly rich guy, and he's doing his absolute best charming a girl who looks so young in comparison to him that Cress shivers. Cleo moved in close to the guy, her arms wrapping around to steal the expensive portwatch on his wrist.

Winter asks her what's wrong, and Cress points it out 

Since she has the bio block, Winter immediately understands what’s going on. She and Cress follow Cleo and are about to confront the teenager about but they stop in their tracks when they see the girl greet two young boys and say “Tonight we eat like kings.”

Winter is gonna make sure these kids eat like kings every damn night. She walks over to them. Cleo is a street kid and not an idiot so she gets defensive, pushing Toni and Niko behind her.

When Winter says “let’s get to the palace and get you kids some real food and clothes,” Cleo is hesitant. She looks at Toni and Niko and realizes that the best thing for all of them would be to go along with it, so they do.

It was the best decision she ever made.

Cleo is 16, Niko is 11, and Toni is 8 when the enter the family

Cleopatra “Cleo” Clay was born on 1 January 130TE, adopted 29 Feb 146TE

Her parents named her after Cleopatra VII because lunars are obsessed with great leaders.

Middle eastern features, full lips, green eyes, olive skin. Looks kinda like a faminine version of Wolf actually. Her hair is dark brown and often worn in a braid or braids. Figure is pretty average, not fat or thin. She’s 5’8”

Pansexual Homoromantic™

Can manipulate bioelectricity extremely well, probably the best in the family.

Since she grew up as a motherly figure to Niko and Toni, she’s a natural leader. She may have come into the rampion family much later than the others, but she immediately fills a parental roll with Dex, Lovell, and Tadita. Those four are in charge when their parents are away.

She’s a really good listener when it comes to people younger than her. Older people (aka authority figures) not so much. Cleo is always willing to lend an ear to her siblings or any of the rampion kids. A lot of people wouldn’t think this about her because of her street time, but they’d be surprised. She helps them work through feelings about crushes or friends or parents.

She’s a very good judge of character. Living on the streets for six years will teach you when someone is or is not genuine in actions/motivations. This is the main reason she agreed to go with Winter in the first place.

when someone first meets her, she can come across like she's a bitch, but she's just trying to gauge the type of person they are. Jacin does the same thing, so he respects her and they get along really well

Feels the need to help Winter and Jacin out a lot because they took her in. She does dishes and cleans up toys and that type of stuff, even though they have maids to do it. Don’t get Jacin and Winter wrong, they’re glad she helps out, but they wish Cleo didn’t feel like she had to pay them back for being decent people.

Niko Clay was born on 1 February 135TE, adopted 29 February 146TE

His name is a form of Nicholas and means "victory of the people”

Pale skin, hair so blond it’s almost white, and deep set, stormy blue eyes. He has a lanky build and is thin, a swimmer’s body. Tall 6’2”

Asexual™

Trouble maker, but not in a bad way. He pulls pranks on his family often. Dye in the shower, filling an entire room with balloons, putting sugar in salt shakers, etc, etc.

Daring. This boy has absolutely NO fear whatsoever. He’ll jump off the barn into hay piles with Jolee. He’ll swim as deep as he can into Artemisia Lake. He just does anything and everything he can to “live life to the fullest.”

Too smart for his own good. It’s more street smarts and common sense smart than book smart though. He does poorly in school, but if you need him to help fix something or help you around the city, he’s your guy.

He has some selfish tendencies. Used to only looking out for himself, so it's a bit hard for him to transition out of that. He gets a bit better about it though, he slowly starts looking out for others in his family, not just Cleo and Toni.

Athletic, loves to swim and is really good at it. I’m not sure if the world still hosts the Olympics, but if they did, he’d be the michael phelps of the third era. He’s also really good at fencing. It’s not useful for anything really, but it’s really fun for him to do.

Also likes video games. He and Dex have tournaments together. Dex usually wins since he’s nationally ranked, but Niko puts up a pretty good fight.

Antonio “Toni” Clay was born on 4 April 138TE, adopted 29 February 146TE

His name means “priceless”

Latin features, tanned skin and medium brown hair. He has dark brown eyes and a baby face. He has a heavier build, but is strong. 5’7”

Straight

Toni has some depression problems that don’t set in until after puberty. He doesn’t understand what’s going on for a while, doesn’t know why he suddenly feels so sad or empty. There are times when he gets overwhelmingly tired or anxious for seemingly no reason at all. Thankfully Jacin notices what’s going on and gets Toni the help he needs.

Minor PTSD issues similar to Tadita’s. He was in the room when his father ODed and though he couldn’t understand exactly what was going on because he was so young, he does remember it as a traumatic experience

He wants to make people happy, so they don’t feel the same way he does inside.

Very funny. Uses humor to cover up his sadness. Sarcastic, dry, raunchy, and (on rare occasions) self-deprecating. He’s just always cracking jokes.

He managed to get into theater at a young age. One of the first things they did as a family after Cleo, Niko, and Toni were adopted was go to a performance in Artemisia. He was absolutely entranced, the entire time and after the show declared “I want to do that.” It’s a great way for him to express himself. 

Got very into archery before he realized he was depressed. He likes drawing the bow and then letting go. It feels like he’s firing away all the demons in his head.

Second Generation Masterlist

[marriael]

Hey @pledisanti I was your seventeen secret santa! I hope you like this, it’s meant to be cute little snippets of Jeonghan and Chan. More Jeonghan than I anticipated :)

It may not be immediately obvious, but it probably is, that Jeonghan has the mind of a 5 year old sometimes. So when he wakes up and finds out that it snowed a bunch overnight he wants to get outside and steppy steppy in the fresh snow. He does not manage to convince everyone to go out but a fair few do agree to come outside. 

Everyone is very willing to play nice and they've even started a snowman together but one snowball is all it takes. Chan, somehow unnoticed, makes a solid snowball and takes out the back of Jeonghan's knee. Everyone knew jeans were a bad idea just in case they fell but now everyone knew everyone else's weakness. Just take out their jeans until they get too cold and wet and leave.

That's not to say that it's a free for all. No, no, no. People start making teams based on personal revenge. Temporary truces are made, future backstabbing chances really, and forts are made. A bunch of 20 some year old men get really serious about some snow surprisingly quickly. 

The first one to tap out is Joshua who got a solid one in the face. He was not pleased with that and, understandably, no one owned up to throwing that one. Next was Mingyu who was taken out by himself just falling over too much. 

Jeonghan was 3rd. He didn’t really get cold or wet he was just tired. He headed inside and saw Joshua lining up cups for the outside peoples coffee and hot chocolate. Jeonghan went right past and to his bed. His tiredness was his “charm” today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jeonghan is easily bored. That is not at all a revolutionary fact.  It does lead to some interesting activities when he feels like getting particularly creative though. Boredom was one of the things that got Jeonghan banned from the kitchen the first time and it might just happen again. He wanted cookies and he wanted to make them so here he stands. 

Jeonghan’s not nearly stupid enough to do this without a recipe and so he looks up the simplest recipe possible. Surely he can’t screw up chocolate chip cookies? 

Jeonghan guarantees he can screw up the simplest of recipes and he’s pretty sure he just did that. Ok, so he didn’t follow the recipe exactly, sue him. They didn’t have all the right ingredients so he took a few… creative liberties. Baking powder and baking soda are the same thing right? Sure he could have googled it, it takes literally less than a second, but Jeonghan is very confident in his ability to make up the rules and make it work. 

Jeonghan briefly tests some dough before he puts it in the oven and- he’s going to be kind to himself and say it’s not that bad. The baking stage always makes things better. Confidence is key if Jeonghan is going to convince himself to bake all of this dough one pan at a time. 

Jeonghan pulls out the first pan of cookies. The smell while they were baking was not entirely what he was used to but he figured it’d turn out ok. Pulling them out of the oven he has far less surety because the smell is no longer just slightly off it is downright wrong. Not using all the dough would be a waste and so it’s time for a rescue mission. Sugar seems like the obvious answer to make this dough better and Jeonghan measures and tosses in a generous half cup. 

When the second batch comes out of the oven not much better than the first all Jeonghan feels is disappointed. Not even frustration or sadness just disappointment. He's made these cookies and if they're not going to taste good the least he can try and do is make them look good. He grabs a plate and starts trying to stack them in some sort of aesthetically pleasing way. He has completed some type of spiral thing when he hears someone come into the kitchen behind him. 

Turning around he sees it's Chan, his favourite child! Don't tell anyone else though. Chan looks appropriately confused at whatever is happening on the plate. 

"What are those and why did you stack them?" Chan points at the sad cookie stack. 

"Those are my cookies. I wanted to make them look pretty. Do you want one?" Jeonghan smiles and asks, even though they both know that those will not taste good. 

Chan is not in the habit of being outright rude or denying free food and so he takes one anyways. 

'"On a scale of 1 to 10-" Jeonghan starts

"4." 

"What! You gave the cookies that I poured my heart and soul into a 4!"

"Mhm, I'm going to go give one to Vernon now!" Chan grabs another cookie and trots off in search of his unknowing victim. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seungcheol, ever the family man, suggests (read: insists) they should make some gifts for each other, instead of just buying them. To make it so they wouldn’t take all day each would choose two people to make something for. It’s no perfect system to make sure everyone gets one but it’ll work well enough. 

The time is spent largely in silence, as entirely silent as 13 people can be anyways, and small laughs as people look at the projects near to them.

Slowly people place their creations on the table and the room gets progressively louder. Eventually everyone is done and they go around the table explaining the thought process behind every strange creation. A devious smile takes over Jeonghan’s face when he hears Chan say his name.

“Beloved maknae, you chose me!” 

“Not just you. I chose Cheol hyung, too.” Chan mutters.

Chan holds up his little white keychain. When he properly looks Jeonghan can tell it’s meant to be a little angel. The little halo and wings are made of folded and glued pipe cleaners. The little decorations with probably fall off but Jeonghan thinks he'll just keep it on anyways. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's fairly late but Jeonghan can still hear the sounds of a game being played. He pads out to see who would be doing such a thing when they could sleep. He isn't overly surprised to find it's Chan.

"Oh, could you hear it down the hallway? I should turn that down." Chan turns the corner and jumps as something appears in front of his character.

"I don't care. What is this, I haven't seen this one before." 

"This is new one Vernon got me. It's called Resident Evil." Chan struggles a little to speak the unfamiliar name and syllables. 

Jeonghan watches blankly as Chan runs around the area for about 10 minutes. When rooms start repeating it's clear that this something is being missed. 

"Hey, wait." Chan stops at Jeonghan's words. "Turn around. Yeah, that door. Is there anything in that box?" Chan looks in the crate and sure enough he had missed this box or maybe even the whole room. Now they have to find out where this new key goes. 

Chan starts getting tired and missing the most obvious things. Jeonghan is surprised that he himself hasn't just gone to sleep yet but here he sits still. Eventually he starts getting annoyed and takes the controller. After a moment he realizes his mistake, what buttons do which thing? He wings it and manages to get out by the skin of his teeth. 

Some time later he looks at the clock and realizes exactly what time it is. He saves and turns it off. He stands and decides that there is only so much he is willing to do for Chan tonight. He's going to leave him on the couch but he'll at least bring a blanket. He does so and goes to sleep without thinking anything more of it.

Later the next day Chan comes up to him. 

"Did you play my game last night? I was farther than I remember being and I don't think I could have done that part asleep."

Jeonghan hums. "Yeah, it took a little getting used to but it was kinda fun."

"Well…" Chan hesitates, "come play with me whenever you want then." He hurries off in, presumed, embarrassment. 

[thestuckylibrary]

Mods’ Reads: December 2018

Here’s the list of everything the Mods have read this past month!

Mod Blue

Red Right Hand* by littleblackfox (complete | 71,532 | M) *graphic violence

"Steven,” Erskine says, his expression shifting from kindly to something sharper. “Make no mistake, there are things that go bump in the night. And we are the things who bump back.”

In 1943 Johann Schmidt attempts to open a portal to the nine realms to raise a demonic army against the Allied Forces. His efforts are thwarted by Abraham Erskine and the Howling Commandos, but not before something comes through - a child. A demon child, his body flame-red but for his silver left arm. Seventy years later Steve Rogers, still reeling from an encounter with a Djinn, is offered a job with the mysterious SSR, and comes face to face with the legendary Hellboy.

If You Ever Did Believe by wearing_tearing (oneshot | 33,192 | M)

Bucky Barnes will never die of a broken heart. The spell he cast at thirteen, in between white petals and whispered words of magic, makes sure of that.

But then Bucky murders someone, conspires with his sister to hide the body, and meets Steve Rogers.

Untitled Bullshit by hakunahistata, Izulkowa (complete | 16,678 | T)

“Date?” Steve smiles.

“Yeah, you an’ me. Dinner and a movie, or we could always skip straight to the fun stuff. I’m easy.”

Steve shakes his head with a small laugh. “Think you have the wrong idea, pal.”

“One of these days I’m gonna convince you that it’s me who has the right idea.” Bucky says, just like he does every appointment.

***

After an injury leaves Bucky Barnes armless, jobless, and back at his parent’s house, he meets his physical therapist, Steve Rogers. It’s not the best timing but it’s certainly not the worst.

The Courage In Silence Speaks Of Love* by Menatiera, Tsuminoaru (complete | 65,135 | M) *graphic violence

"Steve was used to weird things. He was used to mundane things too. What he wasn’t used to, however, was waking up at the crack of dawn to find an unconscious man in his backyard, clearly the reason behind the alarms being triggered."

Life isn't particularly exciting for an expelled Summer Knight in the human world, years after his mortal love died of old age. So he's a little surprised when his old world comes knocking on his door in the form of a wounded, masked and voiceless fey.

Turns out, the new visitor has a past, too, and when it catches up with them, the Summer Knight's life is going to get interesting again.

Unfortunately, among the Sidhe, interesting almost always means dangerous. To them, and to those who they want to protect as well.

it won't be a stylish marriage by mambo (oneshot | 1,546 | G)

Steve wants to propose.

But he's a little shy.

In My Cold Arms by alby_mangroves, coldwinterrose (Eris13), maichan (complete | 35,656 | E)

After James’ rescue in 1991, he felt like he’d built a pretty good, if slightly lonely, life for himself. He had a beautiful cabin in the woods, his cats for company, and his woodworking and knitting to keep him busy. One day though, he gets a phone call that could change everything.

When Steve woke to an unexpected and shocking future, he was at a loss for what to do with himself. There were no more wars to fight, and no home to go back to. He struggled to figure out who he is in this new world; until he finds that maybe he didn’t lose as much as he first thought.

Part 2 of blessed be the boys time can't capture

At Sixes and Sevens by Speranza (oneshot | 2,938 | M)

Part 13 of 4 Minute Window

Hearts Like Ours by FindingFrancis, wearing_tearing (complete | 100,590 | E)

“You’re kind of a weird one, aren’t you?”

Bucky gasps, all mock-offense. “We’re rolling with the insults today, aren’t we?”

Steve flushes again, shoulders tight. “Sorry. Just… Sorry.”

Bucky’s expression softens, and he goes with his gut as he reaches a hand out, fingers grazing the back of Steve’s hand on the table. Steve’s skin is warm, just as Bucky thought it would be. “It’s okay. It’s actually kind of nice knowing you can match my level of asshole.”

*

Today, of all days, is the day Bucky is going to meet the love of his life. Imagine his surprise when it turns out to be Captain America. Or: The Adventures of Bucky Barnes, the Shitty Psychic.

Lovecraft in Brooklyn* by littleblackfox (complete | 20,562 | E) *graphic violence

Bucky shrugs. “My brothers wish me dead. But I have claimed this world as mine, and should any dare approach I will slaughter them, and their progeny.” “Oh,” Steve says weakly. “Well, it’s tough coming from a large family.”

Part 1 of Lovecraft in Brooklyn

We Are Salmon in the Stream After Years At Sea* by littleblackfox (complete | 18,218 | E) *graphic violence

Steve sighs. “This creepy looking hobo cornered me in the store, spouting some shit about congress with an abomination.” Bucky bares his teeth. All of them. Even Steve finds it unsettling. “I will devour him.” “No!” Steve waves a finger under Bucky’s nose. “No eating people, remember.” “Rule number one,” Bucky grumbles. “No eating humans, or human-like things.” He gives Steve a sullen glare. “I will rend his foul tongue from his worthless form.” “Well, so long as you don’t eat it afterwards.”

Part 2 of Lovecraft in Brooklyn

sun falls moon lights by silentwalrus (oneshot | 1,726 | G)

'Tis the season.

Part 3 of Bucky Barnes Gets His Groove Back & Other International Incidents

back seat drive by silentwalrus (oneshot | 9,683 | E) (reread)

Bucky wants a car. Bucky gets a car. Now Bucky wants to blow Steve while he’s driving the car. It’s awful, how Steve just keeps giving him what he wants.

Part 1 of ridin'

under the hood by silentwalrus (oneshot | 17,007 | E)

Steve continues his terrible campaign of giving Bucky things. Bucky continues various terrible campaigns of his own.

Part 2 of ridin'

No Sacrifice Required* by cleo4u2, xantissa (oneshot | 8,722 | E) *graphic violence

Tentacle Gods: do not mix with Hydra.

Part 1 of Consentacles: Adventures of an Elder God

Tentacles in Love by cleo4u2, xantissa (oneshot | 10,119 | E)

No matter how Clint looked at it, the guy visiting Disneyland and window shopping while eating ice cream could not be the Winter Soldier, much less the reason for the trail of murder and mayhem he and Natasha were following. It couldn’t be the pretty, not-all-there companion either. But someone was leaving Hydra bodies, half-eaten and crushed, all along the Pacific seaboard. Someone who happened to be where the Winter Soldier and his pretty blond friend happened to be.

Part 2 of Consentacles: Adventures of an Elder God

Common Revelations and Other Catastrophes by maikurosaki, Stucky1980 (complete | 29,118 | E)

In retrospect, the moment it dawned on Bucky that he might be in love with his best friend wasn't really a big deal. In fact, as far as epiphanies went, this one was actually kind of underwhelming. Maybe Bucky had lived his whole life with the misconception that an epiphany was supposed to change him forever and doom him to a permanent state of revelation that would make him see clearly the pathway of his life.

What a bunch of crap!

Starlight* by Hopeless--Geek (wuzzy90), littleblackfox (complete | 50,707 | M) *graphic violence

There is no time. No time to process, no time to grieve. Steve pushes the horror, the guilt, down into the pit of his stomach, a lead weight that would crush him if he allowed it. The noise from the array distorts, changing in frequency as the light flares up, painfully bright. Steve turns away, shielding his eyes, and sees the Borg on the walkway before him move stiffly, its head still bowed. It slowly rises, lifting its head. The red laser sighted by its right eye strobes across Steve’s face as it turns towards him. It was human, once. It’s eyes a shade of blue that Steve hasn’t seen in half a lifetime.

I know you.

Hold My Hand Along The Shore by littleblackfox (oneshot | 5,284 | G)

So there were these two guys. They had never met, never spoken to each other, but one day one of them wrote a letter. If you held my hand, I would feel it.

Check, Mate? by talkplaylove-art (talkplaylove), wearing_tearing (oneshot | 1,938 | T)

A notification from Check, Mate? blinks back at him. Steve’s heart speeds up when he opens the app and then his face breaks into a blinding grin when sees what’s waiting for him.

James likes him back.

Part 1 of endgame

Part 5 of Happy Steve Bingo

Just About Half-Past Ten by rohkeutta (oneshot | 1,979 | T)

But as he reaches Madison Avenue, Stark Tower a mere block away, the skies open with a whoosh, and he barely manages to duck under the construction scaffolding perched over the sidewalk. Thunder rumbles overhead, and Bucky frantically checks every compartment of his bag for an umbrella he knowsis there.

It’s not. He does find some loose glitter, though, and a lipstick he wore for Pride and had thought he’d lost, plus a spare Metro Card he can’t remember buying.

He also gets a crystal clear flashback of leaving the umbrella under his desk to dry yesterday morning, and never picking it up again.

Leave Those Umbrellas At Home by rohkeutta (oneshot | 2,441 | T)

Bucky watches the watery snow come down and thinks about it, his mood deflating steadily. He imagines Steve going home the next morning, sitting down at his desk and opening his Super-Secret Sexcapade Journal and writing Bucky’s name in next to a carefully-thought Preparation & Performance Grade.

B+ for the effort to look nice naked, C- for being embarrassingly vanilla and wanting to do it face-to-face so he could scritch his fingers through Steve’s beard and hair. Not worth a repetition. Kinky Grade: F.

Bucky’s being uncharitable and he knows it, but Hangry Barnes can be a sad sack of shit when he wants to.

Get Scrooged by alby_mangroves, leveragehunters (Monkeygreen) (complete | 19,765 | T)

You'll be haunted by three spirits. The first is gonna come tomorrow when the bell tolls one. That's in the morning. The second's gonna come the next day at the same time, and the third, same again.

Bucky was keeping his head down in his tiny apartment in Bucharest, because that's what you did when you were a former brainwashed assassin and never knew who might be coming after you. You kept your head down, you didn't draw attention, and you tried real hard not to think about what you'd done, all while trying to piece together your fractured memory.

But it doesn't matter how down you keep your head—once the Bureau of Christmas Spirit has you in its sights, you're getting a visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. No appeal, no review, and you can't lock the doors and pretend you're not home.

Luckily for Bucky his Ghosts have their own agenda, but whatever happens...someone's getting Scrooged.

buachaill sciobail by silentwalrus (complete | 5,271 | not rated)

“Okay,” Sam says. “Okay. Alright. O-kay. I just, I gotta say, man, when you told me ‘Bucky is a selkie’ this is not... really…. what I... imagined.” “What did you imagine?” Steve says. Across his lap - or rather covering his entire body from the waist down - the eight hundred pound tube of blubber that is J.B. Barnes blows a snot bubble. 

Part 1 of barnacle boy

teach your man to fish by silentwalrus (oneshot | 12,835 | T)

Bucky doesn’t deign to stay in Stark Tower for much longer than it takes to completely clean out the kitchens’ fish supply. After slurping down the last oyster and sneering in disgust at the contents of the walk-in freezer, Bucky turns to Steve, pelt over his shoulder, and says, “Where do you live?”

Podfic available by the magnificent Quietnight!

Part 2 of barnacle boy

where the dread fern grows by silentwalrus (oneshot | 6,684 | G)

Sam's gotta buy a wedding present, and nothing but elf booze will do.

Part 1 of a greenhouse in brooklyn

march of the pumpkins by silentwalrus (oneshot | 2,380 | G)

Halloween in Brooklyn, bog witch style.

Part 2 of a greenhouse in brooklyn

Scenes From A Marriage: Mailbag by Speranza (complete | 17,908 | not rated)

This is the 4 Minute Window Advent calendar for 2018! As always, my goal is to tell a little bit of story each day (knock wood) between the Immaculate Conception and Christmas. Explicit eventually, the rest as it comes. This year's story features letters written, in world, to Captain America. If you want to write a letter to Cap, drop it in the comments or email me and I might use it (but no promises, because this is a terrifying tightwire act as it is.) Also feel free to request things you want to see and I'll see what I can do. Hope you enjoy: buckle up! 

Part 14 of 4 Minute Window

Wrecks My Nerves by castiowl (complete | 48,344 | E)

Honestly, all Bucky wants to do is win Hell's Kitchen so he can get out of his shitty apartment and be happy for once in his life, but then Steve is there and he's awful and wonderful and terrible and ruining everything. It's the Avengers: Hell's Kitchen!

The Big American Family Cooking Showdown by dearlydraupadi (complete | 11,066 | G)

Steve Rogers is a cameraman for the Big American Family Cooking Showdown. Bucky Barnes is a contestant along with his mother and sister. Steve Rogers can't stop filming Bucky Barnes' beautiful face. It's not long before the rest of the crew is getting annoyed, Bucky is getting a clue, and Steve is getting embarrassed. Welcome to the Big American Family Cooking Showdown!

Art for Art's Sake by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen) (oneshot | 4,101 | T)

“But Professor Barnes is more fun,” Steve said, smiling wickedly, pressing the tip of one long finger to Bucky’s chest. Bucky’s brain flatlined at the contact, left him blinking down at Steve. Steve watched him for a bit, then his smile softened and he let his hand fall. “James, then. And you can explain what’s so fascinating about the painting.”

Bucky pulled himself together with an effort. “I think the artist who painted this was having some fun. Maybe he didn’t like the guy he was painting it for?” Steve looked at him sharply. Bucky didn’t quite know why, maybe he'd made some sort of art faux pas, but he pointed at the shadowy spot with the pigs. “Here. You can tell me if I’m imagining it.”

Steve leaned in, following the line of Bucky’s finger, one hand settling gracefully onto Bucky’s bicep for balance. His hand was warm, his long fingers strong and supple as they curled slightly, and Bucky swallowed hard and called himself nine kinds of idiot. He was a grown man, not some high school kid with a crush. Steve’s hand was on his arm, not anywhere interesting. This was stupid.

His suddenly racing heart seemed determined to ignore the message.

no matter how long the day is (i'll come home to you) by alby_mangroves, talkplaylove (oneshot | 27,769 | T)

Steve’s spent an hour along Portobello Road before he sees the paparazzi on the left side of the street, trying to be inconspicuous by a street lamp. He crosses the street and ducks into the first store he sees, tucked behind a screaming red door and under a blue and white striped awning.

He listens, feet planted in front of the door, shoulders tense, as he looks around the shop. Row upon row of books are on the shelves in front of him, the wood creaking under their weight. Behind the counter is a dark haired man wearing a jacket, elbow on the table, stubbled chin on one hand, gloved left hand flipping the pages of a book.

No one follows Steve in.

Or, the one where Captain America travels the world, learns how to be Steve Rogers again, and meets Bucky Barnes along the way. Also: the one where two old souls fall in love over young adult books, long distance calls, and texting at strange hours of the day.

The Heart of a Dying Star by layersofart (layersofsilence), velleities (complete | 38,200 | E)

As ancient legends have it, mighty magical weapons can be forged in the heart of a dying star.

Wanda, driven by her desire to avenge her brother’s death and backed by Hydra and their secret plans, uses ancient magic to knock a star down from the sky.

Halfway across the land, Steve, the Captain of the Avengers Guard, finds a fallen star named Bucky.

Mod Julia

Steve Rogers and the minefields of social media by cpt_winniethepooh (oneshot | 1,795 | T)

Steve gets a Twitter account, then an Instagram one, then he gets Bucky back, too.

Kissin' by the mistletoe (Love came to stay) by obsessivereader (oneshot | 4,949 | E)

“I told you,” Steve wheezes, as he tries to catch his breath. “Didn’t I fucking tell you we'd fall if you didn't quit pushing?”

He’d laugh if he had any air left in his lungs. Instead, all he can do is stare up at Bucky as the sound of his carefree laugh winds its way around Steve’s heart. He barely even registers the cold seeping in through his jacket and jeans as he lies in the snow, attention catching instead on the snowflake clinging to Bucky’s lashes. Were Bucky’s eyes always that luminous? The crinkles around his eyes so endearing? Were his lips always that pink?

Bucky’s laugh dies away at Steve’s continued silence. A strange expression settles on his face, like he’s looking into the face of a stranger for the first time, studying and cataloging Steve’s features one by one—eyes, nose, mouth.

Cafe Au Écoute by littlesystems (oneshot | 3,829 | T)

No matter where Steve goes, there's always the chance that he'll overhear a conversation about himself - or rather, Captain America. This coffee shop is no different. The fact that he keeps eavesdropping well past the point of plausible deniability is another matter entirely.

the audacity by mcwho (oneshot | 2,598 | M)

“I don’t know where you all got the idea that I was giving it to Steve with the lights off under the blankets in total silence by candlelight, but you’re all wrong. Wrong.”

Home is a Smell, Home is a Heartbeat by odetteandodile (oneshot | 3,633 | M)

Bucky cooks an old recipe of Sarah Rogers'.

Steve learns that sensory memory is a bitch.

It all comes out okay in the end.

Leave Those Umbrellas At Home by rohkeutta (oneshot | 2,441 | T)

Bucky watches the watery snow come down and thinks about it, his mood deflating steadily. He imagines Steve going home the next morning, sitting down at his desk and opening his Super-Secret Sexcapade Journal and writing Bucky’s name in next to a carefully-thought Preparation & Performance Grade.

B+ for the effort to look nice naked, C- for being embarrassingly vanilla and wanting to do it face-to-face so he could scritch his fingers through Steve’s beard and hair. Not worth a repetition. Kinky Grade: F.

Bucky’s being uncharitable and he knows it, but Hangry Barnes can be a sad sack of shit when he wants to.

Catch of the Day by Eremji (handsfullofdust) (oneshot | 4,680 | E)

Bucky’s not laughing at him, not where Steve can see, but after Thor gives Steve an appraising look, scratching his beard absently, and says with usual cheer, “You’re most fortunate. This enchantment is only temporary,” Bucky makes sure he’s not in Steve’s direct line of sight.

It's about par for the course that Steve Rogers get himself in all manner of trouble. A couple extra limbs are really no big deal.

all the words are gonna bleed from me by doctorenterprise (oneshot | 1,151 | M)

It’s been a long time since Steve felt such an unwavering, steady rage.

-

A brief, dark look into Steve's devotion to James Buchanan Barnes.

What Makes a Home by i_buchanan (oneshot | 14,788 | E)

Bucky's grateful to be living with Steve again. Grateful to have another chance to keep him close, regardless of the stress of keeping his feelings to himself. It would be a lot easier to do that, however, if Steve didn't seem intent on getting him more than he could think to ask for.

Long Live the Long Lost King by Kryptaria (oneshot | 1,980 | T)

Bucky had no idea he was royalty.

To be fair, it’s not like they had DNA tests and ancestry databases when he was a kid. But now? Turns out his sisters had kids, and their kids had kids, and someone got a multi-pack discount on DNA test kits.

I Can Say The Sun Burns Much Brighter Today by Kajmere (oneshot | 5,919 | T)

Over the years, Steve has learned to choose his battles wisely when it comes to arguing with Natasha. So, when she hands him a set of keys and says they’re dropping him off at one of her secure locations in the middle of Steve-can’t-even-remember, Europe, for a few days of rest, he puts up a fight for all of thirty seconds before resigning with a sigh.

Snow way out by TyrantTirade (oneshot | 17,161 | E)

The call barely goes through, Natashas voice lagging in and out until it becomes more clear. Steve hopes that it stays that way for at least a few minutes, long enough to figure out what to do to salvage the situation. So much for a winter vacation, he thinks.

“So,” he starts, “I think there's a blizzard here.”

two strangers in the bright lights by Claudia_flies (oneshot | 7,348 | E)

It really is an accident. Steve wouldn’t even call it a slip of the tongue, because what he said and the way it was heard were two different things.

christmas traditions by belovedmuerto (oneshot | 2,091 | T)

Bucky wants to know what they used to do at Christmas.

I got that good thing for you by canistakahari (oneshot | 5,830 | E)

When it comes down to it, Steve will do anything for Bucky. Even if that involves fulfilling a very specific seasonally-adjacent fantasy.

re:spite by steebadore (oneshot | 4,150 | T)

It starts, as most things do, with spite. The problem is, it doesn't end there.

A Tree for (Not Quite) Christmas by layersofsilence (oneshot | 4,348 | T)

Steve’s been up since three in the morning to deal with these assholes. All he wants now is to go back to their safehouse and nap until Tony picks them up.

Of course, he should've known better than to ruminate on that particular subject. As soon as the thought crosses his mind his peaceful bubble is absolutely and comprehensively shattered, first by the slam of a screen door and then by a small girl who barrels from her porch to crash headlong into Steve’s legs.

Undercover by glyphsbowtie (oneshot | 1,094 | T)

Steve Rogers says these words in a matter-of-fact tone that has Bucky nodding for a second, before he catches himself. “Wait- what? You're going to kick his ass?” The tiny man next to him nods. “I don't like bullies,” he shrugs. “Anyway, I thought I would let you know because I would hate for you to get hurt.” “Gee, thanks.” Bucky is staring in absolute shock at this adorable vigilante. “Um, has it not occurred to you to call the police, pal?”

territorial by mcwho (oneshot | 2,734 | E)

The thing about Steve Rogers is that he’s a jealous, possessive, Grade-A All-American asshole

[incognitajones]

11 Questions

@cats-and-metersticks tagged me!

Rules: Answer the 11 questions of the person who tagged you; make up 11 questions; tag 11 people to answer them.

 1. List your current WIPs!!

From oldest to newest:

Disassemble my Despair

First Steps

The Presence of Departed Acts

True and False

untitled "Cassian & Jyn meet when younger" AU

"not a story" (untitled original novel experiment)

second chapter of Filling the Role

Plus a few more bits & scraps that will probably never turn into a complete story.

2. What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever written?

I can't answer this one because I never know whether to decide based on my experience writing a piece, the finished product, or the audience reponse. Should it be the niche pairing I never thought I'd write but managed to pull off, judging by the recipient's comment? Or the fluffy modern AU I had a great time writing, even if it's pedestrian & unimaginative?

3. What are some of your current goals as a writer?

...to finish my WIPs. 😭

At one point, I had loftier goals of trying to stretch myself and develop new skills: write unreliable narrators, slowburn, more complicated plots, suspense! Now I just want to get them done, even if it means resorting to the most tired resolution imaginable.

4. What first inspired you to write fanfiction?

Other writers, specifically some of the BNFs on a mailing list in my corner of LOTR fandom who were incredibly welcoming & supportive. My creativity is always higher when I feel like part of a community, and that was a good one.

5. What’s your favorite thing to cook for dinner vs. what’s your favorite meal to eat out?

cook: something savoury & filling (beef stew, dahl, etc)

eat out: something with seafood (sushi, coconut shrimp, scallops)

6. What would your dream house be like?

On the water, lots of windows, screened deck (see: my dream home and cabin porn tags)

7. How do you like to start a story?

At the latest possible point. Sometimes I still write a lot of extraneous words to feel my way into the beginning of a story, but I think I've gotten better at figuring out where to chop them off and what can be left as backstory.

8. What’s the biggest thing that convinces you to read the second chapter in a multi-chapter fic?

I'd have to say voice. An intriguing premise, an immersive setting, or a solid plot hook helps, but even if none of those are present, a really good sense of character voice will keep me reading.

9. What fic are you currently obsessed with (any fandom, reading or writing), if any?

or the path the walker, @rain-sleet-snow's Abhorsen AU! It feels like it was written especially FOR ME because it combines my OTP with one of my all-time favourite fandoms in a seamless manner. She's been sending me snippets for a while and it's been very hard to contain my excitement.

10. Describe your perfect Saturday!

Sleeeeep in, a good cup of coffee & my spouse's amazing waffles for breakfast, something not too strenuous outdoors (gardening, walk in a park/the woods, swim), read a really good book and/or write on the back porch, white wine or cocktails at some point in the afternoon, maybe go out to a movie or some live music in the evening. Extremely unambitious, but hey, that's me.

11. Metaphors or similes?

Metaphors! Similes are great too, but I love the immediacy and crisp bite of a good metaphor.          

And now, no-pressure tagging: @englishable, @glorious-spoon, @fortysevenswrites, @kotaface, @dryadrobot, @ladytharen, @skitzofreak, @youareiron-andyouarestrong, @linearla, @jlrpuck, @thegiddyowl

(my 11 questions are below)

What was the last book you read, and what did you think of it?

Are you a multishipper or an OTP type of fan?

What’s a song you always sing along to?

If you could be adopted by a Star Wars character, who would it be?

A movie you can’t help but stop and watch when it’s on TV

What city/country would you really like to visit?

If you had to live in a historical era (i.e. more than 50 years in the past), which would you choose?

Would you rather be rich or have amazing talent in your chosen field?

That one little pet peeve you know is irrational but still bugs you

What’s a favourite small indulgence when you want to treat yourself?

As a child, did you have a favourite toy or stuffed animal?

[ignisisthicc]

The Curse - Story of the Night Child (Part 1)

//before we get into this I have a few things to address:

1.) this is all taking place during the boys' childhoods although in coming chapters time will progress and there'll probably be a time skip somewhere I haven't really secured much of this plot yet

2.) secondly this is probably going to be updated very vERY slowly so um... I apologise but I really don't want to rush the plot and ruin it and so I'm going to take my time trying to make each part the best it can be

3.) i don't own any of these characters apart from the ocs mentioned ! (I feel like there may not be many other ocs though)

4.) I'm new to the fandom so I am aware that some things might be incorrect or some facts might be kind of vague, but there isn't a lot of detail on other characters like Ignis's past so I'm going to try my best to keep it accurate and not write about what I'm not sure of. Please be patient with me guys>•<

5.) this is my first post as you can probably see so feedback is greatly appreciated! that's all I have to say for now, so read on and let me know what you think !

***

Sunlight.

Such rich, golden radiance, casting it's glow on the people below and their beautiful city. It reflected off of the creamy stone walls and illuminated the fresh, vibrant grass, a spotlight in a forever blue sky.

A girl of perhaps twelve years stood by a window, which was purposely topped with a curved roof, as if to shield the girl from this warmth, this radiance that immediately put everyone in the Crown city in a good mood. Only a sliver of it slipped it's way into her dark chambers, the white streak luminous against the dull, granite-coloured floor. The girl, as if in a trance, held her hand out to this light, tentatively reaching her fingers out to touch it, to feel it's soft embrace.

And then it happened.

She remembered, and there she was again, reliving her past. Dancing through the city, a melodious laugh escaping her lips as she twirled in her fern green summer dress and stepped out into the sunlight.

Hot, searing pain.

Screeching, her skin feeling as if it had been set on fire, patches of mahogany red spreading like wildfire across once smooth, marble skin.

And she was back in the present, retracting her hand from the sliver of light she was about to mistakenly bask her fingers in.

She was cursed, and her curse was to never be able to set foot in the daylight ever again.

She was the night child.

***

Ignis Scientia looked up from the shoe he was tying to meet eyes with King Regis, who was approaching him and the young child he accompanied in strong, confident strides, his stance always emanating such power and regality.

Regis was a kind man - and had proven his soft heart to Ignis, looking out for him when he had no one else and when he had been orphaned from such a young age. His son, Noctis, meant a great deal to the boy, and he took especially good care of him, acting as an older brother figure and always sticking by him when he was on his own.

Noct had also lost his mother when he was very young, and Ignis, knowing the pain of no longer having a parent by one's side, immediately stepped in to look after Noctis and make sure he had company, someone who would read him bedtime stories, cook for him, and like now, tie his shoelaces, until he one day learnt how to do them himself. Although Regis had encouraged Ignis to watch over Noctis for him and try to remain close with the boy, Ignis naturally found himself doing so anyway, his caring and paternal side shining through and causing him to behave this way towards the younger child.

His majesty now stood before them, a tall man with a kind face and twinkling eyes, who greeted both young boys by their names before announcing some important news.

"I'd like you both to come with me today. There's someone for you to meet - a child around the same age as you, Ignis - who I'm sure you'll definitely get along with just fine."

At this new information, Ignis's eyes widened in curiosity, though he merely nodded, whereas his counterpart, Noct, reacted in a slightly more... informal manner on hearing the news.

"Someone our age? Who? Why do we have to meet them? Is it important?" The young child rambled, a slight whine to his tone which made the king chuckle.

"Now now, Noct," he said, ruffling the inquisitive child's hair, which elicited an annoyed sound from the young one as he shook his head to fix his hair again.

"Just come and you'll see. It's very important that you do. This person is someone who would make an excellent friend to the both of you, and they too would benefit from making friends with you both, as they are quite lonesome themselves."

Ignis was quick to catch on with what he meant by this. Regis was referring to their upbringing, the incomplete families they had that the mystery person also seemed to share. He wondered if they had anyone else, a single parent like Noct's, or if they truly were alone like himself. At this thought, Ignis felt a slight pang of pain in his chest. He knew the feeling of solitude and loneliness all too well himself, and knew that if this person also grew up the way he did, they would have known these emotions very well too.

Instead of enquiring to hear more about this anonymous child, he turned to the young prince, standing up from where he was tying his shoes earlier.

"We should listen to your father, Noct. I'm sure this person we've to meet will be a great friend to us," he told him, hoping the boy would listen the first time and not refuse his suggestion. "Besides, weren't you curious to see who they were?"

"I... guess," the child responded, though he didn't seem too convinced. "But if we go now, when will we play our game? You said you were going to show me that trick you did last time..." Noctis pouted.

"I'll show you right after," Ignis promised. "Let's just go see this person for now." Regis nodded in thanks to Ignis' interference. Being close in age with the young child, he had an easier time convincing him to follow orders that were given, though the boy was quite rebellious and made it often a difficult task. Still, this didn't mean at all that he was impolite, rather the opposite; as a prince manners were one of the first things he was taught and was made to put them straight into practise. However, he did have a bit of an attitude at times, which was all but part of his personality, though many were not particularly fond of this sassy trait.

The large corridor was silent, save for the echoing footsteps of the three who made their way to meet the anonymous person. Streaks of sunlight peeked through the arched windows, burning into the floor and walls. The young prince acquired a slight skip in his step when he noticed the pattern it made on the floor, jumping over the highlighted areas of the ground and dodging them, playing this little game with himself to make the long walk a tad bit more bearable. Regis looked over at the boy and smiled fondly, though he spoke no words. The love the king had for his only child was immeasurable, and perhaps something that the Prince would never fully understand or recognise until he himself would one day bear his own children.

Finally, the three of them reached a door towards the front of the palace, a chamber that was often considered a sort of "waiting room", if one seeked an audience with the king. Regis placed his hand firmly on the handle, though he stopped to turn to Noctis before revealing the stranger inside.

"Noct," he murmured, though his eyes were serious. "Remember to behave."

Before the offended prince could complain to his father about the statement that had just been made, the door swung open, and inside, a young girl around the same age as the young advisor sat patiently, her legs swinging from the seat she was on, and a parasol held over her head which shielded her from any possible source of light. She turned, her eyes surveying the new company she had before standing and curtseying politely, her head bowing respectfully.

"Your majesty," she spoke, her voice as soft and quiet as a mouse. "It is a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Nova Esther Lamentia. I hope we can be good friends."

The girl looked up finally, cheeks gently flushed, to see the two boys watching her wide eyed, though she was sure it was merely from curiosity. She was a strange spectacle to behold: a porcelain doll, skin as pale as snow, bandages wrapped around her arms, and the loud mark that splashed across her right cheek, a mahogany firey red, though it seemed dull now under the shade of her parasol.

Regis smiled kindly at the young girl, gently nudging Noct forward so that he would introduce himself to her.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too," he replied, nodding to her politely. "I'm Noctis."

"The pleasure is all mine," came a voice from behind Noct, and stepping forward, the older male bowed towards Nova, his lips pulled into a soft smile. "My name is Ignis Scientia."

Though his actions were swift and formal, the boy could not ignore the sudden thudding in his ears, caused by the hot rush of his blood, and he knew straight away that they had turned pink out of embarrassment again.

Though the girl before him was a peculiar sight, he found her almost mesmerising; with her eyes as black as night, skin creamy and pale, her small rosy lips like a doll's, ebony hair that fell about her waist, which stopped just above the tufts of the ivory dress she adorned, patterned with pale pink ribbons, it's design too matching the one on her parasol. He had never seen the likes of her before, and it made him all the more inquisitive, being ever so curious as to how she had gained such scars and wounds that she had to be wrapped in bandages, and that she carried around with her this parasol when the day was so pleasant and warm. And perhaps it was so for that, to shield her from the heat, as Ignis knew and saw many who dealt with the sunlight by using the shade of a parasol.

Despite his burning curiosity and all the questions he had that he so wished to ask, a certain prince beat him to it, his curiosity also at a peak.

"Why do you have an umbrella with you, by the way?" Noct blurted out, his head tilted in confusion. "I thought they were for rainy days. And what happened to your arms? Were you hurt?"

At this, the girl's eyes widened, and she stepped back, hiding her bandaged arms behind her back.

"Noct," both the king and young advisor spoke at once, and the boy found himself shrinking away from their reprimanding voices.

"I was just asking!"

"Forgive my son," the king spoke apologetically, outstretching his hand to the girl. "He often forgets his manners."

Noctis bowed his head, pouting at the floor, though he did not defy his mistake. "I apologise for my rudeness."

Tentatively, the girl placed her small hand in the King's, allowing him to pull her to his side. She smiled shyly at Noct, shaking her head.

"It's alright," she replied. "I got these in an accident, the same way I did with my scar." She pointed to her face, although it was beyond obvious she was talking about the only visible marking on her face.

At this, Noct's lips formed a round 'o' shape, but before he could ask any further, his father interrupted with his loud, booming voice.

"Nova is without her parents just like you, young Ignis," Regis informed him, and on hearing his name the boy reattained his focus, paying attention to each and every word of the king. "I want you to both treat her kindly and with respect. She is a very gifted young girl, Noct, and has also been given a place and title in this palace that she will acquire once she is of age. For now, she lives with other family, but she will be here frequently. I shall hope you all get on."

"But of course," Ignis responded, his head bowing towards the king. Regis smiled, he knew he could trust Ignis with anything. However, he wasn't so sure if it was the same with his son, although he had some faith and knew that inside, Noct was a kind and good child.

"Then I shall leave you both to show her around. She has already seen this floor and the gardens as I have asked the maids to do so, but I trust that you may show her the rest."

Once again, the older boy nodded, and with that, Regis turned to exit the room, hesitating as he turned once again on remembering something.

"Ah, Nova," he addressed the girl, eyes serious as he held her gaze. "If there is ever a problem you are faced with, do come to me or inform the boys. We are at your aid."

At this, Nova nodded, smiling in thanks towards the king, to which he returned the action. Thus, he exited the room, leaving the three children in a slightly awkward silence.

"So," Noct spoke up, turning to the girl beside him. "What do you want to see first?"

[orange-in-the-overcast]

aaaand the 50 qs for the moonbeam

1. Their age?

77

2. Their sexuality/sexual preference?

Harold, she’s a lesbian.

3. Any siblings/Only child?

She is the one and only Liadon child.

4. Their favourite season?

She’s a big fan of winter, mostly because of the snow.

5. Who were/are their parents/guardians?

Safina and Elric Liadon. Please don’t ask her about them, she will cry.

6. Their gender?

Female.

7. Their date of birth?

Fantasy September 28th.

8. What clothing style?

She generally likes clothes that’re light and airy, and some splash of purple is a must in the vast majority of her outfits. She tends to wear either long skirts or loose pants, as skirts tend to not be very practical for adventuring, she’s come to find. Most of her clothes are fairly conservative, as well, but always cute. And she never goes anywhere without a pair of gloves.

9. What is their favourite food after a break-up?

She’s never had a break-up, but if she did, she would eat an absurd amount of chocolate pudding to make herself feel better. And then feel guilty about it later for eating so much.

10. Their favourite thing to do after a break-up?

She wouldn’t really know how to handle herself. She’d likely just try to bury herself in her favorite books and try her hardest not to stain the pages with all the tears she’d be crying.

11. What happens in the ‘honeymoon phase’ for this character?

She’ll be absolutely beside herself with how much she adores her girlfriend, and everyone around her will know it, too. She’ll constantly dote on her girlfriend with gifts and favors and more cuddles than she knows what to do with. Though she’s shy, once she’s gotten comfortable enough to express her emotions verbally, she will do so openly and often, constantly reminding her girlfriend how much she loves her and how beautiful she is.

12. How many serious relationships have they been in?

None as of yet. She’s a very innocent little moonbeam.

13. What is their nationality?

She’s a moon elf from Shaur.

14. What languages do they speak?

Common, Elvish, Dwarvish, Draconic, and Abyssal.

15. What is their profession/Education?

She doesn’t have a real profession to speak of. The closest she could ever get would just be “noble,” as that alone was more exhausting work than she could live with. When she was young, she was educated at the finest, most exclusive schools her hometown had to offer. At a certain point, though, she switched to homeschooling, and all her education came from private tutors.

16. Their favourite comfort food?

She knew someone back home who made the most wonderful hot cocoa she’d ever tasted. Drinking any other hot cocoa isn’t quite the same, but it still brings up fond memories and makes her smile.

17. What’s a food they hate?

She’s not really a fan of pomegranates. They’re much too tart for her.

18. Their music taste?

She likes softer music, more on the classical or acoustic side. Pianos sound especially lovely to her. If she’s feeling energetic, though, she likes jazzier music she can dance to.

19. Is there a story behind their name/meaning?

If there is, her parents never bothered to tell her. She assumes they just thought it sounded pretty and delicate, and so they gave it to her.

20. Something they do that seems childish to others?

She’s honestly still very childish in everything she does. Her innocence gets the better of her more often than not, and she refuses to do things like swear. She also tends to get very giggly, very easily.

21. What is their all-time favourite TV show?

She doesn’t have TV where she’s from, but if she did, cartoons would be her go-to kind of TV show. Steven Universe would probably be a favorite of hers.

22. What is their all-time favourite movie?

She would honestly, legitimately likes Frozen, though she would never tell anyone for fear of being made fun of. How To Train Your Dragon would also be a favorite.

23. How big is their family?

Only three living members currently— just Reyelle and her parents.

24. Are they close to anyone specific in the family?

She’s not really close to anyone in her family, quite honestly.

25. Have they got any allergies?

She’s allergic to pollen, so she tends to get sneezy and sad in the spring. She’s also secretly afraid she’s allergic to beestings, but only because she’s never been stung by a bee before, so she can’t disprove it.

26. Are they an emotional person?

Absolutely, though she tries to keep it under control as best she can. She’s constantly afraid of her emotions getting the better of her, and when you’re as sensitive as Reyelle, keeping them in check is a constant battle.

27. Do they get angry/lose their temper quickly?

Not at all. If you’ve made Reyelle angry, you know you’ve done something unforgivable. And even then she probably won’t do anything except cry in frustration.

28. What are some of their guilty pleasures?

She likes to sing to herself a lot, but always gets embarrassed if anyone catches her. She will also stay up until 3am reading on a regular basis, and again, gets embarrassed if people catch her up so late, especially if she was in the middle of reading a bad romance novel.

29. Do they have pets? Do they want pets?

She doesn’t have any pets, but she would absolutely adopt any stray animal she saw if she could.

30. Do they like kids? Do they want kids/have kids?

She’s never had the chance to be around kids, but she thinks they’re cute and wants to be their friend. She doesn’t know if she wants them yet, as she knows she still has a lot of her own growing up to do, but it’s something she’d consider for the future.

31. Who’s cuddle buddy are they?

She used to have a cuddle buddy when she was back home, but currently she’s severely lacking in cuddles. Hopefully Talia will change that soon.

32. Do they have any tattoos?

Nah, the concept scares her.

33. Do they have any piercings?

She does have pierced ears. It was a small amount of individuality she was allowed growing up.

34. What is their hair colour? Is it their natural colour?

Her hair is white with light blue tips, and all natural.

35. Do they like musicals?

I think she’d get a kick out of modern musicals. She’d definitely enjoy all the songs.

36. Do they like marmite?

She has no idea what that is, but now she’s curious and wants to learn about it.

37. Do they like glitter?

She loves the look of glitter, though it is a little difficult to clean up.

38. Do they believe in the supernatural?

She’ll believe in anything if you tell it to her convincingly enough, so yes.

39. Have they ever seen a dead body?

She hadn’t ever seen them until recently, but now she’s seen far more than she ever would’ve liked.

40. Have they ever had a near-death experience?

There’s one experience she’s had that she counts as near-death just because it scared her so much.

41. Have they ever broken a bone?

Thankfully, no, and quite frankly she’d be happy to never have that experience.

42. What are they like when they’re drunk/what kind of drunk are they?

She’s a huge lightweight, so give her a single glass of anything and she will immediately turn into a giggly, ultra affectionate drunk. She’ll tell you over and over how beautiful and wonderful you are and how happy she is to have you in her life.

43. Have they ever drunk underage?

She’s several decades overage by now, and she never drank until about her 40s or so. Wine was a fairly common accompaniment to meals at home, but she doesn’t like it all that much.

44. What is the first thing they do when they wake up?

She takes a few minutes to just admire the sunshine coming in through her bedroom window, happy to see it rise again.

45. Do they consider themselves popular?

Not at all. She’s mostly convinced that even the people she’s traveling with right now don’t actually like her.

46. How do they like their tea/coffee?

She’s not one for coffee, but she likes her tea with just a bit of sugar. Peach tea is her favorite.

47. What do they smell like?

Coconut, honeysuckle, and just a hint of new parchment.

48. Are they a virgin?

More virgin than the Virgin Mary.

49. Do they wear glasses/contacts?

She wears cute little round glasses. Her eyes aren’t so great.

50. Are they good at remembering significant dates? Anniversaries, birthdays etc?

If she’s your friend, you can bet she’ll remember everything important to you ever, including significant dates.

[clowndogworld]

HERE IS THE 1ST PROJECT FOR COLOR THEORY CLASS!!!! AS WELL AS THE PROGRESS.

 THERE WERE GRAPHITE DRAWINGS DONE FIRST FOR THIS BUT LIKE....THIS IS WHAT I GOT ON MY COMPUTER.

MONOCHROMATIC. JUST USED BLACK, WHITE AND BLUE HEAVY BODY ACRYLIC!

AND YES HERE IS THE GHOST OF RAMBLE, LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE, LOOKING AT YOU.

IF YOU HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE ID LOVE TO READ.

HERE’S MY PROCESS JOURNAL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE

Kelsey Trott

15 April 2020

Professor Wasson

Spring 2020: 2D Color and Composition

PROCESS JOURNAL FOR PROJECT #1:

Briefly describe the subject and mood of the design.

The subject and mood of the design is persuaded by the color blue. Blue is calm and content while simultaneously suggesting gloominess. The subject of “Luncheon In The Kitchen” centers around loss and what I hope to gain in the future. I miss my black labrador retriever, ‘Ramble’, dearly. Since I am an only child and come from a small family, the loss is still felt. Two days before Valentine’s Day of 2020, without warning, my closest cousin passed away, and there will never be a replacement for her. Those who we lose seem to make the biggest impact in comparison to those who are still living. The subject conceptualizes a new home for me to start again with the assets to care for a dog(s) and live on my own. My mom observed that the dog is looking into the future.

2.

Indicate the monochromatic color scheme you selected (which color you selected), and explain how it contributes to the mood or expressive nature of the piece.

With blue, the brain is naturally inclined to stay awake since the color simulates daylight. The logos for Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook are blue to match with their blue and white schemed user-interface. This is a web designer’s hack to convince their visitors to stay up late looking at their website! Marketing aside,  Blue expresses purity and clarity due to water’s tendency to be within the cool green-blue range. However, depression, gloominess and simply ‘feeling blue’ can be suggested if the viewer is feeling distressed at the moment. 

Through this creation, I hope the dog’s blue eyes will remind onlookers to feel calm within. Good dogs have always reminded me that I am loved and to take a breather during hard times. To contribute to the mood, blue was chosen to express a multitude of happy , sad, and content feelings.

3.

Identify and explain how color has been used to create a sense of depth in your piece.  Provide examples to clarify your statements. (think about whether you used atmospheric perspective or recession into darkness; think about how you used value and intensity to create/enhance depth).

Atmospheric perspective was used by painting the sky very light tints of blue.  Lowering the tree’s intensity in the background by turning them into ~10-20% toned. My house is more intense than the background’s shapes so it is popping out of the middleground. Ramble, the biggest dog possesses the darkest shades within the piece, but also has many mild tones and a tiny bit of tints to suggest light coming in from the window on the left side.

4.

Identify and explain what you feel to be the design’s 2 greatest strengths. The strengths should relate to the goals of the project.

The first strength of the design is the recession to lightness/ atmospheric perspective. I feel the snow on the ground gradually tinting towards white and the toned down trees promotes depth within the piece. A second strength is the dog’s face. I know that he is stylized and my work could be less sloppy looking, but I still love how his facial expression conveys the mood.  

5.

Identify and explain what you feel to be the designs greatest weakness/es and indicate how would you correct it if you could? Weaknesses should relate to the goals of the project.

Hard edges are not easy for me to persuade. The weakness of my project is from the messiness within my painting style. I would correct my mistakes with photoshop if it was allowed. The greatest weakness is the presence of transparent wet paint strokes and jagged edges.

[whykarliewhy-blog]

Why “The Dragon and The Wolf” balances out a rather rocky Season of Game Of Thrones

Game of thrones has always been a show about great cinematic moments, it pushes and pulls its characters to move across seas, climb mountains, trudge the snow in order for them to get where they're going. This season is still full of cinematic moments, the main problem is sometimes they don’t really make sense. Whether it’s because these cinematic moments makes logic tug at you, or because there is in no way the whole storyline makes sense, or because you know it’s for pure shock value, the point of these moments are lost. Good thing for us, despite its faults, “The Dragon and The Wolf” gives us a reason to believe that the faulty set up can lead to satisfying and even terrific (though sometimes confusing) conclusions. 

To say that Season 7 of Game Of Thrones is the best would be a disservice to the previous seasons (and to me a bastardization of the 2 direct ones that preceded it). It is fast paced yes, but not without its flaws. Back then I felt like we wasted too much time watching characters no one was invested in, or seeing little pieces drag on for 1/5 or 1/6 of the show when it could have truly been given just a minute. Fast forward to season 7, and you realize just how important those moments were (of course there were still some I find pointless, I'm looking at you Sand Snakes). Which really begs the question, how does Game of Thrones strike a balance between the need for urgency, and the small seemingly irrelevant moments that end up meaning much more? 

As the season progressed (with a very slow premiere by the way), I couldn't help but feel that everything that's happening is how it was always going to play out. It was always just a matter of when it would happen. Fast, but not necessarily exhilarating nor logical; Game of Thrones took a long time to bring us to where we started in season 7, and it took quicker to unravel the spools of what was plausible. It's funny how people say that suspension of disbelief is necessary in television shows, and how in a show with dragons, white walkers, century old priestesses, rebirth, and whatnot, it's traveling time that we question. 

As a person who has watched the show since 2011, let me be the one to tell you that Game Of Thrones, despite having unrealistic aspects has always had the benefit of having the characters in different places explain time and make the stories seem plausible. As the show comes to an end, and the convergence happens, it makes it less believable to know that some stories are moving at high speed, while some stories are inching its way to fruition. Just watching this season and the transition from scene to scene gives us that awkward mix of this is a set up episode and something really relevant is happening. It’s like we’re standing on a cliff seeing Dragons fly in circles, and by contrast we see boats rushing at full speed. 

Season 7 though finds it balance as it tries to tie together the loose ends this damn faulty spool of storytelling has done for the past few episodes. It gives us the illusion that everything happening before this episode was meant to happen to get us to this point. Unfortunately for some of the storylines, the narrative destination does not fully make up for the poorly thought of stories that have riddled the season. What this episode does though is it leaves an impact by making us realize as well just how tied all of these people are by their familial ties, and their previous storylines. The episode benefits not from the set up made in the season, but from the set up carried by the whole of the series. 

Spoilers Ahead

The meeting of the three rulers of Westeros is something we all have expected since the day this show started. Whether it’s in a battle, or in Highgarden with everyone having tea, was always the question. We receive our answer in the form of the Unsullied standing strong, the dothraki surging towards King’s Landing. The King In The North and everybody else in a ship. Bronn talks about cocks (which is funny because this show barely shows cocks anymore). The Hound and Brienne share a moment to talk about Arya and their mutual respect (? or fear) of each other. Podrick and Theon, Theon and Bronn. Heroes of the Blackwater Bay. Cersei arrives with Qyburn, Jamie, The Mountain, and *sigh* Euron (tell me why did Dan and David said he would be a great villain again?) The Hound and The Mountain do a little dance that to me feels like purely fan service, there is absolutely no sense in what happens between them or why The Mountain who barely does anything but to do Cersei’s bidding would approach his brother. Daenerys arrives last as she flies in with Drogon and Rhaegal to further showcase her power. It is a lifetime ago since most of these characters have shared a scene together, and it is fitting that we get the full convergence of some of the most relevant characters in Dragonpit where, as Daenerys explains, the Targaryens put the symbol of their power (what made them extraordinary to be exact) and they locked them. The Queens and King meet where the most powerful creatures were bound to act as if they weren’t. Euron interrupts this meeting by taunting Theon for Yara and Tyrion. It is clear in this meeting that 1) Cersei hates them all (Theon above anyone else), and 2) Jon despite everything still knows nothing. Everything about this scene is about power, and yet to me only one person here stands with true power. Cersei. Cersei is the only one of the three monarchs and their people who say no. And unlike Euron, she does it not out of fear. She does it after Jon refuses to serve two queens. She does it and it truly feels like she can (at this point we don’t know why yet, and it is impressive). Regardless of the Wight that charged at her. She manages to keep her power. If there is anything anyone needs to know about me, it’s that I admire Cersei Lannister despite how despicable a human being she is. She is the only one who knows exactly what to do with power in order to keep it. 

Tyrion decides to speak to Cersei, and it is a reunion I have waited for since Season 4. It is clear that Cersei blames Tyrion for everything. Their mother, their father, her children. Cersei, despite her intelligence needs a person to blame; it is and it has always been one of her most self destructive flaws. In not recognizing the things she is directly responsible for, she alienates the ones she loves the most (or causes them to kill themselves). Tyrion on the other hand stands as self aware as ever. Despite Tyrion talking a great game about wanting to kill her sister, is still the same man we’ve known since season 1. Optimistic to a fault. The mere fact that he is in the same room with Cersei and The Mountain is ridiculous. In fact, it is unclear to me why Cersei chooses not to kill him. Is it because she needs someone to blame, and Daenerys or Jon just don’t fit the requirements for her vitriol? It is more plausible to me that the writers of the show need to constantly remind us that Cersei is still human. Cersei then decides to set aside differences for her unborn child, for family. 

To me one of the most satisfying parts of this episode is between the Stark sisters. It is full of flaws, and yet I love it. Sansa and Littlefinger talk about Arya, and he makes her assume the worst of his sister. She then sends for her and in a twist, she is actually sentencing Littlefinger, finally holding him fully accountable for all of his sins to the Starks. Considering everything that has happened prior to this episode, THIS DOES NOT MAKE SENSE. What was the need for the Stark Sibling Dance in Winterfell? I’ve read varying opinions on this, and nothing makes sense still. Was the whole thing planned? From Arya’s discovery of the letter? Or was Littlefinger and Sansa’s conversation the turning point for Sansa? And if so, how did she convince Arya otherwise? Here the show reveals that it spooled storylines that despite being able to tie together, doesn’t fully form a cohesive comprehensible thought. In the need to keep characters moving, we have characters doing things that barely fit their story arc. See, we needed to see Arya and Sansa do something, else we’d realize just how fast everything else is moving. It barely even works and if not for my desire to see Littlefinger outplayed die at the hands of the Starks, the effect would have been lost on me (as I assume it is lost on other people). Props to Petyr, Sansa, and Arya for doing the heavy weight lifting in what was almost a lost shot. 

Fans of Theon (like me) will also appreciate the decision for him to finally grow some balls. Slightly dramatic with his conversation with Jon, slightly comedic in his one on one combat with one of his sister’s followers. But you see, again, this only has an impact because I love Theon and Yara. His bit about Yara being the only one who tried to save him feels real, not just because Alfie Allen has grown considerably as an actor, but also because we know it to be true. What about his idleness  in this season? What has he been doing all this time? While everyone else has travelled to and from the wall, from King’s Landing to Dragonstone, what has he been doing? And a quick conversation with Jon or taunts from Euron, is not convincing enough to make this fully understandable. But as was said, the show needed to move everyone to certain places, and not as carefully nor as impeccably as they have done in the past. 

The best scene for me comes in the form of Cersei’s reveal. Cersei reveals that she has no intentions of actually helping the War, and Euron is on the way to Essos to fetch the Golden Company the Iron Bank has helped her purchase. The confidence in Cersei’s voice as it seems that she edges towards madness. Jaime rationalizing to the woman he loves most. They have spent the most time in this show together, and we’ve seen them grow as lovers, enemies, characters. As a turning point, Jaime decides that he will join the war and ride north. I honestly felt the fear as Cersei gives the Mountain the command to kill Jaime. But as this episode and countless moments between Cersei and her family, Jaime’s survival speaks to me as real. It is unlike Bronn’s survival, or The Hound’s, or Berric’s, or Tormund’s. I understand why Cersei didn’t kill Jaime. She loves him. She is not Drogon or a Wight or a White Walker whose inability to kill major characters confuse me. And as Jaime rides off, snow falls into King Landing in a very brilliantly scored scene, to remind us that Winter is here. 

Sam arrives in Winterfell, and a conversation with Bran gives us all that this season (and hinted at the whole series) has been leaving clues to. Jon is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s son. Juxtaposing Rhaegar and Lyanna being married with Jon entering Daenery’s Chambers, and Lyanna asking Ned to protect her son, Aegon Targaryen with Daenerys and Jon having sex (with Tyrion outside) was an effective way to tell us that Jon is the heir to the Iron Throne, and a reminder of what this means for the story. This will be one of the most interesting things moving forward, and probably one of the most powerful Game Of Thrones moments (one that compares to last season’s Tower Of Joy scenes). 

What does their incestual love making mean for the two of them the moment they find out? What will it mean for their relationship and alliance once Daenerys finds out that Jon is the heir to the throne? Are we to look at them the way we’re supposed to look at The Dragon and The Wolf before them, Lyanna and Rhaegar? This whole series of scenes leaves us with these questions, and it will stay with us until they’re answered. 

Sidenote: why is the actor playing Rhaergar eerily similar to Viserys, a character, I assume we all hated. 

Also I could listen to Isaac Hempstead-Wright narrate a grocery list, and it would keep me satisfied. 

Arya and Sansa standing in Winterfell, finally recognizing each other the way we have always wanted to. Arya sees her sister as the Lady of Winterfell, acknowledging what Sansa has gone through. Sansa seeing her sister as the strong woman she has become. Both Starks reciting Ned’s words, “When the snows fall and the white winds blow the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.” This is true not just for the Starks, but for every single person heading to the North. This whole episode has painted how important these familial bonds have been, and how they will always be, especially as we reach the conclusion of this song. 

And yet after this final note, the episode still doesn’t end. The episode ends with Berric and Tormund at the wall, as the Night King rides with Viserion, the Wight, destroy the wall. In a fairly terrifying scene of the Viserion, the Wight breathing ice (that seems to work like fire? Let’s just assume it’s blue fire) destroying the wall, we are treated to a brilliant display of CGI that seems to culminate the very first scene of Episode 1 of the series. We know nothing of Berric and Tormund’s fates, but we do know this: The White Walkers and Wights are here for GoT’s own version of the Apocalypse, Winter. 

Here’s hoping everything starts moving at the same pace for the next season.