#if they drop certain fandom jokes I'm out

[fairytalesofforever]

chatfics my beloved

[bad268]

Frank Told Us (Colby Brock X Pregnant! Reader)

Fandom: RPF/Sam and Colby & Co

Requested: Yes by @eattothebeatt and anon. I hope y'all don't mind that I combined them, they were pretty similar. (Also, since I'm ahead on requests, I'm gonna post Wednesdays and Saturdays until it's cleared <3)

Warnings: slipping in snow (idk).

Pronouns: She/her

W.C. 1263

Summary: The Conjuring House is no joke, especially when a certain ghost (Frank) ruins a surprise.

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~(^Pinterest)

The Conjuring House was no joke, that was a fact that Y/n knew well. After going to the Conjuring House on three separate occasions with Sam and Colby and being witness to some crazy things, she didn’t need any convincing of that.

This time was one to top the charts. Ever since Sam and Colby heard about Satori and Cody, they knew that they wanted to meet them and get their expertise on camera. So Y/n decided to go with them. However, one thing happened about a week before the flight that may have changed the trajectory of the trip.

Y/n missed her period.

She took a test and met with her gynecologist, and they both came to the same conclusion. She was pregnant. She was not super far along, a little over a month, but she was not sure if she should go on the trip. After talking it over with her gynecologist, they decided she should be fine as long as she stepped away when it got too much and did not put herself in dangerous situations. She knew that if she had told Colby that they were expecting, he would abort the whole video, and she knew she did not want to be responsible for that

So they arrived at the Conjuring House. Sam and Colby in the front and Kat and Y/n in the back. Satori and Cody said they would meet them there, so they did not worry about getting a bigger car.

“Are you guys ready for this?” Sam asked enthusiastically as he pulled into the driveway.

“Are you ready to get another attachment?” Kat snapped back jokingly, causing Sam’s jaw to drop and the rest of the car to laugh.

“No need to come for my brother like that,” Colby defended, turning back to point a finger at Kat.

“You should definitely put this at the end of the video,” Y/n added, directing everyone’s attention to the camera that was recording.

“Anyway, what’s up guys! It’s Sam and Colby,” Colby started the intro.

“Today, well, this week, we are at the Conjuring House with Kat and Y/n!” Sam continued.

“These guys get 10 million subscribers, and we get dragged into this,” Y/n laughed gesturing to Kat as they climbed out of the car, so Sam and Colby could do their intro in peace. The two walked into the house and greeted Satori and Cody. The four made small talk until Sam and Colby came into the house.

“I see you made yourself comfortable without us,” Colby teased as he sat next to Y/n on the couch and laid his arm over her shoulder. “Do we know how we're going about tonight?”

“I think we’re just letting Satori and Cody do their thing and we’ll go with the flow,” Y/n explained as she leaned into Colby’s side. “What do you guys think? It is your video.”

“I think that’s fine,” Sam said, setting up the cameras. Kat started pulling out different gadgets and placing them around the room.

“We’re ready to start whenever you guys are,” Satori offered, moving to stand up with Cody. Colby stood up as well before he turned back and held his hand out jokingly for Y/n to stand up.

“Well, thank you, kind sir,” Y/n joked in a mock posh accent.

“You’re welcome, governess,” Colby joked back, causing the two to chuckle before turning serious again. “Ok, back to the task at hand-”

Hours later, Satori and Cody were still getting so much in response. It was nearing midnight at this point, and they were still nonstop. After the third hour, Y/n got a huge headache, and it did not prove to be a problem until the knocks started getting louder.

“Hey, I’m gonna go get some fresh air. My head hurts,” Y/n announced as she stood up and walked out the door, not waiting for a response. Kat immediately said she would follow Y/n and trailed behind her as they walked through the snow carefully toward the car.

“Are you okay? You’re really pale,” Kat asked as they leaned against the hood of the rental car.

“I have a huge headache, and honestly, I need to tell someone,” Y/n admitted and let out a sigh before saying, “I’m pregnant.”

“You’re kidding!” Kat exclaimed excitedly, reaching out to hold Y/n’s hands. “You’re serious? Oh my god, I’m so happy for you guys! Does Colby know?”

“If I told him, he wouldn’t have let me come,” Y/n laughed as Kat pulled her into a hug. “I’m so glad I finally told someone. I’ve been keeping that to myself for the last week.”

“You’re kidding!” Kat exclaimed again. She was too excited because when she jumped away from the car, she pulled Y/n with her and they both lost their footing. “Woah!”

“Ouch! Kat!" Y/n laughed as she landed on her back in the snow with Kat leaning over her. They were laughing like maniacs despite knowing that one or both of them could have been seriously injured. “What the hell? You’re crazy, get off me.”

Meanwhile, in the living room, Satori and Cody kept at it with Sam and Colby, teaching them along the way. The first person they connected with asked about Colby, so Satori and Cody took back over. 

“Way to go, Colby,” Sam jokingly scolded. 

“Shut up, Sam,” Colby joked back.

“You want to talk to Colby?” Satori asked as was met with a knock immediately. “Okay, what is your name?” She went through the alphabet and found the name they were spelling out. “Frank? Yes. Colby, do you know a Frank?”

“Not off the top of my head,” Colby answered, “Who are you to me?” Satori started the alphabet again and the knocks spelled out:

“Grandfather? No, Great-grandfather? Yes,” Satori interpreted. “What message do you have for Colby?” The knocks started back up and what it spelled caused a chill to run down everyone’s spines. “Protect? Protect who?...Y/n. Protect Y/n from what?”

They did not get an answer as they heard shouting from outside, causing Colby to bolt out the door immediately.

“Y/n?” He shouted, not caring that it was midnight. His ears were ringing, and his heart stopped when he saw Y/n laying in the snow. He could not breathe, and he could not register that the girls were laughing and not in danger. He slid down to be down by Y/n’s head as he held her hand. “Holy shit, are you okay? Do we need to go to the hospital?”

“All good, Colby,” she laughed, pushing Kat off her as she stood up. Y/n inspected the snow around her as she felt around her stomach,  “I don’t see any blood and I don’t feel any pain, so I think we’re both good.”

“Yeah, you and Kat look fine to me,” Colby sighed as he took Y/n into his arms.

“No, not Kat, no offense,” Y/n retorted before looking up at Colby as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She whispered, “Me and the baby.”

“Baby? Whose baby? My baby? Our baby?” He asked so quickly Y/n could not keep up with him as he held her at arm’s length before cheering loudly when she nodded her head. He ran back to the house to tell Sam only to find Sam, Satori, and Cody standing at the doorway. “I’m gonna be a dad!”

“Yeah, Frank just told us.”

~~

Part 2 ->

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[nachosncheezies]

In defense of late-canon x files (including the revivals)

I was thinking about this poll after I commented on it, and I kinda want to be brave and say more.

Short answer to the poll's question before I go any further: If you're a new fan and a sensitive sort who thinks you'll struggle with your blorbos Really Going Through It and you really need a happy ending, I suggest you stop at the end of season 8. Do not pass go, do not look at spoilers. Disregard this post entirely, close the internet, and go look at something that makes you happy. (Also fuck every part of society that characterizes sensitivity as inherently weak and bad and some kind of personal failing, you are valid.)

That said, "quality" as a concept is entirely subjective, and the question of whether or not there's a decline in quality for any story is wholly subjective, too. In the case of x files? I'm not convinced there is a decline. I am going to be upfront that I haven't yet watched past season 8, though I am almost completely spoiled on events after that - and the reason I haven't watched yet is not because of how I know events are going to unfold, but simply because I don't want it to end!!! Ohh, the tension between "I CAN'T WAIT!!!" and "Nooo don't be over D:"

When I first came to txf fandom on tumblr and gradually became spoiled about what happens in late canon though, I was often left uncomfortable and tbh kinda queasy about it. As I said in my comment on the poll, the hate for especially the revival and IWTB, or to a lesser extent even seasons 8 & 9, is very well documented. But! There are other takes to be found here on tumblr if you figure out where to look, and my feelings have changed!

The thing is, I have yet to find myself in any fandom where there isn't a vocal subset of fans who dislike the story after a certain point. I am not joking when I say that no one hates the things they love as passionately as sci-fi and fantasy fans. In my experience, it often hinges on the extent to which a viewer has strong notions on where they would like the characters to end up. In particular with series where shipping is a dominant component for the bulk of a fandom, I have almost universally found that there comes some turning point in the story where "let them be happy you cowards" is the dominant view, and things that compromise the attainment of a degree of romantic stability and/or domesticity are, to many fans, annoying at best and despicable at worst. But! As one tagset on the linked poll said:

and I think for any fandom, that last tag especially is so so so important. (I think that's harder for people watching a weekly series live, bc you have so much time to analyze and speculate and dream before the next breadcrumb drops, but I digress.)

So why am I saying this and how do I apply it to x files? Well, I eventually found that there are also a subset of fans who find redeeming things right up to the very end and actually quite like the whole thing! The things that I had seen people rage and ventpost so much about honestly never quite sounded to me as "out of character" or "untrue to the story" etc as those same ventposts made them sound. And I've discovered I'm not the only one who felt that way. Do I love that the spooky squad had to go through all of those things? No, those poor guys D: Life is hard and they have been through so much trauma. But do those events and their choices make sense to me in light of everything that came before? Yes! And I honestly can't wait to see them fight to overcome those things, breaking, healing, always learning, always growing, always getting better.

So if you're wondering "where does it go wrong"... well, I'm a completionist, as many people who've answered that post are, but also my personal opinion is that I don't think it does go wrong. If you're new and interested in exploring why I've gone from "vaguely queasy" to "excited" about the whole thing, or want to maybe balance out the impressions you're getting about the later seasons before deciding whether or not you want to see the whole thing, I'll put a few blog names in the comments.

Final admission: even once I started feeling a little more confident in the possibility that "actually ok maybe I'm not crazy, maybe this all kind of is in character and does make sense", there was one big plot point that I was NOT looking forward to and I thought I would never be comfortable about. In hindsight, I think my discomfort came from the negative responses being SO seemingly universal that I hadn't stopped to let myself truly consider other possible interpretations on that point. (I mean my initial instinct when I first read about it was, why are we mad about this?? CSM is literally the most unreliable narrator in history???? it's obviously fake news?????? this must be either a fever dream someone's having or it's a misdirection ploy against whatever shadowy forces might still be lurking?????????????? but for whatever reason I guess I had halfway written that off.) Happily, just last month there's a new post-s11 novel out, and although reviews for the book as a whole are mixed, it seems to have laid the groundwork for resolving that plot issue in a way I think most fans would be broadly happy with. If you're interested in being spoiled about that and seeing how, I recommend searching #perihelion on @agent-troi who liveblogged reading it with receipts, scroll back chronological-style to the first post on the subject and see how it unfolded. (And never forget that Dana Katherine Scully is the queen of denial as a coping mechanism lol)

Everyone's mileage will vary. Each person can feel however they want! But for anyone new, I wanted you to know that the very many ventposts you might be seeing are not all there is to this show or its fandom. Some of us love it despite - or even because of - all the things that went "wrong". I think we just don't talk about it as much.

[airgiodslv]

I skipped the July creation wrap-up because nearly everything I worked on was for challenges revealed in August. There's a lot!

Fics:

Guess That Voice: WIK Edition

KinnPorsche, Kim/Chay, rated T

Kim is grilled within an inch of his life about Wik’s personal life, his projects, and his future plans. Chay takes meticulous notes on his phone the whole time. Kim has trained with professional interrogators who are less intimidating than Chay crafting a bomb to drop on Twitter.

“It’s not for Twitter,” Chay corrects him. Kim has a short-lived moment of relief before Chay clarifies: “I’m writing Wikfic.”

(Fic Text + Podfic)

The Shadow Lyctors

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe & The Locked Tomb Series - Tamsyn Muir, rated M

Moonshine was the cavalier primary to Sunshine, Third Saint to serve the King Undying. It is unclear whether this was his given name, or how Sunshine has memorialized him after death. Sunshine calls him ‘an Alexandrite’, referring to the branch of Sixth House cavaliers whose attractiveness and skill earned them an education in erotic poetry and a Cohort assignment, for the express purpose of finding a mate to diversify the ailing Sixth House gene pool.

Given Sunshine’s sense of humor, it is possible this was a joke.

(A fandom Wiki for a fictional book trilogy)

Podfic Triptych + Ficlet: Sunshine and Rain, written by TheCookieOfDoom, shubaka, and AirgiodSLV

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe, Sunshine/Rain, rated T

untitled ficlet, written by TheCookieOfDoom The being coalesces from smoke and shadow.

from where the light shines, written by shubaka The Rain God discovers a man on a rooftop, lying in a pool of his own blood.

ghost light, written by AirgiodSLV On the night of Wan Ok Phansa, Sunshine dances on the Mekong River.

by the light of the sun, a remix of to have and to hold by shubaka

Jeff Satur Cinematic Universe & Wuju Bakery, Sunshine/Ghost, Sunshine/Passion, rated G

Most people forget that Sunshine is the scion of a dynasty himself, too used to thinking of him only as Prince Raon’s companion.

Passion, however, forgets very little that could prove useful to him.

hiraeth and hwyl, written & performed by The Sentient Hive (AirgiodSLV, CompassRose, ellejabell, epaulettes, kitkat50311, mahons-ondine, minnabird, sisi_rambles)

Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones & Piranesi - Susanna Clarke, rated G

You find yourself looking at a door.

It looks like an ordinary door, but you’re somehow certain that it isn’t.

In theory, you could open the door…but something warns you off.

You might not survive, if you pass through that door. You might no longer be you.

Podfics & Audio:

you could cut ties with all the lies (that you've been living in), written by Nemainofthewater

Nirvana in Fire, Lin Chen/Xiao Jingyan & Mei Changsu, rated M

“Sir Sū,” Jĭngyán said, “Forgive me, but I can’t help but feel strange referring to you in such a manner after such intimacies.”

“Ah,” said Lìn Chén, abruptly thrown out of his warm, post-coital state, “No, Your Highness is going to have to trust me on this, calling me Chángsū is really going to spoil the mood.”

Listen to the radio, audio collage of music & interviews by Jeff Satur, with art by TheCookieOfDoom

On a desolate planet under distant stars, these heroes fight against the corporations that control society. Late at night, you can hear them broadcast to each other on pirate radio frequencies, sending secret messages across the airwaves...

"Fuck it, I'm adopting her," said John Gaius, not knowing the paperwork wasn't necessary, written by Naamah_Beherit

The Locked Tomb Series - Tamsyn Muir, rated T

Gideon, a highly distinguished Cohort lieutenant, saves the day—and the girl—and then gets stuck in the lift of The Erebos with a man feeding her peanuts as if they have all the time in the world. They don't, but if he doesn't mind, then why should she?

baby I, baby I, I'm caught in the middle, written by IsleofSolitude

KinnPorsche, Kim/Chay, Chay/OMC, rated E

Seth has had threesomes before. He knows he’s great at sex—that sex with him is something Chay enjoys immensely. He and Chay have a strong relationship, he knows Chay intimately. He’s never had a third with him and an omega during a heat before, but Kim’s sort of attractive. Besides, they are in his home. There’s no reason to not be okay with it. If things go badly, he can just kick Kim out.

(the steal the show inspired threesome omegaverse inspired by a dream)

love, let my love inside go free, written by daltoneering

KinnPorsche, Kinn/Porsche, rated E

They burst to the surface gasping for breath, water clogging Porsche’s ears, distorting the brightness of Kinn’s laughter across the pool into muffled echoes along the tall glass walls of the building. He grabs for the side, lungs screaming.

“Fuck! You want to drown me?”

Kinn shows Porsche just how grateful he is for the perfect first date.

History Talking to Itself, written by Sour_Idealist

Teixcalaan Series - Arkady Martine, Mahit Dzmare/Three Seagrass, Yskandr Aghavn/Nineteen Adze/Six Direction, Past Mahit Dzmare/OFC, rated T

Twelve excerpts from Teixcalaan and from Lsel Station.

[toutvatoujoursbien]

Do you ever feel like this is a little too much of an echo chamber of people feeding each other crazy ideas so much that it becomes truth? I am floored by the N/L chemistry and would love them together if that’s what they want but they have never said that and it is feeling weird. Sometimes I feel gaslighted! I read something on Reddit about fandoms in general following this same pattern and I wonder if I have turned into a tin-hatter myself by shipping them (first time I have ever followed celebs like this). I hope this doesn’t get me blocked. I am feeling a little uneasy lately (I really lead a very normal life with plenty of friends and family and I “touch grass”) but just wondering if I am alone.

Anon, thank you for being brave and sending this ask. I know the past 24-ish hours have been absolutely insane in the fandom and I can understand that if anyone has a different opinion, they might be hesitant to share it (and I'm talking about BOTH sides of this "argument" right now - I know people are feeling riled up right now but everyone, please take some deep breaths). I want to make sure I'm answering your ask with thoughtfulness and sincerity, so here goes:

(Also, I started answering this ask at around 11 am EDT, so before some bombs started being revealed, IYKYK. So apologies, my brain is all over the place rn.)

I think it's totally possible to enter an "echo chamber" when it comes to fandoms and shipping. I will use myself as an example with how I was getting a lot of my info when I started in this fandom at the beginning of the year. I was really only on Twitter (cringe, I know...) and because I was interacting with one specific portion of the fandom, I had a skewed view of the whole situation. You are what your algorithm gives you on social media/what you teach it 😅 And even though I don't necessarily enjoy seeing certain things on my feed or timeline, at least for me here on Tumblr, it feels mostly less toxic.

I also think it's really understandable to feel gaslighted about the entire press tour and N/L's relationship. We watched dozens and dozens of interviews, behind-the-scenes and promos and I don't think it's a coincidence that so many in the general audience started to question whether or not they were dating. Like I keep saying, the chemistry is fucking off the charts between them. (Edit to add: I also don't think so many would have stumbled head over feet into this ship if it also wasn't for the deep and long-term friendship between them. I know that's what drew me in, for sure. There is HISTORY there.)

IMO, as much as we joke about our delulu and whatnot, I feel like as long as you're respectful and keep it to the appropriate corners of the internet, I don't think you've turned into a tin-hatter. The problem is when folks take it to their pages and/or feel entitled to individuals behaving a certain way, like an expectation is the given. Another issue I see is when projection starts to overtake para-social relationships. Lastly, I also want to emphasize that fandom/shipping is supposed to be fun and if you aren't feeling it anymore, then it's perfectly okay to take a break or move on.

Your feelings of unease are totally legitimate and you're allowed to sit in your thoughts and take time to process them!

For me personally, I'm taking the latest "photographic evidence" with grains of salt. I'm just not sure I believe a narrative other than N and JD are in the same friend group - a friend group who all attended the same festival for the most part. I'm also not sure what I think about these photos being dropped a week afterwards; the timing of all the various events over the past week is enough to raise my eyebrows, for sure.

I will also say - and this is probably an unpopular opinion - but if this rumored relationship turns out to be completely true - I will have the same issues about a power imbalance between N and JD because of their age, life experience, etc. I just have a hard time believing N, a woman near my age, would ever consider dating someone so young (and yep, aware that this is projection on my part). I just can't help but wonder that Nicola, someone we've witnessed be very private about her dating life over the last several years, has been so openly "caught" with JD without it raising my suspicions. It's at least enough to make me pause and question it all, you know? I won't get too deep into my conspiracy theories (maybe for a later post).

Anyway, I'm not sure if this has made you feel better, Anon. But I want you to know that you aren't alone. I'm always here to listen if you have any further asks 💕

[barrenclan]

I think catabolic seed by the scary jokes is very slugpelt, maybe about her life in general?

Yeah, I think so! I like the themes in this song about trying to take control of your life by reaching out to other people, but getting denied. That's very Slugpelt.

Also, check out this awesome PMV with Catabolic Seed, which I just have to show off cause I love it so much.

"But is bad luck really such a crime? If you won't be my valentine, could you at least give me a little bit of sympathy?"

"I don't care if I'm losing myself in the garden of earthly delights I could drop dead right where I stand, and I wouldn't mind"

You guys always find such interesting songs. I like this one. It's definitely got good Rainhaze energy.

"even through the pain animals cannot change dance with the skeletons and float away"

"eat and then die all your siblings cast aside too"

"see with new eyes a world ready to despise you"

No, no one's recommended this Hannibal fansong yet. But nice call for Ranger talking to Rainhaze!

"So look in the mirror And tell me, who do you see? Is it still you? Or is it me?"

"Do you feel the hunger Does it howl inside? Does it terrify you? Or do you feel alive?"

That's a good classic ask, back from the beginning of the blog. Never forget Christmas music Daff.

"Underground, boxed and glum Left you there for rot All my fears are overgrown Will someone burn this grove?"

"Welcome home! It's been a while Do you miss your head? With your tattered clothes and your bloody nose?"

I LOVE Vulture Culture! That song is great. I've been wanting to do a version of its animation meme for years now with a fandom I'm in. Maybe someday.

It can be a Rainhaze song and a Defiance song. They're so interlinked now, right?

"We live and die in a vulture culture We crucify anyone we hunger Gemini and a broken brother We live and die, my friend"

"Well, I guess I made my bed Now I gotta lie in it Like a suicidal kiss I got a guilty conscience"

BarrenClan is a cursed land!...

"The curse ruled from the underground, down by the shore And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before"

"If they called on every soul in the land, on the moon Only then would they know a blessing in disguise"

Asphodelpaw's themesong is a MARINA song, so you're already halfway there! I also agree with you about the idea of Asphodel feeling like she has to put on a strong front and pretend like she doesn't have any genuine feelings.

"It's okay to say you've got a weak spot You don't always have to be on top Better to be hated Than loved loved loved for what your not"

"You're vulnerable, you're vulnerable You are not a robot You're lovable, so lovable But you're just troubled"

What a wonderful title for a song. I also love mashing my OCs into any vaguely related song to them.

"I bid the sunshine adieu! In 1872 When the girl that I liked Made me a creature of the night"

"On the shortest night of the year I told him he’d nothing to fear As I bit his throat and crooned as he choked “Together forever my dear”

I'm certain this song has been suggested before, but that's only because any song from The Crane Wives discography could fit into PATFW.

"He taught me that the hand that feeds Deserves to be bitten when it beats He taught me how to break my chains And that money ain't worth a thing"

"Reminding me how little I have But as for time, as for time It's mine, it's mine"

Poor Pinepaw! He really does know too much, often envious of who he used to be.

...yeah, that's going on the playlist.

"Everything here is built on bones

Everything everything everything

And men will do as they’re foretold

Everything everything everything

Visions you don’t want to see

Everything everything everything

Hide your face from prophecy"

If I'm being real - since this song is so desert-themed, it's giving much bigger Saltburn's Clan energy, especially with the line about "mountain cats". (Blasting beams into the 3 people who read this's head to go read SBC at @nanistar)

If you want my opinion, I would say Slugpelt.

"So, if I can wait five more In this shape that I abhor I'll sleep with an open door Knowing you haven't touched a cell on my body"

"Now, my love carries the task Of handling the aftermath Can you smooth the looping lines Of fingerprints before your time?"

Lol I ran out of video embeds

[cloangi]

Get to know me 🔥

**Post may be updated every so often to change wording, to add/delete things, etc

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

Part 1 of Bio - Information for starters⤵️

Fine to interact:

Under my age (15)

A bit over 18

A furry (not the gross kind though. Just the ones who dress up for fun)

Part of LGBTQ+

Overall everyone is welcome‼️

Do NOT interact (I seriously dont want any sort of conflict here):

Homophobic

Transphobic

Racist (if you're going out your way to harass people and be an overall bitch that is)

Phobia against any religion

Into sick activities (you already know what I mean by this 😐)

Against the military in any way (We get the whole propaganda stuff, but don't hate people who are active duty, in the reserves, etc. If someone wants to join, don't hate on them and spread death threats, its sad to see some people sre actually like this)

---

If I see any of yall tweaking out or being problematic over some shit, don't be surprised if I block your ass from here 💀🙏. I'm tryna keep this a "good vibe" type place. And keep in mind that I tolerate most types of behavior, and I literally never block people (very high and bold emphasis on "never").

So if I do happen to block you, you done messed up.

---

General things about me:

15 years old

I'm AROACE 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

ENTJ personality type

Only do art as a hobby (so no money taking or commissions people)

Art consists of my fandom fixations

You can refer to me as either my username or the names Baaz and Keegan. Either one works, I don't care.

Extra: Besides posting low quality drawings of my fixations, I mostly reblog art or anything I can find of the fandoms/fixations I'm in (or know a bit about), such as art, memes, and such. Or you can find some random art that isn't related to any fandom reblogged on here.

I am fine with people + mutuals sending me DM's‼️ Just don't make it weird (you already know what I mean by that)

Also, please do send me asks 🙏‼️. I enjoy responding to them and sadly never get any 😔

---

Note: You can make offensive + dark humor jokes (at least with me in the ask box or DM's) I'm into that shit. Can be racist jokes, sexist, sexual in some way, or whatever. Insulting me in any way doesn't affect me in the slighest as long as it's a joke. The more offensive the better—so go all out (not S/A though, that's something that even I'll never joke about).

---

Social stuff:

Quora Account - [Place where I've spent most of my time online, around 4-5 years or so. I post random things of me yapping of all topics or things I've found/seen].

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Part 2 of Bio - Fixations⤵️

The list below is color coded based on the fandoms I'm fixated on, or I just like

Orange = Fixated

Green = Like

Rainbow 6 Siege - Don't have the console to play the actual game so I watch it instead.

Call of Duty - Certain campaigns in it, mostly COD Ghosts though (Yes, I have played the OG versions of some of the campaigns on the old ps3 we have, and I do play MP Cod Ghosts).

Hell Divers 2 - Like R6S, I don't have the actual console itself to play it but it's on my wishlist and I really like the concept of the game, plus the community seems pretty fire.

Eddsworld - Used to have a HUGE fixation on this fandom, prob for up to 1-2 years (shit had a strong grip on me)

My Little Pony - I'm surprised this fandom is absolutely booming now. Watched the entire show (forgot everything though 💀), I love the art the fandom makes though, including the AU's.

Saiki K - Started to rewatch it again since I forgot the whole storyline 💀🙏

The Amazing Digital Circus - Caught up on all episodes

Demon Slayer - Watched all seasons

The Amazing World of Gumball - Havent really watched it much, but I really like it including the fan base

Into the Spiderverse - Have never read the comics, but movie-wise I like it

...Damn, you still reading? I mean if you're interested go ahead and drop a follow to this thing (you're likely gonna forget this account anyways, so free follow for me mwhahaha).

[lokisgoodgirl]

hiiiii do you have any tips for someone who is just starting to post fics?? I'm an author but haven't posted ff in literal years and never on Tumblr, so I want to make sure I don't step on any toes or break some kind of fic etiquette first!!! <3 tia

Hey sweet!😍 How exciting that you're dipping your toe in the tumblrsphere!!!

Since you're a seasoned writer, here are some tips about other things:

No.1 Piece of Advice - Talk to people!!!!!! Be nice!!!! Let your freak flag fly!!! You sent me an ask apologising for being all over my posts ATM...DON'T!!! That is literally the best thing you could do. It's how you get to know other users, how you recognise each other, how you build little in jokes and suss out your people. Please please involve yourself in your fandom. Fics, silly things. Exposing yourself (careful...) and getting to know writers is honestly the best thing. Results will vary depending on other users you approach, but it's the best way to feel like you're not posting into a void. And reblog things you read, or that make you laugh! Especially if you're a writer, and you read fics... do unto others as you would have done unto you or naff off with the right to complain when people don't share yours, is my view (not you personally, just in general) (If you weren't aware, on Tumblr, reblogs are the best way to show appreciation/ share work - but comments are also great.) The read more button. You need to insert this on your fics (it's what causes the 'read more' line to appear at a certain point you choose.) A couple of paragraphs/lines/whatever in, press enter and this button will appear on the bar

It's the black squiggly one at the far right. This means that your post won't be 3 miles long and is more shareable - and also it means anyone who shares it won't have a huge long post on their dash :)

Tags/Warnings As well as your fandom # tags a lot of people add warnings at the top of the fics (for things ranging from smut, to various kinks, to anything triggering) Approaches to this vary, no ones perfect - but especially where things are obviously sensitive topics, include these to avoid upsetting people.

Headcanon Etiquette If someone's thought/headcanon they've posted inspires you, and it's very specific and inspires an idea - drop them a message to ask if they mind you writing something about it and credit them in the post because I've seen some absolute audacity in my time and it's never ok. I'm in no way saying you'd do this, but it's my biggest pet peeve. Just be respectful of other people's imaginations, basically. It's literally all we have here 🤣

Feel free to pop me a message if you think there's anything I can help with and I'll do my best 💖

[that-one-weeb-buts-its-the-main]

Blood Upon the Snow| Dagda (part 2)

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Readers: female

Notes: man I reached the block limit again, be excited for part 3 yay, lets thank @fangirlingatstuff again for infecting me with the Epic fandom once again, and @majestichugs for waiting so long

Warnings: weapons, fighting, murder (throat slitting by thy enemy), blood, blood drinking mentions (by thy enemy), cursing, bro people really got beat up here

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Y/n was awoken the next morning, Nod shaking her.

"y/n! hey!" He argued.

"Mhm,"

"Don't mhm, me!" Nod complained; "There's a shit show happening!"

Finally, he got her to open her eyes, and his face of concern woke her up fully, castle works at the end of the bed waiting with things in their arms, "Nod, what's the problem-"

"Royals are showing up!"

"What!?"

"Come on! Get up!"

Y/n was quick to get out of bed, Nod handing her a cup of tea, "How long do I have?"

And down the tea went, she leans her head back as she chugged,

"Fashionably late? Fifteen Minutes? If you take any more than thirty you better, look good."

Y/n swallowed the last bit, handing the cup to Nod, "Stall for me?'

"Always do, Finn will be ready for you when you're dressed." Nod informed, quickly taking the cup away.

"Thank you!" Y/n called to him as he left, "Love you!"

"I know!"

Y/n rolled her eyes with a chuckle as her attention was quickly stolen, "Which one Princess?"

"What is the Queen wearing?'

"the usual,"

Y/n looked at the two, displeased with the bright color, "Get me the one that's white and green like hers, but with the lily petals and the moss shawl please, don't forget the fern choker and arm bands."

The ladies dropped their dresses almost; "Princess...that is..."

"Bold."

Y/n looked at them; "Really?"

"We love it!" They answered, "We'd like to add something to it if you'd allow it."

Y/n nodded "Of course, I trust your judgement,"

They nodded to one another; almost as if they read each other's minds, and one dragged her to her vanity, while the other rushed off to grab the clothing.

"If I may be so rude-"

"I live for rude," Y/n joked as the woman laughed and held a smile.

"Is there someone we're dressing up for? I am surprised you did not go for a long coat and a pair of pants,"

Y/n looked at the woman in the mirror who was doing her hair as quickly as she could; "I'm not sure,"

The woman gave a small smile as she pulled half of Y/n's hair up into a bun, carefully sticking delicate glass-blown hair decorations, a combination of flowers and plants, and to her request little bugs, spiders, centipedes, and bees.

Soon in came the woman from before with the dress and jewelry; in a hand, she held a delicately crafted dagger.

"Oh, my princess I'm certain you'll love this!"

"If you are to accept, you must go today," Ayana spoke, "the Celebration is tomorrow,"

Mandrake sighed, his brain had racked all night and well into the day, "Am I just to walk into Moonhaven?"

"I'm sure Dagda would,"

"That is not much help,"

Ayana picked up a bowl, "What is that?"

"The future," She answered picking up a gourd, carefully funneling whatever it was into it from its bowl.

"If you know the future you know my answer," Mandrake spoke, "and you know my concerns."

Ayana was silent; "But your answer still remains."

Mandrake was silent this time, he watched his sister work, till he growled, and rose to his feet, quick to leave, "Where are you going!?" She shouted sarcastically.

"Shut up!" He shouted back as she chuckled, oh, what a loving thing it is to have a brother.

From his sister's place to his castle, he hopped off his bird, guards standing attention quickly with salutes and bows of the head.

"My son, where is he?" Mandrake asked a guard.

"The library my king,"

Mandrake made his way along the dark halls and ashy walls, Dagda was indeed in the library, the librarian's son with him, stacks of books and scrolls in his hand.

"yes but the history goes much farther back than that," he informed, "it also depends on what information of our history we are exactly looking for,"

The son set the books on the table; "that would interest a wander," Dagda commented.

"A wander? Well, my Prince maybe the Walkers would be the most interesting,"

"The Child's story about plants that go between the kingdoms?"

"Children's tales are often told by Wanders, they tell of our history within a lesson,"

The two turned their head at the sound of Mandrake's voice.

"King Mandrake," The boy bowed.

"I need to speak to my son,"

"Of course,"

The librarian's son bowed his head once again and left quickly; "I'm busy-"

"Sure you are," Mandrake commented, looking at the sets of scrolls Dagda had help pulling from the Shelves; "I have never seen you in here,"

Mandrake looked at his fingertips, a thin layer of dust covering the causing him to rub them together to get rid of such dust.

"It piqued my interest,"

"Piqued your interest?" Mandrake commented, "or did Princess Y/n mention history?"

Dagda was silent; "Maybe,"

Mandrake could only chuckle; he remembered this library all too well; there was a bookshelf that was fake, and in there was a back room; with a single window, it most likely now filled with cobwebs and whatever lurks in the deep dark. He and Winslet use to take from the library and read together.

"I have been thinking about Princess Y/n's proposal," Mandrake commented.

"You have?" Dagda asked excitedly.

"We will agree to it," Mandrake answered, and before Dagda could get excited; "We will be cautious, it is not only Moonhaven we will have to worry about, we ride for Moonhaven before the end of the hour."

Dagda nodded, "You will not regret this!"

Mandrake watched him rush off, "Ah the youth,"

Mandrake turned his head, an old Boggin; he had been the Librarian since Mandrake was little; "Bookkeeper Garel,"

"I remember when you use to run in here with your little girlfriend," Garel laughed, coming to the scrolls on the table and grabbing a few, and shuffling to put them back.

"I will make Dagda clean up his mess,"

"Eh," Garel waved off the man; "make's my day go by faster, not to mention Lilith likes him,"

"you're son?"

"Grandson, practically my son," Garel responded, "I can't keep up with the boy, not like your son can."

Mandrake was silent before grabbing a few of the thicker books; going to help the old Bookkeeper; "I don't wish him to end up like I," Mandrake admitted.

"You are not happy with who you have become?" Garel questioned.

Mandrake was silent putting a book on the shelf, "Silence is my answer I see," Garel answered, "It is quite often the loudest one,"

Garel walked away to get more scrolls; "What do I do?'

"What is it you wish to do?"

"I wish to not turn into my Mother," Mandrake answered.

"Then you know what you must do," Garel advised.

Mandrake kept silent as the put the books and scrolls back, and like he promised, he left with his sister, son, and a platoon of troops, as every other kingdom would arrive with.

Y/n was still rushing to get ready when she heard horns from her open windows, she and her workers peeked their heads outside.

"Damn it..." Y/n cursed, watching the Northern Woods Kingdom arrive; Queen Euthalia walked beside her husband King Costanine their Shaman and General behind them; Atticus' parents and kingdom, there flag raised high, and pristine. Moonhaven's own people surrounded them on both sides respectfully celebrating their arrival.

"Do we know who's here yet?"

"The People of the Glaze are here, and so is Kingdom Noxis." One of the women answered.

Y/n grew silent, as they watched the Queen and King vanish into the castle entrance below.

"Come now we must hurry!" A woman advised the two to rush off as Y/n watched the window for a moment long.

"Princess," they called for her.

"Right-" she turned to join them in finishing getting ready, yet a dark horn and bells sang, catching her attention as she turned back towards her window, and looked out.

There they were, Wraithwood. Witch Ayana was veiled with moss and held fisted praying hands, Mandrake walked at the head, standing strong, staff in hand, and Dagda. Dagda walked on the opposite side of Ayana next to his father.

Y/n ran out onto her balcony. Moonhavener's cowardly in fear rather than rejoiced, Y/n leaned over her balcony, watching them make their kingdom known. Their flag was raised high and with pride, it had seen battle shown by the rips and tears and the ends.

"Quickly!" Y/n called to the woman rushing inside, "I must be quick."

The long and decorated table was set for tea, with Moonhaven's finest harvest of its fruits and honey. Tara's thrown room was decorated as it always was, flowers in turned and shining light down in the room.

"My Queen," Queen Euthina bowed, her husband doing the same.

"Queen Euthina, King Constantine." Queen Tara bowed Ronin besides her, "it is an honor,"

"Oh, please Queen Tara, we go through this every year." Queen Euthina chuckled Tara chuckled back, "We are the honored ones,"

"We do hope the arrival was safe."

"Very much so," Euthina smiled, "And we hope our son Atticus has been making a good impression."

Atticus walked up beside his mother; "An honor again Queen Tara."

"He has been a delight."

"General Ronin." The Northern Woods general spoke a handout.

"General Acker," Ronin spoke, shaking the man's hand.

"Sit please, we have all arrived," Queen Tara spoke; the other royals already sat; their general and shaman at one side, and the other is where their eldest stood, their eldest daughter sat next to them.

They took their seats; "Where is that lovely girl of yours? Y/n, isn't it?" Queen Misti questioned; the Queen of the People of the Glaze and Mother to Aalto and one other son Edur, who was off doing second born things; like not being at the arrival's tea party, with his sister Bayou, his sister Coral on the other hand forced to be at such a party.

"Princess Y/n will be down soon," Tara informed castle workers, pouring the new arrivals tea.

"I hope my son Jael hasn't stolen her heart," Queen Aeulla spoke, her husband, King Rowan beside her. She was Mother to five children; Jael her oldest son, Ather and Anil her younger boys, Anil was twined to the oldest sister Imberg and Alizee was the baby girl she had someone else taking care of.

"I could never do such a thing, not to such a delicate thing," Jael interrupted.

Ronin almost laughed and rolled his eyes; Y/n? Delicate? Yeah Right.

"I do hope a wedding will be in the fall," Queen Auella commented, "Perhaps even sooner?"

"We like surprises here in Moonhaven," Tara objected; "And Y/n loves to give them,"

There were laughing amongst the queens, but Guards running in interrupted them.

"Slow down," Tara tried to slow them, they panting heavily; "Deep breathes, what has happened?"

"Wraithwood..." A guard spoke; "Wraithwood is here!"

"Wraithwood?"

"Why is Wraithood here-"

"I need to get my people out of here! We are not at war!"

"You-"

"Enough!" Tara called to silence, and she received it; "There is...explanation to this-"

It was too late; the bell chimes were heard and in walked Boggin's; generals of each kingdom ready to unsheathe their weapons and defend their rulers. With ease they parted and stopped; and in came Mandrake with his son and sister. Mandrake's staff's end seemingly shook the ground every time it came down; the royals growing anxious with each step.

Then he stopped.

It fell silent.

Y/n rushed out of her room, Finn waiting for her on the opposite wall, he slouched, but quickly stood attention.

"Woah..."

Y/n smiled small as she stood there; "Too much?"

"You look beautiful," Finn complimented, Y/n chuckling, he held his arm out; "Shall we?"

Y/n wrapped an arm around him as they started their way; "Nervous at all?"

"No," Y/n answered, looking up at him; then nodded; "Just a bit,"

"How is your wound doing?"

Y/n touched her face, the stitches were cut out and replaced with sap to close up the wound.

"Good," Y/n answered, "it'll scar, but I'll be fine."

They walked down the steps, and down the hall, "You did good," Finn spoke, "Guarding your friend like that,"

"Oh, We're not...I..." Y/n tried to lie.

"My sister in arms was like you, she was a big believer in peace," Finn added.

"I'll have to meet her then," Y/n spoke.

"She taught me and Ronin everything we know,"

Y/n smiled as they reached the doors, "Thank you."

Finn looked down at her; "Makes me feel a little less alone in my own head."

She received a small smile from him; "Thank you then,"

"For what?"

"Making me feel a little less alone in my own head,"

Y/n chuckled; "it's rough up there,"

"I know that." Finn answered, "Now, Princess. Shall we?"

"We shall, second in command,"

He knocked on the door letting the guards know who it is before it was opened for the two of them.

"You're not welcomed here-"

Too involved in demands to make Wraithwood leave to hear the knocking, the heavy creak of the doors was the only thing to interrupt the group of Kings and Queens.

"Ah! So, the Princess decides to joy us!" Mandrake cheered; the sarcasm laced within his words was strong.

Y/n walked forward; letting go of Finn's guiding arm and stopped in front of the trio of Wraithwood.

"King of Wraithwood," Y/n bowed, Mandrake bowing in response, "I am honored you accepted my invitation."

She turned towards the witch; "Witch of Wraithwood." she bowed.

"Princess of Moonhaven," She bowed.

Then she turned towards Dagda, "Prince of Wraithwood."

He was frozen in his spot; he had never thought of Y/n wearing a dress, it was made of lily petals, two small fern accents on her waist, and a matching fern choker. To anyone who had eyes; and he had never been so glad he did, there was a silver dagger held into place with another longer fern on her thigh, dressed in elegance and ready to kill? She couldn't get any better.

Mandrake nudged his son hard, "Uh, Princess of Moonhaven," he bowed.

Y/n rose up and Dagda followed; she smiled at the three, and looked around, "This way please,"

They followed her, and Y/n showed them to the last empty seats; "Please, sit, may I take your staff for you?"

The royals looked at each other; Wraithwood had been invited. Mandrake denied her of his staff, and she was quick to pour them all tea, before taking her own seat, which Ronin was quick to pull out for her.

"I apologize for my late appearance."

"That is quite alright Princess," Atticus commented, Y/n's gaze shifting his way.

"You look very beautiful today Princess Y/n," Coral complimented.

"Thank you," Y/n smiled.

"Shall we discuss the season's plans then?" Tara spoke up.

"The same as last are they not?" King Constantine spoke up; "They never change."

"Perhaps we can discuss an upcoming event?" Queen Aeulla questioned.

"We are discussing the summer solstice already?" Y/n inquired.

"No," Tara told, "that is too far in advance."

"We were hoping on attending a wedding Princess of Moonhaven," Queen Euthalia commented.

"Who is getting married?" Queen Misti asked.

"I was hoping to discuss the sudden involvement of Wraithwood," King Rowan asked, "We have never needed them to keep the balance and yet we invited them now?"

"Wraithwood has kept their balance," Y/n defended.

King Rowan laughed, and Y/n's glance hardened into a glare; "What balance? The destruction of our kingdoms?"

"Everything we grow must die," Y/n answered.

"All of it?" Queen Misti inquired.

"At some points, how do you expect to feed the new?" Y/n told she received a hum in response; would she get someone on her side? So quick?

"I agree," Queen Misti spoke up; "The involvement of decay goes hand in hand with the state of water, decay is how most of our islands are made, I approve of the involvement of Wraithwood."

"Oh please," Aalto rolled his eyes.

"Watch it boy," Queen Misti argued.

"Any further questions you can direct them towards me, I invited Wraithwood," Y/n spoke.

"Well certainly we aren't giving them weapons for the games," King Rowan argued.

"I agree with Wraithwood rejoining," Queen Misti agreed, "but war has been strong between Wraithwood and Moonhaven, they should not be in the games this year,"

"King of Wraithwood?" Y/n asked, "Your opinion?"

"I am a guest, by your rule, I follow," Mandrake answered.

"Then it's no," Queen Aeulla snapped.

"By my rule." Y/n corrected, "Yet the answer is clear, Wraithwood will not compete."

Damn it.

"Going back to the season's plans," Tara spoke back up.

Y/n stayed silent the whole time, Dagda catching the corner of her eye occasionally; it only caused her to look away and drink from her cup of tea.

Well into the day they finished, younger kids were returned to the royals, and they walked out for the people to shout in their praise one set at a time.

Y/n and Wraithwood stayed back, "King Mandrake, please, excuse their rudeness-"

"Enough."

Y/n grew to silence, "I commend you on your boldness, both yesterday and today."

Y/n bowed her head, "I almost must thank you; my son may not be here without you." Mandrake thanked.

"We knew how it'd be before we accepted your invitation, we knew how'd it be after." Mandrake finalized, Y/n nodding.

"Thank you for coming." Y/n thanked.

"Thank you for taking the initiative," Ayana told.

Y/n nodded, looking at Dagda finally, "Will you stay for the night celebrations?"

It was clear she was trying to be neutral, yet the small and hopeful smile Y/n gave Dagda said it all; Will you be with me for the night?

"i-"

"Wraithwood!" was announced.

"that's your call..." Y/n spoke.

"yeah..."

A moment of silence, before Mandrake had to drag his son away. The crowd of people was silent, yet the Boggins cheered and Y/n from inside only smiled.

"Moonhaven!"

Cheers were louder in Moonhaven's name, Y/n, and Tara walking out side by side.

"We welcome the Spring Equinox united! And together!" Tara called to the people who only grew louder; by this time; people had come from other kingdoms, ready to celebrate and dance the days away, united.

It went from royal celebration to party below; groups naturally separated themselves, and Mandrake almost called his people home. Yet the way his son looked at Y/n convinced him to say otherwise. Thrones were down for the royals despite Y/n not truly wanting to sit in one and mingle amongst the people instead.

It gave her time to think, at least, she hadn't done a lot of that as of recent, it was just go, go, go. She looked over at Tara and Ronin, Tara sat polite and pretty as ever. It was in her nature to be caring. Ronin simply wanted to protect, yet the distance between the young royal's section and the older royals section felt larger than it was truly. When all was just a few chairs with a gap between the two creating a singular row.

Maybe she had pushed her ideas too much, yet she had never really pushed anything in her life. She followed each and every rule.

"Princess Y/n-"

Her focus was broken, and she blinked back into reality, "Nod, hey."

Nod smiled. He was dressed nicer than their usual attire, "If you're not too busy you wanna ya know..."

He pointed with a thumb behind him, past the crowds of people there was a man selling sweets.

"I could use a sweet." Y/n answered getting up to quickly follow her, Finn who was at her back stayed still, "I'll be back Finn."

He sent a smile and nod.

"Are you not supposed to go with her?" Jael asked.

"Princess Y/n is capable of handling a small walk to grab a sweet. Nod will protect her if anything is to happen." Finn answered.

"What useless guards." Aalto laughed, elbowing his brother Edur who only ended up rubbing his arm, "It's not like she needs another sweet in her life."

Finn wished he could have said something: really, Princes were on his lists of icks for sure.

"Didn't your parents teach you basic manners?"

Heads shot towards Dagda, "Oh. The rat speaks." Alto chuckled.

"Brother." Edur complained.

"Don't be a baby." Alto argued.

Eudr grew quiet he hugged his previously hit arm.

"Don't pick on him!" Aether spoke up on his behalf.

"Aether." Jael snapped.

"No wonder you went to war with us." Coral leaned over to Dagda, "Boys are idiots dont let them get to you-"

"Shut it, Coral!" Her brother argued.

"Suck on a bag of nuts!" She snapped back then turned back to Dagda, "I'm Coral."

Coral was young: barely twelve-years-old, and her feet didn't reach the floor as she sat on the throne.

"Dagda." He introduced.

She smiled, "Mandrake's your Dad, right?"

Dagda nodded, "What's your Shamans name?"

"She goes by the Witch title. She's my Aunt Ayana."

"Ooo! Cool!" Coral cheered, "Edur is our Shaman in training he's my second oldest brother. Do you have siblings?"

"No." Dagda answered.

"Oh." Coral spoke, racking her brain for another question: she went silent.

Dagda let his attention be stolen past the crowd, Y/n laughing as she and her friend were given a chunk of honeycomb candy, wrapped in a leaf. She leaned down and away from his line of sight and returned shortly with a child on her hip, boggin in origin, and split the candy with the child, the little girl happy as she ate her half, she setting the child back down to run off back to her family, letting Y/n return back to talking with Nod.

Dagda figured he'd have to get on Nod's good side; from where he sat, he could see the sibling-by-choice bond, from Aalto's and Jael's side, they could only see red they could not act upon. A commoner? With a Princess?

"Atticus can you believe this?"

Atticus was silent as he watched Y/n, "Atticus!"

He looked to the side, Aalto sitting there, "who does he think he is,"

"The maid boy?" Atticus questioned; "he's just that, dirt has more value than him."

"They're friends," Dagda spoke up.

"You know...whatever you really are," Aalto commented towards Dagda, "You certainly have an eye for the Princess,"

"Or he just knows how to treat people," Aether spoke up in Dagda's defense, "I wouldn't be surprised if she beats you up and marries him,"

Aalto only looked at Jael, before bursting out in full-blown laughter; Jael chuckling as he rubbed the back of his neck," What do you know of women? Child?"

"Leave him alone!" Eudr argued.

"I told you to shut it," Aalto ordered.

"Here we go," Imberg finally spoke up.

"Such idiots," her twin Anil mumbled.

Y/n stood with Nod, talking as they ate their candy; "So... I was thinking."

"Oh?" Y/n asked, "Is that a good idea?"

"Just hear me out," Nod spoke; "And I know it'll sound weird- like really weird,"

Y/n raised a brow, "What if you... hypothetically, didn't marry Prince Atticus."

Y/n paused, before breaking out into full blown laughter; "You think- I? me- I'm sorry I-"

She couldn't contain her laughter as she glanced back at him; and his face was full of hurt; "I just don't think you should be with someone like him-"

Y/n paused, "Nod, what are you talking about?"

"Y/n be serious," Nod told, "The flowers...the looks, he was in your room."

"Flowers? Looks?" Y/n questioned, "You're in my room, we've slept in the same bed before, we're brother and sister, we were raised that way-"

"Y/n he's a Prince, just say it already."

"Say what Nod?"

"Come on!" Nod argued, "You love him, you're leaving with him!"

Y/n looked at him almost offended, "Nod I don't know who told you what-"

"It's quite obvious, I'm barely a guard, he knows what's best for you-"

"Who said that to you!? Was it, Prince Atticus-"

"If not him, who are you leaving Moonhaven for-"

"Why does it matter-"

"Because I care about you!" he shouted, the argument starting to catch the attention of people around them; "I'm your brother Y/n! You think Ronin or Tara are the only ones that care about you!? You think I wasn't terrified when you were lost! Or scared when you took that sword to the face!"

"Nod please-" Y/n tried to calm him down placing a hand on his shoulder, the crowd around them dying down; "I'm not leaving Moonhaven-"

"Then what's going on with you? Do you need help? Are you leaving?!" he asked desperately, their conversation had died down, "Y/n please."

Y/n looked at him and shook her head. What was she meant to say? She was in love? With the enemy's son no less?

"I." Y/n started, the hope in his eyes: "I should go back."

"y/n-" he called, grabbing her wrist and pulling her closer to beg in a quieter voice, his hands coming to wrap around her hand, "Y/n, please, I cannot lose another person I love- What happens when you go? Do I just lose you? never to see you again? I just- don't know- I'm scared, please. Just tell me what's happening,"

Nod never pleaded, never like this; she looked down at his hands; how had she dug herself into such a hole? She looked from his hands up back at him; her eyes mirrored his, heartbreak; the sadness of being alone.

"I'm in love..." She answered him finally holding eye contact with him, Nod could crumble right there; he was right; hearing it was almost like rubbing salt into a wound, "...I... know you wouldn't agree...I know Ronin or Tara wouldn't...I- Well I-."

"Who is it-"

"Nod-" Y/n started; "Please don't-"

"Tell me he'll at least take care of you when your sick- when you're in your own little world and need time to come out of it-" Nod continued; "he'll be there for you."

"Nod he can't be there for me," Y/n answered.

Nod held an offended look; "And you expect anyone to just be okay with you going off-"

She was growing angry; the tendency to snap seemed viable more than ever, "He can't be here because we're in war," Y/n argued.

"Y/n-"

"I'm in love with Prince Dagda," Y/n finally snapped, and he dropped her hand, his eyes widened in surprise and confusion.

"Y/n-"

"I have to get back." She told him.

"Y/n please- just wait-"

Yet she pulled away for a final time and weaved her way through people.

"Y/n-"

Yet she was gone and through the crowd. Making her way back to her spot beside the other royal children.

"He'll do nicely..." Atticus spoke, watching Y/n storm off, and Nod's failed attempt to follow her.

"What?" Jael questioned.

"Hm?" Atticus hummed, looking towards the older teen.

"What did you say?" Jael asked.

"Oh nothing, thinking about a book I read is all," Atticus answered with a lazily warm smile, watching Y/n return to her throne to take a seat.

"You look stunning Princess Y/n," Jael complimented her, "I was hoping perhaps, now that you've returned from the floor, we could dance,"

"No," Y/n answered, her tone flat, and her mind somewhere else, yet it quickly changed; "You know the rules, dear Prince Jael."

"Ah." Jael answered then laughed; "How could I forget,"

Jael raised from his feet, making his way down the steps to turn sharply and walk along the bottom one, re-walking them, he kneeled in front of Tara.

"He's asking the queen if Y/ns allowed to dance with him," Coral informed Dagda, "A prince has to ask her to dance before anyone else can,"

"Her friend took her," Dagda commented.

"Yeah, but that's to eat it's different," Coral told him, "Plus everyone knows that's practically her brother, see Tara's the easy one, it's Ronin Jael has to get past, even if he gets past Ronin- which I doubt, he'll have to get passed Finn as well, her guard,"

Dagda looked over and up at the man standing to the side and behind Y/n's throne, he leaned down and whispered to her, he had been there the whole time in silence.

"And even if he gets past Tara, Ronin, and Finn, Y/n still has to agree," Coral told him.

"Seems like a lot,"

"Well, if you're really in love with a girl it's a real beautiful thing; takes a lot of guts," Coral informed.

Dagda watched as young men started to line up behind Jael. Jael gave his introduction; the perfect bow, the respectable attitude, the sweet smile, and there it was he was through, and off to stand in front of Y/n on a knee, hand out ready for her to respond.

Yet Y/n only stared off into space, watching beyond the crowd.

"Are you alright Ms. Y/n?" Imbreg's questioned, it breaking Y/n's stare into space.

"hm?'

"Are you alright?" Imbreg repeated.

"Fine...I'm...fine." Y/n answered, unsure of the answer herself.

Y/n just left Jael sitting there, no response and not a glance his way. But she felt eyes on her and finally she looked down.

"Prince Jael. Apologies, but...I do not feel the best right now." Y/n answered him: "Please forgive me."

"Not even a small waltz-"

"She said No."

Heads shot just one seat down, Dagda was there: with small Coral to back him up.

"Back off." Dagda ordered.

"And what are you gonna do about it?" Jael spoke, rising to his feet.

Finn stepped between Jael and Y/n's seat: "Return to your seat. Immediately."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the Boggin boy that slashed your face in!" Jael snapped loudly.

It caught attention: King's and Queen's looking there way.

"I said return to your seat." Finn ordered again, "or I will put you there myself."

"Under what authority?" Jael argued back.

"Mine." Y/n deemed, standing up, she wasn't in the mood for this, not right now, she guiding Finn to the side.

"Take a seat and stop being such a fuckin cry baby!-" Y/n ordered, the music stopped and so did everyone mingling and dancing.

"Y/n-" Tara got up, quick to diffuse the situation.

"Get this straight! Royal or not! I am not some bitch you can fuck around with! I am not some whore you can dog on!!" Y/n's voice boomed. She walked towards Jael as he started to back up. He almost slipped on a step as she pushed more and more into his personal space: "My family- My people come first! I know how you talk to my guards! How you treat my castle workers! And I know how you talk about me! So get this straight fucker! I am Princess of Moonhaven! I will do anything to keep my people happy and healthy! And I will not have some foreign cock sucker disrespect my guest or my people! So get your head out your ass, get back in your seat, and learn some fucking manners!"

Jael finally slipped at the last step, falling back as Y/n glared down at him.

"y/n that is enough!" Tara ordered grabbing her arm.

Y/n looked back at Tara the glare still hard on her face; she scoffed and pulled her arm away before storming off. Finn was quick to follow her and Ronin was quick to join him.

"Princess Y/n!" Ronin shouted after her.

Tara looked towards other Leafmen; "Go help Ronin, don't lose sight of her please,"

The woman nodded and a few more Leaf Men followed her in support.

"What a great relationship you have with your daughter," Mandrake spoke up; Tara looked back to glare at him; "Have I struck a nerve?"

"Get my son up, would you?" King Rowan asked his personal guard, who only left in glaring at Prince Jael, "he owes Moonhaven an apology."

Dagda took the chance of confusion amongst the crowds and the disappointment of the royals slip away to follow Y/n. He followed far enough behind searching guards to not draw any attention; and was able to hide with the help of the darkening sky, the sun was setting, and the moon would rise soon. Yet what was his advantage ended up being his disadvantage; he didn't know Moonhaven like the back of his hand; he didn't know anything about Moonhaven, but he knew Y/n.

She had gone over the border by mistake; messing around with her friend, yet she returned to cross the border; trying to leave Moonhaven behind just for a moment to experience a new world. Dagda figured to get away from her own once again she'd run to his.

And she did.

She was quick to cross the border; slide in the mud down a hill and was quick to hide under the cliff, back against the rock wall.

"y/n!" Ronin called out for her, "Y/n please!"

Y/n stayed silent; Ronin was right above her; "Y/n!"

Yet another leaf man called his name; ushering him a different way; and he ran away quickly in hopes that they found her.

She waited a moment before moving. Dagda crossed the border; the mud from last night's rainstorm was still present. And in it, he spotted tracks and was quick to follow them. He found her easier than he assumed; her tracks were fresh after all, and the mud that covered her dress still could block out the bright against the dark that Wraithwood was.

He pushed past the bushes seeing her through the branches and ended up at the other end, yet she was gone.

"Y/n?" he called for her softly, yet he was taken to the ground, a dagger put to his throat.

"It's me!" Dagda surrendered, looking up at Y/n who had wide eyes, and a snarl on her face, her dagger once on her thigh high into the air, yet her expression dropped and with it her silver dagger, "It's just me..."

"I...I-" Y/n spoke quickly getting off him; he quick to sit up as she started pacing; "I'm such a fucking idiot!"

"Y/n-"

"I should of just said yes! Get it out of the way!-"

"You said no, it's as simple as that," Dagda defended her, her white dress ends dragging in the mud.

"I should have just sat there, and said nothing," Y/n told him, turning back around and walking the other way; "Ronin won't look at me! Nod's mad at me! Tara, Tara's so disappointed in me I might as well as of killed a man! The one time I push my views! Everything goes south!"

"Y/n," Dagda called, turning to look at him he grabbed her arms carefully; he worried for her and it truly showed; "You didn't do anything wrong- You got my father to stop fighting and come to Moonhaven in peace. You're stopping a war."

"I feel like I'm just hurting more and more people," Y/n told him; "No one will stand with me, I don't know what to do-"

"I stand with you," Dagda told. His grip on her arms tightened the slightest in reassurance, "Always."

"If I involve you, anybody- somebody- I won't let somebody get hurt-" Y/n told him,

"You are somebody," Dagda pleaded with her, "You're somebody to me."

There was a slight perk in Y/n's form; "I." He started.

Y/n's eyes widened the slightest, anticipation quickly building in her; I what? I hate you. I'll help you. I believe in you. I love-

"I care." He paused in the middle of his sentence, "About you... a lot...I don't know what to do about it..."

Y/n pulled her arms from his grasp, he letting go; he scared her off- yet she took his hands instead, her hands were cold.

"I care about you too," Y/n answered.

Dagda gave her a nervous smile that looked goofy more than anything else causing her to chuckle shortly and smile back. In his eyes and heart her smile could make snow melt, and could convince any person no matter age, or status. Not to mention she was strong, mentally and physically; she could take a beating and could keep her morals and her standards, and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. His thoughts were shifted as a breeze picked up, and Y/n's grip on his hands tightened.

"You're cold," He spoke, pulling away from her hands to take his rat coat off to give to her.

"You'll be cold."

"I know where some are stuffed around here," Dagda answered, he taking her hand and leading her along the way.

Finn watched from his spot on the tree branch, bow in hand, arrow knocked, yet he was relaxed, an arrow pointing down in no ill matter.

He followed.

Tracking the couple from up high was easier than ground tracking them. He hopped from one branch to another, keeping close eyes on the two. Through the dark Dagda navigated them until they come upon a tree; it was half dead and partially knocked over leaning against another tree that stood strong.

Y/n followed him in willingly; they entered from the bottom of the tree; the entrance hidden by the roots. Dagda's own little hideout as Y/n presumed, a workstation, filled with half-made arrows, and the act of bracing left discarded halfway through, and bow silencers, little fluffy balls made from fur sat on his desk; it looks like he had made an abundance of them. Y/n plucked one from its spot on the wooden table; perhaps it was rats' fur? Maybe squirrel tail? -

Wood scrapped against the floor and crashed against each other; Y/n turned her head to see the source of the commotion; Dagda trying to set up a small little table; with two chairs.

"I-" Dagda was quick to make up an excuse.

"I was just getting tired thanks," Y/n quickly saved him, she smiling at him softly; "You'll sit with me?"

"Yeah! -" He answered quickly but toned it down, "... yeah...I will.."

Y/n walked her way over and took a careful seat, the fur end coming to wrap around her midsection and arms; she didn't want to sit on it. She crossed her legs; the slit showing her leg off as she hummed. There was a nice warmth to Dagda's little hiding spot.

"This your hide out?" Y/n asked.

"In a way." Dagda answered her, a new coat on him, a bit more worn than Y/n's but in good use.

They matched.

Y/n rubbed up and down her arm: "I'm sorry that...it didnt go as planned."

A cup was placed in front of her; she looked down at the cup, whatever Dagda said went over her head, not making it to her ears.

Had she seen this cup somewhere?

"Y/n?'

"Huh?" Y/n spoke up, looking his way, "sorry...I... just feel like I've seen this somewhere..."

Picking it up, she looked at the simple yet elegant pattern, and it was the pattern rather than the cup. She found it out that it was in a circle as well.

"You know it looks like it's meant to be on a fancy key almost." Y/n commented.

She paused.

Key....A key

"Where'd you get them?" Y/n changed the subject.

"Uh..." Dagda spoke, "This place use to be my dad's hole when he was younger. He never came back after my mother died. Must be from her."

"Sorry." Y/n was quick to apologize, "didn't mean to bring up bad memories..."

She set the cup down and as soon as she did Dagda was filling it carefully. It becoming quiet between the two.

"Don't worry about it," He finally spoke up; Y/n looked down at the steaming cup of tea and looked over to the cup being filled.

Dagda caught sight of it; she intently watched him as he filled his cup. His first thought was she wanted his instead and was quick to attempt to switch them.

"It's better the farther you go down," was his reasoning.

"Oh," Y/n spoke, she figured her staring had made him uncomfortable; "thanks... I haven't had any bundles from Wraithwood,"

Dagda nodded as Y/n was silent, it bothered the air around them, and it bother Dagda most of all, he didn't really know how to ask her either.

He sat down on a chair, just to the right of her, she looked down at the liquid. Maybe he should just do it? Ask what's wrong? He didn't want to bother her; she was the question asker after all; always has been it's how their relationship started. He had always been the answer; the one to inform her; and explain Wraithwood.

"You...okay?" He asked awkwardly as she looked his way shortly.

"Long day...sorry..." Y/n answered, tired.

"You can stay the night," Dagda offered.

"I-" Y/n started, her hands started to talk for her, and her eye's darted around; "Stay the night- I- I couldn't..."

Dagda cursed mentally; he made her nervous- she talking like she had when she handed him bread; he liked it sure; but he realized how frantic she had really become; "You don't have to-"

"I mean yes!" Y/n answered quickly; "Sorry- I mean- well I would like to wish you would be a dream- That sound's weird! I didn't mean it like that."

"Like what?" Dagda asked; "Sounds like you're being nice."

"Well- yes, but- I- Prince Atticus was in my room the other night- and Nod already thinks I'm- It wasn't like that I swear- I just-" Y/n finally groaned in annoyance, her own words against her and her head fell into her hands, she balling up in the chair, legs coming up to her chest, the two slits in the dress allowing so.

Dagda looked away, "He...sounds worried..."

"Nod?" Y/n asked muffled.

"Y.Yeah..." Dagda answered.

"I know he is..." Y/n told him, "I. Just never thought he'd..."

Y/n couldn't finish her sentence, "He'd?" Dagda asked.

"Have so much... anxiety about it." Y/n answered turning her head, so her cheek rested on her knee, and she looked Dagda's way; " I never thought he'd think I'd leave him like that either...it. just hurts."

She closed her eyes, "Maybe just take drink some tea, and take a rest before going back," Dagda recommended.

Y/n was still, eyes still closed in thought, and she ultimately nodded, agreeing with the idea.

Finn watched carefully through the open end, the uprooted roots helping him blend in. He was ready to shoot if needed; to swoop in and save Y/n. Yet he waited; watched her feet return to the floor and a cup of tea come into her hand for a sip.

Finn's verdict? She'd be safe here, respected, and heard. Something he believed she wouldn't be exactly if she went back to Moonhaven; even diamonds can crack under pressure, hit it enough times, and in the right spot it would crack and splinter like dried leaves you'd walk on in the fall.

Yet before he could turn around to retreat, he was gone; none of his personal belongings were left in his wake- yet a loud crack from a root he attempted to grab; and ultimately failed.

Y/n was quick to get up at the sound, Dagda following her; results of their training; never take anything lightly.

They looked at each other before Dagda grabbed his bow, and Y/n grabbed the knife Dagda had sitting on the counter. He kept her behind him; yet his hand held her wrist tightly in worried taste; she grasped for his hand which was opted for in the end.

"I've got your back," Y/n told him softly.

They were truly ready to jump anyone who was outside that doorway; yet when they turned the corner ready to strike no one was there.

They stood in silence; till Y/n's laughter was horribly hidden; she ended in a loud laughing fit. Dagda turned his head as Y/n tried to cover her mouth, yet the laughing continued.

"You-" Before he could even finish, she had her arms around him; her chin resting on his shoulder as she laughed happily; "You have a knife be careful-"

Yet her laughter filled his ears; "I would have loved to see our scared faces! Imagine how crazy we looked! All for a broken twig!"

He held onto her forearm as they rested near his collarbone, her laughter died down after some time- a laugh well needed; and she smiled.

"Thanks, Dagda." She cheered, hugging him tighter.

"Y.Yeah," He spoke, he turning to look at her smiling face: yet she froze just as well.

Too close, and sleeping over?

"Sorry! -" y/n quickly apologized, pulling away, "sorry-"

"No! No! You're... okay..." Dagda told her, she setting the knife back away.

"I... I should go..." Y/n spoke, setting the knife back down on the counter, "Thanks. Again- I really appreciate it."

"I can take you back," Dagda was quick to offer, "If you want,"

Y/n crossed her arms; bringing the rat skin cloak closer in on herself "Yeah, that'd be nice, thanks."

As promised; Dagda returned her home, A short ride seemed shorter as she wrapped her arms around his waist; and sat behind him on his bir, she comfortably pressed against him to even their weight. She was returned to the castle front; where the part had died; and the Queen had been; giving orders on where to search next; and given ear report on the findings: Nothing. The other Queens and Kings surrounded Tara in aid.

"Your child's missing!" King Rowan snapped; "He probably stole the princess after she ran off-"

"I have not been stolen," Y/n argued as Dagda landed the bird; he got off and helped Y/n off soon after, his hand catching Her's in assistance.

Oh, what he'd do to hold her hand for a moment longer.

"Thank you," Y/n spoke looking toward him.

He only nodded and let her hand leave his as she walked forward; he came to walk beside her.

"Y/n!" Tara shouted; quickly rushing down the set of steps with Ronin not too far behind.

Y/n's face was quickly grabbed; Tara inspected her face and neck; Are you alright? Did you get hurt!? Where did you run off to? -"

Tara paused and looked at what she was wearing; "What are you wearing?"

"Oh- I-" Y/n pulled away starting to pull it off; folding it over her arm; "Dagda- Prince Dagda found me cold...he was kind of enough to give me his cloak..."

She handed it back to him; "Thanks-"

"You keep it," Dagda told her; he could quickly feel eyes on him; "It's a cold spring this year..."

"Princess Y/n has plenty of-"

"Thanks," Y/n was quick to cut Ronin off, she pulled the folded cloak into her chest, "I appreciate it."

Dagda nodded before she was dragged off by Tara, Ronin following behind.

"Goodnight Moonhaven!" Dagda shouted towards Y/n's retreating form.

She turned around and stopped despite Tara and Ronin's protest.

"Goodnight, Wraithwood!" Y/n called back, finishing it off with a loving smile before she was dragged off once again.

Could Dagda fall in love anymore? Yes, and he did. Despite the side eyes, eyerolls, looks of disgust by the other royals: "does he really think she'd go for him", he only stared at where her retreating form once was, in his mind: she stood there still, smiling back at him, holding the cloak he handed her close.

"Dagda!"

"Huh?"

His father was already on the move and so what his aunt the other royals gone: "We are leaving."

Y/n stood in the window: watching the leaders of Wraithwood leave Moonhaven

"Y/n!" Tara snapped, "Are you even listening!"

"Yes, Queen Tara." Y/n answered softly.

"Then explain yourself!" Tara ordered.

Y/n stood in silence.

"Y/n!"

The silence grew heavy, and Tara grew in anger.

"Do you have no idea what you've just done!" Tara shouted, "You embarrassed everyone! You're people! Me! Ronin! You've embarrassed yourself."

Y/n was quiet; arms crossed; and mind somewhere else.

"Hello!?" Tara shouted, "Y/n!"

"I hear you." was her only answer, Tara could only walk off; worrying if she said anything further, she'd go off the rail in anger.

Ronin stayed behind, she had figured he followed Tara, try and clam her down. She wiped her face.

"Y/n-"

She looked back shortly, "yeah. yeah?" she tried to speak with a steady voice.

"I'm fine."

"I'll...go see how-" Yet before he could finish his sentence, Y/n sprinted into his chest, his body rocking with the impact, she hugging him tightly.

"I don't know what to do!" she cried into his armored chest, his arms hovered as she squeezed him tighter, finally them came to rest on her upper back with the other set above it, hugging her back; "I'm worried about Nod. and. And the kingdom! and-"

She couldn't finish her sentence before her heavy crying continued, he holding her the whole time; his hand moved into her hair, and he kissed her head. She quite literally cried herself to sleep, he holding her leaning body up before quickly putting an arm behind her knees and letting her upper half drop into his other arm and picking her up bridal style and bringing her over to the bed to sleep. He wiped her face the best he could before getting up to grab a change of clothes for her.

Ronin remembered it being easier when she was younger; and awake, when she used to dress in the cute pink gowns made from rose petals, either it be for night or day she always showed him; proud of her pretty dresses. Now it seemed Y/n owed just two dresses, the one Ronin had in hand, and an old coronation dress that she wouldn't even fit anymore; everything else a few pairs of pants, shirts, and coats, she was dressing like a leaf man now. He tucked her in; he hadn't done that in a while either. He ran a thumb over her cheek, her nose pointed towards him giving a full view of the scar he had put there, with his own two hands, it divided her face diagonally, an accident he could never forgive himself for. He leaned over; kissing her forehead where the new scar ended.

"I love you," Ronin whispered to her before placing a second kiss on the same spot, and getting up, he going to check on Nod, hoping it would give her some solace that someone heard her.

The barracks were full of the day shift. Solider and Guards slept, Nod had a hard time sleeping, he rolling from one side to another, he sighed, he told himself just close his eyes, burry them into the pillow in he has to. His back faced the open window that sat between him and another soldier's bunk.

Between the bunks stood Atticus, a sharp dagger in his hand. His eyes heavy and dark despite their unnatural fire color. He had the sweats, and at any moment he could start panting like a dog in need of water as drool came out the sides of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. His canines'-true fangs.

Then it started: his thirst for water grew and the panting grew to Nod's ears, his eyes opened yet his body didn't turn. His ears perhaps playing tricks on him? He shifted slightly to turn yet the sound of a bone snapping paused him, one after another: snap, pop and crunch.

If you're still enough, a monster under the best can't see you. Tara told the two children, Nod and Y/n wrapped up in a blanket together scared of the wind outside the room.

With his wide eyes, he slowly lifted a hand to cover his mouth of any sound.

Thump

Was it gone?

He heard a door open to the barracks and a soft call of his name.

"Nod? You in here?" Y/n called to him softly.

He was quick to shoot up and shout for her to run but his mouth was grabbed by a rough hand and a dagger to his throat. The door across the room was shut and Y/n wasn't there.

It's still in here with him.

His eyes turned towards the figure: it blocked out the moonlight, a woman, older, covered over the eyes and forehead with webbed fungus. Her eyes visible through the different sized webbed holes.

He took in a sharp breath as his eyes were filled with fear: even a sharp breath seemed too loud as nails were dug into his cheek causing his eyes to water.

The door to the barracks opened: another guard coming to rest perhaps.

A glass of water broke in the distance, the two guards looking over to where Nod's bed was; yet the window was open, and no one was there.

"Stop tryin' to scare me!" One of the men argued silently pushing his friend.

"I'm your boyfriend, not an asshole." The second argued, "We're just tired."

The door opened behind them, and one grabbed onto the other as they shot around.

"Ah...Commander, did the Princess get back safe?" They asked.

"She's in her room," Ronin informed.

"That's good, can we help you?"

"I'm looking for Nod."

They looked towards his bed across the way; "He's not in here sir," the second answered.

Ronin sighed; "Get some rest, we need to be on high alert tomorrow."

"Yes sir."

"Goodnight sir."

Ronin closed the door behind him as he left.

"You are pacing again." Mandrake sighed; he poured tea for his sister.

Dagda was silent, "Dagda!"

"What?" He asked not bothering to look over.

"You're pacing. Again." Mandrake spoke, watching his son go back and forth.

"He smells of her." His aunt spoke up.

"I do not!" Dagda argued.

"Sure, and you didn't invite her to stay the night?" Ayana questioned.

"You did what?" Mandrake argued.

"I didn't!"

"Liar," Ayana spoke.

Dagda growled at her; "She was in distress! I offered to help her!"

"Is that why you've been holding an oddly shiny dagger in your sheath?" Ayana questioned; "It's her's, clearly, it was on her thigh-"

"Would you shut up?" Mandrake asked, the spew of information irritating him.

"What if she's in danger?" Dagda asked.

"From what? Ronin? Please the queen would have his head on a pyke." Mandrake told.

"Getting in trouble is a child's duty to a parent," Ayana explained.

"And those. those-" Dagda started to argue; "Those princes! they have no respect for her!"

"Oh please, like they'll ever pull the stunt again," Ayana reassured; "Y/n made sure of that."

"I should go see her, make sure she's okay," Dagda tried to convince.

"That won't do anything but anger Ronin and Tara, and truth be told I'm more afraid of Tara than of Ronin," Mandrake spoke.

"What do I do?" Dagda asked, "Sit here? And what? let it happen?"

"That is exactly what you do," Mandrake answered.

"No," Ayana cut in; "You may have all the time in the world in your eyes till you see the Princess again; but in response, you must make something to woo her, trust the princes have already attempted to swoon her with lavish gifts. You have her yes it's quite telling; yet she has gifted you a few things, like today."

"Today?" Dagda asked.

Ayana sighed; "The dress nephew...it was stunning was it not?"

Dagda nodded; not even having to think; "The dress was both for you and her, she meant to catch your eye, and she did, especially with the dagger on her thigh."

"I-" Dagda started, "I didn't know-"

"Dagda we both have eyes." Ayana cut in, causing him to sigh.

"Yes. She was... beautiful."

"The dress in that aspect shows her interest in you; on the other hand, it signifies her power; she was open to showing her weapon without concealment and seeming willing to wield it as needed; she's showing off her elegance and power; as well as her honesty; only back stabbers and low ballers hide their weapons. She's fully open to you and to her people, with style, of course." Ayana explained, Dagda giving her a confused look, causing her to sigh.

"She's not a bitch and is actually liked." Mandrake simplified, his sister hitting him in the chest.

"Mandrake." She scolded, "men never appreciate the whole picture I swear. Return the favor. Get her something nice- something you know she enjoys."

"She likes bread, tea. Bows and arrows." Dagda started to list.

"Seriously?" Ayana scolded, "You're just like your father, never know anything."

Mandrake pushed his sister's shoulder, as they started to bicker back and forth.

What did Y/n like? Sure. She liked bread, she brought her favorite bread over, she liked bows and arrows, knew extensively about them too, she took pride in her bow last time he saw it, yet he had never seen her with it since she had lost the quiver to the water.

"I have to go." Dagda spoke up, cutting his aunt and father off, and before they could truly say anything, he left with haste.

After he sat, he couldn't be found in another spot besides his own space: ingrained in carving the small detailing of the wood below. He had hoped she'd like the gift. Carving, sharpening, wrapping, tying off, and sewing, he crafted his life away.

Sometime after he set most things into place, he fell asleep in the wooden shavings shaped like curled ferns.

Dagda hopped she had dreams as good as his. Simplistic, nothing large: yet a happy flight across open skies with Y/n by his side.

Yet Y/n was being awoken. She looking up through hazy eyes as the loose form came into shape.

"Y/n."

"Nod?"

"Hey-"

She was up quickly, hugging him tightly. He chuckling.

"Miss me?"

"Where did you go?!"

"Off-"

"You idiot you cant do that!" Y/n argued pulling to look at him, "You scared me!-"

"Ah...Y/n I'm-"

He watched the tears come down her face: "sorry..." Nod finished.

Y/n looked at him only to hug him again tightly, "what happened!?"

"Does it matter?" Nod joked, "Finn found me. Seems like I wasn't the only one lost."

"Is Finn okay?" Y/n asked.

"He's okay."

Y/n hugged him tighter, Nod could only freeze, hands coming to rest on her back: she smelt good, and he deepened the hug by burrying his nose into the crook of her neck. If he took a bite, she'd kill him, and no. Not Y/n, though Y/n would probably kill him too.

Y/n pulled away: "and I'm sorry." Y/n apologized.

"For?"

"For?" Y/n asked, "I hurt your feelings Nod. I'm suppose to be your friend. I should have told you about Dagda."

"It's....fine." he answered...has he ever been apologized too by a higher up?

Y/n smiled, holding his hands; "I'm glad you're okay,"

He looked down at his hands in hers and nodded, "that's why I'm telling you this."

"Telling me what?" Nod asked watching her hands squeeze. his.

"I'm going to try and shoot for Wraithwood."

"What?" Nod asked, looking up at her, "You're not Wraithwood,"

"I know."

"You'll be killed."

"Then so be it," Y/n answered with a smile.

"There not even your people-"

"And I'd do the same for them," y/n told him,: "I know you dont agree with me, I know you won't ever probably agree with me. I've hurt you enough by lying to you. I'll never be a good ruler. Wont even be a good person if I keep hurting the people I love,"

"No matter who they are? No matter what they do?"

Y/n nodded: "Everyone deserves the truth nod."

A knock came on the door, and two workers came in; the usual two women.

"Ah! You found him!" One cheered.

"Glad to see you safe Nod!"

Y/n's hand slipped from Nod's.

"Yeah." Nod answered.

"Everyone alright dears?" One asked.

"Yeah." Y/n smiled, Nod only answered with a nod of his head.

"Well. If thats the case was your special somewhere here yesteday?"

"Please tell us how it went!"

Just like that they were welcomed so easily on Y/n's bed, cups of fresh tea in everyones hand as they talked happily about Y/n's crush.

"He's...very lovely." Y/n answered.

"Ah! Im so excited! Wedding? When?"

"What?!" Y/n laughed, "Wedding? No...no."

"Im sure Nod would walk you down the aisle. Right babe?" The woman asked.

Such a sweet woman.

"Yeah."

"I rather you be my best man." Y/n answered with a smile, "Ronin....if he would..."

"Im sure he would sweety." The second agreed.

Y/n smiled, "but! I'm not getting married- todays too important to think of anything else."

"Of course."

"You'll be great."

"Thank you for the encouraging words...Im...nervous."

"Really?"

"The princess of Moonhaven nervous?"

There was laughter from the two women Y/n chuckling along.

"I...should get going." Nod spoke up.

Y/n nodded, "We all have lots to do."

Nod set the cup on the tray and made his way out. Outside the room Finn was there. Waiting for him.

"What the fuck is your problem Flint." Finn argued.

"Nothing Grunt, lay off." Nod argued back.

"Whats the report."

"Nothing new. She's in love with....you know as she suspected."

Finn huffed, "come on. If we don't do this right she'll kill us. You know the plan. Or do I have to go over it again?"

"I know it." Nod argued, "You'll grab Ronin. When the stampede happens, I get the queen and princess when she says we'll slit their throats."

"Good, now come on."

It was a busy day, filled with last mintue preperations and last minthe checks.

Y/n was dressed in a more elegant gown, it down to her legs and a cream color with gold embroidery of small flower batches and lining, a thick belt like peice of fabric under her bust decorated with golden lily flowers, to finsih it off, a shawl thrown over it to combat the the cold of the same cream color- yet she replaced it with the cloak give to her by Daga, she resting the fabric in her in-elbow as she would with a shawl. Yet she was hot, a whole archery suit below her clothing added a fan in her hand. She hadn't spoken to Tara the whole day. Maybe it was just the busyness going on. Maybe Tara was just upset with her still.

Y/n took to staying outside until royals started to acculmate: ready for the games introductions. Wraithwood arrived earlier than other royals that were even staying in the castle.

Y/n bowed to the three.

"King of Wraithwood. Witch of Wraithwood." Y/n spoke, she looking at Dagda, "Prince of Wraithwood."

"Princess of Moonhaven." Mandrake and Ayana bowed, "Dagda."

"Princess of Moonhaven." Dagda bowed his head quickly.

Y/n smiled, "Im glad you found us hospititable enough to join us again."

"My brother enjoys people being put in there place." Ayana told, "What you did yesterday amused him."

Y/n chuckled, "I'm glad we were able to entertain then as well."

"Trust me. It was more than amusing." Ayana assured, "I quiet enjoyed it myself. So few men in the world, only boys. I hope my nephew has been polite to you in that sense."

"He has, thank you." Y/n informed.

"You have a different...dress today." Ayana pointed out.

"Ah. Yes." Y/n informed, "The queen sent a request in quiet a while ago-"

"You're meant to match Commander Ronin. Are you not?"

Y/n nodded, "Yes Ma'm."

"Do you have a knife under there?"

"I-"

"That's enough." Mandrake pushed his sister out the way.

"Fashion is everything to a woman." His sister argued.

"Since when were you a woman." Mandrake told.

"Excuse me?" Ayana spoke offended, "I've always been a woman."

"Says who? You? Might wanna look in the mirror."

"Listen here you little shit-"

And they started to bicker back at forth. They were siblings, after all. Her shoulder was grabbed softly, she feeling the nails set on her skin she turned to look at Dagda.

"Hey." Y/n smiled.

"Hi." He smiled back, "You... like the cloak?"

Y/n nodded, the smile never faultering, "Reminds me of the good times we've had so far, plus it's cozy."

Noticing the fan in her hand, he had to comment: "If you're too warm. You don't have to wear it, you won't hurt my feelings."

"I'd wear it on the hottest days." Y/n answered, "because its from you."

Dagda grew silent, flustered even as Y/n still smiled at him: she never didn't smile at him, he was quick to change the subject.

"I have something for you." Dagda spoke quickly, "If. That is you'll take it."

"Dagda you didn't have to-"

One of his castle gaurds came over, box in hand.

"I..know you lost the quiver of your old set." Dagda commented, the gaurd opening it for him.

Y/n was frozen in her spot, "If you don't like it-"

Y/n looked down at the hand crafted bow a quiver beside it, sitting nicely in fresh picked cotton.

"Dagda...I...may I?"

Dagda could only nod in response as he watched her take out the bow.

"I know its not like your usual bow."

Y/n could only chuckle as she spotted two bow silencers on it, she remembered that conversation.

"Sets are always nicer..." Dagda tried to persuade her of liking it.

The carving was beautiful, one side carved of leaves and in the center a hummingbirds eye, the other of thorns and a crows eye.

"I tried to recreate your style-"

"Its perfect." Y/n spoke up, "Ah! It's beatiful!"

She cheered as she hugged him tightly, "Dagda its perfect! I couldn't ask for anything better! Thank you so much!"

He was so frozen in his spot that she pulled away before he could even hug her back.

"Y/n!" She was called.

"Its perfect." She repeated.

"Im...uh glad you like it-"

"Y/n!"

She pulled away, "I have to go- I'll see you out there-"

"Y/n!"

Y/n was too quick to rush off almost: "don't forget the quiver!"

She rushed back, her feet sliding to a stop to grab it from the box before thanking him again and giving him a rough kiss on the cheek in gratitude, and quickly rushing off.

He watched her running form, she running down the hall to Ronin.

"She kissed you-" Ayana spoke.

"Y... yeah..." he spoke, watching her slide to a stop at Ronin.

"I was what? Oh, right." Ayana told looking at her brother.

"Screw off." Mandrake grumbled.

Y/n was raced off quickly to meet with Queen Tara and Ronin. Something about game introductions or something, maybe it was about behavior. Yet Y/n was to invest in the feelings beneath her fingertips, her hands behind her back hiding the quiver and bow as she "listened" to Tara.

"I know I taught you different," Tara explained. She had been apologzing.

Tara contuined to talk, yet was receving no form of acknowledgement, "Y/n?"

"Mhm." Y/n nodded softly, her fingers running over the engraving of the crows eye, "I get it."

"You can tell me anything. Both of us, you know that." Tara told.

"Full honesty?" Y/n asked.

Tara nodded, "Please."

Y/n looked at Ronin and at Tara, "Wraithwood should be shooting in the games."

"That was a concil decision." Tara spoke, "I can not change that."

Y/n nodded, "Okay."

"Is...there anything else?" Tara asked.

Y/n shook her head no, "Come then. Let us be royals... again." Tara tried to joke but Y/n only nodded.

The spring games were always a festive time of friendly competition. Each kingdom out on there own leaf float carried by dragon flies showing there pride in there kingdoms flag.

Y/n sat besides a standing Ronin, on her other side Finn. The royals on each side of the Moonhaven royalty. Dagda had been watching her: bow and quiver he made her disappeared from her grasp, perhaps the queen had taken it from her.

"Exciting right!" Tara cheered.

"Mhm." Y/n hummed, causing Tara to frown.

It grew quiet between the two as each kingdom was introduced there people cheering, flags high.

Wraithwood's flag is nowhere to be seen, not in the parade, at least, she had remembered the raged ends that had seen combat marching it was towards the castle the other day.

"Sanchez is our hero this year." Ronin whispered to her, "I bet two dried honey combs we win."

Y/n looked at the woman that stood head of the Moonhaven float. She held her head proud with the post in hand: moonhavens flag flying. Her people cheered for her.

"I'll take that up." Y/n answered.

They were let into the water below, dragon flys let go and floats disbursed throughout the water.

Tara was soon to get up: ready to announce the beginning of the spring games in excitement the kingdoms together for fun and sportsmen ship. Ronin at her side just a step back.

"I'll be back." Y/n told Finn, she getting up and quickly leaving.

"What?-" Finn asked yet she had already left, he cursing under his breath, she'd have his head, "shit-"

And he rushed after her.

With the loud cheering the finishing of Tara's speech and her to return to her seat, she spotted Y/n's empty seat. She looking at Ronin, Finn was gone as well.

"Where did they go?" Tara asked.

Yet Ronin had no answer, yet an excuse, "water?"

Tara gave him a "really?" Look as he was quick to rush off to find the missing two.

The first game: archery: Moonhaven's opening game as it always had been. Moohaven given the luxury of the first shot.

Sanchez had always been a good shot, third in command. A married woman to a bakery woman somewhere in town, with two of her own kids.

Four targets, four shots.

One dead center, with two in the most inner ring and the last at the furthest outer ring.

Cheering clearly from Moon Haveners and clapping from the Royals.

"Not bad." Queen Misti commented.

"Sanchez is one of our top female archers." Tara informed.

"Mhm." Queen Misti hummed in acknowledgement, she watching the games intensely.

"And who is shooting for you Wraithwood?" King Rowan commented.

"Ignorance is not flattering." Ayana commented.

Yet before anyone from Noxis could argue back; they were up to shoot.

There second in command, a man with vitiligo, and with his family in the crowd: his newly pregnant wife and two twin daughters watching from the crowds.

"Its daddy!"

"I see. We gave him our luck today right we didnt forget?"

"Yes Mama!"

Two in the most inner ring, with the other two on the most outer rings.

Not truly know what was good besides hitting the target his daughters happily cheered from the side lines.

"Do all your women have this type of tounage?" King Rowan questioned.

"She will do as she pleases," Mandrake argued.

"Ah! My Son is up!" Queen Euthalia cheered standing up to clap for her child as he took position.

For everyones luck it killed the argument, and settled it for the moment.

Three centered and one in the inner ring, that would be a hard shot to beat.

"That's my boy!" She cheered, her husband trying to get her to sit back down with a light chuckle in his voice.

"He did so good!"

"Of course, he did dear, he's been practicing for a while now,"

She sat back down with a smile towards her husband.

Y/n watched from the crowd, she blending in easy with the people, after all her dress had been discarded, left in the stables uphill with the rat cloak over her shoulders and its opened mouth up top her head, the bow across her body and her quiver on her belt.

The commander of the People of the Glaze stood up to take her shots.

That's when Y/n started to move, people distracted by the flying arrows.

Unlike the other kingdoms, Wraithwoods tattered flag was back on land, all by its lonesome. Closing in on the lonesome flag crows perched on the treetops, hidden in their silence.

Nod had spotted her- finally, he couldn't do this, quickly he made his way through the people following her, he was able to catch her right before she even reached her hand out to grab the flag pole.

"Don't." Nod pleaded with her.

She turned her head, "Don't do it." He pleaded.

"Nod, I have to it's only fair,"

"Please just-" out the corner of his eye he spotted people walking his way; his people, "It's wrong- it isn't right-"

"Nod I-"

"Please!" he begged both his hands coming out to grab her hand, "You're a good person, I didn't believe it at first- but you changed my view, you do things out of love, genuine love! If you love Prince Dagda, you won't do it-"

He looked around, if he didn't leave now, he'd be killed, "Forgive me, please, I didn't want this, She-"

A round of applause cut him off, his mouth moving but she not hearing the words, and like that he looked around once more in worry and ran off as quick as he could. Leaving her to call his name and try and grab him back but he was too fast.

She looked back the flag post before grabbing the wooden pole and making her march.

"People of the United Kingdoms!" Tara announced to people, "I am proud to announce The Kingdom of the-"

Tara paused as she watched the Wraithwood's flag be walked; the singular entitiy by it's lonesome.

"A joke?" Prince Aalto commented with a chuckle, "I must say Queen Tara you have got me,"

Yet the calls of crows caught the ears of everyone, this was no joke.

"What is this? " King Constanine questioned, "Queen Tara-"

The person stopped, and Ronin ran out the stables doors, he high enough up on the hill to see what was happening below, that, and he had found Y/n's dressed discarded on the floor of an empty pen.

Y/n pulled down her hood, and the kingdom was full of gasp and murmurs of confusion.

She looking up at Tara's wide-eyed expression and tense shoulders.

What was Y/n doing?

"What is the world! Queen Tara what game is this!" King Rowan argued.

"People of the United Kingdoms!" Y/n announced to the crowd, "Moonhaven! The People of the Glaze! Kingdom Noxis! Northern Woods, Wraithwood! I am Princess Y/n of Moonhaven! And I will be shooting in Wraithwood's name!"

"Queen Tara!? This is insanity!"

"It's preposterous!"

"Your princess is filled with insanity!"

"Queen Tara you must do something about this!"

Standing in her shock she could only stare down at Y/n, what in the hell, what was her problem!? The look of shock started to drip with anger-

"You are not Wraithwood!" Mandrake stole the attention, "You cannot shoot for Wraithwood, every boggin knows the pride of there kill, this, is not there's if Moonhaven shoots."

A uproar from the boggins came; there pride clear, and loud.

"Then..." Y/n started with a soft voice, she taking in a deep breathe, before directing her sights on the boggins, she could spot Ronin on the move behind the crowds, "People of Wraithwood, I ask your permission!"

Looking back towards Mandrake and his sister, "King of Wraithwood! Witch of Wraithwood! I ask your permission!"

The grip on the flagpole tightened, as she looked over at Dagda, he had been watching her intently; and her foot slid back, and her body came down onto one knee, "Prince of Wraithwood, Prince Dagda I ask for your permission, and for you to give me the honor of not only allowing me to shoot for your kingdom..."

People stand on the edge of their seats; people holding there breathe, the wind standing still.

"...but to be part of it, by your hand in marriage!"

Another round of gasp and murmurs from the crowds.

"What!?"

"Queen tara!"

"Do something about this!"

"Please, Dagda!" Y/n announced, "I'd do anything for you, and I'd do anything for the people you love and the world you love!"

"Bold." Mandrake commented to his son, who was still stuck in shock, "I like her."

"Father!" Dagda scolded.

"You may. Attempt!" Mandrake told, "I am not so easily impressed as my son!"

"What?!" Tara snapped, looking back at Mandrake, "I understand the delusions of a child, but agreement to this!"

"You have raised her." Ayana defended her brother, "You should be proud of such a display,"

"This is insanity!" King Constantine argued, "Queen Tara please- You know this is wrong-"

Yet cheering stole the royals attention as Y/n took her first shot.

Dead center.

Forbidden love announced to the world took some guts, a good show of archery was an added bonus.

She walked up to Moonhaven's spot, Sanchez taking a step back with an approving nod.

"Not bad at all Princess."

"What was I supposed to do? Wait around for him to do it?" Y/n answered, causing Sanchez to chuckle, and Y/n quick to take stance once again.

Ronin went to shout for her; his plan to order to her to a hault. Yet a civilian came up beside him, another leafman on the other side and he was hit on the temple with the end of a sword, the two quickly dragging him off to hide.

Another shot to the center.

The Kingdom of Noix's commander was glad to step out for her, it angered king Rowan even more.

"Good luck, marriage, it's a... curse, but mostly a blessing," He told her in a playful tone, "I wish you the best Princess, may the light guide your arrow,"

Y/n bowed her head in response, he only doing the same as she took position, bow up, and arrow knocked, she pulled back and released.

Centered once again.

Cheers from the crowd, as she moved onto the final target, her fourth an final shot.

Yet Atticus wouldn't move, and he wore an expression of anger on his face, thing is he had seemed mad since Y/n went missing from the royal box, plans ruined.

"Watch what you do next Princess," Atticus snapped.

"Watch what you say to my people," Y/n spoke calmly, receiving a snarled expression in response from the Prince in front of her, "Sorry? Have I been unladylike my Prince? Perhaps you'd wish for me to drop on my knees in forgiveness?"

She shoved him out the way with a strong solider; he grabbing her arm, "Never send someone else to do your fucking work-"

Y/n froze in her spot, a foreign feeling in her stomach as she was shoved back by him.

"People of the Untied Kingdoms!" Prince Atticus announced, "This is who you look up too!? What pitty!"

She fell to her knees, holding her stomach as the blood pooled in her hands.

"Princess Y/n!"

Yet anyone that tried to make a move was held at sword and arrow point.

"A shame!" Prince Atticus spoke, "This is you're Princess Moonhaven!?

She was grabbed by her hair and turned towards the crowds.

"y/n!" Tara shouted for her, yet she was grabbed by her hair, and pulled back into the chair, a sword coming up to her neck.

Finn hand a grip on her hair, and tigght.

"Queen Tara!"

Yet a mix of the kingdom's soldiers dropped down, they forcing everyone back into their seats.

Atticus laughed, "Ah! Who am I kidding! I suppose I'm just a bit angry from not being invited! After all! My kingdom wasn't invited to the celebration- Last time I even brought a gift! You remember that! Don't you my son! King Mandrake of Wraithwood! What was her name? What was it...oh...that little whore from Moonhaven-"

"She's dead." Ayana commented, "There's no way-"

"Winslet!" Atticus commented with a smile, "Little old Winslet-"

It was sudden the arrow once on the ground; she had dropped it once Atticus had shoved her, was in Y/n's hand, and suddenly drug across Atticus face causing him to drop her hair and her to fall on her side.

What was once the face of a Prince was stripped away, Atticus replaced with a woman; a web of fungi across her eyes and down to her mouth that stretch as she groveled in pain for a moment. She ripped the arrow from her cheek; Fungi quick to weave its way over the injury, and Y/n was quickly swung at she swiped across the face with a slap so hard it sent her back to the floor.

"Now...Where was I?" She contuined, "ah. Right. To show no malintent towards your people. I brought...gifts."

Dragged from mainland to the front and center lily pads Nod, the real Nod, battered and brusied was tossed down.

"Nod?"

He groaned as he looked over at her.

"And...apologizes for my people. They can't help a gem when they find it,"

Finn was tossed down next, he looking worse than Nod, he filled with cuts and brusises, with a dried bloody nose.

"Finn..."

He looked over at her, but the expression he wore told her even glancing at her hurt.

"N/n..." he smiled weakly at her, just to be kicked in the stomach.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Y/n argued.

There was silence from the woman, "Hm...alright."

Y/n looked up at her in a confused matter, so easily deterred?

"Bring me...." she thought looking around, "ah...yes. that one."

Y/n looked up at Ayana, who was quickly grabbed from the royal box by the enemy gaurd, a growth of fungi and mold growing a path down towards the edge of the lily pads.

"Let her go!" Mandrake ordered.

"Get off me!" Ayana demanded but was grabbed by the back of her neck and dragged down the slanted path.

As she was dragged along the lily pads Y/n tried to get up, a soilder dropping her back into place with the kick of the back of her knees and the pulling of both her wrist together and above her head.

Ayana was forced to kneel infront of Y/n, and at her mother's whim.

"Give it here boy."

A sword was passed between the two, "No...No. No! Please, please don't - "

It was a quick movement, hair pulled back and Ayana was sliced across her throat.

Tears ran down Y/n's face, and as simple as that Ayana's lifeless body as kicked to the waters.

The screaming in the background was devastating to anyone that could hear it: Mandrake had just lost his sister to their own mother.

Y/n was picked up by her hair by the mother again, taken from the gaurd once holding her.

"I thought you had more bite. Shame."

The world froze, the distant call for pleads to stop and of her name faint to the ear, her throat had been slit, and she had been dropped to the lily pad below her feet.

If it wasn't blood curleding enough from Mandrake, Tara joined in: screaming for Y/n to come back: this was just a bad dream. Others were dazed, the scream from Tara the ringing in there ears as

"Take the royals inside. I want a tour of my new kingdom. Lock people in homes, Set them on fire if you wish, I don't care." The Mother ordered.

"Yes My Queen." A gaurd responded, he quick to give orders.

"Y/n..." Dagda could barely speak, shocked, what was once a marriage proposal was now a funeral, he dragged with the other royals back inside.

"You're a fucking Monster!" Nod shouted, "A monster!"

The Mother kicked Y/n into the water to let her sink, she walking up to a cursing Nod, a solider picking him up to his knees.

"You're a fucking monster!" Nod shouted.

"Drag him away," She ordered watching the boy be dragged away.

"Nothing to say? Hm? Or have I robbed you of your balls too-"

He spat at her, a mixture of blood and saliva hit her cheek - her reaction: the third victim to the throat slice and bottom of the pond.

"No backbone in these people." She sighed, "Guard."

"Yes, my queen."

"Grab the bodies from the pond. Drain them," she ordered, "I hate good wine to go to waste."

"Yes, My queen."

The mother walked off; off towards the Moonhaven castle as the crying of children being torn away from their parents, families being separated and forced in different directions.

Like music to her ears.

Flint walked around, avoiding groups of people and gaurds alike, he making his way towards the water: the facade of Nod gone, and replaced with a veil of mold and fungi over his eyes and some past his nose, his dim purple eyes scoured around carefully, before getting behind a rock and diving into the water.

Dagda was forced down the hallway, and he separated from his father, grouped with the other royal children.

Imbreg had started to cry, her arms around Dagda and face hidden in Dagda's side, most of the younger children had clung to him in fear.

"Its okay. It'll be okay." He told the kids, he carrying Imbreg and holding her close, "I've got you shh..."

They were forced and locked in Y/n's room. Well...what was Y/n's room.

"Dagda what do we do?" Imbreg asked looking up at him.

"Hey. We're gonna be alright." Dagda told her, he looking down at rhe younger children, "Right? We're gonna be okay? We're together. That...That's what makes us strong!"

"We're waiting to be drained of our Blood." Aalto answered he taking a seat against the wall, "Its what their people do. What your people do."

Dagda glared at him, "This isnt my fault-"

"Your right its mine I should have struck you down when I first saw you." Aalto argued, "Your head would have made a good stepping stool. We wouldn't have been in this mess if Wraithwood just died."

"Would you shut up!" Jaal argued.

"Me?" Aalto snapped standing up in his anger.

"Yes You! This whole time you just dont shut the fuck up!"

"Oh? And you did a real good job at that when Y/n shut you down did you!?"

"I was only rude to her to not have to marry her!" Jaal argued, "You know that!"

"What so you can go with that deaf whore!-"

Jaal was quick to move, and slap Aalto across the face.

"Call Maralin that again and I'll rip your head from your neck!" Jaal snarled, grabbing Aalto by his face roughly, "At least I ain't an artificial cuck! At least be real before you start runnin' your mouth."

Aalto could only glare at Jaal, who only held his eye contact, his gaze intense and deep, yet finally Jaal tossed Aalto's head to the side, releasing his grip.

"Fuck you." Aalto grumbled, rubbing his jaw.

Jaal turned towards Dagda, "I'll follow you."

Dagda nodded, "thank you."

What was he supposed to do? Children in hand and one other capable solider at hand? It would be wise to split up.

What would Y/n do?

"Aalto will take the children, sneak out-"

"I'm not listening to you," Aalto spoke.

"Then you'll be fresh wine." Jaal informed, "I'll sneak the kids out,"

"Get them into Wraithwood, hide them with the moles," Dagda ordered.

"I'll come back to help,"

"No- Get the people out, I can handle...whatever that lady is," Dagda told; "Y/n would put her people before her, she did the same for my people, it's right to return the favor-"

Dagda looked around, spotting the window, "Take the window,"

"How do we get them all down? It's too far to catch them,"

"Just...Let me think."

Flint pulled Y/n's limp body from the water's, her neck sliced, if she hadn't died from the blood loss she died from the drowing.

He dragged her from the water, and quickly up to dry land, he hovering over her deceased body, "no...no no..."

He was quick to pull a knife from his side, he lifting the knife to his face, pulling on the veil of fungi he took in a deep breathe, biting his lower lip before making a quick slice, he wincing as the fresh air hit the wound, little droplets of blood dripping onto Y/n's face and neck as he worked. He was quick to cut a thin vein from the fungus and slip it into the cut in Y/n's neck.

With a fresh source, the fungus took over quickly; the veins of her neck turned dark, and the thinnest vein was weaving her skin closed. With the wound closed it traveled up her neck, and all the way up to her cheek bone, it would spread more with time-

Y/n started to choke, Flint sighing in relief as she rolled over, coughing up water trapped in her lungs.

"Hey- Hey-"

she turned her head before pushing back at him, and his helping hand; "Look, we don't have much time-"

"Someone's over here!"

"Get em!"

"Come on!" Flint argued grabbing her arm and helping her to her feet before running off with her, back into the water, where they quickly hid low enough behind a large rock.

"This way!"

The soldiers continued there run after intruders as she peaked out; not Moon haven soldier's from the color pallet alone she could tell that.

Then it hit her, she turned back towards the young man, he gesturing for her to be quiet and follow him, she did. From the water and quickly up the path to the hummingbird stables.

Up in the stables where they were given a moment to breathe; she did so deeply; feeling a lump stuck in her neck she held it, and quickly rushed to a full trough of water, shocked by her complexation, shocked at what had grown across her neck. Just to look over at the young man who was breathing heavy still.

"You did this?" She asked him.

He just nodded quickly; "I did enough bad by you; and you did nothing but treated me with kindness...it'll spread; like all fungus does..."

"What is it?"

"Cordyceps...mostly." He responded, "Within the hour you'll be in moderate control to the Queen...she has to die before that."

"Why me" Y/n spoke.

"I may be her offspring; but I can't fight, not her." he started, "She has the kings and queens of the seasons in the throne room, kids locked up in your room...but you asked why..."

He was quiet, his lips once in a straight line frowned: "I set you up...I pulled you through this...I...it gets a hold on people. She gets a hold on people. It's not just the rot and fungus she infects you with... that...I...infected you with...its...bigger than just what she's made of..."

Y/n was silent, "Where's Ronin?"

"Dungeon, along with Nod" He answered, "And the other leafmen."

"Finn?"

He was quiet, "...I... he...and... Witch Ayana...are dead, by her hand...I'm sorry."

Y/n closed her eyes to gather her thoughts and forgive those who she had failed.

"Any civilians?'

"Dungeons and locked in homes; she's plan on burning them down givin' enough time. Injuries, but not casualties, not yet. She'll let them seep in fear."

Y/n was silent in thought.

"you're bow," He spoke, pulling them from there hiding spot; bows and arrows, her quiver still tied to her despite her previous state.

She grabbed the bow from him, and filled the quiver.

"And a sword." he spoke, handing her the weapon: Ronin's sword.

She took it, "thanks." And slipped it into her belt.

"I'll support you in any way I can." He told her.

Y/n looked at him; "Can you get Finn and Witch Ayana like me?"

Flint shook his head, "They were taken by the Queen...for wine..."

"If I stopped her,"

He nodded, "they'd have to have their head and attached to the spinal cord, it's the root of how the fungus will spread."

"Alright, listen to me, the kids are safe in my room, I'll storm the throne room-"

"You can't go head on she has guards-"

"Then from the back windows," Y/n adjusted her plan, "Get everyone from the dungeon, then get them to get civilians out,"

"Her forces haven't reached Wraithwood."

"Perfect. Get them there." Y/n ordered, "I'm trusting you..."

"Flint." He introduced himself.

"I'm trusting you Flint, do not fail me."

"Yes Ma'am."

He was quick to split ways with her, and she was quick to make her way out of the stables.

"I have to say Queen Tara," The Mother spoke, "I quiet like your changes to the place, last time I was here- the last queen, she was.... something else. And that is not a compliment."

Tara struggled against her confines, arms wrapped up and bound to the person next to her; rott and fungus slowly creeping up her arms.

"Ronin will kill you," Tara threatened.

"Ronin?" The Mother laughed, "The Lioheart!? Hah!"

She took a seat in Tara's throne, "To be honest queen Tara I was expecting you to be the challenge, or atleast my dear old son."

Mandrake growled at her, "That's what happens when you mate with a bitch I presume." She argued.

"My now dead husband was always a push over, I mean. I killed him as soon as I knew Mandrake was on the way, not my cleanest job. But that-"

She gestured towards the rot and fungus climbing up Tara's arm.

"That's something I'm proud of Cordyceps, took quiet a while to perfect, not only will you all be mine within the hour It's stopping- well, you. The challenge. "

"Then I'll kill you-" Mandrake threatened, which only caused her to laugh.

"You!? The cross breeding bitch?" She started laughing, getting up to make her way towards him, before kneeling; "But how can I blame you? At least your little whore has a spine- well, had, before I killed her and ripped it out,"

"I rip your spine out myself!-"

She slapped him across the face before she grabbed him by his ear, "Is that any way to talk to your mother, boy? I should drain you of what blood you have, but I don't drink cheap."

She tossed his face to the side roughly as he glared at her. Tara struggling against the restraints thats connected them.

"My queen."

She turned her head: four gaurds, two to a body dragging in the deceased Finn and Ayana.

"What perfect timing. I was just getting thirsty."

Flint walked passed gaurds and soilders, eyes gazed down, his goal the basement and then below that the dungeon. The trek down the long flight of spiral stairs was unbothered and was silent.

He opened the heavy door to the dungeon allowing the shouting and laughing to be heard.

"Let me go!"

"Aw! A pretty little thing like you? Why should I?"

Flint walked down the short hall, filled cells on each side, gaurds mostly and in the center of the room was his brother Grunt and some of his friends messing with a younger soilder, he most likely barely made rank.

"Whattya say boys? Im a single man-" Grunt laughed.

"Let him go."

"Oh here comes killjoy..." Grunt's friend grumbled.

The soilder turned around: the facade of Finn dropped and replaced with a half veiled face of web - just like the others built of rot and cordicypus. His skin slightly more rotted and infected than Flint's, after all he was the warrior of the two.

"I've got this. Don't worry." Grunt laughed to his friends pushing the young leafman into there arms where they held his arms, "Throw em back-"

"Let him go." Flint repeated.

"Got a spine finally Flint?" Grunt laughed, Flint gulping in response, as his brother started to approach, "I. I said let him go!"

"I. I. I-" Grunt mocked, the leafman being thrown back into one of the full cells, "What? You'll do what!? Tell Me Flint, what's a punny peice of shit like you gonna do?"

"I." Flint tried to muster, taking a step back, "I..."

Flint looked around for an answer, finding the dagger on his brothers belt, "I'll stab you!"

Grunt paused, then broke out laughing; "You. You'll stab me?! With what?! Hm? You're nails? Or those pens and scrolls you use all day?!"

Flint was quiet as Grunt could only continue to laugh at him; he turning back towards his friends, "Can you believe this? He thinks he's gonna do something-"

With quick movement Flint grabbed the dagger from his brother's belt, and Grunt grabbed his wrist quickly, "Wow, spines finally coming in?"

"Let go!" Flint argued trying to pull himself away from his brother's grasp, but with a failed attempt, he restored to the second best a kick to the gut.

It surprised Grunt, he losing his grip and quickly being jumped upon, "You fucking pyscho!-"

Stab in the neck, Grunt collapsed, Flint pulling the blade out to drive it in again. The other two watched in fear, when had the younger brother become so violent?

Finally, with a deep cut and slice, Grunt's head was removed, the sound of his spine splitting in two caused someone in the the stall to hurl into a corner.

Flint looked up from his mess and wiped what blood was on his face to his bloodied hands, they rushing from the dungeon and out to the stairs and looked along the men and women soilders. The boy he was once impersonating no where to be seen and neither was the man who had tried so hard to keep Moonhaven safe.

"Where's Nod," Flint asked looking around, "Where's Ronin?"

"They took em, both em." A woman replied, "Somethin' about wine."

Flint was quick to open up the cells, "Where!" He ordered.

"To you're queen,"

Y/n scaled the castle wall; the glass that faced and framed the throne Tara once sat in was dark and accompanied by the Mother.

She watched her get up; and following her footsteps she spotted the royals, Tara and Mandrake bound together by the same fungus that was growing rapidly across her neck and face, by now it had traveled down to her elbow.

A group of guards stole the woman's attention, and with them they dragged the corpses of Ayana and Finn.

"Bring me a glass, crack open the girls headfirst," She ordered, returning to her spot in front of Mandrake, who was eye wided, staring at his sister's body which laid eyes facing him, so carelessly discarded by their own mother.

"Don't do this-" Mandrake begged looking at his mother; "Please!"

She only looked down at him; "Please!"

"Bring my son a glass as well," She ordered returning to the throne.

She sat; and the stained glass that framed the throne from behind was broken, Y/n sword in hand, flew through open air, arms and hand cut by flying glass. She landed up top the throne, it knocked over as the woman had moved too quick. stepping back and creating distance between the two. Y/n was quick to step over the fallen chair and the circling began.

"Didn't I kill you?" The woman snapped, she grabbing a sword from one of the guard's sheaths as she passed, they started to pace a circle.

"Don't you know who I am?" Y/n argued back; "You think you could kill me?"

The woman growled at her, tip of the sword dragging along the shiny floor, that mark forever engrained in the stone.

"Then again, who did I think you were?" Y/n spoke, "You had to send someone else to do your bidding, didn't you?"

"When you're as powerful as me, it fun to watch people squabble in fear of getting things done," The woman argued.

"Sounds like your too pussy to even own up to it," Y/n answered.

It was a movement of impulse- full of anger and rage; she'd teach Y/n her truth strength; swords clashed as Y/n blocked the womans oncoming attack. Y/n was quick to push her off to the left, punching the woman clean across the face and off to the side.

The woman coughed and felt her mouth; fresh blood ran down her lips, and feeling the stream it came from her nose.

Y/n turned back on her; ready to attack, yet she was blocked, the woman swinging at her quickly and heavy, she having a hard time keeping up with the harsh attacks as metal clashed against each other hard. It forced Y/n back, back towards the throne, and back towards the small set of steps that lead up to them, she stepped back, slipping on the stone, sending her to the ground, a swords tip pointed towards her.

"What a shame," The woman argued, "I was having fun- maybe I'll let you live, controlling you will be fun,"

Y/n glared at her, the door opening off to the side as heads turned, "Ah! What perfect timing!" In they dragged Nod and Ronin, they battered and bruised, and barely managing to keep their eyes open, and in behind them, a Moon haven Castle Worker, shaking as he brought in classes on a fancy try; behind him a woman, screw tap in hand and a bucket. Y/n looked up at the woman, this woman wasn't actually- was she?

"Oh, please darling, don't give me that face," She spoke, smirking, "How about this, we'll crack open Tara's head! Fresh while she's alive! All in your name!"

[cinerins]

Seeing there's still an active SGA fandom here on tumblr is just so special to me (You really are among the bravest souls out there 💕)

As I'm strapping in for yet another rewatch, I'm reminded of all the reasons I can't help but be fond of this show, despite its... many shortcomings. The characters and their dynamics really just stay with you... but the concept of being stuck in an entire alien galaxy feels SO underutilized!

Several years ago I started thinking about different "what-ifs" and a completely alternate direction for this series, taking the more alien aspects and "survival while being cut off from earth" into account. (Going as far as rewriting two entire seasons, before I dropped it)

Well, there's no time like the present! So as I'm debating completely rebooting that script, I might as well share a couple of my ideas in that "AU" with the community here

The Ancients

On a surface level, the Ancients can be fairly interesting in their arrogance and ambitions, but that's really about it. What mostly bugged me is how utterly bland they are as a people – essentially just ethereally advanced romano-greek philosophers with a sprinkle of moral conflict.

I know in the larger SG canon they are supposed to be aliens from yet another galaxy, but I wanted to explore the idea of them being native to earth. Millions of years is an ABSURD amount of time, considering how much can change in a handful of generations.

So... I thought they could've sprung from a shared ancestor as Homo Alius, long before the rise of H. Sapiens, primarily around the Agulhas Bank, before the ocean took it. It would mainly serve to better connect them to our regular humans and explain the genetic similarities and later integration.

They would prosper and achieve interstellar travel around 300.000 years ago, developing the Stargates a couple of thousand years later. Fast forward and they eventually struggled with a "plague" which would prompt Atlantis to break off and escape into another galaxy.

Anyway, the main point is that I wanted them to feel a little more distinct in their culture and behavior. They may look like us, but they don't really act or think like us. Not to mention the number of physiological differences that would set them apart, such as a longer lifespan averaging around five centuries and certain abilities.

When the remaining Lanteans returned ten thousand years ago, they would notice the advancements humans have made in their absence. While they call themselves Alterans, these people would be referred to as Ceterans – "the others" and "the rest"

It would take them a few more generations of attempting to ascend, before the remainder ultimately decided to give up, bury the past, and live out the rest of their lives among these cousins.

The Descendants

Another point that always bothered me a little are the humans native to the Pegasus galaxy. These are people that supposedly descended from the Alterans and lived isolated in their own corner of the universe for thousands of years, so... what's with the medieval villages and european industrialization?? (joking)

It's a lot more forgivable and even interesting in SG1, where the whole premise is about humans abducted from various earth cultures and time periods. But a lot of the Atlantis episodes just end up feeling very silly, when you remember this is supposed to be another galaxy.

The pilot takes a slightly more fun (albeit mild) approach with the Athosians, who feel much more like the survivors of the ancient ruins seen on their homeworld. Still, the concept of "distinct" cultures mostly ends up on the sidelines in favor of war and action as the series progresses...

My own approach was to really go into their role as "Descendants" with varying directions. A sort of genetic turn still would've occurred at some point, with increasing generations losing many of their abilities and even the capacity to ascend on their own.

This would've sparked a rift among a number of colonies, having more and more people become "unfit" to live in their structures, unable to operate much of their more advanced technologies. However, most would refuse to "downgrade" to more accessible methods, especially so with the Wraith on the rise.

Doesn't mean that some didn't try finding a middle ground, or that this next generation couldn't figure out their own alternatives – they are Alterans still, even without the glamour. How much of that changed and survived through the ages would differ greatly. (Majority retained an average lifespan of 300 years, even some abilities)

The Expedition

Right off the bat, I wanted to lean more into the differences between the people of this galaxy and our team from earth – make them feel much more like fish out of water. SG1 had the advantage of a major anthropology nerd, these guys would have to figure it out as they go.

Characters like Teyla and Ronon would have more prominent roles in navigating the various societies and environments of known Gate-networks. Weir also could've been given more opportunities to shine with her political background.

Overall, I would've loved if this expedition actually focused a little more on research – particularly the kind that wasn't just about them finding a new super weapon or ancient virus. Featuring more nuanced dilemmas and creative problem solving, that doesn't boil down to gunfire and explosions...

Their initial struggle to survive in terms of food and energy could really be expanded, especially when stranded in environments that have been isolated from earth and developed under very different conditions for millennia.

"Accept an invitation for dinner or suffer the consequences" would have a different angle, when you don't know whether said dinner, even if well-intentioned, could kill them.

The topic of language is fairly understandable for a TV show and there's a lot more liberties in a written medium. Having a bit of a language barrier just seems like a fun thing to work around in a story. An additional point is that there's a bit of a difference between "Alteran" and "Lantean"

Pretty much all expedition members, regardless of background, would've been required to undergo an "Ancient" crash course over the 16 months before they passed through the event horizon. It just seems like the smart thing to do, when waltzing into a ten thousand year old city, that may or may not be abandoned.

There's a bit of a learning curve as they meet the various inhabitants of this galaxy. To them, these newcomers would have an "odd" and even "archaic" dialect. It would take some time for the team to adapt and for allies to start learning english – it makes for a lot of fun interactions and adds the option of "private" conversations or messages between team members, that others wouldn't understand.

Pegasus Life

There are a very few glimpses we get of "other" life among these stars and exploring that beyond one or two episodes could've gotten very interesting – more so when you wonder how they may have affected the people left behind.

Other "visitors" like the Vanir must've had quite an impact, considering their less conventional methods compared to the almost benevolent Asgard known around the Milky Way. A slow build-up of mystery and tension until their eventual encounter would've been very fun.

The prospect of life truly native to this galaxy, predating the arrival of the Ancients, is very appealing to me personally. What if "seeding" some of these worlds involved paving over pre-existing life the Ancients weren't even aware of, remnants of which could've started breaking through the cracks like weeds.

What if a number of Gate addresses lead to what are essentially just abandoned research outposts, dedicated to studying or altering local flora & fauna. What if the teams stumbled over previously undiscovered worlds via means other than Gate travel.

And as mentioned before, even the successfully "seeded" and colonized planets could've gotten pretty weird over time, their inhabitants involved. (Wish we could've gotten to see that "t-rex")

In my old rewrite, I did actually feature a bit of a Jurassic Park scenario. Here the Ancients had sampled and tried to re- and deconstruct various life of earth in their genetic studies, explaining a number of odd animal encounters. (or monster encounters)

The Wraith

Tying into that last point... the books add a little more nuance to these space vampires, being one of the Ancient's many failed attempts in achieving immortality, with disastrous consequences. Even accepting that explanation, I can't help but find them... strange.

Sucking the life force out of others through your hand feels a little too specific of a trait to be unintentional or accidental. Beyond that is their markedly different behavior and culture, even. It's just a bunch of little details that compelled me to add more to their history.

The "Old Blood" are essentially the original "Wraith" native to this galaxy – very humanoid at a glance, but with features that would make our regular Wraith seem more like the guys in costumes they are. I wanted to emphasize on them feeling just a little more "primordial" and the others as wrong.

As a biology nerd, I immediately decided their key difference is that both hands serve as feeding organs. On that note, I also remember the first Queen in the pilot having what looked like slightly webbed hands and wanted to incorporate that as well.

The small pit organs on the face of the Wraith we know would turn out to be significantly reduced gill-like organs on the side of the throat/neck of the originals. Gives them more of an aquatic feeling, which i found fitting considering the Queen in Submersion (whom I actually decided to make one of the Old Blood)

Their skin would look a little rougher and more like the cool-toned, dark gray similar to John's bug transformation, but I also think there should be a little more natural variety between hives. Also, those ornaments/implants on Wraith fingers could serve to imitate the more claw-like appendages of the originals.

Anyway, I could go on, but the gist of it is that they would make the Lantean-Wraith (ironically) seem more like unnatural hybrids and somewhat "watered down" compared to the native species.

Feeding Habits

Some adjustments have also been made to the feeding process... The general idea is that it's somewhere between involving chemical components and the very vague sci-fi concept of draining the "vitality"/"energy" out of a living entity that gives them this extreme longevity.

However, you can't make something out of nothing, so a certain amount of substance is needed not only for them to grow, but also to recover from major injuries without lasting effects. At least, that's how their more traditional digestive system makes sense to me.

Feeding wouldn't actually induce artifical aging or turn somebody into a dried husk, but rather "drain" them in a way weeks of stress and 2 hours of sleep would. Skin sagging, muscles waning, body just kinda deflating, leaving you feeling frail and hollow.

Once the enzyme wears off, it's still a gamble whether or not you'll survive the experience. If you do, you'd never fully recover and your hair would slowly start falling out and start growing in gray, really making it seem like they took years off your life.

It's the complicated genetic make-up of the Lantean-Wraith that makes them "incompatible" with life unrelated to them, being forced to feed on either Alterans or other Wraith. Thought it would be interesting if that means they would be unable to feed on Ceterans, if they don't have any Ancient genes in them.

In this setting, it would also explain why Runners exist. Ronon would be one of the few people "lucky" enough to have become so genetically distinct from the Lanteans, the Wraith cannot feed on them. Majority of these generations are wiped out when found, with strong individuals picked out to serve as game and as an example.

Wraithkin would be the result of attempts to counteract this growing shift, by introducing more Wraith DNA into the gene pool. (You already know how that went down)

The Old Blood don't really have this same restriction, though feeding on humans would be the equivalent of eating junk food. Regardless, they're left with little choice, since their original feeding grounds were thoroughly destroyed or tainted by the Lanteans during the war.

The War...

Wraith have always been rather territorial and the Ancients suddenly showing up and encroaching on those territories already set things off to a great start. Neither were really looking for a fight, so while tensions ebbed and flowed, they mostly tried to stay out of each other's business.

Well, that is until certain Lanteans learned about their more fascinating traits and abilities.

Even the old hives were no monolith, opinions on Atlantis and their growing colonies ranged from indifference to indignation. A number of hives eventually decided to try and push it, giving some very desperate (but mostly curious) Alterans enough of an excuse to take prisoners for research in the midst of the rising conflict.

What really set off a full-scale war, was when those prisoners perished during an escape attempt, after the creation of the first "successful" batch of hybrids. Greatly underestimating the mental capabilities of the Wraith and their reach, the Ancients were very unprepared for the immediate, near-universal response.

Survivors of the experiment joined the warring hives, offering what little they knew and remembered as intel, which would become a deciding factor in overwhelming the Ancients.

This is the only real explanation that makes any sense to me in how this small group of freshly baked Wraith would've managed to grow so much in numbers and power without an entire galaxy of Ancients noticing or putting a stop to it...

Modern Hives

The marked disgust the Wraith have for a hybrid like Michael in the series would've been similar to the way the old hives regarded the survivors they took in. (Talk about hypocritical...) Naturally, they were more than a little upset and began plotting to seize control over the ships and troops.

After varying degrees of success and the Ancients defeated, their expected arrogance and now territorial nature spurred them to continue their conquest. Securing colonies and undermining other hives, it would be no surprise if they had a hand in the ultimate decline of the original feeding grounds.

The greater majority of current hives are rather "young" in comparison and much of their history has become very clouded or embellished. Wraith of the Old Blood are now few and far between, with very mixed reception from others.

Survivors may have conceded or integraded themselves as commanders and advisors, or gone into hiding. What also could've made an interesting approach, is if some of them have opted to becoming "hunters of hunters" of sorts, choosing to feed on these new Wraith either as a challenge or out of some sense of revenge.

With decidedly less variety, the contemporary Wraith culture is an unconventional mix of more instinctual notions and alteran ideas left over from the war. The "old ways" are largely foreign to them.

And that wraps it up for this post!

There is much, much more I could talk about, but I'm sure this is already long enough as is 😅

For the actual story exploring these differences — it's a general idea I had along the lines of: "Imagine if they had arrived in Atlantis much later than they did" and "What if this world and history was just a little different than in the show?"

A fun personal domino effect, that would've completely changed when certain people were first encountered and how significant or even fixed events may have played out...

I never shared this "AU" with anyone beyond one trusted friend, mostly because I was worried how others might react to this more "sciency" and sensible take on a show that is 80% "shoot the bad guy" type of action...

It would be nice to know what people here think of these ideas, so please feel welcome to share!

In the meantime, even if I decide against rehashing that script, I'll see if I can interest that friend in creating some art of these concepts again...

[laurasbailey]

hey, sorry to come out of nowhere with this, feel free to ignore! just wanted to get a bit of perspective on the c3 negativity i've been seeing for so long, which i've tried and failed to avoid and has been bumming me out more than i would like. this is my first campaign, it has brought me so much joy and company, but every time i end up reading a deeply negative take i can't really shake off the feeling that they're actually right, cause some of it makes sense to me and i can't unsee that. i know i'm being paranoid about it and truly setting myself up to be miserable and ruin the whole thing, which at this point i might've already done, but i just get sad wishing i could've had experienced the things everyone raves about (like different pacing and a lot of RP) for this campaign, which i'm so close to. do you think c3 is actually, objectively, worse or shallower than the previous ones? is there truth to the criticism (about it being too plot-driven, about the characters making each other worse and not being a good fit for this story, about the cast not being as into it and so on) or is the internet being the internet, and i should basically touch grass? it's not like i would drop it, honestly, i'm just sad thinking about how this story and these characters could've worked out if the "quality" was the one i keep seeing everyone talk about in regards to c1/c2. i know it's not that deep and it shouldn't matter in the long run, i'm just struggling a bit to not give in to the negativity and wanted to get your take on it, as someone's who's navigated this fandom longer! and again, truly sorry for the unprompted rant and thanks in general for being cool and taking the time to make gifs and recaps :)

you said it's brought you joy and company and it's seeing the negativity that's starting to ruin it, which is, honestly and sadly, a common thing that happens in online fandoms. negativity will bring the mood down regardless, because it just spirals into further misery. personally i stopped looking at fandom opinions and i've been a lot happier ever since! half the stuff you've said in here i've never heard before, that's how off the grid i am now lmao.

to answer your question, no, i don't think c3 is necessarily "worse" because, while people are entitled to their opinion, i think that's such a lazy, basic ass way of looking at it. also i just don't think a dnd game with people who are storytellers for a living can be shallow unless that's their goal, quite frankly. are there aspects of c3 i dislike? of course! but the same is true for all campaigns. there were parts of c2 i thought were very weak, despite the entire internet praising it like the second coming of jesus. there are things i think c3 does better than c2, even. and there are things c1 does better than both c2 and c3, and so on.

do i like that most of the campaign has been bells hells vs. a ticking clock? not really, it does mean certain sacrifices are made. do certain characters get on my last nerve? absolutely (but that's not exclusive to c3 lmao). at the same time though, i get the three women front and centre of the main plot, which has never happened before. i get a laura/marisha character romance after watching them have great chemistry for years. i get c1-level stakes and fantastic female npcs/villains, which c2 was mostly lacking. i get ashley full time (!!!) coming out of her shell and being her best and most chaotic self. and i get SO MUCH of the c1 characters? i'm fucking spoiled if you ask me.

maybe some of the criticism is very real and warranted (again, haven't seen it and don't plan to) but at the end of the day, this isn't my game of dnd or yours or any of the viewers'. we are literally watching other people play an improv game where they're crying one minute and making dick jokes the next, you just have to be along for the ride. going into the campaign with certain expectations is really silly and critiquing it the way you would a tv show just doesn't work. also unless these people are friends with the cast and speaking to them irl, how could they possibly know they aren't enjoying it as much like be serious 💀

i'm gonna be so honest here: idk if the people who are constantly spouting negativity are just miserable, but they sure look it! also stupid! why? because normal people who hate something simply ✨ stop watching and move on ✨. sure, hatewatching can be fun if you and your friends are in someone's living room or discord call shooting the shit, but doing it online day after day after day? honestly i just feel sorry for those people. happy people do not spend their time throwing essays worth of negativity up for the big wide world to see! how do i know this? because i was that person in my teens and i was severely unlikeable!

if you've enjoyed something without the bias of someone else's opinion, then you've enjoyed it! but your opinion can also change as the campaign goes, that can also be true! i would be interested to hear the reasons you loved it initially, because i think you'll find that most of that core stuff is present in all three campaigns.

the recent plot of c3 has been more stressful than any plot in previous campaigns, so understandably people have big feelings. my advice: the block button is your friend but so is the follow button! criticism is healthy, find people who deliver it in a way that's not some whiny entitled baby. letting someone else's opinion influence yours will never make you happy.

[starlit1daydream]

CLASSPECTING YELLOW GUY: DHMIS and the aspect of Light

Well, Yellow won the poll I put out a few days ago, and I have a very clear idea of what I see in him (fitting, given his title) so I'll detail my thoughts down below. This is all my personal analysis, you're free to come to any different conclusion, Classpecting is subjective even if some answers are clearer than others.

Yellow Guy. David, Doi, Manny, whatever debatably official/completely unofficial name you want to refer to him by, he's arguably the most important character to Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Some may argue that Red Guy takes on the role of protagonist in the sense that he moves forward the narrative, but Yellow is the one it centres around. The whole show is, from an in-universe perspective, built around him.

This is going to go over mostly his role in the TV series, but include some aspects from the web series.

I think Yellow is a Page of Light.

He begins as a simpleton, struggling to grasp the most basic knowledge and very much filling the role of the team idiot. Despite this, however, he's always filled with this inherent curiosity and desire to learn things. He's the integral student, seeking to understand Light even though he so fundamentally lacks it.

This is, of course, a dead ringer for a Page of Light. Yellow is incredibly deficient with his Aspect, but nonetheless it's still an integral part of his life and how he leads it - like Tavros with Breath, Jake with Hope and Horuss with Void.

Naturally, the Page holds great potential to understand their Aspect and share it out and lead through it once they fully comprehend how to use it. Yellow's moment of understanding, that 'lightbulb' moment if you will is when his batteries are restored.

Suddenly, he's unlocked that potential with Light. It's... equivalent to God Tiering, let's say. But he's not a master. The Page has a far longer road to walk than that. He's merely beginning to comprehend Light, his relationship with it and his search for it. Not only that, he's willing to share it; he ends up schooling one of the teachers, after all!

Naturally, the world has it out for him. The Page, to put it bluntly, is the narrative joke. Hussie did not like any of the characters he made Pages. Tavros is portrayed as a softie, a crybaby and the punchline of some very ableist jokes by the fandom, Jake is called 'jape' or 'joke' more than his actual name by Vriska, and Horuss is a thinly veiled and very tasteless parody of therians and systems.

Naturally, Yellow follows this pattern of being fucked around by the narrative, just in a way that makes more sense in-universe beyond 'the author's being a dick'. Yellow is the narrative plaything. Knowledge is constantly distorted or withheld from him, he's surrounded by Void given to him by other people (Roy is most definitely a player of Void) and thus those brief sparks of Light, those points of data and precise moments that makes up the aspect, they're very few and far between.

The house's upper floors represent his quest for knowledge and relevance. He steps closer and closer to the truth, every higher floor is another tier of knowledge reached. He's growing to understand that Aspect, confronted with false understandings of Light and pushing them away. Like any Light-bound, he wants the truth, he wants that linear point of data that gives him clarity.

But, as the Page, the narrative plaything, Lesley and Roy's toy to torture and play with as they see fit... he doesn't get it. He has the answers held in front of his face, and then all of that development is reversed. Amusingly, this seems to mirror certain arcs at the end of Homestuck, but I digress.

Yellow fails his quest, but not of his own volition, and we'll see if the TV series drops a new season (9 days away, people!) whether or not we'll see him ever fully realise the truth.

Next up, Red Guy as a Breath-bound and Duck as a Doom-bound.

[calamitous-magpie]

What is a favorite fandom headcanon for you?

*Asks are sent for fun, no pressure to answer within a certain amount of time or at all.*

Chamber is a good person.

No, actually. This maybe falls outside the realm of headcannon, per se -- it's more like an interpretation that I really like, rather than an entirely new thing that I'm making up based on pre-existing material, but the definition of headcannon varies so much that it still probably counts. I think the most interesting version of his character would be one that is deeply, deeply haunted by the Everett-Linde incident but can't bring himself to regret it because it was necessary to prevent a greater tragedy. Whatever that "greater tragedy" is hasn't been revealed, but it seems like it's still lurking on the horizon. It might have to do with Fade's apocalypse/nightmare visions.

There is some backing for this interpretation! On the signage and displays on the Fracture/Everett-Linde map in-game, there's a lot of references to the Odyssey, including the phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis." It's reference to a choice that Odysseus is forced to make that will result in a bad ending either way. The modern equivalents of the phase might be "to choose the lesser of two evils." The same phase is also the name of a card that features Chamber. The implication, therefore, is that he made a similar choice instead of one that was selfishly motivated. A lot of this was noticed and analyzed first by Strawberry79 on Twitter, and I found it pretty compelling and adopted it.

I see a lot of people characterize Chamber as either flat-out evil/extremely manipulative and completely unsympathetic OR sympathetic but woobified/sadboy and I don't really vibe with either of those interpretations? The former feels like it lacks nuance and the latter sucks the fun out of his character, which is that he is deceptive and charming and always wearing a mask. Forcing him to drop the mask is PEAK emotional turmoil and character development. And romance. Rewards of being loved vs moritifcation of being known etc. i love subjecting my blorbos to pain

A short list of other headcannons I have about Chamber that do not require an essay:

his parents died when he was young-ish (late teens) and he spent the rest of his childhood and some of his early adulthood with an aunt and uncle

He listens to Nina Simone and Sade

He's a classically trained pianist (not a headcannon). No one realized this until Gekko brought a cheap keyboard with him when he moved in and Chamber started idly playing it while they were setting it up. Gekko, who shares very little else with Chamber, goes to him with questions about music theory from time to time and Chamber is always happy to answer them.

For only moderately self-centered reasons, Chamber likes to teach about things. He's hosted a handful of seminars about nanotech before, and was similarly happy to talk with Gekko about music and piano technique.

The younger agents make a lot of jokes about him behind his back that they'd never make to his face. They're all more intimidated by him than they'd really like to admit. It's the tie, probably.

This one took a while to answer because I had to sit on it for a bit! I could absolutely write a longer essay on this but I'm going to curtail it. For now. Thanks for the ask!

[eddieydewr]

I have actually seen people say his career is on rapid decline 😂. These sweet little innocent babes are so very sheltered lmao. A 19 year old drinking is not a story. It's nothing. Who the fuck doesn't act like that when they are college aged? Besides that, he has been on the receiving end of nothing but made up shit for months and people just believe yet another story with zero evidence. Let's recap the fake shit people have said about him: - He hates Palestinians - He's a racist, genocidal maniac - He fights with his co-stars - He got dropped from brand deals - He had a mental breakdown on set - He is a pedophile - He's being isolated from his co-stars on set and they won't talk to him - He's being written out of the show and they changed the story And now - he got drunk at a bar and made a scene. At a time when things have been going well for him and the haters are pissed all of the things listed above are proving over and over again to not be true. The best they can come up with now is that he was drinking. Because they are that easily scandalized. Even if it is true, who the fuck cares? It would be the first true thing people have said about him in months. These stories say nothing about Noah and everything about the people who make them up. I'm not even surprised by the amount of people having a mental breakdown over this. This fandom is full of dumb drama. But people need to realize that the only reason that anything on that list above got so much traction is because they kept talking about it. So if you feel bad for Noah that all these people are constantly coming after him and making things up/dramatizing things, don't give them fuel and instead ignore the dumb shit they say. Rumors mean nothing when no one is discussing them.

rapid decline 😭 if finn quit acting to focus on behind the scenes stuff and his music, they’ll say it’s part of his trajectory but if noah does it, they will be like HAHA FLOPPED. even though noah always said he doesn’t plan on acting full time and is interested in doing everything he possibly can, which is already evident with his lifeguarding and volunteering work, setting up businesses, working with brands and sponsorships…

not to be dramatic but i rly think they want noah to kill himself. they just don’t realise the full effect of their words and actions. because they just say it on the internet. them, of all people, should understand what it’s like because i see them get angry at rowling for her part in endangering trans people… on twitter. noah has his own beliefs but he clearly isn’t genocidal, doesn’t hate palestinians, and he’s simply living his life but he’s somehow the worst person to live. their behaviour reminds me of young millennials when they hated on justin bieber. they thought it was funny to make rape and murder jokes about him when he was a kid, way before he started doing stupid stuff. the same happened to noah before 10/7. they’ve always hated him for being “cringe” aka jewish and possibly gay (or straight but simply a melt like bieber). and millie with the homophobic memes.

i know it’s best to ignore shit and not add fuel to the fire but i think the whole culture needs to change. especially when they claim they’re doing it because they care about a certain cause, like palestine. like besties, no. you’ve wanted noah dead for years because haha, memes.

[theonewithval]

The day when tiva shippers won: an unneeded and unrequested reaction chronicle by theonewithval

February 28, 2024.

I'm about to have dinner, when I start seeing THINGS on my tl on twitter. Apparently the big bomb is about to drop. I've been on the edge of my seat for more than a week now, IS IT ACTUALLY HAPPENING TODAY?

TICK.

I can't. My heart is pounding. My mom keeps talking about a million other things and I just can't focus, I can't even understand what she's saying. I feel like I'm gonna pass out. Everybody on twitter is having the same reaction, I'm not the only one whose anxiety is over the roof. It's something that is going to change my life, of that I'm certain. I need to get whatever they're planning to tell us NOW.

My mom calls me: dinner is ready. What if something happens while I'm eating and I miss it? I'm feeling so nervous, my legs are shaking and I feel weak, and I don't know whether it's because I'm hungry and need to eat, or because of the thought of the big news I might get today.

I finish eating, I pick up my phone, immediately checking twitter, again.

TICK.

WAIT WHAT IS THIS TICK TICK BOOM THING? I'M LOSING MY MIND. I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANY LONGER. I FEEL LIKE TONY DINOZZO WHEN HE GETS OUT THE CAR IN JUDGEMENT DAY AND YELLS. YES I'M ABOUT TO YELL.

My mind starts racing: what if something happens when I'm sleeping and I'm not here to see it? I WOULD MISS THE CHAOS. NOPE. NOT A CHANCE. I CAN'T SLEEP LIKE THIS. I hop into bed, switch my tv on. I need to get my mind off this or I think I'm gonna pass out. Seriously. Italia's got talent is on tv, I'm gonna watch that.

*checks her phone and twitter every two minutes*

What if they drop the bomb at 9est? My god, I can't live like this. THIS HAS TO HAPPEN NOW. I CAN'T SLEEP WITH THAT THOUGHT IN MY MIND. IT WOULD BE 3AM HERE, AND NOW IT'S 10PM.

I text @sweetsouldhavernas: I need support. At this point, it can either be any minute now or in a couple of hours. We kinda start losing hope, maybe we're going to have to wait more, BUT WE CAN'T ANYMORE.

*prays and cries in italian*

I switch my tv off, at this point I'm not even paying attention to it. People on twitter have completely gone crazy, posting old tiva pics, hoping for a miracle. I furiously refresh my tl every two seconds. Yes, literally. And then...

BOOM.

THE BOMB DROPS. THE MIRACLE HAPPENS. A tvline article on my tl, with a pic of Tony and Ziva stuck in the elevator, at the end of season 9. I THOUGHT THE EARTH MOVED. YES, EVERYTHING IS MOVING, SPINNING AROUND ME. MY HEART IS BEATING SO FAST I CAN'T CONTROL IT. MY HANDS AND MY LEGS ARE SHAKING. THANK GOD I'M IN BED OR I WOULD FALL ON THE GROUND. TONY AND ZIVA. TOGETHER. IN A SPIN OFF. THE BIGGEST THING I EXPECTED WAS A CAMEO, BOTH OF THEM IN THE ORIGINAL SERIES. LIKE ARE WE SERIOUSLY GETTING THEM, FOR TEN EPISODES, BEING A COUPLE, BEING A FAMILY, RAISING THEIR DAUGHTER, LOVING EACH OTHER? INSANE, JUST INSANE.

*starts typing nonsense*

*completely loses control of her hands, uncontrollably shaking, not being able to type properly*

*rants in italian*

I feel like we won the world cup. We did it, my friends, we did it tiva nation. And it feels so freaking amazing. I keep watching us slowly finding out what the future holds for us, and we have never won like this. It's so incredible, I can't believe it. Time passes and I don't even realize it's 1am here, I won't be able to sleep, I've got a headache but I don't care, it's been so worth it.

Jokes aside, it's been a lot to process and I think I haven't 100% realized what happened, still feels like a fever dream, but what I can say is that this has literally been one of the most important moments in a fandom, one of the happiest. I've been in this fandom since 2012, twelve years and still counting. I want to hug 17 years old me and tell her it's gonna be okay, that we're gonna have them back, that she's still gonna scream and lose her mind because of them. This girl was 17 when she first saw them in under covers, her first episode ever and fell in love with them. This girl back in 2013 thought they were never going to see each other again, that she lost her most important ship ever. This girl, when family first aired, spent the whole morning after the episode aired, crying in bed for one of her favorite fictional characters ever, because not only she lost her, Ziva, but she lost her ship again, one more time, this time in such a terrible way. They had a child, yes, but they didn't have the chance to be together and I was furious. It was a sensitive subject, every time the reruns aired on my tv every year and I missed so much it hurt. But then, in 2019, we found out there was still hope after all. Ziva was still alive. She reunited with Tony in 2020, with their little girl, finally free to love and to be loved. And now we're here? About to witness them being a couple, a family, raising their daughter, bantering like an old married couple, flirting, working together, getting what everybody of us has always wished for, but thought it was too big of a thing?

If this is a dream, then don't wake me up. It's gonna be amazing, I know that, for sure.

[crusherthedoctor]

8 16 17 25

8. you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

The Pontaff era.

No, I'm not saying these games don't have their weakpoints. To claim I ever have would be disingenuous. But really, what makes them different from every other era in Sonic's history? If the Adventure-Black Knight games are free to be vindicated by history in spite of their own non-nitpick drawbacks, including the game that came the closest to actually killing off the franchise, then I don't see what makes these games so much more inexcusable by comparison.

The sensationalist side of the fandom's Pontaff hateboner has always felt performative, as if it's an open secret that it's the cool thing to do. '06 is declared out of bounds because too much time has passed and it's played out, yet they keep harping on a game that will soon be seven years old (Forces), a game that came out over a decade ago (Lost World), and a game that came out over 13 years ago (Colours). Even with Generations, the one that has probably fared the best reception-wise out of the lot, it's not rare to see fans unironically call it a worse anniversary game than '06.

If the Pontaff era of Sonic is not your cup of tea overall, that's fine. It's no different to my lack of enthusiasm for the current Flynn era (Superstars and Dream Team notwithstanding). But no matter how many YouTubers try to convince me with their clickbait thumbnails and their tendency to complain about dragged out jokes while making their own dragged out jokes, I will never buy into this insincere narrative that everything was consistent high times until Colours singlehandedly made the franchise drop off a cliff.

16. a tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

I can't say Eggman's actual characterization because that's not exactly a tiny affair, so... Omega's portrayal when not written by Flynn/Bioware?

17. the thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love

S3&K

The franchise's history of excellent music

The franchise's history of exploring themes that, regardless of whether the overall execution is good or bad, tend to have more nuance and thoughtfulness put into them than a lot of other, supposedly more mature IPs' interpretations of said themes

The characters we know conceptually but don't necessarily have similar viewpoints on

ShtH being filed in the comedy genre

Sonic faceplanting

25. a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces

Never let anyone assert control of your own experience. You should always be the one to referee your own corner of community interaction, and although polite disagreement and healthy discourse is well and expected, you shouldn't feel the need to continue diving into discourse by virtue of obligation if it makes you miserable after seeing so many terrible takes based on illegitimate reasoning. Block certain tags if you deem it necessary.

You should also not focus on popularity, and not just because it inevitably comes at the cost of being true to yourself and what makes you satisfied. If you remain honest, and respectful, you'll find your true friends in the community soon enough, which are worth far more than a million faceless acquaintances ever will.