#it took 10 years for that man to even admit it was a mistake

[mischas]

Something that pisses me off more than anything is the sentiment from anti-Marissa/Ryissa fans that Marissa “dragged Ryan into all her drama, which is why she was no good for him.” Please break this down!

I mean, people like that are only seeing what they want to see, and only thinking what they want to think. I feel like this has been the crux of Marissa fans since 2004. And the show is designed to make people feel this way. It tells us time and time again that selfish, dramatic Marissa is dragging poor uwu baby Ryan into her mess and isn't it just the saddest thing in the world that he loves this troubled girl. I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying it's not aggravating, but it's basically like beating our heads against a wall because they're watching a completely different show than we are. There is not a single instance where Ryan didn't put himself into his current love interest's business. Like, we know it's something he's attracted to. The white knight thing is baked into his character makeup. And he is never allowed to be wrong or feel bad about it. So whatever.

And we have Marissa over here who's given the plight of being the object of everyone's affections and earnestly believing that you can be friends with members of the opposite sex without the expectation of reciprocated feelings. Isn't that wild. For all the show cops to in the book, there's not a single instance about how harmful the messages they sent were. And we have certain cast members who have the gall to say that Marissa led Trey on and that shooting him to save Ryan was par for the course.

Marissa and Ryan both have savior complexes but Marissa is the one who suffers from them 100% of the time. The narrative paints hers as wrong and Ryan's as right and calls it a day.

We have to look at this show from the pov of a writer who, by s2, completely abandoned RM as a ship to root for and Marissa as a character who does anything substantial. It's a long way from s1 already. And the way this man stalked TWoP and other anti-Marissa message boards at the time also means he baked in those 'it's for the best Marissa d**d' sentiments that the AU season hammered home several times. So he's holding people's hands to get to these conclusions, and changed the show drastically because he was mad that Marissa fans wouldn't follow to the new season like sheep. He really, actually expected them to show up. And expected the numbers to not drop by half. I'm moving this message into new territory so I apologize but there's many layers to this. Basically Marissa being treated in the script as a character worthy of nuance and backbone went away with s1, and the sentiment forever became 'it's too bad Ryan loves her because she's a mess' and s3 hammers this home incessantly.

[kittykattysstuff]

When mom's away, it's time to play!

Warning: Stepcest.

Stepdad!Toji x fem!Reader

WC: 2.2K

Summary: Your mother won't be home during the weekend due to a business trip. With her gone and the entire house to yourselves, you and your stepdad Toji get to know each other in more intimate ways.

"Bye, dear. I'll be back Monday morning." Your mom gave you a kiss on the cheek as she left the house.

"Keep Toji some company, will you? This can be a great opportunity for you two to have some father-daughter bonding time."

She smiled, giving Toji a peck before she climbed into the driver's seat of her car. You gulped. Sometimes you wondered if your mother was either too oblivious to notice the furtive glances Toji threw your way whenever you were in the same room, or if she actually noticed them, and simply didn't care, confusing his inappropriate behavior for affection.

Well, it didn't matter what your mom thought. Her opinions wouldn't change the fact that you would be spending the whole weekend alone with Toji.

"Don't worry, love. I'm sure Y/N and I will have a lot of fun together."

You pretended not to notice the sexual innuendo behind your stepdad's words. God, this was going to be a long weekend. You and Toji waved as your mom started the car and drove away.

"Finally home alone. "Toji smirked, following you inside the house. You didn't need to turn to know he was shamelessly checking your ass. "Any plans for the weekend?"

He asked before you walked up the stairs to your room.

"Not really." You shrugged. You were more than ready to get this talk done and over with, but it seemed like Toji wouldn't let you off so easily.

"I intend to study for my upcoming exams."

That was a lie and Toji knew it. He knew you had already finished all your exams and didn't have any more classes until the next semester, since your mother had told him before you arrived from college at the beginning of the week.

"That's lame. Even Megumi's going to his friends' house. You should live a little, doll. How about we follow your mom's suggestion and have some father-daughter bonding?"

Toji's smile was so sweet, you could almost mistake him for an angel if you didn't know him. However, you did know him, and you knew that behind that sweet smile, were actually the most evil intentions. You felt yourself getting hot. You didn't want to admit it, but ever since you met Toji Fushiguro, you felt attracted to the man. His broad shoulders, thick thighs, and captivating emerald eyes made him look like a Greek god.

"Well, what do you have in mind?"

Against your better judgment, you indulged in his ideas.

"We could binge watch some of those rom-com movies that you like so much."

"You? Watching "girly" movies?" You asked, quoting the way he always complained about the films you and your mom liked to watch.

"Anything for you, doll."

Oh, you were definitely screwed. It took all your willpower not to jump him right then and there. Instead, you found yourself agreeing to his offer.

"Sure, why not."

Two hours later, the credits of "10 things I hate about you" appeared on the TV screen.

"This one wasn't so bad."

Your stepdad commented, stretching his huge arms, which were conveniently bare, given he was wearing a tight black tank top. You watched him put an arm on the back of the couch, getting dangerously close to you as he adjusted in a more comfortable position.

You were starting to seriously regret your choices today. You'd been doing a decent enough of a job trying to avoid Toji ever since he and your mom got married, almost one year ago. Because as soon as he stepped into your home in all his glory when they were still dating, two years ago, you knew you were in trouble.

The man was literally sex on legs, all your teenage dreams personified right in front of you, and the worst part is, he knew the effect he had on you. He knew it and he purposely took every chance he had to get closer to you; from accidental touches that started to linger more each time you both were in the same vicinity, to the hungry looks he sent you, not even trying to hide them.

You thought that once Toji and your mom got married, things would stop. But it was quite the opposite. Taking advantage of the fact you wouldn't be able to actively avoid him, since Toji and Megumi moved in with you and your mom after the wedding, Toji was everywhere. And he was driving you insane.

Your only solace was college. Your college was considerably far from your home, so as soon as you were accepted, you opted to live on campus rather than commute back home. The reprieve was great, especially because now you could be alone with your thoughts, without your step dad's presence everywhere you turned. If you didn't see nor think about Toji, then you were safe from the ever growing attraction between you.

However, now that the semester had finished and you wouldn't have classes for three weeks, your feelings were more and more difficult to ignore. Especially now that it was only the two of you in the house.

"What's next?"

Your step dad asked, though he didn't really seem interested in the answer whatsoever.

"Legally Blonde." You replied, selecting the next movie.

For the most part, things were going well. You were so concentrated on the film that you almost forgot about Toji's presence. That is, until his hand started to softly caress your shoulder. You held your breath as your step dad started rubbing circles on your skin delicately.

In hindsight, you know you should've stopped him instantly. But you were tired, Toji's touch was warm and honestly, you were craving some affection lately. So yeah, you let him touch you. After all, parents and their children touched all the time, that was normal, you rationalized. Except, there was nothing innocent in the way your step dad was getting closer to you.

His hand was now on your hips, massaging them expertly. You could feel his thigh pressed to yours. Before you noticed, a low moan fell from your lips. From your peripheral, you could see your step dad smirking.

"You're so far from me. Come closer, angel, I won't bite."

He didn't expect an answer from you, already pushing you to sit on his lap.

"This okay?"

Toji asked, his chin on your shoulder, his hot breath on your neck. You moaned again.

"Yes." You managed to say in a whisper.

"Y'know, this movie's getting boring, dontcha think?"

Toji said before sucking on your shoulder. Your breath caught in your throat.

"Toji, we shouldn't..."

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to touch you, doll."

Before you could protest, Toji captured your lips, giving you a bruising, passionate kiss. You opened your mouth, and he wasted no time to shove his tongue down your throat. He nibbled your lower lip with deliberate boldness, hearing a soft moan of pleasure in response, making his arousal sensually painful. As you kissed, Toji wanted to drink in your moans in sweet tremors of sinful pleasure.

Toji and you separated briefly, his sharp gaze locked on yours as you both struggled to regain you breath. Before things could get even more physical, he pressed his forehead to yours, inhaling deeply. You caressed his soft dak locks, reveling in the texture against your fingers. For a man as big as he was, Toji could be surprisingly endearing when he wanted to.

"Do you want this?" He finally asked, moving so that you'd be able to see each other in the dark room illuminated only by the dim light of the TV.

"If you say yes, I won't be able to hold back."

You knew that if you went further than this, there was no going back. You nodded, smiling. You had made your decision. You had wanted him for so long, you wouldn't miss the chance of having him all to yourself.

"I do, Toji. Fuck me."

"Damn. You're gonna drive me crazy."

Toji didn't waste time, ripping off your white buttoned shirt and your tight shorts to reveal your underwear.

"So perfect." He muttered as he unclasped your bra, immediately latching his mouth on your nipple, while he played with the other.

"All for me."

He said reverently, before sucking hardly, which elicited a gasp from you due to all the pleasure he was giving you. You kept your hands on his hair, in a tight grip. Toji's mouth and his finger kneading your tits felt magical.

"Yes, daddy, l'm all yours."

You didn't even notice what you had said until Toji stilled his movements, looking at you like a hawk. Instantly, you felt self-conscious, a blush on your cheeks as you mistook his sudden halt in his movements for rejection.

"Fuck."

Toji mumbled, licking his lips and watching you with a lust-filled gaze.

"Say that again."

Your shyness gave way to pure pleasure, the carnal desire consuming the two of you.

"Daddy."

You repeated, feeling his arousal as his dick twitched. Your step dad looked an animal, his expression was so filthy you almost came on the spot. He changed positions, laying you down on the couch, his firm, muscular chest pressing against your body.

You took his black tank top off, and kissed every inch of skin you could find. His shoulder blades, his abdomen, his chest, everywhere. Toji moaned, fueling you to continue.

"I know you're eager to play, baby, but I can't wait."

Toji took your hands off his body as gently as he could. Understanding what he meant, you moved your hands to his pants, ubuttoning his leather belt. Toji wriggled out of the fabric of clothing, throwing it away haphazardly. You could see the white patch of precum in his black boxers.

"I've dreamed about fucking your tight little pussy for so long, you've no idea."

Toji kept muttering as he got rid of the rest of yours and his underwear, the last remaining clothing between you two.

"Whenever I fuck your mom, I imagine you. I have to keep myself from moaning your name".

"Daddy, please, I need you."

"You want daddy's cock, little girl? Don't worry, daddy's gonna make you feel so good you won't want any other dick anymore."

"Yes, daddy, please, I need you so badly! Fuck, me daddy!"

Your stepdad kissed you again as he entered you without warning, giving you no time to adjust to his size. Toji sucked your mouth, bit your lips, swallowed your taste as if it were the last kiss he would give in his life. The kiss made you forget the slight discomfort you felt when he first penetrated you.

Toji buried himself to the hilt inside you, making you moan loudly. You wrapped your legs around his waist, so that he could reach even deeper.

"So tight. Perfect little pussy, was made for me."

"Only yours, daddy."

The position allowed him to explore all the curves of your body as he moved frenetically inside you. God, he was amazing. You couldn't fathom why you tried to resist your stepdad in the first place. Now that you had a taste, you would certainly become addicted.

You pressed your hands on his taut abdomen, feeling his strong chest, buffy arms and prominent collarbone. Holy shit, his body was a masterpiece. You moved in sync, lost in the pleasure of the skin to skin contact. Toji started rubbing his fingers over your clit, sending you over the edge.

"D-daddy, I'm close."

You mumbled, breathing heavily.

"Cum, baby. Let it all out for daddy."

You felt all the tension explode from your nerves, relaxing all your muscles at once and clouding your mind in the most genuine relieved ecstasy.

"Will you let daddy cum inside you baby?"

"Yes daddy, please! Cum inside me, need you!"

"Fuck!"

Your words made Toji cum inside you in full force, your insides creaming his cock deliciously. Toji pulled you to his side, letting you lay on top of him.

"That was amazing."

You smiled, turning your head and resting your chin on his chest. He smiled back at you, stroking your cheeks lovingly. You leaned on his touch, letting yourself enjoy this rare soft side of his, knowing that this could very well be the first and last time you two were so intimate.

"Well, I'm glad. Now stand up."

He urged you, leaning forward on his elbows and creating some distance between you. You tried to hide your disappointment with a fake smile. That was the problem. You held back so much because you knew that when you caved, you wouldn't wanna let him go. Swallowing, you reminded yourself that it was only natural. After all, he wasn't yours to begin with. He was your mother's. Putting on a brave face, you finally stood up, gathering your clothes and attempting to cover your body the best you could. Before you could stray too far, however, you felt a tug in your hand.

"What is it, Toji?"

You asked, feeling irritated. He told you to go, but still kept bothering you. Classic Toji.

"Hey, I thought it was daddy. And where do you think you're going? I was gonna ask you to take a bath. It's only the beginning of the weekend, darling, we still have lots of time for father-daughter bonding moments. And I intend to enjoy it as much as I can."

[multifariousqueer]

Ok here’s my request and it’s not smut so don’t worry lol.

What if like Yn tried sneaking into Mike’s room with some good news or smth and she catches him doing the deed with another girl so she decides to leave and then he’s blowing up her phone but she cuts him off. Idk just angst angst and more angst lol

Ofc love!!!

A/n: It’s good to be back writing fluff, hopefully no one has an issue with this but if they do, oh well🤷🏽‍♀️. As always, feel free to request, just know if it’s a smut req, it’s gonna be written on AO3. Speaking of Ao3, follow it, its in my bio ❤️

Warnings: Cheating, suggestivness, language, reader being a boss as bitch and cutting Miles off, angst, brief mentions of vomit, breaking in, toxicity

“Congratulations, Y/n L/n you were admitted into (your dream college). We look forward to seeing you in the fall!” the admissions letter read

It felt like you were working towards this your whole life; your parents sacrificed everything to send you to a great school like Visions and they spent a ton of money investing into your future. To be honest, it seemed like a fever dream at first; you had wanted to go here since you were 11 and you were making your younger self so proud

You decided to call Miles and tell him the good news. Your parents were already informed and they were throwing you a party that weekend and you had told your friends, the only thing left to do was to tell the man you loved most in the entire world and his family that took care of you like their own.

You tried calling but it went straight to voicemail. This was unlike Miles because he never left you on delivered and he never declined your calls, even when he was doing Spiderman stuff. You decided to take a short walk over to his dorm to see if he was okay, since if he wasn’t home, Ganke was and you could just ask him where Miles was. So, you grabbed the letter, your phone and your bag and walked the 10 minute walk over to his dorm.

When you reached his dorm, you heard moaning and it sounded like the bed was hitting the wall. Your heart dropped to your stomach and tears welled in your eyes.

“no. It can’t be, Miles would never” you tried to reason with yourself

You knocked on the door and you immediately heard an “oh shit” come from the room, followed by shuffling. You begged and pleaded with God that this was all a mistake, a dream gone wrong, something other than what it was.

When no one answered for a second, you opened the door with the spare Miles gave you and you saw him on top of another girl. The girl was blonde, blue eyes, tallish, had an eyebrow piercing and looked like she could dog walk your ex-boyfriend

“m-Miles?” you questioned

“Y/n, It’s not what it looks like; I promise” He said frantically, trying to come towards you as you backed into the door

You felt sick to your stomach; it felt like someone dropped a two ton weight on your chest and crushed your heart. Miles and you shared some of the best and worst moments of your lives together and you never in a million years, thought that he would cheat on you. His mother raised him better than this and in that moment, you considered calling her to tell her what a whore she raised. You ran out of the room and to a trash can where you vomited, your stomach emptying all of it’s contents and hopefully, all of the memories you shared

“OMG ARE YOU OKAY?” Miles questioned

“GET AWAY FROM ME” You said, running away

He quickly webbed you in an attempt to explain but you weren’t having it

“How could you do this to me?” you kept whispering as he pulled you close and attempted to kiss your forehead and hug you

“I-I don’t know, it just happened. I still love you, Y/n I’m so sorry” Miles said, tears pouring through his eyes

You stood there motionless, numb and with tears glossing over your cheeks. This moment didn’t feel real, it felt like someone took you out of your body and Miles was hugging your shell.

He let you go but not before you looked in his eyes and said:

“I’ve been there for you for four years. I have been your girlfriend, engineer, friend, and in some cases, your mom. I feel so sorry that a beautiful soul like her could raise a poor excuse of a son like you. Don’t call me, text me or do anything to me. You just lost the only person who truly cared about you”

Miles just looked at you with rage and sadness in his eyes. His mouth was slightly agape but you just shoved your letter in his chest and stormed off.

You told your entire family, friend group and Miles’ parents about the affair and they all took your side. Miles’ mom was especially hurt, seeing as she saw you as a surrogate daughter

“Dios mío, Mija. I’m so sorry, from all of us No sé dónde me equivoqué(I don’t know where I went wrong)” She said, offering you a hug and a kiss on the cheek

“Gracias, Mama Rio but there wasn’t anything you could do about it. He made that choice to sleep with her and he has to live with the fact that he lost me forever” you spoke into her chest

“Si, si. I know it hurts but you’ll find someone one million times better than him, prometo” she said

“Thank you so much for understanding. I’ll still come over and participate in family functions if you’d like.” you spoke, even though your relationship with Miles was gone, you still valued your relationship with his mother

“Of course, mija. You’ll always have a home here” she said warmly

She wiped your tears and you headed for the door where you saw Miles. It had only been three days but he still looked disheveled, sad and had bags big enough to carry a gallon of milk under his eyes.

“Y/n, please listen-“ he started

You put in your headphones as you walked away, heading for the subway and fetching a taxi. Your friends already knew and were waiting for you in your dorm with chick flicks and food

“Heyy, we heard about the news. We’re so sorry, and we are here if you need anything” your roommate(your best friend) said

“Yeah” they all agreed

This time, the tears in your eyes were from the support you were getting, you smiled and sat down as they gave you your pajamas and slept over

The next week was a blur of you going to classes, Miles trying to speak to you, your friends talking about how shitty he was and people sending their condolences. You guys were the one couple people thought would never break up so this came as a shock to everyone. The Morales family send flowers(paid for with Miles’ allowance) and food, your family offered to come get you one million times, your friends comforting you in any way possible and even your teachers being a bit more lenient with you.

Miles was a train wreck on the other hand, he was broke, sad, and alone. Miles barely showed up for classes and when he did, he looked awful and stank. Where a clean, soft, sweet boy had once been; he was replaced by a crumb bumb who couldn’t keep his grades, friends or family afloat. The only person there for him was the girl he cheated with and he didn’t even want her anymore. He craved your sweet scent, your infectious laugh, your cooking, your kindness and your intelligence and so much more. Everything reminded him of you and it was killing him, even Ganke stopped talking to him.

People whispered in the halls as you two would walk through and even in the classes you had together. You had moved your seat away from him and your teachers were gracious in granting your request.

It was now nearing Summer and you were grabbing your things, smiling and getting ready to leave to your dream school. You had given Miles’ stuff back(lead to him begging for you back but you just left), erased any pictures of y’all together, said goodbye to his family and had wiped your hands clean of him. You began to feel like yourself again; you changed your hair, clothes, makeup and hangout spots(you avoided any graffiti clad buildings because you knew Miles would frequent there), you even went on a few dates

Most of them were a bust until you met one, his name was Thomas and he was nice and he was good looking. Where Miles and you differed, you and Tom came together. You shared common interests and you felt happy for the first time in a while. It began to feel like you had your groove back and you were a whole new person

It was a gorgeous summer day, the sun was shining and the birds were chirping; you had just gotten back from a cafe date with Thomas where you talked about nothing but everything at the same time, he offered to walk you home and gave you his sweater. You held his hand as you reached your apartment.

“wanna come inside?” you had asked for the first time

“yeah, sure. Only if you’re okay with it, I mean-“ he stammered

“I’m fine with it.” you smiled

You lead him to your apartment and kicked off your shoes.

“Hey, where’s your bathroom?” Thomas asked

“It’s right down the hall” you called, grabbing the remote and lighting a candle

“Okay, thanks babe” he called

“Hey who are- AHHH” Thomas screamed

“THOMAS. THOMAS?? OH MY GOD ARE YOU OKAY?” you asked, running to the bathroom where you saw Thomas webbed to a wall with a figure standing in front of him

“Miles?” you asked in disbelief

“Hola, Mami” he smirked

[racefortheironthrone]

On the subject of UBI, I always ask about the MCU UBI: Tony is a billionaire who lives a life of luxury, Bruce has a serious chronic illness that requires expensive medical care, and Trevor just wants to sit round all day drinking and doing drugs. I take the UBI guys more seriously if they can say what each man gets from a UBI.

That's a somewhat odd choice of characters to think about how a UBI would function in the MCU.

So yes, Tony Stark would get a UBI. Relative to his private income, his UBI check would be totally inconsequential - and given the level of taxation needed to support a UBI, it's pretty much guaranteed that Tony would be paying far more in taxes than he would be getting back in UBI payments.

This is not an accident or a mistake or a flaw in the system; this is how a healthy social policy should function. When Social Security was established in 1936, FDR made a big deal of the fact that even John D. Rockefeller would get a Social Security check - because it hammered home the point that everyone contributes, and everyone benefits. Reciprocal solidarity would short-circuit the divisive politics of distribution and redistribution and cement a permanent majority coalition in support of a universal welfare state.

Bruce Banner would also get a UBI check. Now, his financial situation is a little unclear - originally, Banner was a top research scientist at Culver University with U.S military contracts, so he would probably have been in the top 10% of incomes (affluent but not wealthy). After his transformation into the Hulk, however, Bruce was a wanted fugitive with no way of earning income.

After that, Bruce was an Avenger - and this is where things get odd. As established in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Avengers in the MCU don't get a salary: Tony gave them free housing and paid their Avengers-related expenses, but Sam Wilson notably relied on his veteran's pension and government contracts for his living (thus why his banker could justify turning him down for a small business loan rather than admitting to structural racial discrimination) and Steve Rogers even with his veteran's benefits, Social Security, and SHIELD salary couldn't afford a place in Brooklyn. This means that, while Bruce doesn't need to worry about money for his research and can save on rent, he does actually need the UBI for everything else.

This is very different from in the comics, where Avengers get quite decent salaries:

$4k a month in 1983 dollars works out to around $150k a year (on top of free housing at the Avengers Mansion), putting them solidly in the top 13% of U.S personal incomes.

As for Trevor Slattery, I feel like your description is unfairly characterizing a working actor. Slattery was not a major success in Hollywood - hence why he took Aldrich Killian up on his job offer and became part of a criminal conspiracy - and he does have some serious substance abuse issues, but what he does in his private life is his own business. Hell, even when he was abducted by the Ten Rings, he kept working as an actor. That being said, Trevor is going to have a hard time getting UBI, both because he's a wanted fugitive and convicted felon (which would end his eligibility in the U.S) and because he's now living in a rural village in another dimension.

[georgeweasleyslostearhq]

I CAN'T DO IT

Pairings: George Weasley x Fem!reader Summary: George doesn't want to watch you get married to another man Warnings: bit angsty ig? Note: bit long, and this took way too long to make, i'm talking dayss

"how are you feeling?" you heard your fiancé ask as he walked up from behind you

"nervous, I have this feeling that something big is going to go wrong and will ruin the whole thing" you shook your head the pit in your stomach that had been there for days now was getting bigger, and it made you want to throw up

"everyone gets that feeling, it'll be fine, I promise, I'll make sure nothing happens" he rubbed your shoulder

"why are you awake?" you asked him

he was a good young man, he was a Hufflepuff from Hogwarts, you never talked in school as he wasn't in your year, but rather in Harry's year. Zacharias Smith, you started going out about 2 years ago and things were going really well that he popped the question at the end of last year

"you weren't in bed, so I went looking for you" he shrugged

you were getting married in a few days, and things were a bit shaky.

you're bridesmaids turned up today to start helping with setting up and making sure you weren't to stressed

but as soon as Ginny, Hermione and Angelina walked through the door, they could sense it.

the Weasley's came alongside Ginny and as soon as you saw George for the first time in what seemed like forever, you started panicking.

"come on, let's go get some sleep, you'll feel better" Zach said as he took your hand

"you go ahead, let me just stay here for a bit" you insisted, letting him go

"I'll give you 10 minutes" he smiled before going up the stairs.

you closed your eyes as you heard the door shut, telling you he had gone back to bed.

"you alright?" you heard a careful voice say from behind you, making you jump in surprise

you turned around to see George and felt like you were pass out.

the only reason he's here is because his family were invited, you couldn't just invite his family and say he wasn't allowed to come, he was also a very close friend of yours, even if he was also your ex boyfriend

"go back to bed, George" you whispered as he walked up to you

you were ashamed of yourself for even looking at him, and you'd never admit that you still had feelings for him, that after all this time of avoiding them, that when you locked eyes with him this morning, all the love and care for his began to present itself again

and you would never say it, but you never felt the passion for Zach like how you did with George.

but you hadn't been with George in almost 2 and a half years and you never would be again after that day.

"do you really love him?" he interrogated selfishly

"don't, George, you can't come here and question if I love him or not" you shook your head, looking away from him

"it's a reasonable question, love" he stuffed his hands into his pockets

"of course I love him, I wouldn't be getting married to him if I didn't, George" you frowned

"you can't marry him"

"George you can't do that, it's not fair" you huffed

"no, it's not fair, it's not fair that you're marrying him" he agreed to make a different point

"yeah well who's fault is that?" you quizzed "you have no right to tell me who I should marry"

"does he know?" he raised his eyebrows, he didn't have to say what, but you knew what he was talking about

"no" you hesitated

"why haven't you told him?" he tilted his head

"I'm going to bed" you sighed as you began walking past him, but he grabbed your waist and made you stay

"please" he cleared his throat from a voice crack "please don't marry him"

"please stop, Georgie" you let the nickname slip from your mouth

"I'm not going stop, you can tell me a million times but I won't stop trying" he spoke softly

"then let go, I'm not gonna give in to you, George" you choked back a sob

"you're gonna regret marrying him, you're making the biggest mistake of your life" he murmured as he let you go. letting you walk away

-

"so you've got everything? you're not forgetting anything that has to be done?" Ginny asked and Hermione looked at the clipboard she made to make sure everything was on track for you to have the weeding you deserved

you were spaced out, thinking about what George had said to you the night before

"hey, what's wrong?" Ginny rushed, taking a hold of your shoulder to support you

you looked her tears in your eyes as you panicked inside

"what happened?" Hermione came to your side

"nothing, I'm just so happy" you fake smiled

you were all by the venue that the guys had made for the wedding. it wasn't completely set up due to the wedding being tomorrow but it was cleaned out and the floor had been put down for it

"good, the aisle is ready for tomorrow, they just finished setting it up"

you caught a glimpse of George by the floor with Fred and Angie

Ginny followed your gaze as Hermione went inside to fetch you some tea to calm your nerves

"did he say something?" she wondered as she looked back at you

"he told me I shouldn't marry Zach, that I'd regret it and it's a mistake" you wept

"did he tell you he still loves you?" she questioned, looking back at him

"no, just told me I can't marry him and questioned if I loved Zach or not" you played with your fingers

"what did you say?"

"I said that he's being unfair and that he has no right to say that" you swallowed thickly

"do you, um- do you still- love George?" her voice wobbled as she asked, nervous that you'll snap

"no? that's not even a question, I love Zach and only him" you denied, making her nod along, not really believing you

"ok"

it was only then when you realised George was looking at you, catching your gaze

you held it until he looked away sadly

-

you walked out of the house for the second night in a row, to get fresh air, everything was clouding your mind and you couldn't think straight

you noticed a dark figure on the bench that was near the floor.

as much as you didn't want to approach them, your feet decided to move closer, almost like it was begging for trouble

you sat beside them and stayed silent for a while

"give me one reason why I shouldn't marry Zach" you looked over at him

"why does it matter anymore? you're not going to just not marry him. so what's the point of trying?" his voice was cold and emotionless

"this isn't my fault, we would still be with each other if you didn't..." you trailed off, not wanting to mention the break up, even though it was on both of your minds for ages

"I'm not blaming you" he shook his head, looking down at his lap

"tell me you still love me" you muttered as you looked over at him

"and then what? you'll still get married to him. you want me to admit that I'm still in love with you for you to go off with another man? how's that fair?" he stared at you

"well do you?" you tilted your head

"of course I fucking do! I've never stopped, Y/n, every single day of my life I have to live taunts me with the fact you're not mine! do you know how much that kills me? knowing that out there you're with someone that isn't me?" he snapped

"there's no need to be mad" you whispered

"why are you here?" he asked coldly

you couldn't admit that you didn't know what to do, that at the end of the day, you were meant to marry Zach, but that you're heart called George's name.

you couldn't tell him that even a small part of you wanted to start again with him, because you had no idea how he would react, he could either pressure you into running away with him or get mad at you and leave.

"nervous, it's not everyday you're supposed to get married tomorrow" you shrugged

"well you love him, right? nothing's going to get in the way of that so why be nervous" he replied dully

you didn't have enough willpower or energy to respond to him and he could sense it

"you should go get some rest, you've got a big day tomorrow" he smiled softly, even if it was pained

he kissed your head softly, his lips lingering as if he wasn't ready to let you go yet, but soon he pulled away and ushered you to go back inside and get sleep

you got up from the bench and left him there to stare out into the distance.

you sighed as you walked into the door grumpily

"how are you feeling?" you heard the awfully familiar voice that belonged to Molly by the window, looking out at George

she turned to you and gave you a sympathetic smile with a knowing look

"good... I'm feeling good" you lied, you never would have even thought about lying to someone like her, who you once considered a second mother, but you couldn't bare to say the truth to her this time

she thinned her lips with a tight smile, letting you go to bed for tomorrow.

-

"wake up! rise and shine you bride to be" Ginny shouted to wake you up

"piss off" you grumbled as you covered your face with a pillow

"do you really want to be late on your wedding day?" she chuckled, going to your side and ripping the blanket off

"fine" you whined, sitting up as she went through what to do.

you had a quick shower and got into your dress, you're up in, drying to be ready for styling it.

Hermione came through the door with Angie by her side

"ok, so, the cake-" she started, a worried look on her face

"Hermione, the cake is the last of my worries, if there's something wrong with it, do what you think would be best" you cut her off with a smile

"ok" she nodded vigorously, Angie staying in the room to do your hair

"are you thinking in or out?" she asked

"I really don't mind, what do you think will be best?" you sighed calmly

"well i think having it out will really compliment the sleeves" she tilted her head, looking at you through the mirror

"then do it" you nodded

"how are you this calm? are you not worried at all?" she raised her eyebrows

"no, I'm fine" you beamed as she started your hair

"do you want your make up now?" Ginny came in with her makeup bag

"go ahead"

they were all dressed in their bridesmaid dresses with their make up already done, looking beautiful

Angie started putting clips in your hair as Ginny brushed your cheeks with a light pink

you started hearing Hermione yell out orders as the girls finished you up

you felt Angie step away from you and looked at your hair

"you look beautiful" Ginny said as she put her brushes down

"thank you"

"now you need to put your shoes on and then we'll get you your bouquet and then wait for your entrance" Hermione bursted in to see you almost ready

Angie and Hermione left and left Ginny in there with you, handing you your heels

"how are you really feeling? there's no way you are this calm when your weeding is less than an hour away" she frowned

"I'm fine, Gin, really" you grinned at her, her helping you with the strap of your shoe

"I know you might not like to hear about him right now but, George was thinking of leaving" she mentioned, making you pause

"why?" you asked

"Y/n, he doesn't want to see the woman he loves most in this world get married, I heard him talking to Fred saying that the invite felt like you were trying to torture him" she rubbed her arm

"can you tell him to come here so I can talk to him please, Gin" you took a deep breath

"yeah, I'll go find him" she looked down, walking out of the room

after a few minutes there was a knock on your door, you knew it was him and you called him in

the door slowly opened and he walked in, you stood in front of him as he stared at you

you noticed his eye slightly twitch at the sight of you

"you look stunning" he nodded to himself, looking at you sadly

it was then when you noticed he wasn't dressed like everyone else, but in his everyday clothes

"I don't want to go" he said, knowing what you brought him here to say

"but I want you there" you blinked

"why? why do that to me?" he looked away from you

"am I not allowed to have my friend at my wedding?" you didn't want to hurt his feelings but you could tell you did by his face

"I should go home" he said suddenly

"what? no, please don't go home, George, please" you pleaded, stepping closer to him as he backed up

"I'm just going to ruin it, I don't want to ruin your day. that wouldn't be fair, our break up was my fault and I need to live with that, not take it out on you, I'm sorry" he put his hands out for you to not go near him

"you're not going to ruin it, you'll ruin it by not being there, George please" you begged for him to stay

"no, if I'm there all I'm going to do is make it worse, you love him and I need to accept that you're not mine anymore"

"George Fabian Weasley if you don't go to my wedding I will hex you, you're still one of my best friends George, please" you pouted, not wanting to cry

"then hex me, please that'll be much better than going to your wedding" he smiled

"fine, go home then" you frowned, turning away from him

you heard him open the door and stay there for a while before you heard him sigh

"I love you, forever and always" he spoke carefully.

you heard the door close and you felt like you were put into a dream, and you were brought back to all the times he said that in your relationship.

you both would say that when leaving each other, whether it was after saying goodnight, parting ways to go to class, or leaving each other in general

the last time he had said that to you was parting ways during the war, he went off as Tonks pulled you away to cover a different part of the castle

that was the day your relationship changed forever, he almost lost Fred and he became paranoid, and finally, a few months after the war, you broke up with him, he was lashing out and he wouldn't sleep and he would get mad at anything, you knew it wasn't his fault but you wanted a break from it.

-

you stood next to Molly and Arthur as your bridesmaids and groomsmen in front of you, waiting for the cue

"he stayed, you know" Molly said, pointing to the back of George's head in the audience

"good" you said, she walked away and took a seat, Arthur staying to walk you down the aisle

"I know you think our family hates you for leaving him, but we don't" he started

"why not? I broke his heart"

he chuckled lightly "it was the right thing to do for yourself, he was miserable, and he knows it"

the music started to play and they started walking down, you peeked your head around the corner and saw Zach at the end of the aisle, Smiling brightly and you felt like you were going to be sick

"Ready?" Arthur asked

"Yeah"

You took a deep breath and began slowly walking down with Arthur by your side

Everyone turned to look at you with bright grins, they were happy. But you weren't.

You couldn't bring yourself to be happy when you felt sick to your stomach.

You got to the end and Arthur kissed your forehead

You then stepped up in front of Zach and he grabbed your hand.

You looked to at your family and friends.

You looked at your mum. Who was smiling widely. Then you looked to the other side to see George.

He was frowning as he looked at the front. His eyes were dull and rested, as if he was tired

You began to feel dizzy and you spaced out as the ceremony started

-

"Should anyone here present knowledge of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace" the officiant said, looking up at the audience.

you turned your head to find George in the audience, looking down at his lap.

you noticed that Ginny and Hermione turned to look at him too, as well as Molly, Fred and Angie

he looked up and locked eyes with you, in that moment, you wished he would stand up and say something, to get you out of this position you put yourself in, to save you from marrying a man you knew you didn't love as much as you did George.

but he remained seated, his lips in a tight line, not daring to ruin the ceremony

"alright.

you looked back at your hands that were connected with Zach's

you spaced out again until the officiant turned to you

"Y/n Y/l/n, do you take do you take Zacharias Smith to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honour and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?" you looked at Zach, who was grinning from ear to ear.

in the corner of your eye you saw everybody staring at you, waiting for you to speak

but you couldn't, a lump formed in your throat and stopped your from talking, from breathing.

you turned to the audience once more, your eyes meeting George's again. he had a fake smile on his face even though his eyes were droopy and sad

the longer you looked at him, the more the smile of his faded away, he furrowed his brows as you shook your head

Zach gave your hands a reassuring squeeze and made you look at him

"are you ok? what's wrong?" he mumbled

"I'm sorry" you choked as you lifted your dress, running down the aisle, away from the wedding, hearing the calls from your friends and family

you don't know where you were running to but you ended up at a small lake.

you leaned against a tree and slid down, crying pathetically

you sat there alone, for a while. the wedding was far away from where you were that you couldn't see it and you could barely tell where you were.

you stayed there for what felt like hours before you heard footsteps coming towards you, stepping on the crisp leaves on the grass

you didn't dare to look up, fearing it was Zach.

you knew what running away would do to your relationship, but your feet felt like they were moving on their own accord, you knew that as soon as you ran away, that it meant you and Zach were done. that you could no longer be with him

you left him

"I couldn't do it" you spoke to the person

"what was stopping you?" you heard his voice, the one that caused you to run

you looked up at him, seeing his gentle brown eyes looking down at you

"you," you whispered, seeing his face slightly change "you and your stupid brown eyes" you sobbed, beginning to cry again.

he stood there for a second before sitting beside you, keeping a little distance from you

"I said I wanted to go home, I didn't want for this to happen, I never meant for you to do that" he rubbed his face, genuinely feeling bad about the situation

"you never do, George. that's the problem" you cried, hiding your face in your hands

"he's called the wedding off, for good" he informed you

"figured, I wouldn't want to do it again, I can't. I can't do it, George" you closed your eyes

"I can't bring myself to marry him"

"why not? you love him" he told you.

but that wasn't true, you could never really love Zach when there was George out there, the George you knew before the war.

you don't know how or why it took you so long to notice that throughout your whole relationship with Zach that you craved something more, he wasn't enough, his touch and his words didn't make you blush the way George's did

Zach was great, but it wouldn't be fair to him to marry a girl that didn't truly love him the way she should.

"not as much as I love you, Georgie" you bit your lip, still not looking at him

"you love me?" he questioned

it was silent for a while, you both looking at different things and letting the conversation sink in, the words imprinting on both of your minds

"I don't think I ever stopped" you whispered

you felt him reach for your hand slowly and carefully, not wanting to cross a boundary

you let him take your hand in his and you felt the tingly sensation you never felt with Zach

it felt right but wrong at the same time,

as much as you wanted to enjoy it you knew it was wrong, you were supposed to get married

"how'd you find me?" you wondered, finally looking at him

"I took you here once, remember? it was Christmas and you were staying with me and my family, we snuck out and ran away, we ran here" he raised his eyebrows, looking at the lake

you looked around you and you were hit with the memory of that day

"it was where we had our first kiss" he muttered

you subconsciously smiled at the memory of a scared George slowly leaning closer to you, his hand in yours as he connected your lips, kissing you delicately but with eagerness

you struggled in your dress as you got up, making George confused

you looked around at the trees and noticed you were leaning against the one you were looking for.

you looked around the trunk of it and reached up to trace the scratch marks that you and George made that day

a large heart engraved on the tree with the letters Y/ and G

you teared up as you examined it

George stood up and followed your gaze

his smile dropped when he recalled that you had jinxed it that if you both ever stopped loving each other it would crack, symbolising that you were both broken hearted

but there was no crack, not even a faint line of where it would be if you ever did fall out of love

"would you consider giving me another chance? I'm better now, and I'm not saying I deserve you but I can't picture my life without you in it, I want you by my side, forever and always" he asked

you smiled at his words, he was indeed better, all The Weasley's had told you that a year after you split up, and you could see it yourself, he had the sparkle in his eye and the genuine smile that he had lost.

his posture was straight rather than the hunch he had, his mood was different too. he was better and that's all that you cared about, he was George, the George that you loved and cared deeply for

he was your George and you wouldn't pass him on for the world

"I would love that, Georgie, let me just figure out what I'm going to do about this whole Zach thing"

he placed a soft kiss on your forehead, leaving a tingly sensation. it felt good.

"I'll wait as long as you want, as long as I know you'll be mine again" he beamed.

"my heart always belonged to you, I was yours from the beginning, George" you grinned

"good, because my heart was made for yours"

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

[dumbass-tumbler-cryptid]

Paz lives modern au part 4

part 1 part 2 part 3

The Quaritch-Socorro household has money. They are firmly upper middle class. You wouldn’t know it though from how the family looks and acts.

They are cheap asses. Not like extreme cheapskate levels of penny pinching but if they can save a buck they will.

Clothes from Goodwill with a few holes that Paz can easily patch up? Hell yeah she got three bags of “new” clothes for her family for $7!

Miles is taking his family for a “fancy” night out? They’re going to the all you can eat Chinese buffet in the Walmart strip mall. Adults eat for $10, kids $6. 

If you think Paz is disappointed that this is what her husband considers fancy then think again. For her this is the lap of luxury 

They don’t leave until everyone’s had at least three plates because the kids grow like weeds and “mama and papa are getting our money’s worth”

Miles goes hunting with his squad mates and loads up their deep freezer with deer meat. 

Paz gardens not as a hobby but because growing food yourself is cheaper than buying it. 

She cuts everyone’s hair too, including her own because “why the hell would I pay for that. I can cut a straight line.” (She’s completely unaware that her own curly hair would look like a hack job if she ever straightened it out. Luckily curly hair can hide a lot of mistakes)

Miles has her cut his at the end of every month like clockwork but one time they skipped it.

One of their kids had been born a few days earlier so Miles just let it go for the first time in years. 

He was on leave too and helping his wife manage the household so what did he care.

He grew a beard during that time too and Paz was shook.

She didn’t even know her man could look that good, with his curls starting to come in and his mountain man beard.

She pouted for days when Miles went back to work and had to be all “clean cut” again.

We all already know that Spider likes to keep his hair long.

His mom doesn’t care but his dad isn’t a fan.

 He blames his wife for it.

When Spider was a toddler, with his long blond curls, he started getting mistaken for a girl

Miles didn’t like that so he started insisting that his wife cut it.

Paz couldn’t bring herself to do it though. Spider’s curls were so pretty. Just like her’s and Miles’ if he’d ever let it grow out just a little.

“It’s not like it won’t grow back” 

“Yeah but it’s baby’s first haircut”

“So what! We’re having another baby right now.”

“But he’s my first baby!”

Miles eventually convinces her and they get all set up in the kitchen only for Paz to not be able to go through with it.

She was five months pregnant and overly emotional so can you blame her.

Miles rolled his eyes, took the scissors and just started cutting away himself 

Spider was completely unbothered until mama started crying 

“He looks like a little man!” Miles just ignored her

But then Spider started crying because mama was crying, which made papa get frustrated, which made them both cry harder.

Miles told Paz to just leave, which she did because she could see how she was affecting her son.

But that only made things even worse because Spider screamed for his mama, trying to wiggle out of his seat, making grabby hands in the direction she’d gone. 

Until Spider was five getting his haircut would result in a tantrum.

“It’s because you traumatized him,” Miles would half jokingly half seriously tell Paz. She’d just roll her eyes because yeah he was right but it’s not like she was going to admit that.

No matter how old Spider got he just didn’t like getting his haircut for some reason. He wasn’t sure why. He just liked it long.

To Miles' chagrin his other sons emulated their big brother.

So he’s this gruff clean cut military man, with a wife who despite being ex-military herself wears her curly hair long and wild, dressing like a hippy (loose flowy, comfortable clothes, in fun colors because she had to wear neutrals for too long in the military) his oldest son dresses similarly to his mom, but more skater style. When he gets a little older he starts doing his hair in impressively elaborate braids. Spider's younger brothers more or less copy his style (they also don’t have much of a choice because they get Spider’s hand me downs) and his little sister is mommy and daddy’s little princess and dresses kinda like a nature fairy, all flower patterns, pinks, greens, blues and glitter. So much glitter. 

 All this to say Miles looks boring while his family looks kinda excentrique.

Some of Miles' work colleagues have caught him out and about with his family a couple of times and if they weren’t scared shitless of the man then they’d probably roast him for having such a “sloppy looking” family.

Miles has more or less made his piece with it though. He might tisk disapprovingly at one of his children's styling choices every once in a while when he’s in a bad mood but after four kids you learn to be less of a control freak

Paz and Miles are low key doomsday preppers 

It’s not that they believe the world is actually going to end in some biblical plague or something.

They are just extremely prepared for natural disasters (and terrorist attacks, or World War III)

There basement is loaded with enough food rations and bottled water to keep the entire family going for about twenty years give or take

They run preparedness drills for every scenario they can think of once every three months

The kids hate it

Mom and Dad even ran one while Spider was in school, picking up the ten year old in the middle of the day and taking the entire family on a “camping trip” to a cabin in the woods six hours away 

When he was twelve his dad told him that was practice for what they’d do if there was a nuclear attack on major cities. 

When Spider was four and really started climbing on things Miles took it upon himself to build his son a “jungle gym” in the backyard 

It was really a baby version of an American ninja warrior obstacle course.

Low key Miles was doing military training on his son but Spider fucking loved that obstacle course so it was really a win win.

Miles has a lot of way of “low key” instilling his kids with a military mindset and physical prowess 

As a punishment he’ll make the kids do things like fifty push-ups or ten laps around the house

Both parents run the house on a fairly strict schedule, breakfast at 7, dinner at 6, then all the kids do their homework, twenty minutes of the kids cleaning up after themselves, then it’s off to bed.

On the weekends Miles and Paz teach their kids “practical skills” which are really just survivalist skills

During the summer the kids go to “wilderness camp”

Which is really just a rotating cast of their parents' old squad mates taking them into the woods and showing them stuff.

Miles joins in on the weekends or if he can take the days off to teach his kids things like hunting, tracking, fishing all that jazz

Needless to say the Quaritch-Socorro kids are kinda scary because of this.

When Spider was like seven he told a classmate in detail how to shoot and skin a squirrel with a sunny smile on his face. As if he was talking about a cool dinosaur fact or something 

The kid cried, the teacher got involved, Spider was sent to the office and his parents were called.

Paz was basically like “yeah his dad taught him that. So what? It’s a good skill to have.”

When dad picked him up from school that day he took Spider out for ice cream as a reward for remembering everything so well.

[asherbakugou]

Valyrian Demigods of Westeros - Son of Vhagar

Prince Daemon held Dark Sisters hilt tightly as he listened to his niece's screams on the other side of the door. His wife, Lady Laena, and his goodbrother, Ser Laenor, were within comforting the princess as she birrhed her fourth child. It did not matter to him that she had had three successful births as his own mother had had two successful births before his late brother Aegon, he still worried for her safety.

It was not until he heard the desperate and fearful scream of Laena, yelling for him, that he moved. In one blow he knocked the door open, running into the birthing chamber.

Ser Laenor was fighting against a maester with a blade in hand as Rhaenyra screamed. Laena stood at her side, looking fully ready to lunge at the man if he nor Laenor could get him out. A midwife kneeled between Rhaenyra's legs, coaching and encouraging her even with the tremble of fear in her voice. His observation took less than two seconds before he was unsheathing Dark Sister, blade singing as it was pulled from the sheath.

The Maester looked to him in fear as Laenor shouted, "He attempted to murder Rhaenyra!"

That was all it took for Daemon to swing his blade with precision, completely severing the mans head. Blood sprayed into the air like a geyser, spraying over Laenor, Daemon, the midwife, and the newly born babe.

Wailing, the babe was quickly passed up to Rhaenyra who sobbed in relief, thanking Daemon as she cradled the babe close, whispering into blood and fluid soaked hair.

It took well over an hour for Rhaenyra to calm enough for them to wash the babe and for her and Laenor to give him a name. As they waited guards were admitted to drag away the body and feed it to Syrax, and the news was taken to the King.

"So? What name shall you give to my newest nephew?" Daemon asked, sprawled in a chair as Laena and Laenor sat beside Rhaenyra.

"Before we tell you we have a proposition for the two of you," Laenor stated, staring Daemon down with surprising confidence.

"A proposition? Do tell."

"The Stepstones," Rhaenyra began, tearing her gaze away from her babe. "Will be officially taken under the crown within the next month. A keep, garrison, and port is already being built on the main island and shall be given to my son when he is of age in 10-and-6 years. But until then it must be watched over by a regent, and I was hoping to name you, Uncle, or you, Laena, as his regents. You would be welcome there even after he took control and I would off her his hand in marriage to Baela, Rhaena, or any future daughters you have if it would please you "

Daemon and Laena stared at her before Laena asked, "Why? You could hire a castellan if you so wished. Why give us this responsibility?"

"Because you deserve it. You have supported us, even from afar. Your loyalty means everything to us," Laenor admitted, smiling awkwardly. "And the kids adore you. They would be highly distraught if you returned to Essos."

Laena laughed, sharing a look with Daemon. A silent conversation passed between the two before they turned their attention back to the two.

"If we take it, I wish to be given control of its garrison even after your, still unnamed, son takes it back."

"Done."

"Then we agree. We will care for our nephews castle and he will marry one of our daughters. Eventually, of course. Now, tell us his name," Laena commanded, holding her head up haughtily to make them laugh.

"We have chosen to name him Maegor ll Velaryon, to remind ourselves not to make the mistakes Aegon the Conquerer made," Laenor announced, smirking at the surprised looks on their faces.

"A powerful name," Daemon commented, grinning sharply. "One that will make the Highcunts shiver in remembrance. I applaud your choice niece, goodbrother."

"We're so happy to have your approval, Uncle," Rhaenyra deadpanned, making Laena snort loudly before to cover it up as Laenor began laughing at his sister.

Maegor was given back to his mother by an awed midwife, who spoke quietly to Rhaenyra as Laenor continued to poke fun at his sister.

"Is something the matter?" Daemon asked as the midwives filed from the room, leaving the four alone.

"She was informing me of the peculiar birth mark upon his left arm," Rhaenyra stated, gently unwrapping Maegor so she could them all the arm. Upon his chubby forearm was the sigil of Vhagar, something Laena and Daemon realized near simeoultaneously.

It was a long angular shield with a spear shape through one side and a sword theough the other. There were other details but they were hidden by the fact that it was underdeveloped.

"Rhaenyra, Laenor," Laena whispered, gently running her fingers over the markings. Both knew that they had recognized the mark, but seemed unaffected.

"You keep my secrets, I keep yours," Laenor murmured, dark eyes sharp. It did not matter that this was his goodbrother, a man that had seen war and held a valyrian blade. If Daemon threatened his wife or children, he would retaliate.

"I keep your secrets," Daemon agreed, understanding. "Now, when shall I have the pleasure of seeing Otto's face when he hears the name of the babe. And of course, the pleasure of seeing the Highcunt Queen throw a fit, how could I forget."

They chuckled, easing the atmosphere.

"In three days, Uncle. Be patient."

He scoffed, earning looks of genuine amusement between the three.

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

Queen Alicent perfectly arranged her children at her side, with Prince Aegon in the lead and Prince Daeron standing at the end. Her father, Ser Otto, stood beside Prince Daeron, pin of the Hand of the King shining brightly.

She glared at Princess Rhaenyra as she swept inside with her sword-swallowing husband, and heathen children following close behind. Held within her arms was the newest Prince of the Realm, whose name would be revealed to the court soon, while Ser Laenor held his heir, Prince Lucerys, in his arms. Prince Jacaerys and Princess Alyssa walked between their parents dressed in fine clothes.

"Princess Rhaenyra, my dearest daughter. Ser Laenor, my goodson. Prince Jacaerys, Princess Alyssa, Prince Lucerys, my grandchildren. I am glad you are all alright. Prince Daemon I thank you for your timely intervention. It saved my daughters life. It saved the Crown Princess's life," King Viserys stated, allowing silence to fall. "Lords and Ladies of the Realm, today my daughter stands here to introduce the newest Prince of the Realm, futhering her line of succession."

Viserys nodded to his daughter, sitting back dowm heavily. He ignored the look he recieved from his brother, Daemon, worried and surprised in equal measures.

"Lords and Ladies, I introduce to you Prince Maegor ll Velaryon, Heir to the Stepstones, chosen to remind us of the mistakes of Aegon the Conquerer. Until his 10-and-6 Nameday, his keep upon the islands shall be watched over by his chosen regents, Prince Daemon, and his lady wife, Lady Laena."

The news had everyone in a titter, surprised that the King had allowed a Keep to be built uppn the Stepstones at all but the man was deep to his eldest daughter and had caves after much insistance.

Ser Otto and Queen Alicent were angry and shocked respectively. None of her sons had been given Keeps, while all four of her children had inheritances to recieve.

The scales only tipped further in the Blacks favor.

Prince Maegor Velaryon, Second of His Name, Heir to the Stepstones, Born in Blood, the Warrior, the Fierce, the Wild, the Warhammer had been born.

[simonsaysbark]

Notzmo Simon Sez "Simon"

7/14/08 - 10/28/23

There's all these things I want to write.

I'm struggling. I'm a better writer than a speaker, but I'm going to ramble. Lots of words, and somehow, it's not even close to being enough.

Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted a Blue Merle dog. I know. I know. I'm going to get all my show friends and dog friends who shake their heads and say color doesn't matter. I know it doesn't, but- it did for me. It does. I love merles, I love how they look like fog in the woods on a Pacific Northwest Morning. They're swirls of grey and black with pops of tan or muted gold, all different patches. I adored them from afar. I grew up with an Old English Sheepdog, we had friends with merle Aussies and other merle dogs and man, did I covet them as a little girl. However my dog life went a direction I didn't forsee, to German Shepherds. Search and Rescue was my thing, my GSD's were wonderful at it, but the shop kinda took over my time. I showed Shepherds too, enjoyed that, but Matt wanted something a little smaller in the house.

So I did my research. I talked to folks, met dogs, and Corgis fit our lifestyle and our household. Cardigans especially. I could live with that, I've had herding dogs my whole life, they're a big dog with a giant heart and work ethic but with short legs. They had all the things I loved about Shepherds, and not so much of the things I sure can live without.

Plus they came in merle. Geninuely merle, a true pattern of the breed.

We ended up with two rescue Pems from rough beginnings, but man, I still wanted that Cardigan. I don't think I've ever told my Cardi folks how I sneakily went to dog shows, tried talking to some of the breeders a bit around my area. Most of them didn't have time those days. Me? I was too worried about making a mistake or being rude, coming across badly, and I was also hyper aware of how busy folks are at them and didn't want to push. I guess that was okay. Universe testing me, do you really want this breed? I did. The more I was around the ones I saw, the more I loved them.

So, I sent out a whole lot of email inquiries to folks, with pictures of my German Shepherds, with what a story of, what I did, that I showed, I trained. I think I had pictures of my dogs and my fenced yard, haha. I admit, I'm a little terrified to cold call folks, it's- it's hard for me. I told them I was willing to wait for the right dog to come along. I wanted something healthy, I wanted them to maybe try doing SAR or some dog sport, I wanted to try showing, but- I wanted a blue merle too. Years were fine. If I'm to be honest no one really answered, but I was patient and kept trying. Then I heard from Dona and Sharon, who-- had a litter and a pup that might fit what I wanted. It was way earlier than I expected but I was game. I told them, I loved working dogs, I love thinking dogs, I plan on doing all these things with my dog.

They picked him out for me, and he was everything they said he was right down to when I first met him at the airport and took him home, he snuggled and was calm and observant to everything, confident and thoughtful about his new life. He then snatched his leash in his mouth when I put him down on the lawn and took himself for his walk. I'd been warned he did that. He did it his whole life; he would carry his leash for the first few steps of every walk, just to let you know if he really wanted to, he could yank it out of your hand and do it himself just fine, thanks. He was housebroken in an instant. He only slept in a crate by the bed for less than a month before we found him curled up asleep in the big dog bed at bedtime and took a chance on him staying out and he was oddly perfect. I kept waiting for the terrible rotten teenage stages, but no. Simon never put a foot wrong, you could trust him flat out the house. He never made a mess or got into anything he wasn't supposed to. Period. Never chewed a single thing that wasn't for chewing. He played with my huge Shepherd, brave as could be.

And oh gosh. He loved toys. He loved fetch. Fetch. Ball. Ball. Ball. He was more focused and driven than some of my working line Shepherds I have owned. Way more.

I took a few pictures, posted them for myself on my blog that I'd had the Shepherds on... and was like huh, the camera really likes this little guy.

Little did I know what I'd let out of the box. Once he found that camera though, that was it. Folks ask all the time, did I give him treats? Did I train him to pose? Nope. Never. Not for pictures. I sure encouraged it, but to be honest, his reward was going out and posing on stuff and knowing he was awesome, throwing out his chest and strutting around Seattle like he owned it, taking walks in the woods and the crags and mountains, running through streams and dirt. Mud and filth and full tilt, but you never had to worry about him getting into trouble out there. He stuck close, and always kept an eye on where I was, even as a pup.

Simon snored in the bed. In the middle of the night he'd squish himself as close as possible, put his muzzle over my neck and his heavy, stubby leg over my shoulder and drool. He loved to cuddle. Cake was his favorite special treat in the world. His eyes would get like saucers over cake. I've shared so many dog friendly cakes. You could ask him if he wanted a bath and he'd make a decision on the spot, yes or no and hop himself in the tub on his own accord, which always made me laugh. He could swim like a otter.

I made so many friends from blogs and places that are long gone on the internet. Was overjoyed when I met other Cardigan folks on photo sites and blogs, because at the time you really... you didn't see them at all. Our online photo blog secret Cardi society and all that. My photography hobby and skill improved with him in massive leaps and bounds.

He was an internet star with followers before the net blew up into what it is now. I've thought about that over the years and to be honest, I'm glad it was that way because I got to know so many people on a one to one basis. We never did things specifically for money or fame like I see a lot of now. His fan base was organic and loved him just because he was a funny, expressive, and cool dog. Most of you who follow me didn't start following me for me, and I like that.

It was such a shock to me but a good one - I'm a bit quiet, but here I own this dog that's as extroverted as it gets, and it worked out. I was his faithful Nikon Paparazzi, he was my famous good looking actor. We would go places and people I never met before would ask me about my dog. He was a fantastic breed ambassador. People loved to hear what he was and learn about Cardigans. Many folks randomly recognized him from his blog, from Tumblr, from Flickr. I had people lean out of car windows or walk by us and snap a picture of him. Once I wasn't paying attention and he stopped mid stride when we were out in Seattle, and I nearly fell over him. As I managed to keep my feet (I said some naughty words, heh) I realized that I'd never saw the man leaning out the window with the phone camera in hand at the light by the theater snapping a shot. Simon sure did, and he was chest out, ears up, until the car behind the guy honked and the guy hastily waved at us and went on.

He helped me meet Cardi people, get involved in the breed with folks. I credit his presence for so many of my friends in this breed that I adore and who mean the world to me in Cardidom. Who helped me learn to show again after I lost my eye and was even more stressed about public moments because I didn't want to drop a dog on the floor off the table, or miss a cue. A big blue icebreaker. He oozed charm. He knew he was all that, but in the way that he didn't have to be in your face. Lady dogs loved him, it always cracked me up because he surprisingly wasn't into the girls. He was so easy to deal with around the ladies, and always polite to them. He'd give up food, treats, anything and was a gentleman- well, except when a ball was involved. (Dearest Kate... I'm sorry he ran into you like a Mack truck that one time we were all out playing. We all heard his big noggin crack into you like a football helmet, and he about laid you flat. I hope you get a chance to knock some sense into him in return, in that place where all good dogs go.)

Simon tried showing, because I wanted a show dog to show. To be honest, he has a few points but he never enjoyed it like Caleb. It really wasn't for him. He did it for me, because I wanted it, but his big ol' heart was in agility and fetching things and photographs. His second to final time in the ring still cracks me up to this day. I used a flat collar for agility and photo stuff and a thin chain for conformation. Well, I was in a hurry. I was late to the show, running to find my ring, so I left the flat on him. We whisked by the agility ring and he was totally on his toes and excited and happy and I was like "no, come on, let's GO." Oh boy. That was a mistake. He eyed me, eyed the ring, and gave me an absolute stink look. Simon has always been the sort to tell you he's not amused. He never pulled a punch when he thought you were being unfair. I was an idiot and blew him off because I was running on ring-jitters and coffee and panic because that's what you do sometimes.

So he got in the ring, he's on his toes and looking like a million bucks, gaits, moves out, stacks beautifully on the table and I'm like wow, wow, awesome, she's looking at us and he's showing off for everything he's worth. The judge moves us to the front of our class for the final go around and as we turn the corner in front of the judge's table, Simon looks up at me with an open mouthed sly smile, and I'm like "oh oh." I know I'm in trouble.

Without missing a beat he passes the judge's table right as she watches us go by, hikes his leg as high and obvious as he could and pretends to pee all over it, in mid-stride. He never peed a drop. Like in my horror and shock I kept looking- and there was not anything there. He made full on eye contact with the judge as he was faking it, that rotter.

Needless to say, we uh... well, we were dismissed without uh, getting dismissed, haha. As we left the ring, I looked down at him, he looked up at me and laughed as big as he could, tongue lolling, grin to his ears. He laid it out as clear as he could, and all I could do was walk away to find a place to sit with him, put his big head in my hands and say to him, "Yup. I screwed up. Sorry." He sat and eyed me and then I just laughed and laughed because he was absolutely right. I was rude, I made the mistake. It was my fault, and I apologized and he laughed with me, slurped me, and I was instantly forgiven. He never held a grudge with you for messing up. He really didn't. I never held a grudge with him, because most of the time it wasn't his fault, and when it was, he also apologized. He was easy that way.

That was our relationship in a nutshell. I love my dogs, I love all my dogs but Simon was different, he was as near-human as it gets. I hate saying dogs are human because I think- well, I think it takes away from the dogness that makes the amazing animals that they are. They aren't human, and that's important to respect... but in his case I'll make that exception to myself. I can't explain it. You could ask him to do something new to him, show him what you wanted, and he'd mull it over in his head and problem solve it. Food wasn't a motivator. Ball surprisingly wasn't his motivator either. It was the task, the thing, the puzzle of working the problem out. That's what he enjoyed more than anything. I wish I could say it was me as this amazing dog trainer. Nope. Nada. I've taught a whole lot of dogs to do a whole lot of things, but Simon was a whole other level. I've never had one like him. I'm pretty sure I'll never have one again.

He could do the funniest thing with his feet. Like, when he was just walking around the house he'd shuffle along the floor. You'd hear him scuffling his claws tik-a-ticka, tick-a-ticka. He was lazy and didn't care if you heard him. But- when he wanted to be a ninja, he could pull up his claws and walk effortless on his pads somehow, he was a master of stealth on the hardwood floors and you'd never know he'd gone by. Mostly so could open the gate and climb the cat posts and steal dry cat food in a heartbeat. Even when he was older and couldn't really climb like he used to, he'd stop every time through the back room and wait for his token piece of cat food on the way in from outside. I'd say "One cat food please?" and give him his tribute; only then would he trot out and let me shut the gate. He waited patiently for all the dogs here to leave their bowls and wander off after dinner and then he'd go grab them and stack them in a pile carefully within each other so that he could possibly get one extra crumb that might have been left behind.

He was supposed to be my dog, and he was, he loved me and would do anything for me, but he was Matt's buddy (even if he NEVER listened to him or heeled when walking with him, he'd drag him all over the place and it was both hilarious and awful but hey, that was between men, doing manly things.) He tested anyone who held his leash. It was a game for him, he would look over at me to say, heh, watch this. He found it amusing to see if someone else would actually ask him to mind his manners, and if they did, he would but if you didn't? Game on. He'd never try it with me though. He always loved men more than women when we were out and about. He desired those locker room thumps on the chest and the shoulder, not baby talk, coos, little scritches behind his ears. They watched the Patriots and the Seahawks together since Simon was a tiny puppy. Football season was his thing. Ball ball ball, on tv, to fetch, to play and amuse himself for hours.

I've never shared the last coherent words Matt said to me to a lot of people. I'm sharing them now because I'm sort of laid bare, but I've thought about them for years. It wasn't I love you, or anything like that. We didn't need to say that, because it had been said so many times while he was in hospice. That was understood. It was, "I'm glad for one thing. I won't be here when Simon... goes."

I understood that too. Our weekends of Simon, Caleb, cameras, and outings were such a special and happy part of our lives. Matt was the driver, the equipment wrangler, the one who found weird out of the way places for us to take pictures and then to eat weird food out in the middle of nowhere. He always got a dessert he could share with Si (Caleb isn't really a sweet-toothed dude.) Something we all loved.

Simon knew Matt was gone. He knew. He was depressed and sad and nothing I could say or do or take him out to play could change it. The other dogs adapted, changed, but for months, he kept looking for him. Simon loved me with everything he was and still loved to go out and take pictures with me, but I was not his football buddy, I was not his fellow sports fan. It was when my younger brother moved in with me for a while during the pandemic that changed things again. Simon adored my brother, and when my brother went away on a trip for a week, his anxiety went high. When he came back though, Simon looked at me and I said, "Yep, he'll come back. It's okay, it's not the same." That was it. That's all he needed and it was like a huge sigh and off he went, and was completely okay again after that. He never worried again. My brother is surprisingly not a pet person, but he loved Simon with all of his heart and offered to take him if something happened to me. That was huge. Thanks, bro. I know you meant it and it was a relief for me to know that in case of the unthinkable, he'd be with someone who appreciated him for who he was, obnoxious Simon barking moments and all.

Also, my brother taught him the dumbest game. Shuffling through the kitchen dragging him along as his front paws gripped your feet, splooted with his stubby legs trailing behind him. Not so much thanks for that to my brother- Simon wanted this game every morning before I had coffee. I blearily scooted him every across the kitchen floor morning because while the other dogs rushed outside to pee like normal dogs, Simon would hold it until he had his sliding fun first.

On one hand, he was this hard hitting, incredible working beast of a dog. People would say, "I want a dog like Simon." Well, no, most folks don't. There are very few people who would have loved living with him. Most of them just saw cute pictures and Simon posing. In the wrong home, he would have been terrible, and there were times he was tough to live with - I'm the first to admit it. For me, he was perfect. I loved his drive, his intuition, his bravery, his intelligence, but he never stopped during his whole life and I am grateful he was sharp as ever and still galloping along for the last years. He was as busy and active as he ever was to the end.

He wasn't easy sometimes around other strange dogs. Like, he didn't take crud from anyone or anything. If you were polite, he was polite and shook hands and moved along without fuss, but if you were rude or aggressive (even to another dog, not him) nope. He had no problem laying the law down. Was he fair about it? Absolutely, but he was serious. He did not ever appreciate an in your space, jumping up, untrained dog in the slightest, and had no tolerance for it. People who let unleashed dogs run up to us on a walk were eyed with a side eye and you could see him blow up and hear the low rumble- and if the dog got nasty... oof. Once during a photo session on the beach, Caleb - who was just lying right next to me and not engaging anything - got attacked by a awful loose dog who charged up on us. The owner was completely oblivious and yelling oh, he's friendly. (Of course, right?)

Caleb's no fighter, he just rolled over and was shrieking and being shaken. Simon was playing in the water out from us a bit and while I had dove in, trying to get the dog off of Caleb, Si came in so fast and so hard and so silent he slammed that dog easily twice his size off his feet and knocked him back from us. Simon absolutely thrashed that dog. To this day I swear he teleported. However, he sent that obnoxious dog running for their life and immediately stopped and came back to check on us, standing between us and the dog while staring bullets and laser eyes at it as it went running away back to mommy in the distance.

Simon loved cats though. Adored cats. Cats were his thing. He was the crazy cat dad dog. He would have loved it if we adopted a million cats and he was the one to decide we were keeping his Sophie, period. We had no say in that. She was his kitty, and has been all these years. Kittens, cats, ferals, non ferals, bottle babies, random barn cats, some strange cat on the street, it didn't matter. He loved them all. He never met a cat he didn't like, and cats liked him back. Or at least tolerated him more than most dogs. Even my mom's cat Rudy, who is uh, hard to like. Simon would let a cat hiss, spit, snarl, swipe and all he did was turned his head and waited for them to come to the conclusion that he wasn't dangerous. He raised so many foster kittens for me and taught them to be dog friendly. He adored puppies too. He was the best babysitter, and a combination of fair discipline and goofy play. He was the gentlest dog with food and treats, he had the softest mouth of any dog I've ever owned, he never once snapped at a treat or a person. You could hand him a dollop of frosting and he'd lick it off your fingers ever so carefully. He never got upset at a vet or someone trying to handle him, he was gracious about it.

Like I said, Simon rarely held grudges. Caleb holds grudges at the drop of a hat (oh boy does he ever) but I promise he usually forgets in a week or two. Simon? Not at all with the ones he loved. That's one of the reasons that these two boys have been together all these years so well. Other dogs would have probably buried Caleb in the backyard at times when his stripeyship wakes up on the wrong side of the bed. Sure, they postured, they puffed, sometimes they threw a punch and went to get a beer after, like good ol' boys do, but Simon forgave Caleb for being a doofus and Caleb got away with being a doofus because Simon knew Caleb never meant anything by all of his bluster. We never had a serious drag out fight between them even with girls in season.

Simon adored Caleb and Caleb loved Simon. They were just fine being apart, they weren't attached at the hip, but Simon loved Caleb like you love your little brother and also can sit on him when he's being unreasonable. He was so delighted when we apparently got him his own puppy, and he was a puppy himself at the time. Once after Caleb had been out for a while with a handler to finish his Championship, we went and picked him after like four months. By that time Caleb had been a big shot on an all girl campus and thought he was all that and a bag of chips. Stripey red dog's ego was running high, and Simon was just lying in the back of the car eyeing him with a quiet sigh, like he expected him to chill out anytime soon.

Finally after maybe half an hour of Caleb being unbearably snarky, Simon got up, leaned over, and grabbed Caleb's muzzle in his mouth. He held onto it as if to say "That's enough of that, bro. Manners." He never broke skin, he never hurt him. Just a brotherly dog dope slap.

Caleb realized in one shining lightbulb moment that he was headed back home, and he was way too big for his britches. Just like that, over and done, all was back to being pals. Simon let go, licked him on the head, and they slept in a pile all the way home.

In the end, there's only one thing I weirdly regret a little. Simon's photos won every category in the photo contest at Nationals... except Best In Show. Surprisingly, that was on Caleb and Tempe, but-- I think it's fitting. Si loved his pack here with all of his heart, and I guess he was like eh, they can have that one moment, why not. He was always generous with his toys and treats for the most part with his family of dogs. Except ball. Nope, all balls and toys all belonged to him.

I once went to Seattle with a wonderful friend of mine, Paige. We were taking some photos of Simon and her Cardigan Story. It was chilly and we ducked into a spot by the Bon, I think, to get out of the wind for a second. This young woman came up and asked us about the dogs. When we said their names she looked at us and said, "Simon? THE Simon? From Tumblr?"

Sure. The Simon. Yep. When she realized who it was she erased her friend's wedding pictures off of her phone so she could take pictures of him and herself for her dad who was also a huge fan. (This was when phones had limited storage, so it was a big deal.) I don't know if you're out there on on the net or follow us still, but... I want you to know that's made me smile all these years. Paige and I were walking back when she turned to me and said "I- all these people, know who he is here. Wow. I didn't think when you wrote about it- I was like, huh, no, that can't be real. I thought you were kidding."

I still run into people out there in the wild like that. It tickles me as much as it did the first time.

The Simon.

That sums him up. I have had a lot of dogs. He- he wasn't a dog. Well, he was, because yes, he did dog things, like pushed a chair across a room to pee on my kitchen table once as a young dog because he hated a Cardgian statue I'd placed on it. He ran off with an admiring posse of Cardi girls at a friend's house who showed him the grossest mud ever and rolled in it until he was black. It turned to concrete on his coat and stunk the back of my car up so bad we had to strip everything out because it smelled like swamp on hot days for months. He barked at full volume at the top of his lungs at the drop of a hat just to hear his own voice to the point where sometimes his name felt like Simon Shut Up, Dude. He fetched like a maniac. He loved his jolly balls until they turned into strips and refused the new ones until he had no choice but to give in and then he loved those to scraps. Also, he barked. He had to tell you every single day of his life about how his day was. Did I mention he barked? I think so.

He had the best bork. A roaring superbark from his chest, like a dog ten times his size. He used it all the time. It's so quiet right now here. It'll be quiet when we get up in the morning from now on, and when I come home from work because he led the morning chorus we're awake joy bark, and the evening song of you're home joy bark, and his bark was always one trumpeting about every thing he did. Simon Sez.

He was my best friend. I loved him. With everything I am, and the dogs and cats here loved him too. I'm absolutely shattered right now, and I have so much more I could say, but this is long and I need to stop because I could go on forever. Fifteen years with a friend and all the ups and downs and roads we've traveled and experiences we've had can't be summed in a Facebook post, but I've done the best I can. The short pack and I don't know what to do this morning. This is a huge hole- no, a chasm. I don't think it's the sort you ever fill up.

Thank you to Dr. Bill Larson and his wonderful staff took incredible care of him all these years from puppy until now, and all the other amazing vets and specialists who ever worked with him and kept him healthy and happy.

Thank you Sharon, thank you Dona, for trusting me with Simon for all these years and always checking in on us and being proud of your grandpup. I can't ever say thank you enough for taking a chance on me for my first Cardigan. I like to say we sometimes don't get the dogs we want, but we always get the ones we need. However, he was everything I could have ever wanted and needed in one wonderful dog. I'm ever so grateful for the fact that until the very last minute, he was active and playing and sharp as a tack.

Thank you, all of you who shared his life with me. So many of you love Cardigans or found Cardigans as a breed because of him. I can name a lot of you, and I appreciate from the bottom of my heart hearing all these stories of your dogs and your life with them. These wonderful dogs deserve it. There is no other breed I want in my life.

Thank you, Si for everything. Everything.

You were one of a kind. The absolutely perfect crazy blue merle dog that my inner little kid could have ever, ever wished for.

[frogletscribe]

Until It Doesn’t Hurt

Chapter 10: Make Up Your Mind

Summary:

20 years since the RDA was pushed off of the moon of Pandora, they are back once more. The RDA thinks their only problem is the traitor Jake Sully and his family, but as it turns out, Jake wasn’t the only ‘problem’ left behind 20 years ago. 

Anthe was a child soldier, stolen from their home and forced to learn the ways of the humans, erasing any of their connections to the Na’vi from before. Finally free from the RDA’s hold after being trapped in cryosleep, they're about to make themselves everyone's problem.

---

Spider and Anthe have a much needed conversation. Quaritch gets impatient.

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Pairing: Aged Up!Neteyam X Nonbinary!Na'vi!Reader/OC (OC and Neteyam are both around 20)

Warnings: Mentions of Past Violence, Mentions of Past Trauma, Mild Claustrophobia, No Use of Y/N, Blood, Self-depreciation, Neglectful Parenting, Suggestive Themes, Mutual Pining, Hurt-Comfort, Found Family

WC: 3672 words. AO3 Link Here

A/N: I'm sorry it took me so long to update, I have been in finals hell for a minute and its really only going to continue so it might be a bit again before I can get to the next part. Thankfully, there's a long weekend coming up so with any luck i will have some time to work on it! I hope everyone enjoyed this one!

{ } indicate speaking Na'vi

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Quaritch dubbed Anthe as Spider’s official babysitter, made to be his twenty-four hour guard. Little did the Colonel know, that was exactly the kind of position Anthe had wanted. Both Anthe and Spider were largely excluded from the making of any plans at Bridgehead, given only the barebones of their mission of hunting the Sullys and roles as guides through the forest. As soon as the meeting ended and dinner was eaten, both were locked in Anthe’s dorm at night. It gave the pair the time they needed to speak more freely than they could in front of the Recoms.

— 

“{What the hell were you thinking?!}” It was the first thing out of Spider’s mouth as soon as they were alone, the door locked tight from the outside.

“{Of survival, mostly.}” Anthe shrugged, feigning nonchalance to hide their nerves, and breathing into their CO2 mask as Spider started to pace the small room. Bridgehead being built for humans meant that Spider didn’t need his exopack so long as he was indoors, but Anthe could only breathe the oxygen atmosphere for so long before their lungs started to cramp and they felt light headed. The RDA didn't seem to want to bother with swapping the air out in the dorm units for their Blue Team Soldiers like TAP had, so Anthe would likely be sleeping with the mask on, but at least Spider could breathe.

“{Did anything happen while I was out? They didn’t hurt you at all did they?}” Anthe knelt besides the man to take a closer look at him. He was still dirty, covered in bruises and scratches that were scabbed up. His painted stripes were smeared and messy. Anthe watched him stiffen, jaw tightening as Spider was clearly remembering some fresh pain that Anthe had missed.

“{Spider, what happened?}” Anthe tried to use their calm voice. The same they had used to ease Tuk’s argument with Lo’ak, but there was a rage in their gut that they could not quell. It was one thing to mediate between siblings, it was another to see that someone you cared about was hurt, and you could do nothing to stop it.

“{Nothing happened.}” Spider looked away from them. Shame. Anthe knew it well. Both in themselves and in their siblings. Punishment at TAP for even the smallest mistake had been both swift and harsh. All of the Na’vi soldiers had been trained to hide pain, push it down, ignore it. To be in pain was to be a burden to your squad. To let someone comfort you was to admit you were a failure, and failure was not an option. It had taken a lot for Anthe to finally start letting go of the mindset, they might never have done so if not for Neteyam. But looking at Spider now, they saw themselves and everyone one of their siblings trying to hide, and quietly raged at whoever the hell had taught the same to him.

“{They hurt you.}” It came out harsher than Anthe intended, making Spider flinch but then he turned back to them and spoke.

“{They tried to scan my brain for High Camp’s location. It would have killed me but… Quaritch, he stopped them. I’m good now.}” 

Horrified was the only description for what Anthe felt hearing those words. They held Spider by the elbows in the best semblance of comfort that they could manage as they stood again, not quite a hug, but not nothing either. Anthe stepped back giving the man some space as he shook the memory from his system. They watched their human friend warily, looking for any sign of distress or discomfort. A brain scan, as far as Anthe was aware, should not have been so powerful to find specific information within the brain, or harm the person being scanned. However, they had also been asleep for twenty years and the technology was clearly more powerful than it had been before.

“{But you still haven't answered my question.}” Spider huffed out when he was ready, pointing an accusatory finger at Anthe’s chest, catching them a bit by surprise. 

“{I told you, I was trying to keep us alive.}” Anthe frowned, not catching on.

“{Not that! I mean when you left!}” Spider turned to them, exasperated. “{Do you have any idea how freaked out everyone was? Neteyam was a wreck!}” Ouch. Anthe didn’t enjoy the reminder.

“{Spider, I’m not like you. I was raised by the RDA, I don’t belong with a Na’vi clan.}”

“{What kind of pali shit is that? You were happy with the clan weren’t you?}”

“{Of course! But that doesn’t mean-}” 

“{Doesn’t mean, what, that you can be happy?}” Spider cut them off mid excuse. “{Do you even hear yourself right now? You had everything right in front of you and you are gonna throw it away because of some weird self-deprecating bullshit?}” Something about this conversation didn’t feel entirely like it was just about Anthe leaving, but they would have to unpack that later, the exhaustion of their circumstance quickly catching up to them. Anthe sat themselves on the edge of the small cot, dragging a hand through their hair with a sigh.

“{Spider, this is not the time-}”

“{Fine, just- just tell me why? Why do you think you can’t be with your own people? Why would you throw it all away?}” Spider crossed his arms. With Anthe seated, he was eye level with them, and it reminded Anthe that Spider was in fact their same age, not some child they could brush off and ignore. He really did remind them of Tenak, the take-no-shit attitude and unyielding love for his family. Anthe deflated, pulling their long braid over their shoulder to fiddle with Neteyam’s cord still tied there. There was little point in  hiding anymore. Anthe had no idea how they could get Spider out of Bridgehead and back to High Camp without getting one or both of them killed. Their first escape from the RDA had been a complete fluke, a lucky break. This was not that, there would be no miracle survival this time. However, Anthe was not alone this time either, Spider was with them, and for now he was trusting them. For that, at least, they owed him the truth.

Finally giving in, Anthe began to tell Spider everything. The nightmares, the survivors' guilt, the fear that even if they found something new, someone would just take it away again. They told him about Tenak and their other siblings and how much they missed them, the only family they had ever known, and how they were absolutely clueless about anything that came to Neteyam. At some point Spider came to sit next to them, leaning into their shoulder and rubbing their back. When they were finished, Anthe felt somehow lighter, like just speaking their pain had somehow weakened it.

“{Sorry… I know that's a lot.}” They sighed, looking somewhat sheepishly at the man beside them, but Spider looked unbothered.

“{Did you ever tell Neteyam any of that?}”

“{Some of it. I’m not used to sharing feelings stuff.}” 

“{Not even with your siblings?}” Spider raised an eyebrow.

“{We didn’t need to. We were all going through the same things. There was no time for like… personal problems. Everything was just missions or training or class.}”

“{Ah, so that's why you’re such a skxawng about Neteyam trying to court you.}” Spider grinned, teasing and familiar. He really was a good brother, lightening the heavy atmosphere with ease. It almost made Anthe forget they were prisoners. Anthe dragged an embarrassed hand down their face.

“{He wasn't actually trying to court me though, right? Like, that's just stuff you and Kiri and Lo’ak would say to mess with us.}”

“{I’m pretty sure he was.}”

“{But why would he?}”

“{‘Cause he likes you? Like a lot? I know you’re not used to Na’vi culture, but we don’t usually snuggle up with someone that close every night unless they’re family, or more friends, if you catch my drift.}” Spider snicked, watching the flush that blossomed across Anthe’s face. They swatted lightly at his teasing, trying to tamper down their embarrassment as they slid off the bed, moving instead to the desk chair and sitting down with a sigh.

“{We should sleep, try to figure out what to do about getting out of here in the morning.}”

“{Are you gonna sleep in the chair?}”

“{Beds too small for the two of us, and you need the rest.}”

“{You need rest too.}”

“{You just said cuddles were for family only.}” Anthe pointed out, sinking deeper into their seat, trying and failing to get comfortable in the hard plastic shell. “{And I have slept in worse places.}”

“{You’re already family at this point, dumbass.}” Spider’s words made Anthe go rigid, as they watched him start to rearrange the bed in an attempt to accommodate them both. He seemed to notice, turning to them with an annoyed huff.

“{You spent almost seven full months with us. Eating with us and laughing with us. You helped save Lo’ak, Tuk and Kiri, and you tried to save me, even if it went sideways. You think that didn’t mean anything?}” 

“{That doesn’t make me family.}” Anthe’s voice was quiet and full of anxiety. They watched sadness cross Spider’s face, and then an annoyed determination.

“{Well, it does to me. So, shut up and get your ass in bed.}” Spider ordered, and Anthe found themselves relieved, pulling themselves from the crappy plastic chair and crawling back onto the too small bed. Spider was probably a solid two feet shorter than them, but that didn’t account for his bulk, and Anthe wasn’t sure how he planned on fitting them both on the tiny cot. He crawled on after them, shuffling their limbs around until he was settled, his back against Anthe’s chest, with their arm over him to keep him from falling off the edge. It was a tight fit, but it worked. 

“{Spider?}”

“{Hmm?}”

“{Thanks.}”

— 

Quaritch was exactly like every drill sergeant Anthe had ever trained under, but about ten times worse. He was harsh, and left no room for slip ups or slowness. The only person he seemed to give any kind of slack was Spider, and even that was limited to the fact that Spider was barely more than half the size of anyone else in the group. But Anthe didn’t complain, even when Lyle and Z-Dog made them carry half of their gear on top of their own in half baked hazing. They were not allowed any weapons other than a combat knife that was trapped to their thigh for emergencies only, carrying three packs of climbing gear and camp supplies. They were the group's pack-mule, but better that, than a target. 

Anthe had hoped they would be able to slip away into the woods with Spider, but the RDA was smarter than to let either of them out of Bridgehead without insurance. An ankle tracker was strapped to Anthe, while the exo mask they gave to Spider had another one installed somewhere inside of it. There would be no returning to High Camp until they could get rid of them, and that wasn’t happening any time soon. The next best plan the pair could think of was to stall. They were the Recom squad’s reluctant guides through Pandora’s forest, so they would try to lead them anywhere but where they were supposed to go. That worked for a while, but Quaritch and Ardmore were getting increasingly frustrated by the lack of progress, so they doubted the strategy would work for much longer.

The longer Anthe spent with the Recoms, the more unsettled they became. Not from the strangeness of the soldiers' predicament, but because they were starting to actually like them. There was a comradery to the group that felt good and familiar. Most of them left Anthe more or less alone, probably thinking they were just the quiet type. But others, mostly Lyle and even Quaritch, actually tried to get to know them in their own weird way. Lyle mostly talked at Anthe, pulling them into his joking with the other Recoms and making them feel included. Quaritch, on the other hand, was mostly doing it out of an apparent want to appease Spider. Anthe being Spider’s ‘guard’ meant they had an excuse to actually like each other, so while Spider hissed and spit and cursed at the rest of them, he got away with being amicable with Anthe. Quaritch was clearly trying to play into some sort of father figure role for Spider, and by pure proximity, he started to do it to Anthe as well. Even Spider admitted late one night that he was becoming fond of the Recoms, but he would still much rather be with the Sully’s than anywhere near the RDA.

The growing fondness scared Anthe. They caught their guard slipping around the recoms, feeling at ease and even happy, and the realization horrified them. How easy it was to fall right back into the familiar military atmosphere. How simple it was to just become a soldier again, following orders and never questioning what they were told. Anthe felt as though they were teetering on the edge of a cliff, unable to keep their balance, and constantly in danger of falling right back into the RDA’s clutches.

 Spider was the one thing keeping them grounded and focused. He saw when something was wrong and pulled Anthe back out of their spiraling. It was different for Spider, he hated being cooped up behind bridgeheads grey cement walls, and how cold and distant everything was. The recoms company was not great, but more or less familiar with their large blue bodies and easy laughter. Spider was keenly aware that Quaritch was likely trying to use their familial connection to the RDA’s advantage, and was distressed to realize it might be working, but that didn’t change Spider’s need to go home. He had told Anthe about his life on Pandora, the death of his mother, growing up knowing his father had been responsible for so many deaths. He told them about his foster family who tried to kidnap him, and Kiri and Lo’ak being the only people to ever stand up for him, and how Neytiri hated him and Jake never really did anything about it. Still he would rather be with the Sully’s, because that's where his family was, and now Anthe was a part of that family too. So, they made a deal. They would keep eachother grounded, and they would escape together to get back to that family.

— 

Four months into their capture by the RDA, Quaritch had Spider lead the group to one of the Ikran rookeries up in the floating mountains, talking about how the group needed a better way of getting around than just helicopters that were prone to being attacked by Eywa’s hivemind ecosystem. The whole group seemed excited, buzzing as they made the climb. Anthe was less convinced. Spider was sure that the Recoms were just going to get themselves killed, a fact that he had no issue voicing, Anthe quietly agreed, but they had a different anxiety about the whole thing. 

Iknimaya, claiming an Ikran. It was supposed to be a right of passage. Something Neteyam had gushed about, excited to show Anthe and help them claim their own mount when they were ready. They did not feel ready, or even wanting to claim a mount without Neteyam there to guide them. It felt like an insult to even consider it, but protesting now was not an option. Ardmore was convinced that the Sully’s had left the Omaticaya clan and gone into hiding, and the Recoms needed to be able to move more easily through the forests to find them.

The group watched with bated breath as Quaritch approached the nearest Ikran, guns drawn as they waited. The earlier excitement morphed into tension, only Spider remaining upbeat as he taunted the soldiers for being scared. The human had apparently watched plenty of Iknimaya take place, and was endlessly amused by the larger group's lack of knowledge. Anthe stayed close to him, more for their own comfort than anything else. The pair had grown fairly close in their capture. It made the whole situation feel more bearable, to have someone look out for you and know your secrets.

“This is gonna be good.” Spider chuckled, he was perched on a tree root as he and Anthe watched on. Quaritch hissed at the creature as he approached, dodging as it snapped at him and punching it in the side of the head. Anthe crawled up next to Spider, frowning. They watched Quaritch leap onto the Ikran’s back, struggling to get a hold on the animal.

“Did I mention, you're supposed to tie the mouth shut first?” Spider was laughing next to Anthe, amused by the Colonel’s struggle. Anthe had noted Spider’s lack of instruction, but kept their mouth shut. They weren’t supposed to know what Iknimaya even was, let alone how it was done. So, no one batted an eye when Spider told the Colonel all he had to do was make tsaheylu, the bond, with the Ikran and fly, notably leaving out the part where the creature will try to bite your head off if you didn’t do something about that first.

“Thanks a lot, kid!” Quaritch growled out, wrestling to get one of the Ikrans two neural queues in his hand. He was clung to the creature's neck when it launched itself from the cliff's edge, taking the Colonel with it.

“Oh, shit.” Spider hopped down from his perch.

“Move up!” Someone, Lyle or maybe Mansk, shouted as they all rushed to see.

Anthe followed Spider quickly as he ran for the edge, watching the Colonel scream as he tumbled through the air, Ikran still trying to snap at him, before they disappeared into the clouds below.

“You see ‘im?” Lyle asked. Anthe leaned a little farther out, holding Spider back with a hand, and shook their head. Anthe glanced back at Spider, who looked shocked, maybe even sad, searching for the missing Colonel.

Lyle moved away, mumbling something about heading back to Bridgehead, moving the other Recoms back away from the cliffs. 

“Let’s go. We’re out of here.” Lyle ordered. Spider sagged slightly but turned back the way they had all come. Anthe stayed with him, stuck somewhere between trying to comfort Spider and drag him away. 

There was a great beating of wings and familiar whooping as Quaritch emerged from the clouds astride the Ikran. Everyone turned, laughing and cheering at his surprising reemergence. Anthe saw Spider let out an amused scoff, and couldn’t help smiling a bit themselves.

“Who’s up next!” The Colonel shouted, flying his new mount low over their heads. 

One by one, the Recom’s claimed their own Ikran mounts, until the only person left was Anthe. 

“Come on, private! It’s your turn!” Quaritch was shouting from the back of his new mount, now perched on one of the cliff shelves above. The other Recoms were still flying around, chasing each other on the backs of their Ikran.

“{Hey, you got this.}” Spider smiled, hand on their elbow.

“{I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t want to do this.}” They looked at Spider, not bothering to hide their anxiety.

“{You can. You have to.}” He squeezed their arm.

“Come on Anthe!” Mansk was shouting over the wind. Anthe nodded with a sigh, dropping their gear in a heap next to their friend. There would be no getting out of this.

There was more whooping as Anthe finally stepped forward. They crouched, stalking forward towards a vibrant Ikran with purple markings. The creature chirped cautiously, but did not back away. Having watched the Recoms make their claims, Anthe had watched several strategies play out, but like Quaritch, most of the Recoms had an aggressive approach. It worked, but Anthe didn’t want to follow their lead quite so closely. They stepped closer, waiting for the Ikran to come at them. It hissed, spreading its wings wide in warning before lunging. Anthe barely avoided the snap of the Ikrans jaws as they jumped out of the way, grabbing onto one of the animal's neural queues as they slid past. The Ikran reared back, inadvertently dragging Anthe up onto its back. They moved quickly, locking their ankles around the creature's neck, body too close to its head for it to successfully bite them, and pulling their own queue in front of their shoulder. 

Anthe had only ever connected with something once. A pali that Neteyam had taught them to ride months before. The experience had been strange and exhilarating, connecting with the six-legged horse creature, but connecting with the Ikran was on a whole other level. Anthe could feel everything the Ikran felt, and could feel the Ikran feel them in turn, a connection that ran deeper and stronger than anything else.“Anthe! Fly! You have to fly!” Anthe was dimly aware of Spider yelling in the distance, too caught up in the feeling of the bond. But the word stuck. Fly. The Ikran launched into the air, diving off the edge of the cliff and into the sky. There was a moment of freefall before Anthe came back to their senses, quickly moving into the riding position they had seen so many times before and urging the Ikran to regain control. They soared back up, speeding past the Recoms still in the air on their own mounts, barely hearing their cheers. Spider was grinning at them as they landed in front of him. Quaritch and the other’s landed too, crowding around in celebration. As much as Anthe had been reluctant to claim a mount, it came with freedom, and a hope they hadn’t expected. They had an escape. As soon as they could get rid of the trackers, Anthe and Spider had a way to get away.

[sylvaridreams]

late night posting, I am thinking a lot about disability and chronic illness and pain in my own characters now. lately with Auruim and Alba. and it's not always "I want him to suffer with it!" and it's not always "I want him to overcome it!" Sometimes it's just there. Fact of life. And these three options form a three sided shape called a triangle.

so on one side of this beautiful triangle staggering along between "suffering with it" and "fact of life" is Alba, who. y'know it's funny, I said the same thing about someone "calling him soundless," which he in the technical aspect of things IS. he would flinch and recoil from it. he would say no no no, I'm normal, don't worry about that. The guy who eats rotting, toxic hog bacon out of a hole deep in the jungle is worried you might think he's a bit too strange.

If someone openly addressed Alba as "disabled" he would do the same. he would deny it, yank himself away from it fully. and partially out of a desire to be seen as "functioning normally." Optimally, even. There is nothing out of place. There is no issue with my body or mind. and partially out of some bizarre fear that if he said "well, maybe," everyone would turn their heads and say STOP THAT MAN FROM COMMANDING RIGHT THIS INSTANT. (and then the other "partially" is just denial. i don't want to have an issue to deal with.)

as if he hasn't proven himself capable enough in the 10+ years since his initial injury in the Silverwastes. which he never allowed, never was able to allow to heal because he had to go after the Pact, into the jungle, right away. It was a couple of weeks tops of resting a leg that the medics were in quiet debate over whether or not he would keep, the way it was mangled and broken, and then he had to go. He never had any time to rest it and heal it properly, and his bum leg has always been a point of shame and annoyance. He's not good at growing and shaping new things-- he did a full set of armor, one time. and that took a lot of work and time and mistakes. He still occasionally does shoulder armor pieces-- or else he might have healed better, or maybe just said go ahead and chop it off and I'll regrow.

so he limped his way into the Heart of Maguuma and no one really knows what to say when the guy in charge shows up already broken and in agony and on a crutch, but you certainly can't tell the Commander he has to turn around, go back. With the Pact in the state it is? No, if he's willing to clock in, let him. we need him. and by the time part of the group headed into Rata Novus he'd ditched the crutch and was just brute forcing it and rationing pain pills, chewing on them as often as he could between point A and point B.

He's had over a decade to figure out how to hide it but it hurts. still. it still hurts him when he walks too long or runs too much or sits or moves wrong. which frankly is kind of devastating to him. He's learned to hide it. to walk at a pace that's normal enough. a pace that kind of annoys faster people, but that can't be helped. at least it appears normal. at least he has practice the motion of taking a step enough times to know what looks normal.

and for the most part it's a well kept secret. Dragon's Watch is mostly aware that he broke his leg and had it torn into shreds and nearly lost it. But you can see how normally he moves now. and he's always running around saving the world, so you have to assume he's doing fine. and he's doing fine, he tells people if they walk in on him changing, see his scar. what happened to your leg. old injury, it's fine.

but people who know his mannerisms and know him on a deeper level know he's lying and grinning and bearing it over something that, frankly, treatment wouldn't be PLEASANT for, or fast or easy or without a huge amount of risk. or you could use a cane, someone suggests sometime and he gets defensive. I don't need that! do I look like i need that? needing that would be showing a weakness, admitting a defeat to this wound that ruined how you walk until you die or until the leg comes off. that's that. that's it! it's just a fact, a part of you that you live with and lie through your teeth about. and it sucks.

Rytlock and Canach both know before the end of HoT that this is going to be a bigger, long term issue, and both of them know how hard it is for him to keep under wraps. and BOTH of them have told him to do something about it, whether it IS amputating and spending a year or more, maybe more, regrowing the limb, and then maybe it grows wrong and you do it again, or whether it's a cane (you don't have to use it on a good day, they always try to tell him but he's not listening, he stopped listening as soon as the topic came up and he got argumentative) or whether it's quit your job. Just stop doing this kind of work and let's go somewhere where there aren't always problems for you to fix. We can go there together.

Meisi and Bourbon both joined (or for Meisi rejoined) the guild between the end of HoT and the end of LWS3 -- so before Alba is dead on the plateau, by the time the group is moving into Elon, they've realized, or are Starting to realize that the way he moves isn't how he means to move. that he's struggling to hide his struggle and keep up with a normal pace when walking. getting him on a raptor is some kind of gods-send, per Kasmeer, because he's not struggling to walk. Meisi knew about his injury, but I think Bourbon is just flabbergasted the first time he sees Alba's leg bare and is like IS THAT WHY? WHY DID NOBODY TREAT THAT? OR LET YOU REST? and then it's a defensive maneuver again, getting out of this line of questioning. there was no resting. people were dying. don't be selfish.

Taimi's offered help. a mobility aid. No, because there's no issue. It becomes a matter of his pride. I don't have a problem because I haven't ever looked down. and I won't start now. and frankly he gets upset if you press it too much. and frankly Taimi doesn't like Alba when he gets cold, or when he snaps. no one likes him much then.

and by the time we hit the start of EoD, a lot of people have withdrawn in terms of how much they can worry and care about someone who won't let them too close, or who has several times now disappeared for months at a time, no contact. and at some point people also forget. you get used to not thinking about it, so you forget that it was an issue. they don't offer help anymore, help that was always refused anyway, because they forget. and that's when it becomes an issue, because everyone can move better, faster than he can. even Taimi, in Cantha. and he finds himself jealous of this sick girl, the jade tech that allows her to move normally, walk at a steady pace. faster than he manages a lot of the time. and he thinks of how he'd broken his back in Dragonstorm, how he'd had to be rushed back to Rata Sum in agony after Aurene wrenched him out of the battlefield, unable to feel either leg, wondering if he'd walk again at all, later. everyone panicked. Taimi by his side, don't worry, Poobah, they'll get you back on your feet.

but I guess there was nothing to be done about the leg. or maybe they forgot it.

and at this point it feels too late. you didn't rest it when you were supposed to but what choice did you have? did you have a say in the matter at all? does it matter at all, now? your body is ruined. you don't look at yourself naked, all the scars and ruined pieces of yourself. you try to avoid letting lovers see them, let alone try to touch them.

what I'm saying is that Alba doesn't cope well. and he doesn't get treatment. and maybe he never will. or maybe once he retires from the titles, he can be bullied into it. time will tell, or it won't. time can keep a secret.

[enbyleighlines]

Leigh plays Tellius prt 4

This fucking map took me WAY too many tries, all because SOMEONE wanted to die before I could get Ike to recruit her. Seriously, the sheer amount of times Astrid died on this map was absolutely insane to me.

Though, I will admit that one of my failures came down to me forgetting to protect the green square from the crows. I thought they were only cared about the treasure, so it didn't occur to me to keep Titania on the green square once all the beorc soldiers were dead. That one was on me.

NAESALA!! When my sister and I first played this game back in 2007, my sister had the BIGGEST crush on Naesala. And while I'm not nearly as infatuated with him as she was, I do admit to having a strong fondness for this deceptive bastard. I also love the use of "walker" as an insult here. Too fucking funny.

TIBARN!!! I'll be honest, I didn't think much of him back when I first played the game, but now I am a big Tibarn fan. Look at his roguish good looks! And his badass personality! I also love his whole pirate captain aesthetic. Peak character design.

This entire scene is so funny. I love how Sanaki starts off amused by this situation, but quickly loses her temper. Even Soren, as well-read as he is, was unaware that the Apostle is a 10-year-old girl. Which seems kind of like something he should know, but eh. I'll let it slide because the comedy is too good.

Yeeee, another sapphic! Gosh, she is so dang pretty. I love how serene and understanding she is, especially in contrast with the super strict Tanith.

On a side note, I have to wonder if Elincia is related to anyone in the holy guard. Didn't she say that her grandmother was once a member of the Begnion holy guard? Come to think of it, Elincia must have relatives in Begnion... right?

Oh, Calil. I will enjoy using you in RD, but unfortunately, I don't think I will be using her in this game. If only she came with staves instead of knives. But I already have Ilyanna and Soren, I don't need a third mage on my team.

The humor in this game never gets old. I 100% cackled out loud here, despite already knowing what the joke was going to be.

So about those two tiger laguz on this map. Since they don't move, I thought it would be a good idea to farm some fire weapon experience for Soren. Instead, Soren decided to crit on the first tiger and trigger adept on the second. Oh, Soren...

I love this cutscene so much!! Question: Is that Kyza and Lyre in the background? Also, I love the subtle detail that all the royals shift into their human forms, but the non-royals stay in their transformed states. Is this a sign of respect to the royals, or is it more of an insurance, just in case things get out of hand?

I love Reyson's introduction. They gave us this ultra frail-looking pretty boy, and then told us "oh yeah he's blood-thirsty and obsessed with vengeance."

Also, I will be honest, I did not pick up on the Tibarn/Reyson ship vibes back when I played this game in 2007. When I first went on the internet and discovered that they were a popular ship, I was utterly confused. Now that I've watched other people play Radiant Dawn, a game where it implies several times that Tibarn and Reyson share a bed, I am no longer confused, merely ashamed that my 2007 yaoi goggles failed me.

The only good thing about Makalov is this base conversation. Man, Ike can be soooo savage sometimes, and I love it. I believe that this was initially Soren's idea, but Ike was immediately on board with it.

Aaaaand it's my very first class change! It's Soren, to nobody's surprise. He looks so good in purple.

I will confess: when I first played this game, I gave Soren knives instead of staves, because I thought it would be cool, not realizing that knives were basically useless on Soren due to his wimpy noodle arms and his 5% strength growth.

This time, I did not make that mistake.

[noxsoulmate]

Tarlos.

Prompt List Hand Holding.

Oh boy. I could NOT decide at all. So many wonderful ones. So I kinda have six?! 🙈

10 - 12 - 22 - 26 - 32 - 35

Oh my God 😂 you challenge me to SIX kinds of hand holding, and I even add two more prompts... clearly, I'm crazy... and clearly, these "quick writing exercises/drabbles" are getting way out of hand 😂

Big thanks to @chaotictarlos for giving this a quick read to check for mistakes 😘

Multi-Fandom Bingo

Square N5: Trapped Together

Flufftober2022 Bonus Prompts

#2: Christmas in July / Mistletoe

Hand Holding

10. happily doing everything with just one hand, if it means they don’t have to let go 12. possessive hand-holding22. grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back from something 26. holding their hands above their head, fingers linked together32. not really paying attention, both doing something else, but still holding hands35. grabbing the other’s hand to pull them back to them

“This is a nightmare.”

TK’s murmur was quiet enough that even Carlos could hardly hear it, so there was no risk one of his roughly two hundred relatives caught it. Not that he cared if they did, to be honest.

Grinning at TK, he couldn’t help but ask innocently, “What, you don’t like it? You don’t think it’s romantic?”

The look he got back was as endearing as it was funny, the fear in TK’s eyes telling him that for just a second, his fiancé didn’t catch his sarcasm. Carlos was already dissolving into quiet laughter when TK poked him in his side, glaring at him. 

“Carlos Reyes, that is not funny,” he grumbled. “For a second, I feared you would be planning something similar for our wedding.”

“Do you honestly know me this little?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe we should work on that some more before we say ‘I do’.”

By now, TK was pouting, and when he moved as if to leave, Carlos was quick to grab his hand and pull him back, right into his side. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered between his chuckles. It only took a few kisses of bribery before TK rolled his eyes and then joined in with his laughter.

“Okay, tell me what you really think of this,” he finally asked, leaning into his side, their hands still intertwined between them. “And maybe explain it to me. What did we walk into here?”

“I’ve warned you that Cousin Rosa is very eccentric.”

“So she’s having a Christmas-themed wedding… in July?”

Looking around the venue, Carlos shrugged. Because the answer to that question was very much obvious. The indoor garden was covered in fake snow, Christmas decorations, and glitter; just left of the dance floor stood a big Christmas tree with real burning candles; the live band was dressed as Christmas elves and played Christmas songs – the romantic ones, at least; and to the right, a snow machine was blowing fresh fake snow over the dancing couples every so often…

“Why didn’t she just wait until, you know… December?”

“Because July is her favorite month,” Carlos replied, almost matter-of-factly. Turning back to TK and giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, Carlos smiled. “Are we ready for this?”

“For Christmas in July? Never,” TK quipped, but Carlos could see the smile on his lips before his fiancé leaned in for a kiss. “For spending a day with you in a Christmas winter wonderland? Absolutely.”

“Even a fake one?”

“Even a fake one.”

And so they fully entered the wedding venue, mingling with Carlos’ big family. The whole time, they stayed close to each other, TK’s hand never truly leaving his. He was man enough to admit that it was a bit possessive of himself, but after years and years of hiding this side of him from his extended family, he was proud to finally be able to show off the man he loved. And if that meant they had to do everything with just one hand – from greeting every relative in the room, to exploring the big buffet – he happily did just that, if only it meant he didn’t have to let go. Judging by TK’s tight grip, his fiancé felt the same way. 

The longer the afternoon dragged on, including some dances and even games, the more relaxed they both became. TK’s grip wasn’t death-like anymore, especially not when they were around Carlos’ immediate family. They were relaxed and laughed and joked, Carlos even lifting his youngest niece into his arms while TK was talking to one of his brothers-in-law. Even though they weren’t paying attention to it anymore, their fingers were still linked. It wasn’t until TK’s hand slipped out of his that Carlos took note of it, and for a second, he marveled over the fact of just how right it felt to be connected like that.

Then his questioning gaze was on TK, who quickly leaned in to press a kiss to his cheek. 

“Just a quick trip to the bathroom. Don’t worry, I won’t get lost in this sea of Reyeses.”

“Tío TK, can I come? I need to go toilet, too,” Cami said from where she was still on Carlos’ hip, held up by one arm. 

TK gave her father a quick questioning look, and when Matías simply shrugged in an ‘up to you’-gesture, TK held out his hands. “Sure, little Miss Cami. Let’s go.”

Carlos handed the girl over, gazing after the two as they made their way across the big room, Cami happily chatting the whole time.

“Already picturing him with your own kids?”

His head whipped back around, and Carlos was met with the knowing gaze of his brother-in-law. He considered denying it, but when he saw Matías’ knowing grin, he simply chuckled and gave in.

“Maybe.”

“You picked a good one, Carlos. We all know it. And we all love him. For himself but also for how happy he makes you.”

The comment made Carlos smile but he was still glad when they changed the topic after that. The two men were pulled from the conversation when Cami came running, pigtails flying behind her, grabbing Carlos’ hand.

“Tío Carlos, quick. Mami says you need to rescue Tío TK!”

“What?”

Panic overcame him right away as he quickly scanned the room – only to catch sight of TK, standing next to his sister Maribel… and about half a dozen Reyes aunts.

“Oh, dear God.”

“Yep, my wife’s right,” Matías said, picking up his daughter. “You better go save your man. We don’t want him running for the hills after being left alone with Tía Mari.”

“I wouldn’t even blame him this time,” Carlos replied, only half-joking, before making his way over to the group quickly. He wasn’t afraid that anyone would be mean to TK or anything alike. But one of his aunts at any time was already a lot to deal with. Six of them together…

He could already hear all the questions being fired at TK.

“Have you set a date yet?” – “Will there be a lot of your family as well? You’ll need a big venue!” – “How many kids do you plan to have? You know, we Reyeses always have big families!” – “You’ll probably need to move away from the city. It’s better to raise the kids in the suburbs.” – “Do you already know if you want to adopt or–”

“These are all great questions,” Carlos spoke up loudly, already grabbing TK’s hand again. “But if you’ll excuse us for a moment, I need to steal my fiancé. One of our songs just started.” And with that, he pulled TK away from the gaggle of chattering women, half of them protesting, the other half gushing over how romantic this was. At the last moment, he turned around and called out to his sister. “Oh, and Maribel, your husband’s been looking for you, something about the kids needing you.”

“Oh, right, I should go and find them,” his sister said in what could almost be considered an apologetic tone of voice. Pretending not to be as relieved to get away from their nosy aunts as any of the Reyes siblings would be. Truly, Carlos needed to remember to thank her for staying by TK’s side, not leaving them alone with the wolves their aunts. It’s exactly what Carlos had done for his brothers-in-law over the years. 

“So,” TK’s voice pulled him from his musing, while they were still heading towards the dance floor because why not. “Since when is All I want for Christmas is you one of our songs?”

Now that he actually focused on the music playing, Carlos had to grin. God, that was so cliché. But… “Hey, it’s a great song,” he quipped back, pulling TK into his arms.

“It certainly is. And from now on, it will forever be the song connected to you saving me. Thanks for that, by the way.”

“You’re very welcome,” Carlos murmured against TK’s lips where his fiancé was already leaning in for a kiss.

They stayed for a few more songs, their dancing quickly turning into more of a swaying together as they were hugging and simply basking in their own happiness.

“So, you’ve survived your first really big Reyes family festivity. How do you feel?”

“Drained,” TK huffed out and they both fell into chuckles before TK continued. “But oddly elated, too. I mean, yeah, it’s a lot and I’m lowkey hoping you won’t insist on such a big wedding for us–”

“I won’t, I can easily promise you that.”

“But even if you did, I wouldn’t mind. I love your family.”

“And they love you,” Carlos replied, knowing that it was the full truth.

TK nodded, probably aware of this simple fact as well. “I admit… at first, it felt a bit like being trapped here. But having you by my side and seeing so many familiar faces… it helped.”

“Mhh,” Carlos hummed, swaying them a bit to the side to evade some of his cousins showing off their dance moves. “I know what you mean. It can definitely be overwhelming sometimes, even if you’re used to it. But, hey,” he added, voice lighter, not wanting them to stay too long in a heavy mood. “At least we were trapped together, right?”

Laughing, TK buried his face in Carlos’ neck before leaning back and nodding. “Absolutely. No one I’d rather be trapped with than you.”

They were both still laughing when one of Carlos’ other nieces came rushing over, tugging on his sleeve. 

“What is it?” he asked leaning down when he noticed she wanted to whisper something into his ear. The moment she did, his eyes went wide, and briefly, he looked up to the ceiling, before smiling back down at the giggling girl. “Thanks, Lily.”

Before he could say anything else, she already rushed off again.

“What was that?”

TK sounded mostly amused but also partly intrigued, and instead of replying, Carlos linked their fingers together, raising their hands a little bit above their heads, just far enough to point something out. TK let his eyes follow, and Carlos caught the moment he must’ve seen what was hanging right above them. His eyes lit up, and the smile he gave him when their gazes met again was almost blinding.

“Well, well, I believe we’re trapped together once again. This time beneath the mistletoe.”

“How very perceptive you are,” Carlos quipped back, already pulling him closer. “At least we know how to get out of this trap.”

The kiss they shared was mostly interrupted by their breathy laughter, by little murmurs of love declarations, and by them smiling so widely it made kissing almost hard. And still… it was probably one of the most perfect kisses they had ever shared – just like all their kisses were.

As always, still slowly working my way through all the asks, thanks for being patient 😘 if anyone wants to, feel free to

Send me an ask and get drabbles in return 😊

(credit to @creativepromptsforwriting and @flufftober for the prompts as well as @mfbingo for the bingo board)

💚Noxy's tagging list💚 (send me an ask if you wish to be added)

@detective-giggles, @chaotictarlos, @sapphire11, @beautifulhigh, @firstprince-history-huh, @ronensass

[coffee-in-veins]

Day 19: Decoration

an entry for darkest prompts promptober 2022  

previous days: 1, 2, 3,  4, 5, 6,  7,  8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18

now available on ao3 too

Decoration NOUN - a thing that serves as an ornament; a medal or an award conferred as an honour.

In the life of any man who became a knight were major things that decided his knighthood, to a degree. Some more than others, but those were all an important part of the knight's identity, of his dignity.

And Reynauld thought himself a knight.

He had a horse – the best stallion he had ever seen, a beast of anger and well-deserved pride, fiery-tempered and quick-witted. With his pelt of blackened silver and a mane so lush many ladies should’ve been envious, Chernush was the black pearl of any stable he stayed in. Rey dotted over the beast. The knight was ashamed to admit it, but the tenderness the stallion received probably outweighed the care he had shown his son in the brief time he had seen him.

Then again, the steed he actually wanted…

Still, the horse truly deserved all the extra care and love he could spare. Not only because he had won the gorgeous steed at the annual jousting tournament from an old scumbag Lord Gregory of Kerakstead who was belittling him for years for being removed from the family bloodline, and thus could rub his victory in by demanding the destrier as his prize – although, the crusader had to admit, that also was part of Chernush’s charm and significance. No, there was more to the stallion. His courage in battle, his gait, his speed and his stamina. Not to mention that Reynauld could spend hours, combing and braiding his mane and tail in the most fashionable way, showing off Chernush’s beauty.

The steed was a continuation of his knighthood, after all, knight’s ultimate symbol.

Then there was his armour. Trusty and well cared for, it had always been polished and its straps were constantly checked for any signs of leather cracks. There was some humiliation in having to take care of his own set of armour, without any help from a squire, but Reynauld learned to see it as a lesson in humility and an exercise in diligence, both of which were favoured by the Light. Not to mention that there was something remarkably soothing in the repeated motions of polishing the metal. The hard work at the moment meant his life would be saved later, so he could continue carrying out his duties.

Rey wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the most likely cared for the armoured plates far better than he cared for his own ageing and battered body. Both could withstand much punishment, but the people around him saw the armour, not the scars underneath. Thus, taking care of it took priority for someone of his social standing.

Then again, the flesh was weak, unlike the sacred steel.

The crusader cared for his sword even more than he did for his armour. After all, The Long Crusade and a family crest were all that reminded him of the life he so foolishly lost, and of the bloodline that disowned him. If he was to forget his biggest mistake, how could he avoid similar ones in the future? The knight ought to always strive to be better, to improve. The strife of perfection and Light’s approval was just as much part of his knighthood as the steed, the armour, the sword and the crest.

So where did it leave him now?

His beloved steed fell on the road, diminished to the pile of hurting, trashing flesh by a bunch of blackguards. The prized destrier was reduced to a broken crying heap in front of Reynauld’s very eyes. When the frenzy of righteous anger faded, he was left with the gruesome task of giving final mercy to his mutilated companion.

His armour, so cared for and invaluable, was torn and dented in the last expedition to the cursed Estate. Although it saved his life against the crushing grip of carrion devourers, it paid a hefty price for that. The cuirass was torn beyond repair and half of the tassets were lost in the battle. This caused the crusader to be stranded worse than fish out of water, shell-less, useless, and lacking his usual calming point.

Not to mention that he lost his family crest! He took the trinket with him, hoping to find solace in the memories, but instead found only depths of despair when he regained consciousness and realized it wasn’t there.

Could anyone blame him for doting over the Long Crusade, now? The sword was the last remaining strand of his sanity, the only blessed thing that still, somehow, allowed Reynauld not to lose his knightly identity. His Knighthood. Himself.

Everyone understood and gave him time and space to grieve. Maybe they couldn’t understand what he was grieving over, chalking it to frugality and having to spend a small fortune on the new armour, but they gave him peace nonetheless.

“Yer obsessing o’er that sword worse than a newlywed over his wife’s tits, tin man.”

Of course, then there was Dismas.

He couldn’t understand, Rey reminded himself, resorting to the politest grumble he was capable of:

“Not now, Dis.”

Usually, that was enough. Apparently, not today, as the rogue soundlessly stepped to him and plopped on the cot nearby, poking the jars of oils, rugs and the assortment of whetstones with curiosity.

“Ain’t it better done, y’know, somewhere which is not a bed?”

Rey pinched the bridge of his nose and forced out curt:

“Dis.”

“Ye start t’ worry me, tin man, bringing an iron poker instead of a woman t’ yer cot…”

“Dismas.”

The rogue’s eyes were too dark and too understanding for just some ex-brigand.

“Ah, not in the mood, are ye? What ‘bout that Light-y thing later, with candles n’ lanterns n’ those fancy pictures?”

“Icons,” the crusader corrected without thinking. “The All Saints’ procession.”

“Yeah, that.”

The knight – was he even one, after all he had lost? – had the decency to look away, grip on the sword tightening.

“I’m not going.”

“Oh? Why’s that? I saw ye washed yer black surcoat.”

Forcing the words out, true as they were, was far harder than the crusader thought.

“I’m not worthy.”

“Aw, shite. That’s a shame, y’know?” Dismas drawled, leaning back. “This ornament would’ve looked amazing on black.”

There was a rustle, and when he looked at the highwayman, his dark eyes were squinted in a way that meant an obvious grin. He was offering him something, Rey realized and looked back to see…

Party per pale Or and Sable, a lion rampant counterchanged, bordure Argent. Eared top shield, French base. On top of it, affronted Argent knight’s helm crested with horsehair plume Gules, and behind it, two swords saltire, Argent.

Reynauld looked up, all words lost in awe and affection, and the caring, insufferable bastard grinned openly, black eyes filled with mirth.

“Happy All Saints’ day, Rey.”

[eundolri]

satosugu brainrot

Fans consider the 25th of July to be a "SatoSugu day": the ship's name in Japanese (条五, pronounced "natsu go") means 725 — 07/25. The ship name GoGe literally translates to "five summers".

Anyway, it should be okay. We’re the strongest.

SATORU TO SUGURU, CHAPTER 66

Satoru – “You scared?”

Suguru – “Not really. We should be fine. We’re the strongest.”

— Chapter 72

Yaga – “Why did you let him go?”

Satoru – “Are you... really asking me that?”

Yaga – “No, you’re right... I’m sorry.”

— Chapter 78

There’s no way I would mistake his residuals.

SATORU TO YAGA, CHAPTER 0.3

It was my best friend. My one and only.

SATORU TO YUTA, CHAPTER 0.4

Satoru – “Now, now, don’t be spouting crazy talk to my students.”

Suguru – “Satoru! It’s been so long!”

— Chapter 0.3

Suguru – “Sorry, Satoru. The girls want to try the crepe shop on Takeshita Street. I’ll be on my way.”

Satoru – “Leaving? Not on my watch.”

— Chapter 0.3

Satoru Gojo is Master Geto’s one and only best friend, after all.

MIMIKO AND NANAKO, CHAPTER 112

My six eyes tell me you’re Suguru Geto. But my soul knows otherwise!

SATORU, CHAPTER 90

“I could't follow him. I couldn't stop him.”

GOJO THINKING ABOUT GETO[4]

Someone who doesn't want to be saved is like the setting sun sinking into the mountains. No matter how you hold out your hand, there's no way to reach them. There was no way to reach him.

GOJO THINKING ABOUT GETO, JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[5]

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[6]

Gojo Satoru. His appearance meant that this was the end. Or rather, to Geto — there was no other way this could end. In that way, it was easier to accept that this was his fate.

The strongest sorcerer; the wickedest curse user. Now they were mortal enemies, as irreconcilable as oil and water. Yet now, as they chatted on this little road by Jujutsu Tech, it was hard not to remember. To remember the past, when they laughed together. Idly chatting in the classroom, getting lectured by Yaga, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. What they were doing, what they wanted to do, what they wanted to make of themselves — as long as the two of them were together, none of that was ever in doubt. Days like that, long ago.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[7]

Gojo felt like he didn't know what face to make. His words, his every expression, even his bad habits — they made Gojo feel like each one was full of nostalgia, to the point of fond annoyance. A conversation between the two of them alone, ten years separated. Before it became a curse, Gojo opened his mouth.

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[8]

To live for the purpose of being yourself. And for that goal, Geto could only continue to pursue his twisted dream, drowning himself in the curse that lies in the gap between ideal and reality. This was the final confession of a man who could only choose to warp himself, who had erased himself in pursuit of his goals. The only person who could bear such a curse was Gojo Satoru. Where did it go wrong? And how could they start over again?

JUJUTSU KAISEN 0 (LIGHT NOVEL)[9]

Moments * After Toji’s death both Satoru and Suguru inherited what was left of him: Satoru took in his children, Megumi and Tsumiki, while Suguru got posession of his another “child”, worm-like cursed spirit that called Geto “mother”.

* Geto’s execution order was issued right after the village massacre; Gojo has been postponing the task for 10 years after that.

* In a private conversation with Yuta Okkotsu, Gojo admits to his student, that he has a personal theory about love being the most twisted curse.[10] The only known negative incident in Gojo's personal life was caused by Geto, who betrayed Gojo and became a criminal.

* In their final scene together, Geto tells Gojo that in this world he cannot really laugh from the bottom of his heart. Gojo's final words to Geto are unknown, but whatever he said made Suguru laugh for the last time in his life.

* In chapter 0.4, Gojo tells Yuta that Geto is the only close friend he’s ever had. It is notable, that Gojo uses the present tense in the original Japanese panel, even though Geto’s life has just ended.[11]

* Gojo refused to send Geto’s body to Shoko Ieiri for an autopsy (and subsequent cremation).[12]

* While discussing their strategy to immobilize Gojo in order to seal him, curse Jogo says, “Even a thousand measly human lives wouldn’t be enough to distract him!”[13] It turns out to be true; Gojo mercilessly kills a thousand mutated people, but Geto’s appearance stupefies him and leads to his defeat.

* During the battle with Hanami and Jogo, Satoru deactivates his Limitless Cursed Technique, and fights the curses only using his cursed energy and physical attacks. A mere hour before Gojo is successfully sealed by an imposter wearing Geto’s body, Jogo notes that nothings seems to be able to stop Gojo (“Is there anything you don’t have?!”).

* When Geto’s body reacts to Satoru’s words adressing him, Geto’s imposter notices that it is the first time when it disobeyed him.

* When Mei Mei meets Pseudo-Geto, she wonders why he is still alive and whether he and Gojo have been conspiring and working together all this time (although, she discards that thought).

* The Jujutsu Kaisen 0 light novel mentions that the events that happened to Geto and Gojo's inability to help his only friend led Satoru to choose his path as a teacher.[14]

* In the same light novel, when Geto leaves the college after notifying everyone about The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, Gojo watches him go and sees the "shape of his soul" (夏油の魂の形 in the original text).

Behind the Scenes

Gege – “How to put it, through making it Satoru (and) Suguru—”

Interviewer – “[You wanted] to get it to feel duo like.”

Gege – “Also meaning wise... a natural born genius and a genius through effort — well, not exactly — but I kind of wanted to have that difference in nuance.”

— Gege Akutami about choosing Suguru's name.[15]

The kesa... I may be mistaken but the kesa here is most likely called "gojou-kesa". When I was researching kesa, there were several different ones and this one was apparently called gojou-kesa, so I recall figuring "oh isn't this just right".

GEGE AKUTAMI ON GETO'S WARDROBE.[16]

I was lectured by director Park and the sound director before recording [the scenes] where Geto talks to Gojo, since the relationship between those two is special.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI, GETO'S JAPANESE VA[17]

Lines they exchange often have a different distance from the others, and there are words that can only be understood between the two of them.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI EXPLAINING THE PARTICULARITY OF GETO AND GOJO'S RELATIONSHIP.[18]

The last [scene with] Gojo and Geto... no, it might be better to describe it as Satoru and Suguru's back and forth banter along with their expressions. That scene lingers in my ears.

TAKAHIRO SAKURAI ON SCENES FROM THE MOVIE THAT LEFT AN IMPRESSION ON HIM.[19]

Interviewer – “Do you see any difference between Gojo from the anime series and the movie?”

Nakamura – “I could really feel a big difference between Gojo from this two hour movie and the anime that had been on air for six months. In the TV anime Gojo didn't talk about himself, so you couldn't see his human nature, but in the movie, the way he interacts with Okkotsu, and emotions he has when facing Geto help to show his own human nature.”

— Yuichi Nakamura (Gojo's Japanese VA).[20]

Interviewer – “What do you hope the audience will pay extra attention to?”

Park – “I hope people will watch it with Gojo and Geto's relationship in mind.”

— Sunghoo Park, director of Jujutsu Kaisen 0.[21]

Last scene between Gojo and Geto is the best scene. Whole team worked hard to create a better atmosphere and tempo. It brings tears to my eyes when I watch it.

SUNGHOO PARK, DIRECTOR OF JUJUTSU KAISEN 0.[22]

I think the main topic of [Jujutsu Kaisen 0] is love. Okkotsu and Rika's story is a story that's based on love. Aside from that, although it's not exactly the same love, I think there's still a kind of heart-to-heart understanding between Gojo and Geto. They were once good classmates; now their relationship has turned upside down. Okkotsu and Rika, Gojo and Geto: they're all cases where love could've helped them grow, but instead it became a curse. I think this detail is one of the special points of the movie.

SUNGHOO PARK'S THOUGHTS ON THE CORE OF JUJUTSU KAISEN 0.[23]

The pairing attracts a lot of people due to the characters’ connection they formed as young adults and the sorrows that followed. Their contrasting aesthetics, personal views, and eventually their opposing positions in the jujutsu world make them a fascinating dynamic to explore. Another thing that sparks interest in the fanbase is that despite Gojo’s omnipotence and absolute invincibility, he has one weakness, which turns out to be the memory of his dead friend.

Many fans view Gojo and Geto’s falling out as a break up or divorce, there are a lot of fan works (art and fanfiction) made surrounding the theme of ex romantic partners. One of the most popular concepts is Geto and Gojo breaking up in front of KFC, which leads to humorous fan arts like this or this and even playlists (for example). A great amount of works focuses on the time period between Geto’s turn and Volume 0, when Gojo and Geto are considered to be on the opposite sides of the law (fulfilling the trope Love Across Battlelines). Given Satoru and Suguru’s story is undoubtedly tragic, many fan works on AO3 are dedicated to studying such emotional states as heartbreak, loss, grief, e.g.

Another trope explored in fanfiction and fan arts is found family, considering Gojo became Tsumiki and Megumi’s guardian, while Geto took responsibility of raising two girls — Mimiko and Nanako (like here, here, or here). Some AUs include Suguru being mentally stable and becoming a teacher at Jujutsu High along with Satoru (and getting to know Satoru’s students). This inspires many artists to come up with different, often comical, ideas of what their day-to-day life would be like. While some prefer to reminisce on the sorcerers’ youth, others like to explore what their life could be like if Geto came back and took control of his body (like depicted in this comic or in this AO3 work). Often SatoSugu feature works dedicated to other pairings as a background couple, especially in ShokoHime fanfiction and artworks.

One of the most occuring motifs that artists tend to use in their works is a dragonfly (like here or here). Both Satoru and Suguru have connection to that insect: in one of the interviews, mangaka Gege Akutami admitted that now that Geto is dead with his body still automatically reacting to Satoru, his physical state could be compared to a dead dragonfly with its head ripped off: technically it is dead, but it keeps twitching post-mortem.[27] Some fans hope Gege was joking, and still belive in the possibility of his consciousness (or soul) coming back to him. In a flashback scene from manga, young Satoru can be seen wearing a dragonfly patterned yukata.

[28] Another thing about dragonflies that unites both Gojo and Geto is its Buddhist meaning. In Buddhissm, it represents the joining of Heaven and Earth as the dragonfly is one with the air and with the water at the same time. Famosly, Gojo quoted Buddha ("Throughout heaven and earth... I alone am the honored one") when he overcame his struggle and was symbolically reborn to join the fight against Toji. Artists mainly use the dragonfly as a symbol of the tragic turn the relationship between Satoru and Suguru took, and the unavoidable nature of fate.

There is another symbol. In the second opening VIVID VICE, Gojo can be seen walking in rain with a bouquet of white and blue flowers in his hand. Judging by the size, shape, and petal edges, these most likely are white calla lilies, gysophilia, and blue roses. White gypsophila from his bouquet, or baby-breath, is used for funeral flower arrangements and farewell ceremonies[29]; white calla lilies symbolize rejuvenation of the soul, love, and grief (often chosen for weddings and funerals).[30] Blue roses do not grow in nature, but can be hybridized or dyed; among other things, they signify unattainableness, a never-to-be-fulfilled wish, and impossible love.[31] Gojo is dressed in all black and is wearing his black shades, meaning he is on his day off, and chose to dress like that for some occasion.[32]

The fandom has taken liking to this interpretation, thus, flower bouquets comprised of blue roses often feature SatoSugu art pieces. Since blue roses are hard to produce, cosplayers (and some artists, too) tend to opt for blue hydrangea, flower that was first discovered and cultivated in Japan.

In Volume 0, Geto takes Mimiko and Nanako to a famous crêpe shop on Takeshita Street.[34] In the first light novel, months after Geto’s death, Yuji and Megumi wander somewhere in the Akihabara area (9 minutes from Takeshita Street by taxi) and see Gojo; they lose sight of him, and when they find him again, he is eating crêpes bought, judging by the package, in “a popular crêpe shop”.[35] Most popular crêperies in both areas belong to the same brand called Marion Crêpes. Fans believe that Gojo and Geto visited crepe shops when they were students, thus, in fan works they are often depicted getting crepes together, sometimes accompanied by their “children”.

The ship’s popularity reached the cosplayers, too. For example, in 2021, married couple from China with almost 7,5 million followers combined on Chinese social platform Weibo cosplayed the characters during CP28, Chinese Comic Con held in Shanghai. As seen in the video the couple posted, they were extremely popular, as the crowd of fans kept following them wherever they went.

[apostlearcana]

I posted 291 times in 2022

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Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 229 of my posts in 2022

Only 21% of my posts had no tags

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#alternative problem: i have written the exact fan fiction and i want to do it again with a little twist

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

sometimes you just wake up, see art, and your brain just goes on a journey that you end up writing about and don't know where it ends up.

---

He hated how used to the smell he was, his sword tip stuck in the concrete as he stared at the rolling clouds in the distance- how easy it was to get lost in the moment now, how small he felt when staring at where his family was being held captive because another god decided it was time to play with the humans once more.

Because some higher power wanted to push and pull and tear the threads of humanity… all on account of being bored.

When did his family go from being himself and his daughter to his daughter and- let’s see, a savior of humanity and his boisterous boyfriend, a cat, an Artificial Intelligence, a hacker and her gymnast girlfriend, an artist and his gorgeous model, a politician and her gardener CEO… and his boyfriend?

There had to have been a time with him signing custody paperwork somewhere. Not like he could remember it now.

He closed his eyes, inhaling softly and tying his hair back when he heard it: the familiar thunder that he had all but missed in the times when the others were fighting, and he was struggling with his own issues. Even all these years later, still trying to unlearn those old behaviors and slipping up; and yet, those damn kids were still patient with him.

Sure, they weren’t kids anymore, but…

Fuck it. He couldn’t help it.

‘He won’t touch them unless you are there. We know as much,’ his Persona rumbled. ‘He wants to see you break more than any of the others; he wants to have you crack under the pressure, more than you already did when he stole them away months ago. His plan was to keep you under his thumb and control you- not the people. Not society. You.’

“Never was the strongest out of those kids,” he admitted. “They’ve had their heads on their shoulders for longer than I have.”

The silence was thick, like the air around them.

“…do you think they’ll…?” He let the words hang in the air, staring at his sword.

The other self chuckled. ‘You doubt yourself even still.’

“I pushed them away,” he muttered, breaking his gaze. “I shoved them all away, told them that it was just you and me against the world. I told them I could handle it myself, and I…”

(and I ended up losing everything)

‘For as much as you claim them to be your family still, your doubt still rings clearer than any bell.’ It was a hum now, one that knew of the truth. ‘You don’t feel you deserve them- deserve their forgiveness, deserve any of their love- regardless of if they say it is real or not. For as much as you have told the others that they deserve it, you have not held up your own end of the same ideal.’

The man ignored the slicing pain in his torso- one painful reminder of too many mistakes he had made.

‘Still, you seek to go after them finally and take on the Dragon King himself. Even in the condition you are in, which- might I say- is rather awful.’

“Not like that’s stopped me before.” He chuckled wryly.

‘Touché. You can be a bit of a reckless one, even without your abilities.’

How true that was.

‘…well?’

“You told me, if I took it back, I’d have to relive my worst moments. The lowest points in my life. Right?”

‘Everything. Losing her. The case. The realizations, the end of it. Everything.’ The Shadow was grim. ‘And if you let go, you will not be able to endure it again. It is, quite literally, a gamble of all or nothing.’

Of course it was- just like the last few years of his life. “Big surprise.”

‘Only the most traumatic for you, naturally. The eldest of the Phantom Thieves, the one with the most baggage- the one with the most doubt.’

He was too tired for a joke.

‘Now then. Are you ready?’

He shook his head, reaching for Cartagena with a deep breath. He would never be ready.

See the full post

25 notes - Posted June 12, 2022

#4

The calling card that served like an arrest warrant, a new and unfamiliar Thief proclaiming that they'd take his desires, the disappearance of her dad on the Change of Hearts case with a bunch of teenagers- it was all too much of a coincidence at once, frankly. And while Akane Hasegawa was younger than the other kids, she was far from stupid.

She didn't want some vague hand-waving answers; she wanted the truth from her dad's lips. About his job, about the summer case... about the possibility that he was actually a Phantom Thief.

And Akane was going to get them, whether Zenkichi was willing to give such answers or not.

- - -

Based upon this ask that has haunted my thoughts for some time. Finally I make good on my promise for father-daughter feelings.

30 notes - Posted January 9, 2022

#3

"Daniel, stop. Think about the things I could show you- the doors I could open for you! You, Danny Phantom, and I- Vlad Plasmius. Together, we could rule."

So @speedsketch literally made me a custom Vlad Plasmius Funko Pop for my birthday. And I have NOT stopped geeking out about it.

41 notes - Posted July 11, 2022

#2

mods are asleep, talk about zenkichi's fury scars and how worried the kids get when he's in casual attire and they see what Fury physically does to him.

53 notes - Posted July 26, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I kind of like my supportive parents universe with Jack and Maddie unlearning their habits for the sake of their son, learning what makes him tick, learning his powers, and being ethical about things.

Do they sometimes mess up? Oh yes. Absolutely. But they are apologetic and strive to learn from their mistakes about things, with Danny showing them things and cracking terrible jokes.

It slowly mellows out after a while, and they all have self-depreciative humor about things, but they get really close together as a family with Jazz being the big cheerleader for how things have become.

179 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[augustfinley]

Introducing The Right Honourable August Finley, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Leader of the Conservative party.

Before his election as PM, Finley served as Secrerary of State for digital, culture, media and sport from 2018 to 2020, and as Minister of State for media, data and digital infrastructure from 2016 to 2018.

full name: august finley also known as: ernst zandvliet, rt. hon. august finley, mr. finley, mr. prime minister date of birth: 9th march, 1976 place of birth: london, uk

gender: cis man pronouns: he/him sexual orientation: bi relationship status: married

occupation: prime minister education level: masters in ppe financial status: very well off

spoken languages: german, french, english nationality: english

STATS.

faceclaim: ewan mcgregor height: 177 cm body & build: athletic, bit of a dad bod maybe piercings & tattoos: none

vices: smoking, drinking, gambling, adultery sociability: quick witted and with a short fuse. too proud to admit his mistakes most times. knows he’s appealing, will use it to his advantage. flirtatious, especially when drunk.

positive traits: sociable, captivating, intense, determined negative traits: conservative, disloyal, arrogant, volatile, manipulative

BIOGRAPHY.

Ernst Zandvliet might not be a familiar name. No surprise there, as it hasn’t been spoken aloud in almost three decades. The man long ago named Ernst might be more familiar to you as August Finley, Conservative party leader and Prime Minister of the UK. The name Finley comes from his mother Birgitte, a low-ranking noblewoman who married entrepreneur and inventor Maximilian Zandvliet in 1973. August, on the other hand, is the name of his maternal great-grandfather who died during the first world war. August Finley sure is less of a mouthful than Ernst Zandvliet, his birth name and burden for the first eighteen years of his life. The family was in agreement that he should change his name to something more easily digestible, considering his future career in public service. And so, August Finley was born, and Ernst Zandvliet was buried beneath stacks of bureaucratic paperwork, as if he never existed to begin with.

After three years of military service, and one half-arsed tour to an active war zone, young Mr. Finley, at the age of twenty-one, took to studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford. Paid for by his parents, he had no pressure of keeping good grades, or even passing all his exams. Come graduation, he was already promised an internship position within one of the ministries, thanks to his mother’s connections. So, his time in school was spent mostly drinking, partying and hooking up. At Oxford, he also met his future wife, twelve years his junior. Though, this was of course later in life, when he attended a yearly alumni celebration and ran into Meagan, who immediately caught his eye. And who was immediately and easily impressed by his grand plans to run the country.

A house, a white picket fence, a kid, and a dog later, August barely resembles his young ruckus self. A dignified, honorable family man is the image he’s built— one his wife is just as eager to boast. Dignified conservative. Prime Minister. He is the perfect image of a working father, and a father to a nation restless with political unease. Winston Churchill can eat his heart out.

The lights on the third floor are on at odd hours at no. 10 Downing Street. Unremarkable cars shuttle back and forth throughout the nights, people run in through the back at odd hours of the day. Still, the media take their photos of the PM on his brisk morning jog before work. As if the rumours of his nightly habits are simply preposterous— as if he is the perfect family man, spending time at home with his wife and dog. Often times she doesn’t even wait up for him anymore, his side of the bed going cold more often than not, his morning coffee brewed just a bit too bitter, just for him.