#julian just. has so much trouble seeing a child in need and not wanting to Personally Solve It

[fauvester]

my silly little garashir orphan adoptees (as is obligatory as a garashir fan)

Young Elim ("Lim", "Junior" [if you call him that he will poison your dinner]): reincarnated soul of a 14th century english peasant farmer, probably. man of few words. likes things done his way. tolerates fools only if they're in his family. real DIY hours only.

Iskra: loves scheming, bald lies and subterfuge, but mostly for her own enjoyment rather than for gain. heard too much politics talk as a kid and now she's a ~diplomat~. very cold sensitive. the fun one.

Jocasta: only one garak found, last kid brought home. dark cindarella backstory. "off-putting". good at sitting quietly and blending in; eidetic memory; perfect for infiltration.

Idan: terminal youngest child syndrome. maybe a little of the ADHD but he's got the spirit. full of zest and mischief. grew up on too much nostalgia stories about the Fed and now he's gonna Be In Starfleet..

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 when the child they have with you is an exact carbon copy of them

To clarify: said children are, by natural or magical processes, the biological child of MC and their beloved; and the child's assigned sex at birth is the same as the love interest in question. Apparently all your traits are recessive.

Julian

There are two drama kings in the house now, and only one stage. That may or may not be a good thing

Baby proofing the house for this level of clumsiness is impossible

Child has the same thirst for knowledge and insatiable curiosity, with even less maturity (can you blame him? He's a kid!) And it gets him into so much trouble

Julian is teaching him how to be The Best Actor

They put on plays for you in the kitchen and rope you into it

Child has the same tendency to mentally spiral, and teaching him the coping mechanisms he needs for it is helping Julian grow so much

Same tendency to get himself tangled up in ridiculous situations.

The best moment was when he (as a five year old) walked up on stage in the community theater during a play so he could confront the villain up close for treating the heroes so badly

The actors were so charmed they improvised him into the performance

After you put him to bed that night you found Julian crying into his leeches, he was so proud

Child now has a standing invitation to star in any appropriate performance

Portia makes him his little costumes

Mazelinka is always in the front row adding a cutting commentary loud enough for the entire audience to hear (they love it)

The South End has sworn their allegiance to him

Nadia jokingly calls him her little rival

Asra

So many pranks

Asra is determined to be the best parent they never had, and staying present in his son's life is giving him a whole new perspective on his childhood and his parent's experience

It leads to a few rough conversations he was avoiding with them, but yields the best results

Grandma Aisha and Grandpa Salim

Always down to watch your kid when you two need a break, but beware, he'll come back with a plethora of new spells to use

He loves Faust and she loves him. He practiced crawling by following her around the shop

Does not know his limits and does not want to. Asra has to remake the wards on the doors to the shop every few months to be harder to unlock because his son keeps trying to go off on unannounced trips

Regularly steals the big feathered hat and wears it around the shop. It always slips over his eyes

Sees the way Asra fawns over you and follows that example to a T

Sometimes you team up with him to prank Asra

One morning you couldn't get Asra to wake up for breakfast so you gave the kid some markers and let him play Picasso all over his dad's chest and face

Asra noticed the two of you giggling all morning but couldn't figure out why until he caught themself in the mirror just before lunch

So proud of their son's artistic talent he refused to wash it off

Wore the most chest exposing shirt he had to show it off

Muriel was so confused when you three went to visit him that afternoon

He remembers meeting Asra at that age by the docks, and begins teaching the child how to paint on animal carvings

Child likes to practice on Faust with watercolors now. She feels fabulous.

Nadia

Raising an independent child who is convinced she knows best and needs no help is Difficult

Nadia is much quicker to lose her patience with her than you are

They both rant to you about how difficult the other is

Have fun being the peacemaker

It's actually not that bad, Nadia knows exactly what her daughter feels like and goes out of the way to help her feel empowered and unique

It's important to her that her daughter has a good upbringing, but she also wants her to have the freedom to pursue her desires

So competitive when you three go horseback riding it's not even funny

This little girl has so many doting Aunties she's at risk of getting spoiled rotten

Natiqa teaches her the art of negotiation very early on and this little girl is so precocious she picks it up right away

Next time Nadia is entertaining visiting dignitaries she crashes the reception and start negotiating a trade deal

The visitors are impressed, slightly intimidated, and completely caught off guard

Nadia takes full advantage of that and the two of them work together to seal the deal

You begin having terrifying visions of what would happen once she grows up and the two of them share a common goal, or worse, a common enemy

Portia is the worst enabler and fills her in with all the palace gossip she desires for her to use as she sees fit

Muriel

You didn't know a baby could be this quiet

You start to worry a bit with how little he talks, until one day a butterfly lands on his chubby little fist and he's so excited to tell you all about it that he almost forgets to breathe

Basically he doesn't speak unless he feels like it, or until you find something he likes and then oh boy he's so happy to open up and chatter about it

Like Muriel, he's big for his age, but unlike Muriel, he grows up out in the woods where he doesn't have any reason to worry about it

Muriel can't stop marveling over him

He wakes up every morning and finds so much joy in giving his son a childhood full of life and wonder and peace

Realizing how much he would do for his son gives him appreciation for what his parents tried to do for him

Innana is fiercely protective

When your son was learning to walk she would stalk beside him just in case he needed her as a landing cushion

It's not uncommon to find the two of them curled up together under a tree taking a post lunch nap

He adores Uncle Asra

Asra stops by pretty regularly, always with something new and interesting for their nephew

But the best days are fishing days

Muriel will get up early with him and they'll trek out to their favorite fishing spot so you can have a day to go into town

The two of them will sit side by side, maybe they share some conversation, maybe they enjoy the quiet together

So excited to show you everything they caught

He definitely inherited his father's love for eel

You'll make a campfire for the catch and feast all evening, until he falls asleep under Muriel's cloak and you carry him inside for the night

One time he was watching some of the chicken's eggs hatch and the babies imprinted on him

Watching him walk around giggling both confused and delighted with a gaggle of chirping yellow puffballs trailing him was one of the best afternoons of your life

It wasn't so great when the sun went down and you told him they weren't allowed to sleep in his bed and he'd have to wait until morning to see them again

Portia

There is so much hair, everywhere

You love them both and you love their beautiful curly red hair but you just pulled a strand out of your tea and you don't know how much more you can take

One of her first words was "Pepi" and she was mimicking the cat before she was speaking full sentences

Portia loves to play tag with her in the garden, chasing her around the vines and diving in for tickle attacks

The baby squeals. The baby giggles. This child is laughter and joy personified

This child has no concept of danger and it makes Nadia so stressed

She hears you call the Countess "Nadia" but she also hears Portia call her "milady" so she just calls her "miladidalia"

The palace is her playground once she's old enough to walk over and all the staff adore her

Knows all the shortcuts and secret tunnels in the palace by the time she's 7

It's not hard to find out where she is though, just follow the giggles

Ilya adores her, it's his precious little sister all over again!

He drops by almost every day with an offering for the princess

The first time she calls him "uncilya" he cries

You trek into town with her and Portia every week to visit Mazelinka

Lots of singing and dancing together

The summer after she turns 6 she tries to stowaway on Mazelinka's ship

She almost succeeds

Cue you and Portia hunting all over Vesuvia in a frenzy

Nadia has all the palace guards out looking too

The guards all know and love her already, they would have rebelled if she hadn't let them

Asra's tracking magic points you in the direction of the docks, where Julian gets one of the vendors to admit to giving her a ride to Mazelinka's ship (he didn't know what she was plotting)

They set sail this morning and now the moon is coming up

Nadia's already summoning the royal yacht when Mazelinka's ship reappears on the horizon

So many kisses and hugs and tears of relief

So much scolding the next morning

Deep down once the panic has subsided Portia is so proud and excited for her little adventurer

From then on you start incorporating important traveling skills into her upbringing (world maps, basic self defense, phrases in the main languages) because you know it's only a matter of time before your little girl takes the world by storm

Lucio

Lucio's trying his best, he really is, and it helps that he understands his son so well, but taking care of kids does not come naturally to him

Especially quiet displays of affection

Thankfully his son is anything but quiet

He loves following Lucio around and piggybacking off of his antics

If he's not mimicking his father he's off with Mercedes and Melchior terrorizing everyone in the vicinity

You understand now why Morga had such a hard time letting Lucio suffer consequences

He is adorable when he is in trouble, and also so scared

You have to learn the balance of letting him understand what he's done and suffer the consequences while letting him know you've got his back

Lucio on the other hand indulges his every whim

The two of them have a shared love of shiny things

He likes to put on his dad's fancy regalia and strut around the palace like a peacock

Most of all, he wants a pretty golden arm like his dad

Has a tantrum when he tries to pull it off of Lucio's shoulder and it doesn't work

It leads to a very helpful conversation about why Lucio has a golden arm, and what wars are, and the importance of valuing human life

Lucio is so impressed with imparting that lesson early that he immediately commissions a golden sleeve/glove for his baby boy as a reward

Now they match \^.^/

[lloydfrontera]

what do you think of the scenario if kim suho got isekai'd to lloyd's twin instead and og lloyd still exist and not have his soul kicked out?

you mean an au where he reincarnates as a completely new character that doesn't exist in tkobai?? that would be cute i guess

if he kept all of his memories i think it would be very frustrating for him to be a baby all over again. i'm thinking a mabel from baby tyrant kind of scenario lol

he'd have to wait five years until javier and julian are even born and then five years more for the plot to even start to get its grabby claws on them what with javier losing his parents at that age. i think he would do his best to stop that from happening, and while i have my doubts on how much a ten year old would be able to do for what seems to be a violent attack from,, something,, he is lloyd so i'm sure he would figure something out.

he would put a stop to og lloyd's bullying of julian for sure. he has the added bonus of also being a ten year old so there's absolutely no issue with him throwing hands with him if need be lmao

i'm thinking this kind of energy but they're both fifth graders aksddsf

lloyd would never hurt a child but does it really count if they're both eleven and also assholes lol

i don't think the restoration of fate would be very happy with him deviating the plot and stealing its darling tragic protagonist from it so early on so it would probably make javier's parents die some other way in an unrelated attack or an accident. lloyd would be devastated about it, for not being able to spare javier that pain, but as fate got what it wanted for the time being he would have no reason to be more than passingly suspicious about it.

after all it takes another fifteen years for the plot to properly start. as tragic as javier's parents dying is, their death is nothing more than a way to get javier to the fronteras where he will grow to be knight and be in the right place at the right time to become the protagonist he was always meant to be.

so lloyd gets fifteen years of peace with two loving parents, a twin he dragged kicking and screaming into being a decent person and two little brothers who think he hung the moon and stars. i think he would accidentally get a reputation for being a little genius, simply because he knows things that are far too advanced for his age but i don't think he would push to do great feats as a kid. he's got everything he wants already. he just needs to keep it like that.

i do think he would successfully stop arcos from being scammed by tordes, either because their better relationship makes arcos uninterested in whatever the guy has to offer or because lloyd sees tordes sniffing around his home and immediately starts throwing hands lol

fate would find another way to put them in trouble though. it always does.

[office-worker-91]

A Better Life

Imagine Gothi taking baby Sips and raising him in order to ensure that her closest friend has a good life this time.

Imagine the stumbling lost princess trying to balance foreclaimer stuff and trying to be a "normal" parent for Sips, which is both something that Sips doesn't necessarily need and something she's incapable of supplying.

Imagine Sneeze going from being the little brother to the big brother overnight, and trying to "toughen up" to keep his friend safe and happy.

Imagine the other party members coming over to visit baby Sips. Erina is a loving aunt-like figure. Gorthan is a goofy uncle. Julian just makes sure Sips doesn't get himself into trouble and die. Jack avoids him because Sips keeps biting him.

Imagine Gothi meets Vicky and has to "introduce" her to Sips, and she doesn't quite get it because she's so young and the monkey she knew before had a crocodile hand and had much more of an edge and he didn't shrink THAT much, did he? But she still loves him regardless.

Imagine Gothi missing her old friend while he sits RIGHT THERE in front of her, a helpless toddler, different and yet the same.

Imagine Sips starts to catch on that he's different, and not just because he's a monkey. His family talk about him like they know more than they reasonably should, and they also say things about him that he KNOWS aren't true. He catches them telling stories about him that he definitely doesn't remember, sighing wistfully. He has nightmares filled with scales and hands and hearts and crystals that he doesn't fully understand but that feel so REAL.

Imagine how lost Sips would feel when Gothi and the others finally tell him that this isn't the first time he's lived this life, nor is it the first time they've lived a life together. How confusing it would be to see the others talk about him like an old friend and a young child at the same time. How hurt he may feel that almost nobody important to him actually came to love him in this life, the life he can remember, the life he identifies himself by.

Imagine Sips slowly gains his memories of his old life back. They're fuzzy and lack detail, but he remembers. He remembers the love and time he shared with his fam- his friends. And he remembers the hardships. The beheadings. The loss of control. He remembers bantering with someone he views as his mother like they were- well, not parent and child. He remembers the pain he felt, and the pain he caused. He remembers, and the trauma starts to affect his life again because oh god HE REMEMBERS. But he's not on the run anymore. He's not cursed. And his frien- his family can look out for him.

Imagine Sips grows up. Some of his friends grow older with him, some don't. Gothi doesn't, and eventually they reach a similar "age." Gothi is thrilled because this is what she WANTED. She wanted her friend back, the one who she danced and fought and bickered and bantered with. She wanted her friend to have a better life, and he HAS one. But everything's not the same, because Sips is just as much a baby monkey she raised as he is her old friend. And they both get confused by this, and for a while they stumble through their dynamic. But eventually they reach stability. Something unfamiliar, but not different.

Imagine that everything isn't perfect and nothing's the same, but Sips gets a chance to live his life, without curses or gods screwing it up for him, with the people he loves so much.

[rotfallen]

DYNAMICS MASTERPOST.

this is a list of dynamics tabitha currently has as of 6/02/24. this list is subject to change and will constantly be updated.

MALACHI FAUST. (@roulettte)

HOUSEMATES / ENEMIES / ENEMIES - WITH - BENEFITS

MAIN VERSE / PRIVATE ALTERNATE VERSE

[ malachi faust ] — which monster will devour the other first? (roulettte)

when she was found by malachi, tabitha was surprised to meet another fallen angel, but was soon perturbed by the former archangel's...... eccentric personality. nowadays, in the mansion, the two of them seem to use each other for their own selfish gains, particularly with tabitha using malachi as an outlet for her endless voracity when she needs to take the edge off.

AOIFE THATCHER. (@sunsweets)

FRIENDS / POTENTIAL ROMANCE

MAIN VERSE

[ aoife thatcher ] — you've got sunshine in your heart. (sunsweets)

when aoife first started visiting the mansion, tabitha was always hesitant, wary, and on her guard. however, as the visits became more and more frequent, and even the guarded apparition annabel, who didn't trust easily, grew comfortable around the farmer, so too did the fallen angel. her bond with aoife is tight, though should things go a step further, tabitha fears that the other woman will leave once things get too dangerous. she fears the worst, so she still keeps a tight guard on her heart — will aoife be able to break past the walls she's built?

NAOMI MAELSTROM. (@squidsavior)

FRIENDS

PROJECT MOON VERSE

[ naomi maelstrom ] — the tightest bonds are thicker than water. (squidsavior)

tuvia didn't know what to think of naomi at first. she had thought the color fixer to be a strange one, suddenly appearing in her life out of the blue just as they had popped out of the water that fateful day. but as time went on, the bloodfiend started to regard naomi as a friend, someone she could confide in about her troubles. but should that woman try to interfere... will the navy captain stay by her side? or will they leave her to die at the hands of her creator?

ELENA KADMON. (@soulsbetrayed)

ENEMIES / FAMILIAL

PROJECT MOON VERSE

[ elena kadmon ] — i will never be your daughter. (soulsbetrayed)

tuvia despises elena with every fiber of her being. the woman who turned her into a bloodfiend, the one who made her a monster; yet try as she might, the younger cannot escape the gaze of the elder no matter how far she runs — the bond between mother and child is unbreakable.

JULIAN KADMON. (@soulsbetrayed)

ACQUAINTANCES / POTENTIAL FRIENDS

PROJECT MOON VERSE

[ julian kadmon ] — like mother like son. (soulsbetrayed)

when tuvia met julian, all she saw was the awful mother who birthed him. he was nothing more than a spitting image of the monster that made her. but as they keep talking, she'll start to see the differences. not all monsters are the same.

MARI KITAGAWA. (@riverwished)

UNWILLING ALLIES / FRIENDS

MAIN VERSE

[ mari kitagawa ] — can a monster keep you safe from monsters? (riverwished)

it had all started with saving mari's life. tabitha didn't even know them, but living among humans had given the fallen angel a sense of empathy, a heart for those around her that wasn't just hunger. but as much as tabi wants to grow closer to them, the both of them have walls up, hiding a darkness that neither of them want to reveal. but slowly, a friendship sprouts between monster and hunter, whether they want it or not.

DECIMA. (@novastrae)

FRIENDS / ROMANCE

MAIN VERSE

[ decima ] — all the stars could never compare to you. (novastrae)

the interruption of her meal turned out to be a once - in - a - lifetime meeting that felt fated. the two seemed to be drawn together, outcasts who were not like the rest of humanity. will the stars align for them?

AHRI. (@vulpesse)

ROMANCE

MAIN VERSE

[ ahri ] — am i beautiful as i tear you to pieces? (vulpesse)

the embodiment of nature herself and she who would dare defy it for the sake of her own existence. what happens when two monsters share a bond that can never be broken? after all, not even fate can tear them apart.

[fox-daddy]

Second, Gen au, I've been daydreaming about making a chose your own adventure fic for but lazy.

The word child is in '' because I mean 'child of' not necessarily that their a minor. Also, oc x cc for 3/4 of the parents.

Mc - Selasi's 'child' roughly 19-24 - the fool(?)/maybe a different major arcana

- Strong with magic (but doesn't use magic unless has to)

Aurora - The star - 20 (Asra/Kyle's 'child')

- Can sense magic (almost see in a sense but using her own magic can cause a positive feedback loop which isn't fun)

- loves painting and colors (is scared of strong wind and heavy rain)

^^ twinz vv

Solar - The Devil - 20 (Asra/Kyle's 'child')

- tries to be the best at what he enjoys (to the point if he feels like he should be able to do something he won't stop until he can do it. Great when it comes to reading not so much when it comes to picking locks.)

- super defensive about his twin and will protect her. (To the point of using magic to quickly deal with fights that didn't have to be fights.)

- may or may not get along great with the local street kids.

Piper - The Magician - 21 (Julian/Hunter's 'child')

- raised by Julian and someone who's a theater kid at heart. She can and will be dramatic for fun. (Tends to put others' needs above her own)

- high energy and able to keep up with a lot of stuff. (Keeps up to date with Portia on local gossip and the hottest new plays around the community theater)

- When not bugging Julian, Hunter, Nadia, or Portia, she's either running around looking for trouble or around the blacksmith. (She enjoys making accessories and items from the junk and scrap metal with permission and some help.)

Unnamed girl - The high priestess - 24 (Nadia/Portia'a 'child')

- very much knows what she wants and is trying to get it. (More perfectionist in the sense she likes things the way she likes them.)

- mainly interested in learning both secrets and basic knowledge. (Doesn't keep many freinds aside from a close few.)

- sharp minded and witty being able to keep up with Piper in any dramatic exchange. (Trades secrets with people, a secret for a secret. Knowledge for knowledge.)

Unnamed boy - The Hermit - 20 - (Portia/Nadia's 'child')

- prefer to be kept out of the spotlight but even in the spotlight is great at being as unnoticeable as possible. (Suprisingly really smart in a general sense but manly keeps it to himself)

- takes active internet in his mum's tinkering and even picked up the hobby himself. (Likes making the internal gears and mechanics more than actually designing the outside. Leading to a lot of boring looking items with interesting mechanisms.)

- despite not speaking a lot and occasionally stuttering, he typically says interesting or important things. (Although his voice is soft.)

Fern - The Hangedman - 19 - (Muriel/Bluebell's 'child')

- similar to his parents prefers to just stay in the forest away from people. (Although he does sometimes hang out with kids around the outskirts of the forest.)

- enjoys where he lives and how things are and doesn't really want it to change. (Pretty stuck in his train of thought and finds other ways people think confusing at best and straight up wrong st worst.)

- given the chance would keep things exactly how they are forever, no growing up, no changes. (Despite knowing things are always going to change for the worse or better he doesnt know yet.)

The full plot is WIP, and while I tried to shift the major arcana between kids, I gave up with Portia and Nadia's. Feel free to suggest names for the unnamed characters or just suggest ideas.

[jaytalksmusic]

the abbey road medley

the medley has always been career-defining for the beatles. it’s lots of different musical styles put together, but they flow so well, and on my 134042987534th billion relisten thanks to “the long one” on spotify, it’s made me cement some thoughts. the abbey road medley is literally the beatles singing about themselves and to each other. “you never give me your money” was originally about how they weren’t getting any of the royalties that they were promised (it’s like a less political “taxman”), but quickly turns into paul singing about what will soon become his life with linda, referring to their car rides to nowhere that he claims “two of us” is about: “soon we’ll be away from here / step on the gas and wipe that tear away.” he’s kind of done, but at the same time, he doesn’t want to leave. “sun king” is an experiment, and it’s there to break up the rock n roll monotony, and it sounds so good. “mean mr. mustard” and “polythene pam” are just goofy, and they give me get back sessions vibes--it’s just the boys hanging out and writing silly music that involves characters and also incredible songwriting skills. I think that the “yeah, yeah, yeah”s in “pam” are john’s way of mocking “she loves you,” almost like how paul makes reference to it in “all you need is love.” the juxtaposition between their big hit and one of their last songs...incredible. “she came in through the bathroom window” is also about a true life event for paul, and i think it kind of foreshadows the legal battles that are about to come with “sunday’s on the phone to monday / tuesday’s on the phone to me.” “golden slumbers” was allegedly written far before abbey road, but to me it’s paul’s more heavy version of “good night” because he’s about to have a child, y’know? “good night” was written for Julian and the inclusion “golden slumbers” has GOT to have been partially inspired by mary being about to be born. and then. fucking “carry that weight.” as we see in get back, it was obviously intended to be a goofy, silly and fast ringo song, but in the context of the medley, with the echoing vocals, heavy drums, and iconic bassline, it becomes a mantra. the band that has changed all four of their lives is about to break up. they became famous at a tumultuous point in their lives; they were all so young. at the time of abbey road, they’re STILL so young. they will never be able to forget the beatles or erase it from their lives, no matter how hard they try. they’re all going to “carry that weight” for a long time; for their whole lives. i don’t think this was intentional. i mean, they all knew trouble was brewing, but the breakup wasn’t totally foreshadowed, at least from their perspective. but the implications of them KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING that something incredible has happened and is about to be over are great. plus, the song gets rid of all the other lyrics that paul was trying to come up with during the let it be sessions. i mean, come ON!!! it kills me. you don’t get it. and then. fucking “the end.” last song recorded by all four beatles. they started with a paul song (“i saw her standing there”) and they end with one. and of course, what paul thought was a “shakespearean couplet” and john thought was “a very cosmic, philosophical line.” i personally see the “love you”s as paul,,,idk, talking to the other beatles. it doesn’t have to be a romantic song because it doesn’t have romantic lyrics, and that's what i like about it--it’s like a mix of the two things they’re known for; very poetic lyrics but also cheesy love songs. plus the drum solo. and the guitar solos. and i just. paul loved the group SO much, and “the end” is his way of telling them that. the love they had with each other was equal to the love that they would take and the bitterness that would happen when they officially broke up. sob. 

[xaharadesert]

Immortal MC & Reincarnated LI - Headcanon Pt 1

Arcana Characters (Julian, Portia, Lucio) x MC

A/N: This one is another request from the lovely @firefly-child! The premise is pretty much exactly what the title of this post entails— an immortal MC who’s first lover (the LI of your choosing) is reincarnated every time they die! It takes about 20 or so years for MC to find them every time they’re reincarnated, and they have no memory of their past lives. This time, they’ve met in Vesuvia, and LI is about to find out the whole truth! For the sake of continuity, MC is the “never-aging” kind of immortal, and can die. This is set after they completely regain their memories, probably a couple years after the main plot.

Also, thank you for everyone who has been patient about my absence! I lose motivation easily, and with my summer reading assignment finally arriving, I was pretty preoccupied. Actual school is starting up soon as well, and seeing as this is my final year of grade school, I’ll likely be really busy. Regardless, this is my second to last request in my inbox, even though I’ve divided it into two parts to hopefully motivate me. Please feel free to send in a request, and please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar mistakes!

TW: mentions of death

❤️Julian❤️

Okay, so magic in general is something that Julian had always been skeptical about

But immortality? That’s a whole new level of disbelief

It’s not that he doesn’t trust you, that’s just… a bit much for him to comprehend all at once

It would take a while for him to come to terms with it, but he warms up to the idea faster if you’re the type of person to tell stories about your past adventures

As someone who has traveled around the world himself, hearing new perspectives on the old folk tales he had heard during his adventures certainly opens his eyes to new possibilities

When he realizes that your knowledge is probably far greater than any other living beings he would be relentless in asking every question he could possibly think of

Even if you never actually bothered to learn much about any particular subject in your past, even a small scrap of seemingly inconspicuous information could lead to a major breakthrough (or so Julian claims)

So imagine his surprise when you add on the fact that Julian himself used to have the same knowledge and experiences himself

Again, the idea that reincarnation was part of the cycle of life for ordinary mortals was… a lot to process

If coming to terms with your immortality was hard for him, this would be near impossible

He doesn’t mean to offend you, but are you sure that he’s a reincarnation? What if you’re simply projecting your grief and creating a delusion to cope with your loss? Again, he doesn’t ask these questions to offend you, he just can’t accept the fact that he had lived previous lives

Out of all the LIs, Julian would be the most likely to reject the idea of being a reincarnation of your first love

Once again, it wasn’t out of malevolence, he just couldn’t understand— there were too many questions to ask

Was every human reincarnated? Would you be reincarnated if you died? But you did die, and you were brought back, so how did that happen? How did you manage to continue finding him every lifetime? If he looked the same as he did in his original life, how come he had never come across his own adventures or discoveries in some book?

Another, more malicious voice in his head asked another question— were you really in love with him? Or were you in love with the person you had expected him to be?

The two of you would need quite a few heart to hearts to sort through these questions and feelings, although you may not have an answer to every one

In the end, Julian might never completely accept the fact that he was a reincarnation of your first love (seeing as he had to memories to prove it), but it didn’t make him love you any less

The two of you would be happy together for as long as he would live, and then you would be happy together in his next life, whether he believed it or not

🧡Portia🧡

Going back to what I’ve said in previous posts about an immortal MC, Portia is 100% of the mindset that your immortality is the Coolest! Thing!! Ever!!!

She has no trouble believing you about that part, because honestly, the more magic surrounds her, the happier she is

A large part of her had always wanted as much magic in her life as possible, even if Julian had always insisted there was no such thing, and every time you revealed a bit more of your abilities to her, she only seemed to become more excited

She loves hearing about your past, especially any magical adventures you may have gone on

And when you finally reveal to her that she’s a reincarnation of your first lover?

She is beyond ecstatic

Of course, her first question is about whether or not she had magic in one of her past lives, and if so, can you please teach it to her again?

She wants to know everything about herself and her past lives with you, as long as you’re willing to tell her

Portia, as someone who firmly believes in soulmates, thinks that yours is the greatest and most epic love story ever now, thank you very much

In all honesty, after finding out that she’ll be reincarnated once she dies, she becomes a bit more reckless, so you’ll need to remind her that even though her soul will always return, her memories won’t

She tries to be a bit more careful after that

Emphasis on tries

There are a couple of moments when she feels sad that she can’t fully recall her past with you

She feels as though the two of you will always be a bit out of sync, seeing as you will always know more about her than she does of you

You’ll need to try your best to help her sort through these feelings, because she may try to simply repress them otherwise

But even with occasional doubts, Portia is thrilled to know that she has the most magical soulmate to ever exist

💛Lucio💛

Lucio wouldn’t doubt your immortality for a second, and probably wouldn’t wait any more than that before announcing it to everyone he met

Everyone had to know that you were the most magical, most amazing, most brilliant person to ever exist

He would not hesitate to tell grand stories about your adventures to anyone who would listen, often describing the two of you together in battle

You would have to gently remind him that no, most of the stories he told were not true

You’ll have to forgive him for that, he may have gotten a bit carried away with the excitement of having an immortal partner

However, this won’t stop him from aggrandizing whatever tales you do tell

It doesn’t matter how exciting or boring your life has been, when he repeats what you’ve told him to others, he always makes everything seem infinitely more wondrous than it actually was

Now, you will have had to wait a bit before telling him any more, seeing as he’s a bit overexcitable, so it may be quite a while before you continue on to tell him that he’s a reincarnation of your first love

Now that? That makes him short-circuit a bit

Obviously he had always known that he was amazing and incredible and the best at everything— but now you’re telling him that he can return from the dead?

You’ll have to remind him that no, that’s not quite how it works, because he forgets his past lives whenever he’s brought back

He has the same soul, but he’s not necessarily the same person

This seems to disappoint him a bit, but once you reassure him that you’ll love him in every lifetime, he seems to perk up

Of course you would love him, he’s perfect no matter who he is

He wants you to tell him everything you know about who he was in the past

You’ll probably have to be a bit selective about what you say though, seeing as his pride is more easily wounded than he’s willing to admit

Lucio especially loves to hear about the good things he’s done, his more selfless acts

Knowing that he used to be a good person makes him feel as though redemption is more achievable, although he’d probably never admit that out loud

He’s not one to be insecure about how your current relationship compares to your previous ones— he’s confident in the magic of soulmates, and that the two of you are a perfect match in any lifetime

[mollymauktealeef]

uhm, for your prompts: geraskier, with jaskier hiding geralt (and maybe ciri) from nilfgaard in plain sight, like. without magic, he manages to make the soldiers go away with empty hands? thank you!

sorry this took longer than expected! i haven’t been feeling very well recently so it got left alone for a while. hope you like it though!

warning/s: none

(ao3)

“You there!”

“Oh fuck,” Jaskier mutters sharply recognising the no nonsense tone of a solider and feeling the dread settle in his gut like a block of ice. 

Geralt’s fingers twitch at his side, his swords are sadly tucked away under Roach’s blanket just under Ciri’s leg for safekeeping as she sits astride the saddle. 

They’d been reluctantly placed there - at Jaskier’s suggestion - so they could move through town unhindered by locals looking for a Witcher’s aid or at least so the trio could draw a little less attention than they normally would. Something they might have gotten away with if Geralt hadn’t been sour about hiding his swords so much he’d childishly left down his hood. Revealing his rather distinctive and famous white hair for all the land to see.  

And now there are soldiers.

So the idea of going incognito had clearly failed in it’s execution and now Geralt is without his weapons in easy reach as the squelch of many heavy boots marching through the mud approach them from behind. 

Jaskier watches out of the corner of his eye as Geralt’s hand releases the reins for Roach’s bridle and skims along her flank to the hidden pommel slowly. Jaskier shakes his head in warning and thankfully the Witcher listens, stilling his hand. 

The last thing they need is more attention and Geralt beheading the local guardsmen would be like sending up a flare for Nilfgaard. 

Jaskier chews on his lip, racking his brain for a way out of their predicament. He see’s Geralt’s hand move again, not for the swords this time but to rest on Ciri’s shaking knee in comfort. The princess huddles under her cloak, shrinking away from the danger approaching them and Jaskier’s heart aches for her. The lingering trauma of being hunted has left a stain on the once happy princess that Jaskier and Geralt have tried their best to erase. But situations like these always undo that hard work in moments.  

Jaskier sighs at the loss of progress shrinking deeper into the folds of her cloak and decides on a course of action, one that might just avoid darkening that stain on Ciri’s heart. 

“Oi! You deaf?” Another voice yells and Jaskier straightens his spine and prepares to dazzle his audience into submission. 

He spins round dramatically, plastering a wide happy grin across his face. It’s not his most eye-catching outfit but he should be able to draw attention away from the Witcher and his child surprise well enough. Presentation is key for misdirection after all. 

Jaskier glances over the small patrol quickly, filing away the small details that he can use to his advantage. Just like any other ballroom or tavern he’s stepped foot in. Reading the room is how you own it and Jaskier wouldn’t be a famous bard if he couldn’t quickly and effectively discern the lay of the land. A loud tavern full of boisterous laughter needs dance music and bawdy songs, a noble wedding with dignified guests needs jaunty jigs with easy beats to dance to and when enough wine has been drunk, a few romantic epics to get everyone in the mood. The stage is a little different but the details are the same. 

He silently curses as he recognises the dark armour and golden sun stretching across it and prays to whatever deity likes Geralt in one piece in the vain hope that things will go smoothly. But for now, it's up to him and every skill he’s honed at every banquet and party he’s ever been to, to get them through this peacefully. 

“Fine gentlemen, what can I aid such noble soldiers with today?” he greets loudly as he skips forward putting himself between the approaching soldiers and Geralt. A few of the men flinch at his volume. Jaskier notes the overly red cheeks and bloodshot eyes, the slight sway in their stance. Too much patrolling the tavern rather than the streets and very recently too.  

He has to play this right. Be loud and obnoxious and they’ll want to get rid of him quickly to ease their aching heads. Too much though and he runs the risk of raising questions. It’ll be a fine line to tread, a thin tightrope between freedom and a noose but it’s something he’s managed before and for far lesser stakes. 

“Your friend, where does he hail from?” The Captain asks shrewdly, eyeing Geralt’s exposed white hair with narrowed eyes. Jaskier rocks on his heels full of nervous energy. 

“My cousin you mean? Well he and his daughter come from Lettenhove of course! As do I,” Jaskier bows deeply, throwing as much theatricality into his performance as possible, “Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove. A pleasure to meet you, good sir!”

He doesn’t often drag out his nobility but the situation calls for it. Perhaps enough for the men to back off, in fear of upsetting nobility. 

“And your...cousin’s white hair? A familial trait?” The captain asks skeptically. His title isn’t enough to brush away their questions but there is a touch more hesitancy than before so Jaskier counts it in his favour.  He still grimaces a little and racks his brain for a plausible lie to help them escape the situation with as little screaming and entrails as possible. Tiny streams in deep forests are not ideal for removing Nilfgaardian guts from a Witcher’s hair after all and after this fiasco getting Geralt to agree to enter any form of civilisation will be a nightmare. 

So Jaskier does what he does best. 

He tells a story. 

He lets his face drop into a more serious expression and sidles up closer, a little too close for comfort, for a not so much conspiratorial whisper, “No, no, my good sir. Not at all. You see, it's such a terrible thing. Truly terrible. A curse.”

At least two of the men take an involuntary step back as though such a thing could be catching. Good, Jaskier thinks snidely, superstitious morons swallow a lie father easier than a wise man. 

“Twas laid upon him by a spiteful sorceress. He’s quite sensitive over the whole thing as I’m sure you can imagine,” Jaskier placed a hand over his heart as he hammed up the performance a degree or two, “My poor dear sweet cousin spurned the witches advances you see, his heart already belonged to another. Fiona’s mother, she hailed from Nilfgaard, such a sweet woman. Not that it mattered to the spiteful witch! The sorceress was quite enraged by it all and so cursed my poor cousin to bear the likeness of the ugliest creature she knew, a Witcher.”

Jaskier winces internally and sends a silent apology to Geralt and hopes the man won’t take too much offence but there’s no other option for them. 

“How unfortunate,” one of the men comments in a heartfelt manner and Jaskier dabs at his dry eye in agreement.

“Yes it is and such happenstance that we should be looking for a Witcher,” the Captain says, unconvinced. But Jaskier has the rest of his audience on tenterhooks and a crowd can sway a single mind.

He scoff’s loudly and slams his hands onto his hips. 

“Nothing but trouble I say, for we’ve been stopped by every knight and good soldier from here to the Pontar! It’s made our journey to Oxenfurt doubly long and I’m due to begin teaching next week! The delay!” Jaskier wails dramatically and the men collectively wince at his volume and shrillness, “Thankfully with my tenured position the faculty will be most forgiving of my lateness! But truly it has been nothing but trouble!”

“Hmm,” the Captain wavers and Jaskier pushes his advantage, leaning in a touch too far again. 

“I shall tell you good sir the best way to tell a Witcher from my unfortunate cousin is the swords, for Witcher’s carry two on their backs and my dear sweet cousin can only swing a pitchfork!”

“Viscount’s right Captain, no swords,” one of the men speaks up and they all turn to look at Geralt’s back, covered in a muddy cape but bereft of the notable twin swords. 

“He could have thrown them,” the Captain suggests but quietly, not fully believing his own words and Jaskier tries not to let his relief show. 

“Thrown them?! Why my dear Captain, that would be a waste of fine silver and steel! Who in their right mind would throw away a silver sword! Pah! A fool, that’s who!” 

The Captain ruminates for a few moments and then nods, “Right you are, carry on m’lord.”

Jaskier’s knees feel a little weak as the men shuffle round and begin their march back up the street they came. He waves them off jauntily despite the nausea swirling in his gut. 

“Many blessings to you and safe journey my good men!”

As soon as the men are out of sight Jaskier stumbles as the relief falls on him like a ton of bricks. Geralt grips his bicep, pulling him back up as he stares down the street after the patrol. 

“Gone?” Jaskier asks and Geralt nods. 

“Thank Melitele,” Jaskier exhales and drops his head against Geralt’s shoulder heavily. 

“Ugliest creatures?” Geralt asks and Jaskier groans.

“Darling I apologise wholeheartedly for such a lie but how else was I to excuse your appearance?”

Geralt snorts, thankfully with more amusement than anger, “Good thinking.”

“Thank you love but might I suggest putting several fields between us and them before more questions are asked?” Jaskier points out and Geralt wraps an arm around Jaskier’s shoulders, squeezing him close for a moment before letting him stand on his own steadying legs. 

Geralt takes Roach’s reins once more as Jaskier falls into step next to him, he spares a glance over his shoulder at the near empty street behind them and hopes they can put enough road between the patrol and them before nightfall to breathe a little easier. 

“Are you really a viscount Jaskier?” Ciri questions quietly, hunched over under her heavy cape atop Roach. Jaskier startles at the sudden question but settles into a sardonic smile.

“Unfortunately so my darling, though the title does have its uses here and there.”

Ciri thankfully doesn’t press the issue as she flicks her gaze over her shoulder worridily. More concerned with the soldiers than his checkered past. 

“I didn’t think they’d leave so easily,” she mumbles and Jaskier reaches over to pat her leg softly. 

“Fear not my dear, they were easy to fool and won’t be following us anytime soon.”

“How can you be so sure?” Ciri asks, her tone skeptical and a little sharp. A princess on the run yes, but still a princess and one growing from a child into a woman and not shy about demanding she be treated as such. Jaskier chuckles. 

“Simple. I saw all I needed to, to lead them astray. I’ll teach you how to read men like open books soon enough darling,” Jaskier winks and Ciri worried at her bottom lip for a few quiet moments.

“Teach me now?” 

Jaskier shares a glance with Geralt, raising an eyebrow up in question and Geralt simply nods his permission. Well if his Witcher is okay with it then who is he to argue giving the young exiled princess another knife in her growing arsenal. 

“Very well, what did you notice about them?” 

She ponders for a moment, “There weren’t that many?” Ciri offers hesitantly. Jaskier beams encouragingly. 

“Well spotted! A small patrol left in an unremarkable town. Tells us quite a bit. These fools aren’t high on the pecking order. They aren’t given more responsibility or better yet aren’t trusted with more,” Jaskier explains and Ciri leans forward in rapt attention. “What else could you see?” 

“They hesitated,” Geralt says and Jaskier turns his attention on the Witcher’s soft smile. 

“Very good my love,” Jaskier pecks Geralt’s cheek in reward, earning a giggle from Ciri. 

“That matters?” she asks. 

“Indeed, a lack of confidence speaks to their inexperience or perhaps they’ve acted hastily in the past and been reprimanded making them hesitant to act similarly again,” Jaskier explains, falling into his old teaching habits easily. 

“What else did you see,” Ciri questions curiously and Jaskier hums thoughtfully. 

“Dented armour that hasn’t yet been fixed, means coin is tight or flowing elsewhere. Mud caked into clothes and bulging chest plates. These men have become lazy and spend more nights in a tavern than marching around town. Ruddy cheeks and bloodshot eyes tell me they enjoy their drink, a bit too much most likely. Given the hour it was either a heavy night of drinking with a spectacular hangover or they’ve just come from the tavern. Whichever it is, their minds and body long for beds not battle and that my fair girl is where you can take advantage,” Jaskier lists and Ciri looks suitably impressed with his observations. 

“Enough to confuse them?”

“Perhaps enough to lose them in a winding tale with dramatic flair,” Jaskier shrugs, remembering many a glazed drunken gaze and how he used it to his advantage in the past. 

“The loudness helped too,” Geralt offers slyly and Ciri laughs as Jaskier pretends to take offence though he preens at the small but fond smile on his Witcher’s face and the ease settling around Ciri’s shoulders once more. 

“Nothing makes a drunken soldier recoil quicker than a loud bright bard,” Jaskier winks.

[iammyownvariant]

Reader (Ghosts BBC, Mentioning of Alison/Mike and Alison/Thomas)

SUMMARY: You grew up in a wonderful big house full of ghosts. But why did you see them anyway? Reader Insert Series: BBC Ghosts AN: As I haven't the time to fully write out this idea, here's a shortened version of a prompt that has been playing inside my mind. Based on a post I viewed recently: I have always thought that if I'd been Alison, I'd be scared to death about getting pregnant or having a miscarriage and seeing that ghost child all the time. Now I could write something angsty about this, or something funny. I decided to go for a different route and wrote how it would be to be born in that household, with Alison and Mike as your mum and dad. (So no miscarriages or creepy things, just growing up with ghosts). Enjoy! PS. If anyone feels like picking up this idea or exploring elements of it, please do <3 -- -- Seeing ghosts was a normality to you. As you grew up, you saw them around the house and they were your friends. You saw them in school, saw them in the streets and basically everywhere you went. And you more than often became friends with them.

So this was how mum felt, hmm?

You could not say that you led a normal life. Seeing the ghosts and interacting with them wasn’t the oddest thing of all. No. The oddest thing you found, was something only revealed to you at a much later date, when you were already grown. But let’s cut back to when you were little.

You grew up in a wonderfully big home that your mum and dad had inherited by pure luck (or was it misfortune?). The house cost them everything and more than often people had wondered why they had started having kids during such a stressful period in their lives – because the home was still a bit of a wreck when you were born.

The house was large and wonderful and yours. You had never known any other place and you felt no need to ever move elsewhere. You loved it here. It was a certain love that made your mum and dad all the more determined to keep the place no matter what.

Apart from living in a fantasy-like building, your life was pretty normal.

Except for the ghosts.

The first time your parents noticed you saw them was when you were just a toddler and your father freaked out because you seemed to be talking to someone who wasn’t there. Your mum, being able to see them after a nearly-fatal accident, confirmed his fears though. You were playing with one of the ghosts that inhabited the house. Your parents thought it was a one off, until your sister was born four years later and she exhibited the same signs as you had.

Thus, the theory that seeing ghost was inheritable came into existence.

But as you had been seeing them since you were born, you held no fear of the inhabitants of the house. And there were a lot of them. It meant you were never alone. It was soothing in a way. Whenever there was something wrong or you felt sad or down, one of the ghosts was bound to cheer you up.

You especially loved Humphrey as a child. You loved his soothing voice and the tales he would tell when you couldn’t sleep. Truth to be told, you had a bit of a crush on the late Sir Humphrey Bone as a kid, thinking his face to be really pretty. So pretty, you often helped when his head and body were apart. You would go searching for another of the ghosts to pick up his head and put him back together whenever he lost it again. Though sometimes it would just be his head on your nightstand. Others might think this depravingly morbid, but it brought you a sense of safety, knowing he was there watching you. It chased away any bad dreams.

You often held sleepovers with Kitty. She was a lovely giggling young woman, and she loved to play hide and seek with you and your sister in the grand garden surrounding your home. The three of you would often giggle way into the night when either your mum would come to tell you to please go to sleep – or Robin joined in and did some of his caveman word games with the three of you – which made the evening all the better (no matter how often Kitty would exclaim that it was supposed to be a girls night only).

Having the ghosts around wasn’t always fun though. For instance, when you were a teenager and were playing dressing up and imagining all the boys who would swoon over you, only to see a head stick through your wall and telling you off. Auntie Fanny was a real pain sometimes, always talking about how you should be decent, how you should dress, how to hold your fork and knife during a dinner with guests. It was frustrating but she always managed to get on your nerves.

Your sister didn’t fare much better with her and suffered the same mouthiness of the former lady of the house. It didn’t help that the ghost woman still jumped out of a window in the midst of the night either. Your sister failed one of her exams once because she couldn’t focus on learning the material because Fanny Button kept her up each night with her screams. It was thanks to Thomas’ support that she was forced to focus on her schoolbooks and thanks to the other ghosts (and mum, who was pretty much threatening them to do as she said) to keep Auntie Fanny in check. In the end, your sister had changed back to a different room. The previous one she had occupied had been chosen by her because of the epic royal bathroom attached to it. Now she slept closer to yours again and took to using the shared bathroom without complaining. You didn’t mind, you liked having her close again.

Out of all the ghosts, you found the Captain to be the most tiresome as you were young. He was always drilling on about what you and the others should do. Always focusing on schedules that you should follow. Telling you off like you were a soldier.

Pat was way kinder, and often a bit too soft. You knew he often hung around your younger sister, because she was more outgoing than you were and he loved to be outside in nature. He helped her do all sorts of tricks, climb trees, shoot a bow and arrow – dangerous stuff even. But he taught her to do it responsibly, despite what you may expect of a man with an arrow lodged in his throat.

And then there was the one who frightened you like no other. Not even the plague citizens living in the cellar, who always kindly helped you with whatever issue you came to talk about. Yep, one of the ghosts scared you for a while: you usually tried to avoid Julian. As you were young, you thought he was an old man, wearing no pants, and he had a mean streak to him – jealousy you often found. He didn’t particularly seemed to like kids either, so you were fine with him going out of your way. As you grew older you realised Julian wasn’t actually as bad as you thought him to be. He even saved your life once or twice by pushing away or picking up a dangerous object that might have injured you otherwise. He was watching over you, like all the others were. And as you grew into a teenager and passed that sweet 16, you noticed a different gleam in his eyes. Julian changed. He became more gallant, more of a smooth talker when around you. But that behaviour ended quite abruptly, although the gleam of admiration never left his eyes. You wondered what had frightened him so to stop his advances on you. Whatever it was, you were grateful. Julian was not your type and never would be. (Later on you found out he had been challenged to a duel by Thomas who wanted to defend your honour, as child of the lovely Alison).

And then there was Jemima, she was the best friend of you and of your sister. As children she was just amazing to play with. First, she was older, and knew cool games you and your sibling had never heard of. Then, you grew to be the same age and she was the coolest girl you would ever know. And then, you grew older and she grew quieter. But you never ceased your habit of singing chilly songs with her.

You were a child, growing up between ghosts, and you felt safe between them. And though your father swore he could see them, most of his interactions with the house ghosts was initiated through you or your sister. He just didn’t possess the gift. But he was the greatest dad there ever lived. He loved doing stuff with you and your sister, going out, do fun things. He was a swell dad, filled to the brim with love for you and your sibling. He’d do anything to keep the two of you safe and happy and clothed and fed – even if things financially didn’t always go well for your family. You loved him to bits.

Your mum tried to warn you of the dangers of seeing ghosts. How those who could not see them would think it weird – would think you to be weird. You minded her words and sensibly, didn’t let anything show while in school. Even though, you were troubled with the ghost of a former teacher who kept sitting at a way too small child’s desk next to you and pester you throughout the lessons. You were glad when your mum told him off, some day after lessons. She had to sneak into the school with you. Oh boy, you had loved her firm voice, her confidence, and the fact that the ghost stuck to a different classroom from then on without coming near you again.

Your sister had a bit of a harder time. She let herself be distracted by the ghosts of a few children who had died in a school fire ages ago. While you had gotten away with explaining to them how you could not talk to them while others were around, your sister didn’t mind that rule though, and your parents struggled more than once with comments on how they should take your sister to see a doctor about this. Eventually, your sister learned, as she grew older. But more than often she would ignore what others thought of her and still communicate with the dead whilst other living beings were around.

But despite the fortune, or misfortune, of seeing ghosts, your life was pretty normal as you grew up. You loved all house ghosts for different reasons.

While Mary was easily one of your favourites, she was also a bit daft to the modern ways. Simple, might be a better word. She often promised to help you with your homework, but she never could attribute anything that you didn’t already know. So you often had to distract her with small tasks or tell her to hang out with Kitty or Robin instead.

And when Mary was gone it would be Thomas who would take over. Although he was easily distracted by art and snivelly poems, he would always try his best to focus and help you and your sister through each demeaning homework task. Sir Thomas Thorne was always nearby when you needed him. He had the tendency to sing songs to you as a baby, create old fashioned nursery rhymes when you were a toddler, play silly games with you as a child, motivate and guide you as a teenager.

In hindsight, you should have seen it coming. With all the care he held for you, with the warm tingling feeling it gave you whenever he was around. You should have known. And when you were a teenager and dated that ghost boy from two blocks away, it was Thomas who completely lost it and told you the boy would be no good for you, and that you deserved someone better. Someone more permanent. Someone alive.

Your mother and Thomas had a huge fight then – ("Someone more permanent than a ghost? That's rich coming from you!" your mum had shouted) all ghosts were listening in. But your dad was none the wiser. And so were you. Because you did not catch all references, and you did not understand each jab and insult thrown like a ping pong ball. And when your mum sat with her hands in her hair and Sir Thomas’ arm wrapped around her shoulder, you thought they had just made up. And then your father came in and he gave your mother solace. They hugged for a long time, and Thomas had just gone into the adjacent room. But that was all there was to it.

Of course it wasn’t though. Because your mother was strong. Darn strong. You loved it about her. The whole attitude she had, the air with which she wandered around the home and instructed the ghosts like she owned them. Your father said it hadn’t always been like that, that it had grown over time. In the beginning she had been ill-at ease, easily manipulated by the inhabitants of their home, had been often looked at funnily and ruined many a great business deal for talking or listening to the ghosts. She still did that – listen to them. She still embarrassed herself and your whole family along with it. Like that time you were at a beach party with family and friends and she had an entire conversation with a family of the 1960’s who were dead. Yeah, you’d rather not think back on that.

Or the one time one of she reported a crime to a dead officer.

Yeah.

But your mother was your hero. She was strong, fierce, and always stood up for you and your sister.

To find out a much deeper and darker truth then, about your family, was world shattering. And it was all because your sister had been in an accident and you came home to find Thomas in all states. And when you asked the other ghosts what had occurred they told you he was crying about his child. And that’s only when the pin dropped and you realised why this man was always working in your best interest and being so darn warm and kind for a person who was dead. Because you'd not missed the many times he showered your mother with affection. Or the way she would smile at him when he gave her another compliment. Or the way they would be just a little...too close. Could your sister be the child of a ghost? Impossible, right?

And you confronted your mum about it.

And she broke down.

Alison Cooper confessed to you, while your father was away at work, that she had been entangled with the ghost of Sir Thomas Thorne after a few heavy drinks and a way too fun party held at their home. Apparently, she had been incredibly drunk and had said things she otherwise wouldn’t have admitted. What happened should not have been possible by far. But Thomas had been able to actually feel her, and Alison had believed that no ghost could actually cause consequences with a human who was still alive. Perhaps her near-death experience had thrown something into the mix. We would never know. But Alison found herself pregnant after days spent without a touch by your dad, Mike. The first thought had been to terminate the pregnancy, but remembering the dove that still liked to terrorize their bedroom, Alison had grown scared. She realised she could not terminate the pregnancy or she might be faced with a ghost of her own baby. And you realised this was not your sister she was talking about. This was you.

So instead, Alison had pleaded Thomas to keep their secret (which he had done poorly and every ghost knew what had truly occurred, but luckily your dad could not interact with them), and your mum seduced your dad. They were already married, there were no contenders, your father believed you were theirs and never held a doubt. In hindsight, it explained your paleness- and the seeing of ghosts. It had been deemed the impossible, and for a long while, Alison thought and hoped that you were a child of Mike’s after all.

Mike took it all up really well, with you being what is called an accident. He was instantly smitten – as were all of the ghosts to be honest. Alison thought things would work our after all.

But then, when Mike wanted to have another kid, and though they tried, it took three years and a lot of desperation to admit to seeing a doctor. And then they were faced with the terrible truth that Mike wasn’t fertile at all. The news was delivered to your mum first, with Mike away and only the house ghosts listening in. It was a shock to all of them, mostly to Alison who had been pointed at the result by another ghost doctor. She managed to hide away the evidence, the true results, and together with newly found ghost friends she made at the hospital, fabricated a new lie. Mike was never to know that you could not possibly be his.

So instead, Alison was persuaded by Thomas and her undying love for Mike. He wanted another baby, she wanted them to be happy. Deal done. Thomas fathered a second ghost-seeing child with your mum. Your sister. The one who was recovering in hospital after a nasty car crash. (And luckily, she got out alive and safe and you got to hug her again tightly because no matter what, your sister would always be closest to you - all ghosts in spite).

So there you were, hearing your mother’s confession. The understanding dawning upon you that you did not see ghosts because of just your mum – but because you father was one. It all made so much sense. And it took a lot of strength to keep your mouth shut about it to Mike, your father.

Your real father, Thomas, you found, was understanding. And you were glad more than once that he could not interact with Mike. You had warned him that you would keep calling Mike dad, even if he wasn’t biologically. And Mike remained none the wiser. You still loved your non-biological dad as fiercely as you had before. You’d just glare a lot more in Thomas’ direction for a while.

In the end, you ended up marrying a young ‘living’ partner. You made sure that both Mike and Thomas were leading you down the aisle – even if Mike was never to know it. All Ghosts loved it, loved how you recognised Thomas to be your father. They also loved it how you never once dropped the truth on Mike or let him down. In your eyes, he would always remain on a pedestal as the perfect dad. It just so happened that you had two now.

As you somehow had expected, Alison died too young. An accident out of love, one of the ghosts had said. (She was furious at Thomas for many years to come, but she could not help but love him still.) During the years she was angry at Thomas, she tried to convey a message to Mike. She wanted him to know the truth, but he hadn’t understood her dying last breath, and he hadn’t understood her hauntings. ("It say's Thomas... dad? dad? Wait a minute, isn't Thomas one of the ghosts? Yeah, of course he is dead. Duh!") And he seemed delighted that she was still there, even as he started dating a new woman and ended up marrying her. (Alison was okay withit, but only after smashing a few vases and making that new woman's life a living hell). It was no wonder your dad wanted to move elsewhere quite soon after his second marriage. I mean, living with your deceased wife and your new crumpit was a bit weird, right? Your dad, Mike, handed the house to you and your sister. She chose not to stay and lived her live elsewhere, visiting occassionally, while Mike and his new wife settled somewhere close by. You remained in the huge mansion with your husband and your children, enjoying the way the ghosts watched over them as they had watched over you, feeling safe and happy. Because with these ghosts you were at home.

[lillywillow]

The Forest Provides

Summary: You and Muriel have been trying for a baby for a long time. One day, Muriel finds a baby alone in the woods

 Word Count: 1880

 Pairings: Muriel of the Kokhuri x Female Reader

 Warnings: Minor spoilers from the main plot, very mild angst at the beginning

 Married life with Muriel had been absolute bliss but lately you had felt like something was missing. It wasn’t until you were visiting Asra in town and started noticing the families around that you realised what it was; a child of your own. When you brought up your desire to Muriel, he was surprisingly open to it. After months of trying, you were starting to get a little discouraged.

...

 One night, you were lying in bed with your husband, idly tracing patterns on his chest.

 “What’s on your mind?” Muriel mumbled, his soft voice pulling you from your thoughts.

 “I’ve just been thinking... we’ve been trying for months for a baby and I’m wondering... what if it’s me? What if when I came back... not everything works right? I’m getting scared that I can’t carry a baby... The next time Nazali is in town, I’m going to ask them if they can do a full check up on me.”

 “You don’t trust Julian to do it?” Muriel asked, a little surprised.

 “It’s not that I don’t trust him, he’s one of my dearest friends. It’s just that Nazali has had more experience. They might be able to provide some answers...” You started to tear up a little at the thought of not being able to have a baby of your own.

 Muriel held you tighter. Much like you, he had been having his own doubts about his ability to give you a child. What if it was his fault that he couldn’t give you the child you wanted? Muriel chose not to voice his concerns in order not to worry you further. For now, he would just hold you in his arms and comfort you until you fell asleep.

...

 The following morning, Muriel was walking with Inanna in the woods looking for a few more supplies. Suddenly, the wolf stopped, sensing something.

 “What is it, Inanna?”

 Inanna started sniffing the ground, following the scent in a hurry. Muriel followed, feeling worried about her safety. Finally, she stopped in front of a tree, sitting proudly, tongue lolling out to the side.

 “Inanna, what have you...?” Muriel stopped dead in his tracks.

 Nestled under the shade of a tree in a basket was a sleeping baby. The infant had a head of soft black curls and was wrapped in green blankets. Muriel gentle knelt down and picked up the precious bundle. Disturbed by the sudden movement, the baby woke and opened her eyes, revealing them to be fawn brown. Muriel froze, afraid the baby was about to cry but instead, the infant simply cooed at him. He noticed a name had been lovingly stitched into the baby’s blanket.

 Kalila.

 “Inanna, can you see if you can find the parents anywhere?”

 The wolf started sniffing the ground and followed the scent for as long as she could but ultimately lost it. Muriel couldn’t help but wonder who would leave a defenceless baby all alone in the woods but then he thought about his own parents and how they gave him up to save his life. Maybe Kalila’s parents were also left with no choice... Muriel decided to bring her home with him.

...

 When Muriel arrived home, you ran up to greet him but stopped when you saw the basket he had in his arms.

 “What is that?”

 “I found her in the woods. Inanna and I looked for her parents but couldn’t find them,” Muriel replied, finding a safe place to put down the basket.

 Asra, (whom had dropped by for a visit), poked his fluffy white head from around you.

 “A baby...”

 “I brought her in. I won’t allow her to end up like us,” he said, turning his head to Asra. Asra gently placed a hand on his friend’s arm with a gentle smile.

  You were in absolute awe of Kalila. Carefully, you took her out of her basket and held her close.

 “She’s perfect,” you smiled, tearing up a little.

 Muriel couldn’t help but smile. At least in some form, he had given you the baby you had so desperately wanted. Then another thought crept into his mind; would he be a good enough father for this child?

 “You should get Julian to give her a check-up,” Asra said, gently picking up Kalila for a cuddle.

 “Does he have to?” Muriel muttered, somewhat bitterly.

 “Asra has a point, Muriel. We want little... Kalila to be healthy, right?” you stated, checking the baby’s blanket for her name.

 Muriel grumbled under his breath. He knew you were both right but that didn’t make him like it.

 “Right, then. I’ll go set it up,” Asra smiled, handing you back Kalila. “See you in a while!”

 With that, Asra headed out the door. You couldn’t help but laugh at the sullen expression on your husband’s face.

 “Wh-what?”

 “You’re awfully cute when you’re sulking,” you smiled. His face turned crimson.

 “I’m not sulking,” he protested, but the pout in his lip told another story.

 “Yeah, you are...”

 You were suddenly interrupted by Kalila cooing.

 “I’m going to be the best mother in the world to you...” The baby seemed to understand you and snuggled up close.

 Muriel knew that was true but could he say the same of his parenting skills? Time could only tell and he hoped he would be a good father to Kalila.

...

 A while later, there was a knock on the door. You opened it to see Julian standing there with his doctor bag and Asra holding some kind of bundle. Smiling, you ushered the pair inside.

 “I hope you don’t mind, but I told Nadia about your situation and she said she was more than happy to help,” he smiled, showing you the contents of the bundle. Inside were all kinds of baby supplies, from clothes to bottles.

 “We’ll have to thank her the next time we see her,” you smiled. Muriel made an affirmative grunt.

 “So, where is the bundle of joy?” Julian asked, removing his menacing looking coat and gloves.

 You went over to where Kalila was cuddled up to Inanna in front of the fireplace.

 “I’m going to take her away for a bit, okay? I’ll bring her back soon,” you assured the wolf. Inanna gave Kalila’s head a lick and allowed her to be picked up. Kalila giggled and cooed happily.

 “Here she is,” you said, placing Kalila on the table so Julian could examine her.

 The doctor began his task but the baby began to fuss.

 “Stop! You’re hurting her!” Muriel snapped.

 Inanna jumped to her feet, snarling and ready to protect Kalila. Julian raised his hands in defence.

 “It’s okay... I’m not hurting her. I think my hands are a little cold. That’s all the problem is...” Julian carefully went over to warm up his hands by the fire, under the watchful gaze of Muriel and Inanna. You kept a hand on both of them to keep them from tearing the doctor apart.

 Once they were warm enough, Julian went to continue his examination. Fortunately, that was indeed the issue and Kalila allowed herself to be poked and prodded.

 “She’s perfectly healthy. Just come and see me for regular checkups and call me if anything happens,” Julian smiled, putting away his equipment after cleaning it.

 “Good. Now get out,” Muriel grumbled.

 “Muriel,” you chided.

 “It’s okay, Y/N. I’ve got to get back to the clinic anyway. You coming, Asra?”

 “Yep! Right behind you. I’ll see you two later.”

 Asra hugged the pair of you before leaving with Julian. You had wondered why he would be at the clinic with Julian but you decided that perhaps that question was best unasked.

 Inanna trotted back to her comfy spot by the fire and settled down again. Muriel picked up Kalila and placed her back next to her furry godmother. The baby giggled happily and snuggled into Inanna’s fluffy side. Muriel smiled warmly at the pair, happy Kalila took so easily to his faithful companion. He watched them for a while before helping you get the place set up for little Kalila.

...

 That night, Muriel had a dream.

 He was standing in front of a familiar hut, wondering what he was doing there. Muriel was about to knock when the door was opened by an older woman.

 “Muriel!” The woman enveloped him in a tight hug.

 “Khamgalai? What are you doing here?”

 “What kind of question is that? I live here,” she huffed, bringing him inside. The inside of the hut was just as warm and inviting as he remembered.

 Khamgalai bustled about, making Muriel sit down.

 “Why... why am I here now?”

 “The Hermit told me you seek guidance...”

 Muriel’s brows furrowed together. He knew what was troubling him but he didn’t want to be a burden.

 “You’re worried you won’t be a good enough father to your new found daughter...” It was more of a statement than a question.

 Muriel opened and closed his mouth a few times before simply nodding.

 “I’m here to tell you that you will be a wonderful father to Kalila... and to the child your wife is carrying.”

 Muriel’s eyes widened.

 “Y/N is not... I mean... she...”

 “Oh, my! Yes, it is still a little too early to tell yet,” Khamgalai chuckled to herself. “But assure you, Y/N is pregnant. Your prayers have finally been answered.”

 Muriel stared at the smaller woman in shock. How did she...?

 “I answered them. Dear boy, I know you have doubts but I promise you this, Kalila will grow to be a strong young woman under your guidance. You will teach her all she needs to know. Same with the new baby Y/N will bring into the world.”

  “But...”

 “No buts! No more self doubt! I will come back to smack some sense into you if I have to!”

 Muriel managed a small smile and got up to hug Khamgalai.

 “Thank you...”

 “You’ve got a long journey ahead of you. I will always be watching over you. Rest assured. Give my love to Y/N...”

...

 You woke in the middle of the night to Kalila softly wailing. Stirring, you went to get up to tend to her but Muriel beat you to it.

 “I’ve got her...”

 You watched as he carefully took Kalila out of her basket to give her a bottle. Muriel hummed to her as he prepared the warm milk for her. The baby stared up at him adoringly as she waited, the sound of Muriel’s rumbling voice gently soothing her. Your heart melted at the sight.

 When Kalila was fed, burped and put back to sleep, Muriel returned to you. He wrapped his arms around you, holding you close and placed one hand on your tummy.

 “You’re going to make a wonderful father,” you sleepily purred, nuzzling him.

 Muriel thought about Khamgalai’s words. He suddenly found himself excited for this next chapter of his life, knowing he had all the love and support of his family and friends.

[phoneybeatlemania-bit-the-dust]

It annoys me when people complain about Julian and call him “whiny “. The person that John hurt the most throughout his whole life is his own son! I feel like this gets glossed over because he was more attentive to Sean “At least he was a good father to one of his children”. John failed Julian massively. Having Sean should’ve motivated him to try harder with Julian but I feel like it demotivated him because he realised how much of Julian’s life he missed and that made him feel bad about himself. Even in May’s book she says that John would’ve avoided Julian for the rest of his life to avoid feeling bad about himself & the choices he made with his life. And even when he got his visa he was happy to fly to other countries but not the country containing his son! I mean c’mon that’s very shitty and inexcusable. People can’t relate to John’s callous treatment of Julian so it’s downplayed and undermined by the excuse of “Oh well, John was better with Sean”. I know John appeared more motivated towards the end but doesn’t absolve him of the damage and pain he already caused to his son.

I try to understand John’s neglect of Julian from his perspective - I don’t want to excuse or justify it, but I still want to know what was going through his head to make him treat Julian the way he did - but I just can’t really understand it in the same way I feel like I can empathise with a lot of John’s other flaws. Like I feel like I can understand Johns mistreatment of certain people, or his mood swings, or his anger etc. But when it comes to Julian I struggle to understand him, and I just think its such a shame that Julian never got the closure he deserved with John. But I guess a few things to keep in mind when discussing this are:

1. Alfs abandonment

That Johns father, Alfred, abandoned him at such a young age, this might have affected John in such a way that made connecting with children a real challenge. Of course, he ideally still would’ve made an effort to connect with Julian more - but I guess that this was 1963, and he was someone who at this point had had absolutely no therapy. John’s own father I think was placed in an orphanage around the age of 5, so this neglect and abandonment appeared to be a bit of a cycle within the Lennon family-tree. Alf didn’t develop the neurones to be able to connect with his son the way a father ideally should be able to, and therefore John had trouble forming these connections too.

A real tragic story regarding this disconnect is one that ive heard Paul tell a few times (see this interview at 6:24 to hear him tell it). He essentially compares his ability to just naturally connect with children, to John’s inability to do the same; Paul grew up in a household where children and babies alike were around all the time - and in addition to this, there seemed to have been a lot more affection involved in his early environment compared to Johns. So when Paul was able to pal around at ease with Julian, John asked “How do you do that?” - and its unfortunately just not something you can just learn. I think John did want to be able to relate to Julian, and a part of him wanted to be a real dad - but I guess he just lacked the initiative to do so, as well as not having the needed facilities provided for him to be able to function as “good” parent (< or in other words, that man needed alottttttttt of therapy omg—)

2. Aunt Mimi’s coldness

I think by now its sort of been established that im not Mimi’s no. 1 fan - I don’t hate her, and I think she genuinely loved John, but ive been pretty critical of what I perceive her parenting style to be like. One aspect of this parenting style is that I think she was cold and deprecating towards John, which I presume took a toll on his relationships in such a way that made him susceptible to cynicism and even bitter contempt towards those he loved most.

“She never hit him: her worst punishment was to ignore him…When she did, he’d plead, ‘Don’t ‘nore me, Mimi!’” - I think that this type of parenting style could have effected the way John relates to Julian, perhaps making him feel it was okay to abandon him, maybe as a result of some unrecognised childhood angst or revenge.

Theres also a story where I think John said something to Julian a long the lines of, “I hate your laugh!”. Like, Jules was just some four year old living his life and then John, his own father, had this massive fucking mood swing. I feel bad for Julian cause my parents were like this (had random fucking mood swings and said some pretty contemptuous things) so I can empathise with him. At the same time though, I feel like I can understand John getting these mood swings (although, I don’t think that showing that kind of contempt towards a child is at all acceptable, and assuming that this sort of thing was a regular occurrence, I would say he was emotionally abusive towards Julian. Maybe John got these mood swings from Mimi (check this post for more on that).

3. Yoko’s influence and isolation

I think we first have to take into account here that John had a history of neglecting and failing Julian, and from what im aware of, he only started making contact with him again during his ‘Lost Weekend’ after being encouraged to do so by May Pang. So I don’t think we can make Yoko take all the blame for Johns neglect of Julian (and certainly not his emotional abuse towards Julian). But I think we have to also account for the fact that Julian has stated Yoko would refuse to put him through when he would ring his dad. And I just don’t know how much John had to do with that - as in, I don’t if John knew Yoko was isolating him to the extent that she did, or if he was unaware that she was rejecting several important and significant figures in his life.

For what its worth, Julia Baird wrote in her memoir of John urging (or really, begging) her to go to Cynthias house and ask Julian to phone him, because he hadn’t been able to get through to Julian, and he was trying to construct a better relationship with him around this time (this was before Sean was born, like you said, he seemed to lose motivation with Julian after Sean was born). I don’t know why Julian wasn’t taking his calls around this time - John seemed to think it had something to do with Cynthia, perhaps it was an autonomous decision made by Julian, perhaps it was entirely just a misunderstanding; I don’t know.

When it comes to Yoko, im conflicted - to some extent, I think John was being manipulated by her, and she was clearly isolating (even abusing) him - but also, he’s a grown man, and so he had to take the initiative for his own life. So I don’t know, but id say she is still partly responsible for spoiling Johns relationship with Julian.

~ ~ ~

At the end of the day, all I can really say is that John was just a classic case of parents needing therapy before they start, y’know, parenting - but it was 1963, and thats just not something most people underwent back then, especially people with more complex and unrecognised traumas, as well as mental illnesses that, whilst prevalent, may not have been so apparent. To clarify that point, I think John could function well-enough in his day to day life to be able to get by, because I don’t think his traits of mental illness tended to disrupt his life to such a degree that he could not function (at least not in 1963, though in later years, id argue more so they did; but even still, I don’t think John tended to struggle with mania or psychosis etc.) But I think he was still dealing with mental illness in a way that wrecked almost all meaningful relationships for him, as well as made feeling love and functioning as an emotionally stable and consistent person, a real hardship and challenge for him. And this inability to feel loved and cared for etc. made being a parent, quite simply, impractical. He needed therapy, and its a shame he died before ever receiving real therapy because it would’ve been interesting to see how John might have come to terms with really acknowledging his failures as a parent, and because Julian might have gotten some real closure with his dad.

All in all, I think Phillip Larkin said it best

[restmyheadatnightcontent]

Could I request prompts 1. + 23. from the 101 ways to say i love you with actions prompt list + Yennefer/Jaskier, please? thank you so much!!!

thank you nonnie! this one ran away from me a bit but here is some pre-transformation yen at university with jaskier (is this modern au? is this oxenfurt? who knows) and its also pre-relationship but i've decided that jaskier is already in love. hope you enjoy!!

cw: mentions of ableism

1. hugging them as they're crying & 23. brushing a stray strand of hair out of their eyes

Idiots, she curses as she slams the door open and marches outside, they are all complete and utter idiots.

She knew coming here was a mistake, that they would never be able to see past her looks, see beyond her back and her jaw, would never even give her a chance to prove herself. She is smarter than every single person in that room, she knows she is, but none of them had even given her a chance to speak, and when they did they just looked on her with pity, not listening to a word she said.

Honestly, she doesn’t know why she expected any different. She has spent her whole life being looked down on by everyone just because she was different, being pushed to the floor because it was funny, she is used to the flinches as gasps as people see her when she walks down the street.

But she thought it might be different here.

The people here were meant to be smarter, were meant to have seen more of the world, there were people here from all over, from all walks of life. She hoped there might be people here who could accept her, who would listen to her, who would like her, just as she is.

But they don’t.

Because no-one ever does.

The people here may have read more books, but they are no cleverer than the people in her village, they are not willing to broaden their minds or their views, they are just as scared of anybody different.

She keeps on marching through the crowds, keeping her head down, knowing that she just needs to get back to her room, because she can already feel the treacherous tears building behind her eyes and then she can start figuring out what she can do next, because she sure as hell is not staying here and—

“Yennefer!” the body she has just bumped into cheerily calls.

She sighs as she sees who it is, because the last person that she needs to see right now is Julian bloody Panktraz.

The boy (because although he is technically a man, he spends all his time acting like a child, so he is still a boy in he eyes) latched onto her in the first week and refuses to leave her alone, which wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t the biggest idiot of them all.

But he is also one of the few people, if not the only, that actually talks to her and treat her like a person, so she can’t quite bring herself to be rid of him just yet.

“Yennefer, you’ll never guess who I saw just—” he starts, but the cuts himself off when he glances down at her. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m fine,” she bites out, hoping that he won’t hear the slight tremble in her voice and turning away so he won’t see the tears forming in her eyes.

His hands come to rest on her shoulders, and he frowns in concern. “Are you sure? Because you look like—“

“I said I’m fine,” she replies, shaking out of his hold and starts walking away from him. She just needs to get back to her room and then it will all be alright.

She doesn’t get far before he catches up to her, looping her arm through his, and starts walking alongside her.

“Julian, what are you doing, I said I was fine—”

“I know that’s what you said, but you obviously aren’t so we are going to go somewhere a little more private so you can tell me whats wrong,” he says simply.

She considers kicking him in the shin and making a run from it, but she decides against it, because she does want to talk to someone about it. Tell someone about all the thoughts that are swirling around in her head , she wants to scream in someones face about how unfair it all is and for someone to listen for a change.

He leads her to a bench and sits them down and soon it all comes spilling out. She tells him all about the snide looks she gets in her classes, the comments she hears people make as she walks through the corridors, the fact that no-one wants to help her and she feels like she is drowining, completely alone and no-one is coming to save her.

He pulls her into a hug and wraps his arms around her as she cries, her tears muffled by his ridiculously patterned shirt as he runs his hands up and down her back, making sure to avoid her painful shoulder.

She tries to stop the tears but they just keep coming, months of hurt and pain and anger all spilling out of her. Because it is more than just the unkind comments, it is the fact that this was meant to be it. This was meant to be her escape, her way out, a chance for people to see her for what she is inside, to be more than everyone said she would be, but instead it has turned out to be exactly like everywhere else.

This was meant to become her home, because the village certainly never was, but it hasn’t and now she feels like she is stuck on the ocean, drifting from place to place, barely clinging on to her raft as the storm rages around her, trying to get home, but its impossible because she doesn’t have a home.

And she is alone.

Because that’s the real trouble here, isn’t it?

Because maybe she here she could have finally become important to someone, become someone that people care about.

Because all this would be so much easier to bear if there was someone she could lean on.

“I’m just – I’m just lonely,” she admits quietly, the words choked out between her tears. She feels lighter for saying it, but still she wishes she could take the words back, to try and desperately paper over the crack she has now shown. Because being weak isn’t going to help her now. The last thing she needs is more pity.

She holds her breath for a moment, waiting for him to laugh and pull away, to leave her on the bench, wishing he had never sat down.

But instead, he just tightens his arms around her and gives her a squeeze before pulling back and giving her a small smile. He reaches up and brushes away a strand of hair that got caught in her fringe.

“Maybe you were,” he says softly “But you won’t be anymore, because now you’ve got me.”

And as she looks into his eyes, she can feel the storm beginning to calm, his hand reaching in to pull her out of the water.

Maybe it won’t be so bad after all.

send me a prompt!

[originalwinnercheesecake]

Parabatai bond  Essay... Why they may all be destined to end

Parabatai: defined by Cassandra Clare as a rare intense where a pare of warriors connect/bond in childhood and then decide to knit their souls together so that they can always stay together and always carry a piece of the other inside them. Defined by the fandom as “ a type of (supposedly) platonic marriage”. Cassandra Clare also wants to claim it as a type of bond that is unique to the shadow world, but honestly I can name several pair of Parabatai all across different media’s. Just looking at early 2000′s children's anime and Disney esqu movies we have Ash/Pikachu, Yugi Muto/the Pharaoh, Hiccup/Toothless, Woody/Buzz, etc...

... If you share my taste in these media’s you probably noticed that of the 4 other series “Parabatai” I listed 3 out of 4 (Ash and Pikachu are still partners right?) have to split off from the other due to changes of destiny/life. This is also the case for man,y many parabatai in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. Sounding off pairs that are important enough for me to care about underneath

Jonathan Shadowhunter/David the Silent: Let’s began at the beginning. Jonathan Shadowhunter was the first ever Shadowhunter. His favorite person in the world was his companion David, who wasn’t as much of a fighter as Jonathan but was very smart and very good at keeping Jonathan grounded when necessary. After being traumatized by a greater demon when fighting alone one da, David gave up fighting (and speaking), and became the first ever silent brother. The story said this broke their bond and broke Jonathan down to tears. I am sure David still loved him though. David could have chosen to go back to being a mundane but instead chose to undergo the rituals to turn himself into a silent brother. David was never that into fighting/war. Everything he did he did out of love for Johnathan. When David was no longer able to be there for Jonathan as a solider, he found a new way as a Silent Brother.

Robert Lightwood/ Michael Wayland: Parabatai and joined at the hip as teenagers. When Michael confessed to having romantic feelings towards Robert confusion as to his own feelings and fears surrounded by change drove Robert to reject Michael in a cruel and harsh way. Their bond is officially severed after the uprising when Michael die,s and Robert is exiled. Decades later Robert still regards hurting Michael as the biggest mistake in his life, the persist moment when he lost faith in himself. It is only after he confesses to his oldest child what he did and how it still haunts him all these years, only after he is finally able to acknowledge within himself the importance of the memories he has of Michael, that Robert is able to finally turn his life around for the better.

Valentine Morgenstern/ Lucian Greymark: Parabatai while studying at the academy, and for a few years afterwards. When Luke started to doubt Valentine’s plans, Valentine took him to be ambushed by a pack of feral werewolves hoping Luke would be killed instead Luke was turned. After this Valentine and Luke became bitter enemy's. These two men who once had so much love for the other, now swore to destroy any plan the other had and would fight with the intent to kill upon seeing he other. Despite all this bad blood, both still loved the memories of who the other used to be, and it is implied that a lot of their hatred for who the other is now is born from grief over they Parabatai they lost.

William Herondale/James Carstairs: CC’s closest Parabatai pair. Both Will and Jem had their whole lives shattered by demons when they were just children, and afterwards questioned at times if it was still really had much of a reason to carry on. Then they met each other and decided that they had to carry on because they loved the other to much to leave them alone. These two are in a way echo’s of Jonathan and David, and like David Jem joins the brotherhood when it is no longer possible for him to stay with Will and Tessa as a shadowhunter. They lose the bonds, but keep their love for each other. Will calls silent city on a daily basis with some excuse for needing Brother Zachariah, and Jem faithfully answers every call.

Julian Backthorn/Emma Carstairs: Fall in love, turn into Giant “true Shadowhunters”. Their bond is severed when their runes are burned off by heavenly fire coursing though their veins. By this time though their relationship had already changed from a platonic one to a romantic one.

James Herondale/ Matthew Fairchild: The two that unquestionably love each other, but do not always love the others choices. As Parabatai they try to reach out to the other and help them. But both boys deal with so much and have trouble recognizing/excepting help when it when offered. Matthew is more aware of James issues than James is of Mathews, All though by the end of Chain of Iron even Matthew is at lose to understand James. James for his part only just starts to realize how sick Matthew may be. There are a lot of theories floating around that Matthew may being to sick to function as/ protect himself as a shadowhunter. With so much to recover from will their Parabatai bond last, or are they destined to seperate?

Cordelia Carstairs/ Lucie Herondale: The will they-won’t they pair. They have planed o one day become Parabatai since they were little girls, but have never gotten around to it. They are both nearly adults now and the story already seems to be puling them in opposite direction, so a lot of people now doubt that they will even make it to the ceremony. 

Jace Herondale/ Alexander Lightwood: CC’ first pair of Parabatai, and so far the only pair to keep their bond for the whole series. Like seriously even when Jace died, he came back with the bond intact and Alec reporting that he only felt a little off for a few minutes. CC’s newest reasoning behind that is that there is apparently a delay time between one parabatai dying and the bond severing, and Jace came back before his and Alec’s had time to do more than fray at the edges. So that means that our boys stayed tethered together even when Jace was on his way to the afterlife. WOW (keep this reason CC, it actually kinda works). Jace and Alec’s bond has lasted the longest, but we still have 4 more books where something bad can happen to one of them, and they are now fighting in 2 wars at once.

Clary Fairchild/ SImon Lovelace: became Parabatai in between series, after both failing as a couple, and Simon going through multiple species changes. They are still parabatai in the most recent book but, like with Jace and Alec, we still have 4 future books that could change in. Clary, Jace, and Simon are CC’s three original main characters. She claims that the plan is to wrap up the Shadowhunter Chronicles for good in The Wicked Powers. What is the likelihood that she will leave all three of her original mains alive. I mean Clary already had a vision where “a version of herself” died, and Simon was originally supposed to die in COHF, but CC’s friends begged her to let him live.

 While CC claims that Parabatai are rare in her universe, what seems to actually be rare is Parabatai staying bonded throughout the pairs lives. Why is that? Well lets remember that one of the rules for Parabatai is that they must meet and be bonded during childhood, Once they become adults they are no longer eligible. A fact of growing up is that lives and people change: We make friends, we love our friends,are there for them while we can be, and yet sometimes as we grow friends part ways. People die, they move away, or just grow apart. Memories of old friends and places we all used to hang out become beloved memories of being younger. During a time in our lives when we felt more innocent and care free. A time that sadly never lasts. In conclusion to why parabatai bonds tend to break parabatai could represent the close bonds of childhood, the friends who helped you grow into an adult, and some one who you are able to treasure your memories of as an adult, even if, due to circumstance, you no longer see that person as much or at all. Value your parabatai because you don’t know how long you will actually have them

[vidalinav]

Nessian Headcanon #12: Family Edition

Since I keep seeing baby headcanons I wanted to make a list of my own :D which I’ve briefly touched on in other posts but...

Cassian and Nesta have a boatload of children (5 at the end of it all I think). The others start joking that they’re building their own army. But what really happens is that they end up taking in many children over the years because they travel often with the work they do and they see so many conditions and there’s wars and all sorts of circumstances. It’s inevitable that kids don’t have homes but they have a giant house and unending resources and the House is like a big nanny itself so they think it’s fate. 

Nesta is actually the one who brings most of the children home. The first one is a 9 year old girl, who is the angriest kid alive. Has something to do with the plot of a story I’m writing, but Nesta is basically entrusted with this kid. She’s the grand niece of someone she ends up knowing and she’s pretty magically powerful so her family would have ate her alive, so she’s asked to keep her safe and whatnot. Her name is Magda but she goes by Maggie. She does not like Cassian whatsoever in the beginning, and she is horribly rude to Nesta. But Nesta does not care at all, she’s like okay get it out, say worse. Like she’s so chill, because she knows how it feels to be that angry. Maggie and Nesta end up being really close to the point where Maggie does not like being away from Nesta and gets very protective of her even to other members of the IC. She’ll fight first and ask questions later. Cassian and her form a bond actually not by fighting at all, but because Maggie does so many experiments that end up going awry. She’s a fae and has got magic up the wazoo and she’s a book nerd, and she’s kind of a trouble maker, and Cassian thrives. He loves her because she’s like a smaller more diabolical version of Nesta. The House is amused by their antics usually. 

Nesta ends up getting pregnant for their second child and this kid is the only one they actually have on their own. Her name is Lyra, and Maggie thinks that it’s hilarious that Cassian lives in a house with all girls. Maggie is about 12 when they have her, and Maggie at first does not take kindly to Lyra, because she starts feeling like they have their own family and she’s just the kid who eventually is going to have to go back to her other family (because that’s a plot too that I won’t go into to) but they try so much to include her, because Maggie is their child. No question. Nesta ends up telling Cassian that she’s pregnant by giving him an enchanted painting, which is the work of all three Archeron sisters. Elain for seeing what the child would look like, Feyre for painting, and Nesta for enchanting it so that if they have more children the picture will get bigger and there will be room for Feyre to paint the others. So one big family portrait. In that picture, Maggie is tucked in between the two with the baby/toddler. Dark hair, big blue eyes... maybe hazel. Maybe one of each (I’m really not sure). The best parts of both Nesta and Cassian though. She’s so gorgeous. Prettiest little girl. But yeah going back to Maggie, they ask her during this picture time (probably solstice present time) if Maggie wants to be an Archeron. (Another headcanon for another time, but Cassian marries Nesta too and becomes an Acheron). So, does she want to do this? Absolutely, and at this point she already start calling them mom and dad and just referring to them as such, so that’s their kiddos. 

Third and fourth are siblings. They’re from the continent. Maggie is 14, Lyra is close to 2. The siblings are brought by Nesta who is doing some thing that I cannot say because I have not made it up yet, but she finds them at the scene of a Massacre in hiding. The oldest is close to 6, the other is probably 1-ish. The oldest will not let them take the baby from her. The baby is a boy. They don’t speak the common tongue, which is any issue, but they hire a tutor to both talk to the little girl and then also to teach them ALL (everyone in their household) the language that the two siblings speak as well as teach them how to speak the common Prythrian language. So everyone ends up learning. The little girl is taken under the wing of Maggie, who is the perfect older sister/camp counselor as she likes to refer to herself after there’s more kids. They don’t know her name for the LONGEST time, because she won’t speak at all, but she ends up loving Cassian because he makes her laugh and he brings her a thousand stuffed bears because at one point she won’t stop crying and he brings them home and makes funny voices with them, and carries her on his shoulders, and she has the sweetest giggle. But eventually they end up naming her Ursella which she ends up going by Ella when she gets older, because her nickname with Cassian is little bear. They do ask her later when she talks if she remembers her old name and her birthday since they don’t know, but she doesn’t say that she does, which may be a lie, but Ella happily goes by Ella, and they give her a choice to choose one random day in the year to be her birthday, but she chooses to celebrate her birthday on the day they brought her in. She calls it her re-birthday.

The baby boy they name Nico. It’s actually a common Illyrian name and Cassian knows that the little boy is technically not Illyrian but it is his first son, and he really wants to give him that piece of him. Cassian does ask him when he’s about 10 if he’d prefer a name that’s based on his own culture, because they make sure that’s very integrated in their home life, because of course Cassian loves his culture and Nesta has that anthropological eye, so she knows and learns so much and they just love their children so much that they want all of them, every piece that they come with. But Nico likes his name, and he’s his dads through and through. But he LOVES Nesta. He’s a momma’s boy for sure, which I guess just makes him similar to Cassian. He does not like learning though, so Nesta usually has to teach him herself instead of having tutors, and she spends extra time with him going through his lessons. Lyra and him grow up together closer to age, so they pick on each other A LOT, but ultimately they grow up to have that relationship like I can pick on you but no one else can. They’re super close. If you want one, you find the other. They both will be together somewhere making a mess of things. Ella is the one who usually is like would you please be loud somewhere else. She ends up getting into music--playing instruments and so she generally prefers quietness to study and practice. Violin is her forte. 

The next boy comes about 4 yrs later. Maggie is 18, Lyra is 6, Nico is 5/6 ish. Ella is 10. The boy is about 12. He’s Illyrian and Cassian finds him this time and takes him to Nesta first, but Nesta is like why are you asking lol this is our new son. He’s a “bastard” unfortunately. I hate that word. But he has learned to fight, Cassian found him in the fighting pits in an Illyrian camp a couple hours away from Windhaven, and the situation was so much like his except this kid was never given a home like he was. So, he spent a good couple of weeks trying to get on his good side enough for him to trust him and to want to go someplace safer and warm. He hates Cassian a lot at first... while at the same time being like you’re the hero I’ve heard about. So admiration but also a touch of resentment and anger at the world. Cassian doesn’t know what to do with that, because still to the day he does not handle emotion like Nesta does. He understands it but he doesn’t know what to say, what to do, his go to is always training, but training is not what this child needs. So again, this is Nesta’s forte. Interestingly enough, she’s very gentle with kids. She’s empathetic, soft, but not condescending. She gives everyone the same respect so it helps a lot when he sees that and he’s never had a mom before who tucks him in or makes sure he’s feeling well. His name is Julian. I forgot that part and it turns out he’s HATES fighting. But he really likes plants. So he ends up spending a lot of time with Elain when she visits. He’s fascinated by them and ends up having his own garden. But because Nesta is magical in this headcanon (because she’s more witchy in my fics) he learns A LOT about poisons. Not because Nesta teaches him, but because he finds her books and reads them and starts growing them. This becomes a problem, because when Julian doesn’t like his tutors or teachers, he starts trying to poison them. Like not killing them, but he knows which will give stomach aches, which will give rashes. Nesta is both proud and reprimanding. 

I do feel like they might have more, but I don’t know for now I feel this is good for their set family. Five in total for their first gaggle of children lol. But all of them are asked if they want to be an Archeron. All of them say yes. All of them have each other’s back even if they have screaming matches on the daily. The house is mostly chaotic at all times but the House loves having people in it and laughing and being filled to the brim with stuffed animals and train sets and plants and music and family members coming in and out since Nyx visits often because he’s an only child for a very long time with Feyre taking more of a position in court rulings and Rhysand just being generally busy because you know High Lord/High Lady stuff. I don’t see Feyre being a stay at home mom but I also don’t see Rhys being a stay at home dad, but they’re also rulers so I peg them for both being working parents, which they feel guilty about A LOT at first, and it’s something that they struggle with in the confines of their own identities and their relationship, because they love Nyx and they know they’re parents but that’s not all they are, and without having the gender role of one parent staying home it’s very difficult for them to both rule, but Rhys does not want to stop being a high lord and Feyre is bored too often and she wants to rule and she knows she can, and she has that title for a reason and wants to utilize it. So it’s a hard time, with lots of arguments, but Nyx ends up mostly going with Cassian for a good amount of the day when he’s older and they have more kids in the house, and Nyx doesn’t really know that Feyre and Rhys had this problem, because he’d just prefer to be around the other kids and it ends up working really well. 

Cassian ends up being more of the stay at home parent. I don’t know why but I feel he just gives me that vibe where forget the courtier business, if there’s no war and if the armies are generally taken care of which he does, he wants to stay home and raise his kids, which is very surprising since he’s the one who doesn’t ever take vacations. He wants to be there for every moment no matter how awkward or loud. That’s his family and he’s waited so long for them, and it’s not even about him not having that family early on, it’s because he genuinely would rather be with his kids. He’s the one who as soon as they got the siblings was like I’m going to have to take a step back, because he saw his kids every day but he just didn’t want to be away for long periods of time, and at that point he’d already taken several steps back on working, so it became more of a done deal then. He still is the general, but he gives more responsibility to Devlon and to other people he’s trained over the years to step up. So generally, Cassian will work a couple of days a week for a couple of hours or just go quickly in the evenings, go over reports if the kids are in class with their teachers, and more during certain times of the year, but he’s generally more of a family man. 

Nesta in my fic/headcanon ends up being a queen as well as a leader of the witches and the founder/leader of the Valkyrie and she owns a shipping company and she’s the cauldron’s guardian which don’t ask me to explain, it’s in this fic I’ve barely written. But she’s a “I can bake the cake and eat it too” type of person to me, and because of her magic it is easy for her to do it all because it’s like a full time job. She goes home after a certain hour and she’s back with her kiddos, and most of her jobs have other people who have a handle on things as well. So she’s not an island, but she loves having the purpose and the drive, because as much as she did like being in the library and being in Velaris and having that day to day slice of life, she likes and yearns for adventure. She’s a go-getter and is not necessarily ambitious for power, but she’s got the whole world to discover and she can have anything she’s willing to work for. She wants to be and see it all. Cassian is endlessly proud of her and is like that’s my mate, my wife. My mate. My wife. And they both end up getting what they want without having to sacrifice their own ideals. Their marriage is a collaboration and it ends up working phenomenally for the two of them and their children. 

But ultimately it’s really the House that makes it possible. Because who cooks food and cleans and supplies every need and wish and whatnot? The House. Who baby proofs? The House. The House is like I’ve always wanted a big family and boy does it get a big family. 

[khaleesiofalicante]

bestie do you really think it's funny to make me cry?

OK WHERE DO I START AUJHUJHDSDUJHFV

deep bre-INCOHERENT SCREAMING

That's it. that's all I have to say.

THEY PASSED THE CHILD PROTECTION BILL I'M GONNA BE CRYING IN A CORNER IF ANYONE NEEDS ME

All those shadowhunters who ran back to Idris I hope you starve to death there. have fun!

Anjali is so awesome OH MY GOD I LOVE HER ALREADY

Rafael is THAT kid I see...it suits him so well.

It had been two very long years stuck in this small office room. But every time Alec saw the way David giggled when Lexi called her father Jalapeno poppers or some other equally ridiculous name, Alec knew it was worth all the trouble.

THIS OMG I'M NOT OK

Alec wondered if that’s why so many leaders before him had been awful. It was easy to be a bad leader. But it took effort to be a good one.

This is so true...I'm so proud of him...

Dani...bestie THAT IMMORTALITY CRISIS WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME. I know it's gonna happen but I was having a very good day. why do you hurt me in such ways... (I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'm mentally unstable after the way I screamed reading)

“Anjali,” Diego sighed. “What have I told you about doors?”

“Knock them down?”

“I said knock on them!” Diego corrected, shaking his head. “Not knock them down!”

I'm in love.

HUHYUHKSDYKFVYUFVYU ALEC'S CONSUL VOICE I'M SCREAMING

SIMON BESTEST!! HIM SORTING THE STUDENTS INTO THESE GROUPS I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! AND ANJALI BESTIE GOOD LUCK AT BEATING THE SEELIES!! (good luck with stealing the weapons)

well, Rafael do you perhaps have a little crush? (Grammarly ik I'm writing in lowercase stfu)

ok ok I know this is pretty sad but every time someone gives Magnus or Alec the "you haven't talked to him yet?" look I start laughing-

ALEC'S SO CLUELESS ABOUT MAX AND DAVID I CANT-

“So, you are just going to leave me here and go to York then?” Max demanded now; all puppy dog eyes. “Like my mom left me at the academy?”

Yeah. He took the news a little too well.

MAX PLAYING THE ADOPTED CARD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

“Is it because you don’t like me?” Max pouted again. “Like my mom…Who left me all alone.”

“You can’t play the adopted card with me, you lil shit,” Rafael laughed. “I’m adopted too.”

I'M SO IN LOVE LEAVE ME ALONE

AWW MAX SEEING THE INSTITUTE AND IMMEDIATELY GOING "David would love this" ISTG THIS KID I LOVE HIM SO MUCH

“Weren’t you listening to a podcast on Mayan Civilization during breakfast?” Alec raised an eyebrow.

“Bapak said it’s historically accurate!” Rafe argued.

“Bapak is not that old!” Alec countered.

“Maybe he is,” Max said, analyzing the paintings on the walls. “Maybe you don’t know it.”

“Excuse me, I know how old my husband is,” Alec said indignantly.

“Then where are the receipts dad?” Max asked. “Show us the receipts!”

Where are the receipts, Alec? EXACTLY!

THANK GOD SOMEONE ELSE HAS CAUGHT ON TO MAX'S VERY OBVIOUS CRUSH

“I think he likes David,” Rafe whispered.

“Of course he does,” Alec whispered back. Why were they whispering? “David is a sweet boy.”

“No. I think he ‘likes him’ likes him,” Rafael giggled.

Alec looked at his son sharply. “But-He is..Da..They are children!”

“You’ve never heard a childhood crush?” Rafe grinned.

“No, I was too busy…studying,” Alec sniffed.

“That’s not what I heard,” Rafael bit his lip. “I heard you had a thing for boys in motorcycle jackets.”

“Okay that’s it! You are not allowed to hang out at Hotel Dumort anymore,” Alec said.

Really Alec? Studying? REALLY???

MAX AND RAFE RACING TO THE TRAINING ROOM!!!

the reference to the infernal devices...I'M GONNA KILL THE ALREADY DEAD STARKWEATHERS! I'M ABOUT TO DO SOME NECROMANCY SHIT TO BRING THOSE FUCKERS BACK JUST TO KILL THEM SLOWLY

Hugs max it's gonna be ok buddy.

In that moment, Alec remembered all the talks.

He remembered how his mother had lectured Izzy about not going out alone late at night, but she hadn’t said anything to Jace or Alec.

He remembered the way Jem spoken quietly to Mina in soft Mandarin about how people might call her names, but he hadn’t said anything to Kit.

He remembered the way Julian had told Ty to be careful about kissing his boyfriend in public, but he hadn’t said anything to Dru.

I hate this so damn much. I hate it. It sucks how there will always be people who will be targeted for being born the way they are. Whether it be skin color, sexuality, body type, or anything, people will always fucking talk and make the world unsafe for certain people just because they aren't generic male cishets. If you're a girl you're in danger. If you're a POC you're in danger, If you're neurodivergent you're in danger. If you're a member of the LGBTQ community you're in danger. If you're disabled you're in danger. If you're part of any minority you're in danger. If you dare to be different you're in danger. Fuck people. I'm a queer POC female and it's scary. I don't want to be always checking my surroundings when I'm out. I shouldn't have to feel this scared walking out of my own house but I do and it sucks. Ok, I feel like I'm derailing from the main point here.

Sorry for that just got really heated for a second there.

NO NOT THE NIGHTMARE. BABY NO

DAVID MY CHILD!! OMG, HE'S GONNA TAKE UP ARCHERY SOMEONE HOLD ME WHILE I CRY!

“This is who you are,” David said, his voice oddly soft now. Softer than usual. “And you’re beautiful.”

Alec blinked at that.

“Blue,” David said quickly. “I meant you’re blue. Uh, yes.”

BESTIE I SAW WHAT YOU SAID THERE. WE ALL DID

Also, alec sitting outside max's room...IM GONNA-

“David is in there,” Alec whispered. “I just wanted to…check…if everything was okay.”

“Alexander, are you spying on our child?” Magnus demanded. “Without me???”

“What? No! I-”

“Move over!” Magnus sank down next to him. “What are they saying? Are they kissing?”

“WHAT? They are not kissing!” Alec said in alarm. “Wait. Are they???”

He couldn’t hear anything now. Alec panicked.

“I haven’t talk to the kids about kissing yet,” Magnus pointed out. “We can’t talk to Max without talking to Rafael first.”

“Wait. Is Rafael kissing people???”

“Rafael is not kissing people,” Rafael replied as he walked past them to the kitchen. “Also, you guys are shit at whispering.”

Alec rolled his eyes at him and turned to Magnus. “It’s stressful enough that we need to talk about racism in the shadow world. Now we need to talk about kissing??”

“And other stuff,” Magnus chuckled.

Alec groaned into Magnus’ shoulder. “By the angel. Fine. We’ll just tell them there is no kissing. Until they are 30.”

“Hypocrite,” Rafael coughed into his hand as he walked back to the table with a bag of chips.

THIS WHOLE SCENE OH MY GOD.

And srsly alec? 30? really? whips out the extract "kissed" from cassie's website According to my files here-

“And David?”

“Yes, sir?”

“The bedroom door stays open from now on.”

David blinked, his cheeks pink. “I…What?”

“Door stays open,” Alec said, lowering his voice, just a register. “Is that understood?”

AYY ALEC DAD MODE YUCDUHDFHFUHJIUHC THIS IS SO AMAZING IM GONNA SCREAM

Alec advising David with the bow is so close to my heart...IDK WHY IT JUST IS

That conversation...PEOPLE FUCKING SUCK I HOPE HUMANS GO EXTINCT BECAUSE I SURE AM READY TO DIE SO LET'S TAKE THE EARTH DOWN-

“Why don’t shadowhunters have acne?”

"What?" Alec blinked.

“Their skin is like so freaking perfect and smooth and they can just freaking go through puberty without a one freaking pimple and don’t even get me started on the freaking dimples and then-”

Magnus started laughing. Alec felt a little confused.

EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS !!!!! THAT DAMN ANGEL BLOOD

That part about how we normalize these little things which are actually hurtful...I didn't realize that. I guess we really do, huh? This just made me want to be more careful with others and if I feel others do this with me, to stop them and correct them.

I loved this chapter so much. You're such a great writer.

I wanted to share something of my own now!! I FINALLY GOT MY COPY FOR RWARB!!!! I told my parents it was a thriller about how the first son and the prince forge a friendship and discover secrets about the government and the monarchy-

The place I bought it from sent me a very cute bookmark. It's a pride bookmark and it's just my first ever pride merch and I'm close to tears. Let's just say my family isn't the most accepting so this bookmark's really precious to me

Sorry, the quality isn't the best. I was in a hurry. It's almost 4 am now I'm gonna try and sleep (I'm gonna reorganize my bookshelf). See you on Tuesday!!

Thank you so much. I love reading your comments. They are so honest and full of life. You are going to LOVE rwrb. It's such a good book and it's so romantic and raw and perfect. Lmao about your parents. What they don't know can't hurt them ;) And I loooooooooove your bookmark. Be gay. Do crime.

PS -

"It sucks how there will always be people who will be targeted for being born the way they are. Whether it be skin color, sexuality, body type, or anything, people will always fucking talk and make the world unsafe for certain people just because they aren't generic male cishets. If you're a girl you're in danger. If you're a POC you're in danger, If you're neurodivergent you're in danger. If you're a member of the LGBTQ community you're in danger. If you're disabled you're in danger. If you're part of any minority you're in danger. If you dare to be different you're in danger. Fuck people. I'm a queer POC female and it's scary. I don't want to be always checking my surroundings when I'm out. I shouldn't have to feel this scared walking out of my own house but I do and it sucks. Ok, I feel like I'm derailing from the main point here."

THIS IS THE MAIN POINT. YOU GOT IT. SO CONGRATS <3