#meade generation 5

[marmidas]

[literaryvein-reblogs]

I have no clue if you've done this already, but I would love some royal-related vocabulary!! I write about a royal family (one in the middle ages) and it gets tiring looking for all the correct terms😅

Some Medieval Vocabulary

Amercement - financial penalty imposed by the King or his justices for various minor offences. The word comes from the fact that the offender is said to be ‘in mercy’.

Assize - meeting of feudal vassals with the King, and the edicts issued from it. It comes to have a legal context of court; but then in the early days the king’s court was just that – a place where law was made and justice executed. Hence the double meaning of the word court.

Borough - town with the right of self government granted by royal charter

Chamber - the financial office of the royal household

Chamberlain - officer of the royal household, responsible for the Chamber. He was therefore responsible for administration of the household and the private estates of the King.

Chancellor - officer of the Royal Household who originally served as the monarch’s secretary or notary, managing the Chancery, filled with clerks who produced writs and written instructions and records.

Chivalry - the knightly class of feudal times. The primary sense of the term in Europe in the Middle Ages is “knights,” or “fully armed and mounted fighting men.” Thence the term came to mean the gallantry and honour expected of knights. Later the word came to be used in its general sense of “courtesy.”

Constable - the title of an officer given command in an army or an important garrison. Also the High Constable was the officer who commanded in the King’s absence and commanded the King's army.

Destrier - warhorse; so called because it would be led using the right hand

Diadem - a royal crown

Eyre - the king and his justices would traditionally travel through the kingdom to deliver justice. As the king became more centred at Westminster, justices would continue to travel – and were called Justices in Eyre. From the French errer, "to travel".

Heir apparent - the declared heir to the throne, normally the king’s eldest son

Heir presumptive - the presumed heir to the throne in the event of the king dying without an heir apparent

Justiciar - head of the royal judicial system and the King’s viceroy during his absence from the country

League - somewhere between 1½ to 3 miles. Traditionally, the distance a person or horse can walk in one hour.

Mark - money, worth thirteen shillings and four pence, i.e. two thirds of £1

Mead hall - in the Middle Ages in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, a large building with just one room that was used as a central place for entertainment and as a living place for a lord/king

Minstrel - a traveling musician and singer common between the 11th and 15th centuries

Ordeal - a method of trial in which the accused was given a physical test which could be met successfully only if they were innocent (e.g., ordeal by fire)

Purveyance or prise - in early medieval days, the lord had the right to be entertained by his followers, at their expense. And of course this applied to the greatest lord of all – the king. Over time, the king travelled less, but still wanted the benefit of being able to have him and his household live at someone else's expense – and so he exercised the right to take goods and food in lieu of being there. It was the policy to pay – but payment was often small and late.

Saga - a long story about Scandinavian history, written in the Old Norse language in the Middle Ages, mainly in Iceland

Steward - man responsible for running the day to day affairs of the manor or castle in absence of the lord

Subinfeudation - in medieval Europe, the process by which a vassal (i.e., a man who lived on land given to him by a powerful land owner in exchange for agreeing to fight for him) allowed someone else to use or live on part of their land

Sumpter - packhorse, pony, mule or other animal

Thegn - military companion to the king

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6

Here's what I found for you. Hope this helps! Would love to read your work if it does—sounds like the kind of writing I enjoy :)

More: Medieval-Related Vocabulary

[peachdues]

Idk what spiced honey cakes are but I would love to try one

Here’s the recipe!! Or I’ll drive to you one day with a fresh batch!

SPICED HONEY MEAD CAKES

INGREDIENTS

SPICED MEAD SYRUP

* ▢ 

1 cup mead

* ▢ 

½ cup sugar

* ▢ 

½ cup honey

* ▢ 

1 tsp lemon juice

* ▢ 

1 cinnamon stick

* ▢ 

8 whole cloves

SPICED MEAD HONEYCAKE





* 2 ½ cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

* ▢ 

½ tsp salt

* ▢ 

1 tsp cinnamon

* ▢ 

¼ tsp cloves

* ▢ 

¼ cup mead

* ▢ 

¼ cup plain yogurt

* ▢ 

1 cup butter, softened

* ▢ 

1 cup sugar

* ▢ 

½ cup honey

* ▢ 

1 tsp vanilla extract

* ▢ 

4 eggs

SPICED MEAD SYRUP

* In a small saucepan combine the mead, honey, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. The syrup will begin to foam as it heats up. Use a small ladle to skim the foam off the surface. Turn off the heat just before the syrup starts to boil. Cover and let the syrup steep and cool down while you prepare the cake.

SPICED MEAD HONEY CAKE


* Preheat the oven to 330° F. Spray the honeycomb cake mold generously with non-stick spray. Alternatively, use a bundt pan or a 9" x 13" baking dish.


* In a mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, kosher salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Whisk together to combine and set aside.


* In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the yogurt and mead. Whisk until smooth and set aside.


* In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the softened butter and sugar. Beat using a paddle attachment until the butter and sugar are fully incorporated and creamy. Scrape down the sides as needed. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until combined. 


* Add the eggs one at a time to the mixer, beating in between to ensure the egg is fully incorporated before adding the next egg. Scrape down the sides as needed. After all the eggs have been added beat the mixture on medium high to ensure the mixture is fully combined and is light and fluffy.


* Add one third of the flour mixture to the mixer and beat on low just until the flour is mostly incorporated. Add half of the yogurt mixture and beat just until it is mostly incorporated. Repeat with another third of the flour and the rest of the yogurt mixture. Add the last of the flour mixture and beat on low just until the batter is fully combined.


* Drop the cake batter into the honeycomb cake pan, making sure to fill in all the crevasses. Spread the batter evenly and tap the cake pan a few times on the counter to remove any air pockets. Bake at 330 deg F for 45 to 55 minutes until done and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.


* Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes and then turn out onto a baking sheet. Remove the spices from the mead syrup. Slowly pour the syrup evenly over the cake, allowing it to absorb into the cake as you pour. Try not to let too much of the syrup spill over onto the baking sheet. Let the cake cool and then enjoy!


[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have a rec list of fics that are inspired by or based on books! We hope you enjoy the fabulous books on this list. If you want us to keep making rec lists like this, please be sure to like and reblog the post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Sweeter Than Wine | Explicit | 15,339 words

When Wizard!Louis goes to a muggle club for a change of pace, his one night stand ends up being much more than he bargained for.

2) Your Certain Charms | Explicit | 20,417 words

Harry Potter AU. Louis is the reserve-reserve seeker, Harry is the Quibbler’s brightest new voice, and the Quidditch World Cup is as good a place to stargaze as any.

3) Burning Through The Shadows | Explicit | 25,990 words

“He’s Louis Tomlinson,” the General spoke from next to Louis. “The Sun Summoner, moi tsar,” the General said, looking at Louis. “He will change the future,” the General said, looking at the king and the queen. “Starting now.” The General raised his hand and shadows creeped up from every corner of the Great Hall, enveloping them all in darkness. Louis was reminded of the time when these shadows had protected him, them, from the harsh winter of Ravka. “Now call the sun,” the General leaned in and whispered in Louis’ ear.

4) Magical Soup | Explicit | 28,580 words

Slytherin prefect Louis Tomlinson’s seventh year at Hogwarts takes an immediate turn for the worse when he’s made to be potions partners with Harry Styles, Hufflepuff’s resident heartthrob and class clown.  Louis has always considered Styles to be a terrible show-off who coasts by on his charm and good looks, but the more they work together, the more he questions that idea.  As term goes on, will Louis be able to admit to himself that he might actually like Harry Styles after all… and maybe, just maybe, as more than a friend?

5) Blue Lotus | Explicit | 29,824 words

Note: The pairing in this fic is Louis/OMC.

After the Second Rebellion and the dismantling of President Cowell’s regime, Louis struggles to make sense of life.

6) Ours Are The Moments I Play In The Dark | Mature | 30,830 words

Jane Austen’s Persuasion AU. Nine years ago Louis Tomlinson was persuaded to break off his engagement to Harry Styles, a poor sailor. Since then Louis has come to regret being so easily convinced to give up his one chance of happiness. Now Louis’ family is in debt and his childhood home is being sold. In a complete reversal of fortune, Harry has returned to England a wealthy bachelor looking to settle down. Events conspire to bring them together once more though Louis is- must surely be- the last man on earth that Captain Styles would think of now.

7) Dangerous Liaisons | Explicit | 42,589 words

Note: This fic is locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

Niall is the master of deceit and Harry is the master of seduction. Louis is just a very strong willed male model who happens to be straight. When Niall tells Harry he wouldn’t be able to seduce Louis, the bet is on, but Niall’s schemes are hard to avoid.

8) Inside Your Bones | Explicit | 43,550 words

Note: The pairing in this fic is Louis/OMC.

Louis keeps trying to make peace with his past, but it’s hard when the past is all too present.

9) A Promise Lives Within You Now | Explicit | 45,925 words

A Lord of the Rings-inspired Middle Earth AU. Louis is an Elven prince, next in line to become King of Mirkwood, and Harry is the orphaned Human boy who grows up alongside him. They fall in love, but Louis’s obligations to the throne, Harry’s mortality, and impending war threaten to tear them apart.

10) Secret’s Safe With Me | Explicit | 59,207 words

When bad turbulence and three glasses of wine have Louis spilling all of his secrets to the man sitting next to him on the plane, it’s embarrassing, sure, but it’s also easy enough to shrug off and block out of his memory forever. Or at least, it was until Louis went into work on Monday morning and realized that the man from the plane is the new CEO of his company.

11) Mead Of Poetry | Mature | 65,053 words

Under the pressure of continuing the Styles viscountcy line now that he is getting older, Harry sets himself three rules to finally settle down and marry: firstly, the omega needs to be reasonably attractive, secondly, they must be of great mind, thirdly, they cannot be anyone he would ever fall in love with. Enters Charlotte Tomlinson, the diamond of the first water of the upcoming season and seemingly the perfect candidate to the viscount’s plan, but her omega brother, Louis, is in Harry’s way. Louis only seeks to protect his sister and he sure is not going to let a rake play with her heart.

12) King Of My Heart | Explicit | 83,712 words

Harry shrugged, his shoulders brushing against Louis’. “I think since I was young, I craved that feeling, though. I didn’t always hate being a prince, but over time, certain aspects of it just bothered me so much. I remember being four years old and realising that every person in the world knew my name, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted that. I told my mum as much and she tried telling me that being a prince is not a punishment. That it was a privilege that I should be happy about it, but no one asked me if I was. But looking up at the sky, I remember that all of this will one day mean nothing, and neither will I. All the pressure will then disappear and I could just be.” Louis stayed quiet, allowing Harry the space to open up because he knew Harry wasn’t looking for advice, but just someone to confide in. What he wished he could tell him was that in the short amount of time that he’d known the prince, in Louis’ eyes, he couldn’t be insignificant if he tried. He was brighter than every star up there in the sky. He was all Louis could look at and think about.

13) A Taste of Desire | Explicit | 104,414 words

“As forward as I have been with you this evening, I am also aware this dinner party isn’t the place to conduct business.” Mr. Tomlinson chuckles quietly to himself, shooting a subtle glance across the table towards their hostess. “And besides, I am sure our hostess would be horribly disappointed to learn that we went away this evening with a business agreement and not a mating one.” Harry, who had been sipping his wine, coughs harshly at this. He splutters, unaccustomed to such blatant statements about mating. Mr. Tomlinson continues to laugh quietly, clearly pleased at Harry’s reaction. “Mrs. Humphreys promised that there was an alpha attending the dinner tonight that I would certainly get on well with,” Mr. Tomlinson continues, voice teasing. “She assured me that we would have much in common since we both work with mills.” Mr. Tomlinson glances at Harry, eyes flashing with mirth. “Little did she know that would be where our mutual interests began and ended.”

14) Our Endless Numbered Days | Explicit | 120,815 words

“Harry?” whispered Louis, his mouth dry, his nose pressing against the other’s warm skin. “Mh?” Harry’s humming was gentle, his fingers lightly caressing the younger boy’s arm, his chest steadily rising and falling beneath Louis’ cheek. A couple of seconds passed, and Louis looked up at him in the darkness of the cave, barely able to make out the expression on his face. When he tried to inhale deeply, his breath hitched. He struggled to find the words to tell Harry what he was thinking about. Another couple of seconds passed, and Louis listened to the reassuring beating of the prince’s heart beneath his cheek. He couldn’t. “Nothing,” he whispered, his voice weak. I think you’re half of my soul.

15) Tainted Saints And Velvet Vices | Mature | 126057 words

A self-fulfilling Hogwarts AU in which Louis is new to seventh year and Harry is the resident devil-may-care Slytherin set to make his entire experience a living misery. Due to less than favourable circumstances they’re forced to forge an unwilling, tentative relationship for their own survival. Repressed emotions, decidedly unromantic ballroom dancing, Triwizard Tournament tasks, creative jinxes and twilight flying above the Forbidden Forest ensue.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[fuckyeah-beringandwellsfics]

🎃 13 👻 spooky 🧛🏻 Bering and Wells 🧟 fic 🩸 recs! ☠️

Here is a list (under the readmore, ordered from short to long) of spooky and/or Halloween-themed fics: short ones and long ones, AUs and casefics, something for everyone! Feel free to add your favorites in reblogs or replies!

Bite Me (858 words) by @tigerkid14 Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Kinktober 2017 prompt: biting; Myka and Helena were apparently affected by a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula and have a chat in the aftermath.

I have wanted to know you, lover of books (1463 words) by @purlturtle Chapters: 1/1 Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Summary: Honestly I love the "I didn't know where else to go" trope, and this morning I had an undeniable inspiration - I've teased vampire!Helena before, but this is a different vampire!Helena. Then again, can there ever be enough vampire!Helenas? No there can't, so here we go. (also available as a podfic!)

Halloween (1493 words) by @madronash Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Created for Bering and Wells Appreciation Week 2022, Day Three: Special Occasions/Holidays/etc. Could also be called Fright Night: Fake Blood

Dreadful Tower (2042 words) by @nerdsbianhokie Chapters: 1/1 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Half-living animatronics, a fear of drowning, and a Jenga tower. A fun night off for the Warehouse agents.

I Ain't Afraid of No… Artifact? (5298 words) by @amtrak12 Chapters: 1/4 Rating: General Audiences Summary: The Ghostbusters meets the Warehouse 13 team! or Three Times it was an artifact and One Time it was actually a ghost. Includes background Toltzmann and Erin cluelessly being really gay for Myka.

Dawn of the Dragonborn: Heart of a Hero, Heart of a Predator, Heart of Dovahkiin (8907 words) by @tryingthisfangirlthing Chapters: 5/? Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence Summary: A vampire. A Dragonborn. Two women, a little in love. Coffee? Mead? Or maybe save the world… M'aiq'a is an investigative agent for the Penitus Oculatus, the Emperor's personal bodyguard, sent to Skyrim to try and figure out what's behind these damned vampire attacks that killed her foster brother. Hlenea, clutching an ancient scroll and beset by gargoyles, is the woman she quite literally unearths, sought after by vampires and hunters alike. 'Beware of becoming the very thing you despise' has never been more true. Never mind falling for one… But centuries of unlife make for layers of secrets, and trust is hard to come by. The world is running out of time, and they will both have larger roles to play than either of them ever wanted…

Nightmare Warehouse (11709 words) by @anandabrat and @starshipblueberry Chapters: 14/14 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Summary: Once upon a time, like two weeks ago, starshipblueberry said I’ve got this idea about Nightmare Before Christmas and Bering and Wells, and I said, “That’s a fabulous idea. Can we Good Omens it?” So we wrote in patchwork, one day each trading off. We weren’t supposed to peek. It was supposed to be like Christmas. That didn’t even last a day. We texted each other back and forth for hours. We left each other breadcrumb trails to follow or ignore. We thought we had the ending sorted out like five different times before we actually wrote it.

Transient (38674 words) by @tantedrago Chapters: 14/14 Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Summary: AU: H.G. Wells wakes up in a house without knowing who she is. Slowly, she realises that people can't see her and don't react to her: Helena is a ghost. The literature professor Myka Bering buys her house. As the American moves in, HG slowly falls in love with her. But there is still this problem with her being dead and unnoticable to other people. But with Miss Bering, something is different.

Aye, Zombie (57793 words) by @ifourmindbeso Chapters: 13/13 Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con Summary: Bering and Wells Zombie AU. Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, but in another universe where the Good Friday agreement never happened. What if Myka was the former villain? This is the result of a particularly vivid dream of mine, which may or may not have been aided by large doses of (prescribed) painkillers. So if it reads like a bad trip…that’s why. Trigger warnings for pretty much everything you can imagine - violence, assault. Also, lots of swearing.

What Goes Around Comes Around (That Halloween Story) (61467 words) by @purlturtle Chapters: 13/13 Rating: General Audiences Summary: Myka rolled her eyes at him – but she couldn’t be mad at him for long. Steve was way too good a friend to begrudge a bit of teasing. “Shut up,” she said, but her heart wasn’t in it. “You did save the damsel in distress. And her baby.” “Shut up,” Myka repeated, this time with a bit more oomph behind it. “There are worse meet-cutes, you know. Wait till Claudia hears of this; she’ll heart-eye all over it.” “Shut up!” Myka laughed.

The Courtship of Christina's Mother (73987 words) by @jdaydreamer3 Chapters: 5/5 Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Summary: Myka Bering is content with her life as it is. A well-respected architect of a flourishing business. She doesn't have time for love. Or so she thought. Then fate steps in and knocks on her door in the form of Helena Wells and her daughter Christina. Love is inevitable.

Illustrated Misdeeds (99633 words) by Felix_27 Chapters: 18/18 Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Summary: Post Season 5. Myka, Pete and Helena have been reunited for their first mission in some time. Tension is a little high as the artifact chase has them following a familiar traveling carnival that has desires of its own with horrible consequences.

Death, or something like it (104700 words) by @ifourmindbeso Chapters: 26/26 Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Summary: Sheriff Myka Bering lives in a small town in Mississippi. Children are dying in the most horrible way possible, and she has no idea why - until she meets the vampire. The vampire who senses something different about Myka. Suddenly, nothing in Myka's life makes sense, and she faces a battle to save her town from a wave of darkness - from both within and without.

[moonshine-nightlight]

Nothing's Wrong with Dale: Part Eighteen

It’s been a week, but you’re fairly certain your fiancé accidentally got himself replaced by an eldritch being from the Depths. Deciding  that he’s certainly not worse than your original fiancé, you endeavor to keep the engagement and his new non-human state to yourself.

However, this might prove harder than you originally thought.

Fantasy, arranged marriage, malemonsterxfemalereader, M/F

AO3: Nothing's Wrong with Dale - Chapter 18 - MoonshineNightlight - Original Work [Archive of Our Own]

[Part One] [Part Two] [Part Three] [Part Four] [Part Five] [Part Six] [Part Seven] [Part Seven.5] [Part Eight] [Part Nine] [Part Ten] [Part Eleven] [Part Twelve] [Part Thirteen] [Part Fourteen] [Part Fifteen] [Part Sixteen] [Part Seventeen] Part Eighteen [Part Nineteen] [Part Twenty] [Part Twenty-One] [Part Twenty-Two] [Part Twenty-Three] [Part Twenty-Four] [Part Twenty-Five] [Part Twenty-Six] [Part Twenty-Seven] [Part Twenty-Eight] [Part Twenty-Nine] [Part Thirty] [Part Thirty-One] [Part Thirty-Two] [Part Thirty-Three] [Part Thirty-Four]

You have to remind yourself not to go through the mead too quickly, but you can't help wishing for any escape from this conversation.

You can tolerate some degree of martial talk on any given day, but it has been over an hour. 

What had begun as a general training discussion among Grandfather, Dale, the Captain of Connton’s city guard, and a few knights, some who had performed in the tournament over a week ago, had moved from there. The various benefits of polearms had at least come with some visual information, as the Governor who was hosting this particular betrothal gala had a large display on the wall of such pieces. 

However, the conversation has only continued to grow more in depth. Between personal preferences and a number of, likely embellished, stories to best champion said preferences, you’ve long grown bored with nothing to contribute and every sip of drink is both something to do and a reason not to say anything. The discussion has devolved to the minutiae that differentiate different—near identical from what you can tell—swords from one another. 

“Lords and ladies,” a demure voice catches your attention and you see a footman gesture to a table freshly set with hors d’oeuvres. “Please, help yourselves.” 

A small chorus of absentminded gratitudes comes from the group at large, with the majority continuing to carry on their conversation, but you, Manuel—the cousin who traveled with Dale for part of his abroad trip, you remind yourself—and two of the knights from the tournament, head for the table with the nibbles. 

Usually you’re too nervous at these sorts of parties to be particularly hungry during them. This often results in needing to ask your maid to fetch leftovers from the kitchens afterward, but you’re bored enough that your nerves aren’t suppressing your appetite. You busy yourself with a small plate, taking one each of the toasted breads offered—all with a different sort of topping. 

You’ve keep an ear tuned to the conversation between those who came with you. You’re looking for an opportunity to contribute something innocuous to the changing conversation of the food so they don’t think you a complete dullard. The rest of you is still paying attention to Dale, monitoring him for any sign of inhmanity as is your habit these nights. Without even thinking, you’ve positioned yourself to keep him in view.

Honestly, Dale’s been in fine control these last few days—and if he’s not kept so out of your sight, then no one’s noticed enough to raise a fuss, let alone call for a purge. You’ve all been tied up in making arrangements. Since your arrival, you’ve barely had time to settle into the Northridge city home between the meetings and introductions with city officials. It feels like all you do in your rooms is sleep, dress, and then head out.

Connton’s position at the crossroads where Northridge, Eastmont, and Centria meet leaves it in a relatively uncommon position of having both its own authority and also having to balance three overlords. Northridge has the closest main estate to the city and provided more of the land and funding, leaving it with more influence than the other fiefs, but it is also more important and vital to Northridge as only one city within its borders is comparable—and Fallridge is on the other side of the fief. 

Seeing an opening, you tune back into the conversation to chime in, “I agree, Lady Catherine—this ricotta is by far the superior spread.” She grins in triumph at the other two and you feel relieved to have contributed something since you’ve done nothing but make agreeable or interested hums for the past half hour. 

The closest call by far had been with that sanctif on one of the first nights in town. However, not only is Sanctif Ellon doing alright after his reaction, but Grandfather has backed off in nearly every way. He still seems particularly attentive to both yourself and Dale—especially when he first rejoined you that night, but he far more easily loses that wary edge. Even though initial wariness before he settles is still enough to make you tense, it’s also relieving to see him let go of his suspicion faster each night. 

Slowly, you’ve felt some of those fears surrounding Grandfather and Dale and demons be replaced with worries over keeping straight all the officials you met, making good impressions, and future plans. It’s exhausting and nerve-wracking, for all you are aware no one expects you to memorize or be able to perfectly recall the mountain of information you’re receiving. Grandmother has even gone out of her way to reassure you of such, but it feels like failure not to do your best. 

Every night, after long hours of meetings and socializing, you try to write down everything you can—sometimes in a neater hand than others. Then in the morning, you painstakingly copy what you’d jotted down the previous night and flesh out the details—trying to keep the facts all straight. The only good thing about entering week two of these events is that the rush of new people is slowing and you’re starting to get to know some of the more important players better.

You’re hopeful in the next day or two you’ll be able to have a strategizing session with Dale and his grandparents. Then you and Dale can focus on scheduling meetings with those you want to meet with rather than introductory meetings with everyone. Not that you’ll have too much time for that because eventually even more people will arrive for the wedding proper and then it will be time to return to the Northridge estate with those guests in tow.

You’re pulled from your thoughts by the sound of your name. You can’t help but jump a little as you turn to see Lady Breighton looking directly at you. You blink at her in surprise before you straighten. Of all of Grandmother’s children that you’ve met so far, she is the one who most seems like her personal heir, most similar to what she must have been like in her prime in the capital. You can’t help but feel scrutinized whenever Breighton so much as glances your way. 

“Lady Breighton,” you greet her with a nod. She seems to have come over looking for you and you’re not sure what that might mean. “How are you?”

“I am well,” she replies with a polite nod. “Yourself?”

“Myself as well,” you say, taking notice of how much more comfortable she appears the few times you’ve seen her in Connton—she’s clearly used to the city lifestyle. There had been a hint of discomfort with the more rural estate, with the tighter way she held herself, that you hadn’t noticed until it was gone. Her stylish suits, her ease in the various government buildings you visit, her competent navigation of the maze of streets all speak to that comfort. She’s accompanied you, Dale, and the grandparents to a number of meetings and clearly was familiar with most of those officials for all she lives up in Verlind. “Is there something I can do for you?” You can tell she’s sought you out for a reason and she’s the type of woman to prefer the direct approach.

“Yes,” she says, her eyes intent enough to make you somewhat retroactively relieved that Grandmother’s eyesight is not as good as it once was. Her blue eyes are piercing, making you feel as if she can read every thought in your head—reminding you strangely of Dale, the newer one. You doubt it is her intention to single you out though. They certainly appear to be as sharp on everyone else as they are on you. “I would like to introduce you to someone, if you can be parted from your present company.” 

The others are quick to murmur politely about rejoining the previous weapons discussion you all have taken a momentary reprieve from with the food. You smile and bid them farewell, eyes following them back to the group where Dale and Grandfather still are embroiled in debate. Dale and one of the knights who had also traveled with him abroad are describing some particular foreign style of blade workmanship and you see no evidence that Dale has any memory lapse with this particular story. Grandfather seems engaged enough with the conversation, no hint of suspicion in his expression or body language.

You do catch Dale’s eye and they meet yours with a straightforward question in them. Then you can see them flicker to Breighton and you tilt your head in that direction to indicate you’ll be heading off with her. Dale gives a minuscule nod to show his understanding. You turn back to Breighton to see she has a faint smirk on her face, as if she’d watched your little silent conversation with Dale with amusement. You feel some heat fill your face at the thought and try not to sound flustered as you say, “Of course, please show the way.”

Breighton offers you her arm, which you take, letting her steer and allowing you to use your other hand to lift your skirts enough to ease your movement. “My interests are particularly scientific, as you may have heard. I primarily study geography with an interest in seismic activity and study. My travels, while not frequent, have let me have personal experience with most mountain ranges on our continent and even some of the southern and eastern ranges.” 

You had heard some of this before, with Grandmother and Grandfather proud of her accomplishments—her books are proudly displayed in a specific section of the library back on the estate. 

“Regardless,” she waves her free hand, “I have interest in all manner of academic subjects. Given your interest in medicine, I thought you might enjoy meeting a colleague of mine.”

“Oh,” you blink in surprise, not having expected her to have either taken notice of your interest or to have thought of you much outside the various meetings and Northridge itself. “I would be honored to meet such a scholar, although I hope you understand my interest and study are primarily amateur.” You feel the need to verify that Breighton has not gotten an inflated view of your own knowledge—nor passed this impression on to an accomplished professional.

She glances over at you, that same sensation that she is weighing your words and your worth present once more. “You’ve had no formal education in either the medical or botanical areas of study at all?”

“Well,” you hedge and her eyes brighten. “I attended South Ardere Academy and they provide a certain amount of basic heath in their curriculum.” She nods as if to say ‘go on’. “They also offered a degree of flexibility to the lessons available, as one aged, which included the ability to go further in depth in some select areas. I was interested in health and medicine so I took a few more classes in those areas than was required. Not enough for any sort of certification—let alone a degree,” you try to stress, before allowing only, “but enough to grant me perhaps more knowledge than the average layman.”

“I see,” she says, effortlessly weaving through the crowd with you. “What prompted this interest, if you do not mind my asking?”

“I was sick as a child,” you reply without thought, before hurrying to add, “Nothing catching and nothing which greatly impacts my health presently.” You don’t want her to think you would pass on poor traits or sickness to your own children, Northridge’s heirs. She didn’t need to see the full physical report Grandmother and Grandfather had received—far more detailed than the report your own parents had required of Dale since he had no history of physical complications. A typical requirement for noble marriages, primarily revolving around ensuring the couple could produce children since when it came down to it—continuing the family line is the most fundamental reason for noble marriages.

Breighton doesn’t seem troubled by your admittance and so you continue with less urgency, “It was enough to make such matters ever present in my young mind and therefore of great interest when I grew older and more able to truly understand what had afflicted me.”

“Do you have any interest in pursuing additional scholarly studies or even becoming a physician yourself?” she asks, the most interested you believe she has ever appeared to be in your words. 

Your first instinct is a vehement denial, not wanting her to think you would prefer to neglect your duties to Northridge. To reassure her that you do know how much work and effort being a Lady entails. That you are dedicated to your role going forward, dedicated to Northridge. But you stop yourself before those automatic words come tumbling out. Thinking over what you know of her, you don’t think that is a major concern to her. While it may not be her place in the family, she has not married and has dedicated herself as a scholar so you doubt she would think too negatively of such things.

“I considered it,” you say slowly, still choosing your words carefully, but making sure to be truthful too. “And I enjoyed those lessons. However, I ultimately prefer to learn those topics as a personal interest, rather than a profession. The day-to-day life, the experimentation, the care for patients—I find books or papers or case studies of such fascinating, but I have no desire to conduct them personally.”

Hoping you had not read her wrong, you look back up to see her nodding with understanding. “Yes, I know many who feel similarly. I personally greatly admire sculpture, yet I’ve no interest or talent in creating such works myself.”

You smile. “Yes, precisely. All I would say is that I do believe perhaps the general curriculum could be expanded—some of what I learned seems like it would be useful for all to know.”

Breighton grins at that. “Yes, many who find themselves with specialized knowledge believe their area should get more prominence with the general educational curriculum.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean—”

“Not a comment on you specifically, dear, I assure you,” Breighton says with a wave of her hand. “We’ve all thought so—for why would we study something we don’t see as valuable?”

There’s a knot of people below one of the musician’s balconies—the dancing and music having taken a break over an hour ago—that you seem to be headed for. When one catches Breighton’s eye, you're sure these are the ones you’re coming to meet. 

“Some of these went to the same university that I attended, others I met at various scholarly conferences,” Breighton explains. “As interesting as city officials are, I admit that academia is where my interest lies. Not that governments cannot be instrumental in acting on and spreading learned information. And business is necessary to make these discoveries actionable and relevant to people’s everyday lives. But a good debate between scholars is what I enjoy most, much in the way Mother used to in the senate.”

“There you are, Breighton,” a short woman closer in age to you than Breighton says. “We were beginning to think you’d gotten lost.”

“And did you manage to catch the mouse you sought?” an older man with an impressive mustache asks, clearly teasing as he peers around Breighton to look at you.

What exactly did Breighton tell these colleagues about you?

“Yes, you lout,” Breighton replies with a roll of her eyes as she knocks her shoulder into the man who asked. “Do try to remember to act as if you are in the presence of lady while we attempt to entertain her.”

“Are you not also a lady?” a woman in a green dress asks with a purposely sweet grin. “Have we not already been on our best behavior?”

“By the light, I hope not,” Breighton replies dryly. “This is my nephew’s fiance.” She gives your full name, including your family name, which you hadn’t been aware she even knew—already Grandmother was introducing you with Dale as the future lady of Northridge at meetings. The six others all introduce themselves and you frantically try to keep up with all the new names.

“Now, as lovely as you all are,” Breighton says, scanning the group. “I was hoping to introduce her to Louisa. Did someone else pull her away?”

The woman in the green dress—Teresa of Goldam—shakes her head, her curled hair bouncing with the movement. “She went to ask after the study rooms as she never likes how noisy these grand halls can get. In fact, here she returns.”

Teresa nods at a woman in a bold red brocade gown, her sleeves long despite the time of year, and her skirts fuller than your own, separating her from the others around her by just that additional amount. Her brown hair is pulled up in a tight circular braid pinned to the top of her head and the locks framing her face are straight, rather than curled.

As she gets closer, she says, “They’re clearing out the Governor’s personal study for us. My voice is already tired from trying to be heard above this noise.” The others thank her for securing such a room for them before her eyes land on Breighton and you. 

Breighton moves in smoothly to introduce the other woman, “In return, please allow me to introduce you to Doctor Louisa of the Viska Isles.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” the other woman says. Despite the similarity in your heights, she gives the impression of looking down on you.

“And you as well,” you reply, although you’re not certain it is. Louisa seems particularly smug, something very self-satisfied with her general countenance. It rubs you the wrong way, reminds you of similar students back at school: Gareth of Hilsbury and Nadine of Timodul. Both had condescension down to an art form. Louisa seems cut of the same cloth. 

“Dr. Louisa has a Physician’s degree from Silverkeep University, with a concentration in chemistry and an additional philosophy masters in Demonology, with a concentration in botany, from Oroburum University.”

You feel your stomach drop. Oh, crap.

[Part Nineteen]

[eviltransswag]

Evil Trans Swag Competitor List

I'm not posting a bracket because I'm still making it and it's by hand, but here are the characters who are going to be in the tournament! The match-ups will be randomly generated and there are 64 characters. The polls will last a week. Alright enough of that here is the list (in alphabetical order bc yeah)

Thanks everyone for submissions and the voter fraud!!

Akaza (Demon Slayer)

Akechi Goro (Persona 5)

Alexis Meade (Ugly Betty)

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl series)

Ashiok (Magic the Gathering)

Beatrice (Umineko: When They Cry)

Bloodraven (Tales of Dunk and Egg)

Buggy the Clown (One Piece)

Cesar (Big Top Burger)

Sir Crocodile (One Piece)

Dio Brando (Jojo's Bizarre Adventure)

Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Rocky Horror Picture Show)

Dr. Starline (IDW Sonic)

Dracule Mihawk (One Piece)

Edward Nygma/The Riddler (DC Comics)

Elendira (Trigun)

Envy (Full Metal Alchemist)

Ghirahim (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)

Giselle Gewelle (Bleach)

Goblin King Jareth (Labyrinth)

Golden-Winged Peng (LEGO Monkie Kid)

Grelle Sutcliff (Black Butler)

Grima (Fire Emblem)

Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb)

Henry Cooldown (No More Heroes)

HIM (Powerpuff Girls)

Hubert von Vestra (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Ienaga Kano (Golden Kamuy)

Infinite the Jackal (Sonic the Hedgehog series)

James (Pokemon)

Jessie (Pokemon)

Jester Karture (Fate/Strange Fake)

John Hart (Torchwood)

Joseph Bertrand III (inFAMOUS 2)

Lestat de Lioncourt (The Vampire Chronicles)

Liquid Snake/Eli (Metal Gear Solid)

Loam Arnault (Entropic Float)

Merasmus (Team Fortress 2)

Metal Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog series)

Millions Knives (Trigun)

Moot Tarbella (Epithet Erased)

Mordred Pendragon (The Mechanisms - High Noon Over Camelot)

Mutsuki Tooru (Tokyo Ghoul)

Neferpitou (Hunter x Hunter)

Orochimaru (Naruto)

Pigma Dengar (Star Fox)

Revolver Ocelot (Metal Gear Solid series)

Scaramouche/Wanderer (Genshin Impact)

Scourge the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog series)

SCP-004-J/Stanley Nichols (SCP Foundation)

Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII)

Serafine Savoy (Lackadaisy)

Shamura (Cult of the Lamb)

Shiromori (Mystery Skulls Animated)

Silver (Pokemon)

Suzuki Emiri (High-Rise Invasion)

Sweet Tooth (Moshi Monsters)

The Leading Light (HLVRV)

Turkey (Dorohedoro)

Tyki Mikk (D. Gray Man)

Uncle Wiley (Hatchetfield)

Vaati (The Legend of Zelda series)

Vegas Theerapanyakul (Kinnporsche: The Series)

Yoshiya "Joshua" Kiryu (The World Ends With You)

[hail-brod]

A Chance and Beyond (6)

Previous chapter: (Chapter 5)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Loki x FReader

A/N: Yes, 2 weeks delay. Again. I guess that's gonna be my new sched if it gets too busy.

Listening to a Norwegian folk song made this even fun to write. Man, I love upbeat folk songs. (edit:) Just figured the song's about a man in love with a woman who's betrothed to another man (note at the end of chap). It fits sm for a certain god here ehem ehem—or just in general lmao. The coincidences in life mah man.

(Ok, this is honestly my fav chap.)

Please enjoy and tell me your thoughts! ><

Warning/s: Light angst, drinking, being alcoholic to a viking level, mead, a bit of self deprecation?, mention of missing body part, nothing else probably (please tell me if I missed something!)

WC: 4.4k

Just some Viking activities at the edge of a cliff. Or like they say in Midgard, 'Let's parteyyy. Hit it, Freddie!'. In which you spin around like a record baby, right round, round, round.

When nightfall came, it didn't take long for everyone to start drinking as early as they can.

Instead of the usual drinking horn tankard, metal mugs clinked at each other, along with the merry cheers of wobbly ballads clashing in every chatter. Half an hour in when the sun had set down, there we're already drunk men dancing with their sons and daughters, mothers mingling with their husbands, and people gobbling down roasted meat. And on the center of it all stands the grand lit bonfire that sheltered light to the smiles of every person. You can hear the crackling and bursting flames joining the fun of your kin's roaring laughs, its shadows flickering like a raves' night befitting the dances of the other asgardians.

Just like you remembered when you we're in your early days in Vanaheim and your home-world, bonfire feasts are always a celebration never to be missed.

It almost feels like you've never truly left Asgard...

But of course, what is a night's feast without a pleasant conversation? Because when you sprung your eyes at a certain young prince being entertained by a woman offering him a mead—with a smile that you're consequently aware is intended to be suggestive, you've never felt so pleasant in your whole life.

No, you we're not glaring at the ground. No, you we're not burning a stare at the said woman. No, you we're not sulking on your wooden seat.

No, not at all.

You decided to just let yourself drown in the company of your mead, gulping it for ten straight seconds. That should do it, you think. not enough to do me in though. And in all honesty, you think of the truth. You we're never the first one to fall in in a drunken state; for as much as the people underestimate you at these things, they always lose when they challenge you so.

Maybe it runs in the family since, well, they we're almost as tolerant as you do.

But you honestly wish right now that you weren't.

You can see Loki giving out a pleasant laugh at the woman, mead weighing down on his hand as he mentioned something to her, making her shrug tentatively in a coy manner. You also soon noticed a few women eyeing Loki, both in hesitation and....desire?

Wait, what?

"Oh, mine brother! Finally, a flock of women ogling at him rather than me." Thor's voice pulls you out of your brief bewilderment as he made himself comfortable beside you. "You see, I knew he'd gain recognition amongst our people after that final battle in Asgard. I'm very proud I've proven him right, hah!"

Oh. "That's...good." you comment, trying not to let your displeasure lace out. "Does your people hate him, before all of this?"

"Hate, you say?" he says, eyes shifting to a light grimness. "My brother is many things and thus he makes many...'decisions'. Very various different ones. I wouldn't want to tell you that he was hated but, he had proven to our people that he should be. Alas, he has change their minds." he lifts up his mug over the form of his brother, who's now talking to a different woman, but you do notice his attention is placed on the singing men near the bonfire.

He has indeed.

Though, you let yourself deviate to something else now that you remembered. Some things are left to be asked later, such as, the voice in your room—well, if you ever find the chance, that is. Or if you'd even open up the courage to.

"Did...Did Loki actually vouch for me after the interrogation?" you asked.

Thor widened his eyes followed by a nervous laugh. "W-Whatever do you mean, my lady?"

"It's okay, I'm aware of your little 'spying'."

"Oh." he lets out, eyes darting back and forth between his brother and you. "Well, odd it was, but kind of him I guess. He may act stingy but there's a softness in there, and it seems like he's taken by you."

You raised a brow at that. "I doubt that. He looks rather keen on avoiding me." you say, though, the thought of him being taken by you feels a tad bit nice.

He eyes you in wonder. "Does that irk you?"

"What? Of course not. I'm- merely curious."

"Hmm," he hums, but you can almost mistake it for a scoff. "of course, curious. You know, I never got to ask you if you're somehow well acquainted with my brother in your....universe? Or was it timeline? Either of those."

You freeze, there's a sudden feeling of déjà vu. "What...makes you think that we are?"

"Ah, that my friend, that I can see." he answered. "It may not be my specialty but I can tell if someone is at least taken by someone."

Right, your mind echos. he has a flock of women over him. Your past self is certainly a proof of that.

Well, some things would've been actually different if he had learned your fascination towards him back in your Asgard. Actually, not some but everything. Because if he did, you would never be here. You would have never created that bloody Nexus event. You would have never learned about how much dominance time rules over countless of universes.

"No, because you we're meant to fall for Thor." the imposing judge towering in front of you says after stating your name. "Not his brother, not anyone. The moment you recognized your feelings on the wrong person, god, brother—whatever you call him—is when you're taken out of the equation. Pretty common mistakes of your variants, apparently. Don't force it, miss. It doesn't always end well for both you and..." she reads down on the file and mocked a smile at you. "...the 'Loki Laufeyson.'"

The past TVA made it sure to shove it on your own reality that you we're the problem for falling for the younger prince. Somehow, you're feeling sorry for doing so, for dooming your home. But you also truly don't want to regret it

You won't.

The TVA doesn't have the right to dictate that. Not anymore.

"Are you insinuating that I'm openly swooning over your brother?" you asked, playing along with him.

He laughs. "Bin-gow." you're quite sure its supposed to be 'bingo'. "I've first noticed you we're very tolerant of his antics, which many not do, so I guess I can assume."

"I'm certain I don't swoon when I'm being tolerant."

"Uh-uh. Maybe not, but don't jump just yet, my good lady." he swigs a drink from his mug. "I've never seen someone else so adoringly at eased when at the resoundingly mysterious presence of Loki other than me and- "

He stops.

You can't deny the growing fluster emanating within you when you catch his first few words, but his sudden halt confused you for awhile. His expression fades down, his mirthful smile daring to fall but it fights to keep it up. Though, you somehow feel that you know who he struggles to mention.

"The All-mother." you finish.

He flinched, eyes flying randomly at you and inhales. "Yeah." he sighs out a light chuckle. "You know your thing, my lady."

Your heart cracks.

Seeing him react that way at the subject of his mother, its inevitable to feel dread at what could've possibly happened. Just the absence of his father as the overlooking king is more than a proof of the tragic fates that have doomed Asgard. Queen Frigga was far from a stranger to you and you can proudly say that she became your second mother. Well, if you and Loki we're bound together purely from deeper sentiments, she would have been more of a close mother rather than formally your queen mother.

But you also can't imagine how that would've affected Loki.

You have much to learn in this reality. And, maybe its about time for you to let them know yours.

Even just by bits.

"Yes.... I've actually been quite acquainted with the queen herself." you humbly inform, smile tipping up. "Which I'm very lucky to have been."

"Hold on, so you are well acquainted with Loki. Well, not just him anymore but also the royal family?" he quirks his head to the side. "You're definitely not just a noble. Let me guess, a daughter in court."

You nodded.

At least he knows his princely court lessons.

"Hah! I knew it." he cheers, mug elevated high up. This caught a few eyes from the crowd which was also followed by their own cheers. Some asgardians flew their eyes over to you doing the same as you muster up a pleasant smile, an attempt at matching their jovial attitudes. Your mind wanders back to someone as you try to spot the area where you last saw him. Granted, he was still there, eyes intent on you.

And then immediately looked away with not so much of a reaction.

You certainly have your fill of mesmerizing cerulean eyes all over you today and you can't help but blush. And at the least, he wasn't handsomely giggling anymore with some woman or herds of them.

Beside you, Thor mutters something, and you catch your name. Odd it was how he managed to divert his attention on his own little world so fast."...I've surely heard that name before...where...Asgard...?"

He looks like he's partially drunk, but you know he isn't that easy to bring down. No doubt his random ramblings are just a product of nine or fourteen mugs full of mead; there's much more action than just slurring words when it comes to these gods.

The darkness clocks deeper into the dead of night and you had already downed your third round of mead. Honestly, your usual would be at six or seven before you would start to either cry or be overly social to anyone—of course, you prefer the latter. At this point, all you can feel is the faint pounding of your head and the lightweight of everything.

Feather. you think, describing. Featherful light. How very light.

You decided then and there, this would be the last round. You're very aware that your drunken state is resoundingly unsightly and you don't want that coming to life tonight. Or any night.

So as you downed your mug to the last drop, the distinct sounds of singing started to spread from another man to another. When you looked around, their chants start to gradually get louder, infectious smiles being thrown at anyone as their hands begin to clap along the beats with a bob of their heads. You yourself could not contain the jolliness they emitted as you meekly bounced your head along.

"Han leika med lente, han leika med list,"

This, of course, had awaken the presence beside you.

He jumped on his feet, mug still gripped tightly on his hand as he sang along and his other hand waving around to the tune. Just as the crown prince joined in, this boosted the morale of the other asgardians, adding more people to the high spirited singing. His eyes rest on you and he kept nodding to you, urging you to stand up and do the same.

How could you refuse?

When he had offered you his hand, you took it and stood up, finally letting yourself sing the familiar song.

"Han leika med lente, han leika med gny, Hei fagraste lindelauvi alle"

You clapped and jumped along them and laughed in joy, the pounding of your head replaced with the upbeat tune you clap unto. You also didn't waste a second drifting your eyes to Loki, who was actually gone in his spot.

Had he left? You know he's quite fond of festivities so why...

Only then did you see his form singing and clapping with the said flock of women...and men. You really have to tone your emotions down because he has every right to mingle with anyone. Your own personal feelings on the likeness of him is hardly something you should be bringing about now. Soon enough, your attention gets shifted when Thor took your hand, halting your claps as he leads you near the bonfire. You we're quite baffled, but when you realized a circle of asgardians we're forming around the flame, you know you're going to be very out of breath.

"I hope you aren't too drunk to do this." Thor grins at you, hands free of his mug and secured his hand on yours much fittingly. You feel your other hand being snatched the same way by one of the asgardians beside you as you all form in a wide circle.

"I'm more than awake and sober than you." you replied, grinning back with the anticipation of the dance, your adrenaline gradually going up.

"For de runerne de lyster han å vinne"

Little by little, you all move to your right, letting the circle turn in a loop. Another step and another one, the pace of your steps starts to move faster as you follow the rhythm of the song. The footwork of the certain dance begins to come naturally to you and everyone else, lifting it down and back at the moving steps to the side. One cue in the song indicates a twirl, so you turn and clap, and another clap, and so on.

"Men då steig trolli upp or djupaste sjø,"

You can't seem to think straight anymore as your laughter and giggles along the singing fogs your brain. Then comes a chant, and more clapping, and you don't know anymore.

Everything just started to feel natural.

"Og utvinner krafti av trollenes arm For de runerne de lyster han å vinne"

When the other asgardians outside of the circle started to join and slip inside, dancing; you almost didn't catch Thor leaving your side to enter the circle. And as you still moved along the loop, the said god reemerges from the jolly crowd, feet bouncing, and clutched at his side is his confused brother. It only happened in a second before you realized Thor had just threw his brother on his previous spot beside you, Loki's hand securely gripping your own through the revolving circle of people, not daring to let you trip with his sudden intrusion as he got swarmed into joining the loop.

You couldn't take your eyes off of him, and he couldn't even look away from you. As you we're kept being pulled to your sides, it was evident that he was also enjoying himself. He brings up the widest smirk at you and continues to sing with everyone else.

Oh, you we're not going to back down as well.

You squeezed his hand much more affectionately than you intended to, but fortunately he didn't whack it away; he tugs up a teasingly lofty smile and squeezed back.

You don't even know how to react anymore as you just distinctively felt the pulling of your heartstrings. You couldn't fight the widening smile on your lips any longer.

"Og utvinner krafti av trollenes arm For de runerne de lyster han å vinne"

The adrenaline of moving around and the constant claps to the beat, lungs catching the words to sing and the twirls between the loop of people, have had you all elevate for boldness as the beats starts to rapidly pace up; one step faster than the other and faster it goes, leaving you all lost in the moment of chanting breaths.

"Hei, hei, hei, hei, hei,

Hei!"

It goes higher and higher, constant and louder and as your voices reach the peak of the song, you're sent flying to Loki's side as soon as the circling loop of people broke off, tumbling to their sides with crazed smiles and cheers.

Though, as you tumbled beside Loki, heart ringing with laughters, his grip on your hand never left. You couldn't care much and your vision is clamped shut from all of the movement so you can't make much of anything. You we're panting hard and you know he is too—the very close distance between you has you hearing his pacing breaths. Suddenly, what made you open your eyes and look up to the said man was the dawning realization of why you feel so warmly secured.

Oh, he was holding you close, one hand snaked around your waist.

And don't even forget about how his other hand is pretty much locked with yours, as if letting you go would result in you being snatched away.

As you slowly wake up from your moment of daze, your eyes would not tear away from his own. His rising chest and yours synced like no other, and how dares he study you so intently with those gentle eyes, almost like a plea. The moment felt too long and too mesmerizing to break as your hand slowly curl further on his own, caressing.

Belonging. your heart screams between breaths. The shared look you had had you reminiscing a lot of things, a mixture of lifts and crashes dawning on your emotions. He himself contorts to a frown, taking in your conflicted demeanor—as well as your longing eyes.

I love you. you wanted to say, but you know that's bound to crush you, so you just reveled in the silence. The thought of not being able to say it clenches your heart, and you feel like tearing up.

But you resist. Contain it, woman. you order yourself. He's not even the Loki you know...

"I..." you start, wanting to get away.

But before you could gather yourself up once more, something catches Loki's eyes as he feels over your hand—he looks down confusingly. You realize his attention is directed on your hand once you felt the shift of his fingers on your own, specifically on a certain finger, one that's been severed and adorned with your golden ring.

You we're so out of it all until he breathes out his words, "You're married."

Your eyes snap to him, heart racing. He didn't waste a second catching your surprised stare. You don't know if the look he's giving you is concern or just curiousness. "N-No, I..." you stutter.

You we're not married yet—but will you ever be? Though, it seems like he believes otherwise.

"Don't." he sternly says. "Don't lie. I know that kind of ring anywhere and looking closely on it, it's a royal one."

You feel a lump in your throat as you try to swallow. It's only a matter of seconds before he's wondering which of the two princes in Asgard you we're bound with. "It is...yes. But no, I'm not married." you weakly say, feeling all of the adrenaline rushing out of you. "We never got to..." you hesitantly shrugged, trying to point out your unspoken words. "You could say I was whisked away by the TVA before it could even.... possibly happen."

You don't know what expression he's wearing but Loki seem to have caught on on your change of demeanor as your defeated form melts between his arm. You felt him stiff when he realized he hasn't distanced himself away from you, so he gently pulled his arm from your waist, leaving you to stand on your accord as you felt his other hand slipping away from yours.

Your heart longs even more.

Somehow, he had trusted his instincts once again to detect any lies as he accepted your words. "Would you have wanted that marriage?"

You fold your brows up to him, surveying his expression. But he's wearing that neutral mask again. You linger your words in your head, debating, lest you risk spilling any unnecessary sentiments. I would have love to. You open your mouth yet it closes again.

You can't do it.

"I don't know." you shake your head, letting your eyes wander away towards the mellow atmosphere that has become of your bonfire feast.

"Hmm."

That's all you heard from him before he followed your gaze. You both shared a moment of silence, relishing in in the calmness of the aftermath of the celebration. It felt comforting—somehow.

Each and everyone have settled down on the ground, either sprawled from exhaustion and the mead, or wobbling on their seats, leaning shoulder to shoulder with one another. You don't see Thor anywhere, but when you heard your name slipping out of Loki's lips—which you wish you could hear again—one bulky arm gathers you from behind, pushing you closely next to Loki.

Thor's voice imitates his brother, saying your name.

Honestly, you much prefer the former one saying it.

You realized Thor had also wrapped his brother on his other arm, encapsulating you both in a semihug. "I can't stop thinking how familiar your name is, my lady." he says, both you and Loki stiffing at his pull. But you also felt Loki tensing at his brother's words. "I don't know why. Granted, I've surely never met you before, nor anyone like you. Must have I just forgotten then?" he scrunches his face in thought.

"Given that you are an oaf, there's no doubt your depictions of reality are just nonsense." Loki says, narrowing his eyes on Thor.

"You wound me, brother."

You awkwardly witnessed their banter; though, you can't help but tug up a light smile. "I would be wounded as well if you just bore my name in your mind but not my face."

The God of Thunder chuckled. "My bad, my bad. Although truly, that's no fact. How could I ever not bear a fairly stunning maiden in my mind such as you?"

You we're flattered—though underneath that, you can't help but cringe. You really didn't meant for it to go that way.

And Loki doesn't seem too pleased about it. "Can you not do this in front of me?"

"Do what?" Thor asks.

"Just..." Loki tries to wriggle out of his brother's embrace as he breaks away from the two of you, dusting his shoulder off. He points his brother a glare. "Don't ever bring your flirting in front of me."

"What? I am not flirting. Or maybe, I have barged in on one?" Thor eyes you worryingly and flies it to Loki, cautiously untangling his arm around you.

You we're dumbfounded for a second before it processed in your mind.

"No." you and Loki uttered at the same time, exchanging glances.

"Definitely not."

"Yes, why would we do so?"

"Exactly. Nothing of the sort."

"Alright, alright. Calm down." Thor instructs, amused by your reactions. You we're quite glad he didn't press further. "Although admittedly, your name does ring a bell—and no, I am not drunk. I am rarely drunk." he says to you.

You nod, not doubting him. "But if you say such things about my name, then I guess it's rather possible that...you've probably met a variant of me."

When you think about it, it's weird. It also feels much more awry for you to be here. If there's another you in this universe, then you can certainly feel like you're upholding your self-accusations of being an imposter. You shiver.

"But I've never seen nor recognized you, ever." Thor says.

Even as though it had prickled something in you, you just shrug. "Well, variants don't always look like a duplicate of yourself." you mention, two certain variants come to mind. "In truth, even genders could be altered."

Thor lights up with interest. "My word, that's interesting and it actually makes much more sense."

Loki hasn't said anything. It was quite odd as you noticed he stood rigidly as he listened, hands clamped over in front of him—his stance shielded, almost like he's hiding something.

That's suspicious. you think.

Thor had gone into his mind, trying to recall something, albeit in a forceful manner. He narrowed and glared at a spot before it contorts into a smooth unfolding of realization.

"Actually- "

"Brother, why don't we let the lady tire her exhaustions out for tonight?" Loki cuts him off, letting him deceive you with his composed countenance. "It has been quite the feast."

You tread on his point, concealing your suspicions. "Then, where shall I stay?"

Thor recovers, leaving his unspoken thoughts. "Of course! You can stay on either of our tents tonight," you almost break your neck snapping your eyes on him as he continued. "since I asked not to start on the royal quarters unless our people have gotten their own. So, I hope a tent would suffice?"

"I don't mind a tent but, I would hate to intrude his royal highnesses' abode." you defend, baffled.

You soon noticed even Loki had given his brother an unapproving look. "Hang on, why am I included on that?"

"Oh, come on. Aren't you a prince? Wouldn't hurt to be a gentleman from time to time can it, brother?"

Loki hesitates to speak. "You..."

You try to diffuse. "I'm alright if it's alright for...either of you. Surely, that would also mean I am to sleep separately...?"

"Yes, yes." Thor confirms. "Do not fret, my lady. I will be sleeping somewhere else. Be it a couch or a wooden skiff, I do not mind."

That doesn't make you feel any less guilty for taking a prince's bed.

You we're about to retort but the raven haired god beat you to it. "You are terrible." he mutters, directing it at Thor. He then trails his eyes on you, soft cerulean ones touching your heart. "My tent is open for intrusions. Though, I do not take kindly to people with nosy skittering hands."

"Well, would you look at that." Thor preens. Loki shoots him a stern look.

"O- Of course..." you reply, quite baffled once again. "But, what about you?"

It takes him a while to respond. "You shan't bother knowing." he says, lifting up a feigned smile. "Besides, you won't be staying here long, will you?"

Somehow, you catch his point. And you're once again pierced with the dawning remembrance of your timely task. This will only be a single night of intrusion, nothing to fuss over; you are temporarily existing amongst them. It doesn't matter who you're mending a bond with, you're not supposed to be here.

And it almost sounds like he's intending to shut you out, and that cuts something deeper in you.

"You're right." you agree.

You've been enjoying yourself too much that you forgot you'll be leaving this all behind. Once again, just another memory to be stored in your mind.

You don't belong here.

Song inspired: 'Villeman Og Magnhild' (Villeman And Magnhild)

Previous chapter: (Chapter 5)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

'A Chance and Beyond' taglist (you can ask/comment to be tagged!):

@oscarissac2099 @lcolumbia1988

Ko-fi?

[noemilivv]

I was waiting for an opening as I saw you had match ups available and would love to see who you'd put me with.

Preference for male characters from Hazbin Hotel

About me: You can call me Claire. I'm AFAB she/her, 5'3", panromantic demisexual. I'm Tim Burton pale, brown eyes, messy curly bob brown hair, glasses with glasses chains usually, chubby but strong, dress either romantic gothic feminine or butch cryptidcore, like no in between, never wear make up because sensory hell.

Some type of neurodivergent but not diagnosed specifically. I tend to know a little about a lot of things due to jumping from focus to focus. Queen of Dad jokes, rather blunt since I'm not subtle. Aside from English can speak Latin, some Gaelic, some Spanish, a little bit of Turkish/Arabic, Church Greek and Slavonic, and random phrases in Russian, German, and Italian. I'm ENFP, Ares cabin from PJO if that means anything.

I teach preschool, love children as they're so fun to be around and the possibilities they have ahead are wonderful. I also bake, sew, knit, read tons of books, collect rocks and other nature stuff, tend to the gardens, I sing in my choir, and like to listen to music. Not specific music genres that I care for, more vibes, but been into some Bauhaus lately, along with SJ Tucker and The Dead South.

My faith is important to me, I even am considering pursuing becoming a religious sister at a convent, like a nun.

I do love horror, romantic gothic poetry (Think Poe and the like), analog horror(DOAI, Mandela Catalogue), Dr. Who, bad b movies (think Redletter media level bad), animation in general, HB HH, stuff like that, I read everything and anything so long as the narrative is interesting or the subject is a hyperfixation of mine, such as Religions, Mythology, History relating to late Medieval to Elizabethan, textiles, fantasy, or speculative biology (like thought potato on youtube). I also do dress in character for the Renaissance Festival, people assume I work there as I have season passes for the last 5 years and attend all weekends from open to close.

I tend to be a sweet tooth, love any chocolate, baked goods with richness or chocolate flavors, drink lots of coffee, tea, sweet red wines, mead, rum based cocktails or dark malty beers if we're going alcohol, though I tend to be the driver if I'm going to party somewhere. My giving love language is touch and words, along with acts of service. My receiving love language is words, touch, and gift giving. I love to cook or make gifts for others, usually don't expect it in turn.

I'm loud, maternal, weirdly dark yet wholesome, and able to lift a toilet with my bare hands up two flights of stairs. I tend to talk either like a southern grandma or terminally online weirdo with random swears. When friends have a bad breakup I'm like do you want a hug or does someone have to die?

In relationships I can be very talkative, but also in a sense the less dominant partner. Like, I handle the day to day, but not great at organizing the dates, the stuff like that's more romantic. I'd hope my partner could handle that part. I'm also romantically easily flustered. Like squeaking and burning red in the face from genuine good flirting.

So hope you can find someone right for me, God Bless you dear.

hello claire!! i decided to pair your with…

Lucifer !!

First of, he loves your love of kids, and let’s be real, he probably has a love of kids as well, as much as Charlie is an adult, he would probably eagerly introduce you to her after finding out this tidbit of info

Honestly, to him, you give off very strong, emotional support wifey vibes and honestly he is all in for it haha

Lucifer doesn’t mind that you can be very talkative, infact, he enjoys it.

He tries to make it fairly easy when it comes to planning dates for you, so most of the time, you both just stay in

Also, Luci is definitely someone who gets flustered easily, so you both just end up giddy and smiley at eachothers shy little flirty comments and it’s the most heart warming thing

[slavicafire]

very interesting breakdown regarding rodnovery from Scott Simpson’s Strategies for Constructing Religious Practice in Polish Rodzimowierstwo:

A purely academic reconstruction of a religion from the past is “legitimate” when it is made up of fragments which have been selected solely on the basis of the academic authenticity and reliability of the evidence. When a particular fragment had not been recovered, a scholar may always choose to simply leave that space blank without perverting the intention of the reconstruction (whether it be pottery or religion). Rodzimowiercy, in contrast, need to have a complete and functional religion in order for it to be legitimate. If the participant finds her- or himself in personal need of a Slavic marriage ceremony, then that space must be filled by something in spite of the lack of a conveniently pre-existing Pagan marriage script from, say, the Wiślanie tribe in the early 10th century. It would be a serious perversion of the religious intent of such a reconstruction to give up suddenly at that point.

the strategies Simpson describes below the cut. a very recommended reading, too, so I hope the full text will get some attention as well. 

1. Direct re-enacting: faithully replicating a custom described in sources such as chronicles - which Simpson notices is rarely possible as stand-alone strategy given all the blanks and generally limited sources. the most classic of issues everyone interested in neo-paganism knows and battled. 

2. De-Christianising: removing obvious Christian elements from “sacred” folk practices - think rodnovery Kolęda removing Christian elements from a folk tradition - one that is rooted in customs predating Christianity on slavic lands, and so can be stripped back into its more “original” (and pagan) form.

3. Sacralising folklore: taking elements of “secular” folk tradition and re-framing them in religious practice - for example, elevating folk melodies to sacred songs accompanying rodnovery rituals, or adapting the circular toasting custom of passing a drinking vessel among participants of an event as a religious expression other than just a secular way of toasting common among peasants.

4. Sacralising the archaic: emphasising ancient, archaic, timeless, non-modern aspects, moods and motifs - similar to above, putting religious emphasis on things which in the past were simply common. think archeological finds regarding clothing and adaptation of everyday clothing of the past as sacred or ritual clothing for modern reconstructionist practice. another example: drinking horns and mead being chosen for religious ritual because they are seen as more authentic (incorrectly) than wine or cups which are “too modern”.

5. Sacralising the natural: emphasising that which is organic, untamed, rustic. the clear emphasis on low-tech content, everything is wood or stone or raw wool - celebrations are more likely to be felt as legitimate if they happen in the forest rather than in a bar. 

6. Aesthetising: artistic embellishment of existing practice. think how focused rodnovers are on creating religious visual art, music, craft mead for celebrations, hand embroidered banners and altar cloths, representations of deities and reimaginations of symbols. this helps build a language of religious expression which for rodnovers is much more communal and reliant on members of the religion. not every member of christianity feels responsible for making religious art to be used by the religion - that task is usually fulfilled by the hierarchical structure.

7. Indigenising: localisation of ideas and practices found elsewhere. so some foreign ideas are rejected in order to maintain cohesion (for example Valentine’s Day being seen as a US tradition which does not belong on slavic lands) vs acceptance and adoption of others. the biggest example Simpson gives is the widespread usage of Internet and social media in creation of this religious belonging. or utilising fire poi in kupala celebrations.

8. Direct revelation from sacred beings (ancestors, spirits of nature, gods): If the sacred beings are understood as currently real, and if they have made their presence known to the Slavic tribes in the past, then they may do so now. think shamanic approaches, divination, contacting ancestors as beings with agency and influence, interpreting signs from gods.

[marmidas]

Nothing more freeing than streaking through town on a crisp autumn morning

[nomsfaultau]

I was passing by a linden tree on my way to school and I immediately thought "Ooh, I had one of those in my backyard! Bees loved them! I wonder if Fault!Tubbo would like them.". And then I went on a googling spree because apparently some people think that linden nectar kills bees because it has things toxic to bees in it but ppl have disproved that. So. Linden trees. Tubbo's opinion on then? And your opinion on them

My opinion is that I’ve never seen or heard of them but they’re incredibly beautiful. So first I went on a googling spree to see if Tubbo has ever encountered one via geographic range, and while maps and sites differ, I believe generic rural area in West Sussex falls into that area.

Now I’ve found other maps that place it outside that area, but it is also a tree people plant themselves. Rhodes (guy who adopts Tubbo) is mentioned mostly as an apple farmer but I imagine he has a variety of crops that don’t strictly have to be fruit based, since people use it mostly for tea or home remedies. Plus he likes gardening so might just have it for beauty. So I think we can assume Tubbo has at least encountered linden trees.

And Tubbo LOVES them. They were a feral changeling in the woods for like the first 5-6 years of their existence and so deffo wouldn’t have encountered the rumor that they’re toxic to bees. Apparently that stems from linden trees flowering late in the season when bees are already starving, plus including caffeine that bees find irresistible buuut is probably not the most filling flowers they could find. But as a hivemind Tubbo has more communication and intelligence than individual bees, so could probably figure out that while delicious they needed to focus on other foods as well. Probably didn’t stop baby Tubbo from going nuts for the first one they found, getting suped up on caffeine and being over come with bee zoomies. Wouldn’t take very much since the hivemind shares experiences, which Tubbo found out in their experimentation with mead. Rhodes might’ve put a limit on that, but then Tubbo would snap back on him about how much tea he makes, etc.

Plus, linden trees make for absolutely DELICIOUS honey! So I can just picture Tubbo purposefully making some so that Rhodes and Martha can bake it into something amazing. Canonically their honey already tastes like divine ambrosia, but this would really up it a notch. Plus, medicinal benefits like helping with colds and other stuff that I think is more alleged but it’s possible? Potentially they could even be selling excess linden honey since it’s so hard to get but they also don’t want to draw much attention to Tubbos’ existence so that’s a toss up.

In short they’re like caffeinated candy that Tubbo adores and is fine to have as long as they balance the rest of their diet.

[1super2]

beth mead - we love being enemies really

You played for barca aswell as the lionesses and today you guys were playing barca in the champions league .

You were excited to see some of your friends but you guys were rivals until the game ended . Alexia was constantly telling you to stay focused even when you were playing against some of your closest friends .

You had all just arrived at the stadium getting ready for the game .

Whilst you were warming up you noticed a few of the england girls smiling at you which you returned and then you saw the glare the alexia gave you and you stopped and got into game mode .

Sometimes she was terrifiying.

We were now standing in the tunnel getting ready to walk out . i was in game mode and it seemed as if everyone else was as i walked past beth gave me a dirty glare .

We all huddled round as alexia came over and the game began .

We started off the game with a lot of possession and a lot of chances . With me being right back i was trying to push up the field as much as possible to get us a goal which meant i bumped into beth a lot more .

In the 7th minute we have a corner which we play short . I am standing in the box with beth mead marking me as the cross comes in we both jump up to get it and collide . The ref gives them a free kick which was ridiculous.

" How is that a free kick i didn't touch her " i ask as she just signals me away .

Alexia walks over to try and calm me down before i get a yellow and then the game continues again .

Beth came sprinting up the pitch with the ball sticking to her feet so i knew what i had to do so i tackled her not allowing her passed me .

As soon as the ref blows her whistle i know i am going to get a yellow card but to be honest i didn't care .

However i did not take us long to get a goal from atiana .

I run straight past beth whilst smirking knowing that she will get pissed off and celebrated with my teammates.

We were now on a streak with jenni getting us another goal just 5 minutes later .

We all knew that this game now going to be getting more physical but we were ready .

Arsenal gets has a shot on goal and alexia was booked which was not the right decision but i couldn't argue with the ref as i would most likely get a red .

Just when we thought we were going into half time with just two goals frido manages to get a third and at half time it was 3-0 too us .

We all went into half time confident and ready for the next 45 minutes ahead of you guys .

We came back into the next half just a strong with lots of ideas to score more goals . Arsenal has also came out stronger with the giving lots of attacks .

Foord came charging into the box and i tackled her whilst clearing getting the ball . Both her and beth were trying the ref to give a penalty that we both knew was not right .

The ref said no pen .

" nice try there beth " i said to beth whilst running past her

In the 60 minute beth and alexia collide and we all have a break whilst beth gets some treatment .

After we had made some subs they instantly worked and jenni scored yet another goal now making it 4-0 .

We seeing the game out and it is arsenal throw in .

Beth keep trying to push we back to i give her a gentle push which she did not like and turned around shuving me back .

Luckily mapi came and pulled me back before i could retaliate meaning i would not get a second yellow and get sent off .

Beth got a yellow and i got subbed out as their were lots of chances of me getting a second yellow and i really didn't need that right now .

The game ended 4-0 to us and i walked over to the england girls in the huddle .

" good game girls" i said which they all replied

we all generally chatted before the rest left and it was just me and beth

" i am sorry about the game yk " she says

" is that the bethany mead apologising i cannot believe it " i joked as we just had a nice chat about life

We both had to go back inside now .

" I do love being enemies sometimes meado " i say before walking away whilst hearing her laughs in the distance

A/N

PLEASE CAN I HAVE SOME REQUESTS

[sterek-and-stuff-events]

Welcome to the first event!

Now until July 31st!

If you were considering doing something, but were too busy, etc, before or if this is your first time hearing of it, good news: You have a whole other month! (Until the day before the next full moon.)

This will take place between the dates of the next two full moons: June 3rd and July 3rd. (Edit: Now until July 31st!)

June’s is the Strawberry Moon, also called the Rose Moon and the Hot Moon.

July’s is the Buck Moon, also called the Hay Moon, Thunder Moon, Herb/Wyrt Moon, and Claiming Moon.

Depending on the region both are also known as the Mead Moon, hence the name and theme of the event. (The Mead Moon can also refer to the full moon closest to the summer solstice, which is in June most of the time, but is in July this year.) 

The summer solstice is June 21st, Midsummer Eve is June 23rd, and Midsummer Day is June 24th.

There are 3 ways to participate: fic, art or playlists involving 3 or more of the 21 prompts:

3s and 7s, self-expression 

Creative number 21

Fall into Altered Reality 

Frightening, enlightening or fun

 

Aphrodisiacs can induce

lovers, friends or strangers to fuck

The avatar of a dancing deity

Becomes a velvet antlered Buck

 

A courtship hunt before the Claiming

Games and riddles with the Fae

On the night of the next Full Moon

Rendezvous for a roll in the Hay

Herbs and nectar for a Honeymoon 

Converts Hot water into Mead

In the light of the Midnight Sun

A mischievous Midsummer Night’s Dream

Rumination, rambling, and Revelry 

A Ritual at the Rose of a thousand thorns

A Solstice feast of wild plum and Strawberry

Awaits between rainbows and dark Thunder storms

--Event info below--

Rules and requirements:

New or unpublished works are accepted for this event. Feel free to combine with other ongoing or upcoming events.

For Writers:

3,000 words minimum using 3 or more of the 21 prompts. 

This can be one work or multiple works of at least 1,000 words each. No maximum for word count or amount of works. 

For Artists:

Use 3 or more of the prompts to create visuals (drawings, gifsets, manips, vids/edits, moodboards, etc.) Can be one work or multiple. 

For Mixers:

There are 2 options for standalone fanmixes:

Use 3-7 prompts to make a playlist of 21 tracks. At least 3 tracks per prompt used. (For example: A playlist with 4 prompts — 5 songs for Rose, 7 songs for Full Moon, 3 songs for Thunder, and 6 songs for Altered Reality.) Arrange them however you like: all grouped together in segments, whatever flows best, randomly, etc.

Make a playlist of 21 songs with 1 song for every prompt in any order.

If you’re attaching a playlist to a fanfic or art post:

Do whatever you want, but you get extra cool points for 21 tracks and including 1 or more songs for every prompt that you use and/or 3 songs for at least one prompt.

Put your playlists on Spotify, YouTube or both so I can listen to them. 😉

Content:

This is an event for fans of Sterek, but it’s Sterek & Stuff for a reason. I’m a multishipper and some of you might be too, so the deal is if you pay the Sterek Toll you can do other Teen Wolf ships (or pre-ships and gen) in separate works in your series should you desire.

The Sterek Toll is:

At least 2 prompts and 1,000 words of Sterek for writers.

At least 2 prompts and 1 piece of art for artists.

Music is generally up to interpretation so unless you go out of your way to say it’s not for Sterek don’t worry about it, lol. But if mixers want a toll too then it’s 2-7 prompts and a 14 track playlist.  

All Sterek all the time is of course always welcome and there will be a Sterek Only subcollection on AO3 and separate Sterek and NonSterek posts on Tumblr. (Assuming anyone does NonSterek, lol.)

To count as a Sterek fanfic Stiles and Derek have to be together by the end of the work. The story should focus on them, but feel free to include other characters too. 

Sterek Plus and Sterek Poly go in the other ships category and is subject to the Sterek Toll.

Allowed:

Any background ship.

Crossovers as long as the focus is on Sterek (or other TW characters if you’ve paid the Sterek Toll.)

Angst, whump, and dark themes as long as the story (the last related work if it's part of a series) ends on an upbeat or hopeful note and there’s nothing from the Nope section.

Nope:

No permanent death of Stiles or Derek. If you’re doing a series in the same setting they both have to be alive and together (or have the possibility of being together in the future) in the last related work. This applies to other TW works too. (No permanently killing off whoever is in any other main ship either.)

No miserable, tragic endings. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect and happily ever after, but the last related work should at least have a hopeful or “we’ll make the best of this shit” ending for Stiles and Derek (or other main ship.) 

No explicit descriptions or depictions of sexual activity under 16. (Kissing, dating, references or vague descriptions are okay.)

No bestiality. (As in regular animals. Xeno /Tera with beta or full shifted Derek, Stiles, etc, is okay.)

No scat.

No death or gore fetishes. (As in rotting corpses and gaping wounds and stuff. Bloodplay is okay.)

No Real Person Fiction.

Make sure to tag accurately!

Posting:

The event starts at 5:30am PDT (12:30pm GMT) on June 3rd so please don’t post before then. 

Now officially ending at 11:59pm PDT on July 31st (6:59am GMT on August 1st,) but late posting accepted.

On Tumblr:

Tag your work here with #mead moons and #mead moons (prompt) for each prompt that you use. (Ex: #mead moons fae.) At @sterek-and-stuff-events. 

If you’re doing multiple works put links to the previous works in each new post. The requirements (3 prompts, 3,000 words for writers, etc) have to be met by the end of the event.

On AO3:

I’ll post the links to the AO3 collections on the morning of June 3rd. There will be a main Mead Moons collections and subcollections for Music, Art, Stories, and Sterek Only works. 

If you’re doing multiple works put them in a series. (Mead Moons or something related to your prompts.) The requirements (3 prompts, 3,000 words for writers, etc) have to be met by the end of the event.

Post your works to the main collection and relevant subcollections below.

The collections:

The main collection. Everything goes here.

Sterek only works.

You’ve reached the end!

Once more the prompts are: 21, Altered Reality, Aphrodisiacs, Becomes, Buck, Claiming, Fae, Full Moon, Hay, Herbs, Honeymoon, Hot, Mead, Midnight Sun, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Revelry, Ritual, Rose, Solstice, Strawberry, and Thunder. (They're up to your interpretation!)

Thanks for checking out the event. I hope you enjoy creating and/or reading, looking at, and listening to the works! 

I'm @triskhellion

Discord.

[darkmaga-retard]

"All they talk about is me."

John Ellis

Sep 17, 2024

1. Some very good news first. Researchers at the University of Waterloo have designed an energy-efficient device that produces drinking water from seawater using an evaporation process driven largely by the sun. Desalination is critical for many coastal and island nations to provide access to fresh water, given water scarcity concerns due to rapid population growth and increasing global water consumption. Roughly 2.2 billion people worldwide have no access to clean water, emphasizing the urgent need for new technologies to generate fresh water, according to the UN World Water Development Report 2024. The link to the researcher’s work is here. (Sources: sciencedaily.com, data.unicef.org, nature.com)

2. The number of Ukrainians and Russians killed or wounded in the grinding 2½-year war has reached roughly one million, a staggering toll that two countries struggling with shrinking prewar populations will pay far into the future. Determining the exact number of dead and wounded in the conflict has been difficult, with Russia and Ukraine declining to release official estimates or, at times, putting out figures that are widely mistrusted. A confidential Ukrainian estimate from earlier this year put the number of dead Ukrainian troops at 80,000 and the wounded at 400,000, according to people familiar with the matter. Western intelligence estimates of Russian casualties vary, with some putting the number of dead as high as nearly 200,000 and wounded at around 400,000. (Source: wsj.com)

3. The United States is amassing an arsenal of abundant and easily made anti-ship weapons as part of American efforts to deter China in the Indo-Pacific region and gear up U.S. forces there. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has pushed U.S. thinking toward a new philosophy - "affordable mass," as one missile industry CEO put it, speaking on condition of anonymity, referring to having plenty of relatively cheap weapons at the ready. "It's a natural counter to what China has been doing," said Euan Graham, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute think tank, referring to the Chinese arsenal of ships and conventional ballistic missiles including those designed to attack vessels. (Source: reuters.com)

4. Moldy armor and expired ammunition were among “unserviceable” US military equipment delivered to Taiwan recently, and the island’s defence ministry says it is looking into the issue. The items in question were delivered between November and March under the US Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). The shipments included 120 water-damaged pallets containing more than 3,000 body armour plates and 500 tactical vests that were “soaking wet and covered in mould”, according to the US Office of Inspector General (OIG), which launched an investigation after the matter was flagged by the Taiwanese defence ministry. Additionally, some of the 2.7 million rounds of poorly packaged ammunition were manufactured in 1983 and had expired, the US Department of Defence oversight agency said. (Source: scmp.com)

5. The Commission on the National Defense Strategy released its final report to Congress and the President in July. Walter Mead comments on its disturbing conclusions:

The U.S. faces the “most serious and most challenging” threats since 1945, including the real risk of “near-term major war.” The report warns: “The nation was last prepared for such a fight during the Cold War, which ended 35 years ago. It is not prepared today.” Worse, “China and Russia’s ‘no-limits’ partnership, formed in February 2022 just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has only deepened and broadened to include a military and economic partnership with Iran and North Korea. . . . This new alignment of nations opposed to U.S. interests creates a real risk, if not likelihood, that conflict anywhere could become a multitheater or global war.” Should such a conflict break out, “the Commission finds that the U.S. military lacks both the capabilities and the capacity required to be confident it can deter and prevail in combat.” (Sources: wsj.com, armed-services.senate.gov, italics mine)

[arithecreatorsstuff]

Things Johnny Cage is No Longer Permitted to do On Base

By order of General Blade, signed off by Major Briggs, Johnathon Carton Cage is no longer permitted to do the following activities on base grounds:

Challenge new arrivals to banana cream pie battles (it was funny once, but only when the Joker was here, and even then it got old after the first 5 times)

Set up ANY communications devices (we cannot keep replacing your iPhone, just have Commander Cage do it from now on)

Organize "team building" exercises. Tanks do not build themselves.

Redecorate the Officer's Club

Hold paintball matches (General Blade is still angry part of her favorite tank is now irrevocably neon pink)

Teach any offworlders slang (Why did you even think teaching Raiden 'yeet' and 'yoink' was a good idea is beyond me)

Create 'performance art' from Sub Zero's ice klones. Grandmaster is still not amused, but the one with the reindeer antlers was cute

Use Grandmaster Hasashi to toast marshmellows

Refer to female members under his command as his 'angels' (you aren't Charlie, and since Commander Cage is under your command, it's downright creepy)

Challenge new members to dance offs. Face it, you CANNOT dance.

Replace Lord Fujin's jelly beans with the really weird ones from that movie (cilantro, soap, earwax, and death are terrible flavors to drop on an unsuspecting Elder God)

Drink with Bo Rai Cho. Seriously, his rice wine is stronger than Asgardian mead, which will also have you doing stupid things. Remember the horse incident?

Build any sort of kombat robot (strapping a knife to the office roomba does count)

Touch the rocket launchers

Talk to Lt. Rambo (his request, he's not a fan in the least)

Attempt any sort of repair on a government vehicle (how did you manage to make a jeep explode while changing a tail light is beyond me)

Make beer

Make wine

Make ANY alcohol

Declare holidays (stop trying to make 'Ninja Mime Day' happen, unless you want several people trying to remove your head)

Enter 'Dad Joke-Offs' with Master Takahashi

Tease the prisoners (you're damned lucky Tasia only kicked you in the junk)

No. More. Dartboards! You are not to be trusted with them. Kabal is still angry about you scoring a bullseye on his left buttcheek