#might have to order some new shipping boxes at some point but that can probably wait til march. we'll see

[desperatepleasures]

well have had a good first month of 2024 financially where my et//sy shop is concerned at least!!

[kemendin]

6, 12 & 29 for ao3 wrapped!

6. Favorite title you used?

Ooooh this is a tough one. Probably One Final Act or Cover Your Crystal Eyes (can you tell I am partial to those fics haha).

12. How many WIP’s do you have in your docs for next year?

Actual ‘I have at least started jotting down dialogue or outlining ideas’ WIPS: Six (when did that happen oh gawd), four of which are partially written.

Ideas for future fics: Probably at least twenty by this point send help can’t write fast enough

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

YOU CAN’T ASK ME TO CHOOSE JUST ONE so here are a few (under cut because uhh got kinda long whoops, I love my writing okay):

The Price of Mercy

Scourge closes in. “Listen to me, Caspian,” he urges, and Cas turns towards him again, automatically. In spite of all their differences, he can’t help but want to listen whenever the Sith speaks. There’s an allure in the way Scourge seems to taste each word as he utters it, the sounds precise yet just alien enough to catch the listener off guard.

Shadows on Belsavis

But this was another kind of healing altogether, the sort that reached into his very cells and dragged them back together, forcibly mending them through the darkness of his companion’s will. His surroundings spun as he buckled beneath Scourge’s hand, and then he wasn’t in the depths of Belsavis anymore, but a place of shining, shadowed metal; Scourge was standing over him, black-armoured, forcing him back to life again and again; and a shrouded husk of a voice was clamped around his mind like a shock collar, numbing him with an endless command of submit, submit, submit -

~

Sharp light spilled towards them as the floor of the passage levelled off, and the exit to Belsavis’ surface came into view. After the dark warren of the vaults below, Cas found himself squinting a bit as he and Scourge emerged into daylight.

He had to pause again as a flurry of snow dove at them from the high rocks on either side of the entrance. The open air felt even colder than the underground corridors; the wind was erratic but harsh, the sunlight turned aside by the towering enclosures of ice that walled off most of this area. Cas hunched over, wishing he’d thought to bring a robe to bundle around himself.

Cover Your Crystal Eyes

He’d never seen Scourge wear them, never seen him change out the simply etched rings that hung about his face for something like these exquisite ornaments. But he could imagine how fine they would have looked. And so he’d stood there, in the endless, unbearable quiet, with a dusty box clutched to his chest, and drowned in the slow agony of what might have been.

~

“I should never have let you board Marr’s ship on your own! I should have gone with you, and protected you, and ripped Vitiate from the Eternal Throne with my bare hands! I would have killed him then and there, and his children as well, and then none of this would have happened -”

~

“I thought my life would be complete, when Vitiate was dealt his final end. That I would know some sense of satisfaction. But instead I felt a… a profound emptiness. I’ve spent so long with my life’s focus on him, and him alone, that I didn’t know what to do, what to be, without it. Even all the new emotions rising within me were not enough to fill that void.”

~

“I have no need for dreams, Jedi. I have you.”

One Final Act

There is no walking away from this. Failure is not an option. He is damned no matter what he does, and so he might as well be damned doing what he does best - following orders.

~

As the room thunders with the scream of high-powered energy bolts, and the droids spit a death sentence at the Emperor’s Wrath, Quinn forces himself to watch. It is both his pride and his penance, to bear witness to Khel Sutek’s fall.

~

“I should kill you for what you did.” It’s an almost idle remark.

Malavai is still rather dazed as he washes his tongue across his lower lip.

“At this point, my lord, I wouldn’t be entirely averse. It would save us both a great deal of embarrassment.”

“And Vette says you haven’t got a sense of humour,” Khel murmurs drily.

Worth Anything

Now Caspian’s presence is like unwillingly tempered steel - worn down, yet still edged, hard to read and harder to break. Scourge would have approved of this, once - a part of him still does, proud of how far the Jedi has come - but another, quieter piece murmurs a surprising lament for the young knight with a silver gaze still wide-eyed in wonder.

~

There is so much brightness here, so much life. This, he realises, is the Force as the Jedi know it, the harmony of simple existence; and to a being such as Scourge - shaped by darkness, and emptiness, and pain - the sheer gentleness that flows around him, and through him, is overwhelming. Almost before he notices, the cloth around his eyes is damp with salt, and then he is spread out across the fluttering grass, weeping for an instant, and then laughing, certain that nothing before has ever given him such a strange joy, except perhaps his love for the Jedi who has brought him here.

~

“Not every monument has to be built in the name of war, Scourge. Peace… is its own kind of triumph.”

~

Scourge emits a soft groan and lies back on a patch of blanket still warmed by the sun. He closes his eyes, basking. More than his belly feels full and sated; his very being is swollen with it, relaxed and unburdened and happy to sprawl back like a predator after the success of the hunt.

Cleansing Our Ashes

The binders were biting into his already chafed and stinging wrists, and the blindfold was too low, making it feel as though he couldn’t get enough air in through his nose. He sucked in harsh, shallow breaths through his mouth instead, rainwater slicking from his sodden hair and past his panting lips. His body was quivering no matter how sternly he told it to stop, and his heart was trying to compete against the entire percussion section of the Kaas City Orchestra (and not doing badly, at that). But his mind had gone strangely blank.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go, was all he could think. This wasn’t how his life of service was supposed to end - shot for his loyalties with a rifle of his own beloved Empire. They’d toss his body in the waste disposal, and all that would be left of Captain Malavai Quinn would be a smear on the wall below Kaas City.

~

“I spent far too long searching for you to let you slip away when you’re finally here,” replied Malavai bluntly. For an instant his eyes flashed with a familiar blue gleam. “And I’m not going to be coy about that, not after what it’s cost me.”

~

“You,” Quinn gritted out, “are a miserable, spineless, snivelling imitation of something that was squeezed out of a Hutt’s back end.” His icy gaze pinned Lorman to the floor. “Now say it.”

Lorman’s whimpers became another howl of pain as Quinn pressed the sole of his boot to the blaster wound, leaning on it. Hard.

“Say it! Tell me what you are!”

[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

9/5/2022 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 28 - 31

It's the fifth day of September, I'm Jill. Welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological. I'm so grateful to have you here, and I am so, so humbled and honored to be on this journey with you, reading through the Word of God. We do it every day here and we read the Bible in chronological order. That is as best as historians and theologians can put the Bible in chronological order, in order of how it happened and transpired. We are in the Book of Ezekiel right now and we're reading today. Ezekiel, chapters 28 through 31. This week we're reading God's Word Translation. I want to just take a quick second because I'm getting emails from new people and so I want to just address something that we do often around here. If you are brand new and you're like, do I jump in today or do I go back to the very beginning, try to catch up? Great question, first of all. Secondly, we totally recommend starting today. Start with us today. And here's the reason why. When we go back and try to play catch up, it can be overwhelming, especially this far into the year. Chances are you will never get caught up at this point. And then you'll just sort of jump out of the boat and swim to shore and abandon the ship altogether. We want you here. And also because we do participate in community events sometimes as a DAB community. And if you are catching up, you cannot stay current with what is happening in the community. So real quick like, if you're brand new and you're overwhelmed because you've missed all of what's happened so far, start today and then in just a few months you're going to start brand new. You'll start from the beginning and you will do it with a family that you already know. So we want you here and we want you here, not overwhelmed. So we say welcome. We say, we are so glad that you're here and can't wait to see how the Bible transforms your life. Ezekiel chapter 28.

Commentary

We are very much in the Book of Ezekiel, and we know that Ezekiel was one of the prophets, but he is also one of the three prophets that were also priests. Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Zechariah were not only prophets, but they're also priests. And so a priest with priestly credentials coming to prophesy might carry a little bit more weight than, I want to say, just a prophet, but that feels very belittling. The role of a prophet is, well, I wouldn't want that title, I wouldn't want that job, and I probably would be one to fight against God my own self. Because we can very much treat prophets in this modern day and age as fortune tellers. We want to make sure that there is some financial stability in our future. We want to make sure that love and security is in our future. But we're not listening so much to the potential destruction and judgment that could come if we do not turn from our sinful ways. And this is the thing that we must remember when we read the Book of Ezekiel and we must remember from all of the other prophets, minor and major, they are for telling what God is going to do. But it also very much comes with a strong plea to return to God so that these things do not take place. God is not trying to destroy a people, he is trying to eradicate wickedness. And I don't want to speak for God and say that I know exactly what God is doing. But how great would it be for us today to live in a world where evil is eradicated and we can pray and we can ask God and we can beg God who is all powerful, to come and do such a thing. Or we can be a part of that decision. Of that world that we live in. To play our part as the body of Christ. As believers in Jesus Christ. The Son of Almighty God and believers of Almighty God, to turn from our own wickedness. Our own idols that we have placed before God. And we speak about this continuously. They're not always iron or bronze statues that sit on the mantel of our fireplace. They can be little rectangle boxes we hold in our hands. They can be public figures to which we will never meet, that we have placed our trust, our belief in. And we have destroyed relationships and abandoned family over belief in people that we will never even meet face to face. Idle worship comes in so many different forms. Wickedness can just be the hatred that we participate in daily. We know that we choose our words, we choose the power of life and death in our words every single day. So we may not participate in evil through the destruction of human bodies, but we participate in the destruction of human souls daily with our words, with our deeds, with our actions. And we ourselves have a choice to choose love every single day. And God knew that it was difficult enough a task, to send his son to come and be Jesus Emmanuel, God with us, that before he left the earth he told us that people will know that we are his by the way, that we love one another. I could preach it all day, every day, I could do a twelve hour podcast every day just talking about love. And we will still miss the mark because of our pride, because of our own stubbornness, because of our own defiance and our willingness to know what God has spoken, to outright know it and deny what he has asked us to do. So we hear the words of Ezekiel today and over the course of the next few days and we take into consideration the context of what is happening in this story, in this particular place and time and then we can apply it to our own lives and see where we must turn from our ways and run back to the arms of Almighty God.

Prayer

Father, we thank you for your word today. And we thank you that we get a role to play in your kingdom, knowing that your kingdom is here and now among us and we have a very distinct role to play in that kingdom. I pray, Father, that we would choose to be a part of the goodness that is you. We spread the love and the goodness of God to every person that we come in contact with. Thank you for including us in this work and may we count the cost and feel the weight of responsibility with that which you have entrusted us to be hands and feet, the body of Christ. We pray this now in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, amen.

Announcements

Daily Audio Bible, that's homebase. Check it out. If you have not. That's also the app. You can download it. If you would like to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you so much for your partnership. If you are giving by mail DAB PO Box 1996, Spring Hill, Tennessee 37174. Or you can hit the Give icon on the website itself. If you need prayer, several different ways for you to reach out, you can call our number 800 583-2164. Or you can utilize your mobile device, hit the red circle button up at the top right hand corner of that device. You have two minutes on the prayer line, hit Submit, turn the wheel over to Chronological and it will get to the right place. That's going to do it for me today, I'm Jill. We'll turn the page together tomorrow. Look forward to a great week being with you all. We'll turn the page together tomorrow. Until then, I'm Jill. Love one another.

Community Prayer Line

Hello DABC, this is Erin from Houston. I've got three prayer requests. First one is for cousin one who had previously moved away for a while under circumstances I wasn't sure about, but I figured God would work and it seems like he may have, but it's kind of two steps forward, one step back, as it were. Either way, I've had trouble keeping track of him, trying to stay in touch, but he has now moved back to town, so just be praying for him. He got his old job back, so that's good. So hopefully he can get back on his feet over here. Prayer also for his mother, who from what I could tell is not a believer or at the very least does not seem to want to engage with believers. We've been trying to pray for her for a long time. Even though much of my family is Christian, she seems to be very resistant, so please just pray for her. Finally, another family member. After a lot of prayer he has, apparently he and his wife are now going to marriage counseling, which I think is definitely the best thing for them. And so just be praying that they be diligent, they do the homework, that they really take this seriously because it could be a huge turning point for them. That's all that I got. Thank you so much again for all the prayers and everything that you all have helped me out with. It's just been great being a part of this little community. Thank you very much. Bye.

Hi, this is Nicole Got, Creative Child in Texas, and I'm calling for a prayer request for a family member of mine. Her name is Andy James. Our mothers are like sisters and we've known each other all of our lives. She just had a baby girl named Lily, and she was able to be with her for a whole month before she started slurring her words and not being able to talk. And we find that she had a mini stroke and was in the hospital for a week, and they were about to let her go and she had a seizure and then went home again and then had another major stroke. And she's been in the stroke unit for weeks now, and they are now moving her to rehab for physical therapy, and she hasn't seen her baby girl in a whole month. And we're just trying our best to make it as comfortable for her as possible. Please pray for her. I don't know who else to ask, because I know this community is a praying community and that this will be heard around the world. And she needs all the prayers you can get. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ, assured, surely Emmanuel, amen. Thank you.

Hi, DABC it's his beloved Wednesday afternoon 130 my time. I'm calling because I'm going to have an ultrasound right now on a lump that my doctor found on my thyroid. So I just don't want to be nervous about it. And I just want to pray that if you would please pray with me because I love you guys so much and I believe in all of our prayers together as we stand together as brothers and sisters. And I know there's so much power in this wonderful family that Brian and Jill created anyway, that it would just be non cancerous and something.

[tinyshe]

Garden Report & Frugal Living 23.07.22

Note to self: do not dry cherry plums with pits still in (you know better!).

It has been a cold, damp type of summer and all of a sudden signs of autumn are creeping in. The ginkgo tree leaves are moving towards the yellow colour spectrum of green. Just this week I found a couple of leaves on the walkway.

I need to work on the sewing machine’s tension to see if I can balance it myself. I do miss my old treadle machine -- it never had a problem. I really need to assemble the ancient hand machine I had shipped (a year? two years? maybe more? i’m winding down like an old clock not being able to keep the correct time). The sewing projects and mending needs are piling up and there is not good storage/holding area for these. I need better organizational. This includes yarn and other fibers plus the tools. Wouldn’t an old fashion work room be lovely?

This was the first time we couldn’t get the laundry bar /soap from the hardware store so we had to order that. Its taking a couple of weeks to arrive but its in bulk so we can make our laundry sauce for a bit then. A little bit of an investment but it will ‘keep’.

In the garden I got the peas planted. I pre-spouted some before planting. It was interesting to see some just turn to goop or fall apart while others developed a healthy eye root. Hoping that will give them a head start before pest arrive. Planted some leeks, red amaranth and more kale. Needing to rework the grow boxes as needed. The garlic we planted in the autumn/winter is closer to being harvested but due to weather, its not ready (still!). This week the fog was so thick, I actually thought its was rain with the way the flow off the roofs was happening -- maybe it was and that weatherman is just lying (again/still). I know some people are just pulling their garlic and onions up impatiently but I want full heads, not just a bulbous clove. I have some other garlic that is just begging to be put in the ground.  I might just put them guerilla gardening style in the front garden. Still need to get the root crops in but ... circle back *check notes*, need to rework the grow boxes.

Since the season is putting out an autumn vibe, I feel the need to prep the aviary. Its a little early but I don’t think the hens mind -- it means more out time to run amuck and get into trouble.  Its been slim on the greens this year. Usually I can grow enough for our table and scraps for the chickens, supplemented by other people that will save their green veg for them but this year we are down to slim pickings solo. They are adjusting to getting nettles (the grass i let go in the front for them is done) so i am thankful that those give me three croppings. By the time I get across the patch, I start again at the other end.

Because of the veg and fruit shortages and in addition to me not feeling energetic, I am putting most of the pantry goods through the dehydrator. I hesitated to do cucumbers but I did try a small handful of an old english variety of cucs and made cuc chips. They have an interesting earthy flavour. I think they will be a fun crunch on winter salades, like veggie croutons. There are probably other uses but right now watching the grocer warehouse as to deals coming through and trying to plan accordingly. Roma style toms are just about at a price point that I’m agreeable with. I hope to get a case tomorrow. Green bell peppers are coming in at a very low price but blueberries will be coming to an end and only have the one dehydrator since Kat has my other one. The grocer is also getting ready to dump frozen berries at a cheaper price than fresh (making room for new stock) so I am tempted to buy bulk and turn into fruit leather. Fingers crossed that utilities aren’t diverted since the drier is electric. We don’t get enough sun to lay things out in the car to dehydrate!

Flowers: its was a slow start. Most of the roses had a spectacular show. Not to be outdone, the dahlias, daisies and other flowers are really doing their best. It is really nice to have enough to have cut flowers in the house. There was a great flux of bees this spring and early summer but of late, there isn’t very many (except for that super swarm I drove through -- now that was sad!) . It could be just not enough for them in my garden or they visit when I’m out and away.

Hope you all are getting out and gardening and doing something awesome.

[oliviachows]

Benefits of Buying Farm Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Online.

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables online has numerous advantages. The advantages incorporate quality, assortment, free delivery, and limits.

At the point when you purchase Farm Fresh Vegetables and Fruits, you're supporting little homesteads and the neighborhood food development. Unlike grocery store produce, which is grown on large scales in factory farms, transported by planes and trucks, and can be pickled or coated with chemicals to appear "fresher", it is frequently selected by willing, fairly compensated workers.

Quality.

A great way to ensure that your fruits and vegetables are of the highest quality is to purchase them from local farms. They are picked when they are at their best and not shipped far, so the vitamins and minerals in them stay fresher for a longer time.

In addition, you might get a chance to ask the farmer any questions you might have about their food. You could inquire about, for instance, the genetic changes they have made to the food to enhance its flavor and the chemicals they use on the farm.

Additionally, you can discover unusual fruit varieties that are unavailable at your neighborhood grocery store. You can get different kinds of fruit every month from these subscription services that you probably wouldn't have access to otherwise.

Variety.

Buying Farm Fresh Vegetables and Fruits online saves you a lot of time because you don't have to go through multiple stores to find high-quality products. You'll also save energy and money by doing this.

In the current scenario, no one has enough time to browse the supermarket aisles for fruits and vegetables because they are too busy with their daily lives. Therefore, purchasing them online is the most convenient and time-saving option.

The assortment of products sold by online ranchers stores is additionally immense. These stores work with nearby and territorial homesteads to bring new, natural produce straightforwardly to your entryway.

Some of these stores even provide healthy produce delivered to your door via subscription boxes. They may likewise offer limits and free delivery.

Free Shipping.

Customers have come to expect free shipping on all online orders, which provides e-commerce businesses with a significant incentive. However, it can be costly for small to medium-sized retailers to provide free shipping.

Fortunately, you don't have to break the bank to offer free shipping. These strategies can drive more changes and work on your store's return for capital invested.

One of the best procedures is to set a base buy limit with the expectation of complimentary delivery. This technique assists you in withholding steadfast clients and increment deals during slow periods.

Another technique is to indicate an inexact conveyance date at checkout. Customers are encouraged to place orders sooner as a result of this, as it lets them know when they will receive their orders.

Last but not least, don't forget to provide affordable shipping options for products that aren't eligible for free shipping. You'll be able to keep up with your rivals and meet customer expectations with this strategy. Additionally, it boosts your average order value and reduces your shipping costs.

Discounts.

A great way to save money is to buy produce in bulk. It's likewise really smart to utilize coupons while looking for produce.

One of the most incredible ways of finding produce coupons is to pursue a store rewards card. This card will follow your buys and naturally send you to produce coupons as you shop.

Discounts on particular items can also be found online at a lot of grocery stores. Cashback on specific products is offered by some of these offers, while others are free.

Finding discount codes for produce delivery services is another great way to save money on produce. New subscribers typically have access to these codes, which can help you save money on your first box.

For some products, some produce delivery services even provide free shipping. Those are excellent choices for people who live in areas with few grocery stores. 

Likewise Gomaple Farm Fresh in Kingston provides free delivery services.

[funkyflowers12]

Choosing the Perfect Sunday Floral Delivery Service

Sunday floral delivery is a wonderful gift for anyone who loves fresh flowers, and it’s a great way to surprise loved ones at any time of the year. In addition to bouquets, many services offer a range of other gifts, including charcuterie and fruit baskets, baked goods, balloons, and teddy bears.

Choosing the Perfect Flower Gift

There are a lot of different flower types and designs available, so it can be hard to decide which blooms are appropriate for a particular occasion. For example, if you’re sending flowers to someone who has recently moved into a new apartment, it’s probably best to stick with traditional roses or tulips. But if you’re trying to make the gift a little more special, you might want to consider something like a tulip-filled cactus plant.

You can also opt for a curated flower subscription, which usually includes a box of beautiful blooms sent to your recipient on a regular basis. For example, UrbanStems offers three subscription plans--Classic ($55), Seasonal ($75), and Luxe ($105)--that ship a curated selection of blooms to your recipient every week, every other week, or monthly.

For a DIY flower lover, Poppy Flowers makes it easy to create your own arrangement using their pre-arranged floral kits. Each kit contains 30 to 55 stems that you arrange yourself, and all of the bouquets are sustainably grown and sourced from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms in South America.

The company offers both same-day and next-day orchid pink deliveries, as well as free shipping on all orders over $50. You can even sign up for a membership to get a free glass vase with your first order!

One of the most popular flower delivery services, FTD has a massive catalog of flower arrangements and gift baskets for any occasion. The website makes it simple to filter by the occasion, flower type, or price range so you can find the right blooms for your recipient.

Aside from flower bouquets, FTD also offers a wide variety of additional gifts and gifts baskets, including charcuterie and fruit baskets, as well as candles, plants, and other items that can be added to your order. You can also customize your delivery date by indicating when you want the flowers to arrive.

You can also choose to ship flowers in a gift box, which is a popular choice for many people. These boxes usually arrive in bud form, so they’ll open two to three days after the recipient receives them.

Some services are better than others at offering a diverse array of bouquets, while others offer the same quality at a lower price point. For instance, Benchmark Bouquets offers hundreds of bouquets at several price points, with most starting under $35.

But the service’s selection can be a bit sparse, especially for last-minute shoppers, so it’s worth checking out its Deal of the Day feature to see what’s on sale that day.

If you’re looking for a last-minute gift or just need flowers delivered quickly, you can always opt for a floral wire service, which relies on affiliate florists nationwide to deliver your flowers and other gifts. These companies are a great option for anyone who needs to send flowers quickly but doesn’t have the time or the budget to go to a florist. They often offer same-day or next-day flower delivery, as well as same-day delivery on gift baskets and other gifts. To know more information visit at www.funkyflowers.com.au.

[rollingsunblog]

How to Buy Japanese RPGs

A major goal of this blog is to pass on my own enthusiasm for the Japanese tabletop scene - and by doing so, encourage other folks to take the plunge and buy some of these games for themselves. Which of course begs the question: how exactly do you do that? 

WHERE TO BUY

If you’re genuinely interested in getting your hands on Japanese roleplaying games, there’s a variety of online retailers to choose from. Be aware that not all of these sites have English-language navigation available, so you may want to make sure your browser has a translation extension set up before you dive in. 

For Mainstream RPGs

Yellow Submarine, the iconic Japanese hobby store chain, maintains an online storefront for various analog gaming goods, including RPGs, accessories, and magazines. 

The online shopping portal Rakuten includes a bevy of retailers that sell new and second-hand RPG products. That said, due to the large number of stores involved, browsing the listings can be a slog at times. 

Mandarake is another expansive retailer, and has the added advantage of offering international shipping out of the box. 

Like Mandarake, Amazon will ship internationally, though books here tend to sell at a bit of a premium compared to other retailers. 

For Indie RPGs

Conos is probably the best-known independent RPG retailer in Japan, and stocks an impressive selection of both mainstream and doujin RPG products. Their site is generally easy to navigate, and purchases earn you points that you can redeem for discounts on future orders. 

Cokage has a similarly broad selection, though site design is a bit on the clunky side and their stock tends to consist of older releases. However, they may have games in stock that Conos has sold through and vice versa, so if you’re looking for a particular title, it’s worth checking both.

Unlke Conos and Cokage, Melon Books is more of a general indie storefront, but their TRPG section contains some interesting odds and ends. 

For Older Games

Trader’s Guild is dedicated to out-of-print RPG products and gamebooks. Stock rotates frequently and often sells at a premium, but outside of auction sites, this is one of the few places you’re going to find vintage titles. 

Mandarake carries an eclectic selection of older titles, including magazines. As with Trader’s Guild, it’s a bit of a crap shoot as to what will be in stock at any given time, but you might find a few surprises lurking in there. 

For Digital Games

Booth is a digital publishing storefront operated by popular Japanese art portal Pixiv, and actively used by indie circles of all sizes to sell their wares. 

DLSite has seen more of a push from the Japanese RPG community in recent years, though its roleplaying content tends to get buried under a mountain of borderline-racy ASMR downloads. 

Book Walker is best known for its manga and light novel downloads, but the Japanese storefront sells various RPG rulebooks, supplements, and tie-ins. 

Conos, Cokage, and Amazon all offer RPG e-books.

GETTING IT TO YOU

You’ll quickly notice that many of these retailers, especially smaller ones, won’t deliver to addresses outside of Japan. The easiest way around this is to take advantage of so-called forwarding services, which provide you with a Japanese mailing address for orders and then ship your purchases onto you for an additional fee.

The majority of my own shipping is done through Tenso, and after three years I’ve yet to run into any major issues with them. While you do end up paying extra for handling and shipping can get spendy depending on the weight of the final package, it’s a blessedly hassle-free way to get games from A to B.

Rakuten Global Express offers a similar service that integrates with your Rakuten account, which may be convenient if you do a lot of shopping through there. It can also be used with non-Rakuten stores and is effectively identical to Tenso in scope. In my limited experience, they tended to push faster and more expensive shipping, but your mileage may vary.

--

Did I miss a site or service? Feel free to drop a comment accordingly. Otherwise, happy shopping!

[chinesetonki]

Recurve quiver

The idea behind this type of sight is that you are going to line up your target so that you can see it right in the middle of that ring. Shall we start? Type one: The Open RingĪs the name suggest, this is nothing more than… an open ring. After you’re done reading what I have to say, making a decision will be simple. And so my goal right now is to rid you of that confusion once and for all, and I’m going to do that by describing three basic types of sights available, as well as mention what I believe to be the best models in each of those three categories. I realize this can be very confusing with the hundreds of different options on the market. At this point, you are probably asking yourself two questions: So you have now decided that you actually do need a sight, and that it won’t hinder you from improving your technique. So, did the sight help you aim better? Great! Now you need to settle on a specific model. Now, I’m not saying you should use a matchstick permanently – that wouldn’t be optimal 🙂 This is just a way to find out whether you actually need a sight or not. But what if you don’t have access to a range and no friends who own a bow with a sight? You can simply improvise and scotch-tape a match or a straight stick in place of a simple sight. Did the sight help you aim better? If not, then it’s most definitely a form / stance issue, and you need to work on that before buying a sight. Shoot a few arrows from a 10-or-so yard range, then do the same without the sight. Ask a friend or at your archery club if you can try out a bow with a sight. So how do you decide whether this is the case before shelling out the cash for a new sight? In which case, a sight will not help you at all – in fact, it will make things worse, as you will stop focusing on improving your stance and technique, resulting in even poorer performance down the road. If you are having trouble hitting a target at a short distance, say 10 yards, then the problem almost certainly lies in poor technique on your part. Unfortunately though, using a sight is necessary in some situations, and when that necessity arises you should know what to choose.įirst things first though, and this is something I really need you to understand before you go ahead and purchase anything: It’s just you, your “stick and string,” and your target. After all, the most awesome and rewarding part of shooting a recurve bow is that feeling of doing something traditional, natural, maybe even hardcore. Best recurve bows – top 10 chart, divided by price range.You might want to check out one of our four most popular guides: *orders paid with a check will take 2 weeks to process before order ships.All of the sights below will work great with any recurve bow that has been drilled to accept accessories. Any custom made goods (special colors, measurements, stitching, or any changes to our existing product will be charged a 25% restocking fee) Thunderhorn Mfg 1470 Bowman Road Pinesdale, MT 59841Īll returns will be charged a 10% Restocking fee. Please us UPS or FedEx for any deliveries. Thunderhorn Mfg PO Box 38 Pinesdale, MT 59841 USPS will no longer ship packages to our physical address. If Right or Left hand is not specified in Order Notes, the quiver will be set up as right handed. Please specify your choice in Order Notes in Cart. "In-Stock" quivers that are not specified with a model choice (Boa, Two-Point, Sidewinder or Linx) will be made into a right hand Boa. Please allow up to 1-2 weeks for custom orders to be fulfilled. Building Custom Longbows, quivers, stringers, and accessories since 1993.Īll "In-Stock" quivers can leave shop immediately.

[rourhksapocolypse]

alright, time for a tale.

A few days ago, I noticed the battery light on my dashboard blinking, complete with a Check Engine light on. A quick bit of Google-Fu later, and I'm thinknig it's the top result: A bad Alternator.

this concerned me, but i wasn't going to just go to the store and check the warning code; breaking a habit like "Go straight home" is hard to do. It's a repetitive motion where you stop thinking until after it's done without a reminder - at which point, you can't alter the habit because you've already done it, so it'll wait until tomorrow or necessity.

Add a few more days to a week. Today, I go, get gas for my empty tank, prepare to turn on the car - nothing.

No reaction whatsoever.

Car is dead in the water.

Welp.

So I wait an hour, end up helping an old lady after buying dinner and a set of jumper cables, then the old lady helps me by jumping my car. No Check Engine, full tank, but not sure if problem is gone yet.

So I go to the nearby O'Reilly's, yep, second diagnosis says bad alternator. Could buy one there, but it would have to be shipped to Colo Spgs from Denver, and it'd be $150.

Apprehensive,jpg

In the end, I don't buy the alternator there. So I wander, and with help I get some fuel system cleaner (soot build up can hurt milleage, might as well clean that up) and fresh window wipers, since I'd probably partially trashed the ones I had because I'd only replaced one and used both on ice before my heat was fixed.

Got that squared away, nice since it's the rainy season.

Get on the highway, no check engine light, but confirmed that the battery light flickering at 3 thousand rpms was still there. Almost home, turned in towards home, glance at my pphone and realize/remember: I was supposed to go to NAPA nearby. that was the plan I made with mom.

Tires will wait till tomorrow anyway.

So I turn three times, go towards napa, realize there's an O'Reillys next to NAPA and the new-ish Dairy Queen that's popped up in the last two years (rural Colorado, this is still kinda unexpected, but it's not like we don't have the space out there), so I turn into O'Reillys.

I already know that if it's not in stock like at the Colo Spgs store, they can order it from Denver, whereas NAPA was unknown. So I go in, get the alternator and an extra belt because I don't know what state mine's in and an extra isn't a bad idea anyway, proceed to stare at my alternator.

I am bad at being a Guy, because I don't have tools. How am I going to fix this?

then the other counter guy, Ivan, comes out, we talk, there's a battery / alternator tester box we try, everything checks out, then power cuts as me and mom communicate and confuse each other because I can only juggle three things at a time and there's more than three things happening. Also my phone is being unhelpful, because Phone app isn't working right.

First we think it's the starter, then she asks her friend for help and there's more communication and confusion, Ivan notices my hand job with the wiring on the battery from two years ago as he's cleaning off built up battery acid on the positive end of the battery.

Red wire is just fine. Black wire is loose and missing the tightening nut.

Cue instant problem solving.

In the end, the solution is simple: Tighten Black Wire connection and put on new nut.

When I got home, I remembered episode 1 of House M.D. At the very end, after 30 minutes of troubles, the solution is just 2 pills. Same kind of feeling of simplicity and relief as this one missing nut.

God used his plans of making me confident enough to make decisions for myself to skip out on a semi-irreversible purchase, getting other necessities, a new utility knife to replace my old belt knife (after some happy teasing drama about "that is a shiny knife I want it," "Do you even need a knife?" "No, I have plenty and lost more but it's Shiny, I want it!" did not buy that super shiny and probably sharp ten dollar knife), and a simple fix to a simple problem.

And that's my drama for today. Thanks for listening! :}

[dailyaudiobiblechronological]

9/5/2023 DAB Chronological Transcription

Ezekiel 28 - 31

It’s the 5th day of September, I’m Jill, welcome to Daily Audio Bible Chronological. I'm so grateful to have you here, and I am so humbled and honored to be on this journey with you reading through the word of God. We do it every day here, and we read the Bible in chronological order. That is, as best as historians and theologians can put the Bible in chronological order, in order of how it happened and transpired. We are in the book Of Ezekiel right now. And we're reading today Ezekiel chapters 28 through 31. This week we're reading God's Word translation. I want to just take a quick second because I'm getting emails from new people and So I want to just address something that we do often around here. If you are brand new and you're like, do I jump in today or do I go back to the very beginning, try to catch up? Great question first of all. Secondly, we totally recommend Starting today, start with us today. And here's the reason why. When we go back and try to play catch up, it can be overwhelming, especially this far into the year. Chances are you will never get caught up at this point and then you'll just sort of jump out of the boat And swim to shore and abandon the ship altogether. We want you here, and also because we do participate in community events sometimes as a DAB community and if you are catching up you cannot stay current with what’s happening in the community. Real quick, like if you're brand new and you're overwhelmed because you've missed all of what's happened so far, start today and then in just a few months you're going to start brand new. You'll start from the beginning and you will do it with the family That you already know. So we want you here and we want you here. And we want you here not overwhelmed. So we say welcome. We say we are so glad that you're here. And I can't wait to see how the Bible transforms your life. Ezekiel, Chapter 28. 

Commentary

We are very much in the book of Ezekiel and we know that Ezekiel was one of the prophets, but he is also one of the three prophets that were also priests. Ezekiel, Jeremiah and Zechariah were Not only prophets, but there are also priests, and so a priest with priestly credentials coming to prophecy, might carry a little bit more weight than I want to say, Just a prophet, but that feels very belittling.The role of a prophet is, well, I I wouldn't want that title. I wouldn't want that job, and I probably would be one to fight against God my own self, because we can very muchTreat prophets in this modern day and age as fortune tellers. We want to make sure that there is some financial stability in our future. We want to make sure that love and security is in our future. But we're not listening So much to the potential destruction and judgment that could come if we do not turn from our sinful ways. And this is the thing that we must remember when we read the book of Ezekiel. And we must remember from all of the other prophets, minor and major, They are foretelling What God is going to do, but it also very much comes with a strong plea to return to God so that these things do not take place. God is not trying to destroy a people he is trying to eradicate Wickedness. And I don't want to speak for God and say that I know exactly what God is doing, but but how great would it be for us Today, to live in a world where evil is eradicated and we can pray and we can ask God and we can beg God, who is all powerful, to come and do such a thing, or we can be a part of that decision. Of that world that we live in to play our part as the body of Christ, as believers in Jesus Christ, the Son of Almighty God, and believers of Almighty God To turn from our own wickedness, our own idols that we have placed before God, and we speak about this continuously. They're not always iron or bronze statues that sit on the mantle of our fireplace.They can be little Rectangle boxes, we hold it in our hands. They can be Public figures to which we will never meet, that we have placed our Trust, Our belief in and we have destroyed relationships and abandoned family Over belief in people that we will never even meet face to face. Idle worship comes in so many different forms. Wickedness can just be the hatred That we participate in daily. We know that we choose our words. We choose the power of life and death in our words every single day. So we we may not participate in evil through the destruction of human bodies, but we participate in the destruction of human souls daily With our words, With our deeds, with our actions. And we, We ourselves have a choice to choose love every single day. And God knew That it was difficult enough a task, To send his son to come and be Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us that before he left the earth he told us that people will know that we are his by the way that we love One another. I could preach it all day, every day. I could do a 12 hour podcast every day just talking about love. And we will still miss the mark. Because of our pride, because of our own stubbornness, because of our own Defiance. And our willingness to know what God has spoken to outright Know it and deny What he has asked us to do. So we hear the words of Ezekiel today And over the course of the next few days, And we take into consideration the context of what is happening in this story and this particular place and time, and then we can apply it to our own lives and see where we must turn from our ways and run Back to the arms of Almighty God.

Prayer

Father, we thank you for your word today. And we thank you that we get a role to play In your Kingdom, knowing that your Kingdom is here and now among us, and we have a very distinct role to play In that Kingdom. I pray, Father, that we would Choose to be a part of the goodness That is you. We spread the love and the goodness of God to Every person that we come in contact with, thank you for including us In this work. And may we Count the cost and feel the weight of responsibility, With that which you have entrusted us to be. Hands and feet, the body of Christ. We pray this now in the name of the Father, the Son, The Holy Spirit, Amen. 

Announcements

Daily Audio Bible. That's home base. Check it out if you have not. That's also the app. You can download it. If you would like to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, thank you so much for your partnership. If you are giving by mail, DAB PO Box 1996, Spring Hill TN 37174, or you can hit the Give icon on the website itself. If you need prayer several different ways for you to reach out, you can call our number 800-583-2164 or you can utilize your mobile device. Hit the red circle button up at the top right hand corner of that device. You have two minutes on the prayer line. Hit submit. Turn the wheel over to chronological, And it will get to the right place. That's going to do it for me today. I'm Jill. We'll turn the page together tomorrow. Look forward to a great week being with you all. We'll turn the page together tomorrow. Until then, I'm Jill, Love one another.

Community Prayer Line

Good morning, DABC. This is God's sunshine in California. And I just heard Ashley from Texas is a prayer request over Genesis and I just wanted to lift her up in prayer to you, Father God. We've been praying for baby Genesis Lord since she was conceived, God. And so Lord, you have special plans for her, And and for her Mama Ashley. And so Lord, I just lift her up to you. I just list lift up to you all her issues that she's having currently Lord. And I just ask that you would place your healing hands upon her God. That you would begin to make things move as they're supposed to move Lord. And that you would Help her to continue to grow strong and thrive. Lord, as you have great plans for her. Lord, you designed her, you created her, Lord and so you are going to just take great care of her. And so God, I just lift up to you also Ashley and I just ask that you give her peace, Lord, as she waits, God, that you would give her the wisdom that she needs, and that she would just keep her eyes just fixed on you, Lord, for the answers that she needs for each day on how to feel about everything that's going on, Lord. And so God, I just lift this mother and baby to you, God, and just ask that you would just wrap your arms around them, that you would hold them tight and squeeze them Lord and that you would just bring peace over them and strength healing and we thank you and we love you in Jesus name, Amen.

Hey, DAB, It's refined by the fire in Ohio. Wanted to update a couple things. But first, China and Jill, thank you guys so much for all that you do. For your sacrifice, your commitment to this community, your insights just absolutely adore you both. Everyone, I pray with you as you call in praise with you together, celebrate together, and then of course mourn and cry and carry the hard stuff together. So just know that you are out here being lifted up when you call in. And then a couple of quick updates. My friend with cancer, they are extending her chemo from two treatments to it sounds like 6. So just pray for her as she's going through that. That God may just heal her without the medication would be fabulous. And pray for our opportunities as we serve this family with some meals just to continue to be a light for Christ into their world and this difficult situation. Umm, my dad is not necessarily recovering, but also not Really declining. So just keep him in his in your prayers as He is finishing out, Um, his journey here, however long he may have On the side before he gets to meet Jesus face to face. Umm, And then just continue to lift up as we try to get the rest of these blankets covered for the rest of the people in the nursing home. Thanks all. Love you much. Talk to you soon.

There's Papa this morning we'll bring you Ashley and Texas. Her baby is constipated and it's been a while and. Umm, They've tried walking her and giving her prune juice and giving all kinds of things that should be helping her go, and she's not going. Umm, please help her figure out what's going on. Please help the doctors figure out what's going on. If it's something like Crohn's or something like that, please help the doctors. Give the doctors wisdom. Umm. And then please help the doctors treat the poor little one. But most of all, please heal the little one. She she needs you, Lord, and Mama needs you. Please take care of them both. We're begging you, Lord, we know that you can do this. You can snap your fingers and the baby will be healed and whole and well. And this is what we need. We're trusting you, Lord. We need your outrageous faithfulness. We know that you can do this and we're begging you. Thank you so much. Lord Ashley, this is your friend Adrian in Maryland, this mighty tortoise. And we love you. Please keep us posted on how it's going and how your baby is doing. Thank you. We love you. 

[primofate]

What I would say to Genshin male characters isekai’d to our world. [crackfic for fun]

Note: Bit of Filipino reference in Thoma’s

To Aether:

“Yes some people do believe in different Gods here... No, I don’t think I can take you to meet any of them,”

“What do you mean you don’t have a Paimon in this world? I’m right here? I’ll go wherever you go?”

To Albedo:

“I don’t have any painting materials... Oh here, use my tablet instead,”

“I do have a little sister... No. No bombs,”

“Come, I’ll show you what a REAL elevator is,”

To Bennett:

“If someone asks you to go to the casino just say no,” 

“That’s not a slime, that’s a jellyfish, I wouldn’t touch that if I were yo--oh woop, okay, too late,”

To Chongyun:

“Oh you’re gunna LOVE Halloween,”

"So would your exorcism work on the toxic people in my life?”

“I can definitely feel an evil presence nearby.” *Points at piled up assignments*

To Dainsleif:

“...There’s this game called Fire Emblem Three Houses...”

To Diluc:

“No you can’t walk around at night with your claymore,”

“No that falcon is not gunna respond to you,”

“I'm asking for a friend, but what are you looking for in a wife? "

To Gorou:

“Can you please ask my dog what he thinks of me?”

“Please don’t hate me if I call you ‘good boy’,”

"Her Excellency...? Oh, it's me. Yeah. I'm the excellency around here. I lead a war against this evil archon called Math,"

To Itto:

“Dude I told you not to write on the advertisement boards, that’s not how it works around here,”

“Believe me I don’t mind what you’re wearing right now but we should probably get you some new clothes,”

“So we were all just minding our own business and then BAM you came along,” 

To Kaeya:

“I just really want to touch that fluffy thing around you,”

“You interested in getting box hair dyes? Oh you know, perhaps red?”

“...Do you know how to play strip poker? Well I’m not THAT interested in your clothes. Let’s start with the eyepatch,”

“...Why is there 62 selfies of you in my phone...”

To Kazuha:

*drops heaps of paper on the floor, now it’s everywhere* “...Have you ever thought that your elemental skill might have other uses?”

"There, that’s the only pirate ship I know of,” *points at pirate ship ride in theme park*

To Razor:

“I’m adopting you,”

To Scaramouche

“..................Will you do the Fandango?”

“Do you know the expression ‘step on me’?”

To Tartaglia

“This is the cleaning spray we use,” *picks up bottle of Ajax*

“Got you a gift, you’re gunna love these!” *gives baby training chopsticks

"Greatest toy salesman? You’ve lost to a giraffe,” *shows Toys R Us mascot*

"I forgot to teach you how to clear search history. I think you have to learn it given the amount of Childe x Zhongli fanfiction you’ve clicked on,”

To Thoma

“My days of ordering takeaway are over,”

“Thoma can you hold this stick thing. Okay, now can you try saying ‘TAHHOOOOOOO’”

“That’s an air fryer, yes it’s a magical thing,”

To Venti

“You’ve only been here a week... Where did you get that fake ID?”

“That’s not Dvalin, that’s an airplane... I mean, same difference though,”

“You want some music...? Here let me introduce you to youtube,”

To Xiao

*Opens fridge* “...Who bought 12 cartons of almond milk?”

”You can feel an immense amount of karmic debt? Don’t worry that’s just my normal stress levels,”

To Xingqiu

“No I don’t really read a lot of books... Oh, that pile...? You know, I just... buy them and then...they collect dust. That’s how books work in this world,”

To Zhongli

“Don’t look at me I’m a lot more broke than you are,”

“Make that rock pillar thingie. Wanna climb on it and experience being tall for once,”

“Hold this slipper. ‘Kay now throw it at my lazy brother and say “I will have order,”

Not tagging anyone!

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[phoenixyfriend]

Anakin Introduces his Jedi Babies (and Himself)

Context:  Anakin and the Jedi Babies, chrono

Warnings for: canon-typical dismemberment, unfortunately-aimed puppy crushes

Word count: 5,839

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

The first time a Jedi meets a Skywalker, it’s on Bandomeer.

The planet is close to Mandalorian space. Finding someone associated with Mandalore is, technically, not that surprising. There are even Mandalorian operations on the planet.

What is surprising is the fact that the person from Mandalorian space is an unfamiliar Jedi Knight who is utterly unstoppable.

(Obi-Wan Kenobi has no way of knowing how similar his experiences are to what might have been, on this planet. Mandalore has been interfering in operations here ever since Ylliben Skywalker started reporting visions about the coming catastrophe. Where that interference has helped or hurt... well. There’s no way to know.)

(Is there?)

When Xanatos shows up and starts taunting Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, there’s a giggle from the doorway.

All three have to turn to look at the individual in question.

Mid-twenties, leaning against the doorframe, slim but strong, covered in dark fabric and half a set of armor. A scar by one eye, well-kept hair, and a smirk that could burn the longest fuse. A lightsaber, unlit, in one gloved hand.

This man is... very attractive, Obi-Wan thinks. This is not an appropriate thought for the situation. Obi-Wan thinks he can maybe blame it on the exhaustion.

“No, no, keep going,” the stranger says, sounding like there’s a laugh stuck in his throat. He waves dismissively. “Let’s, ah, let’s hear the master plan. Good ranting voice, maybe a six out of ten on the ‘I’m better than you’ and a four on the actual intimidation. You can do better.”

“Excuse me?” Xanatos hisses, sounding incredibly malicious to Obi-Wan’s ears. “Just who do you think you are?”

“And now you’re overselling it,” the stranger sighs. “Are you new at this? You seem new at this.”

“I would... also like to know who you are,” Master Jinn admits, shifting uncertainly as he tries to keep both du Crion and the stranger in his sights.

“I’m just your friendly neighborhood Jedi Knight, here to fight darksiders because... that’s my life, apparently,” the man says, looking down at his arm for some reason. He shakes his head and looks up at them with a bright grin. “Do you need some help, Master Jinn?”

“You still haven’t told us your name.”

“This is true,” the knight says. “That said, I’ve been told by my boss to explicitly avoid naming myself while on this mission for a variety of reasons.”

“Your... boss,” du Crion drawls. “Not the Council, then.”

“Current supervisor,” the stranger offers as correction, completely unconcerned. “It’s a complicated situation, don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t worry about nonentities.”

The man purses his lips like he’s trying very, very hard not to laugh again. It’s very mocking. “Sure, kid.”

Xanatos has had his lightsaber out ever since Obi-Wan and Master Jinn entered the room, but he does one of those fancy, meant-to-be-intimidating one-handed saber twirls as he turns to face the Knight.

The man’s smirk widens. “You do realize you’re going to lose, right? C’mon, kid--”

“I’m older than you!”

“I did like zero research on you as a person, just your many and varied crimes; how old are you?”

Du Crion’s face goes pinched. “I’m twenty-five.”

“Ah, yeah, no, I’m older,” the knight says. “Only a few years, but I’m also a delightfully obnoxious little bastard who ages real slow for, uh, reasons--”

Obi-Wan is fascinated. This man is very strange. And very pretty.

Obi-Wan may be light-headed. Is he bleeding? Blood loss would explain this.

Obi-Wan isn’t bleeding. Damn.

“--anyway, I’m sure I’ve got a more interesting life with more mature experiences than you,” the knight says. “So even if I wasn’t older in body, I’d be older in spirit.”

The knight’s entire sense of being carries such an air of banthashit that Obi-Wan can barely believe it. It’s almost impressive. Obi-Wan wonders how often this man just opens his mouth and immediately gets punched in the face.

“You talk a lot for a man in someone else’s domain.”

“Hey, look on the bright side,” the knight says. “At least I’m not flirting with you. That’s what my master did with almost every darksider we met except his grandmaster.”

Du Crion pauses.

Obi-Wan has the distinct feeling that he and Master Jinn have lost any control they might have, at any point, had over this situation. They hadn’t had much control in the first place, but anything they did have is squarely in the stranger’s court right now. The silver lining to that is that du Crion is thoroughly distracted and has also lost some control of the situation.

“Besides,” the man continues, completely ignoring the very red lightsaber that is being very obviously readied for his death. “This is not that big of an advantage for you. I mean, hey, the fancy central console that can only be reached by skinny walkways with no railings are a nice touch, all chromed metal and minimal lighting, very dramatic, but there’s no lava. I’m not, like, chained to a rock in the middle of an arena for a public execution at the hands of starving animals the size of a fighter ship. You’re threatening to kill me personally instead of standing in the most expensive box of the theater, sipping your wine and congratulating yourself on step one of a plan that has another fifty-thousand steps and no end in sight. You--”

“Is there a point to this?”

“I’m just saying, I’ve been in worse situations by better darksiders than you. This is sad. You’re sad. Try harder.”

Obi-Wan makes a little noise in the back of his throat. Nobody seems to notice, but Master Jinn does put a hand on his shoulder. That’s nice.

“I don’t have any interest in setting up a public execution.”

“What kind of a Sith wannabe are you?” the knight asks, tilting his head. Obi-Wan distantly notes that his hair is longer than initially assumed; it’s just held back and curled. “Public executions are a whole thing. It’s like you’re not even trying. Tell me you’ve at least got vague plans to hand me off to a pirates instead of killing me so you can make some comment about me not even being worth the effort.”

“Are you trying to get yourself killed?” du Crion asks, his voice the kind of forced casual level nonsense that shows he’s actually very, very frustrated. Obi-Wan could almost believe that du Crion is as uninterested as he’s pretending to be.

“If I was trying to get myself killed, I’d... pick a fight with the Trade Federation, maybe? I mean, I survived that when I was nine but they’d probably take me more seriously this time.” The knight taps at his chin. “I don’t even know where the actual Sith is, but--”

“There are no more Sith,” du Crion scoffs.

Oh, the knight looks pitying now. Obi-Wan likes that much more than he should. It just really suits the man’s face.

Quin’s going to make so much fun of him later.

“I have fought multiple Sith,” the man says, slowly and clearly, as though explaining something to a child. “My master fought more than that. I lost my arm to a Sith when I was nineteen. You can say they’re gone, but I don’t trust like that.”

“It’s not a matter of trust,” du Crion says, rolling his eyes. “It has been a thousand years since the Sith were wiped out. Much as I’d like them to still be around, I’m not going to--”

“Oh!” the knight exclaims. “You’re lying! You do think they’re back, this whole mess is you auditioning.”

Du Crion stares at the man as though he’s lost what few marbles he had. “Excuse me?”

“You want to be the next Sith Apprentice,” the man says, cheerfully unconcerned by the mounting tension in the air. “That’s adorable. Well, no, actually, it’s very bad, both for you and for everyone else, and now it means I can’t just kill you in battle like I was planning because the Jedi are going to need you for information. Blast.”

Du Crion’s eyes widen. It is not in fear, but in incredulity. Obi-Wan thinks that it’s all in the eyebrows and the tight, befuddled smile. “You were planning to kill me, Jedi?”

“I mean... yeah, kinda,” the knight says, shrugging. “Quick and clean option, that.”

This time, Master Jinn is the one that makes a disbelieving noise that both of the bitchy twenty-somethings ignore.

“You’re a Jedi,” du Crion points out, entirely pleasant.

“...yes,” the man says, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “Technically.”

Du Crion is very much distracted by this. “Technically?”

The man wiggles a hand. “Arguments can be made. I certainly was trained as a Jedi and consider myself to be one. My knighting was according to protocol, and at the Temple. Technically.”

“...but?” Master Jinn prompts.

The knight smiles like he’s got something very spicy in his mouth and is unwilling to admit it’s too much for him. “But nothing! Don’t worry about it. There’s a fight to be had with a Sith wannabe who doesn’t realize he’s not going to measure up.”

“Arrogant,” du Crion accuses.

“No,” the knight immediately says. “You just don’t fight a galactic war without learning which opponents are actually going to kill you.”

Obi-Wan leans into Master Jinn’s side, his legs feeling a little too much like jelly. He whispers, “I have so many questions.”

“As do I, Padawan,” Master Jinn mutters back, and something in Obi-Wan’s heart twists. He’s a padawan! Master Jinn’s actually going to go through with it!

The fight does actually happen, at that point. The knight lights his saber and leaps forward, flashing through Djem So movements without a moment’s hesitation. For all the trash talk and boasting, the fight isn’t actually over very quickly. Du Crion is good, even without having had a chance to spar against a real person since he left the Order. Power flows around him, dark and heavy and sharp in ways that the Force usually isn’t, and the red saber snaps through the air with a speed Obi-Wan can barely track. Xanatos du Crion is, without question, danger incarnate in this moment.

The unknown knight is better.

There are attempts at banter, mostly by the stranger. Du Crion is too focused on the fight to bother responding. Obi-Wan just clings to Master Jinn, trying to stay awake and aware. It’s difficult, given the past few days, and even with help from the Force, he’s flagging.

The way the knight moves is... captivating, though.

(Quinlan’s going to laugh at the top of his lungs, later. Obi-Wan’s going to blush and stutter and bury his face in a pillow, and Bant’s going to pat his back like the amazing friend she is, and Quin’s just going to laugh, like an asshole.)

The fight doesn’t end cleanly. The knight cuts du Crion’s saber in half and, in the same movement, cuts the man’s hand off.

Obi-Wan’s seen too much blood in the last few days for it to shock him, but the smell is... unpleasant.

“I don’t suppose either of you carries Force-nullifying cuffs?” the knight asks, holding his saber to du Crion’s neck with an expression that is amused and satisfied in equal measure.

“No,” Master Jinn says. He seems... very bothered. Well, du Crion was his student once. Obi-Wan can’t imagine he’d be very calm if he had a student that went dark and started killing children. “Was cutting off his hand really necessary?”

“I feel like half my fights end with either someone dying or someone losing a limb,” the knight muses. “Sometimes that limb is my own, even!”

Obi-Wan isn’t sure if the man is manic or just trying to throw them off their rhythm. It probably doesn’t matter.

“Okay, I have Force-nullifying cuffs of my own,” the man says. “But these things are expensive as hell, and they weren’t paid for by the Order, so just giving them to you isn’t really on the table. That said... my ship kind of got shot down on the way here. If you could give me a ride off-planet--”

“Our ship was also shot down.”

The knight blinks at him, and then kicks du Crion in the hamstring. It’s not a very hard kick, but du Crion shoots him a look of offense that’s probably justified. Getting kicked when one is already down is never a great feeling.

“Stop shooting people,” the knight scolds.

Obi-Wan feels vaguely like he’s having a fever dream.

“Okay, new plan,” the man says. “What kind of ship did you come in?”

“KYL-3400 small transport,” Master Jinn says, with not a little hesitation. “Why?”

The knight grins. “I’m going to cannibalize it for parts.”

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

Jango has known Anakin Skywalker for six years. Many of those years have been spent being yanked into babysitting for the man. For reasons Jango doesn’t feel like examining, this will likely continue.

“You’re late,” he says, as the man in question stumbles out of a battered ship that looks only barely like the one that left three months ago. “I thought you said Bandomeer was a quick fix.”

“Ship got shot down, had to help some Jedi, ran into fucking Onaka on the way back,” Skywalker grouses. “I feel like shit. Where are my kids?”

“Buir says you have to go to medical.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever. My kids, Jango.”

“They can visit you in medical.”

“And, what, Mereel’s gonna go there for a debrief?”

“Your debrief is going through me,” Jango says, and doesn’t let himself flinch when Skywalker makes a face. “He’ll check in later.”

“Yeah, no,” Skywalker says, taking a step forward and then swaying with a curse. “Listen, this actually does need to go to Mand’alor direct, not just the Alor-in-training--”

“Please don’t do that with my language,” Jango immediately says. “That’s not--no. ‘Alor-in-training’ isn’t a thing. Don’t do that.”

Skywalker turns on his heel with a frustrated snarl, and Jango’s eyes widen as the stupid tunics the man wears flare out.

“Is that a blaster wound?”

“No.”

“Yes it--for fuck’s sake, Skywalker!” Jango growls and just goes over to grab the taller man by the shoulders and march him to medical. “I’m calling your sister.”

“Don’t tell Shmi, she’s got enough to--”

“I’m calling your sister,” Jango snaps. “And you’re going to deal with it. Ka’ra, do you even think? Is there a brain in that head of yours?”

“I’ve been told my braincell is lonely.”

“I’m going to shove you in a trash compactor, dikut’la jetii,” Jango mutters. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“If I say yes, will you let me go deal with it on my own?”

Jango strangles his own scream and shoves Skywalker into the nearest examination room. “Fix him!”

The medic looks up, raises a brow, and turns to Skywalker. “What did you do?”

“What didn’t I do?” Skywalker shoots back, grinning like they’re sharing battle stories over a drink in a cantina.

The medic--Mirka’lu, he thinks--crosses her arms. “General.”

Oh man, the medics must be angry with him already if they’re already jumping titles like that.

“I’m just a knight--”

“General Skywalker.”

The man in question grimaces. “I maybe got shot during an altercation with some pirates.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And... I maybe--maybe--picked a fight with some Hutt enforcers.”

Jango’s going to wring his neck.

Right after he calls Shmi.

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

Komari does her level best to not shift nervously under the judgmental eyes of the man they’re pretty sure is the Mand’alor. Her master’s got the situation under control. She’s just there to observe. They’ve got an entire team--

“Is that your way of telling me that your Order did minimal research on the situation before coming to intervene, and the only reason you bothered to reach out is because one of my men, weeks ago, let you know that Death Watch is setting traps for both my people and yours?”

Komari feels the flare of annoyance from Master Dooku. She doesn’t react, but she can hear the tension when her Master speaks.

“I assure we would not have attacked on Galidraan unless attacked first, or if we’d found solid evidence of the actions we were informed of,” Master Dooku says, quiet and even. “All your messenger did was save us all a little time.”

Mereel smiles thinly. “Saved us all some lives, more like it.”

“Perhaps.”

“Ah, jetiise aren’t the only ones with Force-Sensitives,” the Mand’alor says. “I’ve more than a few under my command. Visions aren’t foolproof, I’m aware, but I’ll be damned if such a warning goes completely ignored.”

Master Dooku makes a low humming noise. “Be that as it may, I’m unsure of what it is that you’re expecting out of our... presence. We are not here to help you claim your presumed throne. We are only here to stop the killings we were told about.”

“I don’t need your help to reunite my people.” Mereel waves a hand, batting the mere suggestion away. “But I’d appreciate the help with taking out the terrorist group that’s actually going out and murdering the helpless, this planet’s farmers and doctors and children. Kyr’tsad isn’t just a thorn in my side, Master Jedi.”

“And what proof do I have that you aren’t just the same kind of monster as you claim they are?” Master Dooku challenges.

It’s a little brazen, considering how dicey these negotiations are. For all that Komari herself doesn’t wince, someone behind her outright hisses in dismay. She agrees with the sentiment.

Mereel just laughs at them. He catches the eye of one of the armored individuals along the wall, human or close to it, and nods to himself.

“Right,” the man says. “Well, we have our own Jedi. Would you like to meet him?”

Master Dooku is immobile, as if carved from stone. The rest of the group is... not.

“I suppose that would be acceptable,” Master Dooku says, and Komari feels the tension in him wind further through the training bond. There are a million questions to be had here. None of them can be answered without the supposed Jedi.

“Great,” the Mand’alor says. He leans back in his seat and turns to the door. With the press of a button, the door slides open. “Ben!”

A child darts into the room, stops, and bounces on their feet. Probably male, Komari thinks, and very anxious. The child’s eyes dart about the room, taking in every single Jedi in sight. When that gaze lands on Master Dooku, there’s a flash of recognition and... not hate, but distaste. Confused and distant dismay, maybe. The child turns back to Mereel.

“Mand’alor,” the child greets, still bouncing. “Am I needed?”

“Thought I told you this meeting was for grown-ups,” the Mand’alor says.

Ben shrugs. “I wanted to listen in.”

“That door is soundproofed and you know it.”

“So?”

The Mand’alor grins. “Do me a favor and go fetch your dad.”

“Buir’s still sleeping,” Ben says, grave as dirt. It’s a strange expression for such a small child. He can’t be older than eight, and Komari’s pretty sure even that’s a stretch. “Shmi’s gonna be mad if he has to wake up before the bacta’s done.”

“I just need him for negotiations,” Mereel assures the child.

“Aggressive negotiations with a lightsaber?” Ben asks, and Komari nearly chokes.

“No, just regular ones.”

Ben nods sharply, and then turns and runs out.

“That boy...” Mereel mutters, but it’s fond. “Anywa--”

“BUIR!” Ben’s voice echoes from the hall, faint but audible, along with some very loud banging on what is presumably a door. “DAD! WAKE UP, THE COUNT IS HERE!”

The Count? Komari wonders. Even Master Dooku seems surprised.

The question is clearly on more minds than just her own. Mereel raises a brow at Master Dooku and gestures vaguely. “Didn’t know any of you were nobility. You a Count, Master Jedi?”

“No,” Master Dooku says, and before the Mand’alor can press further, he adds, “but if I were to retire from the Order, the title would be mine to inherit. As I have no intentions of retiring, I am not and will not be a Count, but I assume that is what the child is referring to.”

“Ben,” the Mand’alor corrects. He seems pleased with the reasonable answer. “Ylliben Skywalker. I suggest you refer to him by name.”

“You have a fondness for him,” Master Dooku notes.

Mereel shrugs. “No more than any other child, objectively, but his father is one of my more effective allies, and he gets antsy about things. Saying ‘your child’ won’t be a problem, but ‘the child’ is... well.”

The smirk is a challenge that Komari doesn’t feel ready to meet. She’s glad it’s not hers to handle.

“Why do you ‘have’ a Jedi?” Master Dooku asks, pushing the conversation back to the point Komari’s sure he was initially aiming for.

“Found him in a snowstorm, brought him inside,” Mereel says, grinning. “And then he refused to leave, the shabuir. Troublesome man, like you wouldn’t believe, but useful.”

“Like a feral tooka,” someone behind Komari mutters. She feels a part of her soul die.

You can’t just say that in front of the Mand’alor! she screeches in the depths of her mind, despairing.

“Exactly,” Mereel agrees with a laugh. “Skywalker’s a feral tooka.”

Komari dies a little more.

“Talkin’ shit about me, Mereel?”

...oh no.

This one’s pretty.

The man is tall, dressed almost entirely in black, and looks like shit.

“You look like you got run over by a herd of bantha,” the Mand’alor notes.

“I got back less than a day ago,” Skywalker growls out. He leans against the wall behind the Mand’alor’s desk. He folds his arms. He glowers around the room. “The kriff is Count Dooku doing here?”

“Master Dooku,” the man in question says, a little pained. “As I informed Mand’alor Mereel, I may technically have claim to that title, but I am a Jedi. So long as I remain a Jedi, the title isn’t actually mine.”

Skywalker makes a face, and then shakes his head. “Fine. Whatever. Jaster, what the hell do you need from me?”

“Well, some manners would be nice.”

“I got shot and am putting myself in a position to get yelled at by baar’ur Mirka’lu for coming here when I’m supposed to be on bed rest,” Skywalker growls out. He kicks Mereel’s chair, glaring at the back of the man’s head. “You’re lucky I put on pants.”

Mereel seems unbothered by this statement or treatment.

Komari thinks her eyes may currently be the size of dinner plates.

“You’re the one from Bandomeer.”

Skywalker’s head snaps up to focus his gaze on Master Dooku. “Say what?”

“You’re the one my former Padawan encountered on Bandomeer,” Master Dooku says, something satisfied in his tone. “He said you refused to give a name, but the physical description does match.”

“Oh, lovely, Jinn’s been gossiping,” Skywalker mutters. “That’s just--”

“General Skywalker,” Mereel says, voice finally slipping to something more stern than amused. “If you could please focus.”

Skywalker rolls his eyes and mutters something about painkillers.

“Buir?”

Skywalker’s head tilts to the side, and he holds one arm out to the side. The kid from before--Ben--darts in to cling to the man’s side. A slightly taller Togruta follows in and ducks in under his other arm. Both children keep a wary gaze fixed on the same person, and their adult...

Every look from this man is a new challenge to Master Dooku.

“They’re yours?”

That is the exact question Komari was hoping her master wouldn’t ask.

“We’re in Mandalorian territory,” Skywalker says. “They’re Force-Sensitive orphans with an incredible amount of potential. If I didn’t claim them, someone else would have.”

It’s not an airtight justification--the man could have just sent them to the Temple--but the air around him is roiling with aggression. This man does not like Master Dooku, and is more than a shade protective of these--his--children. Komari shifts her weight and worries as the pregnant silence grows heavier.

“As you say,” Master Dooku allows, and some of the bowstring-tight tension in the room loosens, drains away like foul bathwater. “If I may... I was unaware you were a General, nor that Mandalore had a standing army large enough for such a position.”

“He’s not,” Mereel says. “Used to be, won’t tell me where. It’s not my business, or yours. Title’s a holdover from whatever war he was fighting before we got him.”

Komari is not the only person whose heart drops as Master Dooku says, “Qui-Gon claimed that the rogue knight he’d met on Bandomeer mentioned a galactic war against the Sith.”

Mereel blinks, and then turns his seat around to look at Skywalker. The other Mandalorians look at Skywalker. Every single Jedi also looks at Skywalker.

The Togruta child sticks her tongue out at Master Dooku.

“I did say that,” Skywalker says. “What of it?”

“You know, when I said I didn’t care what fight you were running that turned you into a soldier, I kind of assumed it was something on the level of, say, a system-wide civil war,” Mereel drawls. “Not galactic Force nonsense.”

Skywalker shrugs. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”

“Because you’ll lie?”

“No, I’m just going to be really annoying about it,” Skywalker tells him. The Togruta giggles and shoves her face into his side. “Or, hell, I’ll let Ben do it. We both know he can talk circles around basically everyone in this room.”

“Skywalker.”

“Mereel.”

The two hold gazes for a moment that lasts just a little too long, and then Mereel breaks it off. “We’re talking about this later.”

“Of course, Mand’alor,” Skywalker says, with a grim sort of smile. “Wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise.”

Mereel doesn’t seem particularly impressed by that.

Komari wonders if anyone else remembers that Skywalker was supposed to be here to make negotiations easier.

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

Yan Dooku is having a Day.

He’s not entirely sure whom to blame for this mess. Perhaps Yoda, for suggesting he handle this mission. Perhaps the governor of Galidraan, who decided collaborating with terrorists for his own gain was a good idea. Perhaps Jaster Mereel, whose influence and power is enough that Yan needs to tread carefully. Perhaps Qui-Gon, for giving him just enough information about Skywalker to cause some drama.

Perhaps Skywalker for being a recalcitrant, ornery bastard who delights in Yan’s suffering.

(One of the Mandalorians calls him that to his face, and Skywalker informs the man that “my mother always told me I didn’t have a father,” and stares until the Mando stammers out an apology and turns on his heel.)

(The smirk on Skywalker’s face is certainly informative.)

“Hi.”

Yan looks up from the datapad he’s been using to try and punch out a report, for all that he can’t find the words he needs, and sees the Togruta youngling from Skywalker’s side hanging upside-down from a ventilation grate.

He blinks evenly at her. “Good afternoon. Is that your normal manner of traversing the building?”

“Yeah, when Jan-Jan isn’t yelling at me about it,” she says, and drops from the ceiling. Seemingly without paying attention, she directs the grate itself back into place with the Force, screws reattaching themselves with only the slightest whisper. She’s done this many, many times.

“I’m afraid I don’t know who that is.”

“Jango Fett,” she clarifies. “Ad be Mand’alor.”

Child of the king.

He does remember that much from the briefing.

“I see,” Yan says, rather than try to tackle whatever the usage of such a nickname implies. “I’m afraid nobody’s seen fit to introduce you, youngling.”

“I’m Sokanth Skywalker, but most people call me Soka,” she says, with a bouncing, shallow bow. Full of energy, this one. “I’m eight.”

“The General is your father, then?”

“Mm-hm! He adopted me when I was almost two,” she says, and climbs up onto the bench. She wraps her arms around her knees and beams up. “Ben was still a baby, and we didn’t go get Shmi until a few months later when Skyguy could afford it.”

“Skyguy?” Yan prompts.

“My dad,” she explains, head tilting a little as she studies his reaction. “I... I’ve always called him Skyguy. He took care of me before he adopted me, for at least a year. He says I called him Skyguy when I first started talking, back then, and then he didn’t make me stop when he adopted me.”

“I see,” Yan says. “Does your father know you’re speaking with me?”

“Probably.”

“And would he approve?” Yan hints as heavily as he can. “He doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“That’s because we’ve all seen what you could be,” she says. “But you’re not the Count yet, so it’s okay.”

Information. “Ah. Visions, then. That would explain some things.”

“Ben gets them the most,” she keeps talking. “But it’s not just that. It’s like... patterns. The Sith are going to target you, because they’re going to think you’re worth corrupting.”

“And you’ve seen enough Sith to know that?”

“Yeah.”

“Visions are not foolproof,” he says, trying to keep his tone gentle. He’s not used to interacting with children of this age, and this one comes with a father in the Mand’alor’s confidence, someone he can’t afford to irritate by making a daughter cry. “I have a friend who is very prone to visions, and some come true, some don’t, and others--”

“Are self-fulfilling,” Sokanth finishes for him. “I know that. But my dad’s actually fought Sith, y’know. The guy who cut off my dad’s arm used to be a Jedi Master, like you, and he was all fancy-schmancy and a history nerd for Sith stuff, and didn’t like the Council or their decisions very much. Like you.”

That’s... very personal.

“A surface-level similarity is not enough to make the claim that I am to become a Sith,” he says.

She blinks at him, eyes too large for a face that’s so near to human in bone-structure. It’s unnerving. “Whether or not you Fall is your choice, Count. All I can tell you is that you are the kind of person they look to groom... if only as a pawn.”

The words are too old for a girl her size.

“You speak as if you’ve faced the Sith yourself,” Yan says, well aware now that he needs to tread carefully, but... “You’re too young to go out into the field. I can’t imagine your father would allow a child like yourself to go up against someone that dangerous.”

She blinks those too large eyes, and tilts her head in the other direction, and then smiles. “You care. That’s good. Keep that compassion, Count.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I feel like you’re evading the question.”

Sokanth giggles. “Maybe. Buir doesn’t like us talking about it much. It makes him sad, ‘cuz he can’t help us not hurt, and a lot of it is really scary. It’s like... my memories are too big for my head. I don’t get a lot of visions, but I get a lot of dreams of things that happened that I’m not alive for. And buir does remember those things happening, so it’s true, and it happened, but I only... sort of remember it, and when I think about it too hard, it hurts my head. Or I get nightmares about it, and I don’t like those. Ben’s got it worse, though. He has more to fight.”

It’s a lot of information.

It’s confusing information.

It’s... possibly information that the General has asked her to feed him for reasons he can’t even begin to guess at.

“In this war your father fought,” Yan asks, “were you a soldier as well?”

“Commander,” she corrects, voice soft. “That’s what the dreams call me, before they start screaming.”

“How old are you really?” He asks, before he can quite stop himself.

She laughs, suddenly bright again. “I’m as old as I look. I’m eight. Just because the Force gives me memories I shouldn’t have doesn’t mean that my brain isn’t a kid. Sometimes Ben tries to act older than he is ‘cuz of the memories, y’know. Buir gets sad whenever he does that, ‘cuz he thinks we deserve to be kids before the galaxy goes to hell again.”

“He’s sure of such a thing?”

“It always does,” she says, with the air of someone who isn’t sure how their conversation partner could be quite that dense. Her voice takes on a sing-song cadence, like she’s telling a fable instead of a philosophy. “War always comes eventually. Not every sentient is selfish, but enough are, and they tend to be the ones that claw their way to the top. The rich and powerful will take and take and take, and then, when there’s nothing left, they will use their living stepping stones to tear each other apart. All we can do is be ready to end it as quickly as possible once it comes.”

Yan lets the claim sit for a long, quiet minute. “Did your father tell you that?”

“No,” she says. “Ben did.”

The six-year-old.

“He has a way with words,” Yan manages.

“Sometimes he uses his stuffed animals to host courtroom dramas,” she says. “He makes me look up the right laws so it can be procedurally accurate, ‘cuz he’s a nerd but so am I, and it makes Skyguy happy when he sees us playing like that instead of just doing saber forms and stuff.”

Yan has... no idea what to do with that. “I wouldn’t normally call courtroom dramas a normal children’s activity.”

“Yeah, but Ben’s a nerd,” she says, as if that’s all that needs to be said. Maybe, for her, it is. “And there’s only so much time I’m allowed to spend hunting.”

Right. Togruta.

“And what was your father doing at that age?”

“I’m not allowed to talk about that,” she says immediately. “Because it’s very private and he and Shmi get upset if we bring it up, ‘cuz of trauma and stuff.”

Shmi. The... sister, he thinks. People seem to be unclear on that. He’s heard a few refer to the teenager as just “one of Skywalker’s,” so that’s something to consider. She’s near-perfectly halfway between the children and the General, in terms of age, so it’s a little ambiguous where she fits.

That said, he’s been in a lot of places in his time as a Jedi Master. It’s taken him a little longer than it should have to realize, but he thinks he’s got at least part of the puzzle.

Skywalker’s a slave name. Tatooine, specifically.

It’s not confirmation, really, but...

Well. He thinks it’s better he doesn’t dig, on that subject.

“Hey,” Sokanth says, tugging at his sleeve. “Can I ask ya something?”

“I cannot promise an answer, but you may ask.”

“Can you spar with Skyguy? I wanna see who wins.”

[amysteriousmessenger]

First time with RFA + V and Saeran?

/cracks knuckes this is gonna be a long one, if anyone wants me to write one with Ray, Suity and Unknown please let me know <3 REMEMBER TO PRACTICE SAFE SEX!! Under the cut because of length - <3 please consider reblogging, I spent so long on this! <3 

First Time with RFA (+ V and Saeran) Headcanons [VERY NSFW]

Yoosung Kim First Time Headcanons

Your first time with Yoosung would be a bit of a long time coming. He’s nervous because he doesn’t want to mess it up, and he’s also not quite sure how to approach the subject. He gets overly worried about your boundaries whenever he wants to bring it up and just ends up never mentioning it. This would result in a lot of abrupt ends to make out sessions because he can feel something rising and doesn’t know what to do about it in that moment. Eventually, he’d start to bring it up but you’d have to meet him in the middle of the conversation before he got too flustered and jumped ship.

There wouldn’t be an immediate plan as to when it was gonna happen, but he would frantically buy some condoms at the pharmacy in advance. However, it just so happened that that was the day that the self-checkout was broken and he had to go to a real worker. He’d very much consider asking Zen for advice, and would probably hint at asking before deciding he couldn’t handle boosting Zen’s ego like that. Eventually, he’d just lightly google it and maybe ask one of his LOLOL friends for any general pointers.

It’d happen in his dorm room after a movie had turned into some heavy kissing and a little bit of light touching and resulted in you getting onto his lap. You’d be nuzzling kisses into his neck and losing yourself in his little gasps and moans when you’d felt him getting hard through his jeans, and then he’d be very embarrassed that you’d felt it. He feels like he should be a little more forward, but the words escape him. He’s enjoying himself and he doesn’t want to stop but he can’t find the words to keep it going. 

You’d ask if he wanted to continue and when he agreed, Yoosung would be a little bit bolder and would move you so you were lying down and he was on all-fours above you: continuing to kiss you from that angle.

He’s a little flustered and uncertain about, well, everything. He has a vague idea as to what he should be doing, but you’d going to have to move his hands down your thighs and up your shirt to encourage him that you want this as much as he does.

He is continuously asking if you’re sure you want to continue, if he’s touching you right, if he’s making you feel good, if he’s putting too much of his weight on you- please assure him that you’re fine, baby is nervous. 

Yoosung’s very flustered about seeing you undressed for the first time, and you’d most definitely have to take your bra off for him because he does not know how that thing unclips. He’s also a little shy about taking his clothes off for you too, and you can tell he’s embarrassed from the heat radiating off his entire body. It’s his first time too, after all.

He definitely stumbles his way through the foreplay and you have to remind him to not be so tense, it’s supposed to be fun! He’s very worried about finishing too early since it’s all new to him.

Yoosung’s movements are stiff at first and he’s definitely using his back and not his hips but with time he’ll loosen up a little and get into the swing of it better. You’ll have to guide him and help him set the pace, but he’s more than willing to do what you ask in order to make you feel good! He doesn’t want your first time with him to be disappointing!

He’s SO loud with his moans that you’re 100% certain that his flatmates have heard.

Zen/Hyun Ryu First Time Headcanons 

Your first time with Zen would happen pretty early on in your relationship. He’s both needy and affectionate, so it makes sense you’d end up in bed together sooner rather than later. His flirting would turn to kissing, which then turned to heavy petting, which then turned into him carrying you bridal style through his apartment towards his bed. 

Zen hasn’t been with anyone in a while so he sort of has to root around in his bedside table for a condom, and then has to check the date to make sure it hasn’t passed it’s use-by-date. Luckily for you both, it hadn’t: but at that point, Zen would have probably sprinted to the pharmacy at top speed and back in order to buy a new box if they were out of date. Nothing could stop this man now that he had gotten a taste of you.

Zen’s absolutely going to show you a good time, he feels a little rusty at first but once he remembers where and how to touch you, it’s game on. He’s in two minds about ‘unleashing the beast’ because he’s going to make damn sure that your first time with him is one you’re never going to forget, but he’s worried he might overwhelm you. He’ll quickly throw the latter thought away when he undresses you and gets his hands all over your thighs. 

Zen’s really good at periodically asking whether you’re okay with what he’s doing at each stage and before progressing to another act, he wants to make sure that you want him as much as he wants you.

He’s great at foreplay, he prides himself on it actually. He’s got wonderful fingers and he knows what he’s doing with his tongue. It makes him feel so good to see you coming undone like this before he’s even had his way with you. He’ll insist on making you cum with his hands and mouth before going any further. He’s going to make tonight all about you.

Zen’s a little bit possessive and it’ll show on your thighs, since they’re covered in lovebites.

When he’s above you, ready to move on to main course of the night, he’ll ask once again if you’re sure about this, slightly worried that maybe you’d not thought it through and perhaps just been swept up in the moment: ‘Jagiya, I just want to make sure you’re doing this because you want to, not just for me.’ - ‘Of course I want to, I’m here with you because I want to be.’

The only way to describe Zen in this state is hungry. He promised to ravish you and that’s what he’s doing and then tenfold. He’s so spurred on by your moans, your body and the animalistic need of not having done this for so long.

He has a sex playlist and has it on shuffle the entire time. Zen absolutely is going to match his speed to the music whilst still trying to be absolutely in tune to you and your body. 

He goes absolutely insane when you wrap your legs around his waist, pushing him as deep as he possibly can into you, especially when you cry out his name as you do it. He makes a point of wanting to make you moan as loud as he can, it’s good for his ego and lets him know he’s fucking you right.

He can’t help himself but lightly bite into your shoulder as he pounding in to you. Underneath him, you look good enough to eat.

Jaehee Kang First Time Headcanons

Your first time with Jaehee would be a little bit of a wait too, but not as long as Yoosung. Jaehee feels bad that she doesn’t really have time for a relationship with her job, so she feels as though she neglects you a bit unintentionally, and then she’s usually so tired in the evenings that she just passes out with exhaustion. So realistically, it would have to be either over a weekend over a holiday when the two of you were finally intimate together. 

You’d both be watching a musical and by the time it ended, it was practically time to go to sleep anyway. Since you were already in an established relationship with Jaehee and were getting physically comfortable with each other, you just slept in her bed whenever you stayed over.

It would start with a little bit of light kissing and touches, which turned into soft moans and gasps. Jaehee’s a little embarrassed at the noises she’s letting out, but it’s been a while she’s she’s been with anyone so the sensations feel so new to her again. 

You’d probably have to be the one to initiate it because Jaehee’s a little uncertain as to how to proceed, especially if she’s never been with a woman before. You place your hand on the inside of her thigh and break the kiss for a moment to ask: - ‘Do you trust me?’ ‘Of course, _____.’ - ‘Do you want me to keep going?’  ‘I do...’

You’d start touching her through her clothes first and then slip your hand underneath into her underwear when she’s a little more turned on. Jaehee continues to kiss you as you touch her and you can’t help but mildly embarrass her at how cute her little moans and whimpers are.

When Jaehee touches you, she’ll start the same way by touching you with her hand and then asks if you’d like her to do a little bit more than just using her hand, to which you moan out that yes, you would like that.

‘You might have to show me how you like it. I want to make you feel food so please, don’t be afraid to tell me if you want it differently.’

She hesitates a little bit when she’s actually between your thighs, and takes a few seconds just to steady herself before she starts kissing and lightly touching the inside of your legs, working her way up to your more intimate area.

Jaehee starts out very gentle and reserved and gets more confident in herself as your moans increased. You didn’t have to correct her one way or another because she absorbed your reactions very quickly and figured out what you liked and disliked and actually made you finish a lot quicker than you were expecting. She kept going so you could finish again, partially because she just enjoyed finally getting to be with you like this, and also because she wanted to make you feel as good as you make her feel. 

You obviously repay the favour to her afterwards, Jaehee’s quite quiet so you enjoy finding new ways to make her moan and emit cute little mewls and gasps and then for her to be embarrassed over it.

It’s not the most energetic session, but it’s sweet, gentle and with infinite tenderness.

Jumin Han First Time Headcanons

Jumin wouldn’t wait too long before sleeping with you. He wants to be different from his father and make sure you’re comfortably together before doing anything beyond kissing, but he also can’t keep his mind from wandering when he’s at work. He wants to claim you utterly and entirely, he needs you to be his.

He would bring it up beforehand, because that’s just who Jumin is but he tries his best not to phrase it like a business exchange. He wouldn’t expect you to have a date in mind or anything like that, but he’d like the greenlight that he can start thinking about things like that. Jumin hasn’t been with anyone beforehand (almost entirely out of disinterest), but he already has basic things like condoms, lubes and a few other items at home, and plans to expand his ‘collection’ as your relationship progresses.

Jumin’s absolutely a wine-and-dine kind of man, so he’d have the full evening planned with you and finish it with accompanying him to his home to enjoy the night’s view from his building. He’d kiss you with a little more passion than usual when outside and things for descend from there. You go over to the sofa for a little while, essentially straddling him and loosening his tie and cufflinks, just to get the situation a little more heated. 

Jumin usually can’t take a hint, but he does this time and continues to kiss you all the way to his bedroom where he has to stop himself from pushing you onto his bed and taking you right there. Where were his manners? Consent and foreplay come before that. Jumin’s actions aren’t fluid at first, but they’re certainly purposeful. He analyses each of your reactions as they come so he can gauge what you like and dislike and quickly turns to teasing you with his fingers and lips. ‘Would you like me to continue?’ He’ll ask, his voice seemingly as cool and collected as ever. - ‘Y-yes...’ You breathe out in response.

Jumin’s a gentleman and despite having no prior experience, he so easily controls the situation. He wants to make tonight about you and how good he can make you feel, he doesn’t feel any particular way about it being his first time in general, what’s most important to him is that it’s your first time together, so he wants to make a good impression. He takes a personal enjoyment in unzipping the back of your dress, commenting on how well the necklace he bought you suits you with a slight smirk.

He’ll comment on how beautiful he thinks your body is and that there’s no need to be embarrassed around him. He’s so considerate of you and your body, he knows how to touch you just right even though he’s never touched you like this before. He always waits until you’re entirely comfortable with what he’s doing with his fingers before progressing to anything more. 

If you’re self conscious about the way you sound, Jumin will put a little bit of light instrumental music on, probably jazz. He’ll first misunderstand and think you’re worried about being overheard and try to assure you that he had no neighbours and it would take him a few seconds to realise what you were actually worried about and he would just melt. Jumin absolutely wants to hear how good he’s making you feel and your moans are turning him on so much, he doesn’t mind having some music play in the background if it means you're more comfortable.

Saeyoung Choi First Time Headcanons 

Seven’s frequently made ‘no sex before marriage’ and ‘save room for Jesus’ jokes, but this boy is horny and no amount of porn and hentai is going to help him sort that out. Seven owns lube but doesn’t actually have any condoms in his possession since he was never actually expecting to get this far, so if you don’t bring one, he’ll either have to run to the store or, most horrifically, ask Vanderwood for one. Vanderwood doesn’t even dignify that text with a response.

There wouldn’t have been a plan or a real conversation beforehand, the two of you would have just been at Seven’s house watching a film or looking at memes on his bed before things got real steamy, real quickly and neither of you were in the mood to stop. You’d climbed on top of him to start kissing him, effectively (but unintentionally) pinning him to the bed when you’re felt him growing hard underneath you. 

This would progress with some dry humping, which definitely made Seven harder and got you in the mood a bit more. You’d find Seven’s hands moved their way up to your hips, guiding your pace as you grinded against him. Seven’s very vocal when he gets into it and he’s a switch anyway so he doesn’t really mind who’s in control as long as you’re both enjoying yourselves. He can’t quite resist the instinct to buck his hips up into you. ‘I don’t mind if you don’t, but do you wanna go any further than this?’ He’ll ask from below before quickly adding, ‘Just, uhh, because if not- which is completely fine, I’ll need to go take care of this in the bathroom-’ - ‘Of course I do, idiot. I’m literally on top of you. Do you want me to stop?’ ‘Definitely not.’ Seven would reply, with a smile and half lidded eyes.

He’ll pull you down onto him, and then roll over so that he was on top of you, his hands quickly finding their way under your t-shirt and massaging at your chest. He’ll probably disappear to go and wash his hands before anything progresses further, since he had just been eating Honey Buddha Chips and didn’t want to touch you with dirty fingers.

If you want him to put on a playlist, it means you have to be willing to take the risk of getting fucked to ‘All Star’ - Smash Mouth and ‘Rasputin’ - Boney M, or God Forbid, just the entire Bee Movie script but the nightcore version of it. That can come at a later date.

You shouldn’t have been surprised that Seven was that good with his fingers, seeing as what he did for a job, but the man had talent. He’d be able to make you cum with his fingers alone more than once given the speed he was able to move them at. 

Seven’s actually a little bit nervous too, since he doesn’t want to be bad for you. He’s spent his whole like thinking he’s a fuck up and he doesn’t want this to be another contribution to that. He needs a little reassurance too. There’s so much kissing and a few lovebites flying around. You even give Seven a couple and you laugh at him, knowing Vanderwood’s going to bully him about it tomorrow.

For the main act, he’d start on top but there’d be a good amount of position switching and you make an attempt at riding him for a bit. There’s a lot of fuck ups and laughter, but there’s even more love involved. He’d want to keep checking in and knowing that he’s making you feel good, but he can tell you’d having a good time from the way you’re riding him and the way you throw your head back every time he thrusts up into you. It’s lucky he has a lot of strength in his arms so he can hold you steady.

GE Saeran Choi First Time Headcanons

With Saeran, your first time would probably happen a bit quicker than people would expect. This man had been so deprived of love and affection for his whole life, and with the future so uncertain, he wanted to experience your love in everyway that you’d allow him. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about you in varying lustful daydreams before, especially when he was alone in his room at Mint Eye, or stuck in front of the monitors in the IT room. Ray nervously fantasised about it, whereas his dark Saeran alter angrily touched himself to a scrunched up photograph of you just to get you out of his mind at night, so it was safe to say he’d thought about it. 

Sex is never just sex to Saeran, it’s offering everything you are to one another. To him, it’s loving, intimate and generous: which is exactly why he wants your first time together to be perfect. The two of you had shared a bed several times since you had nowhere safe to go whilst Saeran’s father and the agency were out for blood, so you tended to hotel hop a little and you both needed to know the other was safe and just have one other’s presence. Besides, Saeran wasn’t accustomed to the outside world yet and he wanted you there for help and guidance. 

Saeran would probably ask you before buying lube and a condom in case you had any preferences, he doesn’t want to get ahead of himself if you aren’t comfortable yet, but he doesn’t want to be caught unprepared if the moment comes. 

 Saeran enjoys giving you romantic surprises now he has the freedom to do so, these include bringing you flowers, filling a bubble bath for you and buying you chocolates since he can’t currently make them. So realistically, your first time would probably be after he innocently did all of these in succession. He’d been working really late at his computer with the intelligence unit and continued working whilst you were in the bath, so when you get out and get into your new (rather short) night dress, generously donated by one of the clothing stores that Jumin owns, and telling him to come to bed for the night because you’ve missed him all day, he practically can’t keep himself from wanting to kiss you. His shoulders are pretty stiff from working at the screen for so long, so you pull him onto the bed with you, embracing Saeran as you lay down together, gently rubbing them to ease the tension.

‘Sweetheart, I swear you look more and more beautiful every time I see you. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen, you’re an angel.’ He says as he moves up, cupping your cheek and kissing you gently.

Everything Saeran says to you is from the heart and you so readily reciprocate the love and affection he gives you. He places one hand on your exposed, lower thigh and slowly moves it up to where the hem of the nightdress sits, indicating that he won’t go any further until you tell him that it’s okay. 

Saeran’s movements are slow but determined, he wants to show you physically how much he loves you, he wants to make you feel good while he can. He’d ask you to lay back on the bed so he can kiss you and touch you at the same time, touching you gently over your underwear first and then underneath when he asked you if it was alright for him to do that. ‘My love, I want to try and make you feel even better than this. Will you let me?’ he asks before he’s between your legs, gently moving your thighs apart so he can pull your underwear down. 

Your inner thighs are covered in kisses and maybe even a little lovebite here and there. Saeran gives you a lot of attention with his mouth and he’s a little shaky at first but he’s very determined to figure out what you like best. He tends to tease you a bit, both intentionally and unintentionally. It makes him feel proud that he can get these kinds of reactions out of you, and a touch possessive that he’s the only one who can. He’d definitely want to make you cum with his mouth first, and then use his fingers on you since he wants your first time with him to be as painless as possible.

Saeran doesn’t actually expect any kind of solo treatment in return, so he’s absolutely ready to melt when you reciprocate the attention on him and he definitely has to make you stop after only a few short minutes because he doesn’t want to finish too early.

He’s almost instantly overwhelmed with sensation when he actually enters you and he has to concentrate for a minute or so to, firstly, let you adjust and secondly so he doesn’t cum right away. He’s a little self-conscious at how sensitive he is but it’s okay, he’ll get used to it with time.

He’ll kiss at your eyes and face while he’s waiting for you to adjust to him and give him the go ahead to move. His heart is thudding in his chest and it feels like a flutter he’s never experienced before, he has such infinite tenderness and affection for you and he’s so full of love to be able to show you that.

V/Jihyun Kim First Time Headcanons

V’s a man that plans ahead, so when he felt like the relationship was getting a little more serious, he’d make sure he had in-date condoms and a new bottle of lube for when things for a more intimate. He always tries to be considerate so figured he should buy these things in preparation to save you the embarrassment but wouldn’t mention it until you brought it up first. This was definitely a relationship that progressed slowly, since he had a lot of healing and self-work to do, it felt like he had to learn how to love all over again. 

It would have been a late night with him, you’d have had a date that day and gone back to V’s for dinner with a glass of wine. You’d ask to go and see the starry night sky from his porch, with V laying down a blanket so the two of you didn’t have to sit directly on the cold floor. He’d gaze at you looking at the stars and have a sudden urge to kiss you, which then progressed into more and more kisses. V would lean you back onto the floor and would be to the side of you, leaning over and kissing you. Your hands are pressed against his chest as you enjoy the feeling of him cradling you so lost to him.

Perhaps it was the cold air that made the space between you feel so heated, but when V broke off the kiss to catch his breath, you immediately started kissing your way down his jaw and into his neck. You’d been waiting a while for your first time with him, and you didn’t want to rush him, but you were also so ready for him to just take you on that cold blanket outside on the porch. His warm hand squeezed your upper thigh and you thought for a second that he was going to tell you to stop, but instead he asked: ‘My love, don’t you think you’d enjoy this more on a bed?’

Once you’re in his bed, it’s like V unleashed a level of affection that he had been holding back for so long. He asks regularly if you’re okay with what he’d doing and that you can tell him to stop anytime that you want him to. You ask him, in turn if he’s sure that he’s ready and V assures you that he is, and that he doesn’t want to keep you waiting anymore.

He asks to take a photograph of you, nothing not safe for work (not yet), but he wants a picture of you on the bed, slightly out of breath with big doe eyes and puffy lips from the kisses you shared. It’ll be one of his favourite pictures of you for a while to come, and he’ll keep it in his most prized collection.

V gets hard just from touching you, he barely needs any friction of his own to be fully erect. And speaking of touching you, he does not stop. He’ll make you finish his his mouth, and then his fingers, and then his mouth again so that you’re absolutely ruined before he’s even gotten started. He was in a relationship for so long so he knows what he’s doing and the fact that he’s such a giving person means that you’re going to be entirely overcome with pleasure before he’s even inside you. You feel a little guilty about getting so much attention, but he insists that you deserve all of this and more.

He’ll put a little bit of music on if you want, but he honestly just prefers it to be the two of you. Your moans and praises are like music to him anyway, and that’s all he needs. He’s into body worship and he’ll praise and kiss every inch of you and make sure that you feel absolutely worshipped by him. 

He sets the pace to be what seems to make you dig you your fingers into his back and the bedsheets the hardest, and he can’t help but chuckle at how cute he thinks you look underneath him.

He puts so much into it that you really can’t describe it as anything other than ‘love making’ and it was most definitely worth the wait.

[psychee92]

Why ACOTAR 5 Is (Without a Doubt) Elain’s Book

Warning: This post will be a long one, and will analyze the series as a whole (including ACOSF). As you read it, please consider taking your shipping goggles off, as none of this has anything to do with shipping and everything to do with character development/plot/the overall narrative of the series/good storytelling. Thank you!

Main points: 

Elain’s role in the ACOTAR series

Elain’s character evolution throughout the series

The foreshadowing in ACOSF (+ bonus POVs)

The overarching plot 

SJM’s own words

The ACOTAR Series and Elain’s Role

We have multiple interviews of SJM saying that Nesta and Elain’s role started off as a fairytale trope: that of the evil sisters. Then, Nesta surprised her when she decided to go after Feyre in ACOTAR, and the rest is history.

The sisters went from being a trope to being an instrumental part of the series. In ACOMAF, they were a link to Feyre’s human life (a final thread that she needed to let go of), as well as a means to an end (first, by being a bridge between the IC and the Queens, and then, as leverage, or weapons that were used against Feyre in Hybern). The final scene in ACOMAF was the catalyst for everything that happened in ACOWAR—and everything that is yet to come—but, most importantly, it also opened the door to two new character arcs/journeys—two new protagonists.

The protagonist exists as a sympathetic device to drive a story. To be effective in this role, they are usually there from the inciting moment to the end.

The similarities between their journey and Feyre’s are astounding: human made into something that she was raised to fear; coming to terms with trauma; letting go of the past; accepting her new condition; and the list goes on and on.

Now, who had more to lose by becoming fae?

And who lost more than anyone else?

Elain lost a future.

She was happy, content, in love.

Then, everything was ripped away from her in the span of a few minutes.

She was turned into something she had been raised to fear, something that her own fiancée had been raised to hate.

And, if that wasn’t enough, she was also forced into a bond neither her, nor Lucien, wanted. Mated to a man who participated, even if unknowingly, in the loss of her life—of her future. A man who did not know her, want her, love her.

This, right here, is good storytelling. It sets the stage for what is to come—for Elain’s future story and character arc.

ACOWAR is centered around repercussions:

For Elain, this book is one of healing, at least on the surface. SJM built the foundation of Elain’s journey, evidenced by:

Elain hitting rock bottom

Erasing any hope of a future with Graysen

Severing the last thread to her human life (with the death of her father)

This book also emphasizes Elain’s vital role in future books by:

Making her powerful (a seer)

Making her instrumental in the war against Hybern (due to her visions)

Having her save both, Nesta and Cassian (the protagonists of ACOSF)

Creating a connection between her and Vassa (and, ultimately, between Lucien, Vassa, and Jurian)

Having her introduce the next big bad (Koschei)

Hinting at her being the only one who can locate the one thing that can kill Koschei (the onyx box)

So, when you add everything that we know from ACOMAF and ACOWAR, what do we have? Potential.

We also have a character whose journey has been building since ACOTAR. The most significant hint is the constant use of the “dirty hands” imagery in reference to Elain. But more on that later.

Once the ACOTAR series wrapped up, we learned that, while Feyre and Rhysand’s journey was over, Sarah had more stories to tell—specifically, Nesta, Elain, and the ICs. As such, ACOFAS had two purposes:

To wrap up Feyre and Rhys’s story.

To introduce the future plot/main conflict and, with it, the next couple.

ACOFAS, however, also served to set up the stage for future protagonists, as well:

We saw some progress in Elain (her keeping busy with gardening and baking, her still having bad days, her friendship with Nuala and Cerridwen, and her slowly finding her place within the IC)—all of this was brought up again in ACOSF.

We got hints about Azriel and Elain’s growing feelings for each other (a storyline that was present throughout ACOSF, and confirmed in Azriel’s Bonus POV).

We learned about Azriel’s estate—Rosehall.

We got Mor’s POV, and learned some new things about her which will probably factor into her future book.

Again, SJM spent time focusing on Elain, fleshing out her character (while still giving Nesta and her journey center stage), which only solidifies the fact that she will be getting her own story soon.

It’s interesting to note that Azriel was not given a POV like Mor, and had very little character development (in comparison to Elain).

Now, let’s look at ACOSF. We have:

New conflicts—with the Queens and Beron

A new villain—Koschei

An overarching plot that connects the conflicts with the villain—the alliance between Koschei, the Queens, and Beron

A secondary, but related, plot—Vassa and, with her, the Band of Exiles (Lucien and Jurian)

Potential weapons—the Made objects

A potential solution—the onyx box

What do all of these have in common?

Elain.

She is directly tied to both, the Queens and Beron (and the Autumn Court). She’s had ties to Koschei since ACOWAR (she was the first to tell the IC about him, after getting visions about him). Her visions, in turn, led to the introduction of Vassa, which created a link between them both (and Lucien, because of their mating bond). She is the only one, apart from Nesta, who can find the Made objects (and a 4th one was introduced in ACOSF). She is also the only one, apart from Nesta, who can Make an object. Finally, she is the only one who can locate the onyx box (an image she’s been seeing since ACOWAR).

As a seer, Elain is arguably the most valuable character in the NC. She has been having visions about both, Koschei and Vassa, since ACOWAR.

Most importantly, however—her journey has been hinted at since ACOMAF:

Her role in future books having already been established, what about Elain as a character, as a protagonist? 

Let’s begin by looking at what a character arc is:

While main characters might face big challenges, character arcs have to do with internal, personal change. Characters will find their strengths and weaknesses tested over the course of the story—so that by the time they arrive at the story's end, they are a changed person.

When the protagonist overcomes external obstacles and internal flaws in order to become a better person, it becomes a hero’s journey.

At its core, this arc is made up of three points:

The Goal: Every character needs to have a goal. It might be to fall in love. Or it might be to make as much money as possible. Either way, their journey will be hindered by...

The Lie: A deeply-rooted misconception they have about themselves or the world that keeps them from reaching their true potential. In order to reach their goal, they’ll need to acknowledge and overcome the Lie, by facing…

The Truth: While the character may have their own plans, the positive change arc has its own goal: self-improvement. This is achieved when they learn to reject The Lie and embrace The Truth.

Now, let’s look at what we know about Elain:

The Goal: To defeat Koschei/the Queens/Beron.

The Lie: That she doesn’t have what it takes. That she is not as strong as her sisters. That she is the weak link, too gentle and sweet to get her “hands dirty.”

The Truth: That she is just as powerful AND capable as her sisters, and that she can do anything she puts her mind to (find the 4th object, discover the location of the onyx box, fight against Koschei/the Queens/Beron).

We already see SJM start to break down the Lie in Feysand’s Bonus Chapter:

This is followed by Feyre saying:

So not only is Elain not afraid to get her hands dirty, she’s also not afraid of getting hurt in the process.

ACOSF is filled with moments that hint at Elain becoming just as powerful (if not more so) than her sisters. She has a very important role to play in future books, because she is the only one who can locate Koschei’s box and the 4th object. Her visions have been instrumental in the series so far, and there is a big hint that she might have more than just seer abilities:

Powers. Plural.

It makes sense for Elain’s book to be next. SJM has been scattering crumbs for her story since ACOTAR, and she is the character who would add the most to the plot—the only character who can move the plot forward.

You cannot ignore all the foreshadowing:

= a literary device that writers utilize as a means to indicate or hint to readers something that is to follow or appear later in a story.

Clear foreshadowing in ACOSF (it would take too long to list all the passages in previous books, as well): 

These are just a few examples but, for me, the one that gives it away is this passage (that can easily be overlooked) in Feysand’s Bonus POV:

SJM is basically telling us that, once Nesta’s journey ends, Elain’s will begin.

And it makes sense!

This series is about the Archeron sisters. About human women turned fae.

The first three books were about Feyre. The fourth about Nesta. It would not make sense to skip Elain, only to return to her story in the final book. Why?

Because, in order to defeat Koschei, all three sisters need to have reached their full potential. All three need to be healed, and strong, and fully in control of their lives and powers. You cannot cram everything into one book: Elain’s healing journey/character arc, Vassa’s own journey (because there is no way that SJM will NOT write a Swan Lake retelling—just look at her Pinterest board!), finding the 4th object, finding the box, and, ultimatly, defeating Koschei.

Feyre had a whole book to heal—ACOMAF

Nesta had a whole book to heal—ACOSF

Elain will have a whole book to heal, as well.

No other character adds as much value—or has as much untapped potential—than Elain.

Also, there is no way that SJM will postpone telling her story in favor of a male character (Azriel). If you’ve read any of her books, you know that it is always the female characters that eclipse the male characters.

Also, if Elain will become dark or even a villain (temporarily), then this will take place in her own story, and will not be used as a plot device for angsty!Azriel or for another couple to make sense/be pushed together.

If we look at the pattern in ACOTAR, we have:

The first book ends with a happily ever after. The MC has defeated the big bad and has walked off into the sunset with her LI. There are hints about a future conflict, but nothing is fleshed out (in ACOTAR, Feyre’s bargain with Rhys + a potential conflict between the courts and with Hybern).

The second book is all about development (both, character development, in the form of the MC’s healing journey, and plot development). The scene is being set for the final conclusion (the war/battle), and everything that takes place serves to bring the characters closer to the main conflict resolution. The book ends on a false happily ever after (Feysand’s mating bond, having what they need to annul the Cauldron’s powers), followed by a cliffhanger (the sisters turning fae, Feyre returning to the Spring Court).

The last book is centered around defeating the big bad and ends on a happily ever after for (almost) everyone involved. It brings the main players together in a final showdown that ends with good ultimately defeating evil.

If we are to look at this pattern, then:

ACOSF - Ends with a happily ever after (Nesta has healed, reconnected with her sisters, found her place in the IC, and has a family outside the IC—Gwyn, Emerie). She has defeated Briallyn, but the biggest threat—Koschei—has barely made an appearance, and there is no ending in sight.

ACOTAR 5 - Elain’s healing journey. Finding the 4th object. Knowing exactly what has been happening behind the scenes with Beron, the Queens, and Koschei. Finding the 4th object and uncovering the location of Koschei’s onyx box. Cliffhanger: Koschei has been freed/has found a way to free himself.

ACOTAR 6 - The journey to find the onyx box or a way to destroy whatever is inside. The repercussions of Koschei’s freedom. Vassa’s story coming full circle. Now that all three Archeron sisters have reached their full potential, they will most likely join forces/powers to hold off Koschei long enough for Vassa (because she NEEDS to have the killing blow) to finish him off.

This post is already long enough, but here are some honorable mentions that I haven’t spoken about because I wanted this to be a mostly character-driven argument:

The mating bond—Elain needs to either accept it or reject it, and I cannot see this happening in the last book because it would lose its effect (considering that they need to defeat Koschei in this book)

Elriel—The unresolved feelings between them need to be addressed/dealt with.

The Blood Duel—There is no way this isn’t happening. SJM wouldn’t mention it without it playing some sort of role in Elain’s book.

I might make another post (because I still haven’t addressed everything I wanted to), but Elain’s book is (without a doubt) next.

As a reminder: SJM has recently said that writing about characters that are hated/disliked is something that she loves doing. I think it’s safe to assume that, given the recent wave of hatred/dislike towards Elain, we are in for an epic journey.

[slytherinnbitch]

Proposal Part 2

Part 1

Harry walks into the cemetery in happy spirits. He can't wait to tell his parents about his decision to marry Draco.

When he stops infront of his parents grave, he finds fresh flowers there already. That's weird...

He frowns as he vanishes them and conjures up his own flowers in their place.

"Hey Mum, hey Dad," he says as a way of greeting as he sits down beside them.

"So I'm proposing to Draco tomorrow, I think it's about time, you know? It's just...I- I miss you. Like I have everything but one. Draco's parents, they aren't bad. I think I like them somewhat. Yeah I know how that sounds, Padfoot is probably horrified right now. The Malfoys, pup? How could you!" Harry makes a poor impression of Sirius and smiles as he thinks the scene which is hopefully happening in some other world.

"Tell him I know what I'm doing. Well somewhat. Do you think he will say yes? What if...what if he doesn't want to marry me? What will I do then, Mum? Honestly, I have no idea but I hope I don't have to think about that. I shall get going now, it's late and Draco is waiting." He caresses the grave once fondly, says his goodbye and apparates away.

...

"Hey Mione, I can hear Pans in the background as well." Draco says when he answers the phone call. It had taken him some time but now he could easily use most muggle appliances.

"Dracoooo," Hermione slurs and that astonishes Draco because Hermione never drinks a lot. Just a glass of wine or maybe two mugs of lager but not so much to get drunk. Just 'happy tipsy' she had called it when he had asked years ago.

"We have a secreeeeeet," Pansy sing-songs in the background.

"What secre-" Draco starts but suddenly it's Ron on the line, "Hey mate. Don't pay them mind, I have never seen these two more drunk. Hermione wanted to call to tell you that everything is in proper order and they have told Harry that tomorrow you have a picnic under the stars, as a gift from them. We'll meet you after, yes?"

"Yes, if everything goes well. Otherwise I would be vanishing from the face of the Earth for the next decade or four." Draco jokes, not really. Ron chuckles and they hang up.

Just then, Harry comes home and they order takeout, both of them too tired to cook dinner.

Just before midnight, Draco traps Harry between his body and their bedroom wall, "Hello, love."

A shiver runs down Harry's spine and Draco grins slyly, even after a decade Harry has the same reaction. Honestly, it's good for his ego.

"Hi..." Harry breathes, as he arches his neck in a silent request. Draco places sweet kisses all over his jaw and neck, sucking new marks and biting the tender skin now and then.

Harry is panting by the time he finds his lips. His wand vibrates in his pocket at the slight reminder that it's their anniversary.

"Happy Anniversary, Scarhead." Draco says against his lips and Harry smiles.

"Happy Anniversary, Ferret."

It's tradition to call each other names when wishing the other on a special day and at this point, it's quite adorable. You didn't hear that from him.

...

"We should really thank Hermione and Pansy for this, don't you think?" Harry asks as they finally sit down on the picnic blanket. The sky is bare of any clouds and they can easily see all the stars.

"Indeed, we should. What about an exclusive vacation to some exotic place? You think they would like that?" Draco suggests. It's the least he could do after such an wonderful arrangement.

"I think so, point me your star again?"

He takes Harry's hand and points towards the sky, slowly making an imaginary line with their hands.

There's a pleasant breeze blowing and the place is absolutely perfect, it's now or never.

"Harry, love. I have something to say," Draco says tentatively. Ugh, nerves!

"Oh? I have something to ask as well. You can go first though," Harry offers and smiles charmingly at him. Salazar and Godric, hope he says yes. Because Draco doesn't know how to live with a no, not after everything.

Here goes...

"Could you please stand up, please." Draco asks, "There's something I like to show you."

Harry frowns at him for a moment but stands up and faces Draco. He really hopes Hermione and Pansy can see them and start-

The sky is filled with different fireworks and Harry looks at them in awe. Harry had always been fascinated with fireworks and nothing brings Draco more joy than making Harry smile.

The words Will You Marry Me? shines through everything at last, crystal clear- thanks to Fred and George's handiwork. He gets down on one knee and takes out the ring box and holds it open.

Harry frowns at the words in the sky for a moment, then opens his mouth to say something to Draco and freezes when he sees him on knee.

"Draco..." Harry gasps, and his eyes widen. Maybe this was a bad idea, well it's too late now anyways.

"Harry, love. Today marks our ten years and in the past decade, I have learned so many things, I learned kindness and how love feels like and how- what I'm trying to say that in the last decade you have made me a better person each day and made me fall more in love with you. I want to do that for the rest of our lives and even if I don't really deserve it, I want to make you mine forever. So tell me, Harry James Potter, will you do the honour of marrying me?" Draco finishes with a smile and a single tear rolls down Harry's cheek.

"As inspiring as that was. This just isn't fair!" Harry whines and for a moment Draco thinks Harry is going to stomp his foot.

Draco hasn't been more confused in his entire life. He gives Harry a questioning look. Is he even going to get an answer or what?

Harry takes a calming breath and goes down on his knees. "This is what I'm talking about," he says and fiddles with his jacket and produces a black box, a ring box and was he ......

He opens the box and Draco looks up at him, "Yes, you idiot. I was planning on asking you tonight but no you always have to compete me." Harry huffs and then Draco starts laughing.

He can't help it, it's funny. They are both idiots, utter idiots. Harry looks very much like he wants to join Draco in his amusement but he holds off for ami minute, looking slightly put out. Then he joins in as well.

"So that's a yes then?" Draco asks, it doesn't hurt to be sure. Harry looks at him with are-you-actually-this-daft expression, usually Harry is on the receiving end of that expression.

"I can't even look at you right now." Harry says and drags him in for a rough kiss.

"Idiotic prat." Harry says as they break apart. "No Draco, I won't marry you. I just wanted to see how it might feel to propose to you on our anniversary just for laugh, yeah?"

Draco gives him a sheepish smile and Harry shakes his head.

"Give me your hand," Draco demands and Harry smiles fondly at his tone and gives his left hand. Draco takes out ring and places it on his ring finger where it will rest forever.

"My turn," Harry says and takes his hand in his and delicately places the ring there.

They look at each other tenderly with all their love on display, then slowly come closer. As if it's their first kiss and it feels like such as well, almost shyly they kiss each other, tender with love and rough with passion.

...

As they pull apart, someone behind them mutters, "Fucking finally!" And then all their friends are there, yelling out congratulations in various degrees as they come out from wherever they were hiding.

Pansy is the first one to reach them and she engulfs Draco in a hug and murmurs something in his ear which makes Draco swat her arm. She is onto Harry when Hermione arrives, closely followed by Ron, Blaise, Luna and Ginny.

They all congratulate them as hugs and kisses are exchanged. Harry is grinning throughout the night, even as they make their way back home.

He had been surprised when he noticed that they both had chosen almost identical rings for each other, except for the size of the diamonds. He had kissed Draco very inappropriately when he had noticed, much to Ron's horror. Seriously, the dramatics never stopped when it came to Ron and Draco.

"Draco...did you...visit my parents yesterday?" Harry asks as they keep their coats.

"...yes, I did, you know to ask for their permission. How did you-" Draco doesn't get time to finish because Harry is onto him.

He can't express the amount of love that passes through him at that single sentence. Draco went to Godric's hollow to ask his parents. The gesture is so sweet that he can actually feel his heart ache. They lose themselves in one another after that, no longer waiting for words to express their feelings, but rather showing it with their actions as they make sweet tender love.

Unbeknownst to both of them, craved inside their rings, is their story.

Masters of Their Own

Tagging @cissa-bee @sorry-i-ship-drarry @cupofsquirrelfan @textrovert-01 @a-disasterperson @thebusyfangirl @moramystery because you all requested this!

Part 3

[toxicbubblegum212]

Maze runner boys ~ Things that remind them of you and why ~

Minho:

- Minho remembers since the first day he met you, your obsession with Autumn leaves.

- He never really understood why till you showed him on particular leaf you had picked up.

- "All that for a leaf!?"

- "Its not about the leaf itself, its about the beauty it brings, see look at how it stands out"

- You taught Minho appreciation that day and that its small almost meaningless moments like this are the one's that you want to remember for the rest of your life.

- Cause whats the meaning of life if there are no memories to make it valuable.

- Memories are what make you , you (sorry if thats confusing)

- Now when ever Autum comes around with ever new leaf you find a new memory is made to.

- It a cute little tradition you both do

- Along with all the leaf fights and jumping into massive piles of leaves

- But not until he saw.

- Thomas was always so sure of him self when it came to making decisions.

- Like finally deciding to get out of the maze or to risk his life for Alby and Minho

- But not until he saw this quote written on one of the maze walls one day.

- It sparked doubt in him but it also taught him that no matter what he does things won't always go his way...

- He knew that he had to lose someone and some point at sometime, that people would have to die in order to succeed.

- Thomas for a long time has refused to accept this fact, so he's been running. For as long as he can remember.

- It's just that the quote almost kinda scared him as if it some how knew.

- His thoughts all leaded him to one thing and that was you. You never sugar coated anything. You were up front and honest and thats what Thomas liked about you.

- He wouldn't be surprised if you wrote the quote on that wall just for him.

- As much as he tries to shake off the thought he never can nor can he ever let go of you. Looks like he's stuck with both.

Newt:

- Ever since you arrived in the glade you had these weird objects on your necklaces, bracelets ect even your clothes.

- It stood out to Newt that you weren't gonna be an ordinary greenie

- He was so fascinated by the shells you whore.

- Newt had some many questions

- Like where did you get them, what are they for or what do u do with them.

- Newt couldn't believe his ears as you explained the beach you used to live on. And that the shells were once living creatures or had a living creating living within them.

- You explain about how shells where made from carbon in the air and calcium from within bones.

- Newt loved listening to you voice and was so proud of how smart you arm.

- Newt promises you that one day they will make it back to the beach and collect all the sea shells together.

- Newt loved the adventure as you told him fair tales of pirates and sunken ships, of things like treasure and gold.

- You gave made Newt a necklace with a cowrie shell, he loved it so much.

- Now the obsessions has spread and Newt now dreams of shells

Gally:

- Gally and you had grown oddly close to each other since you arrive in the box.

- You considered Gally to be your best friend and trust him with everything.

- One day out of the blue Gally asked what was troubling you

- You pulled out a picture from your pocket

- I arrived with this which i came...i don't know what exactly it is but it must have been very important to me once.

- Gally looked on the back of photo

- Gally read " Dear me i saved you this photo, it might not mean much now but it did in the moment. This was us speeding down the highway someone where in Texas. The sun blazoned down on us as we left all the horrors behind. My heart was full of joy, accomplishment and love I know that the old Y/N i probably long gone by now, but i want you to keep this. I don't want you to go losing yourself. I did a lot of bad things in my time..i don't want you to do the same. And finally i just want to tell you that I love you and that you can do anything you put your mind to

Y/N xoxo

- Gally peered over to see tears streaming down you face...

- He could barely grasp what you could have been feeling.

- It hurt, know that a part of yourself was gone, thrown away and that you could never get it back.

- It was the first time feeling love that was for yourself from yourself, it was hard being placed into the glade. It challenged you.

- The thing that upset you most was the fact that this note is from a dead person, a dead you.

- Someone that truly loved you and you can't get them back. You felt like your soul was being torn apart.

- But Gally simply grabbed you hand and told you that you don't need to worry cause you take photos and create lots more memories together and ones that you will remember forever.