#miranda vigil

[sorqpmusicmin]

Salmo 118

Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya!

O pasalamatan ang Diyos na Panginoon 'Pagkat siya'y mabuti Ang kanyang pag-ibig ay napakatatag At mananatili Ang taga-Israel 'bayaang sabihi't Kanilang ihahayag Ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ang pag-ibig ng Diyos ay hindi kukupas

Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya!

Ang lakas ng Poon ang siyang nagdudulot Ng ating tagumpay Ating tagumpay sa pakikibaka Sa ating kaaway Aking sinasabing 'di ako papanaw Mabubuhay ako upang isalaysay Ang gawa ng Diyos ang gawa ng Diyos Na Panginoon ko

Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya!

Ang batong natakwil ng nangagtatayo Ng tirahang bahay Ang batong natakwil sa lahat ng bato'y Higit na mahusay Ang lahat ng ito ang nagpamalas Ay ang Panginoong Diyos Kung iyong mamasdan kung iyong mamasdan Ay kalugud-lugod

Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya! Aleluya!

[horeformilfs]

Rescued From the Nightmares

Miracina x Fem! Reader

TW: Blood, Mentions of ED Behaviors, Mentions of Poison and Torture

Liniștește-te, îngeraș. Ești în siguranță = Calm down, little angel. You're safe

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

Amidst the dense forest, Alcina Dimitrescu and her daughters, Cassandra, Bela, and Daniela, prowled gracefully, their senses sharp and instincts honed for the hunt. The crisp air carried whispers of prey, but something else lingered—a foreign scent, unfamiliar and intriguing.

Bela's keen nose twitched as she caught wind of it, her brows furrowing in curiosity. "Mother," she murmured, her voice a soft melody in the twilight, "do you smell that?"

Alcina, towering and regal, nodded, her crimson lips curling into a predatory smile. "Yes, my dear. I've noticed it too," she replied, her golden eyes gleaming with intrigue. "Let us follow it and see what secrets this forest holds."

With a nod from their mother, the Dimitrescu daughters ventured deeper into the woods, their steps silent and purposeful. Alcina's directive echoed in their minds—explore, hunt, but remain vigilant.

Bela suggested they split up to cover more ground, a notion that Alcina entertained. "Very well," she conceded, her voice carrying authority softened by maternal concern. "Bela, Cassandra, you shall pair up. Daniela, you are with me."

And so they dispersed, weaving through the shadows with practiced ease. Bela and Cassandra navigated the labyrinth of trees until they stumbled upon a clearing, where a young woman lay unconscious, her form draped in a cloak of darkness and blood.

Cassandra's brow furrowed in concern as she knelt beside the fallen figure. "What do we do, Bela?" she asked, her voice a whisper in the stillness of the night.

Bela hesitated, her gaze flickering between her sister and the stranger at their feet. "We bring her to Mother," she decided, her tone resolute. "She will know what to do."

They carried the unconscious woman back to the agreed meeting point, where Alcina and Daniela awaited their return. Alcina's gaze narrowed as she took in the sight before her, her maternal instincts tinged with caution.

"Who is she?" Alcina inquired, her voice a velvet whisper laced with authority.

"We found her while exploring, Mother," Bela explained, her voice steady despite the weight of uncertainty.

Alcina regarded the stranger with a measured gaze before nodding in agreement. "We shall bring her back to the castle," she decided, her voice commanding yet gentle. With practiced grace, Bela transferred the injured woman into Alcina's arms, their journey back to the castle beginning in silence.

The grand halls of Castle Dimitrescu welcomed the returning huntresses with an air of quiet anticipation. Alcina's wife, Miranda, awaited their arrival, her presence a calming anchor amidst the storm of their nightly endeavors. As the Dimitrescu daughters approached, Miranda greeted them with a warm smile, her gaze flickering with curiosity.

"How was the hunt, my darlings?" Miranda inquired, her voice a soothing melody in the cavernous hall.

Cassandra's lips curved into a satisfied smirk as she recounted their exploits, her words painting a vivid picture of the night's escapades. But Miranda's smile faltered when her eyes fell upon the unconscious woman cradled in Alcina's arms, her brow furrowing in concern.

"What happened?" Miranda asked, her tone laced with worry as she turned to Alcina for answers.

Bela stepped forward, her voice steady as she explained their unexpected encounter in the abandoned base. Miranda listened intently, her expression softening with understanding as she absorbed the tale.

Alcina, ever composed, interjected with a gentle reminder of the woman's injuries. "Miranda, she is in need of your expertise," she stated, her voice a velvet whisper tinged with concern.

Miranda nodded, her resolve firm as she accepted the responsibility thrust upon her. With a graceful motion, Alcina transferred the unconscious woman into Miranda's waiting arms, their gazes locking in silent reassurance before Miranda disappeared down the dimly lit corridors, her burden cradled close to her heart.

Left alone with her daughters, Alcina's focus shifted to the task at hand. "Clean yourselves up," she instructed, her voice firm yet gentle. "Dinner will be served in a few hours."

The Dimitrescu daughters nodded in understanding, their movements fluid as they made their way to their chambers to prepare for the evening ahead. Meanwhile, Alcina dispatched a maid to fetch Miranda's equipment, ensuring that her wife had all she needed to tend to their unexpected guest.

Alone in their shared room, Alcina found Miranda tending to the stranger's wounds with practiced expertise, her hands gentle yet sure as she worked. With a soft smile, Alcina offered her assistance, their bond a silent testament to the strength of their union.

Miranda's skilled hands moved with precision as she tended to the unconscious woman, her focus unwavering despite the weight of uncertainty that hung in the air. Alcina stood by her side, a silent sentinel ready to offer assistance at a moment's notice.

As they worked, their conversation drifted to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the woman's appearance in the abandoned base. They speculated quietly, weaving tales of intrigue and danger, each possibility more fantastical than the last.

With practiced ease, Miranda finished attending to the woman's injuries, her touch gentle as she wrapped them in sterile dressings. She cleaned her equipment methodically, her movements a ballet of efficiency and grace.

A faint stir from the woman interrupted their quiet conversation, and Miranda's hand instinctively reached out to steady her. Alcina's voice, a soothing balm in the darkness, reassured the woman of her safety, her words a promise of protection amidst the unknown.

But the woman, disoriented and confused, attempted to rise from her makeshift bed. Miranda's gentle touch halted her movement, her voice soft yet firm as she urged the woman to rest.

"You're safe now," Alcina assured her, her gaze unwavering as she met the woman's eyes. "You're in good hands."

The young woman's words cut through the air like a chilling breeze, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. "I need to leave," she pleaded, her eyes darting nervously towards the door. "They'll hurt me if they find me here."

But her legs buckled beneath her, and she stumbled, leaning heavily against the sturdy wooden doorframe for support. Alcina approached her cautiously, her voice a soothing melody amidst the woman's turmoil.

"You're safe here," Alcina reassured her, her tone gentle yet unwavering. "No one will harm you."

Miranda's keen gaze softened as she observed the young woman's distress, her heart aching with empathy for the pain etched in her features. "You need antibiotics," Miranda explained calmly, her voice a steady anchor in the storm.

At the mention of needles, the woman's eyes widened with fear, her body tensing in anticipation. "No, please, not again," she pleaded, her voice tinged with anguish.

Alcina's brow furrowed in concern as she listened to the woman's words, a sense of foreboding settling over her. "What do you mean, 'again'?" she inquired gently, her voice laced with quiet concern.

"They..." the woman trailed off, her voice choked with emotion. "They always give me shots," she confessed, her words heavy with the weight of trauma.

Miranda guided the woman to the bed, her touch gentle as she offered comfort and reassurance. She sat beside her, her presence a steady anchor in the tumult of emotions swirling around them.

As Alcina administered the injections, Miranda offered words of encouragement, her voice a soothing balm to the woman's frayed nerves. With the first needle's prick, the woman held her breath, her knuckles turning white as she clutched Miranda's hand in a vice-like grip.

"Remember to breathe, sweetheart," Miranda murmured, her voice a gentle reminder of their shared humanity.

The second injection followed, and the woman squeezed Miranda's hand tightly, her eyes squeezed shut against the pain. Miranda praised her bravery, her words a beacon of light in the darkness of her fear.

"You did very well, my dear," Alcina added, her voice warm with pride as she applied bandaids to the tiny puncture wounds.

The young woman's eyelids grew heavy, the effects of the medication beginning to take hold. With a soft sigh, she swayed dizzily, her strength ebbing away as she slipped from the edge of the bed. Alcina's swift reflexes caught her before she could hit the ground, her voice a steady anchor in the swirling sea of confusion.

"Easy now," Alcina murmured, her arms enfolding the woman in a protective embrace. With gentle care, she lifted her and settled her back onto the bed, beside Miranda.

The woman, her name still a mystery, sought solace in Miranda's presence, her heart yearning for the warmth of connection amidst the chill of uncertainty. Miranda welcomed her into her embrace, her touch tender as she brushed a stray lock of hair from the woman's face.

Alcina watched over them, her gaze soft with compassion as she took a seat beside the young woman. She reached out, her hand resting lightly on the woman's shoulder, a silent gesture of support and reassurance.

"You're safe here, sweetheart," Miranda whispered, her voice a gentle caress in the darkness. "Rest now, and let your worries fade away."

Alcina's voice joined Miranda's, their words weaving a tapestry of comfort and solace around the woman. "We'll protect you," she promised, her tone firm yet gentle. "You're not alone."

The young woman's lips parted in a feeble attempt to speak, her voice barely a whisper amidst the quiet of the room. Miranda's gentle touch silenced her, a soft shushing sound soothing her restless mind.

"Rest now, my dear," Miranda murmured, her voice a gentle melody in the darkness. "There will be time to talk later, once you're feeling better."

The woman, her eyelids heavy with exhaustion, nodded weakly, her protests silenced by the comforting embrace of sleep. She sank deeper into Miranda's arms, her body yielding to the pull of slumber as the warmth of safety enveloped her.

Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she gazed up at the two older women, a silent question lingering on her lips. Alcina's voice, warm and reassuring, broke the stillness of the room as she introduced herself and Miranda.

"I am Alcina Dimitrescu, and this is my wife, Miranda," Alcina explained, her tone gentle yet proud. "And you, my dear, what is your name?"

Miranda's gaze softened as she awaited the woman's response, her heart brimming with compassion for the stranger in their midst. "We would like to know who you are sweet girl," she added, her voice a gentle invitation to trust.Y/n's voice, soft and hesitant, broke the silence of the room. "My name is Y/n," she murmured, her eyes flickering with uncertainty as she met Miranda and Alcina's gazes.

The apology tumbled from Y/n's lips, her voice laced with self-doubt. Alcina's brow furrowed in confusion at the unexpected apology, prompting Y/n to explain her concern about intruding on their relationship.

Alcina's gaze softened, a flicker of understanding passing between her and Miranda. "You have nothing to apologize for, my dear," Alcina assured her, her voice warm with reassurance. "You are not an inconvenience."

Miranda echoed Alcina's sentiment, her touch gentle as she urged Y/n to rest. "Sleep now," Miranda whispered, her words a soothing lullaby in the stillness of the room. "We'll talk more later."

With a tender kiss to Y/n's forehead, Alcina bid Miranda and Y/n farewell, her footsteps fading into the distance as she left the room. Y/n shifted slightly, pulling away from Miranda's embrace, her eyes clouded with uncertainty.

"Are you alright?" Miranda asked, her voice soft with concern as she observed the turmoil in Y/n's expression.

Y/n's response was hesitant, her words tinged with guilt. "I shouldn't be getting so close to a married woman," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Miranda's touch was gentle yet firm as she drew Y/n back into her embrace. "If you need comfort right now, that's what matters," Miranda reassured her, her words a beacon of understanding in the darkness of Y/n's doubts. "You're not doing anything to jeopardize our marriage."

Y/n relaxed into Miranda's arms, her fears melting away in the warmth of their shared embrace. Miranda pulled the duvet over them both, cocooning them in a blanket of safety and comfort as Y/n nestled closer to her.

With a final kiss to Y/n's forehead, Miranda whispered words of comfort as Y/n drifted off to sleep, the weight of the world easing from her shoulders in the embrace of those who dared to care. And in the heart of Castle Dimitrescu, amidst shadows and secrets, a stranger found solace in the arms of those who welcomed her with open hearts.

Amidst the quiet intimacy of their room, Alcina returned from her brief check on the girls, her footsteps echoing softly in the dimly lit chamber. She approached Miranda with a questioning gaze, concern etched into the lines of her elegant features.

"How is she?" Alcina inquired, her voice a gentle murmur as she regarded Miranda with a mixture of curiosity and worry.

Miranda's gaze softened as she turned to face her wife, a small smile gracing her lips. "She's sleeping now," Miranda replied, her voice soft with reassurance. "She was worried about us being married."

Alcina's brow furrowed in confusion at the revelation, prompting Miranda to explain Y/n's concerns. "She doesn't understand why she feels that way," Miranda added, her voice tinged with empathy.

A tender silence enveloped them as they pondered the complexities of Y/n's feelings. "I don't mind that she's come into our lives," Miranda confessed, her words a testament to the depth of her compassion.

Alcina's gaze softened with understanding, her hand reaching out to intertwine with Miranda's. "I agree," she murmured, her voice a whispered affirmation of their shared sentiment.

They lingered in quiet companionship for a while longer, their thoughts drifting amidst the gentle ebb and flow of conversation. Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, the aroma of dinner wafted into the room, heralding the arrival of their meal.

Miranda stirred Y/n gently from her slumber, her touch tender as she guided the sleepy woman to sit up. Y/n instinctively gravitated towards Miranda, seeking solace in the comforting embrace of the older woman.

Alcina's voice broke the silence, her tone warm with affection as she informed Y/n of their dinner. With her help, Y/n sat up and began to eat, the simple act of nourishment a testament to the newfound bond forged between them.

But as Y/n pushed the food around on her plate, Alcina gently urged her to eat, her voice filled with concern. "You should try to eat something, my dear. It will help settle your stomach," she suggested, her eyes flickering with worry.

Y/n hesitated, her appetite diminished by memories too painful to share. "I'm not hungry," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Miranda exchanged a concerned glance with Alcina, her brow furrowing in worry. "Is there a specific reason why you don't want to eat?" she inquired gently, her voice filled with empathy.

Y/n's gaze flickered with hesitation, her mind torn between the desire to confide in them and the fear of burdening them with her past. But finally, she found the courage to speak, her voice trembling with the weight of her confession.

"When I was given meals at the base... they were usually poisoned," she admitted, her words heavy with the weight of truth. "They wanted to see which poisons I was immune to."

Shock and anger rippled across Alcina and Miranda's faces at Y/n's revelation, their hearts heavy with the weight of her suffering. "We would never do such a thing," Alcina vowed, her voice laced with righteous indignation. "We want you to be safe here."

Miranda's hand reached out to gently touch Y/n's, her touch a silent reassurance of their commitment to her well-being. "We want to help you," she murmured, her voice soft yet determined. "Please, try to eat something small. It will help with the antibiotics."

With a shared understanding passing between them, Y/n nodded slowly, her trust in Alcina and Miranda growing with each passing moment. 

As the weeks passed, Y/n found herself gradually integrating into the life of Castle Dimitrescu. She formed bonds with Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela, the Dimitrescu daughters taking a liking to her gentle nature and welcoming her into their fold. But it was with Alcina and Miranda that Y/n grew closest, finding solace and security in their presence.

Despite the warmth of their companionship, Y/n continued to sleep on the floor each night, a silent testament to the lingering trauma that haunted her dreams. The softness of the bed and the comfort of the room were foreign to her, a stark contrast to the harsh realities she had endured before being rescued by Alcina and her daughters.

To Y/n, the comforts of the bed were reserved for those who had earned them, not for someone like her. So she sought refuge on the familiar embrace of the floor, finding solace in the hum of the heating and the warmth of a simple rug beneath her.

It was only when Miranda and Alcina gently encouraged her to embrace the comfort of the bed that Y/n began to realize the true extent of her fear of sleep. The gentle weight of the comforter, the warmth of the mattress, and the softness of the pillows were foreign sensations, overwhelming in their unfamiliarity.

But with their reassurance, Y/n tentatively allowed herself to sink into the embrace of the bed, the promise of safety and comfort beckoning her into the realm of sleep. Yet, as the night wore on, the darkness of her dreams crept in, suffocating her with its tendrils of fear and despair.

The first night in the shared bed was plagued by bone-deep screams, the echoes of her nightmares reverberating through the quiet of the room. Alcina and Miranda at her side in a n instant, their gentle words a soothing balm to her troubled soul as they guided her back to the shores of wakefulness.

But even as they slipped back into unconsciousness, the nightmares returned with a vengeance, tearing through the fragile veil of sleep with relentless ferocity. Hour after hour, Y/n fought against the darkness, her throat raw from screams and her body drenched in sweat.

Yet, through it all, Alcina and Miranda remained steadfast at her side, their unwavering presence a beacon of light in the darkness of her nightmares. And as the night faded into dawn, Y/n clung to their comfort, the promise of a new day offering a glimmer of hope amidst the shadows of her past.

The echoes of Y/n's screams filled the room, jolting both Alcina and Miranda from their sleep. Right away, they were at her side, their comforting presence a shield against the encroaching darkness of her nightmares.

Miranda gently cradled Y/n in her arms, feeling the tremors that coursed through her body. "Draga mea, shh, you're safe," she whispered, her voice a soothing melody in the night.

Alcina's hand rested on Y/n's shoulder, her touch firm yet gentle. "Îngeraș, we're here for you," she reassured, her voice a comforting murmur.

Y/n, caught in the throes of her nightmares, clung to Miranda, her tears soaking into the fabric of her nightshirt. Between sobs, she tried to articulate the horrors that plagued her dreams, but her words were disjointed and unintelligible.

Miranda pressed a tender kiss to Y/n's forehead, her voice a calming presence amidst the storm. "Shh, my dear, it's okay. We're here with you," she murmured, her fingers gently stroking Y/n's hair.

Alcina leaned in, her lips brushing against Y/n's temple. "Take your time, îngeraș. We're not going anywhere," she said, her voice a steady reassurance.

The trio remained intertwined in the bed, a tableau of comfort and solace in the face of Y/n's turmoil. Alcina and Miranda worked in tandem to calm her racing heart and ease the tension that gripped her.

As Y/n continued to cry into Miranda's neck, Alcina whispered soothing words in Romanian, the melodic cadence a balm to Y/n's restless soul. "Liniștește-te, îngeraș. Ești în siguranță," she murmured, her voice a gentle lullaby.

Miranda continued her soft reassurances, offering a comforting refuge for Y/n to lean into. "It's alright, my dear. We're here to help you through this," she whispered, her words a promise of unwavering support.

After some time, as Y/n's sobs began to subside, Alcina and Miranda exchanged a knowing glance. "Let's talk about it in the morning," Alcina suggested, her tone filled with understanding.

Miranda nodded in agreement, gently wiping away Y/n's tears. "Sleep, Draga mea. We'll face this together when the sun rises," she murmured, her words a gentle promise of a new day, free from the shadows of the night.

[astranva]

Andrew Garfield talking about his girlfriend for 8 minutes video

Word Count: 1.2k

Category: Fluff

Warning: None

Summary: A fan makes a YouTube video of Andrew Garfield talking about you for 8 minutes straight.

..

When the news of you and Andrew dating got out three years ago, fans and the media had a field day.

It wasn’t because you were anyone famous—quite the opposite. Being someone with a normal job, you and Andrew had basked in finally going outside as a couple, and it was how adorable the pictures looked that had everyone freaking out.

One picture was of you laughing, Andrew’s arms around you from behind as he wrapped his coat around you as he wore it, a grin on his face.

Another picture was of you looking at him, eyes set on one another with his hands tangled in your hair, while the other was of him kissing you and despite the photo not being one in high quality, everyone could still see the small smirk he had as you kissed.

It was no surprise when fans posted edits of you together, and although the content they got was minimal, considering your lack of presence in interviews and public press, it was always a field day when you appeared beside him on a red carpet or when you both did as little as grab yourselves some coffee.

Andrew Garfield talking about his girlfriend y/n for 8 minutes straight

The 8-minute and 29-second video started with lofi music over an advertisement for marvel hoodies that everyone seemed to promote, before a sound of glitching television sounded and the video started.

The video started with Andrew and Zendaya’s Actor on Actor interview when they first started talking about Zendaya’s performance on Euphoria.

“Makes me want to cry. I didn’t feel like there was any acting. It felt like you were living through something in such an authentic way,” Andrew said, “And I remember I watched episode 5 with Y/N—with my girlfriend, and she was just like, ‘Andy, can you check up on Zendaya?’”

Zendaya smiled, being her usual self who got flustered at any compliment or praise, “She did text me that night, I remember.”

“She did,” he nodded, “She was so heartbroken over the episode.”

The video then moved to show Andrew during his Wired Autocomplete interview, the foam board in his hand as he took off the sticker that hid the question.

“Does Andrew Garfield sing in Tick, Tick…Boom?” He read, “So, Andrew Garfield does sing in Tick, Tick…Boom, yes. Thank you,” he answered, “I worked very, very closely with an amazing vocal coach, Liz Caplan, and all of Lin Manuel Miranda’s amazing musical direction team. They enabled me to open my voice up to the point where I could honor Jon’s songs and feel confident enough to belt them out as he always did when he was doing his one-man show,” he nodded slight, “It was a privilege to be able to learn a skill that I’ve always wanted to attain but my girlfriend wouldn’t really agree,” he chuckled, looking at the camera, “Y/N’s had enough of my singing, because every time I’d learn something new, it’d be the only thing I’d be doing around our home and she’s incredible, she has a job that she needs to focus on and rest from, but I was always there singing and annoying her,” he laughed, “She’s a gem for putting up with me.”

Another clip then played as Andrew read Buzzfeed’s thirst tweets, headphones on his ears.

“Andrew Garfield if you see this on your secret Twitter account, I’m free this weekend if you want to get lunch or drinks or something, just let me know. If you want to do it earlier, I can do dinner during the week,” he chuckled as he read the tweet, “But I’m usually busy before six,” he finished with a laugh, leaning back in his seat, “I love that. That’s very, very—I like hyper-vigilance. I like specificity of plans,” he said, “But I’m going to have to give you a rain check on that because I’m actually busy on the weekend, unless you want to join in on my girlfriend and I’s date, then it’s fine by me,” he laughed, “I can do lunch during the week though, but we’re going to have to have that at Y/N’s office because that’s where you’ll usually find me having my lunch.”

The clip then moved to Andrew on the Ellen show, getting asked about Spider-Man: No Way Home, and having to lie to people.

“Who knew? Beside your agent, who knew that you were doing this? I mean, how hard is that? To keep it to—I mean, your family knew?” Ellen asked him.

“Yeah, my dad, my brother, and my mother at the time,” he answered with a smile, “Yeah, just kind of us. It was fun to keep it secret,” he grinned, “Because you know when you’re planning a surprise birthday party for someone, and then you’re like, tell me, you know I hate surprises, but I can see it on your face that you’re just like ‘I’m not gonna tell you’,” he shook his head with his wide grin, “So it felt like I was part of organizing a surprise birthday party for a bunch of people whom I knew would appreciate it.”

“Did your girlfriend know?”

Beaming even more, “Y/N had no idea,” he said, laughing, “And—lying to the media, to the fans, that was easy and fun, but lying to my girlfriend has got to be—it was one of the most agonizing and terrible things I have ever done.”

“You lied to her for what? Two years?”

“Technically, it was a year and a few months,” Andrew pointed.

“And how—how did she take that? I’d be pretty offended.”

He laughed, shaking his head, “She wasn’t, she wasn’t. I knew she’d appreciate it because she knows how I feel about my experience with the character, and it was—I’ll tell you something,” he sat up, smiling, “It was worth every single moment where I had to tell her I was shooting for another movie when I saw her reaction when we went to watch it together,” he said, “We had to watch it again because she couldn’t really focus after I was on screen,” he laughed, “But yeah, it—it was definitely hard having to lie to her, and it definitely made her tease me about trust for a while, but she supported me throughout without even knowing.”

The clip then moved to the last one, being from a recent interview with GQ of 10 things Andrew can’t live without.

In a t-shirt and sporting a full beard, he held a silver necklace with a compass on it.

“This is a necklace with a compass on it,” he said, holding the necklace in his hands before the camera zoomed on it before it showed him again, “My girlfriend Y/N gave this to me in a period where I needed to trust the direction I was going, even if I didn’t know where I was going,” he chuckled, looking at it, “It’s become such a symbol of our relationship because in a way, to me, it feels like it navigates us both back to where we have always met, toward our common interests and our differences that initially made us attracted to each other. But she’s always been very persistent on her support for me and my journey in my career, and my journey as a person, so this necklace is just a reminder from her that the direction I’m headed in is always one I can find value in,” he smiled, “My relationship with Y/N is very essential to me. She’s just—She’s truly my person, and this necklace is a symbol of the deep connection we have with each other.”

[weekend-whip]

"You have your mother's eyes," says an elderly customer to Kai from the other side of the shop's counter, and Kai just stares at the guy like he's crazy. His mother had eyes the color of the surface of the ocean—if anything, Kai's got his father's eyes, all burnt and reddish and fiery. But the customer only chuckles and doubles down on his claim.

"Your mother had that unwavering ferocity in her eyes as well," the man explains, a certain twinkle in his own gaze. He speaks like he's an old friend, but Kai has never felt more like a stranger. "That unrelenting vigilance... you truly must take after her. If she were here, I bet she'd be very proud of you."

Kai closes the shop down for the day after that, and never tells Nya why.

. . .

"You have your mother's eyes," said Wu once to Nya, and Nya instantly knows what that means, and Nya feels like a fool for not having put it all together sooner. She now sits in front of her vanity's mirror and glares at herself, mentally kicking at her brain for not making the connections even sooner.

She really does have her mother's eyes, though hers are a cyan of a grayer shade and her pupils are still white. She scowls, drawing upon every bubbling bit of frustration boiling within her ocean of emotions, thrusting it upwards until it breaches the surface. Her irises intensify; their true bright cyan color splashes to life, accompanied by a rather intimidating glow.

Nya smiles in spite of the Outburst.

There—now that's more like her mother.

. . .

"You have your mother's eyes," said no one to Jay, as for a very long time, that wouldn't have been true. His mother's eyes had been nothing but charcoal black, just as his father's were, lacking in anything and everything potentially Elemental, up until he discovered that as-a-matter-of-fact, he had been adopted...and suddenly, his mother's eyes were the same shade of cobalt blue he sports now.

Jay's still not sure how he feels about that fact. But should he come across a woman with eyes the same shade of electric cobalt...he's going to have a few words for her.

And the first one is going to be: "Why?"

. . .

"You have your mother's eyes," Lou declares as a statement, one night when Cole miraculously stops by for a visit. Cole wants to roll these so-called eyes of his mother's, for even if it is true, they're the root of all his problems to begin with. They sit upon his face as a constant reminder of what they'd both lost, and even after everything, it makes it difficult to ever really put it behind them.

Sometimes, Cole's glad for it, knowing he can pass by his reflection in a window and pretend that she's still looking out for him from time to time. Like she's not truly gone, so long as he carries her with him.

Sometimes, though, Cole catches the way Lou or even Wu or Garmadon will do a double-take when turning to look at him, and he catches the way their faces wilt with some disappointment. It's no one's fault, not really. It's just... unfortunate.

. . .

"You have your mother's eyes," says Cyrus Borg in the midst of his lab, reminiscing upon an old photo of himself with Julien and Aurora. Zane frowns, for this has never been true.

He had her complexion, her hair color, her eyebrows, and the slight crook of her smile, but never her eyes. And now, being Titanium, nothing of him resembles his mother other than the love in the heart beating in his chest. And all at once, he's reminded that he is technically no longer the same person he was before.

He spends several nights afterward conspiring with Jay and Nya to do...something to "fix" this—to bring back some semblance of who he physically used to be, someone he himself had been unable to reconstruct...but ultimately, he has to begrudgingly drag himself to Miranda, who all-too cheerfully reprograms his eye color to match that of a true Elemental Master of Ice, although that's the extent of what she can do.

Even now, it's...still not quite right. But, it's closer than it was before.

. . .

"You have your mother's eyes," Garmadon says to Lloyd, and Lloyd immediately calls 'bullshit' in his head, because there's no one alive that has his stupidly unique eyes—and probably never will again—unless you want to count the gaze of a larger-than-life man long since gone from the world.

"You know that's not what I mean," Garmadon notes with a click of his tongue, catching the way Lloyd's face twists into a protesting scowl. "I mean that...I see a lot of her in you. Her courage, her kindness, her intelligence, her strength...Which, is all a good thing!"

Garmadon throws his head back in a laugh. Lloyd stares at him, carefully and quietly.

"I mean, can you imagine if your eyes were like mine instead?"

Once upon a time, Lloyd would have killed for that to be the truth. But now...that's too terrifying a reality to even entertain in his imagination.

So Lloyd laughs too, if only to chase off the horror of it all.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

Who of the Cast could hold a grudge for the longest?

On a scale from "Not Even Worth the Energy" to "I Will Make How You've Wronged Me My Whole Personality":

Sunni

Miranda

Jay

Jesse

Zane

Skylor

Antonia

Pixal

Cole

Nya

Kai

Lloyd

Harleigh

Olivia

Harumi

. . .

I don't even think Sunni is capable of holding a grudge. She's cool with her future boyfriend eventually dumping her for another woman, for Master's sake. She can tank a lot of emotional damage. Like a sponge.

Miranda won't even remember you wronged her unless you remind her, and even then she has to think about if you're worth being pissed off at. You're usually not—she's not more important things to keep on her mind. She's definitely 'forgive and forget'.

Jay, Jesse, and Zane are all extremely petty, mind you. But, while Jay is more vocal with his, he'll almost never do a thing about it unless pushed, especially if it's something he considers minor.

Jesse is only petty when it comes to very specific things—more potently yet less often than Jay, but he also doesn't usually act on it. Usually.

Zane, meanwhile, might not let his pettiness show as much as the previous two, but he is actually far more likely to act on it.

Skylor and Antonia are more vocal about their grudges than the previous three combined, and will act on it if an opportunity prevents itself (or they're isn't stopped beforehand). Can be rather easily swayed into letting bygones be bygones though—less stress for them. Skylor is slightly lower because she doesn't want to start any fresh trouble for herself ; Antonia will without a second thought.

Pixal is the wild card. She's either dismissed her grudges as entirely unnecessary...or is filing it away to use against you later. You'll never know until it's too late.

...Cole forgives, but does not forget. Don't you forget that.

Nya and Kai are about the same, just in opposite directions. Nya's grudges only fester against her better judgement because they make her so frustrated (which her element feeds on), while Kai's grudges come from his vigilance + a fear of broken trust. Neither are going to let you off the hook easily by any means, but they do have some leeway to them.

Lloyd has an outstanding capacity to forgive, but he's also not going to give it to you without rightfully (and vigorously) reminding you of what you did to wind up in his bad graces to begin with. Forgive but don't forget, yet taken to the extreme.

Harleigh's been wronged her whole life and her grudges literally haunt her, but unlike the following two, she is eventually able to pull herself out of it. ...Somewhat.

Olivia: "JUST LET IT GO ALREADY!!" "NEVER!!!!!"

Harumi: ...Don't forgive, don't forget

[capybaracorn]

Palestinian-American teen one of hundreds killed by Israelis in West Bank

They are using US tax dollars to ‘kill our own children’, says father after Israeli soldiers and settlers opened fire, killing his 17-year-old son.

Palestinian-American Tawfiq Ajaq, 17, is one of 369 people killed by Israeli troops and settlers in the occupied West Bank since October, including 95 children.

Speaking at his son’s funeral on Saturday, Tawfiq’s father, Hafez Ajaq, implored Americans to “see with their own eyes” the ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank.

“They are using our tax dollars in the US to support the weapons to kill our own children,” Hafez Ajaq said. “How many fathers and mothers have to say goodbye to their children? How many more?

“They are killer machines,” Tawfiq’s father said of Israeli forces at the funeral.

Born and raised in Gretna, Louisiana, near New Orleans, Tawfiq Ajaq’s parents brought him and his four siblings to the village of al-Mazraa Asharqiya last year so they could reconnect with Palestinian culture.

On Saturday, crowds of Palestinians filled village streets, following men who held aloft a stretcher with the teen’s body, wrapped in a Palestinian flag and covered in flowers.

Another vigil held at the Masjid Omar mosque in Harvey, New Orleans was standing room only, according to the New Orleans news outlet NOLA.com.

Circumstances unclear

Ajaq’s relative, Joe Abdel Qaki, said Tawfiq and a friend were having a barbecue in a village field when he was shot, once in the head and once in the chest.

Abdel Qaki said he arrived at the field shortly after the shooting and helped transport Tawfiq to an ambulance. He said Israeli forces briefly detained him and other Palestinians at the scene, asking for their identification cards before the men could get to Tawfiq.

He said Tawfiq died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

“Tawfiq is an American child who was chased and shot at by an Israeli settler, then Israeli forces pulled up and continued shooting,” Miranda Cleland, an advocacy officer with Defense for Children Palestine, said in a post on X.

“This is not the first time Defense for Children Palestine hasn’t been able to confirm whether a settler or soldier killed a child. One aids and abets the other,” Cleland said.

The United States Office of Palestinian Affairs called for an “urgent investigation” into Ajaq’s death in a post on X.

Various English spellings of the teen’s name have been used in reports.

In its daily update for Friday, the United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA reported a “17-year-old Palestinian child was shot and killed” near al-Mazra’a Asharqiya village in Ramallah where Tawfiq Ajaq lived.

“At the time of the incident, Israeli forces and settlers shot live ammunition towards a group of Palestinians who were reportedly throwing stones at Israeli vehicles driving on Road 60 near the village,” OCHA said.

“It is not yet clear whether the boy was shot by Israeli forces or settlers,” OCHA said.

According to OCHA’s latest figures, of 358 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, “348 were killed by Israeli forces, eight by Israeli settlers, and two by either Israeli forces or settlers”.

Israeli police said they received a report on Friday regarding a “firearm discharge, ostensibly involving an off-duty law enforcement officer, a soldier and a civilian”.

Police did not identify who fired the shot, though it said the shooting targeted people “purportedly engaged in rock-throwing activities along Highway 60″, the main north-south thoroughfare in the occupied West Bank.

The ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank comes as the death toll from Israel’s war on Gaza approaches 25,000, with thousands more missing under the rubble.

[skinnypig2]

hmmm let’s see

shepard is a lesbian

liara is an avid ally after her girlfriend shepard explained human queer oppression to her

garrus is trans

tali is trans and bi

Kaiden is bi

Ashley is working on her internalized homophobia

Wrex is homophobic but shepard is “one of the good ones” to him

joker didn’t know any gay people until he met shepard

anderson is a vigilant ally for his daughter shepard

hackett is a proud dad of all queer kids

Miranda is queer but she doesn’t accept herself until she’s been on the normandy a while

the Illusive man is gay, deeeeep in the closet, and wildly homophobic

Jacob says he’s an ally but he really does the bare minimum

kelly is bi

mordin is an ally (technically asexual)

grunt finds the existence of queer people entertaining

jack is nonbinary and pan

zaeed is supportive but has a very rudimentary view of trans people

kasumi is trans

thane just found out kolyat is bi and he’s learning for his son

samara looks down on humans for their historically oppressive behavior

legion is agender, aromantic, and asexual

james is trying hard to be a good ally

EDI is agender and asexual

traynor is a lesbian

cortez is gay and resilient

javik is pan but he intentionally doesn’t attend the Normandy’s pride party

cloned shepard is simultaneously gay and homophobic

[yxxxxxx1]

Thread about Joanna of Castile: Part 5: A troubled transition (1497 – 1504)

The fabulous, yet toxic legacy that became hers in 1500 would greatly complicate her life as she tried to reconcile her role as consort, wife, and mother with her new role as princess of Asturias and Gerona. She would also have to face a future proprietary monarch whose royal status surpassed her. The narratives in this thread examine the deterioration in Juana's marriage.

One of the first issues with the marriage that the monarchs also noticed was that messengers were arriving without letters from either Juana or Philip.

Isabella, anxious about her daughter, had sent her envoy, Friar Tomás de Matienzo, Sub-Prior of the Convent of Santa Cruz, to the Netherlands to find out what was happening. His detailed reports bear witness to Philip’s systematic campaign to assert his dominance over his inexperienced young wife.

Matienzo also questioned Juana about her irregular confessional habits, while later reassuring the monarchs that:

“There is as much religion in her household as in a strictly observant convent, and in this, she is very vigilant and deserves much praise.”

He also quizzed her about her failure to protect her Spanish household. Her defensiveness and extreme reserve led the Dominican to burst out that she had a “hard and pitiless heart” and was “devoid of piety [compassion].

Juana did write letters. But her silences were unsettling. In December 1496, her former aya, Teresa Manrique, who had been her daily companion and instructor, wrote from Burgos:

“I am amazed, knowing the distress and anxiety of the king and queen … when they do not receive letters from your highness with all the messages that come here … About myself, I do not know what to say except that, since I can no longer see your highness, I realize that I do not live; although I have recovered somewhat from my illnesses, the troubles of my heart … for that, the best remedy would be to have news of you …”.

Juana was also taken to task in a chaotic letter from María Manrique Chacón:

“Your highness does not remember her very dear friend doña María, and the toasted chickpeas she gave me that made me ill, the friend she loves so much …”. 

Miranda too reproved her:

“Although I have written very often, you have never sent me a word or written to me … I ask pardon that I am so bold with you, whom I love so much, and serve by day and night before God … If your highness does not answer me, I shall never write again, and this shall be my last letter.”

In general, Juana's failure to keep in touch with family and friends is seemingly more due to her extreme sensitivity to criticism and her reputation than to her indifference. She admitted that she had longed for home and had felt:

“So dispirited and depressed that every time she remembered how far away she was from [Isabel] she could not stop weeping to be forever so separated from her.”

Her treasurer, Mújica, subsequently informed the monarchs that:

“When some days go by without hearing from your highnesses, she is the most distressed woman in the world.”

To her dismay, the Philip with whom she had enjoyed such an electric physical relationship had soon shown his true colours. As her husband, and as Burgundy’s duke, he required her complete surrender to all his commands. This included controlling the personnel and the running of her household, an area in which, according to royal protocol, she should have been independent. She told Friar Tomás that Philip and his councillors didn't let her take part in it.

Philip had begun by taking over her finances: he did not give her the annual sum supposed to be allocated to her for her household expenditure, despite contracting to do just that in their joint marriage treaty. Instead, the archdukes own people took care of the money that should have gone to Juana. This meant, the envoy wrote to Isabella, that:

“She [Juana] is so poor that she has not a maravedi to give alms.”

She certainly did not have the money to pay her servants, who began to drift away because they could not “sustain themselves at court.” Within six months of her arrival in Burgundy, eighty of her ninety-eight male servants had left her side. That suited Philip very well. It meant he was able to replace the vast majority of his wife’s Spanish officials with his nominees; even many of those who loyally remained were bribed to support Philip as master rather than Juana as mistress. And, totally out of her depth, she simply did not know how to react to the man she could see was taking over her life but to whom she was still so physically attracted.

Yet, she had tried. On at least one occasion, Friar Tomás noticed that Juana had found the courage to protest. When asked to approve payments already made about which she had known nothing, she signed as she was bid but then said,

“Be it so for this year, but next year I desire that they do not make grants without my consent.”

As this flash of spirit did not occur until after Phillip's representatives had left her, Friar Tomás wrote resignedly,

“I think it will always be the same thing.”

The envoy was right: Juana didn't see any point in protesting again. Philip cruelly and deftly went a stage further after each battle he won.

Philip had insisted that Madame de Hallewin, once his own governess, should be one of Juana's key ladies-in-waiting. Juana’s desire to have Doña Marina Manuel, whom Isabella also trusted, in that post had been ignored. According to Friar Tomás:

Madame de Hallewin, together with Philip’s councillors, “Have so much intimidated” Juana, “that she dare not raise her head.”

If she tried to complain to Philip himself about how she was being treated, Juana confessed to Isabella’s messenger, her husband just told his councillors, and she “receives great injury from it.” Friar Tomás does not tell us what that “injury” was, but he does report on her sadness and her growing realization that she was so very much alone.

Juana was lucky because a few of her former attendants, including ten of her women, chose to stay with her, so she kept some links to Spain to help her feel less homesick. And homesickness was a problem for her in those early years.

“She could never think of how far she was from your Highness,” the envoy wrote to Isabella, “Without feeling the desire to cry because she was so far from your Highness for ever.”

If Juana cried, she would do so privately. Her public persona reflected her gracious nature, similar to that of Philip, who exhibited a similar demeanour.

Any friction within the marriage was well hidden. On state occasions, Juana and Philip dined publicly together, the embodiment of marital harmony. Philip made sure that Juana was well-dressed and bejewelled.

Appearances mattered, status had to be upheld. He presented Juana with diamonds and pearls that had once graced the delicate neck of his mother, Mary of Burgundy; he made sure that her horses were impressively saddled; he gave her pictures; he gave her religious items such as an image of Saint Margaret, possibly because Saint Margaret was the patron saint of women in childbirth. In the latter area, the couple certainly did their duty by the state.

Juana was torn between demanding parents and a husband whose advisers resented their interference. Philip was personally ambitious, greedy, and vehemently pro-French, none of which boded well for a future king of Spain.

During the painful years as archduchess of Burgundy in Flanders, Juana saw herself exiled and impoverished, without friends and countrymen, and without the protection and the help of her parents.

The emotional upheavals caused by the ambitions of her husband, and the unexpected reality of her inheritance after her mother’s death, brought her to personal and political confusion. This was well exploited by her husband, who started the rumour of her mental incapacity.

Juana alternated between the desire to pursue a normal life—pious and remote from the court—and the obligation to fulfil the exigencies of protocol—ostentatious and exhibitionist—that her royal rank required. Finding herself surrounded by her husband’s servants exacerbated her tendencies to hysteria and lack of control.

Sources: Fleming, G. B. (2018). Juana I: Legitimacy and Conflict in Sixteenth-Century Castile (1st ed. 2018 edition). Palgrave Macmillan.

Fox, J. (2012). Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile. Ballantine Books.

Gómez, M. A., Juan-Navarro, S., & Zatlin, P. (2008). Juana of Castile: History and Myth of the Mad Queen. Associated University Presse.

[gammaraydeath]

tagged by @milkywayes!! <333

welllll i pretty much always bring garrus with me everywhere so i won't count him for these. wrex!

kasumi and miranda are probably tied here... kasumi's a bit of a glass cannon but her stealth strike is awesome

i only played thru me3 once so no fave... i just went with liara for most missions to balance the squad but i'll be changing it up more for my second playthrough

widow!! i use it to near exclusivity

black widow also exclusively - i always prefer playing sniper in shooters ^^

i've only played infiltrator!! i'm sooo attached to ro rn but maybe in the future i'll come back and make a new shepard and try a different class out

this is harddd... idk if i have a favorite honestly! i do definitely have a least favorite and it's any of the super mountainous ones in me1 that you have to drive around on

oof ilos probably... i wish i could go back and play through that for the first time again for the vigil cutscene

ummmm archangel sorry but i am predictable

gonna waive this one bc i have to play it again to decide!

i'll give you one guess

femshep jack or miranda :(

mako!!!!! duh

personallyyy i don't see the appeal in kaidan i'm sorry :(

i actually like ashley a lot! i feel kind of opposite to most people with the virmire survivor lol

haven't played multiplayer :(

ditto

sr-2 it feels more alive

destroy... sorry my synthetic friends i love u soo much but it's the only choice that makes sense to me

on my first playthrough i was straight paragon but now that i'm going for round two and feel a little more adventurous (and have ro's personality more nailed down) it's more like paragon in 1 and then a renegade creep in 2... my idea is to have it be 50/50 (or close to it) in 3

UMMMM idon't know who to tag i don't really know anybody else on here... 😔 if u wanna do it though then i tag you!! @ me i wanna read other people's !! :)

[smolsawyer]

Mass Effect Trilogy Tag

After my demand I was tagged by @illusivesoul :D Thanks :)

I am a fan since: 2012, my best friend was nagging at me to play it for so long until i finally folded and boy im so happy i did :D We even played the Omega DLC together side by side and it was magical :)

Favourite game of the series?: uff this one is hard, but by a teeny tiny bit... ME 3 is the winner, second one is great, but third one has reapers to fight and thats the decisive point for me

MShep or FShep?: Femshep all the way, tried Maleshep only once and didn't manage to even finish the first game... it just wasn't as much fun for me

Earthborn, Colonist or Spacer?: Tried all of them, most of the time I go back to Earthborn cos of Dark Energy fanfic saga :)

Biotics or Tech: First playthrough was pure soldier, then i discovered powers properly, loved biotics but somehow over time transitioned to tech who is now my fave

Paragon or Renegade: Tried pure both (hated pure renegade, being mean to all my squadmates was killing me inside :D), usually end up with 70:30 for paragon, now I always play like i feel at the moment without thinking much about the alignment of the choice (except for making sure Virmire ends as well as it can :))

Favourite Class: Infiltrator all the way, even tho i tried everything and no class is actually bad bad, Infiltrator is just a gameplay i love and enjoy the most

Favourite Companion: only one? Uhm...let's do two :D ME1 - Liara and Tali, ME2 - Kasumi and Grunt, ME3 - Garrus and EDI (In all the games are my absolute favourite Liara, Tali and Garrus I just tried to spice it up a little :D)

Least favourite Companion: JACOB, JACOB, JACOB :D

My squad selection: being usually an Infiltrator, ME1 - Liara and Wrex, ME2 - Miranda and Garrus, ME3 - James and Liara

Favourite In-game romance: Liara. I'm usually single in the second one even tho i tried Thane and Garrus. Thane was okay, but Garrus is my brother it was weird :D. Love Samantha too, I just have to be single since the first game, cos i can't get myself to dump Liara later :D

Other pairings I like: EDI and Joker, Garrus and Tali, The Blue Rose of Illium and Charr (I cried when I found out what happened to them in ME3)

Favourite NPC: Commander Bailey, Shiala, Captain Kirrahe, Eve... honestly there are so many amazing characters in this trilogy <3

Favourite Antagonist: Besides obvious Reapers... Illusive Man for sure, love to hate him :D

Favourite Mission: ME1 - Ilos cos of Vigil, getting all that information in my first playthrough floored me in awe; ME2 - Suicide mission; ME3 - this is hard but I'll have to go with Thessia.. first time playing this mission send me into depression in a way I didn't know a game can even do

Favourite Loyalty Mission: Kasumi's, Samara's and Tali's missions. If I had to absolutely pick one it would be Tali's

Favourite DLC: Citadel DLC without a doubt with Leviathan second

Control, Synthesis or Destroy: Usually play synthesis cos of EDI surviving, but destroy is in my opinion definitely canon

Favourite Weapon: Widow and Black Widow are my babies <3

Favourite Place: Normandy no matter the shape or colors she's flying

A quote I like: "Stand amongst the ashes of a trillion dead souls, and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence is your answer." This Javik's quote stuck with me for very long time even after finishing the last game.

I'm tagging some friends I hope actually played this game :D @offense-is-the-best-defence @iceafterdeath @raven618

Yall absolutely have to do this I wanna read through your answers :)

[ao3feed-cmbyn]

The Hidden Harmony (Is Better Than The Obvious)

by TheseShipsShallSail

I know I’ve wronged you, the message finishes, and Elio takes comfort in that, if little else, but one has to understand the past in order to fathom the future, and if those stars you mentioned can guide Odysseus back to Ithaca, then I’ll be damned if we can’t use them to find our way back to each other.

Two weeks after sending Oliver his teenage journal, Elio receives a padded envelope in the mail. What additional secrets are revealed within? And how will it affect their lives going forward?

Words: 2310, Chapters: 1/35, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of The Cosmic Fragments

Fandoms: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Elio Perlman, Oliver (Call Me by Your Name), Annella Perlman, Miranda Perlman, little ollie, Mafalda

Relationships: Oliver/Elio Perlman, Marzia/Elio Perlman mentioned, Oliver/Micol mentioned, Elio Perlman/Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Diary/Journal, Musician Elio Perlman, Professor Oliver (Call Me By Your Name), Book: Find Me - André Aciman, Canon Compliant, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Regrets, Guilt, Period-Typical Homophobia, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Found Family, Canonical Character Death, Teenage Drama, Drunken Confessions, Pre-reunion, First Kiss, First Time, Explicit Sexual Content, Canon Jewish Character, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Recreational Drug Use, Old Letters, Misunderstandings, Eventual Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Secrets Revealed, train station goodbyes, Self-Doubt, HIV/AIDS Crisis, Hannukah, birthday vigils, New Years Eve, Wedding Day, pre-divorce

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/44399776

[weekend-whip]

What phone cases do they have? Backgrounds? Fancy widgets/little digital pets on the black bar at the top of apple phones?

was gonna draw these but i don't have the patience nor time lol

And I dunno nothing bout no widgets or digital pets, but everyone's got a Borg phone, and if anyone had anything wacky it would be Miranda (and her digital pet would be a dog) or Olivia (with a shark)

Kai: His phone case is a super-cheap plastic one that's just solid red, but he decorates it with fire stickers to "spice it up". Never drops his phone cuz he's always paranoid vigilant about where it is. Home screen is a pic of himself; lock screen is a photo of the main gang just hanging out <3

Jay: Black heavy-duty case with glow-in-the-dark blue lightning bolts, custom made. Very often drops his phone—or it gets knocked off of him—hence the extra padding. Has only broken his screen once. Home screen is a pic of Nya; lock screen...is also Nya.

Cole: Fancy black heavy-duty case, with the rubber on the corners for extra cushion. Swaps between the rainbow-rimmed one he originally had and a glow-in-the-dark lava one Jay made for him, depending on their current endeavors. Lock screen is a pic of his mom; home screen is his current crush.

Zane: Plain white case with a single black bird (falcon) design. Has ironically dropped his phone more than anyone else; only cracked the screen twice (in which Pixal was quick to fix it). Doesn't like photos as a background, as he finds them too distracting, but does eventually change the home screen to a solid icy blue and the lock screen to purple.

Nya: Has one of those cases filled with liquid and glitter that swooshes around when you tilt it. The phone itself is gray, the case itself is clear, but the liquid + decorations are various shades of blue. Has a bad habit of throwing her phone when upset (but eventually has Lloyd to fix it). Lock screen is a scenic beach photo with a dolphin; home screen is a silly photo of Jay.

Lloyd: Doesn't want to bother with a case, since he could just fix any dings on the spot, but eventually gets a cheap one like Kai. Has two: one solid green + trimmed in gold, one black and covered in Starfarer stickers. Swaps them out as needed like Cole. Puts some of those phone charms on the Starfarer case. Both screen backgrounds are photos of the main gang—lock screen is casual wear, home screen is ninja wear (with masks on, of course).

Jesse: Very heavy-duty light pink case with extra padding, due to how accident-prone he is, and covered in dense silver glitter. Doesn't even have to drop his phone to wind up with a cracked screen somehow—but they're usually fixed by Jay or Lloyd. Lock screen is of him and Miranda performing; home screen is a marigold flower.

Antonia: Plain orange case with phone charms of various things that seem to change by the day. Her phone has a strange habit of only breaking during a crisis. Lock screen is of all the student council members; home screen is of her, Jesse, and Harumi (until it is replaced to be her, Jesse, Mira, and Nelson).

Harumi: When she does eventually get a phone, her case varies by whichever "phase" she's in—first one is green and white with spider lilies, second one is black and navy trimmed in silver, third one is pink and purple marble. Her backgrounds are the Shark Army symbol and/or Garmadon's symbol off and on; when they're neither, the backgrounds are just pure black. Maybe a pattern if she's feeling daring.

Olivia: Cheap case, deep blue with a mermaid scale design. Waterproof. Screen is cracked to high heaven but somehow still works; too lazy to fix it. Lock screen is a majestic shark; home screen is her and Nya back when they first met (until it isn't). Lock screen may also sometimes be of any individual she's currently got her eye on, however.

Miranda: Her phone case has one of those "Game Boy" designs in bright blue (that you can play games on); her tablet case is black with neon stripes that change color (which she programmed to stay pink and blue). Drops things often, especially when one-handed, but her stuff is so sturdy that you'd never know. For both items, home screen is a wallpaper of the Borg Tech logo; lock screen is the same picture as Jesse's.

Pixal: Doesn't even need a phone, as all her communication is near-exclusively through the communicators, but is given one due to her father's insistance. The case starts just solid purple, but she feels a little plain with it and winds up bedazzling it. Home screen is a huge group pic; lock screen is of her and Zane.

Skylor: Has one of those cases that changes color with heat, and also works like a mood ring. Is not actually all that phone savvy; has to work up to it. Lock screen is a pic from a girls' night out; home screen is a candid of a very flustered and blushing Kai.

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

So How would you rate everyone's intellectual level? From academic to street smarts, combat or hacker level

Kai- Academic: 5/10 (Is always skilled at exactly half his classes, terrible with the other half) Street: 8/10 (learned a lot of his knowledge, well, on the streets, and picked up on stuff while hanging with Chad. Docked points for his occasional lack of common sense, however snksnk) Combat: 10/10 (gets hyper-competent in battle, although didn't quite start out that way—he adapts very quickly, and the more skills he learns and people he has to protect, the more vigilant and strategic he becomes. It's terrifying). Hacker: 1/10 (do not let him touch the computer. it will end up on fire)

Jay- Academic: 10/10 (straight A student, against the odds) Street: 5/10 (is occasionally knowledgeable when it comes to street smarts, but its easily his weakest stat here) Combat: 11/10 (if he gets to really pop off—otherwise keeps himself around an 8) Hacker: 6/10 (can hack in a pinch, but software/coding/inner workings isn't his forte of expertise either...he usually delegates to Pixal and/or Miranda here)

Cole- Academic: 4/10 (could be higher if he applied himself. He does not.) Street: 7/10 (mostly accumulated from hanging with Tox, but this is also the rich boy who thought mud newt was cheap eating—) Combat: 7/10 (beyond coordinating the others, his fighting essentially boils down to 'slam' and 'punch'. His punches are like 12/10 tho) Hacker: 2/10 (he's at least better at it than Kai)

Zane- Academic: 9/10 Street: 3/10 (bless his soul he tries) Combat: 6/10 at lower attunement, 9/10 at higher attunement Hacker: 7/10 (10/10 if he directly plugs himself into the machine, which everyone always tells him not do for obvious reasons snksnksnk)

Nya- Academic: 9/10 Street: 9/10 Combat: 7/10 in hand-to-hand, 9/10 in mech Hacker: 8/10

Lloyd- Academic: 8/10 Street: 8/10 (primarily thanks to Darkley's) Combat: ...we'll just say he can pretty deadly at max ability Hacker: 5/10 (has a 50/50 shot of being successful, but is always guaranteed to at least be able to power on a machine)

Jesse- Academic: 7/10 Street: 9/10 Combat: 5/10 (he wasn't meant to be a fighter, but he gets better over time) Hacker: 3/10 (best he can do is put in a jump drive for Miranda to hack through snksnksnk)

Olivia- Academic: 3/10 (girl y u insisting on going to school for) Street: 8/10 Combat: 9/10 Hacker: 6/10 (has a better shot than Lloyd but less than the "techies")

Harumi- Academic: 7/10 Street: 7/10 Combat: To Be Determined Hacker: 6/10 (eventually)

Miranda- Academic: 9/10 Street: 7/10 Combat: To Be Determined Hacker: 11/10

Pixal- Academic: 10/10 Street: 2/10 Combat: 8/10 (eventually) Hacker: 10/10

Skylor- Academic: N/A (but on par with Harumi) Street: 5/10, eventually bumps to at least a 7 or 8 Combat: 10/10 Hacker: 4/10 (it's mostly intuition though—still better than Kai, Cole, and Jesse individually snksnksnk)

Harleigh- Academic: 5/10 Street: 10/10 Combat: 5/10 (for a pirate/ghost, she doesn't engage in very much fighting...) Hacker: 2/10 (...still better than Kai)

[femslashrevolution]

Changes to the Popular Pairing List

Over nearly 9 years of Femslash Revolution, we have watched the popularity of many, many pairings rise and fall again. In order to better reflect this, we have decided to switch how we define our popular pairing list, which determines which pairings are too popular to be posted on Rarepair Thursdays.

Previously, posts were added to the list when they had appeared on the blog over 20 times across its whole duration. Under the new system, we will look at the number of appearances in the 10,000 most recent posts, which reflects approximately the last 18 months of content. Any pairing with more than 10 posts in that time span will be added to the list, while older pairings which no longer receive so many posts will be removed.

The full contents of the new Popular Pairing List appears below the cut.

Abby Holland x Harper Caldwell (Happiest Season)

Abigail x Tallie (The World to Come)

Addy Hanlon x Beth Cassidy (Dare Me)

Adena El Amin x Kat Edison (The Bold Type)

Adora x Catra (She Ra: Princess of Power)

Aerith Gainsborough x Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy)

Aino Minako x Hino Rei (Sailor Moon)

AJ Campos x Paige Evans (Crush)

Alana Bloom x Margot Verger (Hannibal)

Alex Danvers x Kelly Olsen (Supergirl)

Alex Nunez x Paige Michalchuk (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

Alexis Rose x Twyla Sands (Schitt’s Creek)

Alicia x Leighton (The Sex Lives of College Girls)

Alina Starkov x Genya Safin (Shadow and Bone)

Allison Argent x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

Allison McRoberts x Patty O'Connor (Kevin Can F**k Himself)

Alyssa Greene x Emma Nolan (The Prom)

Amae Rali x Elida Al Feyr (Vagrant Queen)

Amalia True x Penance Adair (The Nevers)

Amanda Clarke x Emily Thorne (Revenge)

Amanita Caplan x Nomi Marks (Sense8)

Amity Blight x Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

Amy Silva x Kirsten Longacre (Vigil)

Ana Servin x Mariana Herrera (Madre solo hay dos)

Andi Agosti x Emília Alo (Rebelde)

Andi Mack x Buffy Driscoll (Andi Mack)

Andrea Sachs x Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

Andromache of Scythia x Quynh (The Old Guard)

Aneela x Delle Seyah Kendry (Killjoys)

Anissa Pierce x Grace Choi (Black Lightning; DCU)

Ann Walker x Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack)

Anne Shirley x Diana Barry (Anne of Green Gables; Anne With An E)

Anne Shirley x Diana Barry x Ruby Gillis (Anne With An E)

April Stevens x Sterling Wesley (Teenage Bounty Hunters)

April Young x Rebekah Mikaelson (The Vampire Diaries)

Arizona Robbins x Callie Torres (Grey’s Anatomy)

Asahina Aoi x Ogami Sakura (Dangan Ronpa)

Asami Sato x Korra (The Legend of Korra)

Aster Flores x Ellie Chu (The Half Of It)

Audrey Jensen x Emma Duval (MTV Scream)

Aurora x Mulan (Once Upon A Time)

Ava Daniels x Deborah Vance (Hacks)

Ava Sharpe x Sara Lance (Legends of Tomorrow)

Ava Silva x Sister Beatrice (Warrior Nun)

Barbara Howard x Melissa Schemmenti (Abbott Elementary)

Beauregard Lionett x Jester Lavorre (Critical Role)

Beauregard Lionett x Yasha Nydoorin (Critical Role)

Beca Mitchell x Chloe Beale (Pitch Perfect)

Becky Baker x Imogen Moreno (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

Bella Swan x Rosalie Hale (Twilight)

Bellatrix Lestrange x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Bernadetta von Varley x Edelgard von Hresvelg (Fire Emblem)

Blair Waldorf x Jenny Humphrey (Gossip Girl)

Blake Belladonna x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)

Bobbie Draper x Chrisjen Avasarala (The Expanse)

Bonnibel Bubblegum x Marceline Abadeer (Adventure Time)

Bonnie Bennett x Nora Hildegard (The Vampire Diaries)

Bradley Jackson x Laura Peterson (The Morning Show)

Brittany Pierce x Santana Lopez (Glee)

Buffy Summers x Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Caitlin Snow x Iris West (The Flash)

Caitlyn x Vi (Arcane: League of Legends; League of Legends)

Calliope Burns x Juliette Fairmont (First Kill)

Cameron Howe x Donna Clark (Halt and Catch Fire)

Camina Drummer x Naomi Nagata (The Expanse)

Candace Powell x Lilly Fortenberry (Astrid and Lilly Save The World)

Carina Deluca x Maya Bishop (Station 19)

Carol Danvers x Maria Rambeau (Marvel Cinematic Universe)

Caroline Forbes x Valerie Tulle (The Vampire Diaries)

Carrie x Flynn (Julie and the Phantoms)

Casey Gardner x Izzie (Atypical)

Cassandra x Rapunzel (Disney Princesses)

Charlotte Murchison x Mary Anning (Ammonite)

Cheryl Blossom x Toni Topaz (Riverdale)

Christina Braithwhite x Ruby Baptiste (Lovecraft Country)

Christine Chapel x Nyota Uhura (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Claire Novak x Kaia Nieves (Wayward Sisters)

Clarke Griffin x Lexa (The 100)

Clary Fray x Isabelle Lightwood (The Mortal Instruments)

Cora Hale x Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

Cosima Niehaus x Delphine Cormier (Orphan Black)

Cristina Soto x Joana Bianchi (Skam Spain)

Dana x Rachel (Mythic Quest)

Dani Clayton x Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor)

Dani Núñez x Gigi Ghorbani (The L Word)

Dani Ramos x Grace (Terminator: Dark Fate)

Daphne Blake x Velma Dinkley (Scooby Doo)

Debbie Ocean x Lou (Ocean’s Eight)

Deena Johnson x Samantha Fraser (Fear Street)

Dina x Ellie (The Last of Us)

Dina x Sydney Novak (I Am Not Okay With This)

Dinah Lance x Helena Bertinelli (DCU)

Dot Campbell x Fatin Jadmani (The Wilds)

Eleanor Shellstrop x Tahani Al Jamil (The Good Place)

Eleven x Max Mayfield (Stranger Things)

Ellen Waverly x Pam Horton (For All Mankind)

Elphaba Thropp x Glinda Upland (Wicked)

Elsa x Honeymaren (Disney Princesses)

Emily Dickinson x Sue Gilbert (Dickinson; Wild Nights With Emily)

Emily Prentiss x Jennifer Jareau (Criminal Minds)

Emma Swan x Regina Mills (Once Upon A Time)

Eve x Mazikeen (Lucifer)

Eve Polastri x Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Fatin Jadmani x Leah Rilke (The Wilds)

Fatou Jallow x Kieu My Vu (Druck)

Finch x Josie Saltzman (Legacies)

Fleur Delacour x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Flynn x Julie Molina (Julie and the Phantoms)

Fran x Marla Grayson (I Care A Lot)

Francesca Findabair x Fringilla Vigo (The Witcher)

Frankie Bergstein x Grace Hanson (Grace and Frankie)

Gabrielle x Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)

Ginny Weasley x Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)

Ginny Weasley x Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter)

Greta Moreno x Riley Luo (Generation)

Gwendolyn Briggs x Mildred Ratched (Ratched)

Haniwa x Wren (See)

Hannah Miller x Sarah Fier (Fear Street)

Harleen Quinzel x Pamela Isley (DCU)

Helen Sinclair x Liv Chenka (Doctor Who)

Helena Wells x Myka Bering (Warehouse 13)

Héloïse x Marianne (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)

Hen Wilson x Karen Wilson (911)

Hermione Granger x Narcissa Malfoy (Harry Potter)

Hermione Granger x Pansy Parkinson (Harry Potter)

Himemiya Anthy x Tenjou Utena (Revolutionary Girl Utena)

Hope Mikaelson x Josie Saltzman (Legacies)

Hope Mikaelson x Lizzie Saltzman (Legacies)

Imogen Temult x Laudna (Critical Role)

Jackie x Shauna Shipman (Yellowjackets)

Jadzia Dax x Kira Nerys (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

Jen Harding x Judy Hale (Dead to Me)

Jennifer Check x Needy Lesnicki (Jennifer’s Body)

Jeong Seo hyeon x Suzy Choi (Mine)

Joan x Zoey Clarke (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist)

Joann Owosekun x Keyla Detmer (Star Trek: Discovery)

Jules Thomas x Ophelia Mayer (Sweet Vicious)

Jules Vaughn x Rue Bennett (Euphoria)

Kaioh Michiru x Tenoh Haruka (Sailor Moon)

Kara Danvers x Lena Luthor (Supergirl)

Karolina Dean x Nico Minoru (Marvel Comics; Runaways)

Kate Whistler x Lucy Tara (NCIS: Hawai'i)

Kathryn Janeway x Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Voyager)

Keeley Jones x Rebecca Welton (Ted Lasso)

Kelly x Yorkie (Black Mirror)

Kim Kelly x Lindsay Weir (Freaks and Geeks)

Kira Yukimura x Malia Tate (Teen Wolf)

Lady Hideko x Sook Hee (The Handmaiden)

Lauren Bloom x Leyla Shinwari (New Amsterdam)

Lavender Brown x Parvati Patil (Harry Potter)

Lucy Westenra x Mina Murray (Dracula)

Margaery Tyrell x Sansa Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Maria Hill x Natasha Romanoff (Marvel Cinematic Universe; Marvel Comics)

Max Baker x Sophie Sanchez (Ginny & Georgia)

Maya Hart x Riley Matthews (Girl Meets World)

Mencía Blanco Commerford x Rebeka Parrilla de Bormujo Ávalos (Elite)

Michael Burnham x Philippa Georgiou (Star Trek: Discovery)

Moiraine Damodred x Siuan Sanche (Wheel of Time)

Molly x Nick (No Good Nick)

Namaari x Raya (Raya and the Last Dragon)

Nancy Wheeler x Robin Buckley (Stranger Things)

Neopolitan x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)

Nicole Haught x Waverly Earp (Wynonna Earp)

Nyota Uhura x T'Pring (Star Trek)

Nyssa al Ghul x Sara Lance (Arrow)

Paris Geller x Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls)

Raelle Collar x Scylla Ramshorn (Motherland: Fort Salem)

Raffi Musiker x Seven of Nine (Star Trek: Picard)

Regina Mills x Ruby (Once Upon A Time)

Rey x Rose Tico (Star Wars)

River Song x Thirteenth Doctor (Doctor Who)

Root x Sameen Shaw (Person of Interest)

Ryan Wilder x Sophie Moore (Batwoman)

Seo Ji wan x Yoon Sol (Nevertheless)

Shane McCutcheon x Tess Van De Berg (The L Word)

Shelby Goodkind x Toni Shalifoe (The Wilds)

Tara Maclay x Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Thirteenth Doctor x Yasmin Khan (Doctor Who)

Tissaia de Vries x Yennefer of Vengerberg (The Witcher)

Vivian Shing x Wilhelmina Pang (Saving Face)

Weiss Schnee x Yang Xiao Long (RWBY)

[shadowjax]

Red Orchid

Silver Bullets pt.2 A03

{previous}

Donna Beneviento x reader/you

Series Summary: The head gardener has taken you under his wing and as you grew older you viewed him as a father figure. You and the young mistress grew close over time but due to mysterious events she shut herself out form the world. A childhood crush left inevitable yet impossible. Soon other servants and inhabitants of the manor began to disappear one by one. Eventually the head gardener left without a trace and yet you stayed, where would you even go if you ran? The night became more dangerous as the years went by, screams echoed through the night homes left untouched.

Warnings: little steamy/human experimentation, violence, paralyzation, heartbreak, self sacrifice, tell me if u missed anything  

       *＊✿❀　❀✿＊*

The full moon had lit your path up well enough tonite. Your boots crunched in the snow as you clutched your machete tightly. The wind may have died down but the lycan numbers had only increased as you heard them all over. People shouting, guns firing, and blood spilling. An occasional fire breaking out here and there, the village had become a war zone. The most lycans you have seen since they started to appear, Miranda must be planning something. Best time to strike while she is busy making sure things go according to plan. You noticed an odd amount of birds in the trees, as if they were filling you. They probably were, knowing Maranda, she has eyes all over. Luckily the lycans had seemed to not bother you as you made your way through the village. An occasional villiger had pleaded for your help but you remained vigilant. No need to waste your energy. White snow had turned bloody red beneath your boots.

You finally made it to Miranda's building, your heart still tugged at you to get alway. Your last chance to turn back was right here.

You turned your back towards the permafrost outside and in the warm arms of another. A night of rest then waking up in a comfort you had been seeking out your entire life. The morning had crept its way like a gust of wind. Your lady’s arms protectively wrapped around your body, happy of your return. You watched her soft and steady breathing patterns, studying her sleeping unveiled face. A friendly face that has brought you joy as a child. Oh how those few pleasant memories can not outweigh the painful ones. You could simply escape into the first and start anew, but that would be frivolous. You knew what dangers lurked inside the village, who knows what lurks beyond the familiar area.

Miranda had answers you’ve been searching for your entire life. She was the cause for everything gone wrong in this village. For all the death and pain she caused you, the lords, and those dumb ass commoners.

The art of revenge, a quick poison that slowly kills the body as long as you acknowledge its existence.The answers to your questions are so close within your reach, you can’t stop now. Somewhere you knew even if you turned around right now things wouldn’t go back to the way they were before anyway.

“I’m sorry my lady, but a peaceful life was never an option for me as well as for you.” You whispered those words and kept your head low, eyes closed for a brief moment of silence before the chaos unleashed itself. You looked forward, eyes filled with determination as you stepped into Maranda’s hideout.

“I see you’ve come alone, what poor timing on your part.” You found her in the center of the room, raven wings on her back, a black moss had scattered around the room and was pulsating as if it were alive. She turned to face you, eyes dripping black ink.

“I’ve come for answers!” You clenched your teeth and held onto your machete as tightly as possible. “And you know that.” Before you could take a step forward something had latched itself on your throat and lifted you off the ground.

“I must admit you are one of my more successful subjects. Let’s see how that little parasite is favored?” Her grasp on your throat had tightened as you were pulled closer towards her.

Her gaze pierced through your bones, sending chills throughout your entire body. Heart pounding in your chest, catching fire. You tried to claw your way out of her grasp but she was too strong. You attempted to kick but not prevail. You gathered what little strength and used your machete to cut your way out of her grasp.

Miranda screamed in pain as you fell to the floor, gasping for air. “UGH why you LITTLE!”

She sent another black moss your way which hit your chest and sent you back flying into the wall. You could feel something breaking as you made contact. You fell onto your feet and knelt to the ground, trying to gather your strength again. Something inside if you tugged for release as your head began to pound. You did not fight as you felt your heart tighten and the pain slither up your neck, your right shoulder blade aching as something broke free from your skin. A bat-like wing sprouted itself out and spread open to stretch, blood dripping down your back. A surge of indescribable strength erupted throughout your entire body, setting it ablaze. The other half of your face becomes numb as the entity inside your body takes over.

“That’s it, let the battle commence. But do make things quickly, I’m on a tight schedule.” Her wings expanded and the ground beneath you began to shake. She remained in the center as her molds did her bidding, pushing you around and throwing you to the ground.

You shredded through the mold with ease, doesn’t mean she was going to make things easy for you. She was still stronger no matter what, though you were faster. You slid behind her with ease and landed a blow to her back, a mold winded itself around your ankle and launched you into the air and threw you to the ground. Spliteres pierced through your jacket and tore it to shreds. Before she landed another blow you rolled to the side, barely escaping. You managed to successfully doge a few of her attacks, only to be caught when something coiled itself around your neck and squeezed tightly and you gasped for air again. You were at eye level with Miranda again.

“Such defiance, you need to be taught a lesson.” Miranda said blankly as she crept closer. She placed a hand over your heart and something stirred inside you. This little bit of power you had inside began to eat you alive, crushing your soul. You screamed and squirmed like a dog for some sort of end to the pain. You felt your bones breaking from the inside, “You wish for answers, you’ve had them all along.” She let you go as you laid in the ground and another memory played in your mind. “We’ll, here is my gift to you.” Miranda spat before she flew off.

You had died the night you fell down the waterfall and Miranda had brought you back to life. Your father saw himself unfit to raise a child, unknowing Miranda was the reason his family had died to the lycans in the forest. He gave you up and hoped the people he gave you to would take better care of you, although the village had changed them entirely. They weren't the most grateful or nicest anymore, you had become a burden to them. They were glad to be killed by the lycans a few nights later, leaving you alone for the second time in your life. Your mind, unable to cope with being alone again, created the illusion of them still alive. You had forgotten who your father was and viewed these visions as your parents instead.

When some unknown feeling leads you back to the Benivento manor your father had noticed but did not reach out. You felt a familiar connection with the man but the entity in your body had not allowed you to remember. All you had ever wanted was a family, to be alone in this disastrous world and only experience loneliness had scared you to the core. Was this entity Miranda had planted inside of you the cause for your future connection with the mistress of the Benivento manor?

Tears pierced your eyes as smoke filled your lungs. As you regained consciousness you noticed a giant hole in the ceiling like someone broke it open. A fire had spread around the building and spread to the planks above, the mold clearly not comparable with fire. Your body refused to move, screams could be heard from outside of the building. You turned yourself around and attempted to stand up. Your entire body was aching and legs kept shaking as you slowly walked out of the building. But before you made it to the exit you heard a loud crash and looked up, then everything went dark for a moment.

When you came back the side of your face burned in agony and you were no longer able to feel your legs. You got a quick glance behind to see that your legs were trapped under rubble. You were free to crawl to the exit but your legs wouldn’t budge and it felt like you were ripping your body in half. It didn’t take long for your energy to completely diminish. Tears fell down your cheeks in defeat, you laid face down on the ground just waiting for your death. It was slow and painful while the smoke filled your lungs. Your last bit of strength was used to hold your wooden box close to you and you let the memory play out in your mind while your body slowly gave out and finally gave up.

“I’m sorry I could not be your white knight, my lady…..” The last words you had spoken before your world became dark and quiet. A quiet peace at last.

Your first kill is always the most memorable, especially when that was the night you stumbled upon the manor for the first time. 

Things at home weren't easy and you had to learn to take care of yourself from a young age. Begging had become a formality but eventually everyone began to turn their heads the other way. Stealing had become easy once the monsters at night began to attack at night, leaving stores empty while the owners were dragged away into the woods. Except for one particular night you had been spotted and fought for your life. 

You observed this small bakery/farm and the family’s behavior patterns throughout the day. Waiting for the right moment to strike when the night enveloped the skies. The family lived above the room their shop was in and when you successfully snuck in a few shouts from above startled you. Not a moment after you stuffed your makeshift bag and exited the building a body was tossed out the window and landed in front of you. The body of the mother had been torn to shreds and the image has forever been burned in your memory. You look back to the seceding floor like an idiot and make eye contact with the father whose body had changed in ways that almost made him unrecognizable. 

The 7ft mutant leaped from the broken window and landed in front of you, slowly making his way towards his next prey. A surge of energy rushed through your veins followed by a wave of confidence that came from nowhere. You grabbed a long glass shard from the cold ground and held it in your hand, getting in a fighting stance. Although this beast may be bigger than you, whatever this adrenaline rush was had made you faster. You were able to easily dodge his attacks and struck his throat that was left exposed when you slid underneath. The creature fell and your eyes locked on a young girl not much older than you whose eyes are filled with horror. 

In her hands were a small gun she pointed towards you, her hands shaking significantly. “You… you killed him… you took my family AWAY FROM ME!” 

Before you could move the sound of a billet echoed through the night. Luckily due to her inexperienced and unsteady grip she missed. You weren't sure what caused your attitude to shift but you felt no fear and took a step closer to the child. In a matter of moments another warning shot was fired, this time you managed to dodge the bullet as if knowing where exactly it would fire before it was lit. You had gotten terribly close to the barrel of the gun when the sound of screams could be heard in the distance. Mixed with the screams you heard barking as well, could spot hounds running your way. Being smart enough you decided to run as quickly as you could. 

You ran towards the edge of the village where you came across a familiar bridge you had never seen before. It was made of wood and ropes, not the safest thing but the only option. Howls could be heard not too far and you carefully made your way across the old bridge. Everything from your knees down had begun to feel cold due to the quality of your clothes, the fierce winds of the mountain piercing through your shirt. After a lovely trip through a path along the dark woods you stumbled upon a giant manor. 

The cries of the dogs echoed not far behind and you threw yourself at the gates blocking the manor’s entrance. The bars were too small to crawl through and the gates were too far for anyone to hear with the winds. To the side there's an edge leading towards the bottom of a waterfall, you wander towards the edge hoping that there’s another way around the gates. There isn’t much space between the gates and the very high fall above freezing water. The sounds of the waterfall overpower the dog’s howls in the distance, your hands hold onto the frozen bars for dear life. A familiar fear spreads throughout your body as you imagine yourself plummeting to the bottom into the water. When you finally reach the garden behind the manor you spot a small shed with a faint light. 

You run towards the building and kick against the gates. Your attempts to shout are silent when you feel a stinging in your throat. Not a moment later a figure kicks open the door with a shotgun and a lantern, quickly glancing around the area until the light blinds your eyes. The figure runs off to the side, unlocking the gates and gesturing for you to quickly follow. You attempt to run inside but your legs refuse to move, you can’t feel them anymore and you fall in the snow. Next thing you know you’re being wrapped in a warm blanket and being carried into a hot room. You assumed it was the mix of frostbite and exhaustion but something about this place felt familiar. The word father was on the tip of your tongue, must be the exhaustion causing you to hallucinate. 

The sound of the waterfall was comforting, you opened your eyes to find yourself standing near the edge between the entrance and the bottom. You attempt to remember how you got here, last you remember there was a fire… Something causes you to look down and you notice there is a tombstone in front of where you were standing. Your name was etched in stone, your body was translucent. No wonder you couldn’t feel the chill of the wind or the droplets of water fly in the air. 

“Gasp!” A familiar voice rang out and you turned to the left to find your lady standing beside you, her veil was covering her face but you could hear it in her voice her tears were filling her eye. 

“I have returned, my dear. Just as I promised all those years ago.” You shut your eyes and cracked a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. What you didn’t notice was a permanent scar of the cadu traveling up your neck was visible as well as a burn from when your face was hit, leaving a half smile. Flames dancing from your jaw to the tip of your forehead. 

Turning into a ghost didn’t really phase you after all you've experienced living in this village. You couldn’t exactly control when you’d appear and disappear, when you’d disappear it would lead to a dreamless sleep. One of the few times you appeared the sound of a gunshot echoed, fear spreading throughout your soul. You ran into the manor quickly to find dolls everywhere, some furniture was out of place and droplets of blood were tainting the floor. The sound of stone cracking came from above, when you saw what had caused the disruption you froze. There stood a tall man with a pair of scissors in his hand and a pile of broken stone. You brushed past the stranger as you surveyed the area and you spotted a familiar doll beside the rubble. 

Is this what had become of your lady, just a pile of rubble. You feel at peace for some reason clashing with a fiery anger bubbling towards the stranger who killed your Lady. You simply turn towards the stranger and launch yourself at him. Throwing him and yourself out the nearest window, landing on a pile of freshly fallen snow. You pushed yourself off the strange man and paced a few steps back while he took a moment to stand back up and regain his bearings. 

You reached out for something to come at your call and what came to your rescue was a bundle of vines sprouting from the ground and holding the stranger in place. They slowly climbed their way around the stranger and began to tighten around him. The more he kept struggling the more guilty you felt and once you regained your sense you let him go. Your lady was finally at peace, it was time for you to be at peace and join her. 

“Take out Miranda and all this will be over. Heisenberg is a decent person, he’ll give you what you need.” And like that the man scurried off into the woods. Moments later the sound of a growl and a gunshot rang in the distance. 

“Are you just going to stand there or are we going to go?” Pops appeared behind you, how you’ve missed his voice. 

“Pops?” Tears filled your eyes and you ran into his arms. “I never got to thank you for everything!” 

“Look how you’ve grown, I’m sorry I left you to fend for yourself. I had no idea that they’d treat you so terribly. C’mon, let’s get out of here. Wouldn’t want to keep the Lady waiting now do we?” The two of you walked back into the manor and a bright warm light filled the room. 

You awoke to the sound of someone calling your name, “…it’s time for you to wake up. Breakfast is ready and everyone is downstairs.” Her voice was recognizable and when your eyes adjusted to the light you remembered her form when you were younger. She was one of the first servants to disappear mysteriously. 

“I’ll be there in a moment.” You spoke instinctively. You weren't sure what room you were in, let alone who’s room. Elegant casual clothes were left at the foot of the bed and you tossed them on them and quickly made your way down the stairs of the manor. The smell of delicious food filled the room as you made your way down the stairs. It’s been years since the place had felt so lively, too long. You stepped into the dining room to find Lord and Lady Beniviento, a lady who resembled your lady but you didn’t recognize her, your father, and of course your lady were all sitting at the table. 

All eyes fell as you entered the room, “Morning sleepyhead.” Your Lady rose and kissed you on the cheek. She wore no veil and her hair was in a wavy ponytail, her eyes sparkled like you’ve never seen them before. She ran her fingers through your hair in an attempt to fix it. 

“My Liege, breakfast is served.” 

“I'm going to go help my wife in the garden, thank you for the meal.” Pops stood and headed out the door. Mom? 

“I think it’s time we head into the village dear, care to join us Claudia. Lady Dimitrescu is expecting us to present some samples.” Lord and Lady Beniviento and Claudia left upstairs as well, leaving you and your lady alone in the dining room. 

“So my love, we have the manor to ourselves today. I see Lydia choose your good outfit, care to join me for a picnic later.” She placed a hand on your chest while the other one massaged your scalp. Her eyes were beautiful, there was a light you had never seen before shine in her eyes. 

While gathering things for the picnic you spotted Vivian and Angie on a shelf in your shared room. Seeing Angie so lifeless you half expected her to jump out and something not appropriate. 

“You all set dear?” Your lady was waiting for you at the back door, her black sundress illuminating her pale skin. 

“Of course, my dear.” The two of you walked hand in hand into the woods. That eerie feeling you became familiar with had left and you felt a comfort you had been searching for years to find, Home. 

BONUS

Draft idea for the end:

“What happened to POPS?!” You begged your lady to answer, warm tears staining your cheeks. “He became one of Maranda’s experiments… I swear I did not know until afterwards.” “Is he that THING around Claudia’s grave?” “Yes… I’m so sorry.” You took a deep breath and signed heavily before speaking, “I know it wasn’t your fault. Let’s discuss this again in the morning,  I need to sleep on this' ' you kissed her goodnight as she fell asleep in your arms. But you weren’t able to sleep at all, something in the back of your mind nagged at you. You rolled your lady out of your arms, giving her one last kiss goodbye and paid a visit to mother Maranda. ~~~~ Thinking back on what made you so determined to seek her out wasn’t quite clear. You wanted wanted have a family, hoped to form a family with your lady. But that day won’t ever come. Your determination for revenge was stronger than your wish for something you searched tone whole life for, something that was never given in the first place. Maybe it was the repressed feelings whenever you’d push something aside, the cadiu in your chest, or a combination  of both. You wanted mother Maranda’s tournament to end, for the villagers and the lords who all suffered because of her. The battle didn’t last long, it ended in flames burning the thing keeping you alive. Your box holding the flower crown was the only thing that remained, underneath the ash for your lady to stumble upon. ~~~~ When you were little you died falling off the edge of a cliff and hitting the waterfall’s bottom. The gardener pleaded for his child to be saved and Miranda agreed if she would allow him to be experimented on. He agreed and she planted a cadou implant in your heart. Feeling unfit as a father he left you with some old friends of his in the village but they soon died due to lycan attacks. Your father thought you were better off without remembering him and the accident. Your mind and the cadou created the illusion your ‘parents’ were still there. Unable to handle the thought of losing two sets of parental figures, imagining and forgetting you were alone had been easier for you to adapt to as a child. ~~~~

Twisted alternate ending??

Miranda had complete control over your body, she was the host of the cadou. It was natural for it to follow her in the end. Your skin was devoid of all color and your eyes pale with no sole or will to fight left. Your soul is buried in the ash of the roof. The sight of becoming a soldier of her’s had deeply bothered the other lords and even if they wouldn't admit it the sight had terrified them. Your Lady had pleaded with Miranda to free you but knew this creature wasn’t you. You died in the fire, your body is just a vessel for Miranda to use.

What a nightmarish thought that came into your mind, luckily nothing along those lines came to be true. The fire had completely destroyed your cadou which in the end killed you. Things remained dark for who knows how long, the concept of time irrelevant. The sounds of the waterfall had woken you from what seemed like a bad dream. Although you found yourself standing by the side of the waterfall, you couldn't feel the snow beneath your feet. Or the wind that had blown the freshwater into the trees to form icicles.

BONUS

The art that started it all

[thecasualauthor]

10 Songs, 10 Names

Rules: List 10 songs with 10 names in the titles that you like, and then tag 10 people.

Thanks for the tag @celestemagnoliathewriter !

Here are ten songs! Go give them a listen if you haven't already!!

1. Betty- Taylor Swift

2. Hey there Delilah- Plain White T's

3. When Emma Falls in Love- Taylor Swift

4. Hey Jude- The Beatles

5. Dear John- Taylor Swift

6. Lily's Theme- Alexandre Desplat

7. Alexander Hamilton- Lin Manuel Miranda

8. Arwen's Vigil- The Piano Guys (please please go listen to this song your ears will be blessed.)

9. Rue's Farewell- James Newton Howard

10. When Ginny Kissed Harry- Nicholas Hooper

I'll tag @saintsenara @charmsandtealeaves @ohmygodshesinsane @htylmg @astromechs @clawedandcute @natabeth @allaroundbooknerd @multidimensionalfang1rl @herbologyandhobknobs