#please tell me this fandom isn't dead yet

[artsy-waffle19]

One thing I love so much about "The old guard" is that in comparison to other action movies I've seen so far, there's characters that have actual personalities that are vital to the plot and why the characters are doing what they're doing.

major "The old guard" spoilers if you haven't watched it yet pls do. It's on Netflix n a second part is supposed to come out soon (it's already made but there's no release date yet but stiiill)

Idk if anyone noticed that yet and correct me if I'm wrong but I noticed that n needed to share because especially for the older group of immortals it pecomes so clear why they keep going (taking Nile out here because the entire movie is just about her, getting used to it and she isn't in the same situation as the others yet).

But Andy is doing everything she's doing because she feels responsible. Her entire struggle in the beginning is, that she feels like her work isn't doing any good. She wants to stop because the "projects" she works on don't seem to work out so obviously she's discoiraged but as soon as anyone in the group is in danger she immediately jumps to being the leader of the group again ("I will get them back whatever it takes" , "I always go first").

Nicky is the optimistic one of the group and believes that everything happens for a reason, which he keeps reminding everyone of as encouragement. He keeps doing what he's doing as long as he has faith that there is a reason, even if he doesn't know it. I think for him it's the most obvious because it's part of most of his dialogues with the rest of the group "everything happens for a reason boss", "it's like it was meant to be [....] like fate", and it also shows in a lot of his other scenes even if he doesn't outright say it (like the scene in the lab when he beings up going to Malta even though they're captured right now, once again showing how he's optimistic and believes that things will eventually work out).

Joe does everything he does for the principle. This is shown in smaller ways but i really like how they kept subtly putting it into his actions. Throughout the movie he mainly seems chronically pissed off, however we gotta consider that the movie shows a time frame where people are mainly doing things that harm him or the people he cares about in some way, which he obviously deems as wrong so getting back at them is just all about the principle. There's no arguing or reasoning with him because he is set in what he believes in and will fight for justice even about the little things. We can especially see that later in the movie in the final fight in the lab. This shows especially in the line "you shot Nicky...you shouldn't have done that" followed by him, killing the guy he just spoke to, like- Nicky is alive and well, the guy's immortal there was never even a slight risk of him dying but it's the principle. Also that he wants to leave Booker in the lab for betraying them, his last line in the movie of "she's not asking", which basically translates to 'you fucked up so now you owe us, deal with it' or just the entirety of the van scene. Obviously the whole "what is he? your boyfriend?" was just supposed to be some homophobic joke but, once again he asked so he's getting an answer. It's just the principle.

And Booker tries to do all he does for the people he loves, yet all the people he loved are dead and as we can see in his dialogue with Joe ("You and Nicky always had each other.......") and the first scene of all of them interacting, in which he doesn't interact with the group much or hug any of them, plus the fact that he's the youngest out of all of them, he doesn't seem to see himself as part of the group. He can't really find a reason for anything he's doing like the others do because while Andy will always feel responsible for the people around her, Nicky will most likely never lose his faith and Joe will always find something to be pissed off about, Bookers children are dead and any people he gets attached to will eventually die, which therefore disqualifies them as a safe and constant source of motivation. And the fact that he is aware of that but cannot find another reason to live for makes all of his actions so much more understandable and also really heartbreaking. To him his immortality isn't about responsibility, reason or justice it's just about hurting "just because we keep living, doesn't mean we stop hurting". So obviously he'd want to stop it.

I just rewatched it and it's so nice to see the dialogue and the character dynamics and really get the characters actions, which makes the plot like 10 times better. Generally I just really love this movie and I need Netflix to release the second one NOW because that cliffhanger was atrocious.

[genericpuff]

holy crap okay so

I'm two episodes into Kaos

normally I keep my expectations pretty minimal because, let's be real, the Internet - and especially Tumblr - has a tendency to severely overhype new series to be way better than they actually are and it often leaves me sitting there like "that's it? that's what people were freaking out over for weeks?? that was just a bunch of cheap ships and tropes that i've seen 123785902380 times before" LMAO

BUT thankfully compared to other series like Hazbin Hotel and The Amazing Digital Circus, I haven't been worn out on excessive fandom exposure prior to watching Kaos, so I didn't really know what to expect going in besides what folks have told me so far - it's a modern-day Greek epic, and it stars Jeff Goldblum as Zeus (which is, unsurprisingly, peak casting).

That said, I'm very pleased to say that so far, the show is absolutely blowing me away. The set designs, characterizations, weaving of all the players into a central narrative led by a very coy narrator, all of it feels both refreshing and respectful to the source material at the same time.

so uh yeah that LO animated TV show... we have reason to believe now that it's gotten picked up by Amazon Prime, at least according to the showrunner's LinkedIn and posting history from February of this year that seems to imply LO may have been picked up by Amazon-

(but still, nothing's really been confirmed because they're being so tight-lipped about this you'd almost think it's because there isn't a show happening at all cough)

But even then, that means at best we still won't see anything of the LO TV show adaption for another 2-3 years, depending on how production goes.

Why am I talking about LO right now? Well it should be obvious - Kaos double-whammied LO by beating it to the punch at its own game.

I mean, just look at the creative choices alone in the design of the Underworld and its rulers, our beloved Hades and Persephone.

And yes, the entire Underworld is color-graded like this, something so simple and yet effective in communicating the nature of the Underworld and what it stands for - a place where the past lives on through the dead, paused in time, devoid of the vibrant color grading found in Olympus - or "Olympia" as its been named in this retelling - which is, by the way, a visual treat to take in every time it's featured.

(and yes, that is S-tier-companion Billie Piper on the left, but I will not tell you who she's playing, you actually really should go into this show as blind as possible for the thrill of figuring out these characters as they're introduced <3)

That's not even getting into the narrative structure of the plot itself or the phenomenal casting and acting, but again, I don't want to spoil too much as the show is quite new, and I want to actually finish watching the show myself before I get more into the details of its story and how it delivers it (I'm very much hoping I will still be singing this show's praises at the end of its 8 episodes, please for the love of god don't jump the shark, I don't think my heart can take that kind of pain again.)

All that's to say though, Kaos is, so far, exactly what us disappointed fans of LO deserve after all these years, and frankly, I feel like whatever is coming for the LO animated TV show is really gonna have to step up to the plate to both live up to the bar that Kaos has set as well as stand on its own without being affiliated as a cheap Amazon knockoff living in its shadow. Sounds a little familiar and a bit ironic, doesn't it?

[moeitsu]

Since it's pride month I wanna talk about something I've noticed in the Red Dead Redemption fandom:

The Bisexual erasure of Sadie Adler and Arthur Morgan.

I apologize if this comes across as harsh, but it's something that's been on my mind since I started interacting w/ this media. And as a bisexual, I wanted to discuss it further.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with shipping these characters with the same sex. Personally, I am a Charthur shipper till the day I die. I don't ship Sadie with anyone but her husband, but I still enjoy seeing the fanart and headcanons of the women she's shipped with.

That being said, these characters are not lesbian or gay. That's literally a fact, and if you think otherwise it is bisexual erasure.

Let's start with Sadie Adler. Her entire character arc is getting revenge on the O'Driscolls for killing her husband. Whom she mourns for years, and talks about frequently with Arthur/other camp members. Now, if you want to ship her w/ Abigail or Molly or whomever, go for it!! But she has loved and still loves her husband. She is not a lesbian, and she didn't just magically turn into a lesbian after Jake's death. If she had any love interests other than Jake, this would make her bisexual. (even Sapphic is still a more appropriate term than lesbian)

The same goes for women in real life who have dated men first, then dated a woman. Just because their current partner is the same sex doesn't mean we can assume they are suddenly lesbian. Calling characters lesbians even if they have been in a relationship with men before is bisexual erasure.

This same concept is applied to Arthur Morgan. He had previous relationships with women. (one of whom he still has strong feelings for) and he is attracted to women. We see this with his greeting dialogue and when he compliments people. I believe Arthur's character is more likely to be bisexual than Sadie's, given his interactions w/ some of the men in the game. But that doesn't erase the fact that he's still attracted to the opposite sex. Arthur is not a gay man. Disregarding his past relationships w/ women is a form of bisexual erasure.

There is a huge double standard here because if these character's were actually lesbian/gay and the fandom decided to ship them with people of the opposite sex (i.e headcanon they are bi), there would be a major discourse.

Whenever bisexual women and men are presented in the media I always notice a few things:

Bi women are "secretly straight"

Bi women "don't know their lesbian yet"

Bi men are "secretly gay"

As well as this funny little graphic below ↓

Like I said before, I am bisexual. And if I'm being honest this years pride month has been exhausting and mildly infuriating with how the community seems to disregard bisexuals in a hetero relationship.

I stopped talking about my bisexuality with people because once they know I have been in a committed relationship with a man for seven years, I am suddenly excluded from the conversation.

I've had ex-friends tell me that I only identify as bisexual to "fit in" with the queer community. I've had people in college assume I was lesbian bc of the way I dressed, and then try to tell me that I must be secretly lesbian when I tell them I'm Bi. (Ppl also assumed I was non-binary bc of the way I presented but that's another story)

This stuff doesn't just happen to fictional characters, it happens to real people every single day. I'm honestly tired of ppl saying "well my headcanon doesn't hurt anybody, they're not real." Yes it does!! You are supporting Bi erasure!!

That's all I'm gonna say on this topic for now. I'd love to leave it open for discussion, but please be nice. This isn't a call-out or me trying to antagonize the queer rdr community. I just wanted to get it off my mind.

[lilac-rose-writes]

SO THAT NEW TRAILER, HUH?

WHYYYY IS APPLEGATE ALIVE???

also she's a lunch lady now bc she knows nothing about teaching <3 girlie got demoted on her first day <33

ALICE'S SCHOOL, CALLED IT >:D

the new characters look interesting! i think it's very curious that davey is the "former principal's son"- we see no principal at all throughout the trailer. where the heck are they??? what happened?? and why is davey's mission to "stop the janitor"?? which janitor???? the one with the murder hole or the one with the bloody mop?????

checked the character descriptions again and it turns out the new janitor has a NAME and is also the principal now. my bad. go regis. dubious kinggg. i wonder how the past principal disappeared,,

(WHEREEE IS BOB,, WHEEEERRRREEE ARE MY LIL HOODIE CHILDREN,,, AND FELIX,,, AND JEROME,,, AND BUGGS,,,, AND OZZY,,,??,???)

ms lovelett is so me-coded. i too would put on a play for five year olds and rhyme everything

can't believe they mashed up monty. AGAIN. at least he got to chuck food at the janitor first :))

HE'S IN A DRESS???? and he hates it. who put him in a dress??

who's been trying to hurt the crocodile? i just wanna give it a lil boop. regis did u try to hurt the crocodile??? for shameee

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, THERE'S A SCHOOL HAMSTER AND I LOVE HIM

duck riddle's in the cafeteria this time! but whERE is jerome to tell us what it is??? D:

the nurse is smoking,,, right next to a big "no smoking" sign,,,, in her medical room,,,, that she presumably but there

HELP I JUST SAW THE GRAFFITI ON THE WALL

it's gonna say "ducks", isn't it? we'll take off the odd sheet of paper and it will say "ducks". calling it now

ted-nugget friendship in the cafeteria???

WHERE ARE BILLY AND LILY IM CRYINGGG

bob,, bob i miss u bob,,, bob come bACK

genuinely though where the heckadoodle is felix?? he's like. the most popular character in the fandom. what HAPPENED?

more green goo here,, hmmm. applesoft is so shady, maybe felix'll be back later?

the timeline stuff is really weird. it seems like random events from each loop pass over while one timeline stays mostly the same. how is applegate not dead? she got really stabbed. like that was a whole thing. she should be very stabbed and dead right now. is felix dead from the cain's not able alt?

we're not done with monsters or bloody bags just yet! what are they doing in the principal's office..????

IS THAT A FREAKIGN SWORD????

PLEASE tell me the twins are just investigating in secret again. there is SO MUCH to investigate. they would be in their ELEMENT here

the dustbin looks very suspicious. like why does it look like that. i don't trust it

some things never change <33 just like our inability to read <333

I'M SO HYPED FOR THIS

[dduane]

Dear Diane,

You’ve written so much in so many different genres and formats. As someone who writes in only a couple genres (poetry and fanfic), it’s a wonder to see.

Is there any type of writing you’ve wanted to do but haven’t yet so far? Or one that you’ve tried and just not found was for you?

Thanks for being here.

—AGG

Aw, thanks! You're giving me the blushes, here. :)

Poetry is a big, challenging row to hoe, though, so don't knock it as "just" one of two genres that you work in. Poets have my admiration. Good poetry is hard. ...And as for fanfic? It's more than a genre. It's whole supergenre of its own, with a whole different emotional and ethical substrate than other fiction, and literally endless possible variation available to the writer. (And a place I'm way more than pleased to work when time allows.)

The two creative regions I've mostly got my eye on at the moment in the as-yet-unattempted department are romance and mystery/crime fiction. Romance, when I get there—and find the right context—will probably come out mashed together with some other genre. (And will probably be pseudonymic, so as not to confuse the parents buying Young Wizards books for their kids.) :) But as for the mystery/crime fiction, I want to keep that unadulterated—except possibly in terms of very limited AU.

Briefly: I look forward to the chance to sit down and start work on a piece of good old-fashioned ACD-style Sherlock Holmes, anchored in its original home period—specifying only that it'd be post-Reichenbach. I want to work with the height-of-his-powers Holmes who consults equally for people off the street and the crowned heads of Europe, with that slight additional fillip of being Recently Back From the Dead and triumphant over his enemies. And then I want to hand him (and Watson!) something really situationally and morally tough: something that will have significant real-world consequences appropriate to the period. ...But then this is what you do with the heroes you love most, isn't it? You put them through the worst shit, in order to watch them rise above it.

I've now got the beginnings of what this situation will look like, and am making notes. I'm not going to rush this. This is my very first and oldest fandom: it's worth taking all the necessary time to get such a work right. But since the beginning of 2023 and the shift in the copyright situation, I'm now free to give this project more serious consideration than previously.

They tell me I'm good with other people's characters. We shall see. :)

Over time we'll find out how all this will go, and when it can start happening. (As the emails from people about finishing The Door Into Starlight "before you die"/"before I die" are getting... let's just say a little more insistent than previously.) :)

Anyway, thanks for asking! ....And hope you're doing well.

[dumbkiri]

I know this isn't on your list on fandoms, but if this game falls under it please please please can you write this request!

Valorant Omen x Fem! Reader that is a radianite from experiments and she has the power like Tracer from Overwatch! I know he has memory problems and his background is pretty much hidden. But it would be cute if he had a wife and kid that he finds on the misison in ep 8!

𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻'𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽𝓮: You're so lucky I no-life Valorant! And I'm a Mercy Main lmaooo. This is my first Val imagine and I rushed this out with some mistakes. It's like you said Omen is a freaking mystery!! So hopefully this is to your liking!!

Val!Omen x Fem!Reader

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐭

“I’m still here, don’t worry.” 

A ghostly hand caressed the hood of his cloak, her faint touch making him crave more of her. 

“This job is wearing you down, my love. I think it’s time you come back home to me.” 

He could hear the caring in her tone, he could tell she loved him dearly. 

“Just don’t forget about me. Who knows what’ll happen to me if they come for me to get to you. I can tell they’re not done with Wisteria yet and I want you to know that I appreciate all that you did for me to get me out. Must not be easy doing these missions without me.”

He needed her to keep talking. This conversation, he remembers it. He’s starting to remember her and a little bit of what he used to be. 

“What am I saying? It’s hard living in the shadows, hiding the truth away from our employers. Do you still have your wedding ring? You were smart to say that we should wear it on our right hand instead of the traditional left. Truth be told, I wear mine on the left.” 

She laughed. 

“We vowed to keep each other safe. And this mission that you’re going to take on, I have a feeling it’s not going to end in your favor. Just my radar going off. So be safe, —---” 

No, what did she call him? Could it be his name? Say more, say anything! 

“Again, be safe. Phoenix and I await your return. Oh yeah, I have a surprise for you. I just hope you don’t freak out as much as I did.” 

Omen woke up from his slumber and a ball of yarn toppled from his lap when he sprung up from the chair. Quickly the table to his right flipped over when he let his anger out for not getting more information. He looked to the source of sound that woke him up and standing there with his hands up, Phoenix said, “Yo, I apologize for interrupting your sleep, but they’re ready to leave.” 

Omen looked at the mess he made and left it to be someone else’s job to clean it up. Right now, the mission and his group waited for him. Omen knew he had to be closer to the truth because that unknown woman’s voice kept getting stronger, getting more clearer. 

Pissed off, Omen briskly walked past Phoenix and the door automatically slid open to the main hallway. The sound of his heavy footfalls echoed in the silent hallway and he became occupied with the woman again. For now, the information he got in his naps was that, as bizarre as it sounds, they were married. He married that woman out of love and they did missions together until he got her out of their organization. 

Her call sign is Wisteria. Omen passed down that information to Cypher and nothing came out of it besides the word “TERMINATED” on the blank profile. She did exist and he knew deep down she was not dead. 

Another piece of information he attained was that Phoenix is a dog. She did not know of the agent Phoenix, the one that woke him up two minutes ago. Omen could not remember what kind of dog Phoenix was either. 

“Cypher found something, Omen.” 

Iso spoke up first, his back resting on the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. Omen looked around and found Cypher typing away on the main computer pulling up a familiar profile. The profile of Wisteria popped out on the big screen with new information. 

“This profile updated last night and I knew you would want to know about it.” 

Cypher typed some more and multiple files began to open up with pictures of the woman from old missions to her most recent one. In her old missions, she wore an all black tactical gear with a Phantom in her hands. 

“Wisteria is an assassin that works for Hourglass. She has unique abilities that can rival your teleportation,” Sova said, “and she has a dog that fights with her.” 

“A dog?” Omen questioned and Cypher chuckled, a picture maximized from her recent mission popped up. She wore the same outfit, but right next to her with a black tactical vest on was a German Shepherd. Cypher zoomed in on the dog mainly focusing on the patch with the initials PHX in bold red, “The dog’s name is Phoenix and believe me when I say this, you do not want to fight this beast.” 

“Where is she?” 

Cypher turned his chair around and leaned over with a hint of mischief in his tone, “Protecting the boss. The recent mission in Morocco scared him so he brought his loyal dog to protect him in Indonesia.”

“Is there anything else we need to know more about?” Sova asked this time, the woman seemed to put Omen in a state of anticipation. Cypher remained quiet and his head tilted with a slight. Then he stood up from the chair with a cheerful, “No!” 

“Then let’s move,” Omen demanded. 

……

“Mama!” 

You stopped walking next to your boss and before you could turn around, a body jumped onto your leg and Phoenix let out a happy whine seeing her favorite human. You looked down in surprise to see your three year old clinging onto your leg and looking up at you with pretty [e.color] eyes. His hair was unruly as usual and you picked him up from the floor with a grin on your face. 

“Henry, how have you been? Emilia is a nice lady, right?” You sent a discreet glare at the woman in a white pencil skirt and a white blouse to match it. Emilia responded to your glare with a small bow, her stiff body reminding you that she was just following orders as well. 

“We got ice cream after I ate my food! We watched a movie too!” Henry excitedly responded and your boss put his hand on your lower back. His creepy touch sent shivers down your spine and you quickly set Henry down on the floor, ignoring his look of disappointment. 

“I’m sorry, Henry,” You apologized and pressed a quick kiss on his temple, “but I have to work right now. I promise, I’ll see you very soon.” Phoenix nudged Henry and the little boy’s frown disappeared in a flash. He scratched the back of her ears and she licked his face with a happy wag of her big tail. 

You watched with a small smile and said, “You know, Henry, since you’re here Phoenix can join you and Emilia. I’m sure the three of you would enjoy her company, she misses you a lot.” 

Henry looked up at you and wiped his face, “Really? But Phoenix is your protector, mama. She helps you beat the bad guys.” He stopped petting the dog and he looked down at the floor in sadness. “What if something bad happens and she’s not there to protect you?”

It should be the other way around, you wanted to say. If something bad does happen and those guys from Valorant are coming after your boss, you need to make sure Henry would be protected. Emilia was a skilled fighter, but against radianite agents…she  had no chance with them. Phoenix will be able to keep Henry well-protected. And you hoped the agents from Valorant have more heart than the ones working for Hourglass. 

“Nothing will happen to me, okay?” You ruffled his hair and removed a pocket off your vest. The velcro pocket connects to Phoenix’s vest when you pat it on her. “When you hear her growling low and quiet, make sure you give her a treat. She’s letting you know to hide.”

Henry nodded his head and rested his small hand on her head. You waved at him and walked away with your boss straight up to the penthouse. The elevator ride had been silent until the man spoke up, “It was a surprise to see Henry. I don’t recall telling Emilia to bring him over to the building.” 

“I did,” You said without hesitation. You slung the Phantom over your back and continued explaining, “I don’t need Phoenix to watch over me. I thought it best to hand her over to Henry.” 

“You doubt Emilia’s skill to protect your son?” 

You looked at him with a raised eyebrow, “Do you believe she can take on Radianites?” His silence confirmed your answer. Suddenly a shiver went down your spine and it didn’t go unnoticed by your boss. His words demanded you to find the intruders, “Go on then. Find them swiftly and end their lives.” 

……

The first intruder you found was a man with blonde hair and a bow as his weapon. You recognized him as Sova, his aim never seemed to fail him especially in crucial moments. But he lost an eye for a reason. “Are you good at hand to hand combat?” You flexed your fingers then closed them into fists. 

“I have experience.” He responded wary of you. He must know about your ability to teleport or ‘blink’ as you like to call it. You ran at him and he released an arrow your way. Before the tip of it could touch your shoulder, you blinked and appeared right in front of his face. Your fist connects with his jaw making him stumble a few feet away from you. 

He drew another arrow and you blinked out of its way then reappeared in the same spot. You put your hands on your hips and said, “Please just give up. I don’t have time for this.” 

“Neither do I,” This arrow sparked with electricity and it soared towards you with amazing speed. But despite his determination, you caught the arrow in your gloved hand. You wanted to mock him until the arrow sent a pulse of electricity through your system. You yelped and tossed the arrow to the side. 

Your body tingled, the feeling of fuzziness coursing through your body. You didn’t notice that you fell on one knee until you were looking up at Sova. “Nowhere to run,” He said quietly and drew his bow, swiftly he looked away from you and pointed it at the penthouse. 

“Wait, don’t!” You shouted and jumped forward. Everything felt like it was in slow motion. Your legs felt heavy and your heart beated in your chest rapidly. You charged right into Sova and you both rolled over one another on the rails of the crane. You ended up on top of him and pointed your ghost at his forehead. 

Then you dragged your wide eyes to the penthouse seeing your boss falling down the building. You could hear your heartbeat loudly in your ears and you felt the breath leave your body as you holster your pistol. You pulled your communicator from your breast pocket and contacted Emilia. 

“Jaguar, respond.” You pushed yourself off of Sova and gripped the communicator tightly in your hand. “I said respond!” 

A crackle sparked in the communicator and Emilia’s voice came through. The woman sounded remorseful, “I have orders, Wisteria.” 

You knew what she was talking about. Her orders, you remembered them when your boss forced you back in the organization. If you failed him, your son would pay the price. Emilia was his executioner. You could feel the tears in your eyes form, your voice wavering, “Don’t do it. He’s just a boy.” 

“I’m sorry.” Emilia replied back and this didn’t stop you from yelling at her. “Emilia, he’s just a boy!” Then you hoped the command you would give would be heard by your loyal friend. 

“Phoenix, guard!” 

Sova stood up and watched you give him a tearful glare in angry silence. Then you blinked twice across the sky into the penthouse, running past Omen without stopping. Sova felt conflicted yet he informed everyone to search the building for a young boy. 

……

Omen saw flashes of his past. How he came to be and who the responsible one was. It hadn’t been enough though. He needed more. 

“Fool. She’s going to hate you.”

Then Omen felt a wave of sadness and anxiety wash over him. A woman with [h.color] hair and watery [e.color] eyes ran past him with her Phantom gripped tightly in her hands. She spared him no glance and kicked the door to the penthouse down. 

“Friends. There’s a boy in danger, I believe it to be Wisteria’s son.”

Son?

 Omen ran into the circular hallway and watched Wisteria blink all around the floors looking for the little boy. She knocked down so many doors, jumped over the bodies he’s injured prior to all of this. Then she stopped on the fifth floor and he teleported right after she ran into the room. 

He could hear a dog growling and someone muffling their cries. Omen hesitated to walk into the dark room. Could he face her, his supposed wife? Omen peeked into the room and saw her hunched over on the floor, her crying being muffled by something. Phoenix lay down right next to her with a knife wound to her hind legs. 

Wisteria must have heard him take a step and she looked over her shoulder at him. Her [e.color] eyes softened and she ran up to him, holding an unconscious boy in her arms. “Please, you must know how to help him. He won’t…won’t wake up.”  

Omen looked away from her sad eyes to the gunshot wound in the little boy’s shoulder. “I can,” Omen hesitated, “I can take him, but we have to hurry. His breathing is getting shallower.” Omen could feel the boy slowly breathing, the essence of his soul fading away. 

There was no time for hesitation and Wisteria handed her son over to her enemy. Then she ran back to Phoenix, scooping the big dog into her arms. Phoenix whined out loud and Omen could hear Wisteria apologize quietly. 

“Follow me.” 

He wasn’t surprised that she kept up with him. The urgency in her soul seemed to push him to go faster. Her son’s life was on the line and he knew he must be the one to blame. She failed her mission to protect her boss and the punishment for that was the life of her son ending. 

……

Every Valorant agent, especially the young ones, stood outside of the infirmary with bated breaths. They have heard that the mission in Indonesia was a success, but an enemy had been invited to their base of safety. 

“So you’re telling me that Omen brought her in? Isn’t this against regulations or something?” Phoenix questioned, his British accent scratching the back of everyone’s mind. 

Iso rolled his eyes and sipped on his boba drink, “It’s more complicated than you think. Omen knows what he’s doing, we shouldn’t doubt his judgment.” 

The door to the infirmary opened up and Sage and Brim walked out with a confident posture. Sage gave everyone a look and sighed, “I should know better than to think you guys can give anybody some space.” 

“So how is she doing? Is she going to try to escape?” Jett asked, still on some kind of alert. 

Brimstone spoke up for the both of them, “It’s her son and dog that is injured. And no, we heard her story and we can say that she is not our enemy. Now get back to training or else I will assign some chores for you all to do.” 

……

Omen watched the door close and he looked back at Wisteria from the shadowed corner. She looked beyond tired and he felt bad for her. He could feel her sadness and confusion. Her hand slipped away from her son’s and she crossed her arms over her chest. 

“You’re not as sneaky as you think you are, Omen.” 

Her voice remained calm and he knew she was not mad at him for his intrusion. He stepped out of the shadows, his steps light and slow. She looked at him and gestured to the empty seat next to her where Brim occupied before he left the room. 

Omen walked over and took the invitation with not a word uttered. 

“I want to thank you for putting our differences aside, especially in a pivotal moment. I was so…so afraid you would turn away from me.” Wisteria admitted and Omen gazed at her. Her hands were tucked into her arms and she crossed a leg over the other. 

“Never,” He grumbled and a chord tugged at his heart. He knows his past self told her this and he needed her to recall their past for him, “I didn’t turn away from you before, I will never turn away from you now.”

She stared at him cautiously, but brushed it off to start off his interrogation.

“You must have questions about me or something if you’re lingering around the room.” 

Omen shifted in his seat and asked, “Do you know what happened to your husband?” 

Wisteria cleared her throat and followed his line of eyesight, she had forgotten that she took her bloodied gloves off. Her silver band reflects the ceiling light as she twirled it around on her finger, “Uhm, no. My former boss told me that he failed a mission and betrayed the organization. Then he threatened me to not look into the mission, so I know he’s out there somewhere.” 

Omen moved on to the next question, “You mentioned memory gaps, do you know your husband’s name at least?” 

“I do not recall. Ever since I joined the organization and got this ability, the experiments left me with blanks and a house burned to the floor. Not that it matters, we didn’t take many photos together.” 

“Oh,” Omen said dejectedly. Then he asked his third question, “And your son, his dad is the one who left, correct?” 

She took a shaky breath in and nodded her head, “Yeah, I felt extremely bad not letting him know about his son. When he went on missions, we did our best to separate our home life from his work. I was the only one who would contact him with voicemails and I hated the idea of disclosing my surprise on the phone. Little did I know, he wouldn’t return and now it’s been three years of raising Henry on my own.” 

Omen analyzed the way she held her tears back. Wisteria’s voice wavered, “God, I only hope that when I see him again, he’ll forgive me.” She wiped her tears away with a sniffle, “Do you think he would be mad at me? For not telling him?”

The shrouded man flickered in his seat and she noticed the troubled expression on his different face. “I’m..not…” Was now the right time to tell her that he’s her husband? Should he say he’s not mad? That for some reason, he could never be mad at her. She did what was right and did everything she could to protect Henry. 

“I’m not..sure.” Omen hated the way her shoulders slumped and the hope in her watery eyes vanished. She licked her lips and whispered, “Right, you barely know the guy. Anyways, why are you asking so much about him? Did he make you into this?” 

This? 

Wisteria gestured to his flickering form. His conflicted emotions messed up his concentration on maintaining his form. “No, someone else did.” 

“Well if you need-” 

“Ma..ma.”

Wisteria jumped up from her seat and brushed the hair belonging to her son backwards. She peppered his face with small kisses which caused the little boy to giggle. “Mama, that tickles!” Omen stood up and his heartstring tugged at the childish smile on the boy’s face. This little boy is his little boy. A sudden urge to protect him and the woman felt strong in his soul. 

“Wisteria, let Sage know if he needs anything else,” Omen told her and began walking away with heavy footsteps. The door slid open and Wisteria called out to him again, a pretty smile on her tired face, “You can call me [Name].” 

Omen hummed and tried her name out, “[Name].” His gravelly voice sent shivers down her spine in a good way and she blushed lightly. Then he gave her a curt nod, “I’ll let the other agents know that Phoenix needs rest and keep an eye on her for you.”

“Thank you.”

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

I just realize you're the only person who point out that Felix and Kagami would be just as in the wrong for hiding the truth from Adrien. Most people I know puts the blame entirely on Marinette and like yeah, I get it it's really bad she would keep something like that a secret from her boyfriend but at the same time how do you deal with that big of a burden?

If it were up to me, I'd make her deal with it the same way like in the Dragon Prince with how Rayla tries to tell Callum and Ezran about their dad being dead but idk, maybe it's not the same with Adrien so it's unfair.

I'm just irritated at people who blame Marinette just cuz she's her gf and not at the adults like Nathalie or Amelie, Marinette's a child, what about Felix and Kagami? They care about Adrien too right?

Yep, it's somehow all Marinette's fault even though Felix knew for all of season five. He knew before then, too, but at least you could argue that he was fearing for his life in previous seasons. As soon as he got the peacock? No excuse. Especially since he got the peacock by trading away Adrien's freedom. A thing he arguably didn't even need to do since I don't think anyone believes that Gabriel would have said, "No" to only getting all of the miraculous. Felix just offers up the ring without even waiting for Gabriel to ask for it. A master negotiator this boy is not.

To add even more insult to injury, season five gives Felix a subplot about informing freaking Kagami and faking her amok. A girl he literally just met gets the treatment that Felix arguably owes to Adrien after all the shit Felix has put him through. You can't even argue that Felix did it because Tomoe isn't a threat on the scale of Gabriel. She's literally a co-conspirator in season five and Felix knows that because Kagami wouldn't be a sentimonster if Tomoe wasn't involved. And Tomoe has always been written as far more hands-on than Gabriel when it comes to controlling her kid, so this isn't even a case of Felix picking the easier target. He doesn't care about easy targets or subterfuge since he, you know, kidnaps Kagami in front of her mother?

But does anyone in the fandom seem to acknowledge that? No and I really don't get it. If hate must be assigned to a character and not the writers, then Felix deserves so much more hate than Marinette.

Kagami isn't innocent either. She knew the truth for about half of the season and yet she doesn't seem to care about telling Adrien. At the same time, she's fine outing Ladybug's secret identity and fine telling Marinette everything, none of which is done in the name of justice. Kagami does it all for purely selfish reasons. To me, this was as much of a character assassination as the whole Kagami believing Lila thing even though Kagami should know the truth about Lila after the Oni-chan incident (Lila faking the kissing picture and texting it to Adrien's contacts).

Then there's Nathalie. In my opinion, Nathalie's redemption is a joke and one of the key reasons for that is how little she cares about actually saving Adrien. At no point does she tell him the truth even though she knows she's dying. She could have very easily died much sooner than the final, leaving Adrien to obey Gabriel's commands, never knowing that he was being controlled. She doesn't even try to find someone else to guard Adrien's ring. She just maintains the status quo and pretends that everything is fine while occasionally asking Gabriel to pretty please change his mind and think of Adrien? Please?

Lady, you literally pinned this man to a table at the start of the season and you are his second in command. You know all his secrets. You have access to everything. You have the power to take him down. You have the power to save Adrien. You are an awful, awful mother figure who put Gabriel's wants above Adrien's needs right up to the very end. Did you even think you had a chance to fire that cross bow or was this just another, "I'm totally helping" feel good moment to assuage your guilty conscious before you died?

And Amelie. Oh, Amelie. If you hate what Colt did to your son, then why are you idly standing by while Gabriel does the same thing to your nephew? You know that Felix has the peacock, so he's safe from being snapped. Why aren't you encouraging him to help Adrien? Or, if you want to keep protecting Felix, then why don't YOU go to Ladybug and Chat Noir and tell them that Gabriel is behind everything? Surely you have to know that Felix isn't safe as long as Gabriel has all those miraculous, right? Gabriel knows that you and your son know everything. A terrorist knows that you're a chink in his armor. Why aren't you terrified by that?

In summary: yeah, Marinette should tell Adrien. It's totally fair to be mad at her. But dear God, she should never have been put in a position where she needed to tell him because one of these four should have done it long before the end of season five! The fact that Marinette was put in this position in the first place is terrible, nonsensical, illogical writing. So go ahead and be mad at Marinette, but you sure as shit better be just as mad at the people who knew everything and did nothing, leaving a teenage girl to face it all alone while bearing the safety of the world on her shoulders.

[dw-squirrel]

Just throwing this out there. It was in my notes and has been for a few years and I have yet to actually write it. So if by some chance someone wants to write it or knows a story like this. PLEASE GO FOR IT AND SEND ME A LINK 😭

Fandom: Supernatural

Characters: Dean, Sam, Benny, Cas, OC's and other canon characters welcome.

Ships: Dean/Benny, Destiel, Destiel + Benny whatever floats your boat. Just no wincest.

Plot:

Set in the correct universe, but not entirely canon? In the sense that everything is somewhat normal. But Benny isn't dead. He came back from purgatory with Sam.

Sam still isn't a big fan of Benny, so Dean doesn't talk to him a lot. But he tries to find a balance between keeping Sam happy and also being there for his friend who is clearly struggling with life here.

Dean was out by himself one night and stumbles upon a case. He tells Sam he'll be home later. Doesn't tell him that he's hunting, he makes up some lie. He and Sam were probably fighting earlier. He'd rather be by himself than deal with Sam right now 😭

Well, Dean doesn't show up later that night. It's been hours and Sam is panicking.

Dean wakes up the next morning with very little memory of what happened. All he knows is he was hunting a vampire...and he woke up covered in blood, his stomach hurts he's so fuckin hungry...and he's terrified because he's sensitive to light and can hear things so much better. Better than he'd like, he can hear someone's heart beating, blood pumping from a mile away...he knows one thing for sure is he was turned last night...

But he doesn't know if he can be cured, cuz he doesn't remember if he killed someone/ate someone or drank blood or anything...

He was going to call Sam, but he's kinda embarrassed. He wants to just kill himself now... especially when he finds a dead body nearby and they were clearly attacked by a vampire.

Dean kills the vamp that turned him... but not in time before they force blood down his throat... there's no going back...

He calls Benny first. Not Sam. Benny was in the area, he was supposed to be visiting him anyway...and when Benny finds out...he makes it his top priority to take care of Dean. He says Dean doesn't have to die. They can work with this... but Dean doesn't *want* to do this. So now Benny is trying every thing he can to convince Dean he doesn't have to die... but they might end up both dying just to live in purgatory forever 😬😬

Sam doesn't find out for like a few weeks and he's obviously losing his shit. Because I just can't imagine Sam genuinely being chill about this. Sam would be looking for his brother. Eventually he finds him and he's upset that Dean's just been out with Benny.

Bonus points if the only reason Sam found out Dean was a vamp is cuz Benny told him.

If no one writes this, then maybe I will eventually get around to it. Thanks for reading. Sorry the idea is so long. I needed to add more detail otherwise it's too vague and might not get what I want exactly.

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Another quick rection from me, this time for the 390 bnha leaks!!!!!! :

Iida and Shoto's friendship is everything to me. They have now helped each other reach beyong their family darkest times and have given the absolute most for each other. I love them soo much!!

This justice and happiness for so many meta writers that have been telling the fandom it'd be like this. I salute those writers, wishing them an amazing time on their "I told you so".

I'm so glad Horikoshi made Enji acknowledge verbally and explicitly all the mistakes he has committed against his family and made him apologize to every one of them individually. He mistreated his family in many different ways but they all deserved closure. The ones following me for a while know that I'm not an Endeavor fan, but I appreciate what he brings to the narrative sometimes.

While I'm pleased that Enji is finally accepting his responsibility inthe fallout of his family,it scares me a little because I know the fandom would start fighting about wether Rei and his kids should forgive him immediately or not. It's gonna be different from each Todoroki, so stop for a second and ask yourself if in those situations, the victims should be pressured to do one thing or the other. If Fuyumi forgives Enji immediately but Touya never does, it is okay for both of them. Whatever makes them happy and helps them through their trauma, as long as it is not self-destructive or risks other people's lives.

I KNOW IT'S NOT MEANT TO BE FUNNY but Dabi saying that he should be dead —they all should be dead really— hurt a lot, but then I read Natsuo telling him “well that's gonna be a problem because you're gonna live bro” was so sibling behavior of them. Touya is suicidal and finds it easier for things to be over now, he hadn't planned for this to go this far, you know? And that's exactly why Natsuo asks what does he plan to do next.

I haven't read the translation yet, but if they really phrased it as "hellish life" (Natsuo says that's what awaits Dabi, after seeing the ice on his chest) is gonna be an immense irony but amazing writing. Dabi told Enji to come dance with him in hell, but isn't life hell on its own way sometimes? I love when a character that planned to die lives, because it defies the narrative and questions the character while giving room to so many opportunities.

SHOUTO FINALLY ACKNOWLEDGING HOW COMPLEX TOUYA'S ORIGIN IS. It's nothing you can solve with mere words, nothing you can solve with a conversation. This is a huge win in this manga, contrasting the shonen trope of things being solved through words or the speech of the protagonist.

People better give Rei all the recognition she deserves or I'm gonna start punching them.

Touya saying they all should be dead and that he hates them all and Enji asking for him to tell him how he feels— this is how things get solved. It's a callback not only to Enji, but to many other conflicts were pro-heroes and other adults should have listened to victims, villains or their own kids to understand what was wrong, but decided to tackle the issue without even caring to have a grasp on it. Right now, Enji wants to start from where Dabi is, not from where he wish he should be. He's not arguing against Touya's feelings or going against them or anything. He is willing to communicate and listen to him, he is being open and vulnerable and direct and that's exactly how it should be. Super funny coming from me, but this was an Enjj win.

BUT I'M IN SHAMBLES FOR TOGA. I AM KICKING SCREAMING SCRATCHING THE WALLS OF MY ROOOOOOM.

If there is a testament of how much they (the members of the League of Villains) care for each other, it's that Toga can't see Dabi's fire anymore and immediately wishes he found a way to smile, exactly like he said she should. She's having a whole breakdown over how much she knows she love Tomura and Dabi and why her quirk won't work from them, but even with tears in her eyes, she's wondering if Dabi is happy now, if he was able to reach his goal. Horikoshi please, you need to gives us all a panel of Touya and Toga smiling together after the battle, okay? They deserve it.

OCHAKO IS SO CLOSE TO HER RIGHT NOW as she's being held down by multiple Twice clones. I'm so excited to see the resolution of their fight!!! It feels perfect that Ochako gave that speech about wanting to see the people she love and people in general smile and now Toga is just thinking about that with Touya. Narratively speaking, I enjoy so much how these girls are connected to each other. Now that Shouto reached his brother and was able to stop him with help from his family, it's time for Toga and Ochako, then Deku and Tomura.

I'm satisfied and happy, being honest. There's still some road left ahead, but I'm liking what I'm seeing at the moment. This must be one of my favorites chapters so far!!!!

[youlikefanficdontyousquidward]

Why so blue?

Prologue, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine

tag list: @luciddasher @seashelldom @goblinerrant @belos-simp69 @d4rno @fandom-garbage @dakotali

Chapter Ten

hehe angst time

TW: swearing, attempted forced bond? (it reads a little non/conish so just be warned if your sensitive to that kinda thing.) death, violence,

The days past quickly for Quaritch. He'd been too busy to really see you more, barely awake when he'd stumble back in exhausted from the search. You were perfect to him at first, massaging his aching muscles and curling around him to rest. You'd sing gently until he fell asleep, or whisper stories about Spider's childhood. He'd promised to show you his baby photos once he could get a hand on them, which had delighted you. He'd lain with hands under his chin as you'd excitedly skipped over. Heart full to burst when you flopped onto his back, asking how tiny he'd been. As days past you withdrew, lack of time outdoors and only able to see Spider sporadically was making you sullen.

Things were difficult with Spider, the villages were refusing to give Jake Sully up, claiming no knowledge of him or his family's whereabouts. The kid had begged and pleaded to leave the people alone, threatening to tell you what he was doing. He'd relented somewhat, he'd never have hesitated to kill these people before but now he was trying to keep you both. He found himself feeling sympathetic to the faces of the natives, now so like his own. He couldn't risk either of you seeing what his job had entailed. It'd be easier once Jake was dead and he could keep you two on base somewhere. He ordered an animal shot, burnt their village down but they still refused. He left, catching Lyle's look of frustration as he did.

He'd ordered that Spider not be allowed to see you then. Once this was all over he could patch things up, until then better to keep at least one of you on his side. It wasn't easy, it'd been two days since you'd seen Spider and you were getting frustrated. He couldn't keep blaming the late hour forever, he really needed to finish this quickly. You bounded up off the bed as soon as he entered, rushing to pull him into a hug. You looked behind him, face falling in disappointment.

"Please Miles, he cannot be sleeping again already. It isn't like him to avoid me. What's happening up there." You held his arms, following to stay in his line of sight as he turned from you. He just sighed, kissing the top of your head and pulling you back into his chest.

"Soon, I promise. I'm just so tired right now, let's just rest sweetheart. I wanna hear about those pranks you two pulled on the lab coats." He moved to lead you to the bed with him, arms going taught, your feet stayed rooted to the floor.

"What's happened?" You wouldn't look at him now, your eyes stayed on the floor. He removed his hands from your arms and rubbed them down his face, he didn't want to lie to you but any part of the truth wouldn't help. He took his dog tags from around his neck, placing the onto yours. You looked up at him now, tears threatening to spill over.

"Please y/n, just a few more days." You head dropped, you lifted the tags to your lips kissing them gently before stalking off to the desk. Miles grumbled, this would have do for now, he lay back in his bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You thought you'd wake up with such a crick in the neck, you flopped your head down onto the desk to rest last night, not willing to go to Quaritch's side just yet. There was something he wasn't telling you, something about the search? Had he found them? Where they already dead? Was it Spider? He couldn't be hurt, there was no way Miles would be this put together if he had been. You were a knot of concerns and Miles would not elevate them for whatever reason.

You rolled over in your shared bed, reaching for him. He wasn't there, must have moved you over when he left, you thought. It was horrible here, you paced the small bare room, researched through all the drawers, napped. There wasn't even a window to look aimlessly out of, just 4 walls, a bed and a desk. The 'data pad' sat out on top of a pile of papers.

You'd never bothered learning to read English, so it took quiet a few tries to open the thing. It was confusing, just screens of text, pictures of Jake, pictures of his human face and one of Neytiri when she was younger, still at Grace Augustine's school. You kept 'scrolling' you'd watched Norm with these before, taping and swiping his finger to move to different information.

There was a dead animal. You dropped the screen, gasping in horror, before looking again. You recognized it from stories, a tulkun. An amazing creature, they were as smart as any na'vi, some likely smarter. This one was a dead in the water, its young tucked under a fin, luminous orange things pierced into its flesh. Human's had killed this beautiful creature, had this been what was upsetting Miles? Had Spider gotten angry and the humans locked him up? Spider may have tried to intervene! You had to go to him, you needed to get him away from those humans.

To your surprise the door was not locked at all. You'd never actually tried to leave so you'd never even checked but the mechanical door slid up the moment you pressed the button. You stepped out cautiously, would alarms sound? Nothing happened, you took a puff from your air mask and moved ahead.

You had no idea where Spider could be, if they locked him up where would cells be on this boat? You still held the data pad, scrolling around aimlessly. Hoping for something that could help, you froze. A village burning. The clan on their knees, the recoms pointing guns at them, and your Miles in front of the chief's mate pointing a gun to her head.

This was it. This is what he was hiding from you. You felt sick to your stomach, dropping the pad. It couldn't be real, he was changed, right? No, it was clear in the photographs. He was the monster Spider warned you about. That's why you had been kept from him, Quaritch was keeping you from the truth. Shame and sorrow flooded your mind, you felt light-headed as you stumbled your way forward. You had to leave, you had to get Spider and go home.

The scientist rounded the corner. You froze, you're eyes were brimming with tears and your face flushed with anger and betrayal. There was no way to play this off.

"You're not supposed to be..." You punched him, cutting him off and sending him sprawling to the floor. Two more humans rushed round the corner.

"Freeze! Don't you move!" You sprinted off diving round a corner before they could raise their guns to you. Shit, shit, shit, this was not supposed to happen like this. You leaped over a railing landing hard several floors down, humans scattered away as you rushed out.

"WAIT! Y/N WAIT!" Zdogs voice called out to you. You wanted to stop, to go to her but you saw her in those pictures. She torched those peoples homes, who knows what else she'd done that you hadn't seen. You couldn't trust her, she was a monster too.

You rounded another corner. Strong arms circled you, pinning you in place. You screamed, kicking out, cursing but you didn't budge.

"shhh, shhh, shh. You're okay, everything's gonna be okay." Quaritch's voice spoke softly into your ear. You froze, going limp in his arms.

"That's it, it's okay, it's all gonna be okay real soon." Zdog entered your field of vision, Mansk on her heals. You wailed out, sobbing openly now. It was all too much for you to handle. He was a murder, you loved him and he was a monster. Mansk stepped cautiously forward, looking up to Quaritch. You felt him nod behind you as Mansk quickly stuck you with a needle. You thrashed again, hissing and snapping at him, cursing him colurfully in na'vi. Black dots began to creep into your vision, you saw Lyle come into focus holding the discarded data pad before you passed out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were still limp as he tucked you into his bed. Pulling cuffs from his belt he secured your wrists to the frame.

Stupid, he was so stupid. You grew up around human scientists for gods sake of course you could work the damn thing. He didn't know what he was going to tell you now, at least he didn't have to keep Spider away anymore. Now you both could hate him together.

He stormed up to the bridge, they'd tagged another Tulkun and he had to be ready for the Metkayina's retaliation.

Lyle blocked his path. He stopped inches from him, in no mood for whatever insubordination this was.

"What the fuck man."

"Move."

"No! Man, what the fuck is going on. I thought this was just some stupid game. These damn bodies making us act weird or something. You got a lil crush, huh? Think commands gonna let you skip happy off into the sunset? Or you planning on takin' 'em back havin' a big ol' white wedding. They're a god damn savage sir!"

Miles got up in his face, hand raised. Oh he wanted to hit him, he wanted to hit him till his face caved in. Wainfleet was right though, some stupid instinct was not gonna get in the way of his mission. If he had to live with this fine but he'd use all the cards he had. He had a plan for you, and once you were back in line you'd bring Spider back to him too. He was still gonna win this. He backed down, squaring his shoulders and in his most neutral military tone he spoke.

"Noted Wainfleet. We're headed to the bridge, we got a hunt on." Lyle relaxed, saluting him.

"Yes Sir!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This time when you woke you were met with pain. Your head felt like it was going to burst, the lights only making it sting worse. You tried to cover them, only for your hand to get caught. You couldn't see but you felt the familiar dig of the cuffs at your wrists. Groaning you turned your head into your arm. This was so much worse than before, you cursed yourself for not getting help in rescuing Spider back in the forest. None of this would have happened.

Now you were tied up again, Spider was who knows where and you felt betrayal burning you from the inside out. You wept alone in the room, pulling uselessly at the cuffs until your wrist bled.

Zdog came by. She strolled in like nothing had happened, chewing and popping gum as she walked around you.

"Made a right royal mess of this huh? Don't worry, you'll sweet talk our Colonel be right as rain by the morning." You ignored her, staring off into space.

"Helloooo... y/n" She came across, waving a hand in front of your face. You snapped teeth at her, hissing as she pulled back. "Hey, what the fuck!"

"You are demon! I should have never helped you!" You screamed, tears flowing again. "You kill and destroy everything you touch! I hate you!"

Her face flared, anger distorting her features. "They're just some dumb fuckin' animals, you people are all the same. Stupid fuckin' savages." She stormed out, leaving you alone again. You wept again, until exhaustion took you again.

When you woke next, Quaritch sat by your side. He was rubbing something onto your wrists, his expression pained. He noticed you then, moving his hand to your cheek. You tried to pull away, creating as much space between you two as you could but he followed gripping your face between his palms.

"I'm gonna fix this Y/n."

"You can't fix this. I'm taking my son and we're gonna get as far away from you as we can!" You spat out.

"OUR SON." He shouted suddenly. You flinched away from his out burst, frightened he might strike you. "Our son." He said softer, stroking your hair. You didn't like the way you still shifted into his touch. You caught yourself snapping at him. He sighed staying sat close but dropping his hands on to his lap.

"I want to see him!" You demanded.

"You will, real soon. Just something I gotta do first." You furrowed your brows as he reached up to you again. If he was gonna try to kiss you he'd better be prepared to loose his tongue.

In a swift motion he had your kuru and his own in his hands. You began thrashing around again, screaming for him to stop.

"Mawey, Mawey, I do this and you and I are bound. You'll understand what I'm tryin' do here okay. It's all gonna be okay." He thumbed the sensitive end, exposing the tendrils at the base. They searched blindly for something to connect with as Miles prepared his own. Your body stilled, terror washing over you. He was going to bind you to him, force himself into your very soul forever.

"Please ma Miles." He paused looking up to you, face stern. "Please don't do this." You pleaded, tears streaming down your face.

The moment stretched on and for a horrible second you thought he wasn't going to listen to you but he let go. Your kuru flopped back against you, the tendrils retreating, as you breathed a sigh of relief. Miles sat there a moment longer, staring down at his own kuru's tendrils, still swirling in the air.

"This is so fucked." He sucked his teeth a moment, looking back at you sullenly before leaving hurriedly. You were left there alone again, thoughts swirled, contradicting feelings, it hurt to think. You longed for the forest, for the days in the sun of your youth, hell you'd take last week at this point. Quaritch was right, this was fucked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were a lot of sounds coming from outside. Crashing, explosions, gunfire, you felt numb from all you'd experienced today. You didn't know what you were going to do. You were still bound to the bed and what ever was happening sounded like it was getting worse.

Whatever you had with Quaritch was crumbling away. You couldn't hold onto his memory without seeing the image of that woman on her knees. He was a monster, you couldn't love him anymore, it wasn't right. You wanted your Spider, you wanted him to tell you everything, to explain somehow. Or at least to confirm it, to let you sever the tie.

Zdog rushed in, swearing, slinging her gun behind her back. She rushed over to your side, fumbling to get the cuffs off.

"Don't fuckin' bite me, the ships going down we're getting out of here." She grabbed your wounded wrist, dragging you behind her. You stumbled after her, still feeling dazed. She'd come back for you?

"Spider, where's Spider?" You needed to get to him. If you were getting out of here it had to be with him.

"I dunno, he was up on the deck, then he swam off with the kids." She peaked round the corner, raising her gun as she went. You felt relieved, if he'd escaped with them then he'd end up with Jake, he'd keep him safe you knew it. Your eyes darted around, could you escape? You could leave, turn your back on all this and just be free. Was that what Zdog had meant? Was she taking you up on deck to free you or just to keep you hostage?

Zdog stilled ahead of you, gun slipping out of her hands and hitting the grating with a loud thump. She turning to face you and you screamed. A long arrow was embedded right through her eye socket, jutting out through her skull. A trickle of blood slipped down like a tear then she fell back, flopping lifelessly on the deck. Your blood ran cold, you couldn't take your eyes off her. Her joyous expressions, sneers, anger, laugh all cycled through your mind. They were all gone, her face limp, the light had already slipped from her eyes and blood began to pool under her head.

"Y/n!" Neytiri filled your vision, gripping your shoulders. You babbled, unable to form words. "Y/N! where are the children?!" She shook you, grunting and running off when you didn't answer.

You stumbled away from Zdog's corpse. Making your way past bodies, mostly human but some other recoms. Back up must have arrived, you couldn't help but scan their faces. Who would be among them? Would you have to see Lyle, Mansk, would you have to see Miles' bloodied form next.

The ship was tilting, making you feel even more nauseous. Water filling the lower decks unevenly caused the ship to begin to flip. You struggled up the edge to a railing, your mind too rattled to think straight.

"Y/N! Y/n over here!" Your mind snapped into focus, Spider! You followed his voice, eyes focusing. He waved to you, Kiri by his side just across from you on another platform. You climbed the railing, jumping the distance to land next to them. You pulled Spider to you, reaching out a hand to Kiri to cup her cheek. She smiled at you, touching a hand to yours. You pulled back to look him in the eye.

"I saw it Spider, I saw him at those villages, the people, the fire. He killed that woman." You sobbed, hugging him in close again.

"What? He didn't kill anyone? He burnt those places to the ground but..."

"But the pictures? The Tulkun?" You held him in front of you again searching his face. There was no lie there.

"He didn't kill them, and those humans went after the tulkun... look it doesn't matter! We'll have time to talk later, we have to go, the ships going down, the others are in the lower levels we have to help!"

"I can't swim like that Spider, I'm fast but not down there." You'd only swam the rivers before, staying on the surface. You'd searched for shining pebbles before but not as deep as the ship. You couldn't hold your breath for that long.

Spider hugged you again, pulling away he held your hands in his.

"It's okay, Kiri and I have got this! Just swim out past the fire, there's rocks, we'll meet you there." He tugged you down to press your foreheads together. You rubbed yours against his mask, pulling back and smiling to him.

"You make me so proud, save your friends." He grinned, running past with Kiri to help the others.

You dove into the water and swam. You dipped bellow the surface, swimming low under the fire that encircled the boat, till your lungs burned. You broke the surface, gasping for air. All around you was pitch black inky water, clouds blocking out the stars, you couldn't see any rocks. You pointed yourself to where Spider and Kiri had come from. You swam for a long time, your arms and legs burning, becoming heavy. The first blush of dawn appeared, it silhouetted a flat surfaced rock sticking out from the water. You crawled out the water onto it, no one else had arrived yet, flopped onto your back sucking in great lung fulls of air. Once you felt your heart calm down you propped yourself back up. You horizon was blank, the fire must have died , and the boat had sunk. You'd held him, your Spider was okay, his breathing mask would keep him safe underwater. You settled down, laying on your back again. Things would be fine, you'd return with the Sullys, you'd have to forget Quaritch and just live whatever life you could. You tried to rest, the rock nipped at your hip and the salt water still stung your wrists. You curled in on yourself, closing your eyes. Zdog's bloodied face flashed in your mind, you shot up. Breathing becoming unsteady again as her corpse haunted you. They weren't killers? Or maybe they had been? It was still too much to understand but you felt she couldn't have deserved that. You were alone for now, no one could judge, so you cried for the recoms. You cried for Miles.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everything was gone, his squad, his son, you. All he had was this banshee and hope that the RDA would give him another chance. He flew slumped against its neck, Spider's hissed rejection replaying in him mind. He'd left you there, tied up on a sinking ship. You were dead and it was his fault. Maybe Spider knew that, he looked so angry at him.

You danced in his memory. He wanted you to be his again, he wanted those moments with you wrapped in his arms back. You were gone forever now, he'd never had a chance to make you understand.

He thought he imagined it at first but no his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. On a rock ahead he saw your form prone, alone. Cupcake swooped down as he quicker thought it, he saw you scramble up, shielding your eyes from the sun behind him.

"Miles!" You shouted to him, waving your arms above your head. He fell off Cupcake, trying to stand to get to you. You closed the distance, sliding to his side, gripping his injured face gently to examine him. He could hardly keep his eyes open, straining hard to try take you in. You were alive? Your hair glowed, a halo from the sun behind you head, an angel. His eyes fluttered closed.

"You're hurt." You sounded panicked, concerned. This couldn't be real, you'd been so angry, so upset with him. He felt your hand shift his wet hair from his face, examining the tender area around his eye. Heaven? Nah if it was heaven he wouldn't be in agony.

You were alone, having escaped the ship somehow. Had the Sullys left you, Spider couldn't have known where you were. There's no way he'd leave you stranded alone. Maybe he was coming back for you? Certainly they'd come for you, you were one of them. He thought bitterly, Sully had taken his son, he couldn't let him have you too.

"He's gone y/n. He left with them." You stilled, hands still holding him. He saw a distant look in your eyes, they darted to the water. With all the strength and speed he had left in him, he whipped cuffs onto your wrist, tethering you to his own.

"Not loosing you too." He struggled out, vision blurring. You looked incredulously between your tied wrists.

"I'm bound to you." Your head dipped, resigned.

[marshmallowprotection]

Hi !

This is not a request, I just want to say that I love everything I read here

As a huge Saeran lover this blog is a gold mine that I can't stop exploring (I hope I haven't crowed your notifications too much ?) despite that I haven't even play Another Story yet and shouldn't read for spoilers sake. Welp, too late.

But it's a little funny to me because reading all this only confirmed the impressions I have of him. Of them. It looks like someone ripped the thoughts out of my mind and completed it to make it all nice and neat and accurate.

I don't want to ramble too much so I'll try to stop here. I just love everything you wrote in there. About the other characters too.

Maybe I'll come back to ask stuff too, later.

Oh and I'm amazed to see there's still people talking about Mystic Messenger in 2024. This is so cool

There are plenty of people who keep saying the fandom is dead but it's not. Sure, it might be smaller than it was in the past, but that isn't a sign that the fandom is dead. It's just a little bit more peaceful in my opinion. I know people still pop off on Twitter, but I'm not active over there, this is my main base of operation and while the Tumblr fanbase may seem quieter, we're all still here, you just have to click around to see who's posting frequently and find mutuals who are just as active!

Please, liking and reblogging posts is how we get engagement. Don't feel bad about liking my posts. I get excited when I see people find my masterlist, even if they start from the beginning and like some of my earlier writing before I began to feel more confident in what I was posting. Please, like as many posts as you want. I don't mind. I know many of my mutuals wouldn't mind it, either. /lh

Thank you for enjoying my writing! I hope you're able to enjoy playing Another Story soon! Playing the game itself is a different experience compared to reading something about it from another person.

I can tell you what happens all day long, but it won't have the same impact as it will when you're playing the game organically. I can't wait to hear how that goes for you! I'm always super excited to hear from players who don't know Saeran just yet and how quickly they fall into the rabbit hole to discover more about him as a person.

[asaka-lucy-dr-rc]

The series is not 100% clear on the matter. But a lot of fans have observed that there's a fair bit of evidence to suggest that Nagito wasn't lying about his illnesses, despite surviving his original prognosis. And that him insisting he was lying afterwards was just his attempt to keep Hajime from getting close to him.

There are multiple pieces of evidence in the various mangas showing his inner thoughts, that point to the stuff about his dead dog and the plane crash being truthful. And if he was being truthful about something as insane as a meteor hitting a plane at the exact moment it was being hijacked, the dementia + lymphoma claim isn't quite so unbelievable.

There's also his behavior throughout the series. People have pointed out that a lot of it is fairly consistent with symptoms of someone with fronto-temporal dementia. His tendency to ramble, impaired empathy, inappropriate social behavior, etc. His pale skin and hair, along with his skinny physique also suggests his body is quite sickly.

Sorry for dragging this out a bit. It's just that when it comes to Nagito's illnesses, a number of fans can treat him very hypocritically. To use Nekomaru for example, he frequently does strenuous physical activities that a person with a heart condition shouldn't be doing. Yet no one accuses him of lying about his illness. Nor do people claim that Toko fakes her split personality, even though Syo isn't a very accurate portrayal of dissociative identity disorder.

Oh, thanks for taking the time to message me! First of all, I want to say that I'm not specifically accusing him of lying, just that it can be interpreted as a lie because the math between the life expectancy he said and the actual time he lived after he was declared sick doesn't add up. I'm not sure about the EN fandom, but I think more people interpret it that way, at least in the JP fandom.

I also do not want to criticize anyone who thinks his illness is true. I was more wondering why there is a difference in interpretation between the JP fandom and the English fandom wiki. The Danganronpa Fandom Wiki says "While it is left ambiguous in the game, his illnesses and backstory as well as his school profile in Danganronpa 3". I don't have the official setting materials of the anime, so I'm not sure, but I did a search in Japanese to see if anyone mentioned anything like Nagito's illness was written in them, but I couldn't find any mention of it. So I just said that the source of that line is vague, but that's all. I mentioned that more people in the JP fandom have the interpretation that his illness was a lie, but of course there are various fanfic made under the assumption that the story of his illness is true! I am a fan who played DR2 almost immediately after it was released in Japan, and if I remember correctly, there was a mixture of both interpretations among those who finished the game at the beginning, and gradually fans accepted the one that the illness was probably a lie, because the life expectancy he talked about and the time when the school trip in NWP started did not match. (I guess a lot of fans just wanted Nagito to live).

Sorry for repeating almost the same sentence, but I know there are people in both the JP and EN fandoms who would interpret it as real, and I'm not trying to determine which is canon at all. In the post I commented on, the OP seemed to be considering which way to interpret it, so I thought telling about the interpretation in the JP fandom might be a kind of clue to the story. I don't want to criticize those who interpret his illness as true.

However, as for the information written on the fandom wiki, I want to know the source! If anyone knows where the information is written, please let me know!

I didn't mention some of the things you wrote, but I hope you understand that's because I don't want to be particularly critical or anything like that. (And since we were originally only talking about Nagito, I don't intend to expand the discussion to other characters.)

Again, thanks for taking the time to message me!

[exitpursuedbyavulcan]

The Silver Dragon (33/?)

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Original Female Character

Word Count: 2845

Story Summary: Lady Arianwyn Targaryen, the Lady of Runestone, was seeded by her father, the Rogue Prince Daemon Targaryen, in an act of unbridled hatred, and borne of her mother, the late Lady Rhea Royce, as a desperate grasp at revenge.

Ignored by her father, and alone following the death of her mother, she is raised in King’s Landing alongside her cousin, Prince Aemond Targaryen. As they grow, the two find themselves indelibly bonded. But their lives are far from the fairy tales they read, and as tensions in the family rise, they find their paths may diverge.

Will they be pulled apart when the dragons dance?

Chapter Summary: Aemond and Arianwyn awake with grand plans of spending another day together. But they are met with the news that the King has died in the night, leaving not only their plans unsure, but the fate of the realm.

Warnings: Adult content, Minors DNI.

Author's Note: Again, sorry this took an extra day. That book series I was telling y'all about? It had the absolute WORST ending I have ever read. I was so mad I couldn't write. And by the time I had calmed down, I had gotten out of the Aemond state of mind and had to reread the whole fic up to this point to get myself back into it.

Oh well, those books are already in the recycle, I'm back to writing, and I promise I will deliver y'all a much, much better ending (eventually)!

Series Masterlist

Taglist: @thelittleswanao3 @trap-house-homiecide @50svibes @literishdegree99 @dc-marvel-girl96 @henriettadreaming @multiple-fandoms-girl @gyuxmilk @somemydayy @kittykylax @whore-of-many-hot-men @slavicvvitch

(Please let me know if your tag isn't working, and I'll do my best to correct it! And if you would like to be added to the list, just shoot me an ask!)

The First Death

The King was dead.

Viserys was dead.

His father was dead.

Aemond felt cold hands closing around his throat, yet he could breathe freely for the first time in his life.

The world was spinning around him, yet he had never felt so steady.

His heart pounded wildly in his chest even as he felt a sense of calm wash over him.

He was relieved.

He was distraught.

He was happy.

He was heartbroken.

He was finally free.

He had never been more trapped.

They were supposed to go to Runestone.

Once Arianwyn had her trousseau and his mother had her feast, they were supposed to leave this all behind. Make their own home – together.

Not as a Targaryen Prince and Princess, the second son and his wife. But as the Lady of Runestone and her Lord Consort.

They were supposed to be alone together, as husband and wife.

For one year, they would spend every moment they could in each other’s arms. They would wake each morning together. Fly across the realm together. Spend each night – or really, any and every moment they could – entwined together.

After a year of marital bliss, they were supposed to start their family.

They had agreed: a whole army of children with Arianwyn’s hair and Aemond’s eyes. Each one with a dragon egg to warm their cradle, as Aemond had been denied.

Aemond already had a list of names in the back of his mind.

Their firstborn – their heir – would need a name befitting a Royce. A name of the First Men.

Yorwyck, perhaps. After the first Bronze King. Yorbert or Robar would also be fitting. Or something less traditional. Throughout his studies, Aemond had found several names that caught his eye. Aneurin. Caradoc. Tarian. Edan. Cadogan. Rhisiart, even. If they were feeling adventurous.

But their heir could be a daughter, according to the laws of the Vale. A son was preferred, but a girl could inherit, just as Arianwyn had.

Rhea was an obvious choice. Though Aemond was still unsure how he felt about Rhea having her daughter as an act of revenge, he knew Arianwyn would love to honor her late mother.

Still, there were other options. Though there were fewer historical names for women, at least as far as Aemond knew. But there were so many beautiful names for women in the Old Tongue. Isolde. Guinevere. Rhiannon. Ceridwen. Nimue. Eluned. Nerys. Briallen.

They would have to have so many daughters.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he did not want to give his children a Valyrian name.

A Valyrian name was a burden. A reminder of the legacy that preceded them. A legacy of conquest and glory. Of dragonriding heroes and silver-haired kings. Of cruel fathers and forgotten second sons.

He would not pass that burden on to his children.

“Aemond?” Arianwyn whispered as she stepped in front of him, bringing him back to reality.

The morning came crashing back.

Waking with her in his arms, kissing every inch of her until she had awoken as well. Her sweet, sleepy smile when she finally kissed him back.

Taking his time with her, as he had not had the chance to last night when she climbed on top of him. Worshipping her with his mouth until she screamed with unbridled pleasure. Finally burying himself inside her as he held her close. She had muffled her cries in his neck as she came, driving him to release only a breath later.

Their slowness to emerge from the bedchamber had given Elsie the time she needed to relace all of Arianwyn’s armor. Again, Aemond dressed her himself. But this time, he teased her, punctuating every movement of his fingers with a kiss.

He had lost his composure faster than she had, however. His hands were still tangled in the laces of her cuirass as he fell to his knees and devoured her again, lapping up every drop of her release with his tongue so as not to stain her riding trousers.

They had walked toward the courtyard hand-in-hand when they were intercepted by Orwyle, who nervously redirected them to find the Queen without telling them why.

That had led them to the corridor outside Helaena’s chambers, where they had encountered the Hand with a look of fearsome determination on his gaunt face.

Otto Hightower, perhaps the only man in the Red Keep who could look down upon Aemond, seized his grandson’s arm to bring them to a halt. He looked briefly at Arianwyn before turning back to the Prince.

“Your mother will need you now, Aemond,” he said, his voice that of a commander, not a grandsire. “Do not fail her.”

Aemond did not reply, only held Arianwyn’s hand tighter and nodded before continuing to Helaena’s rooms, faster than he had before. On her little legs, she had to jog to keep up with him.

He had a sinking feeling that he knew what Otto had meant. He didn’t want to believe it to be true.

But then he saw his mother. She sat next on the couch, reaching out to comfort her daughter – she had never gotten used to Helaena’s dislike of being touched. His hurried steps drew her attention, and the moment she looked at him, he knew it to be true.

The everlasting exhaustion in her eyes was sharpened by fear. Fear of what would happen to her, her children, and her grandchildren. That fear now encompassed Arianwyn too.

Her gaze softened at the sight of him, and she whispered an apology. For as soon as he saw her face, he knew that Runestone would have to wait. Arianwyn would have to wait. Their family, their entire life together, would have to wait.

King Viserys was dead. Whether it be to install Aegon on the Iron Throne or defend her from Rhaenyra, Alicent would need Aemond’s sword.

-

Even as Aemond looked down at her, Arianwyn knew he was not truly seeing her. Darkness danced in his eye and the shadows of his face. It was almost as though she could see his anxious thoughts swirling around him.

“Aemond?” she asked again. But he still did not respond. Her only indication that he had heard her was a subtle twitch of the left corner of his lips and the nearly imperceptible reddening of his scar.

Something was very, very wrong.

She turned to Alicent, desperate for an explanation. “What has happened? What is wrong?”

The Queen stood and came to stand by their side, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. Tears shone in her eyes as she spoke. “The King is dead. The Stranger came for him in the night.”

“No,” Arianwyn whispered. Her knees buckled, but Aemond instinctively wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her steady and standing. She was not sure whether that had been his purpose, or whether he needed to hold her as much as she needed to be held.

“I saw him last night,” she murmured, laying her head against Aemond’s chest. “I talked to him.”

“I know, darling,” Alicent said, lacing her fingers with Aemond’s with one hand while she petted Arianwyn’s hair with the other. “You brought him comfort in his final hours.”

But she had not. She had said many things, but none of them were comforting.

Still, she did not cry. She had already shed enough tears for that man. So instead, she simply pressed further into her husband’s chest, wrapping her arms around his waist to try and return to the comfort she had felt when she woke in his arms.

The Queen looked up at her son as he lowered his chin to rest on Arianwyn’s head. His eye was still distant, and no matter how hard she squeezed his hand, he would not look at her.

“I spoke to him as well,” she said, giving up and releasing his hand. “He changed his mind, Aemond. He wanted Aegon to be King.”

At last, Aemond flicked his good eye, wide with apprehension, to his mother. “He did?”

It took great strength to push back, again, against the doubt that Viserys would trust his eldest son with the throne. “He did,” Alicent insisted. “He told me so, in no uncertain terms.”

Arianwyn could feel his jaw clenching as he pressed his chin further into her hair and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders. Whether he was pleased with the King’s change of heart, she could not tell.

“Where is Aegon?” he asked.

Alicent grimaced. “I do not know. Ser Criston is searching for him now. We are to wait for him here.”

“I can have my men search, as well, my Queen,” Ser Warren Crayne said as he stepped cautiously into the room.

Arianwyn had almost forgotten he was there, that he had followed them from their apartments. She had made a promise last night to never take her guards for granted again, and she meant to keep it. It had been her plan to ask him to sit with her in her carriage on the way to the Dragonpit, to ask him for help in finding a way to show her appreciation for the whole regiment.

She would not be going to the Dragonpit today. She did not know when she would get the chance to thank her guards.

“That is a kind offer, Ser Warren,” the Queen said, moving toward the old knight. “How many of your men are familiar with the Keep?”

Their conversation faded as Arianwyn looked up at Aemond. “Are you alright?”

The haze in his eye finally faded as he looked back down at her, though his face remained stoic. “I don’t know.”

“Is there anything I can say? Anything I can do?”

He shook his head, pushing his forehead against hers. “I wanted to go to Runestone with you.”

Her chest tightened, and she had to blink back tears. “We will go. We will fly there on dragonback and make it our home. I do not know when, but I promise we will.”

She had made so many promises lately. She was starting to wonder if she would be able to keep them all.

-

They stayed in the solar for more than an hour as they waited for the guards to return with Aegon.

Alicent paced throughout the room, picking at her nailbeds or fingering her necklace. Every so often, she would stand by the door, hoping her presence there would somehow summon Aegon.

Aemond had quickly claimed one of the chairs by the empty hearth, staring silently forward and stretching his fingers as his mind raced. Arianwyn sat, at first, on the arm of the chair, playing with his hair and stroking his cheek to try and ease his mind.

Eventually, her position began to make her rear sore, as though she’d been astride a horse for hours. So, she lowered herself to the rug beside the chair, resting her head on Aemond’s crossed legs while he played with her hair. He always needed something to occupy his fingers when he was anxious. Arianwyn was more than happy to be that something.

Helaena did not stay long. After only a few minutes of waiting, she excused herself to go sit with her children, muttering about a “beast beneath the boards” as she left.

The room had fallen into a tense, uncomfortable silence by the time Ser Criston and Ser Warren finally returned.

“Prince Aegon’s not to be found within the castle walls, Your Grace,” Criston said, ensuring the door was shut firmly behind him. “Your father has sent Ser Erryk into the city to find him.”

But Alicent only sighed and dropped her head, looking decidedly downcast.

“Surely, that is a good thing,” Arianwyn said as she stood from the floor. “Ser Erryk is Aegon’s sword shield. He knows him well, and will be able to find him quickly.”

Aemond frowned, letting his hand fall back to the arm of the chair as they both looked at the knights.

“Yes, but he will bring Aegon to my father,” Alicent countered. “We must avoid that at all costs. But Ser Erryk has the advantage.”

Arianwyn was about to ask why when Aemond tugged on her hand in a silent signal to remain quiet. He did not explain further; he was presently trying to avoid Ser Criston’s gaze and the suggestion he knew the Kingsguard would propose. He did not want to leave Arianwyn, not when everything was so unsure. She must be kept safe.

But so must the new King.

The Queen approached the knights at the door. “I trust again to you, Ser Criston, and to your loyalty. Aegon must be found, and he must be brought to me. The very fate of the Seven Kingdoms depends on it…” Her voice faded as she leaned closer to Cole.

But Arianwyn would not have listened to her, anyways. Aemond pulled on her hand, drawing her attention back to him. He looked up at her, his face again wreathed in shadow as he confronted the conflict inside him.

To protect her, or Aegon?

When he took her as his wife, he had sworn before the gods, both old and new, to protect her.

For more than six years, he had honed himself into a deadly weapon for the sole purpose of keeping her safe. So that when the time was right, he could rid her, and the entire world, of the monster that was Daemon Targaryen.

But his duty to Aegon went back to his birth. From his very first breath, he was a second son. The younger Prince. It was his fate to fight for his elder brother.

That was what was written in the history books.

The younger brother went to war to die in the elder’s place.

The younger brother died to defend the elder’s crown.

The young brother always stood behind, putting aside his own desires, ambitions, and happiness to ensure the elder would be remembered in the history books.

Arianwyn was his soulmate. Aegon was his brother – now his King.

Duty had always been everything for Aemond. It had guided every moment of his life. Every action he took. Now that it was pulling him in two directions, how could he ever choose?

But then Ser Warren Crayne spoke, his deep voice carrying across the room. “I am not as familiar with the city as Ser Criston, but it is my duty to protect Princess Arianwyn and all those she loves. So, I will do all I can to return your son to you, my Queen. The remainder of my men from Runestone will stay here, to protect the three of you.”

Aemond’s heart lightened at the old man’s words.

Yes, it was his duty to protect his wife. But happily, he shared that duty with the twelve finest knights of the Vale. Knights who had protected Arianwyn all her life, even when he was half an ocean away.

It was thanks to them that he did not have to choose.

“You will stay here, Ser Warren,” Aemond commanded, squeezing Arianwyn’s hand once more. “With my mother and Arianwyn. I will go with Ser Criston.”

Arianwyn’s brow furrowed with concern. Knowing Aegon, she was all too aware of what part of the city – which street in particular – they would be required to go to search for him. She did not want Aemond to have to return there. Not due to jealousy or mistrust, but because she knew how much his last visit to the pillow houses had wounded him.

But before she could protest, he stood from his chair and embraced her. When he pulled back, he cupped her face in his large hand and kissed her. Gently. Slowly. Saying everything he needed to without making a sound.

Trust me.

I will be fine.

I will return.

It will all be alright.

When he finally pulled away, he looked down at her again with a question in his eye. He would not do this without her approval.

Arianwyn nodded, running her hand from his shoulder to his heart. She listened to it beat once, twice, imagining the Runes she had once traced there shining through his skin.

“Go,” she whispered.

“No,” the Queen called, hurrying across the room to grab his arms. “That would not be my desire, Aemond.”

He held her back, and spoke with quiet confidence. “Cole needs me, mother. I know the city better than Ser Warren. And Ser Erryk isn’t the only one who knows Aegon’s doings.”

Alicent looked to Ser Criston, then to Arianwyn, hoping one of them would support her. But they both remained silent. They knew he could do this – knew he had to do this.

He was the second son. It was his duty.

With one last glance and a hint of a smile to his wife, Aemond left the room with Criston Cole by his side. They walked out of the castle and into the city with a singular mission: to find the new King.

Next Chapter

[yellow-faerie]

Prompt List 5

I have made another prompt list! As always, feel free to reblog for your own use, and please send in prompts for any of the fandoms I write for!

"Don't try it. Don't you dare."

"Does this shirt look OK?"

"No-one here compares to you."

"If you were performing on the roadside, I would take money away from you."

"If you keep looking at me like that, I might have to kiss you."

"Was that a threat? Were you threatening me?"

"No! It's my wedding day, you're not allowed to die on my wedding day!"

"Isn't it funny? [He/She/They] actually made me feel loved."

"Well, it seems like you misunderstood."

"Did you know? Did you?"

"Take it, I don't need it anymore."

"This world sometimes feels like it's slowly dragging me down, but when I'm with you..."

"You let me cry. I don't think I've ever had that before."

"You're ridiculous; you know that, right?"

"Let's go get ice cream and take a walk through the park - pretend we're a proper sappy couple, like the ones you see in movies."

"You are my home and my heart and there is no-one else I would rather have at my side."

"That is not safe, please tell me you didn't do that."

"First of all, we're not dead, so jot that down."

"I'm pathetically in love with my best friend and I don't know what to do about it."

"That is...a really big spider. Hey, [name], come and deal with this spider!"

"Sometimes I wonder if maybe everyone would be happier if I'd never been born."

"Oh please be alive, please be alive, please - oh thank fuck."

"Oh no. I'm fucked."

"Regretting coming to work yet?"

"Look - and I mean this in the nicest way - but you look like shit. Get back into bed and I'll bring you something warm to drink."

"If that film is still on the TV, I'm going to kill you."

"Come here. Let me do your hair."

"[He/She/They] are literally the most perfect person on this planet. So no, I will not be asking them out."

"You have no idea how much I want to deck you right now."

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, stop worrying so - ow, ow, ow! OK, yeah, maybe I need a little help."

"Stop right there!"

"How do you feel about discussing the divorce over a nice, candlelit dinner?"

"Come on, there's a family barbecue, we can't be late!"

"You know something? There's nothing that beats the feeling of waking up next to you each morning."

"You're the best [brother/sister/sibling] I could have ever asked for."

"Remember when our parents used to do that?"

"I want you to walk me down the aisle. Not anybody else."

"You don't get to tell me what to do. Not anymore."

"Kiss me. Kiss me until I forget my name."

"How many times have I died already?"

"Time travel? Really?"

"Take one look at me and decide for yourself whether I believe you."

"I woke up this morning and forgot you were dead."

"[My parents] are arguing again. Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Autumn's nearly over. You ready?"

"Come on, you need to pack. Quietly. We're running away."

"I missed you. Why did you leave?"

"Of course I didn't forget you. How could I ever forget you?"

"Love me. Please, please, love me."

[theheirofthesharingan]

Hi! Sorry if I disturb you, please feel totally free to ignore. I just found your blog and I love it. I am a fan of Sasuke and Itachi and since your blog seems so devoted to them, I just thought you were maybe the right person to ask. Do you think Itachi has some special intuition for things related to Sasuke? Like, he was able to correctly guess he would be a boy before he was born. And also that he was not dead after confronting Deidara. And we never knew how. Thank you so much and take care!

Hello! You did not disturb me at all. If anything, your message brought a smile to my face. I've been in a really low place mentally and emotionally for a while, and haven't had the energy to do much. So thank you so much for these lovely words. I'm glad you love your time here because the purpose of my blog was to create a space where I could talk about both Sasuke and Itachi without their haters invading the place. Internet is so much filled with people who tear down one to praise the other. Itachi fans hate on Sasuke and Sasuke fans hate on Itachi. It's just exhausting to be in the fandom when I love both. Thankfully I found many people here who feel the same about them.

You're right - Itachi did have a sixth sense when it was about his brother. When they met after the massacre at the inn, Itachi couldn't have known Sasuke was going to be there. Yet without looking at him, he could tell Sasuke had actually shown up.

Him being able to 'predict' his sibling was going to be a brother, although only an anime filler, is a beautiful and sweet addition.

I loved that part so much. He was always intuitive even in general, so it makes sense he'd had some gut-feeling about his brother. And it also tells how much he deeply loved and cared about him, but then life happened to him and his brother. And he became Sasuke's worst nightmare.

Him and Sasuke share some sort of spiritual connection that goes beyond life and death and transcends everything materialistic world. Itachi isn't the sensor type ninja and he couldn’t sense other's chakra, but he could Sasuke's.

The Narutopedia page doesn't give us any reason for one to be a sensory ninja, except that some ninja are better at sensing than the others. Itachi doesn't show any such development even when he returns in the fourth world war. He loved Sasuke too much which clearly affected him in more ways than he probably knew. Him sensing Sasuke was alive after his fight with Deidara is another example of that.

If you have Itachi and Sasuke in a crowded place and Sasuke gets lost, Itachi will work as a GPS system to locate his brother's location. :p

[midnightlee25]

Me, a starving beggar of what looks to be a dead fandom: yandere Spawn? Please can you spare some more yandere Spawn? Please, anything at all, yandere spawn-

*cries

Yandere Profile: Spawn (Al Simmons)

Meeting:

The first meeting was definitely an interesting one in that his darling was either sent to kill him, was a homeless person that lived in the allies that he stayed in, was a random person that caught his eye or even just someone from his past. No matter the reason the moment he has his heart set on them he won't stop until he has them.

Stalking/After Meeting:

He will stalk them heavily once they catch his eye. He tells himself that it's to protect them which is half of the truth. The other half is that he studies them. This is where his obsessive side will start to grow for everything they do he can't help but watch and want to know more about them.

Kidnapping:

He has two main reasons why he won't kidnap them. 1. He really doesn't have a place to keep them and 2. He knows that if he does he will only scare them or they will hate them. Both things he doesn't want to happen.

Punishments:

The most he will do is yell which he will regret almost immediately. He won't ever physically hurt his darling again because he doesn't want them to fear or hate him.

Relationship:

He would like for the relationship to be “normal” as much as one can be given that he is a yandere and the situation he is in. 

Random headcanons:

Surprisingly for the most part he is a fairly soft yandere to have that is also one of the deadites ones to have.

He would kill anyone his darling told him to.

That being said he won't just blindly do what his darling wants.

He may be a yandere but he still has his reasoning.

He often looms/stays around where his darling stays. Going as far as to stay in their attic in their home for example.

AU:

Childhood friends:

They were his first love before he met wanda. The one person he never wanted to be apart from yet for one person or another life separated them for a time only to cruelly return them to him when he is now this…..monster. Al wont let that stop him however. He lost them once and doesn't plan on losing them again.

Future:

He knows that a “normal” future isn't really possible but that doesn't mean their shared future can't be peaceful at times. That's all he really wants is to be at peace with his darling.