#rhiannon has an actual job

[nyebevans]

so 20 mins before i finish work for the weekend, my boss comes in and, as if i would be thrilled by the news, explains that the reason he made me comb through the budget spreadsheet for 3 hours the week before christmas was so he could give my coworker (on the same level as me but part-time) a pay rise.

[x-digitaldollhouse-x]

Now entering Morgyn's Spellcasting Tournament by @adelarsims: Rhiannon Grim-Jeong!

A little backstory: Rhiannon comes from Gen 8 of my legacy family, specifically a branch of the family tree consisting entirely of immortals. Her grandfather is Thanatos Grim (aka The Grim Reaper) and her grandmother, Iris, is a powerful spellcaster who became immortal to spend eternity with her love. Her father is Hypnos Grim-Jeong, one of three children of Thanatos and Iris, who cares more about partying and hookups than mastering spellcasting. She's the product of a one-night stand between Hypnos and a random girl at the club who died in a freak accident not long after she was born.

Rhiannon, like her father, never really gave much thought to practicing her spellcasting skills. Lately, however, her grandmother has reeeeallly been pushing her to start caring more about magic. Iris arranged for Rhiannon to study under her good friend, Morgyn, but even with the family connection, Rhiannon still didn't take her studies very seriously... until she found out about all the spells she could use to pursue her aspirations. See, facing the potential boredom of living forever, she decided that she wanted a job that would never have a dull moment: crime! Rhiannon wants to be a master thief, and now that she knows about all the spells that can help her achieve that, she suddenly cares a bit more about spellcasting.

Will Rhiannon make it far in the tournament? Is she actually any good at spellcasting? Will she try and steal from her competitors? Who knows! Well, the answer to the third one is probably "yes". But the rest remains to be seen!

((Download available via DMs))

[shipmistress9]

For whatever it’s worth

Fandom: The Empyrean (Rebecca Yarros)

Rating: Explicit

Pairing: Xaden/Liam

Summary: The morning after the night Liam spent with Xaden and letting him Dominate him.

Now, Xaden finally has his mind clear enough to examine his feelings. And he's done holding them back.

_____

AN: This follows directly after Making Up For Missed Opportunities .

Originally, I didn't plan to write this scene out. It was always just something that happened off-screen, an obvious development. But I see now how stupid that was, they deserve their moment. 🥰

But I also realised I had to write this scene, as I clearly did a poor job at portraying and explaining Xaden’s feelings 😅

Read more below or on AO3

“Okay, wow!” Liam gapes as he opens the door to my private bathing chamber. “This would actually be worth becoming wingleader for.” 

He takes in the room with the sink, the separate toilet, the tub, and, most prominently, the large shower. It isn’t anything special, rather simple, all in all. But I know the fact that I have a private bathing chamber is a luxury around here.

“Just… wow! Too bad Rhiannon is already heading for the leadership position, or I might give it a try. But to be honest, she’s far better suited than I am anyway.”  

I snort. From what Violet told me, Liam’s probably right there.

With a gleam in his eyes, he turns toward me. “Would it be okay if I took a shower here? So I don’t have to sneak down to the first-years’ bathing rooms?”

Chuckling, I make an inviting gesture. “Sure. It’s all yours.” 

He throws me a smirk that seems to say ‘Hopefully not,’ then peels off yesterday’s clothes. And even after how intense last night was, I can’t help my body reacting to the sight of him naked. His firm ass, the muscles covered by smooth golden skin, but most of all how unguarded he enjoys the hot water running down his skin have my cock filling out in an instant.

Halfway to distract myself, I pick up Liam’s clothes. Like most things around here, they’re the standard we all get issued, so I throw them into my laundry and pick fresh ones from my stash for him. It’s a good thing we’re the same size. 

As I reenter my bathing chamber, I find Liam still beneath the hot spray of the shower—and I pause. I don’t know why it took something as ordinary as this, but in this moment, it hits me. That Liam is truly back in my life—and not just as a fellow rider, a friend, someone as close to me as a brother but… more. And in opposition to last night, where I had to maintain the role he’d asked me to play and couldn’t risk slipping out of it, I now have my head clear enough to truly examine what that means, to realise and accept why I’m so happy, to put into words what it is I feel for him.

It’s ridiculously easy. 

With an inner calm I haven’t felt in a long time, I place the clean set of clothes onto the shelf by the sink then take off my own. “Mind if I join you?” I ask, more so I don’t startle Liam as I step into the spray of hot water behind him. 

Liam huffs a laugh. “Almost feared you wouldn’t.” 

He turns toward me, and that spark of… of something in his eyes makes my chest grow tight. Without hesitation, without thinking about it, I get closer to him, ignoring the water running down my face. My hand curls around his jaw, sliding to the back of his neck, and I kiss him. 

If he’s surprised he catches himself quickly, his one hand mirroring mine as the other arm curls around my waist, his hand splaying at the small of my back. He hums against my mouth, his lips curling into a smile before he angles for a deeper kiss, his tongue gliding along my lower lip. Groaning, I give in, give him access and let him pull me against him, momentarily too stunned to do much else. Too many emotions whirl around in my head, my heart, as he licks into my mouth, his tongue stroking against mine in a long-forgotten dance. Stoking a fire deep inside me that is near impossible to resist.

But even though there’s nothing I want more than to give in to this fire, there’s something I need to do first. Something I need to say.

“Liam,” I gasp, tearing my mouth from his. “There… there’s something I…”

“Yes?” he asks, waiting, breathing hard. 

I press my eyes shut, my forehead resting against his as I search for my words. “I… I’m sorry.” 

Those were the wrong words. I know it even before Liam’s shoulders slump, and I know he’d retreat if there wasn’t a tiled wall at his back. But I shake my head, hoping to convey what it is I meant. 

“I’m sorry for… for pushing you away all those years ago when I should have talked to you instead. I was a fool, I know that now. And I’m so relieved, so grateful that you agreed to give this a try, to give  us a try. Because…” I pull back to search his eye, need to see them, to look at him. “Because I love you, Liam.”

Something flickers in his eyes, but with the spray of hot water blurring everything, I can’t be sure whether it’s joy or hesitation. 

One second passes in silence, then a second and a third.

Liam swallows. “You do?” He sounds hesitant, maybe disbelieving even. But also… hopeful?

I take a deep breath. No backing out now. “I do. I… wasn’t in a good place back then, in my head, wasn’t able to examine my feelings with the grief and anger still overruling nearly everything else. And I’ve been too scared and frightened to admit it to myself since then, it seemed pointless anyway. But I’ve been in love with you since the first night we spent in that tiny room at Duke Lindell’s castle and you smiled at me despite what my family cost yours. And I—”

I don’t get the chance to say more. Liam’s hand curls around the back of my neck, and before I can comprehend what’s happening, he pulled my mouth back against his. 

This time, I don’t fight against the fire. I said what I needed to tell him, to confess, and this alone fills me with a sense of euphoria that makes me feel lighter, dizzy, makes me yield into his touch in a way I rarely did before. Our bodies align, pressed together all the way down to our feet, and yet it feels like it is not enough. My hands glide from his shoulders down his arms, to his waist, up his back. Mapping every part of him as he does the same with me. My lips and tongue trace a line down his jaw, and I deeply inhale his warm woodsy scent, tasting it on his skin. Every touch of his wet skin against my own leaves a prickling trail, a sensation I quickly get addicted to. I want more, need more.

“Liam…” I grind against his body, needing to feel him everywhere, and can’t suppress a groan. Where my cock was already filling out earlier, it’s completely hard now, pressed against Liam’s in the wet heat between our bodies. And it feels exquisite. 

Before I can further chase the sensation though, Liam grabs my shoulders and spins us around. From one moment to the other, I’m the one with hard tiles at my back while Liam’s the one grinding into me, taking the lead, and honestly? I can’t help but grin. 

Despite last night and how much he assured me he enjoyed me dominating him, I’m glad to see this confident playful streak is still in him. 

Honestly, he fits in perfectly with Violet and me.

Liam

I love you, Liam.

Xaden’s word keep echoing through my mind as we make out beneath his shower. Words I’d long given up hope of ever hearing.

I love you, Liam.

Over and over, like waves crashing against a cliff, they wash through me, hollowing out my defenses. 

I love you, Liam.

Amari help me, I so badly want these words to be true. And for now, I’ll act as if they are.

Xaden groans as I grind against him, the friction and the sound of him equally sweet. Almost unbearably so. Gods, I want more. I want it all.

Xaden

“Fuck… Liam!” I let my hand glide to his broad shoulders, can’t get enough of feeling his skin, his muscles moving beneath. 

It’s like the years melt away, as if they never happened. Like we’re still these young boys, grieving yet innocent in a way. Like were not fighting for our lives every day, like it’s just him and me. Except that our reality is so much more than that, which makes this even sweeter.

After what felt like hours and mere moments alike, Liam snakes his hand between us, and I can’t suppress a grunt as he manages to wrap it around both our cocks, enough to press them together. Fuck, does this feel good. 

With my forehead resting against his, I can do little more than stare down at where he holds us both, so different in shade yet similar in so many other ways. I can’t look away as he moves his hips, slowly, sliding his cock along my own, his head dragging along my frenulum. 

“Fuuuuuuck,” I moan, clinging to Liam’s arms. My knees tremble, my mind wiped clear of any thoughts at this new and powerful sensation. It feels unlike anything else, powerful yet so intimate. Light and intense at the same time.

“Fuck, indeed,” Liam groans as I watch precome bead at his tip, captivated. “Gods, I fantasised of doing this but never dared hoping…” His words trail off into a low moan as he keeps moving, his gaze caught just like mine.

“Liam…” His name is but a plea on my my tongue, imploring to… I don’t even know to do what. To pause so I can get a grip on these intense sensations? To go faster? Rougher? To slow down and draw it out? Fuck if I know. I feel my orgasm building, feel the moment coming where I could hold it back, stay in control. But in this moment, I don’t want to. 

My grip on his shoulders tightens and a low growl is rumbling in my chest as I watch more pre leak from both our tips, feel him twitch against my cock. Fuck, I’m so close.

Liam

It’s amazing, the things you remember. Like the intimate little tells that let you know your partner is close, even though it’s been years. Or, at least years since the last time you were focused enough to notice them.

Last night and during the one with Violet, I wasn’t, but now I am. I see—feel—Xaden’s body go tight as a bow string, hear that deep sound he always makes right before he comes. And it is too much for me to hold back, too. 

With a low curse, I come, and barely a second before Xaden does, as well. My mind is entirely blank as come shoots up to land on our chests, impossible to determine which is who’s, as it covers my hand, our cocks, as we both twitch, Xaden’s groan. Fucking perfect.

We stay like that, entangled and leaning against one another, both chuckling from the sheer intensity of the moment. Then Xaden hisses, far more sensitive to overstimulation than I am, and I loosen my hand. But even then, we stay close, closer even than before, ignoring the mess on our skin. Just basking in this rediscovered closeness. 

“Fuck, I missed this,” Xaden murmurs, his lips gliding against my skin, and I can only hum in agreement, too blissed out for coherent words.

Until his words from before echo through my mind once more. 

I love you, Liam.

Sucking in a breath, I step back. My eyes dart to the small window, to the rising sun outside. “Shit, I have to to hurry. I mustn’t be late for library duty, especially with Violet being ‘ill’ today.” 

It’s not only an excuse, but if it weren’t for this weird feeling spreading through my chest, I probably would draw this moment out a while longer. We clean and dry ourselves up quickly, then I put on the clothes Xaden hands me. They feel strange on my skin, even though I know, logically, they’re the same as the ones in my own armoire.

I’m just about to leave as Xaden holds me back. “Hey, Liam?”

Feeling tense, I turn to look at him.

“If you need time to think about, well, tonight and just… everything, then that’s okay. Take as long as you need.” He smiles, but I know I’m doing a bad job hiding the turmoil inside me. “Just know that me as well as Violet are here for you, to talk, to answer questions, whatever you need. And… I meant every word I said.”

I love you, Liam.

I don’t think he was lying. But I also know that what’s between him and Violet goes beyond any normal bond. It can't be the same. I want to fit in with them, and I believe them when they say they want me with them as well. But how can I even compete with what they have? 

“I know,” I reply, covering my turbulent emotions as best I can. I squeeze his hand on my arm, smile, and add, “And I love you, too, Xaden. Always have.”

For whatever it’s worth.

________

AN: I don't quite know what happened here...

I only meant to show that Xaden very much knows and accepts his feelings for Liam. And then Liam went all doubtful again, the poor boy. 😣

But then, this also has to tie into Easing Tension And Worries which takes place after this one.

Writing out of order is hard. 😅

[vampy-bats]

we know Rhiannon marries Dante and doesn't like Vergil but what does she think of everyone else

in no particular order:

Lady - They get along pretty well, actually. They team up to play pranks on Dante. They never work together, just because of the incompatibility of their fighting styles. Rhiannon would simply get shot in the crossfire, and Lady would never get a clear target.

Trish - Mostly the same as with Lady, but they also bond over being demons. Rhi’s bloodbending is a similar power as Trish’s lightning, so they often discuss techniques. These two do sometimes work together when the need arises.

Lucia - They met a few times, but aren’t very close. Rhi thinks highly of Lucia. Probably that francophone superiority complex.

Patty - Huge sisterly relationship here. Rhi dotes on Patty like the baby sister she never had.

Nico - She did make Rhiannon’s brass leg, so she’ll never say a bad word. She justs wishes that she’d quit smoking so much.

Kyrie - Met only a few times. She acknowledges that Kyrie is a good match for Nero.

Nero - Met him after DMC4. Loves him to pieces (familial). Calls him sappy petnames just to make him embarrassed.

Morrison - Dante trusts him, so Rhiannon does too. Although she often sides with Morrison when it comes to Dante’s stubbornness. Morrison occasionally brings jobs directly to Rhiannon, but only because they require more stealth than Dante is capable of.

Honorable Mentions~

Sparda - Rhi heard legends growing up, and always wanted to be a warrior like him. She found out through Dante that Sparda was nothing like the legends portrayed him as. Long story short, she’s very disappointed.

Eva - Rhi really wishes she could have met Eva. Dante always spoke highly of his mother, so Rhi has the idea that she was an angel.

V - Doesn’t actually know he ever existed. Granted, he is the sad emo half of Vergil, so maybe it’s for the better.

Credo - Never met him. Has no opinion, but honors his memory alongside the family.

Agnus - Heard he was a prick, but doesn’t really care. From the stories, she’s grateful he’s dead.

i think that covers just about everyone! i would list off more anime characters, but it’s been so long since i watched it that i can’t remember them T^T

[fireflyhq]

Rhiannon

"𝐑𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭"

About Rhiannon..

Born on August 20th 1980 to Francis Hemmingway and Dolores Hemmingway.

Named after the song Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac.

Lived in Amesbury outside of Boston

She/Her pronouns.

Mexican-American. Speaks very little Spanish.

Has a teaching degree for ELA, began teaching at the elementary school in Amesbury.

Was very close with her 10 year old sister, Vienna.

She was in her classroom the day of the outbreak. She took her sister from the neighboring class and ran back to her home, barricading the doors and windows and taking shelter within.

Once FEDRA had come through and taken who they could, Rhiannon and her sister settled into life after the apocalypse. They both had accepted they were probably the last people alive that hadn't been infected or taken by FEDRA. Rhiannon turned her home into a bunker, scrounging together as much food as she possibly could from the neighboring houses to help feed her sister and herself.

During the winter of 2003, Vienna came down with a bad case of pneumonia, and died a few weeks later. Rhiannon holds onto the white bunny her sister used to love, affectionately named Mr. Hops.

Rhiannon ran into Joel and his crew whenever they had raided Amesbury on the way to Boston. They had a scuffle, and Joel was close to killing her before she convinced them that she could help them by leading them to Boston.

She packed up the little she had in her home and left with the others.

While Joel kept his distance, Tommy and Tess took to Rhiannon quickly. The three were close, and Rhiannon even moved in with them at the QZ.

Joel and Rhiannon always had something between them, however Joel would always seem uninterested and had a metaphorical barrier between the two.

After Tommy left, it was just Tess, Rhiannon and Joel. Rhiannon got a job at the Fedra school, which is where she resides when the story starts out.

She is close with Ellie in the beginning, as Ellie is one of her students.

Fun facts..

She is actually a big fan of Fleetwood Mac and her namesake song.

Keeps a book in her backpack, specifically Frankenstein.

Her favorite treat is honey, just straight honey.

Made Joel read classic books. His favorite was Watership Down.

Her favorite color is lavender.

Before the outbreak, she was a great cook and would make lunches for the kids who didn't have the money for school lunch.

Mr. Hops stays with her 24/7 as a reminder of what keeps her going.

She feels heavily responsible for her sister's death and every year during Dia De Los Muertos she makes a little ofrenda for Vienna, Sarah and Tess' son. (Joel doesn't stop her, but he never looks at it.)

A/N: Here's a little look into Rhiannon :)! Joel's love interest and one of the protagonist in Will You Ever Win? I wanted to let you guys get some background on her, however I did leave out a lot of her relationship with Joel as I want to flesh that out fully within the story. :)! Let me know what you think about her, and I'll be sure to post Red's character description soon!

[icesiscouture]

I was tagged by @purplejan. 💜

✨ 16 questions for 16 mutuals ✨

1. Are you named after anyone?

I wasn’t named after a person, but I was named after the song “Rhiannon” by Fleetwood Mac.

2. When was the last time you cried?

I’m not much of a crier, but I did just cry over a true crime YouTube video I was watching.

3. Do you have kids?

Absolutely not. I’ve known since I was a child myself that I have no desire to ever be a parent.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Yes, I definitely do. My sense of humor is very dry and sarcastic.

5. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

I don’t think there’s one specific thing that I immediately notice about everyone. It depends on the person and what about them stands out to me.

6. What’s your eye color?

Green!

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

I’m not a big fan of movies, but if I am going to watch one, I usually go for a horror or thriller or something along those lines. My favorite movie is The Proposal, though, so take that as you will.

8. Any special talents?

No. 😌

9. Where were you born?

Missouri, USA

10. What are your hobbies?

I like reading, watching TV, listening to podcasts, baking, watching drag content, etc. I’m pretty boring.

11. Do you have any pets?

I have two dogs named Finn and Coco.

12. What sports do you play or have you played?

I haven’t played sports in a long time, but when I was younger, I did gymnastics, three types of dance (tap, jazz, and ballet), and basketball. I also played one season of T-ball and didn’t like it enough to continue on into softball. I tried volleyball for a hot second, but I wasn’t very good at it and never played on an actual team.

13. How tall are you?

5′4″

14. Favorite subject in school?

I loved any type of science other than physics. Chemistry was my favorite.

15. Dream job?

I used to have a “dream job,” but now I just want a job that pays me enough to live comfortably, has good benefits, isn’t too stressful, and doesn’t make me dread going to work every day. I just started a new job on January 9th, and so far it checks all of those boxes, so I’m satisfied. That being said, I have a master’s degree in criminology (and am not currently using it).

16. Sunset or sunrise?

Mornings are not for me, so I probably prefer a sunset.

I assume I’m supposed to tag 16 people, but I’m sure a lot of y’all have already done this, so I’ll tag a few and ask that you please don’t k*ll me if I’m the 700th person to tag you. @roxy206 @sapphicsupremacist @creatinglunasea @goodemethyd @t4yce @boscobetty

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Regency, Gothic, Romance, and Dragons

My two reactions to this book were, in no particular order:

*giggles, flips hair, kicks feet, swoons*

And

"HOW DARE YOU CALL ME OUT THAT ACCURATELY!?"

I thought Stephanie Burgis's Scales and Sensibility was a lovely, fluffy romance book with tiny adorable lap dragons, but the sequel was somehow all that and then some and was even better! So let's talk Claws and Contrivances.

*Some minor spoilers for Scales and Sensibility below the break*

This book follows up with the dear, delightful Rose Tregarth as she lives with the Parry family at Gogodd Abbey in Wales after the tragic death of her parents prior to the events of the last book.

Unlike Elinor, who is thrust into the role of "poor relation who is barely not a servant in the eyes of the family but is functionally servant," Rose is loved and valued by her Aunt and Uncle Perry and her rambunctious cousins. Possibly the only person who doesn't see Rose as valuable is herself.

Which is absolutely ridiculous, because our girl is on a mission to single-handedly save...basically everyone in her immediate vicinity. Including the illegally smuggled baby dragons in the neighbor's gothic manor that is actively decaying into ruins.

Rose has had a "justice for all" bent for her whole life, but it has sharpened since her parent's death because somewhere in the trauma of dead parents and being forcibly separated from her sisters, Rose has decided that she is not worthy of care and that the fact that she didn't see her father blowing literally every penny the family had on a ponzi scheme in time to stop him means that her imagination and dreams are a fatal flaw on par with fratricide. And thanks to that, Rose spends half the book planning to marry her love interest off to her younger sister and trying to talk him into thinking that he doesn't care about her.

Rose. Girl. Honey, sweetie, friend. LET THE MAN LOVE YOU. HIS ASS IS SMITTEN.

The smitten ass in question belongs to one Cornelius Aubrey. Those of you who read Scales and Sensibility will recognize our boy as Benedict's grouchy scholarly friend who might miss a house burning down around him if he was buried in a good book and who is ABSOLUTELY INSISTENT that dragons are not magic. I liked Mr. Aubrey in the first book. In this book, I would take a dragon attack for the man. Aubrey is quietly steadfast, makes logic and fact two of the sexiest things ever, and is absolutely not afraid to ask Rose who is going to care for her.

Literally, this man had me screaming.

As a recovering academic, Aubrey gave me EVERYTHING that is good and idealized about academia and "for the love of the research" about scholars, and then he could back that shit up with being genuinely sweet and adorkable but with surprising quiet strength. Do I sound like I'm in love? Because I might be in love.

Now, this wouldn't be regency fantasy without our dearest darlingest dragons, and where Elinor only had Sir Jessamyn to deal with, Rose had Rhiannon, Griff, and Llewelyn to look after. We don't spend a lot of time with Llewlyn, but Rhiannon and Griff have just as much--if not more--personality as Sir Jessamyn, and I love all our little scaly friends. They all get individualized magic powers, and I actually think I prefer that to a standardized set of dragon powers, which tends to be more the thing.

I super do not want to offer any more plot spoilers for this book because I want y'all to go out and read it. Stephanie Burgis has done a phenomenal job with this book, and it is criminal that these books aren't better known.

[eldrai]

I hate it here. AKA a lovely collection of transphobia:

[Image ID: a twitter thread replying to a tweet by Squeaky (@squeakyvitch): As someone who frequently interviews and appoints, I see pronouns as a massive red flag #pronouns

Deb: Is it because you think that person is going to be hard work and/or a bit of a trouble maker? Because that's what I'd think.

Squeaky: Yes and there's something about putting pronouns conspicuously on a resume that almost seems challenging]

[Image ID 1/2: A separate reply thread to the tweet.

@ cybertune21: Its not a red flag at all. It does not hurt you at all.

Nobody: It's not about whether it personally hurts the interviewer. It's about what it indicates about the applicant's attitude and ability to get along with others. And yes, HUGE red flag that will hurt your employment chances, no matter how much you whine on twitter that it shouldn't.

End ID]

Worth noting how many more likes the reply got than the one sane person in this thread.

[Image ID 2/2: A separate reply thread.

Ellie: I always try to remain neutral but how someone will fit into your corporate/office culture has to be a consideration when you are hiring. I think that's something a lot of people overlook.

TabbyTail: On the other hand, there are corporate cultures an applicant may not want to fit into, so flagging this at the application stage might be beneficial for both sides]

Yeah, transphobes are famously fucking known for being considerate.

[Image ID: Two separate reply threads.

The first username is obscured: It's not about their personal choice of self representation, you can tell when someone puts pronouns by their name, if it's being used as a badge and shield giving away special rights to behave a certain way, which can terrorise and be unfair to other workers. Creating hostility.]

[The second reply thread

Hackney Poundshop: They're going to be trouble. That's how I look at it.

Donna: Yup a bloody nightmare for any hr dept - unless the hr dept is captured of course. They did attempt to get us to put pronouns in our e mails at our work - there were blank stares all around and then it went all quiet.

Emmeline Wyndham: I have an appreciable say in company communication, and have made it clear that there will be no pronouns in email signatures on my watch.

End ID]

So first of all, I'll bet anything the special rights mentioned is just,, being annoyed at being misgendered. Terrorising colleagues... for fuck's sake . Poor TERFs. Same as the second person saying they'll be trouble.

Also that last person. How miserable do you have to be to spent time actually caring about email signatures? Like it's one thing if it's a matter of professionalism but bloody pronouns?

[Image ID: four separate replies.

LyraValdo84: I know someone who works as Head of HR for a large company and he feels exactly the same. I'm pretty sure he saves himself many hours of headaches by just filing those cv's into the bin.

Rhiannon: To me it's a signal of a truth denier. If they can't even acknowledge truths that's a massive 🚩 what other lies will they tell

Wanda Leng KPPS: I'm so glad to hear that. I wouldn't feeling safe working with a pronoun person these days. They're a huge 🚩 to me too.

Angela N Taylor: When I see applications listing pronouns I assume it's a warning of potential ofdice drama. They're pretty much an immediate rejection.

End ID]

"pronoun person" Jesus christ. You could just not be a TERF, Wanda. That would work.

I hate that these are the kind of people hiring. Having an influence on people's jobs. It makes me feel sick.

[ID: four separate replies.

IamGroot: Great way of reducing down potential interview candidates to a manageable number though I'd imagine.

Pronouns on the CV = straight to bin.

DS: My pronouns are fire/bomb/gun and all must be yelled to be properly inclusive.

ReWitched: It takes hours to reduce the pile of CVs to a manageable 8-10 to be interviewed in a single day, the max time managers can afford to take out of normal working. Anything to help reduce the pile is good, either pros (skills, experience, tone) or cons (difficult to work with?)

Hip Dipp: Gotta admit tho, it helps filter out the problem makers. It's a good thing we have a way to identify weirdos.

End ID]

Just the number of likes on all of these, and all of them themselves, make me sick. England is fucking awful to trans people and nobody is talking about it. Nobody seems to care

[mildiva]

CC REVIEW

prefacing this by saying i have little aside from praise for Beyoncé and Cowboy Carter as an album like… Beyoncé has done it again! what can i say? she knows how to make music. i literally cannot stop listening to about half of the album. YAYA to the end might be perfect actually? anyways

okay let's do the tracks one by one now.

American requiem - beautiful gets gospel and classical like part writing in there, the continuo happening is crazy 2 me

Blackbird - gorgeous, wish we got a little more from tanner adell and co. also what is that mysterious ticking noise??? asking the Beatles that question. why is a click track running

16 carriages- only weird thing: how are you STILL underpaid… aren’t you your own boss? still a beautiful epic ballad epic! dying to know what the two different crashes in the chorus are

Protector - kind of perfect. when she performs this live?? The stadium will flood. “I will be your projector!”

My rose- love triple time love three party harmony. she Trinity’d on this one, also acts as a little coda for the first arc of the album

Smoke hour - hi Willie! I think the radio concept is very effective

Texas Hold’Em -pour that liquor on me honey… my favorite of the two initial singles… also the whole “young and going anywhere and in love” thing yas. ALSO the banjo playing is such a treat. whatever the short time between the rumors she was doing a country album and the release of texas hold 'em i DID think "wow i hope she gets rhiannon giddens involved"

Bodyguard - like 6 months after Texas hold em.. so much more sing, bass is just sitting while beyonce flies over it all... also she's a genius for making "kevlar" three syllables. not much more i can say except i cannot stop singing it

Dolly P - “that cameo by Dolly Parton, and i DO mean cameo as in the app” - macy rodman

Jolene - personally i think the weakest song on the album.. many have said how weird it is that she turned such a lesbicious song into this defense of heterosexual marriage.. i think it works best if you imagine that Jolene has no interest in her man and Miss Carter is wildly jealous.

also weird bc in most of the love songs it sounds like she’s singing as a much younger woman in life and love so like.. is this autobiographical? bc, Lemonade does exist. Anyways

One last thing - very funny for this to be Jay-Z’s only credit on the album and he’s clapping. you have to laugh!

Daughter - she beat Jolene ! of course only deep love for the caro mio Ben interpolation and thrumming guitar throughout… and her deep contempt for her father is sooooooo lmao. I need to read interviews from Miss Tina

Spaghetti - i saw so much hate for this online and. sure it’s weird but Essential to the project of CC. also Beyoncé rapping in triple time is not smth I’m doing to diss. it's cunty country time

Alligator Tears- maybe i just love all her ballad-y love songs… the banjo (?) line on this is gorgina, the low harmonies, the altered idiom… like yes

Smoke Hour II - very funny and pointed, literally telling the listener what to think. preaching to the choir willie!

Just for Fun - mmm yes… bc I can’t read i thought this was Willie Nelson singing at first.. getting a little more gospel in here... i actually wish Willie Jones had a whole verse to himself!

II Most Wanted - incredible, wish Miley took the harmony on the second verse or smth… also so weird that she did this and Jolene. which is it??? R u gay or not. Well, does that really matter?

Levis Jeans - fun and cute. did not realize Mr. Post was named that. also interesting which white artists she chooses to work with… Post Malone is very much giving Florida Georgia Line/a “hip hop” artist who would feature on a country song. "Baby let me rattle that snake with my venom" is really good.

Flamenco - similar to My rose, closes this little arc very neatly. it’s doing its job!

The Linda Martell Show - once again doing the work. it’s 15 seconds

Ya ya -literally this launches the insatiable arc to the end. planting us in the 60s with the sexiest sample ever (bass line from boots were made for walking), the good vibrations interpolation, the rock vocals… it’s kind of everything. this more than anything makes me want a rock album from her

Oh Louisiana - genuinely no shade but how IS Beyoncé the sole artist on this? id kill to read the agreement between her and chuck berry's estate

Desert Eagle - I did not realize this song was only one minute long at first… she gives us so much. “Do si do and it gets creamy in the middle” is NASTY! and that wet slap bass thing? yes. just yes.

Riverdance - BOUNCE on that shit.. The slightly off kilter guitars and echoing sustained piano yasss..Steve reich is kinda quaking in xir boots

II hands II heaven - she put something in this i cried at a traffic light imagining a love like “put my feet on the dashboard, now go really fast boy” anyways the chugging in this slash galloping that’s in tyrant and sweet honey omg. like the gallop starts here

Tyrant - she’s still cooking the pot is still BOILING… that clap pattern could kill in a classroom. idk if like 3rd graders “should “be listening to it but OMG ...“5’9 thique and fine” she’s just like me... the harmonies not quite gelling with the beat at the end yes please!

Sweet honey buckin - that piano accordion vocal sample whatever is wheeeeezing... is this zydeco? she’s going home her man is dead!!! and the patsy cline interpolation yes yes yes. that doo wop sound is so sexy

Amen - Pitch cue cueing up the beginning of the album.. mwah. Very much a reprise of the first track, love to the plagal cadence as always.

overall, I love love love what she's doing. Beyoncé is so good at pretending to be herself it’s crazy like when is it her when is it “cowboy Carter” or the character… which is named after her... not to go for the easy analysis but the brechtian bits like the pitch cues and the interlude videos literally showing the titans of country as PUPPETS... like there is no illusion that this is not a performance.

which i think works so well for like. her thesis? what she's trying to say. like it is an exploration of the Blackness and Black music in country music but also she's not going old-time with it. so many of these songs sound like "radio country." and I think there's two parts to her point: the music that country was born from and country itself was pioneered by Black musicians (blues, zydeco, GOSPEL, "folk" and "old-time" music), but also that country music today has cribbed so much for hip hop. the country purists look foolish and more nakedly racist when Florida Georgia Line exists. maybe the purists are denouncing them too! but the radio stations are not.

now for the "critique"

my issue with CC is political, obvi. i feel comfortable critiquing Beyoncé on this bc 1) i think she’s wrong and 2) she’s playing with some of my favorite concepts (i love Genre) so i feel semi in my lane. where the album falls apart is when it comes to America. beyonce, bianca, ms. carter, you're right. there IS a whole lot of red in that white and blue that history can't erase! this house WAS built on blood and bones! Them big and old ideas ARE buried here! now i'm going to turn your question back to you: can YOU stand for something? idk, your vision of a new America, or a rehabbed America, feels very flat in the face of failing to extend a lick of solidarity to Palestinians begging you to pull your movie from being shown in Israel. You certainly don't need the money. like i want to believe you are trying to say something but what the hell is it? what is this American you envision? it doesn't seem like anything would change.

anyways loved the album! will be singing so many of these songs for years to come.

[devsmuses]

original muses!!!

rhiannon "kylie" mikaelson!! 26, devon lee carlson/troian bellisario fc, she/her, bisexual, recovering addict. kylie has never really known peace in her life. at a young age she was exposed to things that no person let alone a child should be exposed to. this muse is a huge study in how abandonment in childhood can have intense long lasting repercussions into your adulthood. hyper independent ex-party girl who pretends to hate men she actually really likes. she's doing her best to better herself and pay penance for all the shit she did in her teenage years when she was first out on her own but she's a human being and still craves some controlled fun from time to time. estranged from her brother felix mikaelson. no one is harder on kylie than she is on herself when sometimes leads to her delving into self destructive activities to blow off some steam. she truly just craves someone to love her, understand her, and be patient with her when it comes to the symptoms of mental illness she deals with. she wants people to truly believe that she's confident but she's very insecure and awaiting the day everyone she loves abandons her because it's all she knows. former whiz kid in school who lived for validation from her teachers. she'd go home and dream about what her life would be like if she belonged to one of her favorite teachers instead of the parents she'd ended up with. she's known to have a temper and say hurtful things she often wishes she could erase from people's memories. bisexual woman with a strong male lean due to her craving male validation.

ezra clarke!! 26, nicholas galitzine fc, he/him, homosexual, pathological people pleaser. upon first meeting with ezra clarke you'd assume he was a kind sunny person who become jaded due to life just yet. now if you got to know him a bit more personally and spent time studying his patterns and the way his mind works then you'd see you judged a book by it's cover when first meeting him. the man struggles with symptoms of depression and anxiety regularly and has been trying to combat these symptoms for as long as he can remember. he'd be completely lost in life if he hadn't had his mother to serve as a support system during his diagnosis and still in his adult life. the woman would send him links to breathing exercises, she'd send affirmations to help with things he told her he struggled with, and she even got him one of those colorful cases to store medication in. his bond with his mother is nothing like his bond with his father. he'd never known the man to be unkind when he was a child, he was simply withdrawn from the home due to how much he worked. it felt like it was his mom and himself against the world. that all changed during ezra's junior year of high-school when he finally decided to come out of the closet in hopes of coming to terms with his seuxality. he'd experimented with girls and he just knew they weren't for him. after that his father began to become curious about certain religions and used that as a means to belittle his son suddenly. his father taught him to feel shame about his sexuality and that lead him down a path of putting up with bullshit from future romantic partners. despite his better judgement he always gave straight men who wanted to experiment a chance because he was them once so he felt a certain type of empathy towards them. the problem is he's gotten comfortable in his routine of letting them keep him a secret and use him for fun for a few months until they inevitably ghost him and leave him heartbroken. this character explores themes of religious trauma, abandonment issues, and internalized homophobia.

rory hanna!! 21, sabrina carpenter/lola tung fc, she/her, bisexual, well-known child-star turned failed pop-star. all rory has ever known is the glitz and glam that comes with being hollywood's latest rising star but that's all being threatened to change. the older she gets the less jobs she'd been booking, and with being the primary breadwinner for her family there's a lot of pressure on her to do whatever it takes to stay in the spotlight. she questions frequently if she ever wanted any of this. had this ever been her dream?

jill barnes!! 21, ruby cruz fc, she/her, lesbian, yellowjackets oc, best friends with natalie scartorccio, former best friend of shauna shipman but ultimately they grew apart in middle school due to shauna growing closer with jackie. she takes her soccer very seriously. she's been playing the game her whole life due to her father basically raising herself and her sister as if they were his sons he'd always wanted. her older sister never liked the sport in the way jill had but ultimately did it to appease their dad.

bambi monroe!! 23, camila morrone fc, she/her, heterosexual, white trash girl who wishes she was one of those pretty southern belles you see in the movies. she's been dreaming of leaving her small town in alabama since her mom up and disappeared from her life. she's been working since she could get a job at the local diner which is merely a mile long walk from her humble abode.

sawyer lee!! 27, nick robinson fc, he/him, bisexual, drug dealer who still lives at home with his mama. tbd.

damon myers!! 24, jacob elordi fc, he/him, OF model who's the son of a local politician. tbd.

canon characters!!!

riverdale!! betty cooper, cheryl blossom, toni topaz.

yellowjackets!! natalie scatorccio, shauna shipman/sadecki, vanessa palmer.

[tragcdysewn]

was that emilia clarke? oh no no, that was just manon blackbeak, a canon character from throne of glass. they are one hundred and sixteen years old, use she/her, and are aware that they are not actually from washington dc. too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here:

a little under a year

what is your character’s job:

no. she doesn’t work, how dare you expect her to

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom:

the end of kingdom of ash

has any magic affected your character:

nope!

bonus info:

this is my beautiful lethal witch baby manon. i love her to death and so should you. she is the daughter of two warring witch species, the ironteeth and the crochans, and her parents believed she would be the key to uniting the witches and bringing them home to their native lands. her mother, lothian, the heir to the cruelest of the ironteeth clans, the blackbeaks, told manon’s grandmother who her father was right after her birth. her grandmother murdered her mother in cold blood and named manon the new heir, telling the clan lothian had died in childbirth. she later tracked down manons father, tristan, and killed him as well, but not before promising to turn the daughter he’d searched for into a brutal weapon. she succeeded, and manon became the leader of the ruthless coven the thirteen, gaining the title the white demon among the crochans, after she hunted down and slaughtered many of them, believing her grandmothers claims that she was born soulless.

after the ironteeth allied with a demonic king and took several witches to breed new demons, manon began to doubt her grandmothers ‘wisdom’ for the first time. she killed another witch to save the good kings life, and her grandmother demanded her second in commands life in return. during the execution, manon turned on her grandmother, who revealed her lineage during the duel, along with the fact that the most recent crochan she’d slaughtered was her half sister, rhiannon. the thirteen got away, but manon barely survived, her wyvern bringing her to the king she’d saved for help. after she healed, she found the crochans, and convinced them she meant no harm. she killed one of the ironteeth matrons, and took the crochans stolen crown from them. the crochans named her their new queen. she convinced many ironteeth to rebel, and led her witches into battle against the demon king, finally slaughtering her grandmother, though her thirteen were lost in a sacrifice to stop his ultimate weapon. now she has returned her people to their home, and united under one queen, just as her parents wished.

though she isn’t soulless, she is not soft. she will kill you with no hesitation, and has razor sharp iron teeth and nails to do it. and while this isn’t used in canon, as she is part crochan, she has access to crochan magic, a very different magic than the ironteeth, but she’s still learning.

[nyebevans]

my boss tried so hard to throw me under the bus today, and i'm just... really, really sad about it.

[mcrcki]

Was that [JOSEPHINE LANGFORD]? Oh no no, that was just [SELLA PALPATINE], a [CANON CHARACTER] from [STAR WARS]. They are [TWENTY THREE] years old, use [SHE/HER], and [ARE] aware that they are not actually from Washington DC. Too bad they can’t stray from this city for long.

how long has your character been here

she’s been here for the better part of a year and a half !!

what is your character’s job

she is the personal assistant to winter celchu ! she is also a full time student , enrolled the george washington university, but specifically corcoran school of art and design and getting a fine arts degree !! 

where has your character been pulled from in their fandom

she’s pulled right after her brother killed her and the rest of her family. she’s having a ✨terrible time✨

has any magic affected your character

beyond bringing her back to life, no not at all ! she had died back in april 2022 but she’s good, she’s cool now. she did get tortured back to remembering (shoutout to rhiannon, you’re a real one) but yeah, she’s fine now!

extra information

maig here with another hardheaded brat of a muse !! this time in the form of sella palpatine , sheev’s youngest sister. listen i’m so excited for her chaos you have no idea kldfjgkldf a blanket apology for her now thank u enjoy ( 2022 me coming in to say i still apologize for her and who she is as a person, BUT SELLA STANDS AS THE ONE PERSON TO HIT SHEEV AND LIVE THANK YOU )

the youngest daughter of sarra and cosinga palpatine, and twin sister of sion, she was always the picture perfect child. she saw the way her father threated her eldest brother, the way anyone speaking out against their father would invoke his anger, she spent most of her childhood watching and learning from her siblings, knowing that she would not be following in those same footsteps.

she was always the ‘yes ma’am’ ‘yes sir’ child, listening to anything and everything her father and mother would say, never speaking out against them. she would do everything in her power to be the perfect child. she never once would be at the mercy of her father’s anger.

but that didn’t mean that she ever agreed with her father or the path that he had chosen for her and her siblings. she was just cautious about if and when she spoke against it. if her siblings allowed it, she would rant and rave about wanting to run away, to be anything but a pawn for cosinga, until her voice went hoarse. 

the late night conversations of her, red faced and crying, sitting in sabina’s room, begging to be anything BUT a palpatine, wishing that she could be free of the life she was being forced into was something she will always remember, even if things are different here. that stays with her. 

while she didn’t agree with the way her father treated sheev, she couldn’t help but fear him in the same breath. she was the youngest, only a child for the most of their father’s tyranny, how in the stars was she meant to speak out or help? 

very skilled in her social skills, having put a lot of pride in her ability to have many faces depending on who she was speaking to. but very few people got to see sella for who she was and not what she was supposed to be.

she saw the way her life was headed, the path her father wanted her to take, the arranged marriages for his political gain and was trying to do everything in her power to leave. to get far from their family as possible, but knew it would be a long game.

unfortunately, that plan never truly got off it’s feet as she and the rest of her family were killed by sheev.

being in dc, she’s very excited that she finally gets to have the life that she wanted all along. even if it’s a little different, and she’s been struggling with her identity, with the safety she feels her family is lacking, all of that-- she is just happy to be somewhere where she can be just sella.

is currently dating allana solo, and most likely moving in together. they’re happy, she’s living the dream rn and doesn’t really know anything about the whole situation between the plapatines and the solos. to sella, she just thinks that sheev and leia are friends and that’s about it

goes by sella rhuno at work, to minimize the questions about being related to sheev since she knows he likes to keep the family sort of secret. as far as sella knows, he does have enemies in the city, and she was p convinced for a while that the jedi themselves were evil.

she’s doing better with that now, but is still p hesitant around the force and everything. 

but the most important thing to know about sella is that she is the color pink personified, and has her entire family wrapped around her finger. her crying is the most dangerous weapon in the world, and her gf’s scary dog privilege card. if sidious is ready to murder just from his sister tearing up, there’s nothing sella can’t get away with.

also here’s information from when she was unaware

connections :

✩ co-workers

anyone who works in politics or in the white house !! sella goes around to a lot of meetings with winter and is dropping things off in a ton of different offices so she would easily see people around

✩ friends !!! pls !!!

she’s never really had them and would love to have some now , pls be her friend i promise she’s super fun !!

✩ classmates

she goes to georgetown so could easily run into other students during like core classes / if you’re an art student !!

✩ sw person who tells her the truth

sella currently goes by rhuno everywhere she goes, she knows that she’s supposed to keep her name a secret. but i think it’d be fun for someone to hear her mention palpatine, mention being his sister or something, or just straight up be like ‘yo that guys a dick’

please she’s so sheltered she has no clue who sheev grew up to become i think it’d be funny if someone finally told her who tf sidious is

[sylverstorms]

Bela x Maiden ----Songbird Ch. 7

Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.3 Ch.4 Ch.5 Ch.6

One would assume that kissing Bela –you're pretty sure it was more of a make out, to be entirely accurate— cleared things up between the two of you.

And of course... that isn't the case at all.

Because although you have at least come to some base understanding there is an undeniable –undeniably wrong— attraction there, you do not have the slightest clue where you currently stand. Your gazes have locked once or twice during dinner, yet she hasn't approached you afterwards and you're not confident your place permits you to do so yourself.

You may not make such a great deal out of your death anymore, but that doesn't mean you'll go seeking it by potentially offending one of the Dimitrescus with your presence.

It is a nerve-wracking standstill. One that has you constantly wondering how your next encounter with the elder sister will play out, if she'll greet you with a faceless 'human' or your name.

Luckily, it doesn't take too long to find out.

Your next evening shift takes you outside of Bela's study. You instinctively know she is there without opening the door. Still, despite the quickening beat of your heart at the memory of your last private encounter, you focus on your job, dutifully cleaning the corridor and its hundreds of antique decorations. You do so as silently as possible, not wanting to disturb her from her studies.

Until... the door softly clicks open.

“Rhiannon.” Bela says, in a way that sounds somehow both like an order and a hesitant test of your name on her tongue. “Come here a moment. Leave your things.”

You don't know what you expected when you pivoted to see her, but this is definitely not it. Bela looks tired, catlike eyes strained at the corners like she hasn't slept at all, shoulders and chin not set as highly as usual.

“What's wrong?” you ask, the second you draw near her. “You look... unwell.”

A wry smirk. “Do I.”

Well. The better description is 'unfairly good-looking albeit in a tired way', yet you're not about to inflate her already supermassive ego any further.

“Yes” you end up nodding.

Bela lets you into her sanctum and closes the door behind you. “I just haven't been sleeping well, is all.” she explains, which seems like she's putting it mildly.

“Oh. Why?” you ask. The concern in your voice surprises even you. Do you care? Should you care?

A small battle with her pride is fought in the tense moments she takes to answer. “Nightmares.” Bela eventually says.

Huh. Isn't this odd. A nightmare haunted by nightmares. You almost ask what they are about, what could trouble someone like her so greatly that she skips sleep entirely, but you close your mouth and swallow the questions down. She already seems uncomfortable admitting to a weakness before you.

“I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?”

Bela merely shrugs as she takes a seat on the couch. The motion is so effortlessly regal you can't help but feel envious. Imagine if she were actually trying to impress.

“You can distract me until dinner.” The question is, distract her from what. From her thoughts? Her thirst?

Well. You can certainly agree there's many voices in your head you'd like muted for a while, too. Bela and you are very different, yet you both want the same things from the other.

You chew on your bottom lip, debating your next move for a few seconds. Then you summon the courage to walk forward, Bela's yellow gaze, equal parts analyzing and intrigued, lingering on you the entire time.

She continues to stare when you come to a stop by her legs. You are towering above her, for a change. The edge of her attractive mouth curves up. “Liking the view from up there?”

Ah, but you know better than to helplessly fall into her prodding games, now. At least not without securing a solid advantage, first. And the easiest way to do that...

Is catching her by surprise.

Calm and graceful, you ignore the ample space left for you on the couch in favor of sitting right in her lap. Bela's eyes widen the slightest amount. Score.

“I'm liking it better from here, actually.” you say, trailing your hand up her bicep until it rests on her shoulder.

The hard contours you feel underneath make you want to repeat the motion without the thick black robes in the way. At the same time, though, you give her time to show you if you've crossed a boundary, if there's anything about this she doesn't like.

Bela's cold hand on the small of your back guides you closer and that's all the confirmation you need.

“Bold move, little human.” she whispers, eyeing you like a hungry lion. You know the darkness seeping in her gaze shouldn't be as arousing as it is. You know, but you are powerless to lessen its effect on you.

When you kiss, it is electric. Your lips slide and lock together like they were made to be melded. Your hands ache to roam, to map out the taut skin hidden beneath the black fabric.

Slowly, you drag your nails over her nape, down and around to her collarbone, feeling the tiny hitch that elicits. It is a thrill to have something so powerful shiver because of you. Addicting.

Bela's fingers tighten against you when you nibble on her lower lip. There may be bruises there tomorrow, but right now that only spurs you further, to leave a trail of kisses along her jawline.

“Rhiannon—” It comes out as a sexy, breathless warning that you –perhaps foolishly— ignore.

It's just that— she smells so good and her skin is warming up so nicely under your lips and you are so terribly tempted to press a little bite on her neck. Just under her choker, somewhere that will be secret, known only to the two of you...

The second your teeth touch her, Bela twists you around hard enough to make the world spin. Your back makes a muted thump against the couch and she's braced over you, ravenous.

Her eyes glow with that inhuman thirst again, the tip of her tongue rested underneath a sharp fang that catches the candlelight like a pearl. Her arms are a prison you won't escape from no matter how hard you try and yet...

You wouldn't call it not being afraid, exactly. More like...

You trust her.

“You like playing with fire a tad too much, don't you?” Oh, but if all fires burned like she does...

You lean up to answer that without words, but Bela's hand comes to your chest and presses you back down. Oh, damn... It would be nice if your brain could think about anything other than how hot that is.

“Don't.” she says, firmer this time. “Don't tempt me right now. The things I want to do to you would scare you away.”

You understand when not to press for both your sakes. Instead, you move your fingers in a soft caress up her forearm that seems to loosen her muscles up, somewhat.

Bela's eyes shift from your neck to yours. There is a flash of emotion there that you desperately want to decipher—

“Oopsie. Am I interrupting something~?” Daniela's voice breaks the spell.

Bela jumps off of you like she was caught during a crime. Or like a cat whose tail was just set aflame. Or both.

“Daniela what are you doing here?” Bela growls and you only sink further into the couch, wishing you could disappear in it.

“Came to collect you for dinner. Didn't think you'd be busy.” she shrugs, stepping back into the hallway.

“I wasn't busy.” Bela hisses, going after her.

“Were too.”

“Don't say anything stupid at dinner!”

“Like how mom's favorite was harassing a maid during her shift?”

“Yes, like that.” their voices drift further down the hallway until you can no longer hear what they're saying.

But. God help you Daniela doesn't say anything before the Lady to make her think you are corrupting her most upstanding daughter.

There are a lot of horrors in the castle... and Alcina Dimitrescu is the most petrifying of them all.

....

At dinner...

“Cassandra, help. Bela's being mean again!” Daniela cries.

The brunette drags out her chair and sinks into it, elbow on the table, her cheek resting on her fist. Bela can count so many violations to proper etiquette in that action alone it's award-worthy, but she has bigger problems to worry about.

“Yeah?” Cassandra asks. “Cool.”

“What? Maybe I should tell mom about both your misdeeds.” Daniela says.

“Good luck finding any for Bela. And mine won't even phase her, at this point.” the brunette chuckles.

“Does finding sis straddling a maiden with a hand on her boob count.”

Bela wants to open the nearest window, break the bars and jump out. “For the last time, I wasn't feeling her chest—”

“Way to go, Bela.” Cassandra perks up. “I didn't think you had the balls for that.”

“That's not what happened.” the blonde growls.

All three straighten in their seats –Cassandra finally sits properly— upon their mother's heavy steps drawing nearer.

Bela remains tense the entire time. Dinner never felt this long, before.

...

“Bela. Wait a moment.” Alcina says when they are done. The other two share a quick look and swarm out of the room.

Yellow eyes meet yellowish grey. “Yes, mother?” she asks. If she feels like her choker has grown tighter in the meantime, she does not let it show.

“Come here.” The Lady motions, still seated.

Bela dutifully approaches. She cannot explain what the sinking feeling in her stomach is, that makes her want to avert her gaze from her mother's. Is it knowing that she's disappointed her by messing around with a human? No. No, that's not quite right.

It almost tastes like...

Fear.

Of... Mother...?

“What's wrong, love?” she asks, two long, gloved fingers coming to tilt Bela's chin. “You had no appetite tonight. And your eyes look sunken. Have you not been resting?”

“I...” Bela starts, uncharacteristically hesitant. “I couldn't sleep last night.”

And she wants to say why, she wants the load off her chest, to share this with her mother, to hear her explanation as to why this keeps happening to her. But.

This awful feeling just won't leave her alone.

It chokes her and erases the words from her tongue before she can think to voice them. It makes her sick to her stomach. It hurts.

“Why?”

Because I keep seeing those people that I don't know. Drowning in poverty and illness and getting by on scraps of food. Asking me to be strong and help them have a better life. Always asking. Always taking.

Because she wakes up with the tattoo on her forehead burning and tears in her eyes and her hands white-knuckled fists on the covers. And she wants that burden of keeping her screams in and swallowing her sobs to just go away.

Bela opens her mouth to say all that.

“My room was just terribly cold. I forgot to have a maid light the fireplace.”

Is what comes out, in the end.

[dollar-store-apocrypha]

The Book of Love by FourCatProductions / @darklight-tower

fandom || Skyrim rating || E (infrequent explicit sexual content) categories || f/f pairings || f!LDB/Rikke, f!LDB&Lydia genre || romance, action/adventure characters of note || Rikke, Lydia, A Whole Lotta Others (ensemble cast) status || 37/?, 181k

Rhiannon's only concern is traveling around the province to finish her book before she's forced to return to Cyrodiil. She has no interest in getting involved in the war. But an unpleasant encounter in a garden leads to the beginnings of an unlikely romance, and so unfolds the saga of an even unlikelier Dragonborn and her companions as they hurtle towards the end of the world. Skyrim needs a hero. What it gets, is a healer.

***

Rhiannon never did find out what he was going to do, because someone grabbed his wrist and wrenched him away from her, making him yelp. She stumbled backwards and fell, landing hard on her rear, book tumbling to the grass next to her. Her arm still throbbed with the imprint of his fingertips.

And then, she looked up and into the eyes of her savior.

Later, the little details would be present in her memory: sunlight glinting off of hair a shade lighter than honey, piercing eyes set deep in a weathered face, a proud nose and strong jaw. The way she held Erikur at bay like it was nothing, her leather armor supple and worn with a Legion crest emblazoned on her armband. At the time, dazed and terrified, Rhiannon’s only thought was, My gods she’s tall.

***

"I found this fic last night, and I barely wanted to sleep or have breakfast because it's such a pleasure to read. I like how the story is unfolding, particularly how the various characters interact with each other and evolve their relationships, how you jump to other points of view, and how your deviations from the canon keep me guessing. And the ships. So many new ships to get behind.

I also never thought about how strange it was that nearly everyone in Skyrim relies on one ridiculously capable stranger to solve all their problems. It's rather gratifying to see them doing their own damn side quests for once, and it definitely feels more real for it." -- FalconHalo

"You've done such a wonderful job in this fic of translating the main quest into a story. It's really quite amazing, especially in this chapter with the Greybeards and the dynamic between Lydia and Rhiannon. You write both of them incredibly well, and it's interesting to see that sarcastic "I'm sworn to carry your burdens" actually carry some weight here. I also think you do a great job in balancing a little bit of levity with more serious moments in your writing--the frost troll bit at the beginning made me laugh. Great work! :)" -- jibber_jabber

"I love this fic but dear fucking God I can't put into words how frustrated I am. They haven't even kissed yet I SWEAR TO GOD- Please, have mercy..." -- chararii

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

Which Rik n Ade duo do you reckon stinks the most? I think Colin, Alan and Kevin smell nice, i like to think Kevin smells a bit floral cause he liked sniffing flowers and Alan is very expensive cologne. Colin is cheap perfume he nicked from mummy. Every other Rik character smells like literal shit. Flashheart smells like sex all the time obviously, gross 😂 Fred smells like Wizz Fizz

The smelliest duo is probably a toss up between Richie and Eddie (of Bottom) and the Dreamytime Escorts. They're all guys who live in filth and never do anything about it. 😂

Rick and Vyvyan still smell (not as much as Neil, though, I think he's the smelliest young one), but we are given canon evidence that the young ones wash themselves... In disgusting muddy water. But still! Rick looks pretty clean in Nasty. Mike is the only young one to wash as regularly as he should, and he probably has cologne. We know from Bambi that they don't wash their clothes regularly, so that's probably the only thing that would affect Mike. As for the group as as whole, though? Don't wash enough, don't wash their clothes enough, don't keep their house clean - it's a smelly time. Rhiannon in Interesting remarks that their house smells like a gents. 😂

But that's just students for you. Especially boys. I know, my nose has the trauma to prove it. In real life, one day they'd grow up a bit and start washing properly. The Hammersmith Hardmen and the Dreamytime Escorts clearly missed that memo.

You've got me thinking about what I'd guess various bastards smell like, so...

Fred smells like the outdoors, like grass and other plants, as if he's been out there for hours and hours (he has, he had a lot of fun). His hair smells like the wind. Lizzie doesn't have an overpowering aroma, but a pleasant one once you pick it up - a comforting natural smell, maybe mixed with a vague hint of whatever soap she's using at the time. Kevin probably smells like whatever detergent his mum uses, and sometimes he comes in smelling of nature too when he's been investigating. Yeah, Flashheart definitely oozes sex, which is powerful enough to turn on almost everyone in his vicinity. Rick smells like pimple cream and BO. Vyvyan also smells of BO, but with an added hint of smokiness. Neil reeks of BO and gone off vegetables. Mike smells like cheap, overpowering cologne. Richie from Bottom stinks - BO, sweat, spunk, other old disgusting stains. Eddie smells similarly of BO and suspicious old stains, but with a perpetual added boozy musk. The Dreamytime Escorts smell like gin, sweat, grease, and BO. The Dangerous Brothers smell like gunpowder. Alan smells deceptively appealing, of course, of only the best fragrances on the market. If you get close enough, you could probably smell the product in his hair, but few get that close. Bad News collectively smell like cigarettes and leather, but once alone Colin objectively smells the most pleasant. This is because he has a day job in a bank and has to keep on top of his hygiene. Den probably quite often smells of paint, Spider smells of whichever drugs he's been taking recently, Vim smells of lager and desperation. Eddie Catflap smells like cigarettes and lager, Richie Rich smells fake - like he's just this instant put on new clothes and new cologne - and Ralph Filthy leaves a perpetual whiff of alcohol, fags, and something rotting in his wake.

So there's a few bastards. 😂 I actually have quite a sensitive sense of smell, which isn't always fun. Thanks for the ask!