#she has to consult the oracle

[beardedmrbean]

I'm playing this game called "the ants: underground kingdom" getting the gang of it. I figured out how to fill in and dig the tunnels so i filled everything in and dug the paths anew, moving the buildings as i went. The resources like the plants and bugs and mud can't be moved so i have to work around that. I tried to make it clear at the end that the embassy and entrance are behind a wall of military units but idk how well that came out.

Submitted and tagged by @ims-oti-red

This looks like fun, hope it does the trick keeping you occupied n such

[saphic-with-t]

When joking about how ridiculous it is that Fabian is popular I don’t think people realize how insanely cool the bad kids are in universe. As viewers we see their cool moments but we also see them being dorks and lame idiots. Think about their in universe reputations and how you would react to hearing about them if you lived in the same world as them.

There is a group of six people who saved the world 3 different times before they even entered their junior year of high school.

One of them never showed up to any of their classes until their third year and still passed. She is a rockstar and arch devil of rebellion who owns a recording studio in hell where she plays the bass.

One dude threw the greatest party the entire high school has ever seen, is captain of the sports team, and killed the school’s evil principal without facing any punishment.

One performed a motorcycle kick-flip that was doing a jump off of a mansion’s roof into a pool of flaming tartar sauce. Said kick-flip student has created a god, killed that god, brought herself back from the dead, and resurrected a completely different god.

One of the girls is the chosen oracle of all elves and punched her dad so hard he instantly died. Also if you dig deep enough into the political history books it turns out she caused there to be a feud (bordering on full war) between her home nation and the nation she currently lives in.

The quietest kid of the bunch is a super genius who invented a solar lasso that captured and contained an eldritch horror into his van, took 4 years of high school all at once and passed all of them, is currently acing his arcane mechanics and physical Ed studies, and is the second hand man on the school sports team. He also is the drummer for the arch devil’s band and launched a fully working satellite into space before he even started studying arcane mechanics.

Finally the “dork” of their group is an arcane consultant of heaven, became a P.I. after freshman year, is currently in every extra-curricular school club, and is beloved by seemingly all of his underclassmen. Also after he found out that the dragon his party was fighting ate his dad he fucking ATE IT to avenge him.

Obviously we know the truth behind all of these things and the actual way these six dorks act, but think how insanely sick they all sound in universe.

[undying-love]

i would like too see a compilation of all the instances John and Paul were jealous of each other's wives, girlfriends, close friendships, etc..

Jealousy from both sides: A Compilation

John

“It was always the family thing, you see. If Jane [Asher] was to have a career, then that’s not going to be a cozy family, is it? All the other girls were just groupies mainly. And with Linda not only did he have a ready-made family, but she knows what he wants, obviously, and has given it to him. The complete family life. [...] The first time I saw Linda was after that press conference to announce Apple in America. We were just going back to the airport and she was in the car with us. I didn’t think she was particularly attractive, I wondered what he was bothering having her in the car for. A bit too tweedy, you know. But she sat in the car and took photographs and that was it. And the next minute she’s married him. [...] I mean, there were quite a few women he'd obviously had that I never knew about. God knows when he was doing it, but he must have been doing it." (John)

"John woke up the next morning still feeling disturbed; he consulted the Oracle. Swan assured him that Paul and Linda were frustrated and unsatisfied. Their marriage was in trouble, he said, predicting it would break up within the year. Lately Swan’s visions had been astonishingly accurate. Relieved, John began composing a song—a little ditty, really, that would never be released—in praise of the Oracle’s powers. But he still couldn’t understand why Paul and Linda had been together for as long as they had." (Robert Rosen, Nowhere Man (based on John's diaries)

"One time Paul had a chick in bed and John came in and got a pair of scissors and cut all her clothes into pieces and then wrecked the wardrobe." (George Harrison)

"I came for dinner, and I was the only girl there. John definitely didn't like that. He didn't like me being there at ALL. He was mean and sarcastic [...] At one point, the boys were handing around a scrapbook. John made some snide comment like, "What is SHE doing here?" I got the idea that he thought Paul was an idiot to take a girl so seriously he'd actually invite her to dinner, when all he really needed to do was fuck her AFTER dinner." (Peggy Lipton)

"When I met Yoko years after Mal died, she said John had told her he'd been very jealous at one point of Mal's relationship with Paul." (Lil Evans) 

Paul

"I was jealous because of Yoko, and afraid about the break-up of a great musical partnership. It’s taken me a year to realise that they were in love." (Paul)

"Paul wasn't happy. But the big things that were driving him mad were beyond me. He kept on working and writing, but when John came over, all he could talk about was how much he loved Yoko. That disturbed Paul. In spite of John's obvious happiness, Paul stifled his jealousy with not-very-cute bursts of racist crap." (Francie)

"Paul hates Yoko for stealing the love of his life away from him. No, not Linda…. John! Paul has never forgiven her for that." (Francie)

"My first meeting with John and Yoko was at Paul's house in St. John's Wood, shortly after their bust. [...] It's interesting that John went to Paul's house for shelter because Paul hated Yoko." (Martin Polden)

"I just can’t let John control the situation and dump us as if we are the jilted girlfriends”. (Paul)

"It was as if I was another girlfriend, almost. Our relationship was a strong relationship. And if he was to start a new relationship, he had to put this other one away. And I understood that. I mean, I couldn’t stand in the way of someone who’d fallen in love. You can’t say, “Who’s this?” You can’t really do that. If I was a girl, maybe I could go out and…" (Paul)

"We were always slightly jealous of John’s other friendships. He was the older fellow; it was just the way it was. When Stuart came in, it felt as if he was taking the position away from George and me. (Paul)

“[Stu] and I used to have a deadly rivalry. I don’t know why. He was older and a strong friend of John’s. When I look back on it I think we were probably fighting for John’s attention.” (Paul)

"I’ve wondered many times over the years if that’s what some of the antagonism between Stuart and Paul might have been about, whether Paul suspected something [between John and Stu]." (Pauline Stutcliffe)

"It was the perfectionist Paul who found such an inexperienced guitarist hard to accept and this led to rows and even fights between him and Stuart. I think Paul was also a bit jealous of Stu; until then he had had most of John's attention. (Cynthia)

"Paul hated Stu. It's true that Paul had his eye on Stu's bass, but in fact, he was jealous of Stu, especially of Stu's friendship with John." (Dot Rhone)

[dailyadventureprompts]

Deity: Tergrid, God of Fright

"Terror is the natural state of a child, they know they are small, vunrable, glass fragile. It is only once we grow that we delude ourselves into thinking we are safe, that we are strong, that we have control over the world we live in. Show a grown man how little control he really has, and you will see the child he always was: pissreeking, repentant, and pleading for his mother. " - Gerheart, village executioner

A goddess for those who hold close to the light dreading the unknown or those who wander gleefully into the dark seeking it, Tergrid is a deity of imagined horrors and terrible omens.

Depicted as a young woman always bearing a lantern, myths speak of Tergrid's shadow as a monstrous, murderous thing with a will of its own. Unable to kill the goddess due to the light she carries, it vents it's directionless wrath on those who linger beyond the lantern's glow. This duality, as both as the victim of fear and the source of it defines the brightmaiden's worship; as she is both threat and saviour to those who draw her attention.

Adventure Hooks:

The party arrive at a country roadhouse at dusk, only to find the inhabitants have nailed shut every door and shutter as if preparing for a siege. They say some horrid murderous things are lurking just off the road, and as the light wanes they refuse to let the heroes inside. The roadhouse's residents are terrified and are willing to fight to keep the party out, half convinced the party are themselves the things they should be afraid of... which isn't to say there ISN'T anything else waiting for that door to open. After negoitating their way inside (or forcing the issue) the heroes discover the roadhouse residents were warned of the danger by a mysterious woman who passed through earlier, though none can remember exactly what she looked like.

A knight renowned for his fearless deeds wanders the street in a waking nightmare, seeing threats everywhere and lashing out at phantoms and passersby. Even after being subdued it’s clear he won’t awake, and many suspect interference from jealous rivals in the upcoming tourney. The knight’s meek squire asks the party to help investigate the causes and possible cures of her master’s madness, never suspecting that her suppressed resentment at his recklessness might’ve manifested as a curse.

In desperate need of answers, the party consults an oracle dedicated to Tergrid who has them undergo trials of fear and phantasm so that they might know the truth. Chiefest among these is battling in a dark cave full of shadow monsters, while flickering visions of the future are cast on the wall by the guttering lantern light. The longer they can endure, the more they will know, but that isn't likely to be long unless they fight harder than they ever have before.

Inspiration: Tergrid is a shameless lift from Magic the Gathering's Kaldheim setting, which I've never played but apparently keep returning to as a consistent well of inspiration.

Fear both as a mechanic and motif is something I think is underutilized in D&D which is odd considering it's a game about venturing out into the unknown to face potentially deadly challenges. Fear and risk are what our heroes must endure to experience the wonder and rewards on the other side of their journey. As such it makes sense for a goddess of fear to play a role in the thematic weave of the stories we end up telling.

Speaking in less lofty terms, I also think using the lantern as a symbol for being frightened fucks hard. It's a tiny, fragile, and temporary respite from an ocean of darkness and the threats it contains.

Worshippers: The lost and abandoned, Unseele Fey, Shadowcasters and other denizens of the shadowfell. There is also heavy overlap with the worship of the night goddess Nyx.

Signs: Nightmares, unnatural or living shadows,

Symbols: A Lantern, often surrounded by a circle of darkness.

Artsource

[sunlightmurdock]

The Odyssey | 1.2 | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist

Bradley just can’t keep his hands, or his thoughts, to himself. People are starting to notice.

Warnings: enemies to lovers, power imbalance (professor / student relationship), age gap (22 / 33), swearing, infidelity, making out, smut, oral (f receiving), fingering, handjobs, cum, bradley dislikes her fiancé, deception, also inaccuracies in the timeline of Pompeii and the telling of Greek mythology, very brief allusion to SA at the very end, 18+ minors dni, wc: 7.5k

…

“So there are rumours in the city that Psyche is the second coming of Venus, or the daughter of Venus — something like that. But, Venus — Aphrodite — sends her son Cupid — Eros — to shoot Psyche with an arrow to make her fall in love with something hideous.”

You’ve read stories like this before.

“He scratches himself with the arrow, and falls in love with Psyche the second that he sees her. But Psyche’s two sisters are married already, and no one seems to want to marry Psyche, so her dad starts to think they’ve incurred the wrath of the gods. He consults the oracle, and is told that Psyche is going to be married to this hideous, terrifying dragon-creature.”

“Ew.” You scoff.

He snorts. “This part of the story is where it gets kind of interesting. The oracle says that she is to be left on a cliff for her new husband, and they send her there in her funeral attire. Death and marriage become just the one central theme of being a total transition into the unknown.”

You’re quiet against him. He pauses. The ugly lampshade seems drawn to the rock on your finger, making it twinkle in the light.

“Anyway, Zephyrus — which is the god and personification of the Westerly wind, which is the most favourable of — I’ll explain it another time. Zephyrus gets Pysche ready to meet her fated match, and sets her in a meadow, where she falls asleep. She falls asleep in this perfect place, and wakes up transported to a kind of grove.”

You rise and fall with his chest as he sighs.

“Then, she finds this incredible house, with big golden columns, a carved ceiling and silver walls embossed with wild animals, and mosaic floors,” Bradley glances down at your fingers toying with the buttons on his shirt. He squeezes your waist. “And a voice comes out of nowhere telling herself to make herself at home, and she’s presented with a great feast.”

“The dragon doesn’t sound so bad.” You mumble into his chest, drawing a breathy chuckle from him.

“Well— she doesn’t trust him so easily. She’s impressed, but terrified. But, y’know, he’s her husband, and it’s technically their wedding night. So she lets herself be guided to her bedroom at night where she has sex in complete darkness, with something that she can’t see.”

“The dragon?”

“Well, he never lets her look at him. He always leaves before sunrise and doesn’t allow her to look at him. But she learns to like his visits, and becomes pregnant — in this version, anyway — but her family haven’t heard from her at all, so her husband allows Zephyrus to bring one of Psyche’s sisters to visit her.”

You’ve got plenty of opinions on what you have heard so far, but you keep them to yourself as Bradley continues with the tale.

“Her sister is jealous of how happy Psyche is, in this magical house, with her mysterious husband, you know? — So, she kind of reminds Psyche that he’s supposed to be this gross monster, who will kill the child when it’s born. She manipulates Psyche into wanting to know who her husband really is.”

“So, one night after her husband has fallen asleep, Psyche finds an oil lamp and a dagger — to find out if her husband is a monster, and to kill him if he is,” Bradley shifts his hips, stiffening as you sit forwards and press a soft kiss to the glimpse of his chest under his shirt. “And um… well, she sees him and he’s beautiful. Incredible. She’s so happy. But, she spills oil from the lamp on his skin, and he knows that she has betrayed him by looking, so he leaves her.”

“Why was he so against her seeing him if he was so beautiful?” You sit up and turn around, barely noticing as Bradley catches hold of your knee. He tugs it over his lap and pulls you across him, sitting you against his middle.

“Because he defied his mother by not making her fall for something disgusting. Aphrodite wouldn’t have allowed them to be together,”

“Oh, I understand.” You confirm, resting your hands against his stomach.

“So first, Psyche sees the god Pan. He recognises how in love she is, and she recognises his divinity. Then, she starts to walk the world looking for her love. She starts by going back to her sisters and telling them what happened, but they’re both pissed that her husband was Eros. So, both sisters try to offer themselves as a replacement to him by climbing the rock face and casting themselves to Zephyrus, but they both fall to their deaths.”

You frown, which seems to spark amusement in him. He gives you a calm shrug and tugs at your hips, making you flinch as the cold metal of his belt touches the warm skin of your inner thigh.

“So, Psyche keeps on wandering, looking for Eros. She comes across the temple of Ceres, and finds all of these offerings that are thrown everywhere and — it’s a mess. So she organizes it all, because offerings to the gods shouldn’t be neglected, and Ceres appears to her. Psyche begs her for help, and Ceres acknowledges that she needs it, but can’t offer any help because she can’t go against a fellow goddess.”

You shift uncomfortably, pushing away from his belt and settling against his thigh instead.

“Um… right, so after Ceres, the same thing happens at the Temple of Juno, and Psyche realizes that she has to pledge herself to Venus. This is what Venus wanted all along, right? — So, she turns Psyche over to her two Handmaids, Worry and Sadness, for her to be tortured. They ruin her clothes, and hurt her, and mock her for conceiving a child in a sham marriage.”

Your face creases, frowning back at him.

“Venus leaves her with this huge mass of different grains, and demands that they’re all sorted into different heaps by dawn. But a little ant takes pity of Psyche, and assembles a fleet to complete the task for her. We also find out around this point that Eros is in the same house, recovering from a wound, but he doesn’t know that Psyche is there.”

His hands bracket your thighs, and they have been since he sat you in his lap. Watching his Adam’s apple rise and fall with every word, your lips twitch at the corners as you think of the other day in the library. His lips on your neck.

“At dawn, Venus sets her a second task. She has to cross a river, and fetch golden wool from an untameable, aggressive sheep on the other side. Well, Psyche’s heartbroken and worn down by this point, so she plans to drown herself in the river, but she is saved by a reed and gathers the wool caught on the briars of it.

He can see it on your face that you’re up to something, but he pauses to let you kiss him anyway. Soft, and slow. His hands grabbing firm at your waist.

His lips graze yours, his nose brushing your cheek as he continues on with Pysche’s tale, fingers curling into the pale pink chiffon.

“For her third task, Venus gives her this little crystal vial and sends her to collect the black water from the river Styx. So, Psyche climbs the cliff face to get to it, and as she does,” Bradley is interrupted mid sentence as you press forwards and kiss his mouth once more, then the corner of his lips. He hums softly and tries to recapture his train of thought. “She’s attacked by the dragons that surround it — Jupiter himself takes pity on her and sends his eagle to protect her from the beasts and collect the water.”

Your nose brushes the curve of his jaw, soft lips parted just enough to tickle his skin with your cool breath right before you close them around his pulse point and suck.

He’s holding your hips, nice and steady — he could pull you back and stop you, but he doesn’t. His long fingers dig into the meat of your thighs.

“Keep going, what happens next?” You urge him, pushing lightly at his chest and pressing another longing kiss to the length of his throat. Your fingertips slip under the unbuttoned top of his shirt, skimming the flushed skin underneath.

He swallows, leaning his head back against the wooden headboard. You gasp softly as he squeezes firmly at your waist and lifts his hips from the bed.

“So, for the last trial, Venus sends her to the underworld to collect a dose of beauty from Proserpina, the queen of the underworld,” He’s painfully aware that his voice has grown thick and that he’s blushing like a kid, and suddenly the details of the story seem a little bit blurrier. Then, your tongue dips out from between your lips and wets the spot you had just kissed — exactly the way he does.

“Christ.” He chokes out, letting his head fall forwards to rest against your shoulder. “Do you get off on trying to make me cum in my pants or something?”

It’s at that point that he remembers exactly who he is speaking to, and how you’ve reacted to this kind of profanity before. Nose wrinkled, he’s wincing as he pulls back to look at you again.

You’re smiling. Well, biting at your cheeks in an effort not to, but smiling nonetheless. Your nose is wrinkled too, like you’re trying not to like the idea quite as much as you do.

“Oh, you do.” He scoffs.

“No, I just…” You huff and then shrug, glancing down at that loose button on his shirt. He watches your fingers toy with it absently, painfully aware of how his straining cock is wedged against his thigh. “Hadn’t really thought about myself being sexy before. I mean you’ve given plenty of people orgasms, right?”

He knows better than to answer that question, so he just stares back in response.

“I don’t think I’ve ever come close.” You tell him.

His hands feel electric as they skim under that pretty pink dress, a twinkle in his eyes and a slight quirk to the right corner of his mouth. “Now who’s thinking too much, huh?”

With that, he kisses you. The deep and dirty kind as he presses forwards and grabs hold of the back of your neck. Every time, the surprise gets you and makes you part your lips. His tongue dips into your mouth as he pushes his hips off of bed and into yours. Only, this time, whatever he does has you making the sweetest little sound.

Right against his mouth too, a pleased little mewl. He groans right back onto your lips, fingertips trailing over the fabric of your underwear all of a sudden. You had been too distracted to even notice them creeping their way up your thigh.

Heart racing, your fingers skim into the curls at the nape of his neck, eyes locked on him. Swallowing hard, you glance down towards his just parted lips and catch sight of your lipstick printed faintly on the side of his neck. A beat passes where he just watches you studying his lips, waiting for you to kiss him.

Finally, you lean forwards and your cushioned lips are on his once again. Pouted and oh, so gentle. His fingers curl at the back of your neck, his nose bumping yours as he takes lead and lets you sink into the feeling of him.

Even with the thin linen of his shirt, and the slight crack in the window to the left of the bed, Bradley hasn’t ever felt quite so hot.

“Can I feel you?” He asks against your mouth, trailing the pad of his thumb across your clit through the thin fabric of your underwear.

“If I can feel you.” It’s not an exactly well thought-through plan, you don’t have the logistics of it figured out, but he’s kissing feverishly across your face and, what with it pressing into your thigh, there’s only one thing on your mind.

“I can’t, baby—“

“It’s just touching.” The second that the words are out of your mouth, you’re struck with a strange kind of deja vu. Not here, not with him. An outer body kind of thing. Either way, you aren’t left with much time to think about it as Bradley dips forwards and captures your mouth once again.

You let yourself fall with him, even with little choice once he wraps you in his arms, and he turns the two of you until you’re on your back and he’s between your legs.

This is exactly what got you so worked up earlier, so afraid. It feels so right to be moving in sync with him like this, your hands, your mouths, your bodies. His weight pressing into your stomach and his thick arms bracketing your body, engulfing you in him.

As he nips and rocks and caresses, you’re happy. It couldn’t possibly be wrong if it just feels this easy. His blue jeans are tented, straining against the pink of your dress, his shirt untucked and messy.

It’s like the two of you think of his shirt at once, as he props himself up with one hand and tears open those already loosely attached buttons with the other. All the while, his mouth is hot on yours, deep, soft sounds spilling from his lips.

He pulls it swiftly off of his shoulders and drops it haphazardly onto the floor, then there’s a pause. He’s sitting back on his ankles, both of you struck with the same thought once again. His gaze falls down to your dress.

“Should… Do you want me to take it off?” You figure, bringing your hands up to cover your chest, still blinking at his freshly exposed skin. Wide, angled shoulders, sitting square and rising and falling heavily with each breath. His skin taut with muscles, but without the definition of a man who keeps them for an ego boost. Tanned skin, dusted with light brown hair.

“I want you to,” He gives a slow nod of his head. “But I can work around it.”

“No, okay… I can take it off,” You lift one hand to stop him and swiftly tear it back the second that it touches his bare stomach. “Just— give me a second— the zipper—“

Bradley hooks one arm under your hips, and the other under your back, hugging you swiftly to his body and covering you with his weight. You squeak quietly as his fingers curl around the zipper and his lips work feverishly across your jaw.

The zipper barely whines as he pulls it slowly along the length of your spine, feeling the material go loose between the two of you. His mouth follows the sound south, feverish at your neck and down to your clavicle.

Squeezing your eyes tight shut, you let you shoulders relax and the material fall slack, giving his hands the freedom to tear it off and discard it like he had his shirt. Even so, the second that his warm mouth touches the centre of your chest, you push back into the pillows, scorched by the feeling.

“You want me to zip it back up?” Bradley asks coolly, one of his hands squeezing softly at your balled up fist. You hadn’t even noticed you were grabbing at the bedsheets like that.

“No, I just — — don’t want to watch when you see me.”

And that just about breaks his heart. He thinks back to the phone call he had that night in December, when Malcolm had finally picked up. Bradley had been standing beside your bed with that stupid plastic phone in his hand, keeping you on your side so that you didn’t choke if you puked — and that little shithead had answered laughing.

At first, Bradley had regretted threatening the little weasel. It could have cost him his career, especially if you had decided to flip the narrative on what happened in his car — luckily you hadn’t remembered that part. But god, hearing the arrogance and thoughtlessness, Bradley doesn’t regret threatening to knock some sense into that kid one bit.

And now, seeing what eight years of supposedly loving that kid has brought you to, he doesn’t regret what he’s about to do either. In fact, what he’s about to do might be a little bit to do with the fact that he would purposely like to spite your fiancé.

“Why don’t you want to watch?”

“I don’t know. In case you don’t like me.”

“Oh, I like you,” You hear him breathe out a chuckle as his hand reaches across yours, peeling your fingers off of the bedsheets and stroking his thumb across your relaxed knuckles. “C’mere. Feel.”

As expected, it works like a charm. Your eyes spring open so wide they look for a moment like they’re going to pop right out of your head. Heat spreads like wildfire, starting in the tips of your ears — it engulfs your face and your chest, spreading down your arms with no sign of stopping.

Sitting back on his knees, his chest bare and his shoulders squared proudly, he’s looking you right in the eye as he squeezes his hand around yours. Under your palm, still within the confines of his jeans, you can feel all of him, straining against the denim.

“Okay, but men get erections over ridiculous things sometimes—“ You reason as you pull your hand away from him. He lets it go instantly, but follows your hand away, planting his free hand into the pillow beside you and forcing you to lean back as he comes in close.

You think first of all that you’re ready for what he’s going to say. Then, he leans in closer. All the way past your face until his lips are grazing your ear.

“You want to know why I’m hard?”

“Mm.” You croak out, fingers once again balled into the sheets.

“I’m hard because I can’t stop thinking about how wet you were that night in Venice, and how you kissed me the next morning. You know you talk in your sleep?” His voice against your earlobe makes you shiver and pull back, frowning disapprovingly.

“I do not.”

“You do, baby — do you know how hard it is for a man to get a good night’s sleep when you’re whispering his name?” He turns his head towards your face and kisses your jaw softly, reaching out and grabbing at your hips. He tugs you just a bit closer and the dress falls just slightly. You let it go.

And before you know it, your fingers are curled into his hair, your legs are wrapped around his waist and he’s unhooking that pretty pink dress from your left ankle. The second that it’s off completely, his hands go for his belt. The leather clangs against the metal buckle and against the button on his jeans loudly as he fumbles to work it open one handed. His other hand cups your jaw. His thumb sits on your left cheek, his four fingers sit on your right, he holds your head straight as he sucks at the supple skin of your bottom lip.

“Fuck me…” Bradley mutters, his forehead inches from yours. Looking down between your two bodies, both of his hands abandon their previous posts and go for your middle. Instinctively, you lift your knees, hunching forwards in an attempt to cover yourself. “Stop, honey, let me see.”

“You’ve seen plenty of women.” You remind him, crossing your arms over the unlined, unremarkable, comfortable bra covering your chest.

Bradley teeters on the edge of being amused or upset by your comment. You’re nervous. He’ll give you that one. He looks up at you as he crouches between your legs, “So, I know what I’m talking about, huh?”

With that, he leans down and presses his lips to your stomach, right below your belly button.

“I could look at you all day.” He tells your skin, without looking up from his onslaught of delicate kisses, his fingers walking along the curve of your waist and back down again to your hips. As his hands skim down to your thighs, he takes note of just how much you’re trembling. Finally, he lets his lip graze the waistband of your underwear.

If he was being really truthful, and if he wasn’t holding back, he would’ve popped open the clasp on that bra about a minute and a half ago. Bradley has seen just about every kind of underwear there is to see, and his favourite has always remained the same.

There’s quite simply no better alternative to naked. His mouth works along your navel, headed straight for the apex of your thighs, and he thinks to himself that he couldn’t care less about what kind of underwear you’re wearing, until he sees it.

He’s on his front, face to face with the pink underwear with an embroidered Wednesday across the front. It is, indeed, Wednesday.

“These,” He rubs softly at each of your hips, pressing a wet kiss to the embroidery. “Are very cute.”

“Oh my god, no—“

“But I want them off.”

That’s what that look in his eyes is. You get it now, as he curls his fingers into the sides of your underwear, and it makes your stomach erupt into butterflies. The last time he took your underwear off, he didn’t get that good of a look — this time, you’ll be naked. But, he still has you nodding dumbly at him.

“Wait — yours too.” You realize.

Bradley nods his head, gently guiding the pink underwear down your legs. He’s not looking at your face. He’s practically salivating. “I will. I just want a taste.”

He lifts your legs upwards, slipping the panties off of your ankles, dropping them to the bed and grabbing the backs of your thighs. Legs pressed together and pushed back toward your abdomen just slightly, you can’t quite see his face, but your skin is hot with the knowledge of exactly what he’s looking at.

There’s a moment before you feel anything at all, where you know that he is just staring. It takes everything in your power to make yourself keep still, not squirm away, to not say something stupid.

Then, you feel his fingers right there, trailing through your excitement, examining exactly how you’re feeling about him. You turn your face sharply to the left, aiming for the respite of hiding it in a pillow. But next, he sits forwards and grabs your hips, lifting them off of the bed and bringing you to his mouth.

Right as your heart feels like it’s about to burst out of your chest, you feel his lips on you, kissing softly, following mostly the same pattern his fingers had. The tip of his nose bumps your clit as he flattens his tongue and licks upwards until he’s at that sensitive bundle of nerves.

But he doesn’t stay there. With how you’re trembling against him, he knows better than to overstimulate you. The last thing he wants is to make you cry on your second time at this. His mouth turns towards your thighs, sucking and kissing at random.

Your soft skin, bristled by his rough jaw. He can tell you’re trying so hard to sit still for him. You’re so polite when you want to be.

Then, he’s right back where he wants to be, his mouth presses firmly to your soaked core and he does the exact same thing once again. Familiarity is the easiest path to comfort. His tongue follows that slow, familiar stripe up to your clit and flicks softly at it. Then, he presses impossibly closer and wraps his lips around the sensitive bud, sucking softly.

“Oh—“ You squirm, trying to reach for his shoulders, your thighs pushing back against him.

Finally, he relents. You want to touch him and that joke about ruining these jeans is about to become a reality if he doesn’t do something soon. Your head spins as he moves between your legs and kisses at your mouth, eyes open and blinking as you taste yourself on his lips.

The sound of a zipper breaks through the surprise, eyes widening further as you watch him shove his jeans down his legs.

“Still with me?” Bradley checks, kissing the corner of your lips as his jeans hit the floor. You swallow softly, glancing down at him kneeling between your legs. He’s wearing loose fitted blue boxers — well, you imagine they looked more loose before. All that’s separating him from you is that thin cotton material.

“Mhm.”

“Still want to touch me? — Tell the truth, honey. That’s all I want.” Your eyes are closed, head tipped back as he sucks his way along your jaw. You nod weakly at him, wondering if you look half as wild as you feel.

“Yeah.” You follow his mouth, chasing his lips until he kisses you hard.

You lean in once again to kiss him the second that he pulls back, and then, blinking slowly at him, a fluttering erupts in your chest. Pride surges through your ribs and into your stomach as you take note of the darkened hunger and arousal in his expression.

“But you can’t laugh at me.” You breathe out, willing that funny feeling in your stomach to just go away so that you can focus.

Every single word that spills out of your mouth, Bradley gets that little bit closer to knocking your fiancé on his ass the second that the two of you are back at home. He wonders what this asshole possibly said to you to make you so timid.

“‘M not laughing.” Bradley answers you, his voice calm as his hands skim over your naked hips. He swallows softly as he reaches for his own boxers, settling down at your side as he pushes them down his legs.

Suddenly, you’re far from laughing too. Your mouth is dry as he lays down and pumps his hand once around the length of his dick. It sits just below his belly button, standing to attention, swollen and red. Impressive. Big, like the rest of him.

He tucks an arm under your waist and pulls you across the bed, into him. Your stomach presses into his length while his fingers curl around the curve of your ass, teasing that line between your thigh and your pussy.

“Can I have a kiss?” Bradley whispers, nudging at the tip of nose with his to guide your head back. He knows that’s where your confidence lies. You’re smiling softly as you dip forwards to kiss him, well within your comfort zone. “Thanks, honey. Can I have your hand?”

As he asks, his hand inches forward until you can feel him once again brushing through your excitement. Another slow kiss, sucking softly at your top slip as he pulls back.

The tip of his index finger swipes through gently, his throat thickening his voice with desire. Your hips push back, and the tip of his finger slides in with no resistance.

You press your lips together, presenting your open palm for him to use. Bradley pulls back to look at your surprisingly steady hand. With the hand that isn’t toying between your legs, he takes hold of it and brings it to his dick.

He knows there has to be some natural curiosity buried under all of those nerves, and he’s not into the idea of using you like a doll. He takes your thumb between two of his fingers, swiping it through the pearl of precum on his tip, and down toward his shaft. Then, he lets your hand go.

With the hand that’s between your legs, his finger presses in again, further this time, and you squeeze around him in response. You trail three fingers from the top all the way down to the base of his pelvis. It’s smoother than you thought it would feel. Fuller. Just… not what you were expecting, maybe.

With one finger inside of you, his others explore between your legs, the long digits easily reaching across your lips and stretching towards your clit. You tuck your head between his shoulder and jaw, cuddling close to his chest as your fingers sprawl across the soft, ridged skinned of his length.

It’s not the most comfortable for him, stretching his arm around you like this, but he’s so entranced in watching you touch him that he forgets to mind.

You gasp sharply as his finger presses deeper than before, curling into a spongy part of your walls. Bradley kisses the sound away, his free hand coming up to cup the side of your throat.

“Does that feel good?” He whispers against your lips, kisses growing eager as he pushes his hips forwards, rocking himself against your bare stomach. You squeak back, nodding your head at him.

“Can you show me what to do?” You’re both being so quiet, sharing breaths and whispering even though you’re just about as close as two people could possibly be. Bradley takes your hand again, at once he pulls his finger out of you and dips yours between your own legs. Reeling, you just watch as he circles your clit with your fingers, soaking them before pulling back.

By the time he wraps your hand around his cock, eclipsing it with his own, it’s plenty slick. He lifts it slowly, and drags it back down, pumping it a few times on his length.

“Just like that, little firmer — yeah — yeah, that’s good,” He murmurs, now able to reach back between your legs more directly. He captures your mouth into one of his specialty dizzying, open-mouthed kisses as he presses his middle finger back into you. “Fuck, you’re so, so wet.”

It occurs to him briefly that maybe he’s in too deep — if this is how his first attempt at trying to convince you to further your studies has ended. It doesn’t stop him in the slightest.

He slows his motions next, rocking his hips into your hand as his ring finger hugs his middle and toys at your entrance before easing into you. You gasp, wincing slightly.

“Shh, shh… does that hurt?” Bradley whispers, searching your face for answers as your hand stills around him.

“A bit.” You croak out.

“Come here, honey, just give it one second. Tell me if it hurts any more.” Your head drops back down to his chest as the rough pad of his thumb circles at your clit. Trusting his expertise, you put your attention into touching him instead, guiding your hand up and down along his length. He pants softly, his heartbeat thudding against your cheek.

Slowly, he starts to work his fingers into you, moving them just barely to accommodate you to the feeling. A gentle curl of the two digits has you crying out softly into his bare skin. His cock twitches in your hand in response.

It’s been a long time since he has felt so out of his depth. He’s afraid of stepping a foot out of line. He wants you to trust him. It’s why he hasn’t yet snapped open the clasp on your bra — he doesn’t want to grope at you like some animal and scare you off. Getting to that point seems like a long stretch away.

But, the way you exhale softly and lift your head to kiss at his neck calms his nerves just a bit.

As his fingers push in further together, spurred on by the needy mewling noises you’re making, Bradley suddenly remembers the throbbing in his dick.

A pleased moan spills from your swollen lips as you drag them across his collarbones and along the protruding vein in the side of his neck, your hand still loosely working at a steady rhythm around him.

“Faster.” He hums into your mouth, rocking his hips eagerly into your hand as he curls his fingers into you. You keen helplessly into the feeling, squeezing your palm tighter and doing exactly what he had. A simple up and down tug.

“God, you’re the sweetest fuckin’ thing.” He doesn’t swear with you often, and really you’re not much of a fan of men with dirty mouths usually — but this, the gravel and desperation spilling from his voice has you throwing yourself at him, rocking yourself onto his fingers. “Taking it so well.”

Your mouth hangs open, legs spreading wider apart for him to angle himself closer. Bradley studies the look on your face, breathing heavy, knowing that if he does see you in his classroom in September, he’s in big trouble.

He’s not sure how he’ll ever look at you again and not think of this wide-eyed, trusting expression on your face.

His free hand comes up to brush your hair back off of your forehead, not quite noticing the lovestruck way you’re watching him as your stomach starts to tighten and tremble. His lips press softly to your forehead, just above your eyebrow, and then your cheek, just below your eye.

“You’re perfect.” He whispers, smiling at the way it makes your mouth hang open in a rounder shape. Then, he leans in and sucks softly at your bottom lip. “How’s it feeling?”

You swallow through the dryness in your mouth, suddenly remembering to close it, then you try to nod at him. “Good.”

“Real good, or just good?” He nudges at the tip of your nose with his, fucking his hips into your hand as his skilled fingers drive the thoughts out of your head. Another slow, dirty kiss and it feels like you might just melt into him and become one if he does it again.

“Real good.” You whimper.

You’re hugging his fingers so tight that you wouldn’t even have to be touching him for him to still be on the verge of cumming already. He gasps and covers your hand with his, slowing it around his cock as his fingers continue into you relentlessly.

“Was — Did I hurt you?”

“The opposite.” Bradley reassures you, breathing hard as he starts to slowly guide your hand along him again. “You almost made me cum.”

Your eyes hurry open, right as something Bradley does makes you squirm right into him and gasp out loud. He watches you watching him, trying to see what you’re doing, what it looks like.

“Oh — mm, don’t… you want to?” Your other hand comes up to grab firmly at his thick shoulder as your eyes squeeze shut again. You can barely feel your legs. Bradley grunts softly in your ear, his thumb working firm circles around your sensitive clit.

“Not ‘til you do.”

Luckily for him, he doesn’t have to wait long. Well, really there is nothing lucky about it. His moves are tried and tested. Before you know it, you’re coming all over his hand, babbling against the hot skin of his neck as you try to find the right word. Legs trembling, you cling onto his shoulder as he rocks your other hand around his length.

You can feel how close he is, how close he wants to be to you. He’s practically engulfing you, turning his face towards your neck and groaning enough to make you wish he hadn’t ever stopped touching you.

“I’m gonna cum.” Bradley seems to realize at once that you probably aren’t going to like what’s about to happen. He kisses you hard as he untangles your fingers from his and takes over, pressing his weight into you, chasing his own high.

Grabbing firmly at your waist, he pulls you against him and breathes hard into the crook of your neck, making it unmistakable as he groans your name. You watch, lips parted, as he coats his hand in his release, the fluid dripping onto his taut, shaking stomach.

“God, fuck—“ Bradley pants, swallowing hard and letting his head fall back against the pillow. So much for trying to keep his hands off of you.

You push yourself up so that you’re sitting, curling your knees up to your chest, taking a moment to observe him while his eyes are closed. All golden skin and soft lines, broad and strong. If he existed all those years ago, someone certainly would have wanted to carve him out of stone too.

“So, how does that myth end?”

He hums in amusement from beside you as his blurred thoughts start to come back to him. He’d almost forgotten what you had both even been talking about. He swallows thickly and glances down at the mess he has made on his hand.

“They survive it all, and get married,” He answers simply as he pushes himself up from the bed and searches for something to clean himself with.

Making a trip to the shared bathroom on this floor would probably be frowned upon in his current state.

“Their baby in the story goes on to be Voluptas — she’s known as the goddess of sensual pleasures.” He settles on a hand towel that seems untouched, and wiping off his hand and his stomach, then his dick. He turns around and finds you staring at him like he grew an extra head.

Quickly, you stand up and look towards the window like you hadn’t been staring.

“They went through all that just for it to be fine in the end.” You muse, shaking your head slightly as you grab your pyjama set and step into them, buttoning the shirt over your bare chest.

Now clothed in his boxers, Bradley presses his chest into your back and mouths softly at your neck.

“That’s how it always goes, more or less, right?” He decides, closing his eyes finally, turning his face towards your hair. You hum quietly. There’s a soft pause as his hand brushes over your bare stomach under your pajama shirt and then grabs firmly at your waist again. He sighs. “I should go.”

There’s no way he’ll be able to sneak out of here in the morning. You’ve all got an early checkout and with everyone being on the same floor, he’s just asking to get caught sneaking out of your room.

You whine quietly and turn towards him.

“Really?”

“Unless you want to explain to the class exactly what I was doing in your room all night, baby, yeah.” He murmurs, kissing the top of your head. Despite your tired protests, you do let him leave without either one of you speaking about the line you have once again crossed.

He lets himself into his room, shirt barely buttoned, belt barely fastened. Luke is sitting upright with his back against the headboard of his twin bed, eating a packet of miniature cookies and watching an Italian dub of The Golden Girls.

They meet eyes, silent as the door clicks shut behind Bradley. It’s 3:45am. Luke hasn’t seen Bradley since they parted ways after the class dinner at 10pm.

“Hey, buddy.” Bradley mumbles, kicking his shoes off and already starting to unbutton his shirt.

“Hey.” Luke mumbles back, eyeing Bradley curiously. They haven’t spent much time together recently. Luke has noticed that he basically has the room to himself.

He scoops up a handful of the cookies and fills his mouth as Bradley strips out of his jeans. His head is turned strictly towards the staticky television, but his eyes peek quickly across at the lipstick mark on Bradley’s neck.

Again, Bradley doesn’t want to talk about it. He makes the most of his couple of hours of sleep and drags himself out of bed once again all too soon, packing his belongings for another day of travel. They make small talk as the two of them head down to the lobby.

Luke walks right ahead, greeting Robin’s tonsils with his tongue before he greets her verbally. Bradley strolls behind, dropping his bags to the floor and stretching his neck from side to side.

“So, what’s in Monteriggioni anyway, Brad?” Zoe asked, draped across the couch with her arms folded over her chest. She’s wearing a little pink tank top, looking at him over the top of a book she’s reading for him. This is the least hungover he has seen her in weeks.

“It’s a walled town — but we’re staying around forty minutes away from there.” He explains, dropping his sunglasses down onto the bridge of his nose.

“Where?” Abigail pipes up, sipping on a bottle of water.

“It’s someone’s house. He takes study assistants through the summer. Worked with him a couple of times.”

“You know so many cool people.” Zoe hums, turning her head and grimacing as she comes eye to eye with Luke’s hand groping at Robin’s ass over her levi’s cut offs. Bradley makes a soft sound of acknowledgement as he turns his head to see you giggling with Pasquale on the way into the lobby.

With his tongue finally out of Robin’s mouth, Luke cranes his neck to get a look at what it is Bradley’s smiling at. You. He turns his head to look at Robin, giving her a knowing look as he gestures for her to look over too.

“Alright, gimme your keys, let’s get out of here.” Bradley calls out to the group, walking around and taking the key from each person in the class. You take a seat on the edge of the couch that Zoe is laying across without greeting him as he heads up to the front desk to check out.

“Where do you go every night after dinner? — You just sit in your room or something?” Robin asks, leaning around her boyfriend. You lift your head and turn to look at her, immediately bristled by the smug little look on her face.

“Sometimes, other times I walk around a little.” You don’t owe her an answer and really, Pasquale wishes that you wouldn’t engage.

She makes a face, almost smirking, “All by yourself?”

“Oh, we have a message for this room. A young lady from New York called three times yesterday afternoon, we were trying to reach the occupant.” The receptionist realizes as she holds up your key. Bradley glances at the number, then back at you over your shoulder. He has to remind himself to call you your name.

You whip your head around at the sound of his voice across the lobby. You turn quickly back to Robin and she quirks an eyebrow at you.

Bradley frowns slightly at the furious look on your face as you storm across the lobby towards him and stand firm, “What?”

“You have a message — someone called you a couple of times yesterday. Call ‘em back so we can hit the road, I’m going to take everyone else outside to load up the van.” Bradley explains, glancing down at your outfit for the day. He likes those shorts on you.

“Oh, right. Okay.”

“You alright?” Bradley lowers his head slightly, trying to get a better look at your face.

“Fine.” You answer him, turning away as the receptionist hands you the phone, “Hello?”

“Where the hell have you been?”

“… Catherine?” You frown, plugging one ear and holding the phone closer to you. Your maid of honour gasps on the other end of the line, appalled that you now have to second guess the sound of her voice.

“Everyone has been looking for you! We didn’t know which hotel you were at, Malcolm said you hadn’t called in days!”

You frown, wrinkling your face at her. “Daddy’s credit card paid for the hotel.”

“Well, Mac didn’t ask your dad. I’ve been so worried. How are you doing over there?”

Even more so, your frown deepens. Malcolm adores your father. They get along just fine. There’s no reason why he wouldn’t usually ask your father — usually, he wouldn’t need to. They talk every day.

“Yeah, good. Just busy and stuff, we’re traveling a lot. We have to get on the road in a second. I guess calling just slipped my mind.” You spent last night in another man’s arms and your fiancé was worried sick about you. You glance towards the door, watching Bradley laughing through conversation with Luke and Abigail outside. He doesn’t seem fazed in the slightest.

“I’m glad you’re doing okay over there. I miss you. So, you and Mac are good, then, right?”

“Miss you too, but yeah, of course.” You mumble, propping your hand against your chin.

“Good. He mentioned you kind of cornered him about that fight at my end of semester party. I’m really glad you two figured that out. I thought for a second you two were going to break up over it when I first saw him on top of you like that.”

Bradley turns around and bends his neck to look at you across the lobby, his smile fades, brows furrowing slightly as he watches you press your finger harder into your ear and turn quickly away.

“Wait… Cath, what?”

…

Tags: @thedroneranger @batdanceq @cassiemitchele @himbos-on-ice @wkndwlff @bradshawsbaby @damrlova @fudge13 @xoxabs88xox @mak-32 @sihtricswife @callsignvenus @callsign-joyride @harper1666 @krismdavis @sheisanangell @sugarcoated-lame @kmc1989 @cherrycola27 @ahoyyharrington

[hypnos333]

Changing Fate

Eros x Goddess reader

Synopsis: Fate had it easy for you as you were a goddess of fate until you got in the away with another’s fate

You were the daughter of Hera and Zeus, you were the third born after Ares and Hephaestus. Of course your parents adores you especially your mother. Being the goddess of Fate was easy then one, two, and three.

You were as beautiful as Aphrodite but you were no goddess of beauty.

“U-Uhm ___?” Eros called out holding your golden paged journal.

“Oh my Zeus! Thank you so much Eros” You said excitedly holding the book with delicacy. His wings flutter in shyness.

“Of course my cupid” He said back making you blush before hold the journal close to you.

“I should be calling you that Cupid” You flirted back making him blush again. He always haded feelings for you and since you lost your fate book you didn’t see that his fate now changed.

“So what should I call you? Oh! How about my love?” he asked excitedly making me agree instantly

“Whatever you like my cupid but right now I have to do my job” you said your goodbye. “Bye my love” Eros said back dreamily making you giggle as you turn back to your mansion.

You reread the journal to make sure everything was in shape in normal but it wasn’t….

See with the journal you can see everyone’s fate even gods or goddesses with Eros it holds a sparkling pink thread around his fate. It’s fading…. And not for the right reasons it should.

Eros fate is about love…

A king and queen has three daughters, all three of the girls are attractive but one of them is absolutely gorgeous- Phyche was her name. People would come all over to check out how beautiful she was. neglecting the proper worship of Aphrodite, instead prayed and made offerings to her. It was rumored that she was the second coming of Venus, or the daughter of Venus from an unseemly union between the goddess and a mortal. Venus is offended, and commissions Cupid to work her revenge. Cupid is sent to shoot Psyche with an arrow so that she may fall in love with something hideous. He instead scratches himself with his own dart, which makes any living thing fall in love with the first thing it sees. Consequently, he falls deeply in love with Psyche and disobeys his mother's order. Although her two humanly beautiful sisters have married, the idolized Psyche has yet to find love. Her father suspects that they have incurred the wrath of the gods, and consults the oracle of Apollo. The response is unsettling: the king is to expect not a human son-in-law, but rather a dragon-like creature The transported girl awakes to find herself at the edge of a cultivated grove. Exploring, she finds a marvelous house with golden columns, a carved ceiling of citrus wood and ivory, silver walls embossed with wild and domesticated animals, and jeweled mosaic floors. A disembodied voice tells her to make herself comfortable, and she is entertained at a feast that serves itself and by singing to an invisible lyre. Although fearful and without the proper experience, she allows herself to be guided to a bedroom where, in the darkness, a being she cannot see has sex with her. She gradually learns to look forward to his visits, though he always departs before sunrise and forbids her to look upon him. Soon, she becomes pregnant.

One night after Cupid falls asleep, Psyche carries out the plan her sisters devised: she brings out a dagger and a lamp she had hidden in the room, in order to see and kill the monster. But when the light instead reveals the most beautiful creature she has ever seen, she is so startled that she wounds herself on one of the arrows in Cupid's cast-aside quiver. Struck with a feverish passion, she spills hot oil from the lamp and wakes him. He flees, and though she tries to pursue, he flies away and leaves her on the bank of a river.

The rest of his fate was faded

You stood there shocked, this never happened before… this should’ve never happened. Why is it fading?

The ink was supposed to stay as it should so why is his fate changing?

You couldn’t say that you were glad his fate was changing, you were falling for the cupid after all but that did not mean he couldn’t be happy.

All she could do was watch the ink disappear like his fate was never there, and hope a new fate can appear for him. You slammed the book shut and rush to make sure Eros was safe.

When you saw him getting an apple from a tree you immediately rushed to him with a hug. Eros almost fell from the rush of someone.

“Woah My love, are you alright?” he asked gently not wanting to trigger you.

You put your hands on his cheek to make sure he has no injuries. “Of course, Are you okay?” you asked worriedly.

“Yeah? ___ we saw each other ten minutes ago, what’s wrong?” he asked making you hesitate on the question it’s self. It’s not like you can hide his dying fate from him but know something could be wrong is killing you.

“Y-Your fate changed and I couldn’t do anything about it and I thought something was wrong” You admitted making him nod.

“My fate with a human girl?” he asked making you instantly nod.

“Yeah a-and wait how did you know?” You asked making him chuckle awkwardly before clearing his throat to explain.

“W-Well I look in the journal and saw how my fate went and honestly I don’t want that to happen because ___ goddess of fate i’m in love with you” He confessed making you blush in shyness.

“W-What?” You whispered.

“I got approval from you family especially Ares and Zeus even though they’re scary as hell but I was willing to do it for you and I have been falling for you for decades but you were to busy in your work” He explained

“Well Eros of love and sex I will happily be yours” You said making him spin you around in joy.

“I’ll definitely make you the most happiest goddess in this earth my love” he stated making you hum as you leaned in as you both kissed passionately.

[looseduke]

okay insane thought about names and the feelings i have about them as a transgender blended family kid. it requires a leap of logic where the fantasy high parent couples remain dating and get married or otherwise legally bind themselves together but follow me on this for a moment. also i don’t know or care if this follows canon im just deciding it does

gilear took sandra lynn’s last name

could not afford to change it after the divorce

gilear is just one of those ppl who really likes having the same last name as his life partners, doesn’t have to be his name, he just thinks it’s nice

(sandra lynn liked her name and though she has Many Issues and might have changed her name in an attempt at normalcy gilear’s name was definitely something outlandishly stupid and he suggested it first anyway so it worked out)

do u see where im going with this

gilear seacaster.

fabian is furious but this ain’t about him

something so funny about taking your (way funnier if they don’t even get married) girlfriend’s dead husband’s last name

he keeps faeth as a middle name bc it’s still a connection to fig that he values and wants to keep

anyway. jawbone hears about all of this. absolutely loves it. thinks it’s awesome

jawbone o’shaughnessy-faeth!

yes with the apostrophe and the hyphen. yes every time.

he likes the connection to gilear and fig as much as he does the one to sandra lynn <3

when consulted fig was SUPER enthusiastic about another dad. gilear was like sigh. that might as well happen. im already being dunked upon by my mean stepson. go ahead.

okay the grand finale. the reason i even made this fucking post

adaine kills her dad, gets adopted, and starts to wonder if she should change her name

adaine makes amends with her sister, and starts to wonder if she should keep it

jawbone lets her know right away that he’ll support her decision no matter what, but it takes a long time for her to decide

it takes watching gilear and fabian bicker over their shared last name, watching fig get sappy over gilear holding onto the name faeth, watching fig and jawbone get sappy over THEIR shared last name, watching sandra lynn hide a smile whenever it comes up, watching, watching, watching

watching her sister learn and grow and love her unconditionally

she makes her decision, and when her dad brings her home from the fantasy dmv, there’s a new name on her ID

adaine abernant-o’shaughnessy-faeth. yes all three names. yes with the apostrophe. yes with the hyphens. every time

it’s for her dad, yes, for the man who gave her a home, who helped her find her strength, who is always her safe space, but it’s for more then that too

it’s for her sister, who for better or worse is in all of her earliest memories. who never underestimated her. who’s trying, every day

it’s for her sister, who called her awesome on the first day of school. who’s always there for her. who wears her heart on her sleeve and teaches adaine it’s okay to be emotional. who’s her best friend

it’s for the man who took her in when he had next to nothing to offer, who shared his extra garlic knots and vending machine snacks, who hosted his daughters strange friends night after night without question or complaint

and it’s for the elven woman sitting across from her at the dinner table, who understands her greatest fear better then anyone else and has built a life for herself despite her mistakes. who protected her on their quest. who opened her house for about 6 teenagers to live there permanently and anywhere between 3 and 10 more to hang out as much as they want

adaine abernant-o’shaughnessy-faeth, the people’s oracle <3

[itsalwaysteatimeinwonderland]

Choosing Peace Pt. 11: Despair (Spike x Y/N)

Requested: No. This is part 11 of the multi fic.

Summary: Actions, even when misconstrued, speak louder than words.

TW: None

Word Count: 2.3k

Previous | Next

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Spike spent his days helping you research your curse. To seek a way to set you free would mean a chance for him to be part of your life. For far too long your only companion has been silence and emptiness, and he would give anything to replace those themes in your life. He didn’t have a full plan, just a gut feeling. He didn’t know for sure but he believed you were both close to a break through, at least he hoped so for his sanity. Spending your days searching book after book was getting tiring. He had to do it for you, for him.

You both worked diligently to find some missing link, some type of information that you had skipped. You became engrossed in an old leather-bound book while spike searched for possible books that could contain the appropriate way to break your curse. You take a pause. Joy bubbles in your chest. Disbelief drowns your thoughts. So many years of searching and finally, finally, you were given a partial answer on how to break the curse.

“I found something!” You exclaim.

Spike rushes to your side. You quickly read that an oracle must be consulted. You identify the place, the time but were unsure about what question to ask. As you go further down you find that your curse, since it was caused by a lover’s anger, can only be solved by a lover’s desire.

You wondered what that meant. It seemed too easy. As you keep reading you find out that you have to ask who your soulmate is. Only then will you find the key to break the curse. You grimace. Why did it have to be a lover? Why couldn’t it be a potion. Love is a sensitive topic, a non-issue if you will. But now, it was the only issue. Identify the soulmate, find them, and be free. Simple. Too simple.

You sat back frustrated. Spike, at your side, was excited and giddy.

“You found the answer. The key.” He exclaims.

“It seems too simple.” You mention.

“I think you’re just jaded. Give it a whirl, see where you end up.” Spike encourages you.

You sigh and close your eyes. You envision your life without the curse with a lover, maybe a family… and it all seems too surreal, too out of reach. You decide against the oracle and soulmate solution.

“I’m not doing it.” You announce.

Spike is surprised, “Why not, love? The worst thing that could happen is that it leads you nowhere. It’s worth a shot.”

“I don’t think so. I’ll keep looking for something more realistic. Right now, I need a break.” Without a another word you get up and leave the Magic Shop.

The Scooby gang witness the exchange. They are surprised at Spike’s investment in your life, your lack of interest in this new lead, and confused as to why you chose to walk away.

Your breath is labored, your thoughts in disarray. What if this was the answer? What if all you need is a mate? Someone to partner with? It surely can’t be that simple. Your pace becomes a jog, a sprint, a run. You don’t know where you’re going but you’re going. You’ve lived with this curse so long that the idea of living without it is scary, unknown. You need space. You need time to think.

Spike, back at The Magic Shop, sits back on the chair next to where y/n sat. He is confused, enraged. It’s selfish of him to want her to break the curse. Almost evil to want this more than her. He had plans, a future with her, and she was resistant to exploring her options.

“You think she’s scared?” Willow asked Buffy.

Buffy was dismissive of the whole situation, having her own thoughts about the curse.

“If she breaks it, does that mean she will age?” Xander pondered.

Buffy eventually chimes in, “Spike, you seem very invested in this.”

Spike turns to her, trapped. “She’s a friend. My only friend.” He digs in deep to hurt Buffy.

The conversation is dropped. Due to it being daylight, Spike is trapped at The Shop. He uses that time to formulate a plan on how to approach you, how to convince you.

Night falls and Spike is alive and on the move. He will find you no matter what. He looks at all the usual places. Your house, his crypt. Nothing. He eventually finds you at the look out, alone and confused. He slowly approaches you.

“Love…”

You don’t move but acknowledge him. He steps closer, cautiously.

“Spike, I’m afraid. It’s been so long, I don’t know how to be a human anymore.”

Spike reaches for your hand and gives it a soft squeeze. “Poppet, your compassion and empathy make you human. Not your mortality.”

You turn to look at him, tears in your eyes. He is surprised. He has never seen you this vulnerable. He pulls you into a hug and holds you tight. You break down and hold him as if he’s the only other person in the whole world.

You both stand in silence while the night air is filled with your sobs and sniffles. You look up at him, desperate for an anchor.

“Will you stand by me?”

“Always.” He says as he places his forehead against yours.

Spike was internally a whirlwind of emotions. Always there for her. Always self-sacrificing. He hoped that one day it would pay off.

The next morning you’ve decided to go through with finding the oracle. You’re mapping out your journey, making sure you’re ready for any tests. Spike observes you from afar, hopeful that you’ll find answers, and maybe -just maybe- a way to be free.

You spend the rest of the day psyching your self up for your journey. You remind yourself that you’re there to explore not to commit to any answers. Any lead is a good lead.

You try to sneak out of the house. Wanting to have this for yourself. Spike is waiting for you on the porch.

“Thought you could slip by me?” He says as he snuffs out his lit cigarette.

You sigh, defeated. You knew there was no way to dissuade him. You both embark on your journey. A treacherous walk up a hill, a shimmy in between rocks, a descent into a cave. You come upon a portal, a gateway to another dimension. Invisible to the naked eye but tangible to those who are connected to the super natural. You take a step forward and so does Spike. You stop him.

“No. I have to do this part alone. Wait for me.” You say as you walk into the portal.

Inside there are ornate ceilings, white walls and marble floors. You look around.

“Oracle, I come with a question.”

A form appears. A golden being with closed eyes. “What do you seek, traveler?”

“I… I need to know who my soulmate is.” You wait impatiently.

The figure stalls, breathes in and answers your plea.

The sound is deafening. The answer is not what you expected. Your mind is in disarray. Before you can ask for a follow up, to question his answer, you’re pulled back into the real world. You land on your butt with a loud thud. Spike is standing a few feet away. He hurries to hold you up. You stand there, awestruck and confused.

“Well?” Spike prods.

You shake your head, afraid to give him an answer. You start walking back the way you came. Spike holds you back by your arm.

“Did you get an answer or not?” He is impatient and scared.

“Yes.” You whisper.

Spike can tell it’s not what you wanted. He is perceptive and can read that you don’t want to elaborate. He nods and starts following you back to the beginning of your journey. The lack of expression on your face has him worried. Did the oracle not say his name? Was this all for naught?

You walk in silence. Deafening and loud. You’re in disbelief and upset. How will you handle this? How will you contend with this new information? You didn’t dare tell anyone. This was yours to keep.

Spike was suspicious and unnerved by your silence. He desperately wanted you to have said his name, to have confirmed that he was your soulmate. Yet, nothing. He decides to not push you, to let you process. That night he decides to stay in his crypt to give you space.

As he sits watching TV, not really paying attention, a knock is heard at his door. An odd occurrence since no one ever knocks. He gets up, hoping it’s you. He opens the door to find Buffy. Shy and vulnerable. He doesn’t have time for this. He plans on shutting the door, but she lets herself in.

“Why not me? When did you stop wanting me?” She asks.

Spike is taken aback, speechless. Before he can answer she is pressed against him, face tilted and eyes searching.

“Is it y/n? Is she better than me?”

Spike takes a step back, appalled by the closeness. He can’t do this, not tonight. She grabs him, holds him against his will. He stands there planning his next step.

As soon as Spike leaves you decide to wander the streets searching for something, but you didn’t know what. After a while you realize that you don’t want to be alone. You find yourself at Spike’s crypt. Addicted to his presence, in need of his attention. As you walk in you see Buffy and Spike pressed against each other. You’re shocked but not really. Spike turns to see you, fear in his eyes. Not this, not now.

You turn around without a word. Of course, Spike would seek respite in Buffy. They were meant to seek each other out. You never knew why but you knew they couldn’t stay apart. You fooled yourself into thinking that there was space in his life for you. It is for this reason you didn’t bother with love. It was never real. You pretend to not feel as you run back home.

Meanwhile Spike fights to get free from buffy.

“So, it is her.” Buffy says disdainfully.

Spike growls in frustration and runs after you. He catches up to you as you enter your porch. He reaches for you, but you turn to him.

“Sorry to interrupt.” You say with a bite.

“It’s not what you think.” He pleads.

“Spike, what you do is none of my business.” You try to be defiant, distant.

“She came to me. She wanted me. I was trying to get away.” He begged.

“Like I said, it’s none of my business. You chose, and I respect that.”

“Choose? I choose you. Always you.” He steps closer while you take a step back.

“I’m glad you can always go back to Buffy. I feel it’s best you stay in your crypt from now on.”

“I can’t do this with you Spike. I have too much going on.” You say with disdain and walk into your house slamming your door.

Spike is speechless. He stammers, begs. He basically gets on his knees.

“Don’t do this. It’s not what you think.”

Spike is left alone, in despair, in disbelief. He is shattered into a million pieces. His eyes prick with tears. He withholds a sob. He doesn’t let himself feel, he’s too vulnerable. Anger overtakes his sadness. That damned slayer. Always ruining things for him. That sick and twisted bitch. He is overflowing with feelings and all of them are a form of anger.

He stalks back to his crypt, hoping that the slayer is still there. Fortunately for him, she is.

“Kick you out like a dog?” Buffy taunts.

He is enraged and violent. He lunges after her making sure to hurt her as much as possible. However, Spike is no match for Buffy. Buffy makes sure to put him in his place. She is smug and full of herself.

“Don’t fight what is already done.” She walks towards him. “Now that your little fantasy is broken, are you ready to come back to me?”

Spike breathes in deep, choosing his words correctly. He may not be able to hurt her body but he can hurt her ego.

“The only reason you’re here is because you feel like shit, and hurting yourself by giving yourself up to me makes you feel something. You feel like an outcast, and you’ll never belong. Not anymore.” Spike spits out, bloody and bruised.

Buffy bites her lip. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She knew she could beat him into submission if she wanted to. As she thinks about forcing him into being hers, it dawns on her how she is acting. Her reactions are evil and full of hate. She has turned into the monster in this story. She has sunk as low as she can be. Not only does she feel like dirt, she finds ways to bring herself down even more. She steps back and runs out of the crypt. She is in disbelief of how Spike has dragged her down into his pit of despair.

Spike lays in his own puddle of blood, broken and lonely. Tears stain his face as sobs echo in his crypt. He has lost the one good thing in his life. He was so close to salvation and now he’s back to square one. He knew he didn’t deserve y/n but he didn’t have to lose her this way. He hurts not only for his situation but also for the pain he caused you. How will he redeem himself. Having a soul wasn’t enough. Now in your time of need he wasn’t allowed to comfort you, to hold you. He knew cold and lonely nights await him. He knew that despair and anger were going to be his companions. He wondered if he would ever get you back.

[igotanidea]

Retaliation: Jason Todd x plus-size!fem! reader

“You should not be staying here alone.”

“Hm?” Y/N was more focused on the chocolate pudding in front of her than the words her boyfriend shot her direction.

“You should not be staying here alone” he repeated rolling his eyes at her obliviousness.

“I’m not alone.” she licked the spoon before continuing “Alfred is here. Besides, I believe that Wayne manor has all sort of crazy technology protection measures, right? Some of them of my invention?”

“Still, I don’t like the idea…..”

“Come on, Jace.” She took a step forward, dessert in her hand. No matter what she was not willingly giving up on her piece of sweet “it’s not the first time and most definitely not the last. Why are you getting paranoid now?”

“Not sure…. Maybe it’s the instinct.”

“Maybe it’s the urge to avoid patrol with Grayson.” She smirked

“I’ll ditch him within ten seconds from the start of it and you know it. I think it’s rather the urge to not leave you alone with that chocolate thing.”

“Get the hell away from my pudding!” she yelled and rushed through the door to save herself from Jason’s greedy hands .

***

It wasn’t unusual for Y/N to stay at the manor for the night. Sometimes, she was accompanying Oracle in the batcave, some other working on her tech stuff, but still she was present there. This time however, she needed peace. Of course it was hard to focus on anything while Jason was out in the field, going full crazy with his guns and stuff, getting himself in danger, but Y/N had to force herself to try and get some rest. So instead of staying in the four walls, she decided to take a bit of fresh air. If you can even talk about fresh air in Gotham City. Still, grabbing her jacket and a pair of favorite fingerless gloves she sneaked a peek into the kitchen when Alfred was busy baking.

“Alfred.”

“Miss Y/n”  the butler turned around from the counter and smiled at her. “Going somewhere?”

“Just gotta clear my mind. A lot has been going on lately.”

“Surely it did. But please, don’t be long. I may need help with preparations.”

“The feast for our fearless protectors?” the girl smiled wildly, a chuckle escaping her mouth.

“that’s one way to describe them.” Alfred smiled back lightly

“ Are you preparing your cookies?”

“I do.”

“Then I will be back in a heartbeat. That’s the only way to ensure I will get at least one of it.”

***

She did not come back in a heartbeat. She did not come back in an hour and after that time Alfred became a bit worried. Trying to keep calm he went down to the batcave to consult with Barbara, who being herself, immediately took the action, searching long and wide for any sign of Y/n. The thing she found was far from good news.

***

"Who the hell is she?"

"I don't really know. She was in the manor so....."

"You idiot!" the first man smacked the first one on the head "Were you thinking at all?!"

"Relax, Denver, maybe we can actually benefit from it. If she was at the manor she probably has some value to Wayne or one of his sons...."

"Denver ?" Y/N couldn’t help a single laugh despite the bag on her head blocking her vision and the fact that situation was far from funny "Have you guys been watching Money Heist much?"

"You shut up or I'll help you" with a single harsh move her vision was back and she squinted trying to prevent eyes from the light.

"Let me guess" her gaze focused on the man in front of her. "If you're Denver, since you really act like the most impulsive one, than he "she motioned towards the man by the wall "must be Marseille, the intermediary between you two" . And you....." she looked at he one acting like the leader of the group "let me guess, you're Berlin? Or did you go straight for the name of Professor?"

"You talk a lot for someone who's just been captured....." the leader took a few steps forward "But you're good, I'll give you that. I go by Berlin, indeed. Now, let's see the pretty face Marseille got for us.... Oh, fuck....." the sudden change of tone and unexpected word got his accomplices on high alert.

"What happened boss?" the man who called himself Denver stuttered.

"Do you know who she is? Do you freaking now who that fucking one is? You've captured Red Hood's girl!"

"Wait.... How do you know....?" Y/N stuttered

"We got our ways, sunshine. Now, this is not going to be nice for you....." he smirked reaching for the knife resting on the nearby table and his wild face expression made Y/N shiver.

Oh, no.......

***

“Red?”  getting in touch with Jason to drop the news to him was far from the preferred way to spend the night, but Babs really had no choice in the matter if she wanted to save her friend. 

“Kinda busy here, Oracle.”

“this is rather important.”

“Everything is rather important. I can’t really do three things at once. You got four vigilantes running loose so why don’t you…..”

“It’s about Y/n.” she specified. Time was of the essence in this case so she was trying to use as little words as possible only to get Jason going. Of course that informing any other member of the family was an option, but eventually Red Hood would find out what happened and flatten everyone and everything for not letting him know first. After all, Y/N was his girlfriend. No one else’s. And it wasn;t like he was underlying it proudly at every time possible.

“What about her?” for a moment the only sound echoing through the comms were bangs and some screams, clear sign that a single mention of her name and possibility of her being in danger got his mind spinning and his action more violent.  And then Jason came back “What happened?” 

***

It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

The guys who captured her were surely not the ones to joke around and make empty promises. Once they realized who she was they tried everything to get her to talk and spill Red’s secret identity. Not that she was going to talk of course, but the price to pay for silence was extremely hard.

“Damn it, you bitch!” Denver yelled and punch her straight in the face, hitting an eye and she could feel the bruise forming. “You better talk right now or….”

“Denver.” Berlin spoke calmly “Please, the girl is our guest. Is that how you treat your guests? I don’t really think so. “ he took a step towards her, grabbing her swollen face in his hand and making her look at him “it would be a shame to mutilate such pretty face…..”

“Screw you” she spat but it only made the man laugh

“You see, gentlemen. This little one has to be taught some manners. It’s a shame Joker is not in town tonight, he would show you the real meaning behind the words “big mouth.”

“Screw you ….” She repeated, but this time it came out weaker. Maybe it was because of the fact that for whatever seemed like an eternity now she was tortured with the use of every tool and every method possible. She was tied to the chair, her hands bind behind her, wrist swollen and purple because of the cut of the blood supply. She had sprained ankle which hurt like hell and many deep cuts on her legs which allowed the blood to drip freely making her feel hazy and dizzy. She also had countless bruises all over her arms and possibly dislocated shoulder. And now, also a black eye. Her head was hanging low and she was losing all the motivation to fight, not that she was going to show it to them.

“You are so stubborn, aren’t you? why don’t we start again then?” Berlin reached towards the table and grabbed something that looked like  giant nail clippers “Step by step. First, you tell me who is the Red Hood. Then I’d like to know about the Nightwing. And last, but not least, Batman.”

“There is clearly something wrong with your priorities” the sudden hit in the chest made her cough and much to her terror she saw some blood coming from her mouth.

“every time you refuse to cooperate I will pull one of your fingernails.” Berlin moved closer to the chair and twisted her arm painfully, placing her finger between the claws.

“He’s going to get to you, you know…..” she whispered “he’ll find you and then…..”

“Then what, sunshine?” Marseille, silent until now joint the discussion pulling her head back and squeezing her already hurt neck, putting another knife to it. “You still think he can save you? You watch to many movies….”

“What good will it come to you if you kill me?” she panted, her heartrate picking up significantly “you still won’t know who he is underneath that mask. You’ll be left in the dark, so what is the whole point of….Auch!”

“You still don’t get it, doll, do you? We’re just sending a signal here. You see, your loverboy interfered with some of our business and let me tell you, there were consequences for us. Not the kind you like. So this…” Marseille motioned towards her broken figure “is just a collateral damage. You are a collateral damage. A lucky coincidence we captured you since it was not planned. But it will get to Hood. And when he comes….” He laughed viciously “we’ll be ready.”

“Screw…..”

“You said that before and it got you nowhere, sweetheart. Again then. Who is Red Hood?” once again the clipper got really close to her finger and Y/N gulped loudly.

“Why don’t you just ask the object of your interest?” familiar, yet modulated by the helm voice reverberated from the right upper corner of the barn the men were keeping Y/n.

“Look who decided to drop by.” Berlin smiled wildly, especially when he noticed the gun pointed at him. “now, now, Red. We all know you are way past your killing days, don’t you.”

“I can make exceptions” Jason’s gaze travelled towards Y/N who was now almost unconscious on that fucking chair, blooded, bruised, exhausted, tortured.  And still with Marseille’s knife at her throat. Jason had to be extremely careful now.

“You want to add to your girl’s trauma? Poor thing has been through so much….. Believe me, we have very vivid imagination when it comes to retaliation.”

“I can assure you, it could never compare to mine.” Jason took a step forward, now almost having the gun at Berlin’s forehead “Easy, Hood. One wrong move and Marseille’s going to cut her throat without any inhibitions. “

“What do you want?” Jay’s voice broke slightly

“Take off your mask and expose yourself or… you know” Berlin made a very unambiguous gesture. “You can’t win this round, you know it. There are three against one, even you are not that good.”

“I’ve dealt with worse….”

“But not when the life of someone you love was at stake.”

Jason hesitated. He could easily take all of the men down, but could he be fast enough to save her as well? He knew Marseille, that one was a devil in disguise, the most unpredictable opponent, never acting like he was expected to. Once again, his gaze travelled to Y/N and his heart clenched. For a while her consciousness was back and he looked him straight into the eyes, her own filled with tears, fear and so much pain. She shook her head slowly, silent begging for him to not surrender for her sake, but Marseille pulled her by the hair and she stopped. It was the moment Jason could not take it anymore. His brain stopped functioning. Let them know who he was. Let them. If it means that Y/n would be kept safe he would go for it.

“Fine….” He muttered reaching up to remove the helmet.

“No! No, don’t, please, please!” Y/n yelled and the second that voice came from her things happened too fast to comprehend.

Nightwing and Red Robin came out of nowhere, heading straight towards Marseille who immediately yanked Y/N up using her as a shield.  At the same time Robin went at Berlin from behind, tackling him to the ground. In such circumstances Jason fired a single shot into Denver’s leg eliminating him from the equation for good. However, the other two were not so easy to give up. Berlin got up from the floor and attacked Jason, showing unusual fighting skills, which were a bit surprising yet still not sufficient to beat Red Hood. It only took a couple seconds when he was back on the ground being beaten to death by the anti-hero.

“You hurt her!” he yelled “You should die for that!” at this point Jason did not care where his punches and kicks landed. In all his blind fury, the only image behind his eyes was Y/N, broken, scared, injured…. This only fueled his rage and made the motions more violent and powerful. He was so oblivious of what was happening that it took Dick’s interference to bring him back to reality.

“Hood!” he yelled

“Fuck off, Grayson!”

“She needs you!”

Those three little words worked like a magic spell. Jason immediately dropped unconscious Berlin, whose face was now more like a bloody pulp than anything else and looked about. Marseille was down as well, now getting tied up by Damian and a few meters further he noticed Y/N’s limp body, her head resting on Tim’s lap. The boy stood up abruptly, pushing away Dick and fall on his knees next to her, slowly and gently getting her in his arms, careful not to cause any more damage. It only took him a second to notice the deep cut on her throat and a pool of blood. Her blood.

“y/n…. no, no, no, no….” Without hesitation he took the cape Tim handed him and was trying to use it to block the bleeding “Baby, please, stay with me….Please” he sobbed noticing her breath getting more and more shallow.

“Jay….” She stuttered reaching for his cheek and cupping it gently, her hand so limp when he put his own bigger over hers. Limp and cold and pale just like her whole face.

“hush, baby. Save your strength. Just hold on to me, all right? It’s gonna be all right. You’re gonna be alright. Just don’t let go….” His grip on her grew stronger and stronger while she was becoming more pale and weak and started coughing.

“I’m….. I’m sorry…. Jay…..” she closed her eyes and took a desperate breath “I…. I love you…..”

“No, no, no, no! Don’t you dare dying on me! You hear me? I forbid you!” his hands were stained with her blood. A stain he knew he could never clean, no matter how hard he would try.

“Bossing me…. around…. Huh?”

‘I know you like it when I do that…” he brushed a strand of hair from her bloody face and rested his forehead on hers, closing eyes in silent desperation. Don't leave me, don't leave me, don't leave me.

“And yet, I never….. “ she coughed “never listened”

“Make an exception this time” he pleaded, tears falling from his eyes. “I can’t lose you…. Y/N, baby…..”

“Jay…” she whispered, eyes blurry, losing contact with reality. All the light that her gaze usually held slowly dying with each faint heartbeat. If only he could ......

"Jason...."

“I told you to fuck off Dickhead!” he spat at his brother, not caring what the oldest had to say at the moment.

“The help is here” Dick motioned towards the paramedics rushing through the warehouse door. “Come on, let them work, it’s not too late….. Jay?”

 The view of big, scary Red Hood kneeling next to the girl who was the love of his live, holding her close to his chest, while sobbing, rocking back and forth and repeatedly kissing her forehead muttering some incoherent words was heartbreaking for everyone. And there was nothing either of the boys could do.

“Miracles like this don’t happen…..” Jason sobbed while Y/N’s body was practically ripped off his embrace by paramedics and put into the ambulance, while his brothers held him back, preventing from beating the medics. “I lost her….. I lost Y/n…..”

Possible part 2 - let me know if you want another part of angst, mourning and heartache.

@jasontoddsthickbabe

[transdimensional-void]

bael the bard, danaë, perseus, and jon

has anyone discussed before how the bael the bard legend is not only a remix of the hades/persephone myth but also of the myth of danaë and perseus?

the myth

i want to start by retelling the full myth because while there’s a lot that isn’t relevant to bael the bard’s story, i believe some of the other parts might be relevant to the future story in the books. bear with me because it’s a little long.

danaë is a princess, daughter of the king of argos. the king has no male heirs, so he consults the oracle of delphi, who tells him that he will never have a son but that his daughter will...and that this grandson will one day kill him.

fearful of his life, he locks danaë in a room beneath his palace (or at the top of a tower, depending on the version of the myth) to keep her from ever conceiving a child. however, the god zeus takes a shine to her and sneaks through her prison bars in the form of a golden rain. the rain falls upon her and impregnates her.

when the king learns of danaë's pregnancy, he decides he must get rid of both her and the child. however, murdering his own kin would anger the gods, so instead he locks mother and child inside a chest and sets them afloat on the sea. the gods intervene, and poseidon, brother of zeus, sees to it that the pair make it safely to another island, where they are taken in by the local king. the child, perseus, is raised in the temple of athena.

the king who takes them in wants to marry danaë, but she refuses. he says he'll give up on the idea if perseus slays the gorgon medusa. the gods grant perseus gifts that help him succeed. he is bringing medusa's head back as proof of his success, when he sees a princess chained to a rock by the sea. this is andromeda, who is being sacrificed to a sea monster that has been terrorizing the coast of her homeland, aethiopia. the sea monster is revenge from the gods for her mother's hubris in claiming she was more beautiful than the nereids. perseus makes a deal with her father that he can marry her if he saves her.

perseus uses medusa's head to turn the sea monster to stone and consequently receives andromeda's hand in marriage. at the wedding feast, her uncle, to whom she was promised before the whole sea monster debacle, tries to intervene, but perseus turns him to stone with medusa's head. then he takes andromeda home with him, shows the head to the king as proof of his success, and saves his mother from the unwanted marriage.

later, he goes to the olympic games and, while participating in the discus (or javelin) toss, accidentally hits his grandfather in the head, killing him instantly. thus, he unintentionally fulfills the prophecy. having murdered the king of argos, he refuses his claim to its throne and instead becomes king of a nearby land.

bael the bard

there are some clear parallels between this myth and the bael the bard myth we learn in "a clash of kings." (oops just noticed i had the book wrong here).

the king who lacks a male heir but has a daughter whose son could become his heir. the girl locked underground. the girl ripped away from her home and family. a dubiously consensual romantic encounter that results in the girl's only child. the son going on to unwittingly kill a male forebearer.

of course, the bael the bard myth is echoed in-universe by several storylines, most notably the story of lyanna...which means that it is also echoed in the story of jon.

implications for jon's story

it's interesting to consider whether some of the elements of perseus's story which aren't included in the bael the bard myth will show up in jon's story. some of them already have, such as the girl's son being rescued by his uncle (poseidon rescues perseus, ned rescues jon) and a prophecy being made about the child even before he is conceived (perseus will kill his grandfather, jon will in some way fulfill a prophecy rhaegar was obsessed with).

the stark maiden's son goes on to become an unwitting kin/kingslayer, and so does perseus. if jon ends up killing a king or queen who is also his blood relative, then he would be following the pattern set by both stories. while bael's son slays his father and perseus slays his grandfather, in both cases the girl's son kills the man who imprisoned his mother and separated her from her home and family. jon, of course, can kill neither his father nor his grandfather, as all of these people are already dead. however, he could kill another relative, perhaps one who has already fantasized herself as rhaegar...and by killing her, he could in essence be "killing" his father's family's entire legacy.

it's also interesting that, while the son in the bael the bard story takes his grandfather's seat (not his father's), perseus refuses to take his grandfather's seat after having killed him and instead takes a nearby throne. i wonder which one jon's story will more closely resemble. i don't see jon ending the story as lord of winterfell or king of westeros (his two grandfathers' seats). i can see him ultimately refusing both seats, especially considering he's already refused the lordship of winterfell. but he could be given a lordship near to winterfell instead...

another fascinating connection is the story of perseus and andromeda. the andromeda story is seen as a possible precursor to the story of st. george and the dragon update: this is the meta i meant to link (thanks to @kellyvela for opening my eyes to this amazing reference within the novels). in andromeda's story, not only does a mythical monster get slain to protect the beautiful princess, but her uncle who is trying to marry her also gets killed to keep him from getting his hands on her. i wonder if there are any princesses in the novels who have uncles trying to marry them who might need to slaying... i can't conceive of why such a princess would be showing up in a story related to jon! hmmm... of course, in george's twist on the tale, the princess will get to slay her own monstrous uncle (in a castle made of snow).

also, i'm sure i'm not the first to point out the strong possibility of danaë being an inspiration for dæny's name. dæny is a princess who is sent by sea to live in another land and does conceive a child of prophecy. however, it very much seems that with her son's death, her connection to the myth of danaë dies as well. she takes on the destiny prophesied for her son, in a sense becoming the hero of her own story.

conclusion

considering how many bael references are sprinkled throughout the novels, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are other connections to the myths of danaë and perseus than the ones i mentioned here, so i’d love to hear what other think!

[tomboy014]

I’m mostly going off of fanon when it comes to Constantine, so bear with me, but after all the times Constantine has complained to the JLA for dragging him into whatever problem they’ve managed to bumble into, Batman and Oracle have started looking for alternative occult and supernatural consultants, but it’s not like they can just look someone up in the phone book… right?

Except that’s exactly where Oracle finds Harry Dresden, Professional Wizard. 

There aren’t many records Oracle’s able to pull up, and what she does find is a mixed bag.  He’s got a fairly decent record working as a consultant with the Chicago PD, but he’s also worked with known criminal organizations.  There’s a pending lawsuit with TV studio over some wrecked equipment, good reviews from his former landlady, and a mix of dissatisfied and very satisfied customers, but it seems like, for the most part, he gets results. 

Plus, his rates are reasonable and he’s willing to travel; might as well bring him in on a trial run.

Nothing big at first.  Break up a new cult, disprove a haunting, all much smaller and easier than what he usually deals with back in Chicago.  He’s even managed to not burn down a building or two while he’s been here.  And while his methods can be… unorthodox, he can hold his own in a fight using both magical and mundane methods.  He’s a good detective and can work a crime scene.  He’s a hell of a lot more personable than Constantine.  Most importantly, he’s willing to teach.  Giant dork that he is, he’s eager to explain the magical theory behind his methods.

After a few months, Batman asks if Dresden is willing to be brought on full time, so to speak, and work his first “big” case.

“Only if you can provide a babysitter.” 

…What?

The Carpenter’s are on their family trip, and he doesn’t really have anyone else who can watch his kid.  He can only help if they can get him a babysitter.

Not what any of the Bats were expecting, but Batman can call in a “favor.”

Cue Dresden rolling up to Wayne Manor with little Maggie and her trusty sidekick, Mouse, in tow.

Alfred gets Maggie and Mouse settled in, and once she’s out of the room, Dresden turns to Bruce Wayne and casually asks if he gets to see the Batcave.

Dresden is aware he’s not always the brightest crayon in the toolshed, but he’s still a damn good detective, and he knows people.  It didn’t take him long to puzzle out that Bruce and the kids are vigilantes.  Bruce isn’t happy, but it does make things easier going forward.

Other than Tim, the Birds take to Dresden quickly.  He’s good with kids, never talking down to them, and is full of dorky movie and book references.  He can sling almost as much sass and sarcasm around as Steph.  Maggie is tiny and adorable and looks like a mini-Cass they can all coo over.  And Damian cannot get enough of Mouse who is just so large and fluffy and so much dog!  Tim doesn’t want Dresden to come anywhere near him; he shorts out every tablet and has to stay at least 20ft from the Bat Computer to keep it from shorting out.

So, Dresden finally works with the Justice League on some big, world-ending doomsday case, and yeah, this is unfortunately the speed he’s used to working at.  And, of course, a building burns down, but it was mostly not his fault!  But, everyone comes out more or less in one piece, the day is saved, and a bruised and beaten Dresden drags himself back to Wayne manor to recover before heading back to Chicago.

Just a normal day for Harry Dresden, professional wizard and supernatural consultant for the Justice League of America.

Still a much better deal than he’s used to getting.  The pay is good, and he doesn’t have to constantly watch his back against his own teammates.  Perk of working with superheroes; they’re generally good guys. 

But the biggest perks have been the positive effects on his daughter, Maggie.  It’s no Chez Carpenter, but the Manor and all the bat kids have a strong and warm family vibe of their own.  They’re (worryingly) good at helping talk her down from panic attacks and PTSD episodes.  They’ve got a lot of parenting advice to give, too.

And Maggie can finally get the therapy she needs from Black Canary without Dresden worrying about her being thrown into a loony bin for talking about the literal monsters she’ been exposed to.  Harry, too.

This is the best Harry and Maggie have been doing in a long time.

John Constantine, on the other hand, is getting worried.  The JLA have gone a suspiciously long time without getting themselves into trouble, and despite the way he acts, he does care in his own way, so he goes to check on them.  And who does he find they’ve invited into their house?  Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, apprentice of Justin DuMorne, son of Margaret LeFay, fiancé to Lara Raith of the White Court of Vampires, and the right-hand goon of the Dark Faerie Queen herself, Mab.  For Dresden, he can’t believe John Constantine, renegade warlock, necromance and black magic practitioner, just walked in.  He’s been on the Warden’s list for years. 

Both parties are trying to make their case about why they shouldn’t be using the other; they’re evil!  But the more Dresden and Constantine yell and argue with each other, the more they realize that they’re both working outside boundaries, but generally in the direction of good.  The two end up in positions that require them to work together, and it goes surprisingly well.  Their knowledge and experiences complement each other’s, and they make a well-oiled, if reluctant, duo.

[tinysnailtales]

Thoughts from reading Yona of the Dawn Ch. 9

Ch.9 in summary: Hak and Yona are confronted/attacked by Tae-Jun. In a test of her newfound principles and in desperation to save Hak, Yona chooses to reject helplessness and take more direct action, unlocking a fire inside of her.

"How're we supposed to find someone if we don't know where he is?" – sorry, Hak, I'm afraid you'll be doing a lot of that in the near future XD

"Since ancient times, there have been priests in Kouka who gazed into the kingdom's future...if you're unsure of what you should, you should consult them, your highness." – the introduction of priests (or, I believe as the anime translated it, "oracles," which sounds a little more mystical to me) + the idea of a greater path for Yona. It almost sounds like Mundok has an inkling of what that path contains and like his person beliefs tie to the priests.

"They used to live in the temple in the royal palace. I hear they once were a powerful force in national politics. But when Lord Yu-Hon cracked down on them, they all left. Now, they live in remote areas in secret" – Yu-Hon being responsible for chasing the priests out and removing them from positions of influence feels like it factors into the mysterious history of Il/Yu-Hon/the succession.

"The right path, huh? Right now, I'm just struggling to survive" – Yona has grown a lot already, but she's still a wandering soul (literally and figuratively) just trying to live another day. She doesn't know what the future brings. But she will need to shift from "surviving" to "living." Right now it probably seems impossible, but she needs a purpose. I think she has begun to discover it in her growing care for others and the action she has taken to protect them.

"...can anyone really live here?" "Well, you'd probably fall off a cliff, princess." – famous last words, Hak.

"No one could survive in these cold mountains..." "The land that the Fire Tribe controls is even more desolate." – a fun little link back to the opening flash-forward scene! ("Back then...I had no idea it could get so cold outside the palace walls") Yona is beginning/continuing to discover more about her kingdom's land and its people.

"I used to be the princess of this nation...but Hiryuu Palace was all I knew. 'I don't know.' How foolish I must have sounded." – Yona is ashamed of her lack of knowledge. She was ignorant about both her kingdom's people and the land itself. She never left the palace, being extremely sheltered.

"Sleeping outside? I've started getting used to it" – Already Yona has grown a little tougher and more resilient. She's adapting to her new life. With Soo-Won's betrayal and being on the run, reality hit extremely hard but the changes to her circumstances are changing her in turn and producing that growth.

"This isn't like the mountains behind the palace..." – in fact, Yona's growth was already happening when she was in her worst and weakest state. Hak saved her physical body and now the Wind Tribe has saved her spirit, infusing her with hope, courage, and determination.

"Then I'll sleep in your arms and stay warm" *cue flabbergasted Hak freakout* – This would be such a good line if it has been intentional XD But Yona thinks nothing of it.

She's kind of unaffected by the idea of being close to Hak–essentially, she's "Soo-Won-ing" him aka treating Hak how Soo-Won treated her/not fully viewing him as a "man" or considering him as a romantic prospect. She's not completely clueless because tell me she wouldn't have been affected by the idea of being in the same situation with Soo-Won when she blushed just from holding his hand and sleeping next to him. But also–girl. Hello. She's got some obliviousness and/or a Hak-shaped blindspot.

I think this is somewhat related to how firmly Hak is in her mind as "protector" and her trust in him. There's a little bit of "why would I be embarrassed? It's Hak."

But boooooy do I think that gets to Hak. When he recovers from his initial reaction, he is quick to shift into kind of sleazy-flirty-mode: "Sounds fine to me. But I might get up to something." – He is affected by Yona and how unaffected she seemed at the idea.

Yona's "Something?" does feel like an indication of at least some innocence and ignorance regarding adult relationships. Maybe it challenges the maturity she thought she displayed in how she regarded Soo-Won. Hak's first try at saying "hey, I am a guy. Don't forget" goes over her head, and if it's not just cluelessness, then Yona is in deep with her belief that Hak couldn't mean that so his "up to something" must be referring to something else. She genuinely doesn't realize he likes her.

I find Yona's obliviousness a fun contrast to the denial and suppression we see from a character like Maomao in The Apothecary Diaries. I would love to see Maomao smack some sense into Yona on this topic.

"...something like this" – and Hak resorts to physical demonstration to finally get the point across and I do think when it comes to the two of them, actions from Hak do have the ability to get Yona flustered, she's usually just not expecting them. Hak's got a slight element of unpredictability in this regard.

The line between Hak getting his point across and genuinely protecting Yona is blurry here–I'm not sure where one ends and the other begins. Because Yona is made uncomfortable, Hak is lucky the moment blends into a cool "I can detect how many people are coming" scene or else I might be more frustrated with him.

(We call this whole ramble "trying to explain character behavior I don't love" and I do support flawed characters so...)

Yona's reaction shows how fear is still very real for her and paralyzes her a bit.

Hak getting on my nerves a little, but I think he kind of has to have the last word on the matter and reverts to his usual strategy of making light of things/teasing. It's like his armor as he tries not to be hurt by his unrequited feelings.

I do like the "fwump," putting Yona's hood back up to hide her. Even when he's being an ass, Hak is in Yona protector mode.

Big fan of protector stance Hak and the "slash" panel is gorgeoooous but it's interesting how deadly/violent Hak can be and how he seems to enjoy it. He is a trained general and guard, after all, but his grins really stand out.

"'Hak fights like lightning! If we ever fought seriously, he'd beat me to a pulp.' Even at a moment like this...I still remember your face..." –Even after everything and under threat of danger, Soo-Won is in Yona's thoughts. For her, it's like an "everything reminds me of you" situation and also indicates how she valued his opinion.

At least Yona has some self-awareness about the dominance of Soo-Won in her mind.

And "if we ever fought seriously, he'd beat me to a pulp" – foreshadowing?

I appreciate this moment of Hak being Hak (aka a little sarcastic, teasing shit who pretends to not take things seriously) and ignoring Tae-Jun because 1. lol Tae-Jun's reaction of "No, no, that's fine...WAIT." and 2. it emphasizes how Hak is that way with everyone, not just Yona. It lessens the string of some of his less-than-savory comments to her for me. Or at least re-contextualizes.

It's a good frame of reference for Hak's treatment of Yona (How does he treat her in these teasing moments in comparison to how he treats others– or what is the teasing about? Usually with Yona, his comments are like a deflection "I don't have feelings for you. Nope." + How does he treat her outside of those moments?)

A small moment, but I like how he is sure to say "don't punish the Wind Tribe for my actions" + "hurting me won't impact the Wind Tribe"

I like these panels and they show that yes, Hak can take things seriously, especially when he's in protector mode.

And I know it's heat of the moment, but this is kind of what I was referencing earlier regarding Yona being unaffected by being close to Hak and viewing physical proximity to him as something more practical than anything else.

"I'm scared! Arrows and soldiers are coming at us from every side...even Hak...can't handle all this!"

– so I did a rambling analysis of the weight-related comments from Hak in my goodreads review but basically weight gain for Yona = recovery and an indicator of health so Hak would actually secretly be pleased about it, but there's still a negative connotation considering how he uses it to tease her and I think its inclusion is in poor taste.

But with that out of the way, it is worth noting how Hak (in typical fashion) seems to use his comment to try and make light of the situation/distract Yona as she experiences panic and fear.

"Hak!! Hak?! Are you all right?!" "Stop fussing over me. It's creepy" "You're...you're bleeding" – Hak said "I'd take a bullet (arrow) for you"!!

I think this is a better use of the teasing/making light of the situation method by Hak. He's trying to play it off, but YONA CARES ABOUT HIM. You can clearly see the pain on his face.

"He got injured from protecting me...'If you're with me, I'll have to protect you.' I..." – Yona realizes the truth of Hak's words about having to protect her if they travel together and so soon into their travels.

Tae-Jun even said "I couldn't care less about the Wind Tribe. I'm going to kill you because I have business with the princess here!" to Hak. Before, Yona felt partially responsible for the suffering of the Wind Tribe and the injured merchants, but here the feeling of responsibility is even stronger and more direct. The guilt and sadness eats at her.

"I knew Hak would shield her with his body" – more of everyone knowing Hak's devotion to Yona and an example of how Hak is both a weapon and a shield for Yona ("a tool")

"They're going to kill Hak!"

"No, think about this. I should stay put...and hold my breath. If I go out there, I'll only be in his way. Just like earlier. It'll be all right. Hak is really strong."

"He could dodge that arrow. I'll stay right here and wait for him to come back. Hak...would never die." – Yona has had to face a lot that at one point seemed incomprehensible: her father's death, Soo-Won's betrayal... does the reliability and presence of Hak feel even more unshakable than her father and Soo-Won? And/or does she realize that nothing is written in stone?

"NO. Why did I leave Fuuga in the first place?" –in the last chapter, Yona became determined to take action and not accept that she should be passive and everything will be okay. But in Fuuga, taking action was more theoretical and relatively safe. The action of leaving to protect someone is much easier than being in the heat of battle.

Yona decided what she values/her principles, but this is her first big test in regards to them. Was she just all talk?

A BIG MOMENT for Yona, a sort of culmination of the growth she has been experiencing so far. And it's beautiful.

"Why did I leave Fuuga in the first place? Was it to have Hak protect me while I hide? If so, I should have stayed where I was. I'm just a burden to him. What would I do if he weren't here? Do I plan to admit that I'm weak and keep cowering?"

This reminds me of how I love the questions Yona asks herself back in chapter 1 ("Am I not allowed to be happy?" + "I'm allowed to have these feelings, aren't I?") and her honesty with herself and others. Yona feels and admits that she's weak. She feels powerless and helpless and like a burden, but she doesn't want to hide or keep cowering. She wants to be someone worth protecting and be someone capable of protecting, for Hak and for herself. She rejects the position of damsel she's gotten used to and decides to change.

"Before I ask for any divine answers...there are some questions I need to ask myself" – and I love this part too. There's a re-centering and some introspection happening before she chooses the path forward. This goes back to her journey of self-discovery and who she wants to be, and I think it demonstrates Yona placing value in herself and her thoughts + opinions.

She won't be a doll to be manipulated or just do what others say. She will decide for herself and bring her own thoughts to the table.

I think it's cool that we get all of this here. Maybe survival would be more likely if she stayed hidden, but she's choosing to live, not just survive. It brings things back to her thoughts from the beginning of the chapter: "The right path, huh? Right now, I'm just struggling to survive." In choosing to emerge from hiding and act, she has some direction and purpose.

LOOK AT THOSE EYES. Yona is pissed and I live for it. There's a clear fire lit inside her.

"W–What's going on? I thought being driven from the palace had broken her spirit" – Yona shocks Tae-Jun (who isn't as dumb as he appears as he correctly assumed Yona's state post-Soo-Won betrayal but he didn't account for what her time with the Wind Tribe would do!)

"We must talk" – Yona is using what she has, her words, but this also works as a reflection of her father's nonviolence.

"You poor thing...! Soo-Won has treated you abominably. But if you come with me and tell the truth, we could drag him off the throne. You can avenge your father"

"If you new all that...why did the Fire Tribe put pressure on the Wind Tribe? Why did you attack those merchants? If you know the truth about what happened...you shouldn't have been trying to hurt the Wind Tribe...or trying to kill Hak for no reason! There are more important things you should've been doing!" – Yona sees through Tae-Jun and cracks down on how he + the Fire Tribe hurt innocents, she is continuing to dedicate herself to the people + be outraged on their behalf. And while before her emotions regarding what happened to the merchants and the Wind Tribe skewed more towards sadness, now she is fueled by anger.

Yona is also continuing with her refusal to be manipulated/do what others say and adding onto that, she's refusing to accept being talked down to.

"Her eyes look like they're on fire...I can't take my eyes off her!" – Yona is stepping into her power and others can see it!

"I may be a naive princess...but I'm not foolish enough...to listen to anyone who acts so senselessly!" – jabbing at Tae-Jun's priorities while asserting her own. Yona is again demonstrating self-awareness and honesty ("naive princess") but still doing what she can and acting from the heart. She has a passion to her.

"Her highness is supposed to be young and malleable..." – Yona standing up to Tae-Jun is standing up against what Hak hates about the nobility: people being treated as pawns + dishonesty + selfishness. She will not be a tool (which makes me think of how Hak told her to use him as a tool. He does submit to her will but he isn't malleable and is unshakable in his devotion)

And even Hak is shook by Yona's actions and words here. This is a part of her maybe even he hasn't seen before.

"...her crimson tresses...looked like they were flames about to consume her" – it's almost like Yona's rage and thoughts are too powerful for her body. She has a powerful emotionality and she may continue to show that feelings are not weak but actually the opposite.

Yona's hidden power has been unlocked, but what exactly is it? Here it seems to be determination + emotionality + passion driven by care for others. It's kind of her "Wind Tribe moment" aka doing as they did, moving from inspiration to action.

[godsofhumanity]

Can we have headcanons about Apollo and his relationship with the fates (definitely not because i miss my sunshine boy) considering Apollo is the god of Prophecy and he tricked them once into letting one of his favorite mortals live in exchange for someone else

whew. ok. this one has been in the inbox for a while because i couldn't think of anything but i've given it some thought recently and this is what i came up with:

first of all. so Apollo's prophetic lineage can be traced back to the titanide Phoebe who was the original goddess of the Oracle of Delphi.

now Phoebe's grandchildren include Hekate, Apollo, and Artemis. so i want to digress and talk a bit about Hekate for a second.

Hekate is associated with witchcraft and magic and crossroads and whatever else, and her mother is Asteria, Leto's sister. and Asteria, of course, was married to the titan Perses until Perses got locked up in Tartarus when Kronos was overthrown and so i've always hc'd that Asteria raises Hekate by herself... and i think Hekate is obviously quite a bit older than Artemis and Apollo.

so, when Leto finally has Artemis and Apollo, i really like the idea of Leto and Asteria living together and raising their children together... and i do like the idea of Apollo and Hekate naturally bonding because they both have that darker magic-y oracle-y side to them.

anyhow. Hekate is associated a lot with the Underworld, and i super super love the idea of Hekate spending a lot of time in the House of Nyx with Nyx learning magic from her. i think Asteria would take her down there sometimes...

so i think Nyx and her children have a really good bond with Asteria and Hekate.... they're not indifferent to Asteria and Hekate the way they are with most of the other Olympians and Titans.

now, Phoebe is the Oracle and she has great oracular (is that a word??) abilities, and so she can give Apollo a lot of her wisdom. but, being a Titan, i think she's quite old at this stage, and i do like the idea that the power of the Oracle wanes with time as new Oracles appear and the power of "fortune-telling" shifts across generations. so, since Apollo now has the Gift, it is a lot weaker for Phoebe.

so i think Asteria has an idea to take Apollo to the House of Nyx to see the only goddesses who's fortune-telling power does NOT wane-- the Fates.

i hc that Zeus approves of this idea too. he has a steady relationship with the Fates because he's the King and he consults with them often anyhow,, and so he figures it'd be good for Apollo to know them also.

thus, Leto brings Apollo to Nyx's house and to the Fates and the three sisters teach Apollo all they know about fate and destiny... and they teach him how dreams are made and how they can be messages, and how dangerous it is to play with fate.

and so Apollo grows up with the knowledge he has gained from his grandmother Phoebe and from the Fates as well.

now we know Apollo wasn't always the guy who abides by the book-- according to Aeschylus, he gets the Fates drunk to convince them to spare his love Admetus' life because he was fated to die, and they agree IF he can find a replacement.

i've always imagined the Fates are very ancient and old (see more Fates hc's here),, and even though they have a playful side, i'm sure that they don't take very kindly to people trying to mess around with fate.

in saying that, i don't think they do much by way of "punishment"... they're advisors, counsellors; not harbingers of justice. so i think, they would be really annoyed with Apollo,, but they wouldn't just entirely drop him from the book of friendship. i think their relationship would just be a bit strange.

however; i also don't think that the Fates and Apollo are besties to begin with... like i said, i think the Fates were more of a teacher to him... and not regular teachers either. just every now and then. so i wouldn't call them "friends" really... just friendly acquaintances.

[dailyadventureprompts]

Dungeon: The Seeping Tombs

The learned and pious council of the king's advisors concluded that if sickness was a sign of moral failing, that medicine was a form of ennoblement allowing the sinner to bypass suffering without repentance. By royal decree the healers were thrown in along with their patients, the gates sealed behind them.

Constructed during an age of ignorance, these now innocuous ruins were used as a prison for those who had committed no crime besides falling ill. Pestilence ravaged the land, and after years of failing or outright refusing to control its spread the old king and his pious inner circle began to resent the masses who suffered under under their misrule.

The building that became the tombs was already under construction, intended as the foundations for a great temple dedicated to the king's imperious patron deity. When the work crews grew sick their bodies were passed into the lowest reaches to prevent the spread of miasma, joined soon after by dead from the local villages, and eventually those afflicted but still living.

It was not long after the gates were sealed that something otherworldly come to dwell within the tomb, suborning the natural process of decay causing those interred within to rot into a sickening and malevolent sludge.

Adventure Hook: A new magical malady besets those descended form the king and his pious council, and though some have inherited their forebearers' zeal and callousness many others are quite innocent. When traditional cures fail, The party are hired to seek an answer, and whether through research or the consultation of oracles find themselves pointed towards the seeping tombs. Irony of ironies, this exact sickness was being looked into by talented physician condemned by the king's order, consigned along with her research to a squalid death among those she tried to save.

Whatever the source of the present malady, it has a sense of cruel justice that the party should be wary of.

Challenges & Complications:

Summoned by the prolonged fear, suffering, and affliction of those trapped within the tombs, Juiblex, demon sovereign of ooze, has consecrated the tombs as an altar to despair and wretchedness. The tunnels are overrun with its spawn, along with undead who's spirits cannot rest for all the cruelty that was done to them in life.

The longer and deeper the party explore, the more sick they're likely to get.

Early chambers of this dungeon are a great excuse to use the classic "what looks like a skeletal warrior approaching slowly down a corridor is actually a gelatinous cube & its last meal" encounter, which is a treat in and of itself.

The upper reaches of the tomb are controlled by a nest of ghoulish knights and footmen, who were originally tasked with driving droves of the sick into the dungeon, only to find themselves sealed inside along with the afflicted. As fearful and proud as their departed liege, they play at piety and honour willing to lend aid to the party for a chance to escape the tombs and run rampant on the surface.

The middle reaches of the tomb see the party exploring twisting, sticky corridors, their progress fenced in by portcullises and other defences that need to be opened remotely. These hurdles do not stop the level's guardian, a massive and inexorable ooze that will chase the party with relentless slowness once alerted. Expect an oddly paced chase scene as the party works on opening a path forward while trying not to get trapped in a room by the sludgy green tide.

The cure to the magical malady lays with it's source: the ghost of the masterful physician who's long simmering resentment has manifested as a curse. Having been denied the chance to save her patients, she must be convinced why she should allow her research to be used to save the realm's ungrateful rulers while the victims of their callousness go unmourned. Her counter-offer is as brutal as it is poetic: Let the sickness at the heart of the kingdom devour those who benefit from it, and let the future come as it may.

Art 1

Art 2

[katakosmos]

mhmm arthurian cycle mhmmm irene mhmmm tell me more. tell me much much more. specifically on lancelot!!!! how do you see him??? is he a remus variant, is he a barty variant…i’ve seen loads of options thrown around, but i love decided to consult the oracle.

after 5 attempts, i've decided this will be a why-lancelot-is-a-sirius-AND-a-barty-variant essay (in a world where arthur is james and guinevere is lily).

lancelot lost his father when he was still an infant, in a war that destroyed his kingdom. his mother, elaine, was desperate, and the two were forced to flee. but, in the general confusion, lancelot was kidnapped by a powerful sorceress: the lady of the lake. she raised him for 15 years on her lush island of eternal spring, avalon, the land of magic. lancelot lived for many years in an idyllic world, growing up with powerful and ancient sorcerers, such as merlin.

yet, when it was time to reclaim his name and origins, he became a knight of the round table. he didn't regain his kingdom, he didn't even marry to live the life of a king. no, he gave up everything to follow a handsome man on his extraordinary adventures. in a world he had never seen and that he didn't know. this sounds like a sirius black behavior to me.

lancelot was arthur's biggest fangirl, he adored him in every way, he was the closest knight to the king. and arthur trusted him completely, with his life and also with his wife's (because lancelot was guinevere's champion). and here we could make another parallel between lancelot, charged with protecting the king and his family, who actually becomes the main cause of arthur's death, in the war caused by his and guinevere's betrayal; and then sirius, who was supposed to protect the life of james and his entire family, but who then backs out, indirectly causing the death of his best friend.

also, lancelot is described as the most handsome man in britain, because he has both feminine and masculine traits. men went crazy for him, and women too (guinevere was obsessed with him; morgana loved him as much as she hated him, and she kidnapped him a couple of times; and elaine, his wife, tricked him just to get pregnant with his son).

speaking of his relationship with women, i would like to introduce the barty variant 😈 because women made lancelot's life pure hell. especially guinevere, lily in an ideal universe, who was married to a rich and powerful man, but still decided to obsess over the strange gay boy with signs of mental instability. and also, i like to think that at first he was forced by guinevere to appear romantically involved with her, because she was the queen and he couldn't say no (like: "i order you to flirt with me", which is totally unrealistic since guinevere and lancelot are both extremely religious — in fact, as soon as they escape from camelot they both retire to a convent — , but let me enjoy a bratty guinevere).

it is true however that guinevere was extremely touchy and jealous towards him, to the point that when she found out about what happened between lancelot and elaine (which was not consensual btw since elaine pretended to be guinevere), she banished him from the kingdom for like 2 to 5 years, and he went crazy in the woods.

in conclusion, i have to admit that for me lancelot is not perfectly represented by any marauders era character (even if i really like him as a sirius variant). so for me he is: tall, with shoulder length black hair and surprisingly gay, not bisexual (because his love for guinevere is nothing but the reflection of his love for arthur. in fact, adding something to the story of the convent, lancelot and guinevere destroy a kingdom with their desire, but when they run away to live together, they look each other in the eyes and decide to become a nun and a monk. this means two things: what guinevere felt for lancelot was only a silly teenager crush, cause when she got married she must have been 13 years old; and lancelot's love for guinevere was closely linked to arthur: when he lost arthur, he also lost his love for guinevere).

[megamindsupremacy]

Reverse Robins AU: 39

Superboy Prime bullshit happens which breaks the universe, and Steph (17) comes back to life. She wanders the streets of Gotham, operating on VERY little brain activity for a few months before Cluemaster finds her and secretly holds her for a month or so while he tries to figure out what the hell he’s supposed to do with his resurrected completely-out-of-it daughter. Eventually, one of the LOA agents in Gotham discovers Steph’s existence and alerts Talia to her presence. Talia kills Cluemaster and takes Steph for herself with the intention of training her to take down Batman for refusing to return her son. Steph gets Lazarus Pitted after ~five months of being with the League, as Talia was trying other methods to break her out of the comatose state first. Steph, unfortunately, has a far worse reaction to the Lazarus Pit than Jason and is pretty much Completely Insane, far more so than Jason in the canon timeline. 

In the meantime, in Gotham, Duke (21) has tried to reach out to Bruce a few times, only to be met with a wall of repressed emotions and anger. He and Damian (22) respond to that by retreating even further from Batman into Blüdhaven and more or less cut contact completely. Damian stops responding to Justice League calls, and Duke only goes on JL missions that are guaranteed to not involve Batman. Tim (16) spends almost all of his time doing Oracle work, dropping out of Gotham Academy and enrolling in online high school (and college) courses. He and Cass (15) communicate frequently, but he only speaks with Batman when it’s absolutely necessary to the mission. Cass is doing her best to hold on to Bruce, but he is, in turn, doing his best to push her away. Mia (22) is minding her own business completely unaffiliated with the Bats and working as a magical consultant to the Justice League and Young Justice whenever the other magic users are being too annoying/temporarily dead for contact. Congrats to her for distancing herself from the Bats before they could irreparably fuck her up psychologically, she's doing great for herself!