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riddlemelater · 2 days ago

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Last Call - M.R.

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⚠︎ all characters 18+ | MDNI ⚠︎

warnings: alcohol use/dependency, mentions of war, death, depiction of injury/blood, dark themes, one brief mention of rumoured suicide, post-war vibes, implied trauma. please let me know if there's anything i missed!

I am not responsible for your media consumption, please read the warnings and if it's not for you then i'll see you next time <3

summary: Mattheo Riddle was sharp, charming, and haunted. Now he’s just a shadow at the bar—drunk, quiet, unraveling. You don’t know why you care. Maybe it’s who he used to be. Maybe it’s the way he looks at you like he doesn’t expect kindness anymore. But one things certain: you won't turn your back on him, not like the rest of the world already has.

w.c: 3.8k

a/n: consider this me dipping my toes into the au world because I've read so many recently that have got me thinking👀 ps: this is my new series riddlemelater is back with a bang ;)

All feedback, likes, reblogs + comments are greatly appreciated!

"Sweet Salazar, look what the cat dragged in." Your boss murmured with a heavy sigh, nodding towards the door which had just pushed open to reveal the dishevelled appearance of Mattheo Riddle.

The local drunk, as most knew him, was a shadow of the boy from Hogwarts. Back then he'd been a heart breaker. A playboy. Sharp witted, short tempered, and irresistibly charming.

You'd never really spoken to him in school. Everyone knew Draco Malfoy, naturally, and Blaise Zabini too was a household name—thanks to his illustrious mother. You'd spoken to Theodore Nott once or twice, vaguely and in passing. Even shared a potions station with Lorenzo Berkshire for half a year, but Mattheo Riddle had never directly come into your orbit.

Not until very recently.

He was your typical bad boy— the tragic backstory, the scars, the knack for trouble — he fit the part too perfectly. Gorgeous, yes, in that careless way. Curls falling over stormy eyes, a scowl that made people lean in instead of run. And tinged in just enough mystery that it was impossible to tell if he was an asset or a threat.

That had all come to an end now, his whole world crashing down around him the moment Harry Potter defeated Lord Voldemort, his father. He was shunned from that day forth— there had been rumours they'd snapped his wand, others that he was sleeping rough somewhere in the forbidden forest, biding his time before resurrecting his father, or becoming the next threat to the Wizarding World himself.

None of the rumours were true, though. You'd learned that pretty quickly.

Mattheo Riddle lived in a flat just off Charing Cross—though by the looks of him, you’d think he was squatting in Knockturn Alley. He certainly didn't look like someone who owned property, never mind one in Central London amongst Muggle bankers and finance experts.

But alas, having Lord Voldemort as a father must've done wonders for the young heirs Gringotts vault— even if not for his mental wellbeing.

"Listen, love. Do you want me to serve him?" Your boss offered quietly, leaning towards you to whisper under his breath, eyes not leaving the scruffy figure who'd sauntered in, drunk and dead behind the eyes.

Your head shook slightly, "S'alright I've got it, Albion. He's harmless."

A few heads had turned, mostly regulars who were well aware of who lurked underneath the dirt and the grime. His hair was more unruly than ever, his chin littered with stubble and the occasional, bloody cut from his shaving razor. But it was obvious who the man behind the mask was.

He looked like he needed a shower, skin sweaty and stray hairs sticking to his forehead. Clothes dirty and stained like they hadn't been washed in weeks, and he wore a leather jacket. One you recognised from a few years ago, almost able to picture his younger, teenage self leaning up against an alley wall in Hogsmeade, smoking with his friends.

You grabbed at a clean glass from under the bar and turned just as he slid into the stool opposite you— his movements slow, slightly off-balance, like gravity pulled at him harder than it did anyone else. His gaze was vacant at first, cast somewhere over your shoulder, brow furrowed like he was lost in a memory he hadn’t asked to remember.

“Same as usual?” you asked smoothly, reaching for the bottle he always gravitated towards — something cheap, burning, no-nonsense.

That’s when his eyes finally lifted to yours.

And for a moment — just a moment — something clicked behind them. Recognition, sharp and fleeting, like the glint of a knife beneath a coat. His lips parted slightly, not in greeting, not in surprise exactly, but something close. Like maybe he knew your name once. Like maybe he remembered the way you used to pass him in the corridors at Hogwarts, eyes down, heart thudding, pretending not to notice the way he laughed too loud and lived too fast.

He didn’t say anything. Just blinked slowly, then dragged a hand through his hair like it physically hurt him to focus.

“Didn’t think you’d still be here,” he muttered, voice low and rough, words carelessly slurred — like they weren’t meant for you at all.

Your hand paused over the bottle. “Still where?”

He didn’t answer. Just leaned forward, elbows on the bar, and looked away — eyes fixed now on some distant point across the room, jaw clenched in thought.

Maybe he didn’t mean you, exactly. Maybe it was this place. This pocket of stillness in a city that never looked twice at him. Maybe it was the only place left that didn’t flinch when he walked in, or the only place that would let him in nowadays.

The pub sat quietly between the Muggle and Magical worlds — close enough to Diagon Alley to draw a few wizards, but far enough into Charing Cross to be forgotten by most. The regulars were either too old to care, too drunk to notice, or too lonely to ask questions.

Seemed fitting for the likes of Mattheo Riddle.

You poured the drink wordlessly.

"I'll add it to your tab, then?" You asked, sliding the glass across the bar, unable to take your eyes off him as he took a sip. Then, as if considering something, swallowed the rest in one large gulp.

He didn't respond, just pushed the glass back towards you, indicating for a refill.

"Long day, was it?" You asked, breezy and light, as if he was just another customer. You began to pour another but stopped when you noticed his eyes narrow, like he was trying to figure you out.

"There's no trick, you know." You met his gaze, "I'm just being nice."

Mattheo let out a low huff of air—maybe a laugh, or maybe just exhaustion. Hard to tell. His eyes dropped to the bar between you, fingers drumming a restless rhythm against the scarred wood.

"You know who I am," he said, voice rough, like it hadn’t been used much lately. "Don’t pretend you don’t."

You shrugged, nonchalant. "Everyone knows who you are."

He looked up again. This time, his stare landed like a weight. "No," he said. "People who know who I am don't waste their time being nice."

You refilled the glass without a word. Let him drink. Let him watch you like that, like another person who couldn't be trusted. He was cynical enough, why bother convincing him of anything else.

"Hogwarts..." he said abruptly, then trailed off like the words tasted strange. Like he'd caught himself at the last second. "Never mind."

His eyes darted back down to his drink and he didn't look back up at you for a long while, a quiet confirmation that the conversation was over. You left him to it, and he was gone before you could even notice he'd stood up, a mouthful of whiskey still sat at the bottom of his glass.

The next time he showed up, he looked worse.

"There's something not right about that boy," Your boss muttered breathlessly, watching you pull the first aid kit down from the stockroom shelf.

"And don't you go getting mixed up in his troubles. A boy like that can only bring bad news, I'll tell you that for free." he warned as you turned to head back out, the place deserted asides from a few older wizards huddled in the corner.

You hesitated with your hand on the door. Maybe Albion was right. Maybe you should’ve just left it alone.

But something about him — the way he looked like he’d stopped expecting kindness, the way his silence felt heavier than most people’s words. That made it hard to walk away.

You didn’t know why you cared. Not really. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it was the version of him you remembered in passing, the boy who once seemed untouchable. Or maybe it was just the simplest truth of all: he looked like someone who didn’t have anyone. And you couldn’t stomach the thought of being another person who turned their back.

"Ruddy Gryffindors." Albion muttered to himself as you rounded the bar, disregarding his warning.

Mattheo was sitting in his usual seat, knuckles bloody and a dark purple bruise decorating his left temple. You didn't ask what happened. Part of you already knew, he wasn't that unrecognisable if you looked hard enough.

"Let's see, then." You said, pausing in front of him and nodding towards his injured hands. Mattheo looked stunned, pulling his hands back from where they rested either side of his drink.

You weren’t foolish enough to think you could fix him. But maybe — selfishly — it felt worse to do nothing at all.

"It's nothin', just leave it." he protested tiredly.

You shot him a look, one of those disapproving 'don't be ridiculous' looks you'd learned from working with the drunk and disorderly over the past year, and offered your hand to him. Expectant. Waiting.

It was his choice whether he took it.

Hesitating, he thought for a moment. Looked like he was weighing up the odds of getting up and walking out. Then slowly, sheepishly, he extended his hand and let you examine his knuckles.

Sucking a breath in through your teeth you examined the wounds, the way the skin parted at the high points of his joints, the steady trickle of blood that dripped down his tan skin. It wasn't the worst you'd seen, but it needed cleaned and you didn't trust him to in the state he was in.

"Hold still a second," You instructed, pouring disinfectant onto a cotton-pad, daring a glance up at his furrowed brows as you dabbed it across the cuts. He flinched subtly, restrained but not as much as he would've liked, fingers flexing as you worked.

"Sorry." you winced.

He grunted a sort of acknowledgement and stared at you through his lashes. You wondered what he was thinking, if he too was as confused as you were about why you insisted on helping. On caring. He stared, gaze steady, even as you reached for the antiseptic and applied it carefully to the broken skin.

"We had Charms together, didn't we?" He asked quietly, "You were always late."

You stilled, glancing up at him, face warming. You hadn't expected him to remember you, he had no reason to, not really. Yet he did, somehow.

"We did, yeah. In fourth year." You nodded slowly. "And I was only late because—"

"—because you had potions right before." He finished, then as if embarrassed, he looked down. “Only reason I remember’s ‘cause they were on opposite sides of the castle.” His voice was low, a little too casual. Defensive, even.

But for a moment you could almost see a younger, less closed off version of him.

You smirked and canted your head, watching him curiously. "Bloody nightmare. Those stairs, I mean." You remarked, sensing he wasn't quite up for a trip down memory lane.

"Yeah..." He exhaled, nodding. "A real nuisance."

You were still cradling his injured hand, even though you'd long finished tending to the wound. He seemed to notice at the same time you did. You pulled away first, patting the bar beside him and pulling away.

"That's you, then. Bandaged up, I mean." You coughed, clearing your throat. Busying yourself with packing up the first aid box.

He grunted again, swallowed his drink and pushed the empty glass towards you.

"Thanks," he murmured, so quiet you thought you'd imagined it. "You didn't have to— yeah. Thanks."

You'd nodded, topped up his glass, then another customer stole your attention. And he sat quiet, like he was locked in another memory.

✯ ✯ ✯

Mattheo hadn’t been in to the pub in over a week. Though, given the time of year, it being the 5 year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts and all, you could hazard a guess or two as to why.

It had been busier the last few nights, more traffic to Central London, Diagon Alley, and the Ministry meant business was booming. Record highs for the usually quiet pub, and a weary few days for you and Albion.

Yesterday, the Patil twins had stopped you in the street outside keen to catch up for old times sake. You'd chatted away cheerfully, plastering on a smile as they discussed the Ministry's Annual Charity Gala in memory of all those who fought and died in the battle.

You'd only gone the once and sworn never to attend again, it was far too bleak to stare at photo's of deceased friends and mentors whilst dressed to the nines and sipping on champagne.

And this afternoon, Neville Longbottom and his wife Hannah—formerly Abbot— had come strolling in for a spot of lunch before meeting up with some of your former classmates. They'd been ecstatic to tell you, and anyone else who'd listen, that they were expecting their first child in the winter. You'd only smiled and shook your head when they enquired if you were settling down anytime soon.

With so much fanfare around the Gala, you'd no time to breathe at all this week—helping Albion with the orders, chatting with old friends and former allies, even posing for the odd photo as the Prophet were reporting on the events once more. It was hectic. So much so that you hadn’t really had time to notice his absence, or the empty bar stool that sat in his place.

Not at first, at least.

You’d been too swept up in the heaviness May always brought—the memories, the grief, the stories you no longer wanted to hear aloud. The same things that you suspected kept him away.

By early evening on the anniversary, the pub was packed, and you and Albion were rushed off your feet. A group of wizards from somewhere in Southern Europe had wandered in early and were still crowded around a table, laughing loudly and talking in a language you didn’t recognise.

The rest of the crowd was a mix—some familiar, some not—but you rarely had time to think, let alone pause. You’d just come up from the cellar after replacing one of the barrels when a cluster of voices caught your attention.

Familiar. Posh. Too familiar to ignore.

You turned toward the sound, already tense before you could place the voices. Aristocratic voices— polished by wealth and dulled by just enough alcohol to make them louder than they should be.

Draco Malfoy stepped through the open doorway first, shrugging off the cold like it offended him. Still as pale and as pointy, though notably wearing far less hair product than you remembered. Blaise Zabini followed, hands tucked into the pockets of his long coat, eyes already scanning the room meticulously— You wondered if he'd always done that with such hyper-vigilance, or if it was a trait learned through the war.

Behind them came the lean figures of Lorenzo Berkshire and Theodore Nott, both laughing low and conspiratorial as they shook off rain from their shoulders. They'd always been the more lax of the group, them and Mattheo, that is.

You pushed that thought away, not wanting to acknowledge his obvious absence from the scene.

It felt like twisting a time-turner—old Hogwarts ghosts pressing into your present like they belonged there.

Blaise caught your eye first, expectedly. He blinked, registering you behind the bar with a flicker of surprise, then gave you a subtle nod. Not friendly nor unfriendly, just acknowledgement.

Lorenzo let out a soft whistle as he took in the place.

“Well, this is... atmospheric,” he muttered.

Albion gave them a hard look from the other end of the bar, clearly having overheard their assessment. You were already reaching for glasses before they could ask. Or before Albion demanded to know what they were doing in his pub.

Draco made a beeline for the bar, businesslike. Detached. You'd read enough of the Prophet to know that the Malfoy's had fallen out of high societies graces, though clearly this was news to Draco. Cool and unfazed as ever.

“Four firewhiskys.” he said, not quite meeting your gaze, already pulling out a handful of Galleons and slapping them down on the counter.

You poured without comment. Years ago, they wouldn’t have spared you a glance in the corridors, it seemed that Blaise was the only one who'd grown out of that behaviour.

Blaise leaned against the bar, sharp gaze moving from your face to the rest of the pub. “Didn’t expect to see anyone we knew here,” he murmured.

You raised a brow. “You don’t know me, Zabini.”

Theo let out a soft, huff of a laugh. “Merlin. Did anyone, back then?"

You glanced away, silent.

There was a quiet moment as they all took their glasses, the pub buzz muffled under the weight of something unsaid. Like they were communicating in some secret, silent language only they understood.

Draco was the one who broke it. “Well." he cleared his throat, "Is— Is he around?”

You didn’t move, just quirked your brow like you didn't know quite what he meant. “Who?”

“Mattheo,” he said blankly. “Supposed to meet us hours ago. Heard he comes here, thought we'd try catch him. We've— erm— been looking for him, you see.”

Your stomach curled, but you kept your expression neutral. “Haven’t seen him, sorry.”

Theodore exhaled, long and low. “Right,” he said into his glass, mostly to himself. “He was doing alright for a while. Still... better off not here, I suppose."

He sounded bitter, and thankful. You focused on polishing the counter, not wanting to speak out of turn.

The four of them lingered a minute longer, quiet in a way that made the room feel colder. Like they were united in their disappointment. Draco drained his drink, the others copying him silently.

Eventually, they peeled away—Draco leading, Lorenzo and Blaise in tow. Theodore was the last to step back from the bar, slower than the others. He didn’t look at you as he spoke, voice low and meant for them.

“Probably just got held up. He'll show. He has too.”

No one answered. They just kept walking.

You didn't say another word to them and they left shortly after. You just kept pouring drinks when required and occasionally glanced over at the empty stool— the one he always preferred. No one touched it that night.

Anniversary week came and went. The crowds died down and things fell back into the slow, quiet rhythm they'd always followed. The same old regular witches and wizards, the same orders that hadn't changed in years. Simplicity.

But still no sign of Mattheo Riddle.

You shrugged off the bad feeling, reminding yourself that he was an adult, not your responsibility. You barely knew him after all.

That didn't make you feel any better.

You were wiping down empty tables, the scratch of cloth against wood loud in the near silence, when a grizzled man from the corner caught your attention. He was a regular—weathered, with eyes sharp beneath heavy brows—and tonight, he seemed to be nursing more than just a drink.

“Heard about that young Riddle lad?” he asked, eyes darting around like he expected the walls to have ears. A few of the wizards at his table shared a glance, then shook their heads leaning in.

You stiffened, slowing down to listen in. Sucking in a breath you didn't even know you were holding.

"He cracked, didn’t he?" he bellowed, chuckling. "Couldn’t outrun what was coming for him I reckon. Offed himself, poor bastard. That’s what Mick Tolliver said, anyway. Down Knockturn, the other week."

You froze, an empty glass in hand, heart skipping a beat.

The man shrugged, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "World’s cleaner for it, if you ask some folks. Shame though— think of the things he must've known about You-Know-Who."

You forced a breath out, steadying yourself. Ignoring the uncaring shrugs, the mutters of good riddance. As if the end of the Riddle bloodline was something to be celebrated.

You didn't even notice you'd slipped outside until the cold air hit you, despite summer being just around the corner it was still wet and cold in London. That smell of rain lingered across the concrete back alley, you used to love the smell at Hogwarts, though now it made you want to be sick.

Instinctively your fingers fumbled in the pocket of your apron, brushing against the half smoked pack of cigarettes you picked up months ago— something to lean on when memories of the war dragged your nerves and the silence at night felt too loud.

Your hands were steady as you lit it with the tip of your wand, but your mind was a storm, watching the embers light up against the dark. The smoke filled your lungs as you took in a long, bitter drag, those words swirling in your mind.

He offed himself.

Had it really come to that? Was he really that broken? Or had you just been too blind to see it?

The memory of his friends from just a week ago flashed through your mind—the way Theo had seemed quite certain he'd come, the way the others didn't seem too convinced. Like they all knew something you didn’t.

The cigarette burned low between your fingers, the smoke curling up like unanswered questions. You exhaled slowly, but the ache settled deeper. You didn’t know if it was grief, guilt, or something heavier—something that tasted like the war still lingering in your veins.

If he really had done it you'd have known, you reasoned. It would've made the front page of every wizarding tabloid out there. Swarms of magical folk would've been poking around the pub, all desperate to get a glimpse of his favoured haunt. Rita Skeeter at the very least would have made an appearance, surely.

But there’d been nothing. No headlines, no Ministry owls, no whispers beyond the drunken mutterings of half-sure old men.

Just silence. And absence.

You took one last drag and let the smoke slip from your lips, watching it vanish into the damp air like it might carry the thought away with it.

He was probably fine. Probably. Maybe he'd got clean, sorted himself out and left London. You hoped that was it.

You crushed the cigarette beneath your heel, the hiss of ember against pavement far too quiet for the weight in your chest. Then you went back inside—because what else was there to do?

You closed up in silence that night, wand abandoned behind the bar, opting to tidy up without magic. It'd take longer but you didn't mind, if anything you quite liked the distraction, and part of you still hoped he might turn up.

Bloody, slurring, drunk— you didn't care what state he was in, you just hoped he'd show. Prayed that it was another rumour, that he wouldn't be another person who lost their life to a war you shouldn't have had to fight.

You stacked the chairs, wiped the bar down one last time. It was the kind of night that left everything feeling a little heavier. You didn’t check the door.

But you thought about it.

And when you turned off the lights, you paused—just for a second— long enough to hope. But lately, hope didn't hold the weight it used to.

©️riddlemelater. 2025.

#mattheo riddle x you #mattheo riddle x reader #mattheo riddle fanfic #post war harry potter #slytherin boys #theodore nott #lorenzo berkshire #draco malfoy #blaise zabini #my writing

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shineystudio · 8 months ago

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IM ALIVEEEEEEEEE

Just got outta midterms too 🥲

First art post of the year, some summer monkie doodles! 👀

Hey guys I didn't mean to keep these doodles in the vault for so long but now I finally got time to share em!

#lego monkie kid #monkie kid #lmk #lmk sun wukong #qi xiaotian #lmk mk #monkie kid mk #lmk red son #long xiaojiao #lmk nuwa #my art <3 #💖💖💖💖#sunburst duo

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accio-victuuri · 7 months ago

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BURN AFTER READING. 🍭🍬

i have never made a post with this title before, but i have shared some cpn/speculation that deserve to be burned after reading. lol. this term is often used by cpfs for a candy or info related to the boys that may be “dangerous” — so you have to get rid of it after reading. but for my version of it, let’s describe it as something that is a level up from galaxy brain cpn. it’s the kind of cpn you will think twice or thrice before making up your mind about. 💫

we have (2) topics here and just a disclaimer that i am not confirming anything here. this content is for cpf only. don’t take it seriously!

(1) Who is An Huibo 安慧博?

fans noticed that there was a “stand in” credited for the we and life of us music videos and that is this person. think of it as a body double. it makes sense cause aside from that scene in WE, there are times that xz’s figure is against a backdrop so maybe they needed someone to do that. the clowning began when people were thinking about, what if the other xz in WE mv is actually WYB ⬇️⬇️⬇️

i can think of a couple of different reasons why this could be false but the strongest explanation for me is that xz will not allow wyb to so something like this. he is very superstitious. even if this is just acting, he will not allow them to act out a scene of betrayal. that for me is enough to shut this all down. but on the flipside, maybe wyb wanted him (xz) to play his first villain role opposite him in this music video.

now we have the reasons why fans think this is something worth looking at:

1. XZ and this An Huibo are the only 2 credited actors for both MVs. so it seems kinda special.

2. The director of this is LIN, the same one who directed WYB’s redmi advertisement. There are some CPNs both were made at the same studio. Which makes sense cause LIN has his own shooting studio. There is another separate CPN about this but the gist is we think this director is familiar with both of them. So XZ may be comfortable enough to bring WYB along and even include him in the video.

3. It may not be WYB himself, but he used that name to troll us. It’s so close, Huibo. Yibo.

4. I saw this explanation as well:

If "Anhuibo" is read according to the French transliteration as An Huibo, it would approximately read:

[ã чi bɔ]

·ã: similar to "ang";

·qi: similar to "wei" in Chinese, but lighter and soft;

·bo: similar to "wave", slightly shorter.

5. As a CPF, it’s so easy for our alarm bells to ring if you read that name. An alias of sorts for Bobo. some are saying he used this kind of jumbled name to combat the bad aura of their scene together. Since he is superstitious, this removes yibo’s name and identity as the stand in who stabbed XZ’s character. if that makes sense.

maybe we will know more when they release the behind the scenes video. that is if they show who this stand in is. let’s add this to the bjyx clowning vault in the meantime.

(2) XZ look-alike in the recent GRA

i was talking to @rainbowsky about this and my initial reaction was, cpn aside, i’m surprised at how people notice these things! which i actually should be used to considering turtle’s attention to detail, but still!

so here is the “evidence”

👀👀👀👀

like all other turtles, i’m someone who has stared at tons of photos of XZ. so i can totally understand why people would look twice at this person. i get i. i was staring at this photo for so long as well. however most of the cpfs comment on this is against this candy and they have valid reasons:

1. Why would he attend and be in the audience? XZ is someone lowkey so if he was there to accompany WYB, he will be backstage. Yes he is brave, but not like this — which seems almost careless.

2. There are names on the chair, so it’s not like anyone can just sit there casually.

3. Even if you believe in the probability, CPFs don’t wanna talk much about it cause it can be anti material. Saying XZ has to hide and can’t show his face in GRA. or why is he even there incognito when he doesn’t even have a project nominated. You all know how it goes, antis can twist the narrative. Plus we don’t want to accidentally expose them if this was true. We should not observe too much and post about it cause it will make it harder for them to do something similar in the future.

4. How did this person go unnoticed? Everyone had to get inside the security and there are cameras everywhere. He should have removed his cap and mask which — it’s impossible for someone to not notice XZ ( or is it? ). another thing is maybe he went to a diff entrance??

5. Some are washing it and saying it’s Yibo’s MUA.

Please take that last point i mentioned and carry it over to the reason why this look alike is sus. People are able to confirm that this is not WYB’s MUA because he was wearing a different cap. Even the hair and daresay the ears are not the same. and why would a MUA even be there? If WYB needs touch ups then they should do it backstage. If for some reason it has to be while the broadcast and recording was not on or was on a break, he should not sit there and act like a guest.

Yibo’s MUA, Wang Yiduo has been with him for years. He has years of experience being around celebrities and attending these events before WYB. So he knows the decorum. He will not sit there and act like a guest just because he feels like it.

I’m curious too, who is this person who can walk in— in an event filled with people that are dressed up and then come in with a mask and casual clothes. To be allowed to sit there. Who is special enough? Probably a celebrity? and that’s why some think it could be XZ. Even the staff and assistants during the event are dressed up which made this person stand out. As for the CPN explanation, it’s nice to think that XZ is so proud of Yibo’s nomination that he has to be there. He will find a way to be in the audience and witness this special moment. 💕

I think this can easily be analyzed more if we have the video but i don’t have time to rewatch the whole GRA and wait for this cut. Cause i wanna know if it’s even there, that’s how much we question things here! 🤣 It’s so sus to me that we only have the screenshots and no video when CPFs are notorious for having concrete evidence. personally, it reminds me of the SDC3 incident but this one is still pretty outrageous considering it is a public event.

take what you want with this information. and as always, when it comes to BJYX: ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

sources: one/ two

#yizhan #bjyx #there is no science here i’m just clowning like i always do

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raven-at-the-writing-desk · 10 months ago

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august 2024 episode of octavinelle + 4koma update

You know the drill by now!

Spoilers for the 4koma and the Episode of Octavinelle chapter 12 below the cut. As a reminder, the Episode of Savanaclaw won’t be updating again until winter.

🫵 THERE THEY ARE…

THE SMOOTH CRIMINALS…

The poses in this opening page are so good; Leona sat all lax like a boss who knows who’s large and in charge, Ruggie leaning against the chair and swinging the keys to the vault around on one finger… The posing perfectly captures their personalities and roles in relationship to one another.

Once again, Azul makes many fantastically desperate and despair-filled expressions this installment 😭

Falling to his knees???? Laying flat on the floor??? Man is UNMATCHED when it comes to theatrics.

I like this shot of Azul and Leona’s gazes lining up; it really helps give you the sense of two rivals sizing each other up.

(Side note: you can also tell how much painstaking detail the artists went through to include their eye makeup in these close-ups. Hats off to them for the extra effort, it looks great!)

… WHY DiD THEY hAvFTA mAkE HIM So smUGHERE 💀

damn i wish i was that stack of contracts

… I mean what

sorry

Sorry

SORRY

I got distracted there, what were we talking about again????

AYO they always make Leona casting King’s Roar look so darn cool in the manga 😭

My favorite panel in this sequence has to be the one with the text bubbles. He looks so nonchalant and a little stern as he speaks the chant… The shadows on his face add a lot to the atmosphere of it!

This chapter is the part where Leona gets to sanding Azul’s hard work away! Look at how beautifully drawn Azul’s reaction is ✨

The particle-y effect of the contracts melting into sand is nice 😌 It feeds Azul’s tears… Tasty meal…

MOU YADA IN MANGA FORM IS PEAK

lmao Azul for real threw a tantrum, flailing his limbs and everything 🤡 Love that even Leona and Ruggie have NO idea how they should respond to this.

Oh no, here comes the OB…

The anguish Azul’s experiencing is really coming through. He’s sweating so much and his entire face is so. Er… for lack of a better term, twisted.

I think seeing the blot leaking out from each of them helps to illustrate that they’re truly being overwhelmed and consumed by their own inner darkness. It’s sad to see 😔

We cut back to Yuuta and co. squaring off against the twins!

I wanted to point out and comment on these parts with Jack. He’s not a character that I usually pay much attention to, but I gotta commend him for fighting back so hard and trying to shield the picture even when he’s clearly got no chance of winning. Jack bearing his fangs at Floyd with pupils contracted… 🫶 Very good and loyal pupper! I get the Jack appeal now, lol

I LOVE THIS

It reminds me of the similar Azul-Leona framing earlier in the chapter, though with a different context. I like that this shows how the twins are in sync and coming to the same terrible conclusion.

Not long after, they rush to Azul’s side—which makes me think that these two worry for his wellbeing 😭 THEY DONmT SAY IT OUT LOUD BUT THEY CARE

Oh yeah, here it comes… OB Azul has arrived!! 👀

I MEAN YEAH it’s not good for his health, but I’m so hyped for the battle and flashbacks to his childhood! Baby!Azul shall NOT escape our sight…

The 4koma this month centers on Jack, Vargas, and others (Jade, Kalim, Deuce) talking about using transformation magic for racing.

dhejeveiwhwuow I would say more, but I actually didn’t find this 4koma that remarkable. It’s a generally the boys chatting about animals and their different activities they excel at.

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gay-dorito-dust · 8 days ago

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ik you don’t write much for walker … but your walker as readers older brother figure head cannons live in my mind- i love him being that reluctant protector of everyone- i think about the cactus fruit scene so much HE CARES IN HIS WERID FUCKED UP WAY- anyways i was wondering if you maybe had more thoughts to share 👀 maybe him freaking out over reader getting injured on a mission?? or just more stupid sibling shenanigans bc ik i would love to pester him all the time

i must admit, this bastard has grown on me like a mold, or a stain i can't get rid of anyway-

you and john still pester each other as surogate siblings do, it's a highlight to everyone's day honestly as seeing you and John squabble over who had eaten the last of the ceral you both unironically liked, throwing jabs and nuding each other out of the way as you both made your way to the kitchen.

it had been months since you've crossed each others paths on that fateful day in the vault, and now you and John had come to accept that you were most likely siblings in another life. even during missions where you two were paired you'd go in as obnoxious siblings who hated each other but would wage war should something happen to the other.

'he's grown on me like a mold, an annoying mold that sqwaks in my ear military terminology that i could give less then two shits about.' you'd tell Yelena and Bob when they asked about how you could withstand Walker as long as you have. 'i care about him, he's my brother from another life that i'm reluctant to say i'm glad to have met in this life, he's a dumbass but he's a dumbass i'd gladly take the piss out of for the rest of my life.'

'they're an idiot, they need me to look out for them and often get into some stupid bullshit every second behind my back.' John says to alexei and Ava. 'yet they've become a stain on clothes that i can't be rid of entirely but learned to live with instead. i haven't felt this way about someone other then Lemar...they annoy me but i want to protect them, they make me question my sanity but i'd give them the shield off of my back without hesitation.'

John then shrug his shoulders, remembering the times where he'd drag you to watch the game with him even if you didn't want to, only by the end you two were screaming at the tv together, arms tossed over the others shoulder as his team won. That was family in his eyes. 'Though i guess that's just how families are with one another, you hate each other one minute but remeber that you would fight for and with any time of the day.'

you two would say these sentimental shit to other people about one another, yet never say it to each others faces, instead you just show each other that you care for one another. You'd watch the game with him whenever it's on or help fix his fucked shield and he'd make you something he knew you would like, clean your weapons for you and even make sure that befofre missions you had everything you needed.

'gun?'

'john.' you'd whine.

he points at you.'no buts, this is mandatory checklist. now gun?'

'yes.'

'knives and or daggers?'

'i've got both since you keep insisting that i have back up wepons in situations if i were disarmed.' you tell him as you both ran over the cheklist he made specifically for you. you hated it but you knew that this was John's way of caring for you and showing his worry whenever you were partnered up with someone else other then him.

'don't die.' is what he says.

'i'm contractually obligated to not die on these missions becuase who else will take the piss out of you if not me?' you reply back but you hated not being partnered up with your brother from another mother, yet you knew he could handel himself and he had that fucked up tacco shield of his too. 'catch you later captain tacco shell.' you'd call before leaving with Ava and Yelena.

john hated it when you called him captain tacco shell, becuase it had caught on and everyone from Ava to Bob had been calling him that ever since. he knows he'll never see the end of it but still it's something he had silently condemed you for.

if john were to ever find that you were hurt on a misson he'd freak out, he's already lost Lemar Hoskins on a misson in the past and he wasn't about to loose his idiotic sibling either. The moment he had heard over the comms that you had been hit badly, suddenly being called captain tacco shell didn't seem all that bad, it was funny even, as he immedietly rushes to your location faster then he had ever before.

everyone was moving out of the way the second john came into view, giving him the space to get to you without feeling the back end of his sheild. they had never seen him look this dishevield before as he's scooping you up in his arms, holding you close as his jaw clenched in anger and annoyance at himself for not being there.

'come on dumbass, i need you to wake up and call me captain tacco sheild again, come on please wake up so i can tell you how dumb you were...i need my sibling back...my stupid, dumb, insufferable sibling.' john would say as his chest constricts and hurts him in ways he couldn't describe. like he couldn't breath, like he having some part of him being torn away from him that he didn't know he had before meeting you.

John stays with you while you were healing, always sat in the room with you, cleaning your weapons like he always did but this time it was to distract his mind from the worst happening to you, he would even talk to you alloud and await your snarky resopnses, feeling his chest hurt more when he was greeted with silence instead, reminding him of your current situation and suddenly he was back to being angry.

the rest of the team try to cheer him up, letting him know that you'll be up on your feet sooner or later, yet that didn't work as John only stared at them blankly with a forced smile. 'i might loose my sibling, i don't need to be coddled thanks.' was all he says.

Yelena understands John's situation the best, knowing the feeling of loosing a sibling or close to loosing a sibling and would tell him that he was going to get you back, that he wasn't going to loose his sibling and that he should treasure every moment he gets with you afterwards when he does get you back.

so when John was cut off his rambelings, he was about to be annoyed again but perked up when he heard your voice, weak but still snarky and sarcastic as the day he first met you. 'shut it captain tacco sheild, i'm trying to get some sleep over here and all i can hear is your annoying and degrading voice in my ear constantly.' John was estatic, but you weren't scott free from his rants and scolding for scaring him half to death, telling you that he could barely leave you alone on a missoon withouy you getting hurt.

normally you'd snark back at him, but this time you just simply grabbed his hand and said 'i'm right here dipshit, i'm not going anywhere because you're stuck with me annoying for the rest of your miserable life.'

john relaxed and smiled a little to you as he squeezed your hand back, happy to know that you were going to be okay, but he does become unbeareably protective of you for weeks afterwards. making sure you were okay, not pulling any stitches or making your situation worse.

'i'm not a baby john!' you cried.

'stop whining and take your meds.' John replied and the team knew things were back on course when they heard you and john pick right back up from where you both left off. Everything was going to be okay for the surogate Walker siblings.

god forbid your dating or crushing on Bob or anyone else on the ream, he's going to be even fucking worse in so many ways that range from overbearing to embarrasing you infront of them. Though John would also insist that they had to go through him before dating you, to which you groan and shove him away for being annoying, only for him to point at you and say 'i'm your brother! i'm meant to be annoying.' yeah your dating life would be soemthing with this man pratically interogating your crush/ patner for hours on end.

#thunderbolts*#thunderbolts #thunderbolts imagine #thunderbolts imagines #thunderbolts x reader #thunderbolts x you #thunderbolts x y/n #mcu imagine #mcu imagines #mcu x you #mcu x reader #mcu x y/n #marvel x you #marvel x reader #marvel x y/n #marvel imagines #marvel imagine

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magnusmodig · 1 year ago

Text

𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 of the matter , but elected to pursue it not. he knew deflection when he saw it. ... and though the matter brought a sinking , leaden weight to bear down upon his own chest for luna's sake , thor ...

. . . knew he did not wish to speak of such matters either.

perhaps she might , in time.

❝ the people of this realm call it nightmare moss, ❞ he answered , recalling the few accounts of the plant that he and loki had uncovered in the archives. ❝ t'was thought to have gone extinct many years ago. and it is the cause of many ... disturbances ... in times past. ❞ as thor spoke , he watched the moss once again grow , slithering towards luna and himself through the ground with an almost snake-like quality. ( would only his full power were restored , that he might cast out its infernal scum with the fire of storms at his heel. ) — instead , thor grasped the roots in his fist and tore legion of the vile things from the earth , casting snow and dirt to scatter in a wave behind them. baring teeth , he snapped the tangle of roots at its base with ease and tossed the plant-corpse to the side with all the distaste of a someone highly inconvenienced.

❝ it is not safe to remain still here , child. ❞

You would think seeing what Luna sae on a daily would be disorienting, but it wasn't. This was. Yet, she isn't sure if iy was becsuse of exhaustion that weighed down on her or if it was because of another thing added onto the list of 'what's real and what's not?'

Ah...she's so, so tired.

Still, she remains awake. This time fighting for as much as she can and perhaps that was why she was asking him this question. It's not an answer she expected.

He's deflecting.

Of course he wouldn't want to tell her or probably anyone for that matter of the horrors he probably did see. To Luna's knowledge, these things were growing from those...Right?

"Do you know what these are exactly? Where they came from?" She won't answer. She's not ready.

#( ic . ) — son of odin . the crown is a heavy burden for thee .#( closed . ) — locked in father's vault .#(honestly guilt and fear is pretty on the money she is a SMARTY PANTS)#hypnum insomnum / 2024 #hypnum insomnum / act one #clxscdeyes #clxscdeyes / o2 #(i bet you even if they leave - even if thor RUNS from the moss it'll totally catch up to them and gobble luna up bc she's so =~=)#(and honestly im so 👀 .... and very sad for them alREADY)#(he is ABSOLUTELY going to keep tearing them off'a her ;;v;; she's his ward now he can't let smth happen to her)

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jeyramarie · 17 days ago

Text

The recruit- Yelena Belova x Reader (Season 2, Part 1)

Summary: Even after some time, love always finds a way… in missions?

w.c: 4,226

warning: ‼️ THUNDERBOLTS* SPOILERS‼️

The recruit (season 1)

a/n: *sighed* it’s good to be back, guys. ngl, i’m a little rusty.. very rusty BUT so excited to see where this fic goes!! If any of you have ideas as to what Y/n’s trauma room should be and if you wanna be in the taglist for future parts, lmk 👀 a bit nervous to post again... but anyway, without further ado, happy reading 🤍

Previously on The recruit...

“Hmm.” She hummed as she tucked a piece of hair behind Y/n’s ear.

“Are you okay?” The y/h/c whispered.

“I’m better than okay.” Yelena smiled cupping Y/n’s face as she pulled her into a kiss. They stayed playing with Fanny and baking muffins all day. Feeling the love radiate around the house.

Who would’ve thought that Yelena Belova would fall for a recruit?

That was a year ago. Exactly one year since Y/n and Yelena saw each other. I know what you’re thinking ‘Oh my god, what happened? they were so in love’. Yeah, well, Valentina happened… again. She was never dead so her chances of coming back were pretty high. Especially when she reached out to Yelena at the worst possible time.

“What do you want, Valentina?” Yelena spat on the phone as she walked away from her apartment. The apartment she shared with Y/n where they had just gone through a bad argument. “Now is not a really good time.”

“Aww, I love that for you.” Valentina cackled wickedly. “Anyway, I have a mission for you.”

“I don’t want anything to do with yo-“

“It’s a big one, Yelena.” She interrupted receiving only silence from the blonde. “I need you for this one.”

The russian turned around, staring at the apartment building where she lived with Y/n. She reminisced on the difficult times they were having. Yelena was unemployed, Y/n had jobs here and there but the income was never enough. They constantly argued about Yelena always staying home. Y/n discussed the possibility of her having depression but was always met with screams and attitude.

Yelena sighed, feeling her heart and mind tearing each other apart. She loves Y/n but all she knew was to run away.

“What do I need to do?”

A few hours later

Y/n walked nervously around the apartment, calling Yelena over and over again only to hear her voicemail. ‘It’s Lena, leave a message’.

“Yelena, where are you? I’ve been calling for hours. I’m worried.” Her voice broke. “Will you please just let me know you’re okay? I know I started the argument and I’m sorry, I-I didn’t mean to. Lena, please just call me.”

Y/n sat on the couch, feeling defeated as she understood that the blonde clearly didn’t want to talk to her. Yelena didn’t come home that night. Or the night after that. Or the night after that.

Eventually Y/n stopped calling. Guilt ate her alive so her main focus was work and training from time to time. No one ever called. The only person she truly had was Yelena. She didn’t believe her life could get any worse until she received a call from Valentina on a random Tuesday.

“You’re calling me for a job…” Y/n replied with sarcasm. “You really think I’m gonna accept when you literally tried to kill me?”

“I can bring Yelena back to you, just say yes.”

“Do you know where she is?” She whispered in hope.

“Of course I know where she is.” Valentina replied. “So tell me, Y/n, what would it be? Do you want your girl back or not?”

“Where do I go?”

Valentina’s vault

Y/n walked into the building just like Valentina had instructed. The door opened and the ex widow immediately pulled out her gun, pointing it around the room in case anyone or… anything popped out. The elevator opened and she stepped inside, watching the door close in front of. She couldn’t help but feel a wave of fear run over. Was she about to see her ex girlfriend? Was Yelena even in that room? Or did Valentina lie just to get her there?

The elevator arrived at the bottom floor and Y/n pointed the gun in front of her as the doors opened. The room was silent, filled with metal boxes and machinery. Some of them were covered, others out in the open. She walked in, slowly and a metal briefcase caught her eye. Y/n’s curiosity peaked, making her go straight to it.

Valentina’s plans were all there. Her biggest project was there. Project Sentry. She rummaged through the pictures and files before hearing the elevator move. Someone else had arrived there. The y/h/c quickly moved behind a big container, holding her gun tightly in her hand when the door opened. Heavy footsteps echoed around the room, making her hands shake.

“Hello?” A manly voice spoke, getting further into the room. “Anyone here?”

“I’m armed.” Y/n spoke loudly. She took a deep breath and slowly stood up, pointing her gun at the man in the room.

He wore a navy blue suit with a shield. ‘Captain America?’ Y/n thought to herself as she stared in confusion.

“Who are you?” He asked.

“Who are you?” Y/n spoke, walking closer. “I asked you first.”

“I’m Y/n.” She sighed. “Valentina sent me.”

“Valentina?”

“Yeah..”

“Do you know her?” Captain 2.0 asked, lowering his shield.

“Not really, we just go way back.” The y/h/c shrugged.

“So, you do know her.” He shrugged causing Y/n to lower her gun in annoyance.

“I do know her, yeah, but not on a deep level.”

“Is that you said you didn’t know her but in fact you do know-“

“Okay, yeah, whatever.” Y/n cut him off. “Who are you?”

“I’m John Walker, U.S agent.” He replied with a slight smirk.

“U.S. agent?” She furrowed her brows. “Is that, like, your stage name?”

“Stage name?”

“Yeah, I mean, like your title.”

John was about to reply but they heard the elevator going down. They quickly hid behind tall boxes, holding their weapons as they prepared to react. The door opened and footsteps were heard echoing around the room. They didn’t sound as heavy as Walker’s so, it was definitely a woman.

Walker silently stepped out from behind the box, immediately shooting at the person that arrived. The bullets start hitting a hard surface causing Y/n to peak from the side. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Lena?” She whispered to herself before bolting over to the agent, immediately jumping on his back.

He dropped his gun in surprise, giving the y/h/c an opportunity to wrap her leg around his shoulder. John toppled over to the ground as Y/n stood over him. Yelena stood up, staring at the person in confusion until they turned around.

“Y/n.” The blonde whispered.

“Are you okay?” The ex widow asked, quickly running to her. “Did he shoot you?”

“No, I’m- I’m okay.” She quickly answered. “What are you doing here?”

“Valentina called-“

“Valentina called you?!” Yelena exclaimed, looking behind Y/n from time to time.

The ex widow was about to answer when Yelena saw John getting up from the floor. He ran towards Y/n, causing the blonde to push her away before blocking and dodging his punches. The y/h/c ran towards the agent, pulling on his shield, making his arm go back. That gave the blonde a change to jump and pick him in the chest, making him fly backwards, hitting the wall.

“How are you here?” Yelena asked out of breath.

“Valentina told me you’d be here.” Y/n replied with hopeful eyes. “She told me about this job, or.. whatever this is, was gonna bring you back to me.”

“Y/n.”

“You left.” The y/h/c began as her throat closed up. “You left with no explanation. You never replied to my calls. I didn’t know if you were okay.”

Yelena starred in sadness, not knowing how to explain to her that she just decided to run away from her problems instead of facing them. Before she could reply, John pulled on Y/n’s elbow, causing her to turn and meet his fist right on the bridge of her nose. He pushed her to the side and Yelena launched at him, being quickly knocked down. The y/h/c grunted as she stood up, feeling overwhelming pain on her head.

“What the hell is happening?” Yelena grunted, lifting her head from the ground.

Y/n kicked John behind his knee, making him buckle to the ground as she whipped out her knife. She swung at him and he dodged before pushing her, making her crash into the machinery.

Yelena ran towards him, swinging her legs around his shoulders. The blonde was about to stab him but was held behind with his hand.

“You aren’t even my target.” She spoke with gritted teeth.

“You’re mine.” He grunted, throwing her off him.

“No she’s not.” Y/n stated, pulling a baton from her back that shot electricity from the tip. “You’re not touching her again, buddy.”

The y/h/c swung the baton back before coming in contact with his shield. Walker hit her hand harshly, making her drop her weapon. He grabbed her arm and threw her across the room, crashing her into more boxes. Y/n groaned as she lifted her head, making eye contact with Yelena, who was laying at the other side of the room.

Suddenly, a figure in a masked suit came into the vault, kicking John’s shield, making him fly across the room. ‘Finally.’ Y/n thought to herself as she grabbed her baton that laid next to her. The figure's mask opened to reveal, Antonia?

“I’m not here for either of you.” She spoke dryly, looking at the widows before launching onto John.

The girls stared at each other in disbelief, confused as to why Antonia would be involved in their mission. And why would she be involved with Valentina? Yelena stood up and before she could run to John, another figure appeared behind him- Ghost. The person wore a black suit with a white mask.

“There you are.” Yelena spoke, turning to the figure.

“Now what?” John chuckled dryly.

“What the frick is going on?” Y/n asked as she stood up.

“Oh, get over yourself.” The woman spoke to John before they disappeared and suddenly reappeared behind him, going towards Antonia, punching her in her stomach.

Taskmaster flew backward as Yelena pulled her hand up to release the taser. The woman disappeared once again, making the taser fall directly on Walker. Antonia returned, throwing her punches to the unknown figure who sent her flying to the boxes once again. Yelena took the chance and launched at them. She disappeared again, causing the blonde to fall on her knees before the figure appeared again, kicking Yelena harshly on her cheekbone.

“Stay out of my way.” Ava spoke as the blonde grunted in pain.

Y/n kicked John away and ran towards the ex widow. She pulled her shoulder, placing her hand on the blonde’s jaw to turn her face. The y/h/c’s ear became muffled. All she thought about was Yelena. She could see the blonde’s lips moving but couldn’t hear a thing, not until Yelena cupped her cheeks. The skin contact made her react, it made her wake up. It reminded her that she was still alive.

“I’m okay.” She nodded her head. “I’m fine, that was nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m oka-”

Gunshots echoed in the room, causing the widows to look up to see John Walker pointing directly at them. Yelena stood and ran, her hand tightly around Y/n’s as she slid over a table. She flipped it over, using it as a shield to protect them from the bullets. Y/n tripped over and fell back, hitting a panel from one of the boxes. The noises and grunts were overwhelming, casting out the sound of the panel turning on.

Y/n quickly stood up, pulling a knife that hid next to her thigh. She bolted towards John, who was already attacking Yelena. Her legs wrapped over his shoulder, taking the knife towards his left shoulder. He immediately grabbed her wrist, throwing her across the room. Y/n’s back crashed against the wall before falling to the ground with a painful grunt.

Yelena hid behind a metal box and moved it toward to get closer to the unknown woman, her target. The blonde threw the knife towards her as she disappeared. It was later thrown to Antonia’s shield, flying directly to John, who caught it before it reached him. The widow pushed the box to the side, before on her back in surprise. The agent moved his knife to her face causing her to cross her arm in front of her face in protection. She groaned using all her strength to get him off her.

A loud gunshot ran around the room, causing all of them to stop and stare at the source. Taskemaster laid on the ground with a wound on her forehead, blood slipping out onto the mask. The shooter deactivated their mask to reveal a woman with a victorious smile. Y/n stood and began to run towards Walker when weird noises began to come from behind one of the many boxes.

Everyone turned towards the sound in question, Yelena took the opportunity and kicked Walker off of her before rolling away and pulling her gun out. They all stood with their weapons in front of them, pointing at each other in precaution. Y/n took her eyes away from the blonde and towards the noise to see a man crawling out from behind the boxes. The weapons pointed at him immediately as he turned his head towards them in confusion.

He began to run towards the exit when an alarm rang, making the metal doors go down, leaving them trapped inside the vault. They all turned to the doors but once they shut, their guns pointed at the man again causing him to put his hands up in fear.

“Wow, wow, wow, I-I’m, I’m Bob.” He said shakingly.

“Who are you?” Ava questioned, never lowering her gun.

“I’m Bob.” He shrugged. “L-like I told you, I-I’m Bob, yeah.”

“Jesus Christ, stop saying Bob.” John spoke feeling annoyed.

“Who sent you Bob?” Yelena questioned, getting a death stare from the agent.

“N-no- nobody, why would I be sent?” Bob stuttered. “You w-were all sent?”

“I’m not sure what's happening here and you’re all exhausting.” The woman sighed, lowering her gun as she walked forward towards the doors. “But my job here is done.”

“Well you see my job is to keep an eye on you so you are not gonna go anywhere anymore.” Yelena spoke, her accent thick in determination.

“So you’re keeping an eye on her, huh?” John began. “That’s a halfway decent cover from someone who’s stealing assets from OX.”

“What?” Y/n questioned as she lowered her gun.

“I’m not stealing.” The blonde chuckled dryly before pointing at the mysterious woman. “She’s stealing..”

Yelena met Y/n’s eyes in relization. Valentina had tricked all of them into the vault. She was the one stealing from OX and they were all witnesses to a lot of her crimes. The blonde closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

“Okay.” She began, moving her hands next to her head. “It’s clear we have all worked for Valentina in some sort of Shadow of OX capacity.”

“Yeah, so?” Walker questioned, clearly annoyed with the situation.

“So, all of this is OX’s secrets.” Y/n pointed around the room. “And so are we.”

“Which makes us liabilities that no one would miss.” Ava continued and sighed in defeat.

“Speak for yourself.” John scoffed.

“We are the evidence and this is the shredder.” Yelena pointed out.

“She clearly wants all of us gone.” Y/n shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Your theory is flawed.” John began.

“Oh please, go on.” Ava rolled her eyes.

“Okay, well, look at the facts, the infamous Ghost.” He spoke, walking towards the women. “Shield’s regret on the run for 15 missions?”

“Dead one over there.” He said pointing at Antonia’s body on the ground. “Destroyed half of Budapest.”

“Don’t talk about her.” Yelena muttered.

“And you two.” Walker said, staring back and forth between the widows. “Former Red Room assassins and God only knows that blood on your hands.”

“Really weird coming from a dime store Captain America.” Ava shrugged as Y/n chuckled under her breath.

“Well, I’ll have you know I was the offiicial, Captain America, so.”

“Yeah, for like two seconds.” Yelena chuckled.

“You were really bad at it.” Y/n spoke simultaneously with the blonde.

“Before you publicly murdered an innocent man on the street.” Ava furrowed her brows. “Do I have that right?”

Walker replied bitterly as Y/n’s mind went quiet. She placed her gun in the holter and stared at the ground as she paced around, closer to the doors. Her eyes lifted, staring at the blonde who was already staring at her. She moved away from Ava and John, walking towards the y/h/c with determination.

“Are you okay?” The blonde whispered.

“Yeah.” Y/n nodded and shrugged. “Just confused about all this.”

“It’s weird, yeah.” Yelena spoke, looking behind her for a second. “Even for Valentina.”

“It is.”

“I’m sorry, Y/n.” The blonde blurted out as her eyes got watery. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

“Yelena, I don-”

“No, please, listen.” Yelena cut her off and sniffled. “I didn’t want to face our problems, in fact, I wanted to run away from them and I did. I didn’t want to confront you after our argument and I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry for always picking up a fight with you.” Y/n said looking into the blonde’s green orbs. “I wanted to help, I just didn’t know how.”

“I love you.” Yelena muttered, walking closer to the y/h/c. “I never stopped.”

“I-”

“Will you two stop whispering to each other?” John spoke, interrupting Y/n before she even spoke. “Tie yourselves up.”

“What?” Y/n furrowed her brows as she followed the blonde towards the rest of the group.

“I’m out of here.” Ava spoke, putting her helmet on before disappearing as she walked towards the metal door.

She reappeared as she was getting closer, causing a loud ringing noise to echo around the room. They all ground in pain, covering their ears with their eyes slammed shut. The screeching stopped and they all looked around, hoping for a glimpse of an answer.

“Wow.” Bob whispered. “Did you guys hear that?”

“We all heard it, yes.” Y/n replied with a kind smile.

“Well, it doesnt seem like we’re getting out anytime soon so..” Ava sighed, looking around before landing her eyes on Antonia. “I’m gonna explore.”

She moved towards the dead body as Y/n sat on the ground while Yelena sat on a metal box. The y/h/c rested her head on the blonde’s thigh before feeling her fingers run through her hair. Bob walked around the room, looking up at the ceiling, the walls, the corners, anywhere that could be a potential exit. Ava and John began to rummage through Taskmaster’s suit, searching for possible weapons they could use in a near future.

“Hey!” Yelena called out. “Job or not, can you have some respect please?”

“Can you not touch her stuff?” Y/n added before John grabbed something else as he replied in sarcasm.

Suddenly, the room turned dark, only a red light shining as a bong-like sound rang in the room. The machinery above turned on as numbers appeared on the wall. It read 2:00.

“What the hell is that?” Walker questioned.

“That doesn’t sound like a shredder.” Ava spoke. “Sounds like an incinerator.”

“2 minutes.” Yelena said, pointing at the wall. “And Valentina’s slate is wiped clean.”

“You don’t know that for sure, could be for anything.” The U.S Agent started. “Could be them coming to pick me up.”

“Oh my god.” Y/n groaned, walking away from them.

“Do you feel that?” Ava turned to him. “The temperature rising like heat was involved?”

“Okay, it's an incinerator.” John shrugged.

“No shit.” Y/n muttered, turning to Yelena.

“Oh boy, that’s no way to go.” Bob shook his head, still feeling disoriented.

“How would you like to die, Bob?” John raised his voice.

“Leave him alone.” Y/n raised her voice, giving the agent a death stare.

“Ghost lady.” Yelena began.

“Ava.”

“Yeah, whatever, don’t care.” The blonde waved in dismissal. “We need to get you through the wall so that you can open the door.”

“She tried that already.” John spat as he rolled his eyes.

“I know that she did but we haven’t tried shutting down the sound barrier.”

“I can try hacking into the system.” Y/n shrugged, turning to her girlfriend(?). “We just need to find the fuse box.”

“If they built it just for her.” Walker nodded slightly. “It’s got to be the main power source.”

Yelena rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, let’s go.”

They began to walk around the room, looking for the fuse box to shut down the sound barrier. Y/n walked alongside the farthest wall, catching a glimpse at the clock. It read 00:57. Fear began to creep into her chest. Her mind began to race about all the posible scenarios of what could happen if they didn’t find that fuse box. What could happen if they didn’t-

“I think I found it!” Yelena shouted from across the room as she pressed her ear to a box-like object on the wall.

“Watch out!” Ava shouted, running towards the blonde before opening the box to reveal an ordeal of wires.

“Let me see, maybe I can connect to the server throught here.” Y/n began, pulling out a small black box from the small pocket on her thigh.

“On your left!” John announced, causing Yelena to pull the y/h/c as the agent pushed his shield against the panel.

The fuse flickered before turning completely off, immediately shutting off the strong noise of the incinerator. Y/n frowned, feeling pleased by the quick work of the agent. They all moved to the middle of the room, ushering Ava towards the door. She successfully went throught, taking some weight off of Y/n’s chest. The clock now read 00:22 and they all stood next to each other, staring at the doors.

“Do you think she’s coming back?” Bob spoke with fear in his eyes.

“Should’ve seen this coming.” John muttered in disappointment.

Y/n grabbed Yelena’s hand, intertwining their fingers together as the vault became hotter and hotter. Their eyes locked, silently telling each other how much they love each other. The y/h/c lifted the blonde’s hand, kissing her knuckles. Yelena looked upward and closed her eyes along with Y/n as they both waited for their death.

An alarm began to blare as the door opened upward. They all ran towards the exit as the clock turned 00:00 causing an explosion to erupt. The four of them flew across the room where Y/n’s head crashed against the wall before landing on the ground. The y/h/c fell unconscious for a quick second, but when she opened her eyes, she wasn’t in the vault anymore. She stood in the middle of an empty warehouse. Voices began to come from her right, causing her to turn to see a familiar man being dragged towards her. He was tied up, mouth covered in ductape and eyes overflowing with tears.

“Finish the job.” A Russian man spat, pushing him towards Y/n.

She stared in confusion but quickly noticed they weren’t staring directly at her, they stared next to her. There stood 10 y/o Y/n, in her Red Room uniform. Her skin glossy with a sheer coat of sweat as her hands shook.

“What are you waiting for?” A man questioned, behind her.

The y/h/c recognized that voice. She had nightmares with that voice. It was Dreykov. He moved towards young Y/n, aggresively grabbing her arm to lift her gun towards the man. Her hands shook in fear. It was clear this was her first kill.

“Do it.” Dreykov whispered into her ear. “What are you waiting for?”

The girl stayed quiet, feeling nothing but fear and a wave of anxiety over her. The grip on her arm became tighter each second. So tight, that she began to fight against his grip, yearning for release.

“Shoot him!” He shouted and the gun went off unexpectedly.

Old Y/n stared teary eyed as her younger self crumbled in a sobbing ball before she was dragged away by older widows. She swallowed her nerves and turned her head to see Bob and Yelena staring in sadness.

“Bob?” The y/h/c stared in confusion. “Lena?”

Her eyes opened and she quickly noticed that she was stil lying on the ground with her fingers slightly grazing Bob’s hand. Their eyes met for a second before the y/h/c hurried to a sitting position, immediately thinking of Yelena. The blonde laid next to her, her green eyes fluttering open, instantly looking at Y/n in sadness.

“Y/n..” The blonde began.

“Not now, Lena.” She cut her off as she stood up, bringing the widow with her. “We can discuss that later.”

The blonde nodded and moved towards Bob to make sure he was alright. Y/n stared at the wall for a few seconds, reminiscing on what she saw. Why would that image pop into her head? Why did it feel so real? Why were Bob and Yelena in there?

What the hell just happened? Y/n thought to herself as she looked over her shoulder to the rest of her group.

yelena taglist: @imfuckinggenius @yelenabelovv @xxxtwilightaxelxxx @ilovewinter101 @s1ut4nat @nebulablakemurphy @theshippergal @kacka84 @an-evergreen-rose @wandaswifeyforlifey @loomontoia @zombies1ayea

#florence pugh #florence pugh x reader #yelena belova #yelena belova x reader #yelena belova x y/n #yelena belova x you #yelena belova fic #yelena belova imagine #yelena belova blurb #yelena belova one shot #thunderbolts*#yelena belova angst #yelena belova smut #the new avengers #yelena black widow #yelena belova fluff

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grounded-parasocial · 4 months ago

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For day 7-Free Prompt for young royals week 2025 @youngroyals-events

An Outside Point of View

…sometimes we are on the outside looking in 👀

Sometimes it’s a canon character, sometimes it’s an alternate universe, sometimes it’s news or an interview and sometimes it’s a companion piece to a bigger story- but in all of these stories- we are viewing Wilmon through someone else’s eyes.

Wilhelm & Simon: Interview With Swedens Young Royal Couple (T, 31K) @girls-are-weird

Other people’s secrets (M, 238K) @sflow-er

The College Break Up (T, 4K) @pagegirlintraining

Breaking News, Breaking Free (T, WIP 6K) @oneofthosebells

Husfar (T, 1K) @iwouldnevergetintofanfic

A Dutiful Welcome (T, 5K) @groenendaelfic

Password-Protected (G, 2K) @simonsapelsin

Take a deep breath and chase it with mine (T, 4K) @glassdollls

Happy 18th, Crown Prince Wilhelm (G, 4K) @gulliblelemon

Out of Earshot (G, 1K) by wrensandroses

Ace Of Hearts (G, 16K) by whiterabbit11

It’s been a long time since we last saw each other (G, 6K) @aledlastbestie

and i will make my home there (G, 1.5K) by witchjeons

Homecooked meals and sibling dynamics (G, 1.6K) @starvalisedham

International Relations (T, 1K) by QuarterMoonRising

Fucking Wille (T, 3K) @stretchoutfics and

Closure (T, 4K) @stretchoutfics

The Former Crown Prince Wilhelm (and His Cringe-Fail Husband) (GA 2K) @starvalisedham

A Hybrid- (wilmon & others)

SportLOVE (M, 23K) @piebingo

Reckless Abandon (E, 142K) @zee-has-commitment-issues

As Part of A Series

Nothing New (G, 1K) as part of the Is it Over Now?/ The Vault @iwouldnevergetintofanfic

We Don’t Talk About Bed Five (T, 3K) as part of Put Me Back Together By notalotgoingonatthisinstant

The Life of Simon and Wilhelm, the Most Famous Gay Couple in Sweden (G, 29K) as part of Red, White and Young Royal Blue @toffeelemon

Of Strategies and Harmonies (NR, WIP 11K) as part of Of Enemies and Symphonies/Hillerska Musikskolan @pagegirlintraining

(I want) Someone who energizes me (T, 6K) @prince-simon & by NerdGirl07 as part of i don’t feel like our love is brand new

Hot Royal Debut (G, 650) @prince-simon @toffeelemon as part of not if it’s you/ a bloom of jellyfish

Delicate (NR, 1K) as part of right where you left me (M) by YourDemiurge

Getting Away From His One That Got Away (T, 6K) as part of Yours to Keep by fitz_y

on wednesdays we wear pink (T, 6K) as part of …and they were third years! by pysanky

Rain and Shine (T, 8K) as part of Where We Left Off @gulliblelemon

*its a community, so feel free to add any stories I may have missed!

Thank you to all the amazing YR writers!! 💜

#yrweek2025 #day 7 yrweek2025 #outsider pov #yr fanfic #yr fic list #young royals #thank you yr fanfic authors #grounded-parasocial yr fic rec list

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thatdeadaquarius · 1 year ago

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Soon.

☆

With a puzzled squint, you could see the adeptus was running over what you said in his mind, trying to parse out the meaning. Xiao then threw his head up out of his slight bow, almost glaring at you, “There is no task nor person more important than guarding you, my Lord. I will stand guard, worry not about my state.”

Nodding to you, he abruptly turned on his heel to shift to the side of the entrance to the mansion, his spear tall and ready. You’d have twitched a smile at him if you could, as you're sure he’s gotten a little more comfortable with you than when you first officially met. You’re also sure from meeting Zhongli just once in person that he’d have a small heart attack if he saw some of Xiao’s informal behavior.

But you’re glad he hasn’t, the more relaxed they are, especially considering your form, the better.

You duck inside, though the ceilings are so raised that you don’t have to go that low surprisingly. Huh, it was nice to be anticipated in a building usually sized for human heights. Wow. You’ve really reached the point of casually calling yourself inhuman.

…well, to be real with yourself right now, it might actually help to get more accustomed to that in case you’re never human again.

You also put that possibility back into the vault at the back of your mind.

☆

HEY I live, again,

I had a big life update what with my sib graduating grad school (getting their masters degree) at the same time we both moved like 2 states over from our home state 😅

and unfortunately, i wasnt able to get my monster of a sequel out in time to post it remotely to get it out to you guys while i was afk

(as i havent had wifi/free time consistently in like 2-3 weeks)

which, phew, im finally able to be settled in one place enough to write again, and have enough time in the day to not be dealing wiht my apartment to write ToT

i hope you guys arent too mad at me! (or have forgotten me?? sobs)

also.

i hear Natlan's coming out. 👀

I don't think it'll be out before i post the full (3 chapters total planned) sequel, but just in case, disclaimer-

🪄I am not to be held liable for not writing about Natlan bc it wasnt out yet woooo🪄

anyway, yeah its also taking a bit bc i wanna post the completed thing all in one go, over the course of like 3 days or so, that way u guys can actually look forward to the next little chapter in a reasonable amount of time lmao

well yknow, if anyones still reading this or my blog lol

happy summer you guys! I hope u all are having a good one so far, esp those of you in school, heart going out to yall fr <33

Catch you on the flip side (ao3 side?)✌️

Safe Travels,

💀♒

If you wanna join a taglist, DM me what for! "Pspspsss, please tag me for [All SAGAU posts, Only SAGAU Language AUs, diff fandom, etc.]!"

(If you ever wanna drop, just DM me! "No more taglists/[specifically this AU/fandom] please!")

♡the beloveds♡

@karmawonders / @0rah-s / @randomnatics / @glxssynarvi / @nexylaza / @genshin-impacts-me / @wholesomey-artist / @thedevioussmirk / @the-dumber-scaramouche / @chocogi / @fallen-starr / @areaderofbooks / @devilangel657 / @esthelily / @justinsomniachild / @nanithefuck / @questionotmystopit / @chinuneko / @silvers-tongue

@karmascreeches / @yomilyy / @0rah-s / @idontknowwhatimdoingbutweball / @blackstar-gazer / @voidsgarden / @a-gay-piece-of-paper / @oxyotl / @thefirstonetoeverlikemeback / @kurayamioterasu / @randompersoninyourworld / @byakuren100 / @lemonade7255

#genshin sagau #genshin isekai #sagau #genshin imagines #gender neutral reader #genshin x reader #aqua rambles #aqua crumbs #tis the official tag now for little snippets of writings of wips #god whenever i write eldritch au it always turns out like 2x the word count sorry guys /gen #:')#otherwise this would be out by now ffs #sagau eldritch au #sagau eldritch god reader

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zepskies · 5 days ago

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MUSIC PLAYLIST - Side A

YouTube || Spotify

Unravel Me

Pairing: Soldier Boy (Ben) x Afro-Latina!Reader

Summary: In the wake of Vought Tower finally falling, you find yourself crossing paths with Soldier Boy. Rogue, weakened, dangerous, and hunted, he needs a place to hide. You’re not about to offer up your own home to shelter a supe wanted by Homelander and the CIA…but he’s also not going to let you refuse.

👀 Sneak Peek of Part 1:

Soldier Boy tightens his hold on your arm. Slow and quiet, he opens the door to the parking garage with his elbow, since his other hand is still locked over your mouth. He guides you in.

“Don’t scream, or I’ll start squeezing,” he warns. At least he releases his hand from your mouth, instead, grabbing the back of your neck. “Where’s your car?”

“Wait, come on,” you plead, your voice shaking. “Whatever you did, I don’t want to know, but I didn’t sign up to be your getaway driver.”

Ben’s grip tightens a fraction. “All I need is a fucking ride. That isn’t too much to ask, now is it, sweetheart?”

“Depends on where you’re trying to go,” you say. But you decide that not getting snapped in half is good enough reason to lead him to your car. You rarely have cause to drive it, so it mostly just stays parked here in the garage. For once, you’re grateful that you shell out a portion of your monthly paycheck to reserve this space.

You fish your keys out of your car and unlock the door with shaky hands. Soldier Boy watches you press the button on the small key remote with furrowed brows, but he takes it from you after forcing you in the driver’s seat, so he can enter the car on the passenger side.

The second your tiny blue Kia rumbles pitifully to life, your music blares loud enough to feel the bass in the floor. Soldier Boy smacks the radio buttons roughly until it stops.

You give him a thin smile.

“Not a fan of Bad Bunny?” you ask.

⟡ Read Parts 1-3 on Patreon!

⟡ Part 1 coming to Tumblr/Ao3: 6/01

Soldier Boy Tag List (Part 1)

@spnwoman @waynes-multiverse @luci-in-trenchcoats @rizlowwritessortof @lamentationsofalonelypotato

@midnightmadwoman @deans-spinster-witch @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78

@deansbbyx @chernayawidow @this-is-me19 @kazsrm67 @chevroletdean

@foxyjwls007 @roseblue373 @lacilou @fics-pics-andotherthings-i-like @winchestergirl2

@samanddeaninatrenchcoat @my-stories-vault @spnbabe67 @alwaystiredandconfused @globetrotter28

@mrsjenniferwinchester @charmed-asylum @waywardxwords @k-slla @deanbrainrotwritings

@jackles010378 @deans-daydream @deanwinchestersgirl87 @rachiem4-blog @just-levyy

@leigh70 @kmc1989 @ghostslillady @siampie @jessjad

@beautyvaliant @mimaria420 @kaleldobrev @pieandmonsters @twinkleinadiamondsky

@stoneyggirl2 @sl33pylilbunny @spnfamily-j2

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mrs-gauche · 1 year ago

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Let's talk about the Red Lyrium Idol

(…Because it's not like this thing has been discussed to death over the past ten years, right? 😂 *drops my two cents in the Scrooge McDuck money bin*)

Ah yes… The red lyrium idol. The one thing that's given me a headache since 2018, as I'm still trying to figure out how this damn thing could possibly fit into my bazillion tinfoil theories.

Whether it's the first official DA4 teaser in 2018, the Blue Wraith comic series or the entirety of the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, a lot of the supplementary media and promotional stuff setting up the course for DA4 seems to be centered around the idol. Quite literally, in some cases, like this mural from the first 2018 teaser:

It certainly led us to think that the idol won't just be another McGuffin (or so I hope lol), but other than that, it's still heavely shrouded in mystery…

Which is why I will now make an attempt to unravel this and gather every single bit of information we have on it (so far) and maybe that'll get us closer to some sort of answer in the end (actually, it won't, because this got SO long that I had to split this post in two parts lol No one's going to read all of this anyway 💀)!

Look, I just needed to get this behemoth of a post out before we might get an actual substantial trailer tomorrow and none of this will probably matter anymore. 😂💀

(Note: This whole thing was initially intended to be solely for myself to keep track of any information we've gotten about the idol since DA2. But since it's gotten SO long over the years, I figured why not just rewrite it into a somewhat coherent text and post it on here? :D ......Seriously, it's really, REALLY effing long.)

The Idol's Journey so far

To me, the idol always seemed to be something like "The One Ring" in LOTR. A forged ancient artifact with creepy unknown powers that is said to feel "alive", almost as if it possesses a will of its own, seeing as it has somehow found its way from countless random people, back to (presumably) its former owner. It also appears to be somewhat cursed, given that almost everyone who held it at one point seems to have died or gone mad by now (Yeah, I'm very worried about Varric and Hawke 👀).

Let us start with a quick summary of the journey the idol has made in the span of about 12-13 years (not counting the unknown timespan in which the last chapter of Tevinter Nights takes place):

First discovered by Hawke and Varric in an ancient Thaig in the Deep Roads.

Stolen by Bartrand, who then made a quick trip to Rivain.

Sold to Meredith, who turned it into a sword.

Taken out of Meredith's petrified corpse by Carta dwarves.

Sold again to a Tevinter mage, who brought it to House Qintara in Ventus.

Handed to a secret agent of Fen'Harel named Gaius (who was impersonating Magister Qintara).

Traded away to Tractus Danarius.

Handed to Magister Nenealeus at Castellum Tenebris to be used as part of a ritual.

Picked up by Cedric Marquette after the fortress fell, while trying to escape.

Handed back to Tractus Danarius, who then probably (not confirmed) went to Nevarra to perform another blood magic ritual.

Picked up by a Mortalitasi who (maybe) took it to Tevinter.

(Supposedly!) ended up in a vault under an auction house in Llomerryn in Rivain, where it was (supposedly!) retrieved by Solas.

That's quite the journey… that you wouldn't even know half about if you didn't read the comics or Tevinter Nights. But whereas the book and comics were all published after the first teaser trailer in 2018, after which the idol became the center of the fandom's attention and speculation, it should be noted that a connection to the idol was in fact already made way back in 2014, when people noticed that the image of Solas holding Flemeth's lifeless body at the end of Inquisition was very reminiscent of something else.

...Which brings us to the point of what the idol is even depicting to begin with.

Description

Before I'll start to give my own description based on the models in-game, the teaser and concept art, I'd like to quote the people who've actually seen it in person.

In the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, we are being told three tales by three different people, who all describe the same idol differently.

The Carta Assassin: "A couple hugging, too thin to be dwarves - but it's sitting there, glowing softly like a ruby lit by the grace of the Maker himself. […] It's heavier than you'd think - lyrium's heavier than you'd think, too, but this was heavy even for that. When I hefted it in my hand, it was like it wanted to keep moving, like it was liquid inside."

The Mortalitasi: "An idol crafted from red lyrium, which seemed to show two lovers, or a god mourning her sacrifice. It whispered in our minds when we saw it […]."

The Orlesian Bard/Solas: "He whispered something as he picked it up, tracing his gloved fingers gently along the crowned figure who comforted the other."

The one thing that all of these seem to have in common though is two figures who embrace each other in some way.

Which is interesting, because in all the depictions of the idol we've seen so far, it clearly shows three people instead of two. Granted, the third figure is a bit cramped up in the back of the crowned figure, but what's strange is that not even Solas himself mentions this third figure.

Most notable though is the crowned female looking figure in the center, which is holding onto the two other figures on each side of the ring shaped object (or it's the two figures holding onto the female?). The figures themselves look rather goulish, deadly or skeletal, with their bone structure clearly visible and all their expressions captured in a mix of horror or torment. The small carved-in lines coming from the middle figure's eye sockets also resemble black tears, much like we've seen on "The Mother" in Awakening.

There's also no sign of clothing, which is all the more apparent on the concept art of the idol, in which the breast of the middle figure is.. much more prominent. lol (We don't make fun of saggy boobs in this house, it's just nature and gravity after all, but for the sake of observation, I will note that they do remind me of Broodmother boobs, too 😂), aside from a hint of what could be a veil on the middle figure's head.

At the bottom of the idol, the lower bodies of the figures seem to fully submerge within its name-giving red lyrium and this "claw" type thing, which is coming off in the shape of crystalline red lyrium spikes at the tail end, though in the concept art and the DA2 model, these spikes were clearly more like red lyrium roots. But either way, the bottom makes it kinda look like it's been broken/ripped off?

We can also see tentacle like features, that remind me of the figures we've seen in the mural in the 2020 teaser and the depiction in the 25th anniversary book that revealed to us what the Archdemons were initially supposed to look like. 👀

I'd also like to point out that in the original concept art of the idol, the ears of the crowned figure look much more pointy to me than in later versions. 👀

There's also this "ring", that I've seen many people connect to how the Veil is often portrayed in Solas' murals.

But if this ring is supposed to depict the Veil, then what could it mean for the crowned figure reaching across to hold that ominous third figure on the "other side"?

And yes, I recognize that this ominous third figure also seems to be missing a left arm, just like another certain main character. 👀

The one thing that stands out the most though, is probably the crown itself. Most people might first associate it with Andraste, when the same shape can be traced as far back as ancient statues of Mythal.

Yeah, there's definitely a pattern here. 😂

That being said…

Connection to Mythal & Solas

Okay, we all know about the theory that Andraste might have been Mythal's previous host, right? We all know about the parallels between Mythal's story, Andraste, Flemeth, etc. And after comparing the idol to Flemeth and Meredith in their moment of death, considering all of the above/following and how old this thing potentially is, I will now make a wild guess here and argue that the idol is in fact depicting Mythal's death.

"He whispered something as he picked it up, tracing his gloved fingers gently along the crowned figure who comforted the other. But I could not make out the words, for I fear they were elven."

Not only does Solas seem to hold sentimental value for whoever the crowned figure is supposed to be, while also talking to it in elven, but the way he describes to "caress" the idol in Tevinter Nights does also seem to mirror how Flemythal was comforting him at the end of DAI.

However, I always thought it was a bit odd how Solas describes the idol as "a figure comforting another", when… tbh, "comforting" would probably be last thing that comes to my mind when I look at this...

"Agony" would be more fitting here, maybe? lol Kinda begs the question of how Mythal was murdered, too, with this being her expression in her moment of death? 👀

Without getting too much into it here, if there's one thing we can take from everything we've learned so far about their past, Solas' relationship with Mythal must've been a rather complicated one, to say the least.

"He did not want a body, but she asked him to come. He left a scar when he burned her off his face."

Solas calls Mythal "the best of the elven gods", calling her "the mother, protective and fierce", and Solas is even described in the designer's notes as "Mythal's oldest friend" who is all about free will, yet if the spirit origin theory is true and Cole's cryptic comments in Trespasser are in fact about them, it was Mythal who gave Solas a body against his will, potentially bound/enslaved him with her vallaslin, and maybe even forced him to act against his original purpose?

"You should have seen me when I was younger. Hot-blooded and cocky, always ready to fight."

Cole: "You didn't do it to be right. You did it to save them." Inquisitor: "Solas, what is Cole talking about?" Solas: "A mistake. One of many made by a much younger elf who was certain he knew everything."

How much of what happened was Solas acting out Mythal's will, or rather, acting out of vengeance and pain in reaction to Mythal's death? How much of it was him acting downright impulsive?

Solas: “Cole is a spirit. The death of the real Cole wounded him, perverted him from his purpose. To regain that part of himself, he must forgive.” Varric: “You don’t just forgive someone killing you.” Solas: “You don’t. A spirit can.”

Or was it Mythal's death itself that "wounded him and perverted him from his purpose", just like he described what happened to Cole?

And what does that say about Mythal then, when she clearly hasn't forgiven her murderers and still strives for vengeance after all this time? What if Solas' own perception of Mythal and all the circumstances surrounding her murder is warped because he was once bound to her? 👀

Anyway. To get back to topic.

So if we assume that the idol is in fact depicting Mythal's death, then that brings us to the next question of why the idol is even made of red lyrium? Or rather, what is Mythal's connection to red lyrium?

We know that red lyrium is tainted blood of a Titan. Mythal was the first to kill a Titan and mine their blood for things we won't get into in this post. So, how did the idol end up in the Deep Roads, anyway? How long had it been there? One thing that's kinda strange to me, is how the DA wiki page about the idol says that it was forged by the dwarves, solely based on the fact that it was initially found in the Deep Roads, when we have no actual evidence for that. We've seen statues of both Mythal and the Dread Wolf in the Deep Road section in Trespasser where the mining of lyrium was undergone, but we don't know if the dwarves even had any part in building them as well.

Would the dwarves forge an idol of the elven deity who conquered them and killed their Titan, if they were somehow forced to do so? We also have to remember that dwarves were and still are the only ones able to actually mine raw lyrium safely, but even the Carta dwarves in Tevinter Nights had to take several precautions in order to recover the red lyrium idol from Meredith's corpse. And even then, many of them still fell shaking or went mad in its presence like Bartrand.

So if it only takes that little exposure to have that much of an effect on someone's sanity, how were the ancient dwarves or anyone even able to create it in the first place? What if the idol was initially made of blue lyrium but was then somehow corrupted?

And if we take one moment to really think about what an idol actually is.

"An object representing extreme devotion and religious worship to a god."

While Solas doesn't think of any of the Evanuris as actual gods, he still seems to hold Mythal at such a high regard that he wouldn't even speak of her at a sacred place like the Temple of Mythal (whether or not that was because he just wanted to withhold any secret ancient knowledge). He's able to fully recite the invocation to Mythal if you bring him with you to her altar. He also looks exactly like the sentinels in Mythal's temple.

I could go on, but generally speaking, there are so many little hints pointing to Solas being a former slave/servant of Mythal that, again, we won't get into here, but it's important to mention when trying to figure out why the idol (presumably) even belongs to Solas.

"The idol's journey is now complete, and it has found its master."

In Tevinter Nights, the Dread Wolf claims that the red lyrium idol belongs to him. He also made sure to punish those who tried to misuse it, going so far as to march in with an entire army of spirits and snapping a guy's neck with his jaw. (Yup, you're better off not to touch the Dread Wolf's stuff for dirty blood rituals, kids.)

"You use my idol carelessly, and in doing so, you threaten all creation."

Additionally, in the last chapter of Tevinter Nights, Charter and other spies conclude that Solas must need the idol for whatever ritual he's planning, while Solas in Bard disguise claims that he's already in possession of the idol now and therefore, I quote, "cannot be stopped". (Though I personally still don't actually buy a single thing about his vivid tale at that auction house, but we'll get back to this later. lol)

And if the idol belongs to Solas, was he the one who created it, or did he order the dwarves or someone else to make it for him? But why would he intentionally make an idol out of red lyrium, anyway? He is fully aware of the dangers and corruption that comes with being exposed to red lyrium and its use. Especially considering that red lyrium is blighted and how he repeatedly expresses great concern over the Blights and gets furious over the Grey Wardens' attempts to preempt them by killing the Archdemons (because he obviously knows more than us).

So, does he know a way to use it without getting corrupted like everyone else? The Seekers of Truth are so far the only ones we've seen to be immune to red lyrium thanks to having their minds touched by a spirit of Faith during their vigil. Could Solas' connection to spirits/his hypothetical spirit origin allow him to use the idol without it effecting him?

But if any of this is true, then l'm again asking myself what even was the purpose of the idol to begin with? Why or when was it created? How does it differ from any other red lyrium, and what could Solas have used it for in the ancient past?

Powers & Effects

So, let's talk about what this thing can actually do (as far as we know).

(Btw, this is the part where I will shamelessly copy a lot straight from the DA wiki, because truth be told, I'm just a German struggling with limited vocabulary and I figured there's simply no way to summarize this any better than the wiki already has. 💀)

Just like any other red lyrium, we know that being exposed to the idol for too long will make you mad/paranoid/possessive/violent, while also grant you special powers, until overuse causes your body to be completely overtaken by red lyrium. It seems to thin the Veil wherever it is currently kept, allowing spirits or demons to interact with the physical world.

It also emanates a song that is slowly turning people who hear it insane.

The Song

"It sings… sick music." "It eats you inside until you're nothing." "It creeps into your thoughts, humming." "They hear a different song. The song behind the door old whispers want opened. They are dead and dark and done." "Songs screaming far away. It wants to wake up but can't remember how."

(- Cole's comments about red lyrium/red templars)

After Bartrand took the idol and left Varric and Hawke to die in the primeval Thaig, he started hearing voices, claiming the idol was "singing" to him. Even after selling it, Bartrand could still hear the idol and was eventually driven mad by its red lyrium.

Three years later, it is discovered that Bartrand had chipped a piece of the idol off and left it in his estate, which causes the house to behave like it was haunted and the Veil was torn.

Then during the "Haunted" quest, Varric himself remarks several times to hear music while walking through the estate, much like the Carta assassin in Tevinter Nights recalled to have heard "music in the wind, like some old song I heard as a kid but can't quite remember" when obtaining the idol from Meredith's corpse.

Important to mention here is that Varric seems to also be the only one in the party able to hear this song.

Varric: "Hey… is that music? Where is that coming from?" Hawke: "In don't hear anything." Varric: "Where is that singing coming from? You hear it, right, Hawke?" Varric: "Where is that voice coming from?" Hawke: "What voice?" Varric: "I can barely hear it… I wish I could make out the words."

Varric also told us that, after Bartrand went mad, he tortured his non-dwarven servants by cutting pieces off them to help them "hear the song".

(And remember, the idol was found in an ancient primeval Thaig in the Deep Roads, sitting on something like an altar, indicating that it was being worshiped by the ancient dwarves as well. Presumably because they too were being influenced by the idol's/red lyrium's song?)

Haunted

During the "Haunted" quest, we learn that the mere presence of a shard of the idol in the estate causes:

"Voices whispering in the walls"

Random objects moving on their own

Apparitions/screaming spirits appear running across the floors

When Varric picks up the piece of the idol, he starts to exhibit the same symptoms of madness Bartrand showed, at which point Hawke can either let Varric keep the piece, or can take it from him with the intent of having Sandal destroy it.

If Hawke asks Anders to diagnose Bartrand in Act 2, he suspects a demon at work, however Bartrand is a dwarf. Instead, he determines that "his mind has been poisoned by something powerful".

In Tevinter Nights, the Carta assassin recalls that, in the attempt to retrieve the idol from Meredith's corpse, most of his colleagues fell shaking and whispering the closer they got to it.

Meredith

After Bartrand sold the idol to Meredith, she reshapes it into her sword Certainty, which does eventually drive her insane as well. It also gives her unnatural powers, such as the ability to animate the statues in the Gallows, and even limited flight capabilities.

(My question is though, were the things happening in that final fight directly caused by the idol or was this just the result of the Veil being already weakened that much by the many terrible things that happened at that place/Kirkwall in general?)

Anyhow, during the final battle at the Gallows, Meredith overuses the lyrium sword, causing it to burst into dust and petrify her into a statue.

Though as we all know now, some part of Meredith seems to have survived somehow, as her… mind(?) or something was shown to now still "live" within the red lyrium somewhere in Kirkwall at the end of Absolution. She (or "it") also seems to have somewhat control over the red templars now, too.

So, how is this possible? What exactly is she now, if it even is herself and not just a manifestation/echo of her memories or something? Could it have something to do with the idol? No one really knows (and we might never find out, if Netflix won't give us a second season, anyway lol), but I do think it's curious how the idol is likely depicting Mythal's death, who didn't actually die either and lived on through the ages as a type of lingering "wisp" clinging to various hosts. 👀

I also want to point out how Solas did suspiciously include Meredith's petrified corpse in his mural in the 2020 teaser as well, placing her right under that ominous upside down figure with the tentacles.

Furthermore, just like Meredith, the idol also seems to be somewhat indestructable. lol After Meredith's sword burst into dust, it regrew inside her petrified corpse (which Solas was apparently also aware of). What's interesting is that it regenerated in Meredith's chest of all places. You know, like, where the heart is supposed to be? 👀

Then there's also this curious line from Anders, when talking about Varric acting strange after obtaining a shard of the idol:

"This thing's magic seems only more potent when broken."

I've mentioned it before, but with the spikes (or roots in DA2) at the bottom part of the idol making it look like it was ripped or broken off of something, you have to wonder if its current state is somewhat broken, even after regenerating.

"Hot-Blooded"

During the Haunted quest, Fenris will remark this:

"Whatever is here is angry."

In DAI, Cole repeatedly comments on how red lyrium feels "very angry" and how it is "less angry when it's cold". We know for a fact that red lyrium emanates a noticeable heat. A corrupted Bartrand is especially weak to cold/ice magic.

While anger is generally associated with heat, I find this aspect particularly interesting, given that red lyrium is tainted blood of a Titan.

And building on that, while still searching for further connections between red lyrium, the idol and Mythal… Remember how the ancient sarcophagus in the Blue Wraith and Dark Fortress comic was used in a ritual, in which lyrium combined with fire of a Great dragon carved lyrium infused markings into Fenris' and Shirallas' skin, granting them special powers.

Not only was this ancient sarcophagus specifically built only for elves, and its design resembling that of Mythal's statues…

…but here we have a case in which lyrium is purposefully "set on fire" by a Great dragon to create "elven super soldiers". Mythal is always depicted as a dragon. And she mined lyrium in humongous amounts.

Again, red lyrium emanates heat. If this was common practice in ancient times, then I feel like it's not surprising that a Titan would eventually be pretty damn angry in reaction to its blood being continuously burned for centuries [insert boiling blood joke here].

So, aside from the red lyrium being blighted, could there be a connection in Mythal burning the Titans' blood? As far as we know, it did take a couple of aeons in which Mythal (presumably) continued to mine (and burn?) the Titans' blood, before the ancient elves sealed the Deep Roads for good, because they discovered something… bad. As Solas himself declares in the vision described at the mural depicting a Titan's death:

"Let this place be forgotten. Let no one wake its anger." "The vision grows dark. An aeon seems to pass. Then the runes crackle, as if filled with an angry energy. A new vision appears: elves collapsing caverns, sealing the Deep Roads with stone and magic." "Terror, heart-pounding, ice-cold, as the last of the spells is cast."

And there it is again. That anger we're talking about. What's so interesting to me, is how this does sort of come full circle with Mythal and the idol after all, since the motivation behind Mythal's actions, even after thousands of years, remains her unwavering desire for vengeance upon the people who betrayed and murdered her, which, in a way, does mirror the same anger/heat that the Titan is emanating from its tainted blood.

And speaking of blood……

A Ritual Blade

In Tevinter Nights, we learned that the idol is able to produce a blade, which is then used as part of a blood magic ritual.

"The Tevinter mage was killing his slaves. […] He had cut the throat of one of them, and then another, catching the blood of his victims on the idol as he made his way around the circle. […] The Tevinter mage raised the idol before him, and I saw a spike of lyrium spring from the base of the idol, so that all at once, it was not merely an idol, but a ritual blade. He slashed his own hand, and a wave of power pulsed through the cavern. It was as though we were the blood, and the cavern was the body through which it flowed, and we fell, all of us, to the ground, our minds pulled into the raw chaos of the Fade by the power of his ritual."

In the end of the Dark Fortress comic, the idol produced another red lyrium sword, that could be fully detached and was then placed onto the before-mentioned sarcophagus, turning Shirallas into a raving beserker that was pretty much invincible as long as he was in possession of that same sword.

While the blue lyrium infused sword that was used in Fenris' ritual simply dissolved in the process, the sword produced by the idol could "regenerate" and was especially resistant to Great dragon fire.

"Unlike the lyrium-infused swords of the so-called Arcane warriors, this sword should survive the ritual."

In the final fight against him, Marquette comments on how Shirallas "feeds energy to the sword from the red lyrium in his veins" and how in turn "the sword heals his wounds".

So in both the comic and Tevinter Nights, the idol/the weapon produced from the idol seems to draw power specifically from the blood of its wielder. It makes me wonder if it was initially intended to be used this way, since we have to remember that it still presumably belongs to Solas, who claims to not practice blood magic, because it seems to make it more difficult to enter the Fade.

Which is ironic, given what the mage in Tevinter Nights did to disrupt the Fade, but also how the Magisters Sidereal used a massive blood ritual to enter the Fade physically.

And oddly enough, in your first conversation with Solas about blood magic, he makes this curious analogy with daggers as an example…

Inquisitor: Every time I've seen blood magic used, it has been for some evil purpose. Solas: I once saw a woman being stabbed in the stomach with a dagger. She died slowly, in angony. It was repulsive. If the Chantry outlawed daggers, would that stop the people from using it? Of course not. […]" Inquisitor: "You don't need to sacrifice a slave's life to make a dagger." Solas: "I suppose it depends upon the dagger."

So… Could Solas be referencing Mythal's death here? Or what if the dagger here is referring to the idol in its blade form? What the heck does he mean by "I suppose it depends upon the dagger"? Was a slave's life sacrificed to create the idol maybe?

But if blood magic wasn't the sole purpose for why it was made, then what else could the idol as a ritual blade be used for?

Which brings us to…

Dalish mythology

According to Dalish legends, Fen'Harel told the Creators and the Forgotten Ones that the Avvar had forged a "terrible weapon", a blade that would end the war between both clans of gods. He told the Creators that it was forged in the heavens, while the Forgotten Ones were told that it was hidden in the Abyss. And when the gods went seeking it, Fen'Harel sealed them both in their realms forever.

Okay. So, let's just assume for a second that the blade in this legend was actually the idol in its blade form. Because hell, what are the odds of having two "super powerful ancient blades that belong to Solas"? lol

If they are in fact the same weapon and the part about Solas tricking the gods is true, why were the Evanuris and the Forgotten Ones so eager to get this thing, to the point that they would fell into a trap?

And with this, I'd also like to point out the level design in the scene in which Flemeth takes Kieran's Old God soul in the Fade. I can't help but feel like the statue of Dirthamen being stabbed in the back with a sword, crying a stream of blood, resulting in a huge pool of blood, as well as a bloody ouroboros symbol on the ground, is a very deliberate design choice. Especially considering the context of this scene with the revelation about Flemeth and Mythal, I'd argue this is all in reference to how Mythal was betrayed and murdered.

Again, the idol could depict Mythal in her moment of death. In the final fresco in the rotunda, the one Solas never finished before leaving the Inquisition, we see a wolf looming over a dragon slain by a blade.

In the last visual of the 2022 cinematic that, going by Varric's narration, could potentially depict the destruction of the Veil, Solas appears to hold something that resembles a blade with a very destinct handle. Additionally, we've since discovered an icon hidden on the Steam page of DA4, that shows a dagger with an identical shape and the same glowy purple as the Dreadwolf title.

So we have the idol in its blade form, the blade Mythal was potentially slain with, the blade Solas is holding in the 2022 cinematic, Solas mentioning a dagger in relation to blood magic and Fen'Harel's blade in Dalish legends.

That's a lot of blades... and a lot of blood. lol

The Hunt of the Fell Wolf

"The Hunt of the Fell Wolf" is the title of a poem that can be found in the Jaws of Hakkon DLC. It tells a story of former Inquisitor Ameridan, his friend Haron and their fight against a demon wolf.

Along with numerous odd things in this tale that could be interpreted as some kind of metaphor (or just the devs messing with us, if you want to know more, please check out this post), it also mentions an "idol of fade-touched stone" in connection to the demon wolf.

The wounded knight in darkness Found within the cavern’s gloom An idol of fade-touched stone, Which could prove the monster’s doom.

In the poem, after a grim fight, the wolf takes Ameridan's friend Haron to its lair, a "labyrinth of winding cave" (which many believe is referring to the Deep Roads, just like the ancient Thaig in DA2 where Hawke and Varric found the red lyrium idol originally) where Haron, oddly enough, also happens to find an idol. What's intruiging though, is that this idol seems to be connected to the wolf in such a way that he can only be defeated if both him and the idol are destroyed and struck down at the same time.

With burning blade, Ameridan And monster met again Whilst elsewhere did Haron valiantly With demon-wards contend.

As demon-stone was shattered, Ameridan struck true: Beast and spirit—both felled at once, Though neither hunter knew.

"Beast and spirit—both felled at once"

Two entities that are connected across two different places… as in the physical body and the spirit maybe?

As in the waking world and the Fade?

So, let's reiterate.

The red lyrium idol belongs to the Dread Wolf. Cole remarks how he can feel that Solas is "in both places". The word "Dread Wolf" itself is an anagram for "World" and "Fade". We've talked about the popular spirit origin theory before, Solas taking a physical form against his will because of Mythal. The whole matter of Solas' "true name" before he called himself Pride. Solas' entire personal quest, which may or may not mirror his own past, a spirit of Wisdom being denied its original purpose, turning into a pride demon ("He wants to give wisdom not orders"). His strange remarks at the end of Cole's personal quest ("We cannot change our nature by wishing"). The fact that Solas makes Cole forget about his true identity, just like spirit!Cole does. The visual portrayal of Solas "consuming" Flemeth's powers at the end of DAI. The way in which Solas doesn't recognize anyone in the waking world as "people", but will vehemently debate you on why spirits should be considered people.

"But the People… They need me." (- Solas to Flemeth at the end of DAI) "Never again." (- Solas after burning the mages who were responsible for Wisdom's corruption) "From this moment, should you ever bind a spirit, your life is mine." (- the Dread Wolf's final warning to the mages in Tevinter Nights)

All of this considered, what could the poem in JOH imply for the connection between Solas and the Dread Wolf/the Dread Wolf and the idol?

"They made bodies from the Earth, and the Earth was afraid. It fought back, but they made it forget."

One theory assumes that the creation of the Veil lead to the separation of the ancient elves' bodies and their souls/spirits, assuming that before the creation of the Veil, the Evanuris somehow made bodies from the Titans/lyrium for spirits to manifest and then enslaved/bound them to their will by marking those bodies with their vallaslin.

But if that's true, then what happened to Solas when he created the Veil?

"He broke the dreams to stop the old dreams from waking. The wolf chews its leg off to escape the trap."

In all the murals, tarot cards and illustrations, the Dread Wolf and Solas are always depicted separately.

What really IS the Dread Wolf? And what is he to Solas?

"It was a beast unlike any I had ever seen. Lupine in appearance, but the size of a high dragon, with shaggy spiked hide and six burning eyes like a pride demon, and it came to us on wings of fire that resolved themselves into a horde of lesser demons."

From what little we know of the Dread Wolf himself, he only seems to exist within the Fade (that is to say, before the Veil, Solas was already depicted as a wolf, presumably even before his rebellion and before the Evanuris "bestowed" him with the title "Fen'Harel"). In the Mortalitasi's tale in Tevinter Nights, his army of spirits follows the mages back to the waking world, yet the Dread Wolf himself remains in the Fade. In one of the frescoes in the rotunda, Solas portrays the Black City surrounded by the six burning red eyes that resemble those of the Dread Wolf, almost like he's keeping watch over the eternal prison of those he banished. In the Tower tarot card, the Dread Wolf is ominously looming over Solas, almost like it's about to consume him, while in one of the Trespasser murals, it looks more like the Dread Wolf follows his lead. And then there's the DA4 2018 teaser mural, in which they're opposing each other, only seperated by the red lyrium idol in the center of the Veil.

If the red lyrium idol is connected to Solas like the idol in the poem is connected to the wolf, could this be part of the reason Solas is so desperate to find it? Does it possess some kind of spirit? Can the Dread Wolf only be defeated if the idol is destroyed at the same time, just like in the poem?

Where is it now?

So where's the damn thing now?

Well, in my opinion, there are two options.

Option 1) The bard's tale in Tevinter Nights was complete bullshit. lol

Despite Solas trying to convince us that he already obtained the idol in a vault some time ago under an auction house in Llomerryn, it's possible that, much like his whole charade in that chapter, this tale was also entirely fabricated. lol

To make it short, here is a list of arguments for why the "bard's tale" could've been a complete lie:

Solas attended this spy meeting specifically for information on the idol's whereabouts (because he doesn't actually know where it is currently?).

Everything until the last two pages was an act.

Both the Mortalitasi and the Carta Assassin point out several contradictions within his tale.

Upon hearing the other spies assuming that he needs the idol, it would just make sense that he would want them/Charter to believe that he’s now in possession of the idol and “cannot be stopped”, so that they would drop all effort to find it before him.

On the very last page of the book, there's a lists of bullet points of information when Charter is about to write down her report, and it does not explicitly say “He has the idol” but rather just what it looks like, which suggests that Charter didn’t buy his story either.

So if this was all lies, the last known location of the idol would therefore be the unknown person who took it when escaping from the Dread Wolf's spirit army in the Grand Necropolis in the tale of the Mortalitasi.

Meaning that Solas would therefore still be searching for it now. (Which would actually be kind of hilarious, considering how there's likely gonna be a ten year timeskip since DAI, so he would've been searching for the flippin thing for the better part of a decade now. 😂 We know from the end of the Blue Wraith comics that he had followed the idol's path via eluvian, but maybe he just lost track of it at some point? In fact, the last we heard from him, Solas was apparently busy pursuing some Venatori people to get another ancient artifact called the Crucious Stone in the The Missing comic, much like he prevented the Tevinter mage in Nevarra from using his idol. Solas after ten years of searching for the idol was probably like "Oh fuck it, I give up, on to McGuffin Nr 2 then". lmao)

In an interview with the comic writers Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, they talked about how in their initial draft of Dark Fortress, Solas actually *got* the idol(!!) from two of his agents by using the eluvian located at Nenealeus' place before BioWare stepped in and requested a change. 👀 That version would've explained how Solas was able to track the idol through the eluvian we see at the end. Their own interpretation was that Solas can only overlook a certain radius within the area of where another eluvian is located. Which would actually support the assumption that Solas might've lost track of the idol at some point after Nenealeus left the place… but that's just their interpretation and not official BioWare canon (yet), sooo…. Hm.

Option 2) Solas has the idol now.

So let's assume that the part about him obtaining the idol in Tevinter Nights was actually true and it's now in his possession.

Aside from this, the only thing that could speak for Solas already having the idol in the beginning of DA4, is once again the final visual in the 2022 cinematic.

If this cinematic is in fact playing at the beginning of the game as a general re-introduction to the lore and the last visual is depicting Solas in the middle of destroying the Veil using the idol, then.. well yeah, there it is, in his hand…. at least, for now. Making Solas succeed in the first 10 minutes, I guess? lol

……Unless!

See, a few years ago, I speculated about how the idol might actually be the perfect plot device/motivation for our new protagonist to get involved in the whole Solas deal without even knowing who he is.

Let's say the last visual in the 2022 cinematic is actually showing us a hypothetical scenario, and not something that has already happened/is currently happening. Like, Varric gives this expository narration explaining who Solas is and what might happen if we don't succeed in getting the idol. (Notice how Varric says "And we're the only ones who can stop him" at the end… Like there's still a chance to stop him before this actually happens.) We know from Tevinter Nights that Charter knows that Solas needs the idol for whatever ritual he's planning. And Charter obviously informed the Inquisition/Varric about this as well. So the next logical step for the Inquisition now would be to obtain the idol (whether or not the bard's tale in TN was true) to prevent this ritual at any cost, right?

The comic The Missing re-emphasized that Varric is now in charge of getting people that Solas doesn't know. And this might be where the new protagonist gets recruited by Varric (who is still a spymaster after all) and gets assigned the alias "Rook" for a heist mission to obtain the idol. (And after a very thorough observation of the DA4 reddit leaks from 2023… it looks like Rook might've actually succeeded in this potential quest?)

While we don't know when the stuff in the leaks actually takes place within DA4's storyline, I think it's safe to say that Rook will obtain the idol at some point in the story and that it will play a pivotal role, if the blurb on the Steam page for DA4 is to be believed. lol

As well as what could likely end up being the game's icon, found on the Steam page.

And again, remember how in the Hunt of the Fell Wolf poem, it seemed like Ameridan struck the wolf’s body in the waking world, while his friend Haron killed the spirit (inside the idol?) in the Fade. What could this imply for DA4 then, if we are applying the role of Ameridan, Haron and the wolf in this tale to the Inquisitor, Rook and Solas?? 👀 Is this how we can stop him? The Inquisitor confronts Solas in the waking world, while Rook has to destroy the idol/fight the Dread Wolf in the Fade?

Or could it just be a metaphor for the Inquisitor in DA4 keeping Solas occupied to distract him from Rook, while they can figure out another secret way to deal with him/how to get/destroy the idol?

See, the thing is, we have to remember that this is after all, a video game. lol Meaning that, if our protagonist gets to carry around a powerful ancient artifact/weapon, I would assume that this has to be somehow implemented in the gameplay as well. What we can take from the short footage of the 2023 reddit leak, is that Rook might carry the idol (if it really IS the same thing) while still fighting with their own main weapon in combat. So, what if the idol serves as more of a special power tool outside of combat, for example, like the anchor did in DAI, where it can only be used for special occasions? Let's say, the idol in its blade form can't be used in battle but is able to "split" the Veil or reality, like the anchor was able to open and close rifts? Or, if we assume that the idol is something like an ancient phylactery (which btw is my favorite theory and I will talk about in my second post), maybe it can be used as some kind of "tracking device"? Actually, I'm super curious to learn how Rook is even able to carry it like this in the first place, since we know what kind of effect it usually has on people. lol

~~~~~

Anyway, I'll make a hard cut here now and save the rest of this behemoth of a post for a second separate post (because I also just realized that tumblr doesn't let me add any more images 😂💀), so if any of you actually made it this far... thank you for being just as crazy as me about this and I will post the second part shortly after. lol ❤

#tinfoil time #da4 #red lyrium idol #solas #dragon age 4 #mythal #good god that got long 💀💀💀💀

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