#Garth Snow
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#garth snow#goalie#goalies#new york islanders#islanders#nhl#ice hockey#national hockey league#hockey#hockey card#hockey cards
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Halloween piece for @kaktuskopf :) ❤❤❤❤
Jon, Pyp and Grenn (Pyp suggesting some seasonal decor) / Costume celebration at the Night’s watch (Jon, Pyp, Grenn, Satin, Sam)
#asoiaf#a song of ice and fire#jon snow#pyp#grenn#satin#samwell tarly#ghost#night's watch#halloween#2022#gift art#jon is dressed as aemon the dragonknight pyp is an aurochs grenn is a bat satin is florian the fool and sam is garth greenhand
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Red Squirrel Overlook at Grand Haven
The first of my Silent Night Series for Christmas 2023 featuring native animals of Michigan in winter landscapes.
#garth glazier#garth glazier wordplay arts#garth glazier illustration#garthglazierarts#squirrel#wildlife#tree#trees#trees and forests#branches#winter#pine trees#snow#winter wonderland#michigan#greeting card art#fine art#fine art prints#christmas illustration#christmas time#holidays#fineartamerica
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The Dance
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Let Me Spend Christmas With You, Angel
Pairing: Frat!Rafe Cameron x Reader
Warnings: Mentions of Sex
Pronouns: She/Her
Word Count: 1.0K
Summary: With the Holidays around the corner, Rafe only has one goal this season.
Masterlist
As the semester comes to an end, the Holiday break is fast approaching. Y/N is packing her suitcase for her flight home while Rafe pouts on her bed. “I still don’t get why you don’t want to come to Guadalupe with me and my family,” he grumbles as she packs another knitted sweater. “We weren’t together last Christmas.” The corners of her lips are slightly curved downward and her head swivels on itself. “I know we didn’t get to have Christmas together last year and I really do want to spend the Holidays with you. But I also want a white Christmas. You know, snow, fireplaces, and hot cocoa,” she argues. Rafe gets up from the bed and holds onto her arm, “Come on, Angel. Who needs those things when you can have beaches and sex on the beach? The drink and the act. Please, let me spend Christmas with you, Angel.” It’s rare to see Rafe begging, expect if it means he gets to spend more time with Y/N. “Rafe, that sounds really nice. But what about my family?” she asks, wrapping her arms around his neck. His eyes bore into hers, “They can come too. There are more than enough rooms in our beach house for your family.” He watches as a sparkle starts to form in her eyes, alongside her smile. “Really? I’ll go ask them if they want to go now,” she pulls out her phone and dials her mom’s number.
———
Rafe’s hand is on the small of her back as he guides her down the stairs of the Camerons’ private jet. Y/N can feel water start to pool out of her pores. “Thank you again for inviting us on vacation with you guys,” he can hear Garth thank Ward ahead of them. Ward shakes his head, “No problem. Last year, Rafe was so sulky without Y/N with him, so I’m glad to do anything for them to be together this year.” Overhearing the men’s conversation, she giggles at the thought of her boyfriend missing her. Rafe frowns at her and brings her to his side. “Don’t laugh at my misfortune,” he laments, kissing her cheek. She throws her hand up in the air, “I’m sorry, but you are just so darn cute.”
———
Christmas morning is a little bit different for her this year. Y/N and Rafe had found a secluded beach on the island and after they spent Christmas Eve with their families, they snuck away to it for an amazing night together. The grains of sand shift under her weight as she twists in his hold. The towel they are lying on barely does anything to keep the sand away from their skin. Her eyes flutter open to see Rafe’s still breathing shallowly. She kisses his lips and watches as he starts to wake up. “Merry Christmas, Rafe,” she whispers, burying her head in his neck. His lips press a kiss in her hair, “Merry Christmas, Angel. We should probably head back home. I know Wheezie is going to be dying to open the presents.” She agrees with his statement and they both get their bathing suits on to go home.
“Looks like the love birds have finally pulled themselves out of wherever they were. Come on you two, we were just about to open presents,” Candace beckons Rafe and her daughter as they walk through the front door. The couple makes their way down into the living room, where the Christmas tree is, and settles on the floor. Rafe and Y/N’s hips brush against each other because of how close they are sitting.
Each family member takes turns opening a gift with the watchful eyes of the other members. The next gift placed in Y/N’s lap is a rectangular prism wrapped in paper with tiny reindeer on them. The card sticking out behind the ribbon has her name written on it in Rafe’s chicken scratch and his name under it. She keeps the card and takes the time to take the tape off of the paper to preserve it. Underneath, she finds a white cardboard box with no identifiers as to what is inside. She gives Rafe a raised eyebrow and he encourages her to open it. Her thumb slots in the gap of the box’s lid, pulling it open. Inside is a mason jar decorated with ribbons and tiny hearts. The label says One Hundred Reasons Why I Love You in cursive writing she has never seen before. There are folded paper slips in the jar. She opens it up and picks one out. The writing is in the same effortful cursive. Reason #47: You never judge me for my mistakes. Instead, you help me grow from them. She is touched that he took the time to work on her gift because she is sure each reason is something just as thoughtful as this one. Tears brim in her eyes as she pulls him into a hug. “Thank you,” she murmurs in his ear.
Next to open a gift is Rafe and it just so happened to be Y/N’s. He removes the tissue paper from the bag, folding it nicely for Y/N to reuse later. He finds a folded article of clothing inside. It is a jean jacket and on the back, there is an embroidered picture. The beautiful work shows Rafe and Y/N kissing. He turns the jacket so he can see the front to find Angel written in a heart on the breast pocket. Y/N has obviously put a lot of effort into the gift and he loves it. He brings her in for a kiss as a thank you. She smiles at the feel of his lips on her skin. This Christmas might not be spent in the snow, but Christmas in the sand is just as good.
———
Rafe is getting lunch when Jaiden walks into the kitchen. Rafe’s back is facing the doorway so he doesn’t notice the other boy’s appearance. Jaiden stares at Rafe’s back in amazement. “Your jacket is so cool, Dude,” Jaiden compliments, heading to the fridge to get a beer. Rafe turns toward his fellow brother and beams with pride. “Why thank you, my angel made it for me. I’m one lucky guy,” he gushes. “Well, she did a great job,” Jaiden adds before leaving the room. Rafe can’t hide his grin as he finishes lunch and brings it upstairs to his angel.
Taglist: @winterrrnight @loves0phelia @thelomlisrafecameron @wickedlovely121 @queen-shadow22 @nonbullshit-toleratingkindagirl
#let me angel#rafe cameron#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron imagine#outer banks#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x female reader#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe cameron fic#outer banks x reader#rafe cameron series#outer banks fanfiction#outer banks fic#obx#obx fanfiction#obx fic#obx x reader
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BECAUSE YOU DEMANDED IT, I'm back with more Sad Boat Books for Sad Boat People! But first, some words.
I never dreamed that a silly little graphic I made for some friends would generate this much response on twitter and here, but I'm overjoyed that it resonated with so many of you! I read every single comment and tag, and by far my favorites are all of the people who say some variation of "I thought I was the only one who loved these books." We are NOT alone, there are literally thousands of people who reblogged or retweeted this list-- people of all ages and backgrounds and gender identities. Sad Boat isn't just for old white men! I was also delighted to hear from other librarians who are using this in displays and for reader's advisory. PLEASE go forth and do so with my blessing, nothing would make me happier! I was recently laid off from my librarian job as part of a restructuring under new management (don't worry about me, it sucks right now but I'm gonna be fine), so I would love to think that I'm still contributing to the library ecosystem while I'm out of commission. I would also love to keep making these lists (including one that deals with Sad Boat fiction and one with recommendations for other types of media), and I've never had more time to do it, so if you have suggestions, please drop them in my inbox!
Anyway, enough of that-- here are more books! I've either read all of these, or the recommendation came from someone I trust, so read with confidence!
First Hand Accounts
The Quiet Land: The Antarctic Diaries of Frank Debenham edited by June Debenham Back
The Voyage of the Discovery by Robert Falcon Scott
Farthest North by Fridtjof Nansen
Endurance by F.A. Worsley
Boats boats boats!
Franklin's Lost Ship: The Historic Discovery of HMS Erebus by Alanna Mitchell and John Geiger
The Voyages of the Discovery: The Illustrated History of Scott's Ship by Ann Savours
HMS Terror: The Design, Fitting, and Voyages of a Polar Discovery Ship by Matthew Betts
The SS Terra Nova (1884-1943): Whaler, Sealer, and Polar Exploration Ship by Michael C. Tarver
You'll learn about the Ross Sea Party and you'll like it
Shackleton's Heroes by Wilson McOrist
Shackleton’s Forgotten Men: The Untold Tragedy of the Endurance Epic by Lennard Bickel
The Ross Sea Shore Party 1914-1917 by R.W. Richards
The Lost Men by Kelly Tyler-Lewis*
Polar Castaways by Richard McElrea and David Harrowfield*
*These were on my other list, but this is my graphic and I'll do what I want
Sad Airships and Planes
From Pole to Pole: Roald Amundsen's Journey in Flight by Garth James Cameron
N-4 Down: The Hunt for the Arctic Airship Italia by Mark Piesing
Antarctica's Lost Aviator by Jeff Maynard
Disaster at the Pole: The Tragedy of the Airship Italia and the 1928 Nobile Expedition to the North Pole by Wilbur Cross
More Shackleton Content
Shackleton: A Life in Poetry by Jim Mayer
Shackleton's Last Voyage by Frank Wild
The Quest Chronicle: The Story of the Shackleton-Rowett Expedition by Jan Chojecki
Shackleton's Forgotten Expedition: The Voyage of the Nimrod by Beau Riffenburgh
Polar Partners
Snow Widows by Katherine MacInnes
Polar Wives: The Remarkable Women Behind the World's Most Daring Explorers by Kari Herbert
Widows of the Ice by Anne Fletcher
Sad Boat Graphic Novels
Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey by Nick Bertozzi
The Worst Journey in the World- The Graphic Novel Volume 1: Making Our Easting Down adapted by Sarah Airriess from the book by Apsley Cherry-Garrard*
How To Survive in the North by Luke Healy
*This was also on my other list, but this is my graphic and I'll do what I want
Biographies
Scott of the Antarctic by David Crane
Ice Captain: The Life of J.R. Stenhouse by Stephen Haddelsey
Cherry: A Life of Apsley Cherry-Garrard by Sara Wheeler
Birdie Bowers: Captain Scott's Marvel by Anne Strathie
Roald Amundsen by Tor Bomann-Larsen
Miscellaneous sad boat books that are well worth your time
I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination by Francis Spufford
Fatal North: Adventure and Survival Aboard USS Polaris, The First US Expedition to the North Pole by Bruce Henderson
Barrow's Boys: A Stirring Story of Daring, Fortitude, and Outright Lunacy by Fergus Fleming
Pilgrims on the Ice by T.H. Baughman
The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture by Michael F. Robinson
Ghosts of Cape Sabine by Leonard F. Guttridge
Icebound: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Andrea Pitzer
If you read and enjoy any of these, please let me know!
EDITED TO ADD: OG Sad Boat Books post here!
#reader's advisory#sad boat#sad boat books#polar exploration#nautical history#read this#sad boat 2: electric boogaloo
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character list !
𖤐 . back to navigation .
☠︎︎ . current hyperfixation !
☾ . favorite characters !
𖤐 . Riordanverse ☠︎︎
𖤐 . Percy Jackson
𖤐 . Annabeth Chase
𖤐 . Grover Underwood
𖤐 . Clarisse La Rue ☾
𖤐 . Luke Castellan ☾
𖤐 . Silena Beauregard
𖤐 . Nico Di Angelo ☾
𖤐 . Will Solace
𖤐 . Leo Valdez
𖤐 . Thalia Grace
𖤐 . The Last Of Us
𖤐 . Ellie Williams ☾
𖤐 . Abby Anderson ☾
𖤐 . Dina Woodward ☾
𖤐 . Joel Miller
𖤐 . Jesse
𖤐 . Marauders
𖤐 . Marlene Mckinnon ☾
𖤐 . Dorcas Meadowes
𖤐 . Regulus Black ☾
𖤐 . Remus Lupin
𖤐 . Sirius Black
𖤐 . Narcissa Black ☾
𖤐 . Mary Mcdonald
𖤐 . Lily Evans
𖤐 . Celebrities
𖤐 . Charlie Bushnell ☾
𖤐 . Crystal Reed ☾
𖤐 . Dylan O’brien
𖤐 . Dior Goodjohn
𖤐 . Taylor Swift
𖤐 . Supernatural
𖤐 . Dean Winchester
𖤐 . Garth Fitzgerald IV
𖤐 . Jack Kline
𖤐 . Castiel ☾
𖤐 . Gabriel
𖤐 . Sam Winchester
𖤐 . The Hunger Games
𖤐 . Coriolanus Snow ☾
𖤐 . Katniss Everdeen ☾
𖤐 . Johanna Mason
𖤐 . Finnick Odair
𖤐 . Sejanus Plinth
𖤐 . Lucy Gray
𖤐 . The Maze Runner
𖤐 . Minho ☾
𖤐 . Thomas
𖤐 . Newt (mlm! or gn! reader only)
𖤐 . Teresa Agnes
𖤐 . Brenda
𖤐 . Teen Wolf
𖤐 . Allison Argent ☾
𖤐 . Lydia Martin
𖤐 . Stiles Stilinski
𖤐 . Kira Yukimura ☾
𖤐 . Malia Tate
𖤐 . Scott Mccall
𖤐 . Harry Potter
𖤐 . Mattheo Riddle ☾
𖤐 . Theodore Nott
𖤐 . Pansy Parkinson
𖤐 . Luna Lovegood
𖤐 . Onyx De Loughrey ☾
𖤐 . Blaise Zabini
𖤐 . Lorenzo Berkshire
𖤐 . Lucille Granger
𖤐 . Criminal Minds ☠︎︎
𖤐 . Emily Prentiss ☾
𖤐 . Penelope Garcia
𖤐 . Spencer Reid ☾
𖤐 . Aaron Hotchner ☾
𖤐 . Derek Morgan
𖤐 . The Walking Dead
𖤐 . Rosita Espinosa ☾
𖤐 . Maggie Rhee
𖤐 . Rick Grimes
𖤐 . Glenn Rhee
𖤐 . Tara Chambler
𖤐 . Buffy the Vampire Slayer
𖤐 . Buffy Summers
𖤐 . Cordelia Chase ☾
𖤐 . Willow Rosenberg ☾
𖤐 . Xander Harris
𖤐 . Angel
#𖤐 . rue’s world#𖤐 . rue talks#𖤐 . rue’s character list#luke castellan#clarisse la rue#luke castellan fluff#luke castellan x reader#percy jackon and the olympians#pjo#pjo disney+#pjo tv show#pjo show#pjo spoilers#pjo fandom#pjo series#percy jackson#dior goodjohn#rue#charlie bushnell
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Character Profile: Koryak
And so we come to the last (but never least, not in my heart) Lost Titans profile: Koryak! My terrible, damp boy.
Look at him pout! How I love him.
Koryak debuted in the 1994 Aquaman series. (Note: I'm not sure what his last name is - his mother's is never mentioned, and even though I sometimes tag him as "Koryak Curry," I don't think he would use Arthur's last name, especially since even Arthur didn't use that name very much at the time.)
As I've mentioned before, Arthur has had a lot of different origins, but in the post-Crisis era, which the only era Koryak appeared in, Arthur's mother was the queen of Atlantis, and his father was Atlan, an ancient Atlantean sorcerer who impregnated her in a dream. Arthur was abandoned at birth because of the infidelity/his blond hair, was raised by dolphins (yes), and briefly lived with a human man named Arthur Curry who taught him English and gave him a human name to borrow.
Then Arthur - still a teenager at this point - went to Alaska, where he immediately rescued a teenage girl named Kako from a polar bear. Kako and her family took Arthur in in gratitude, and he and Kako fell in love. (Kako's family is sometimes said to be Inuit, sometimes Inupiat.)
Anyway, Arthur and Kako lose their virginities to each other. IN THE SNOW, FOR SOME REASON:
This is such an infuriating racist, sexist trope (the WOC with the broken English throws herself at the white hero, logic be damned - why isn't she wearing anything under her coat??? - but of course she will never be his wife, or anything more than a footnote in his story).
Immediately after this, tragedy strikes Kako's family, Arthur is blamed (it's not his fault), and he's thrown out. He returns to the ocean, and eventually goes on to become Aquaman, king of Atlantis, etc.
Years later, he returns to Alaska for plot reasons not worth going into, and that's when he meets Koryak, THE MOST NINETIES BOY OF ALL:
The shirtlessness, the swords, the hair! Truly a man of his era. (Boy? I always assumed he was about 18 here, but a Secret Files issue claims he was 16.)
Koryak is not Arthur's biggest fan, but after Kako turns into a fire elemental because this is the DCU and these things happen, Koryak decides to go to Atlantis with Arthur. Or, well, technically the city was called Poseidonis at the time, which will be important later.
Anyway, the Poseidonians are a little wary of a stranger at first, until Koryak saves a child's life and suddenly they love him. Koryak, who didn't really fit in in Alaska, is basking under the attention, but it doesn't go over well with the current king, Thesily (Arthur had stepped down a while back for Reasons), who is wildly jealous of Arthur, and fears Arthur is looking to take his throne back and now comes complete with heir.
So Thesily leads Koryak into a side room and tries to stab him to death. Luckily, a sudden earthquake causes a pillar to topple over and trap Thesily. Koryak gloats and leaves him to die. What a brat! I adore him!
The earthquakes aren't stopping, and the people of Poseidonis want to flee. Arthur tells them not to because a prophecy said they should stay, but Koryak leads the Poseidonians out of the city and to their sister city, Tritonis, which is where the merpeople live. There, the Poseidonians immediately proceed to be huge assholes to the Tritonians, using up their resources and being racist to them. (Introducing Koryak, an indigenous man and literally the only character of color underwater at this point in time, and having him lead a bunch of racist colonizers was...maybe not Peter David's best choice.)
Anyway, Koryak decides to open up some forbidden tunnels because he feels like it, and they turn out to be forbidden because they were imprisoning Kordax, Arthur and Koryak's evil immortal blond lizard man ancestor. Naturally.
Arthur rolls up with his crew (his girlfriend, his dad, and Garth) and Koryak and Garth throw down. It doesn't go well for Koryak:
I LAUGH EVERY TIME.
Anyway, Arthur's side wins, Kordax is killed, the Tritonians are freed, and Arthur decides that to make it up to them, the Poseidonians are going to serve them as slaves indefinitely. That...seems like compounding human rights violations on top of human rights violations, but okay. Anyway Koryak volunteers to stay and serve the Tritonians as well, because he feels guilty about what he's done.
...for a little while. Then he gets bored and decides they should leave. The king of Tritonis is like "Says who?" and Garth shows up out of nowhere and is like "Says me" and the king's like "Oh shit, okay" and lets them go, leaving Koryak both grateful and resentful towards Garth. I am eating this up with a SPOON btw.
Koryak returns to Tritonis, where he immediately falls back into old habits of resenting his father. Vulko, an advisor of Arthur's who is currently mad at him, sees this and decides to use it as an opportunity to overthrow Arthur:
(The scar across his nose is from Kordax. Later artists forgot it and I wish they hadn't.)
Vulko and Koryak plot for like...a really long time without anything coming of it. Arthur knows perfectly well that it's happening but doesn't do anything about it, even though he could put a stop to it by simply, like...showing Koryak five minutes of positive attention, ever, in his life. Because it's really, really obvious that Koryak just needs positive reinforcement, and would be fully Team Arthur if Arthur would just give him a reason - at one point when Arthur briefly dies (he gets better), Koryak is willing to die to try to avenge him and save Garth and Dolphin from torture. He's not all bad! He's just drawn that way!
Anyway, Arthur comes back to life and Poseidonis decides to make him king again. Just as he's about to be crowned, GARTH tries to overthrow him and steal the throne - but that's just because Garth has been holding Arthur's magic trident and was possessed by him. Arthur overpowers him, and then tells him that he's not mad and in fact, he's proud of Garth for holding out as long as he did.
Then Koryak tries his hand:
And like...yes, Garth only tried to steal the throne because he was possessed and Koryak did it willingly, but Koryak also tried to help Arthur when Garth went rogue. Again, it is so, so clear that Koryak's loyalty was Arthur's for the asking, but Arthur never asked. Instead, he praised Garth for trying to overthrow him and then told Koryak to his face how much he sucked.
Arthur is at least merciful enough to commute the normal sentence for treason from death to banishment, and Koryak is kicked out of Atlantis. Arthur then literally never thinks about him for the next SEVEN YEARS. (Okay, Koryak shows up very briefly for three issues in 1999 and Arthur thinks about him while he's looking directly at him, and then forgets he exists again. But then, Arthur also repeatedly forgets about his own wife. Arthur is terrible.)
Anyway, seven years later, Arthur has also been banished from Atlantis, and is now living in Sub Diego, which is what happens when half of San Diego inexplicably falls into the ocean and a small percentage of the traumatized people discover they can breathe underwater. Koryak, meanwhile, has returned to Atlantis to fight with Garth some more:
Love this for them!
Koryak, btw, is arguing that the survivors of Sub Diego should be allowed to move to Atlantis, and Garth's like "Uhhh they wouldn't fit in" and Koryak's like "Wow, racist." Ahem. In general, Koryak during this period is a lot calmer and more mature than he used to be, and also a lot more willing to forgive Arthur for All the Bullshit:
Also, there's a joke that implies Koryak might be queer?
Literally that's the joke here: Koryak is talking about a guy named Malrey (half-shark, half-cop, and no I am not kidding), and Lorena, who has a crush on Koryak, is clocking that she may not have a chance. I don't know if this was just a throwaway gay joke, which happened all the time in 2005, or if it was going somewhere, but we'll never know. (For the record, even though Garth says Koryak has a crush on Lorena, that doesn't appear to be true, especially since Lorena is underage and Koryak is definitely an adult by now. I don't think we should take Garth's line there as anything but dismissive of Koryak's outreach to the Sub Diegoans. Also, back in the 90s, Koryak definitely had a crush on a minor character called Deep Blue, a.k.a. Debbie Perkins, but that never went anywhere, which is good because SHE WAS ARTHUR'S HALF-SISTER. (She and Arthur made out a bunch before they knew, because Arthur loves kissing girls his sons have crushes on. YIKES ALL AROUND.) (Also just kidding, Arthur doesn't pay enough attention to any of his kids to know who they have crushes on.))
Anyway. Back to the plot. Mera is very sick because of Evil Magic, and Garth decides to perform a massive spell to save her, and Koryak agrees to help. This spell attracts the attention of the Spectre, who was evil at the time, and he, uh...destroys Atlantis, killing Koryak, Garth, and almost everyone else. Arthur finally acknowledges that he was a shitty dad:
Immediately after this issue, the book's title changed from Aquaman to Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis. The main character is not the Arthur we know, but a new, younger Arthur, Arthur Joseph Curry, who turns out to be a cousin of our Arthur. His mentor is a guy called the Dweller in the Depths, who has a tentacle face like Davey Jones from the Pirates movies. It is eventually revealed that the Dweller is actually Regular Arthur, with traumatic amnesia. Why? Why does he have a tentacle face now? NEVER EXPLAINED.
Anyway, we also meet this guy:
Narwhal's character design is...suggestive, let's say? Also suggestive: Garth has also turned up alive, and like "Narwhal," he now has albinism and partial amnesia. And Narwhal knows the name "Orin," though he can't place it. (It's Arthur's Atlantean name.)
Anyway, Narwhal is sent to kill this "Orin":
Narwhal kills Arthur/Orin/the Dweller, but it doesn't bring him peace, because he still doesn't know who he is - and Orin did, at the last minute. He goes to Atlantis for answers, and Mera confirms it, at least for the reader:
...and that's the last issue of Sword of Atlantis. WOMP WOMP. All of the Aquaman characters disappeared until Blackest Night (when Arthur returned). Koryak never appeared again, and was retconned out with the New 52. Oh well, at least the narwhal tusk spear is pretty dope.
As of Infinite Frontier, the pre-52 universe has been pretty much restored, which should mean that Koryak is back in continuity...but DC is still keeping Arthur's New 52/Rebirth origin intact, which means he did not spend any of his teenage years in Alaska, which means Koryak was never conceived. So things could go either way - any writer who feels like bringing him back could do so easily, but they don't have to.
I call Koryak "my terrible boy" a lot, and he's undeniably pretty obnoxious: immature, bratty, petty, unforgiving, and, uh...awfully on board with murder, let's say? He is also extremely young when we first meet him, and is instantly slammed with trauma: his mother essentially dies, someone tries to murder him, he's physically and mentally violated by Kordax. I'll say again that the slightest bit of positive attention from Arthur probably could have changed his entire life, but he never got it. SO HE'S GONNA GET IT FROM ME INSTEAD.
Anyway, I love Koryak very, very much, and have already written fic about him. And I have another Koryak fic in the works for after The Lost Titans is published. And I will never stop whining at DC to bring him back. If Koryak has one fan (he does), it's me. But maybe now it's you, too?
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Humans are weird: The place humans dare not tread
Extract from Garth Len’al, chief representative of the Zevalen Union to the Terran Federation
Subject: Human Definition of “Death Worlds”
“A “Death World” is considered to be one of our people we think of extreme temperatures or unstable environments. In practice it seems like a standard definition, yet not for every species in the galaxy.
Extreme temperatures mean nothing to humans. It doesn’t matter if it is -100 or 300, they find ways to thrive in these otherwise deadly conditions as easily as one would move through water. Some even go further by using their natural evolutionary traits to adapt and condition themselves. I have seen visual files of humans stripping naked and bathing themselves in snow or laying in the scorching sun like a child in a candy store.
The instability of worlds has likewise not been a hindrance to humanity as had the extreme temperatures. In these situations they see it as a challenge and seek to perform mechanical wonders to tame their new home. On Dorbi II they built massive mobile cities that move between green zones each month to avoid the planets various earthquake seasons. For Timpel Prime they used massive drilling constructs to channel lava flows to create habitable regions for plant life to grow. Most impressive was Havenstead where they were able to artificially induce the coral to grow into massive mountain sized landmasses that reached all the way up from the seas floor to build new settlements on.
So if the standard definitions for a so called “Death World” do not apply, what then do humans considered to be death worlds? Would such a definition even exist in their vocabulary? It would surprise many that humans do have that definition, but it has a much darker and morbid meaning attached that far exceeds our own imagination.
Only one world has ever fit the definition of a “Death World” for humans. It was a world discovered during their golden age of exploration and was found to be full of such nightmares and horrors that all records of its location have been removed from every human archive and data base. It is now spoken of as a legend passed between one human to another, both as myth and warning to never seek it out.
That world has no other name then that of “Garden of Montezuma”.
From all surviving accounts the planet was described as a paradise world. Lush green and bountiful jungles covered the entire planet which supported a diverse wildlife not seen in millennia. Water so pure you could see the bottom of their oceans and skies so breathtaking the stars were said to never have been brighter.
The first colonization attempt was centered on the southern hemisphere with roughly two hundred human settlers to lay the foundation for a colony. The news networks on the human homeworld advocated heavily for the planet and it was expected that within a month of the initial establishment it would quickly grow in size. So when the final day came the colonists were dropped off with all the supplies they would need and a scheduled drop of new materials put in place for one month later.
A month went by and the supply ship returned only to find every trace of the colony was gone.
The area cleared away had been once more swallowed up by the jungles. Vines thick as tree trunks covered the few prefabricated buildings and landing pads that remained making the entire place seem like the ruins of an ancient civilization rather than a month long undertaking. Yet even more perplexing was the complete lack of any of the two hundred colonists.
It was as if the jungle had returned and claimed what had been taken from it.
This brought on a wave of fear for the humans as the sudden mysterious loss went unexplained. Dozens of investigators were sent to the planet while a human fleet did a swing by to scan for human life signs on the planet. Both came up empty and within three months the terran public had moved on to new dilemmas.
Five years went by before a second colonization attempt was made; although this time a detachment of military would also accompany the settlers to the colony. This time a location along the western landmass near the coastline was chosen; far from the original settlement location.
While the settlers got to work on building the settlement itself, the military contingent began work on a series of fortifications that ringed the entire perimeter. By the day’s end the colonists were surrounded in a fortress of fabricated stone, barbed wire, automated turrets, and enough armed personnel to occupy a small city. To add further to this impressive display the original transport ship that had carried the settlers and military forces to the planet remained in orbit and conducted hourly scans of the surrounding area to warn of any potential threats.
Three hours after sunset the transport ship began picking up frantic distress signals coming from the planet. He demanded to know why his scanning officers had not warned him, and to his surprise they were just as blindsided as he was. The scans had revealed no new movement on or within the perimeter for the last several hours when suddenly the communications network was hammered by dozens of distress calls coming from the surface.
They made a direct call to the military commander, Commander Nathan Tole, and demanded an update. When the video feed finally established the captain was saw the commander at the back of his office with two other soldiers hiding behind an overturned desk. The three of them were firing wildly at the doorway, punching holes through the sealed door and making whatever was on the other side squeal in pain.
The roar of sustained gunfire drowned out every attempt of the captain to speak to Nathan, and even if they weren’t the crew doubted he would have answered them anyway. The commander’s eyes were mad with fear as he fired over and over at the shadowy creatures beyond the door.
As the bullet holes became ever wider the door finally gave way and collapsed into the room. Whatever had been trying to get in before now shambled into the room and came within full view of the video feed and made every heart watching the feed skip a beat.
The figures were the colonists they had delivered but they were twisted and deformed in horrific manners. Their flesh had been turned a sickly green while their bones and muscle warped in unnatural positions to make them appear more beast than human. Their uniforms hung from their deformed bodies in rags and shreds, in places their bodies had grown and stretched so violently the growths had burst through them.
Each one was different in their appearance. Some looked almost normal save for their green skin, while others were beyond recognition standing six feet tall and covered in wood like spines.
All of the figures shambled into the room and made straight for the soldiers who continued to fire what dwindling ammunition they had left. Bullets punctured them and green ichor spurted out; yet they kept shambling forward.
The captain watched as one of the soldiers panicked and leapt out the nearby window while another put the muzzle of their rifle under their chin and fired a bullet straight into their head. Only Commander Tole remained as he continued firing round after round until finally the fateful click chimed and the commander was out of ammo.
Flipping the gun over, the commander held it like a club and prepared himself for his final stand. Before the feed went out, he turned to the video screen and said “Do not come here, this place is death”. At the transmissions end the captain began to issue orders for transports to return to the settlement and save the survivors, but his crew informed him that by now it would be too late.
Within another hour the distress signals faded one by one. The captain had his crew tap into the video feeds of the colony and watched the same nightmare play out over and over. Dwindling pockets of resistance were overrun by swarms of monsters. Several individuals tried to navigate to the landing pads and escape only to be caught and infected themselves.
By the dawn of the next day there was not a single living sole in the entire settlement; and just as mysteriously as the creatures had arrived did they then vanish into the surrounding jungle without a single notice.
From that day forward the planet was listed as officially off limits. To further enforce the restriction a virus was introduced into the galactic positioning net which deleted all records of the star system and its location. Were it not for the recordings the captain made to carry back to terran space there would be no evidence what so ever of this fiendish planet. Yet even now, some sixty years later you still hear stories of humans searching for the lost gardens of Montezuma. The fools know the risk and the tales of horror and yet still go on the quest for it.
Then again, to find the only world that humans ever said was a death world would be a story worthy of tale in of itself.
#HUMANS ARE WEIRD#humans are insane#humans are space orcs#humans are space oddities#science fiction#scifi#story#writing#original writing#horror#niqhtlord01#ai generated art#deviantart dreamup
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Unlisted fandom challenge!
Since our numbers post earlier today, we've had more than 30 signups, including write-ins for 2 more fandoms, bringing the total of unlisted fandoms to 155 ... for now ...
At the top of the list we have a 3-way tie for 1st, a 5-way tie for 2nd, and a 6-way tie for third ...
5 Danny Phantom
5 For All Mankind
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4 Ace Attorney
4 Ted Lasso
4 Goblin Emperor Series - Katherine Addison
4 Stanley Parable
4 Tortall
3 Greek Mythology/Religion
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3 Call of Duty
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3 Mummy (1999 franchise)
A single sign up could change all that ...
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2 Alan Wake/Remedyverse
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2 Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury
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Comfort in a House in the Mountains
Summary - Part 52 in the Comfort series
Pairing - Dean Winchester x Reader, Reader x Sam (platonic), Reader x Bobby (father-figure), Andre (OG Character) x Reader (best friends), Garth x Bess
Series Masterlist | Masterlist
A/N: I’m so sorry guys, another shorter one this week. I haven’t been well and so have struggled to focus on writing. I hope you enjoy it anyway. And thanks again for your continued support (likes, reblogs and comments), it means a lot to me.
You and Dean stand on either side of Destiny, each holding one of her hands and letting her jump and swing between you, like any toddler would, as you climb up the steep dirt road towards the stunning wooden house. A dense forest surrounds the property, its trees painted in warm hues of gold and amber from the cool morning sun. As you walk, Dean's keen hunter instincts kick in. He looks around cautiously for any signs of movement in the trees, knowing this area would be prime real estate for many monsters, especially werewolves, and with a pup playing between you, he knows you’re all a clear target.
Once you get close enough to fully admire the house, Destiny says, “It’s like a cottage from those fairy tales.” You look at her and smile.
“It is, isn’t it?” You chuckle at her child-like innocence while Dean raises an eyebrow, sceptical about the fairy tale comparison. You know he has had many bad experiences with things from fairy tales in the past so you just offer him a smile. “Give it a chance.”
He scans the surroundings one last time before leading the three of you into the house. The real estate agent greets you at the entry. “Welcome! Feel free to take a look around and let me know if you have any questions.”
“Thanks,” you say as you continue to walk through the house. Dean makes his way into the spacious two-car garage first, making sure the space is adequate for housing his precious Baby. He smiles, nods and then continues down the hall with you and Destiny to explore the guest living area opposite the garage. With a proper home and on the other side of the hunting game, you hope to be able to welcome more visitors even if it is just Sam or Garth and his family. The downstairs consists of a large open plan area with a kitchenette, ensuite and plenty of room for a couch, queen bed, table and chairs. Making it more than adequate for any potential guests.
Destiny starts climbing the stairs ahead of you and you both follow her up the main floor. You admire the wooden, log cabin-esque walls and surrounds on the windows and double doors leading out to the wrap-around balcony. A large stone fireplace adorns the wall in the centre of the room. You imagine yourself wrapped up in Dean’s arms laying on a comfy couch in front of a crackling fire with a decorated fir tree in the corner, while you watch the snow fall outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. You smile at the image in your mind; Dean softly squeezes your hand as he pulls you towards the balcony where Destiny is already exploring. With your mind back on the here and now, you follow them outside and take in the mountainous view that’s even more breathtaking from up here. Destiny climbs up on the edge of a built-in hot tub and swishes her hands in the bubbling water. This area would be perfect for relaxing with your family, Dean grilling up burgers while you sip wine in the hot tub while Destiny splashes around beside you.
You turn away from the view to meet Dean’s eyes. “Can’t you imagine us here? Enjoying our first retirement here in the mountains as we raise our little girl. Relaxing out here or in there by the fire after you’ve had a long day training hunters or repairing cars.”
Dean nods slowly. He kisses your head and then scans the woods again. “If we’re gonna live here there’s a few more places we have to check out,” he says as he wraps an arm around your waist. “Hey, Dee, come on. We’re going back inside,” he calls in her direction.
She quickly and carefully climbs off the edge of the hot tub and hurries over to catch up with you then stays a few steps ahead. You all check out the bedrooms, and then the storage and office space upstairs, a space that will surely be filled with a selection of hunting tools and books if you move in. Back on the main level you finish the inspection in the kitchen. It has everything you need, for Dean or you to cook delicious meals, all with an unhindered surrounding view of the forest and mountains.
Pulling you into his chest, Dean says, “At least we’d always be able to see if anything’s coming.” Then he leans closer to your ear and lowly says, “I’d love to watch you coming in front of this view.”
Your breath hitches and your heart races. You don’t dare look at him as he kisses your cheek and pulls away. Just as you’re composing yourself, you hear the real estate agent come back into the kitchen. “So, what do you think?” She asks.
Dean looks at you and then Destiny. He smiles and then says, "It's got character, that's for sure. I like it.”
You spin around and hug him. “I really think it could be a good place for us.”
“Excellent! I knew this property had potential. Let’s discuss details.” She places her briefcase on the bench and pulls out a stack of paperwork and a pen. “Now, I'll be honest. This house has been on the market for a while. It's got history, and some folks believe it's haunted, but that's just local folklore, right?”
You and Dean exchange a knowing look, acknowledging the truth behind the supernatural tales surrounding the house. Despite the potential risks, the allure of a peaceful, secluded life away from the constant dangers of hunting is appealing. Plus, neither of you noticed any signs of a haunting while exploring the property. There are no cold spots or strange sounds, and the EMF detector hidden away in Dean’s jacket pocket continues to hum away quietly.
“We're not afraid of a little history. What's the asking price?”
The agent smiles, clearly happy at the potential of finally selling off the property. “I can work with you on the price, especially considering the, uh, unusual circumstances. Let's talk financing and closing dates. We can make this your home in no time.”
As the conversation delves into paperwork and negotiations, Destiny wanders around the room, staring out at the view.
Once you and Dean finish signing the paperwork, the agent produces a set of keys, dangling them enticingly. “Once we close the deal, these keys will open the door to your new chapter. Are you ready to make this house your own?”
You and Dean share a determined nod, your decision made. You both know you’re not just purchasing a house; you’re stepping into a new chapter of your lives, one that promises a semblance of normalcy in a world filled with the supernatural unknown.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
Tag list: (Leave a like or comment on this post or let me know below if you want to be added to the tag list for this series)
@bitchwitch1981, @muhahaha303, @justrealizedimmascifygurl, @mcdowell-123, @leigh70, @marvelsmarauder, @losa12308, @tapedeck-hearts, @luvjaida, @peachtxa, @ambearsstuff, @shadow-of-a-cloud, @slut-for-buck, @iprobablyshipit91, @sassy-pelican, @fallenlilangel99, @heavenlyhopeful0, @nelachu2423, @ladysparkles78, @canyouimaginethatstory, @mrlonelycat, @roseblue373, @staley83
#dean winchester x reader#dean x you#dean winchester#supernatural#spn#dean winchester fanfiction#dean winchester imagine#dean winchester fic#dean winchester fluff
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Be still, my foolish heart - part one
Pairing: elriel, elain x azriel
Word Count: 11.1k
CW: child abuse
NSWF: yes
Hello everyone!
I'm sharing part one of my newest fic. I don't know when part two will come out, probably at some time next week. I'm also working on a 7-chapter fic for Azriel's week. I'm super excited about that one because I started it months ago and I'm now fixing it so it fits with the prompts. You can also find it on AO3 here. Enjoy! Here's the link for Part two.
She’d almost asked Rhys or Mor to winnow her to the camp, the weight of the muffins and pies too heavy, but they didn’t know about her frequent visits to the remote location– none of her family did– and she really, really didn’t want to answer the questions that would surely arise.
It wasn’t that she meant to keep it a secret forever. But this was her thing, that gave her a purpose she’d never had before, not even when she started gardening as a child, or when she picked up baking with Nuala and Cerridwen all those months ago. She wanted to keep it for herself for a while, just a bit longer.
So Elain told Cassian she was going to a house to help its owner with this overgrown ivy that gave no sign of going away anytime soon, secretly getting into a carriage that would take her to her destination.
“Good morning, Mr. Garth,” Elain called out to the driver. The man– male, she reminded herself– slightly turned his head her way in greeting, the white and gray in his hair noticeable in this light. Garth smiled, the skin around his eyes crinkling.
“Good morning to you, too, Miss Elain,” he said cheerfully. Then he took notice of the baked goods she was carrying. “By the Cauldron, Miss, if you’d told me you were bringing stuff with you I’d have picked you up near your house,” he exclaimed.
“No,” Elain hastily said, causing Garth’s eyebrows to shoot up his forehead. She hurried to clarify, “I just meant, there was no need. A little exercise is good for me, or at least that’s what my older sister says.”
The older man chuckled. “That’s what my mate says, too.”
Elain’s stomach churned at the word, but waved it off with a humming sound.
Soon, they reached her destination. The magical scenery of Velaris faded to harsh weather, the snow thick as it fell and covered the ground. Her heart squeezed at the sight, her blood screaming at her to hurry.
She’d already opened her door by the time the carriage came to a stop, quickly gathering the pies and muffins before setting off to the small building, not before leaving a few coins to Garth, to his never-ending protests.
Elain struggled to open the heavy wooden doors while making sure the food wouldn’t fall. She had just made the decision to knock and pray someone would hear, when someone opened it for her.
She looked up to see Carys’ bright, sweet smile flashing at her. Elain couldn’t help her own as she looked at her friend. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t worry, El,” Carys replied. “I see you made good on your promise,” she pointed at what she was carrying.
Elain nodded. “Yes. I feared the children would send me away if I came empty handed,” she whispered, eyes gleaming with joy.
Carys laughed with her, and together they walked to the dining room, where she knew the kids were awaiting breakfast.
Elain had first heard of the orphanage when she was assisting an elderly lady with her garden. The female had invited her in for tea and told her all about her granddaughter who was volunteering at an orphanage slightly outside the city. She’d explained about the high number of children who had lost their parents in the war and had no other family that could take them in. Elain had left with a tears-stricken face and her heart shattered in a million little pieces. Two weeks later, she’d met with the female’s granddaughter, Carys.
Carys had welcomed her, showing her the place and introducing her to the little ones. Elain had almost started crying as she met them, but she was quick to bat her tear away, Carys’ instructions sounding loud and clear in her head. Never let them see you cry. All they need is a feeling of normalcy. Tears are often associated with the loss they suffered.
Five months later, Elain was now a volunteer, too. She came by at least three times a week, four if she managed it. She helped feed them, bathe them; she played with them and brought them on walks. The kids adored her, almost as much as she did them.
As she stepped into the room, several heads turned to her. So many, too many babies didn’t have a place to call home. Her heart constricted in her chest at the thought. Elain knew most of them would never find their forever home, would grow up in this place until they reached maturity. She only hoped that by that time, the kindness and affection the volunteers had shown them during their childhood, would shape them into good people.
“Miss Elain!” Many cried out, launching themselves at her and Carys. The two young females hugged them all as best as they could, but soon the children noticed what they were carrying. Gasps filled the room.
“Pies! You remembered, Miss Elain” A little girl exclaimed excitedly. Elain smiled back at her and nodded.
As soon as the pies and muffins were placed on a few tables, Elain and Carys were immediately forgotten. They watched in amusement as the kids all but flung themselves at the baked goods, devouring everything. It was a good thing Elain had already cut the cakes in slices.
Carys went to help the smaller children, who were on the verge of crying their lungs out at the thought of not getting something, too. Elain was about to follow her, when something in the corner of her eye caught her attention.
Under one of the unused tables, a little boy crouched. His little legs were bunched up to his chest, his eyes red and terrified. His wings were tucked in tight, as though he feared brushing them against any surface.
His eyes locked on hers as Elain slowly walked to him. His hazel eyes widened even more. He began scooting backward when he saw her approaching. She stopped dead in her tracks a few feet away from him, and raised her hands in a placating manner.
“It’s alright,” Elain soothed. “I only wanted to say hi to you.”
The child didn’t say anything in return.
“My name is Elain,” she greeted him, uncaring of his silence. It wasn’t the first time a small one refused to speak. This one couldn’t be older than four. Elain wondered if he even knew how to speak. “Do you want me to bring a muffin? Or would you rather a slice of apple pie? We even have a blueberry one, if you prefer.”
He looked at her hesitantly. She smiled, trying to reassure him there were no wrong answers. After a few minutes of unblinking staring, he gave a single nod.
“That’s great! I’ll bring you each of everything. Or do you want to be with your friends?” He shook his head vigorously, like the thought terrified him. Elain smiled at him in answer.
When she returned less than two minutes later, the boy was still in the same position. Elain carefully sat down on the floor, handing him the food. He reached out just as carefully. He seemed to study which one he wanted to eat first, weighing the choice in his head.
It was then that she noticed it. His wings had scars on them. Elain swallowed, willing her face to remain the same, yet a noise escaped her. His little head jerked up and he noticed what she was looking at. He tried to tuck in his wings even more, pain flashing across his features. Her heart began bleeding.
“Can you tell me your name? I need to give this beautiful face a name,” she asked him, her voice tremulous.
He didn’t say anything for so long that Elain believed he didn’t want to share this information with her. She opened her mouth, but a quiet, young voice stopped her. “Uri.”
“That’s such a beautiful name. Thank you for telling me,” Elain said, her hands shaking. The corner of the boy’s mouth quirked up at her words. “How old are you, Uri?”
He looked at his hands, then held up four fingers. “Wow, you’re such a big boy!”
This time, his smile was wide, bright. It took all the control she’d mastered over the years to hold the tears in.
They spent hours crouched under the table, conversing quietly, away from prying eyes. Well, it was mainly Elain who spoke. She told him about her sisters, her parents and her new family. She told him all about gardening and baking, of how her friends, Nuala and Cerridwen, had helped her when she was sad. He retreated into himself when she asked about his family or his past. The blood in her veins went ice cold as millions of possibilities ran through her mind. So she talked about herself, making him laugh and gasp and smile. At some point, Uri began rubbing his tired eyes, stopping mid sentence to yawn.
Elain opened her arms. “Do you feel sleepy, sweet boy?”
He nodded.
“Do you want me to tuck you in?”
He seemed to hesitate, before slowly crawling into her warm embrace. Elain hugged him to her, mindful of his damaged wings. She got up with his arms tightly hugging her neck. She felt him tense as they walked past two male volunteers. They smiled at him, and Uri began shaking slightly. Elain tightened her hold on him and made it to the bedroom.
She gently laid him under the covers, caressing his hair and landing a kiss on his forehead. She smiled when she saw his cheeks coloring. “Have a nice nap, Uri.”
His hand shot out from under the covers to grab her wrist. Elain’s eyebrows rose high on her forehead. “What’s wrong, sweet boy?”
He mumbled something. “I’m sorry, Uri, I didn’t get that.”
Uri took a deep breath, like it was an effort to get the words out. “Stay. Don’t go,” his voice was quiet, but steady. Elain’s heart puffed up before squeezing tight. She sat down on the tiny bed, his hand still on her wrist.
“That’s fine. Do you want me to tell you a story?” She asked him as she stroked his cheeks.
He nodded, nuzzling her hand. So Elain began narrating to him a story her father used to tell her when she was a child, when nightmares wouldn’t allow her any sleep. It was a tale of hope, of love, of friendship.
Uri fell asleep quickly, his hand still touching her. The sight warmed her soul, and it was painful to pry it and gently lay it on the bed.
She silently closed the door behind her and went in search of Carys. The black haired female was playing with some of the older kids when Elain tapped her on the shoulder. Her smile slid off her face as she noticed Elain’s pale face. “What happened?” She asked, alarmed.
“What do you know of Uri?”
Carys furrowed her brows. “Uri?” Her eyes cleared with understanding a few seconds later. “Oh, you’re talking about the Illyrian boy.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t know much. We found him hiding beneath a tree a couple days ago. He was blue from the cold, we thought he was… Anyway, he hasn’t said much since we brought him here.”
Elain could feel new tears threatening to spill. “We need to do something about his wings,” she stated, as though she would allow no alternative.
Carys nodded. “The Illyrians aren’t forthcoming with their help. I was thinking about sending a letter to the High Lord, hoping he’d see it and provide us help soon.”
Elain shook her head no. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this, I know who to call.”
When she left hours later, her body heavy with stricken worry, she instructed Garth to take her to a different address from the usual one. He gave her a curious look, but didn’t comment on it.
The cobblestone was slippery outside, the weather bleak like Elain was feeling. A cold wind gave her skin bumps, and she wrapped her cloak tighter around herself. She knocked on the door, then knocked again, this time louder, when no one answered. “Open up. I know you’re in here.”
Silence, before she heard light steps from the other side of the door, which opened a few instants later.
Azriel’s hair was ruffled, the shirt he had on wrinkled. His hazel eyes, so alike Cassian’s, so alike Uri’s, were red from sleep. His posture, though, was stiff, giving away his unease at having her at his house.
Elain had discovered it by accident, and Az had made her swear she wouldn’t reveal it to their family. She’d nodded, pleased at knowing one of his secrets when he knew so many about all of them.
“What’s wrong?” He asked her, worry clouding his features.
“What does it mean when an Illyrian’s wings have scars on them? Is it normal for them to hurt?”
Azriel’s eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
“If an Illyrian has scars in his wings, is it normal that–” she repeated, but Azriel interrupted her.
“Where is this coming from? Whose wings are scarred? Did something happen to Rhys or Cass?”
She quickly shook her head. “No, no. They’re fine. It’s…”
When Elain had made the decision to come here, she’d understood she would have to share this part of her life with at least someone else. Her comfort couldn’t come before a child’s health and safety. So she took a deep breath, and told Azriel everything.
He listened carefully to what she had to say. He always had, as though her words were his new law, forbidding him from deviating from them. Az had always made her feel sacred, important, strong. She spent her night wondering what had changed, when it did. She hadn’t found the answer yet, her tear-stained pillows proof of it.
Az ran a hand on his face when she finished speaking. “What happened to him?”
Elain sighed sadly. “I don’t know. He refuses to talk about his past. It took me hours to get him to tell me where he comes from.” She told him Uri’s camp’s name, and saw him clench his hands into tight fists.
“I need to see him, so I can tell the healer what he needs,” Azriel explained.
She bit her lip. “I don’t know that that’s possible. I think… I think a male figure in his life hurt him badly. Might be the reason why his wings look like that.” She recounted his reaction to the two males. Azriel nodded his agreement.
“Here’s what you need to do.”
-
The next day, Carys was surprised to see Elain back so soon. The latter explained what she planned to do. Carys let her go with a promise of calling for her if anything went wrong.
Uri was still in bed. He was sleeping, his face contorting in pain and anguish. Elain knew at once he was having a nightmare. Silently, she reached his tiny bed, the blue covers stained with tears. “Uri, wake up,” she whispered softly, not wanting to startle him. He didn’t wake. Ever so gently, Elain ran her knuckles on his cheek, all the while murmuring his name.
Slowly, Uri opened his eyes. Terror lined his features, and a sob escaped him. Elain kept caressing him, whispering words of comfort as he came to. He blinked, his eyes not as vacant and bleak as a few moments before, and finally noticed her. His cheeks reddened slightly. Elain watched as Uri tried to burrow himself even further under the covers. She smiled and giggled. “Hello, sweet boy. Do you want to give me a hug?”
He seemed to hesitate, looking at her in what she almost called self consciousness, but he crawled out from under the sheets and onto her laps, like he had done the previous day. Elain rubbed his back where she didn’t risk touching his little wings. “Should we get ready for the day and then eat breakfast?” She asked him, already walking toward the bathroom. Uri nodded, his head resting on the crook of Elain’s neck.
She took great care of his pained wings as she helped him bathe, as she helped him wear some clothes Azriel had given her. Elain smiled at the older Illyrian’s thoughtfulness.
As Uri finished his breakfast– some leftover blueberry muffins from yesterday– Elain recounted what Azriel had said to her the night before. “I need to examine your wings,” she said. Uri stiffened. “I know, I know, sweet boy, but my– my friend has wings like yours, and they were hurt, too. He knows how to fix them, he told me how to. Can I take a look?”
Elain held her breath. She wasn’t going to force him to accept if he didn’t want to– only the Cauldron knew what had been done to him– but she really, really hoped he would. Seeing those injuries on a child made her blind with rage, and all Elain wanted to do was to take his pain away.
“Fine.” His small, child-like voice was barely audible.
Elain let out a sigh of relief. “I’m only going to take a look today. Tonight, I’ll meet with my friend and he’ll tell me what we need to do to fix these beautiful wings,” she explained. “I already know they’re going to be majestic when you get older,” she booped his nose.
Uri blushed and giggled. Elain laughed with him. They played a while together, before they found a secluded place where Elain could assess the state of his wings.
She had to swallow the fury and tears at the sight of what had been done to them, to him. His wings had laceration and burn scars. Someone had cut and burned them. Her hands closed in tight fists at her sides, her mind swimming with thoughts of hurting whoever was responsible.
“My papa doesn’t like me much,” Uri’s words stopped her fuming. Elain glanced in the mirror, caught his eyes. They were in a bathroom that was long unused, the plumbing required too expensive to afford.
“Why do you say that?” She asked, even as she kept checking his wings out.
Uri shrugged. “He tells me all the time. He says he only wanted to be with my mother, that I wasn’t supposed to be here.” The way he said it, like it was normal for a parent to utter such things… Elain had to take a deep breath to quell the rage simmering in her blood.
“That’s not very nice, is it?”
Uri again shrugged.
“What happened to him?” She asked, and immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say. His face shut down, his body tensed, and he wriggled to be put down. “I’m tired, Miss Elain. Can I go sleep?”
Elain cursed herself, but nodded anyway. She went with him to his bedroom, stayed until he fell asleep. Then, she all but ran outside, Garth already waiting for her. During the long minutes of the ride, she thought back on Uri’s words, what she had seen. Her vision was red, and when she finally got out of the carriage, she pounded on Azriel’s door.
This time, he didn’t bother pretending he wasn’t inside.
“El–” Azriel started, but Elain’s anguished voice interrupted him.
“He burned him, Az. He cut him, he hurt his own son. How could a parent, anyone hurt a child?” Her voice broke, and Azriel’s concerned face appeared blurry to her.
Elain felt wetness on her cheeks just as Azriel’s scarred hand rested on her shoulder. She brought a hand to her face and wiped away the tears she hadn’t realized she’d shed.
Azriel’s other hand lightly touched Elain’s chin, lifting her head up. “It’s going to be alright, lo–Elain,” he murmured.
Their eyes locked, and the tenderness in his had her nodding. Something tightened low in her belly.
“Now, take a deep breath and repeat what you just said, slowly.”
Elain did as he asked.
She watched as his hazel eyes, so much like Uri’s, darkened to the point they resembled a depthless pit the more she explained what the Illyrian child had told her and what she’d seen. The next time Azriel spoke, the ice in his voice sent a shiver down Elain’s back. “Do you know where his father,” the last word was said with particular vitriol. “lives? His name?”
She shook her head. “He didn’t say. He only said that his father doesn’t like him. The things that male has said to him… I’m sick just thinking about it.”
Azriel’s eyes flashed with so much fury that told Elain exactly what he thought of the male, and what he planned to do to him when he found him. Because he would find him, be it the last thing he ever did. And, Elain mused, she would join him in letting Uri’s father know what, exactly, he was worth.
“Do you think,” Azriel’s voice brought her back to the present. “that the child would be comfortable around me?”
Elain inclined her head. “I’m not sure. He gave me the impression that he’s wary around males. Why?”
There was nothing, absolutely nothing on Azriel’s face as he said, “My own brothers did the same to me when I was slightly older than him. I think it would be best for him if he heard the healing process from someone who went through the same hurt as him.”
Her heart stopped beating for a while. When it picked up again, it did so with a rage that burned scarlet. She’d known something had happened to him, his scarred hands proof of it. But never would she have thought it had been done to him by his family–
Her horror and wrath must have shown on her face because Azriel asked, his brows furrowed, “Feyre didn’t tell you?”
Elain let out a distressed noise. “What— What happened to them?”
Azriel’s eyes shut down. “You don’t want to know.”
She bared her teeth, something wild clawing at her chest. “I do. If they still breathe, I want to end them myself.”
Azriel’s eyes widened. One of those beautiful, scarred hands splayed on his chest, where his heart lay beneath. “Elain—” He rasped out.
They’d moved into the tiny living room as they’d talked. Now Azriel let himself fall on the gray sofa, panting.
Elain reached out, concerned. “Are you alright?” She asked, but as she made to touch him, he jerked away like a spooked animal.
Her hand froze midway. “I’m sorry,” she apologized, confused. Elain didn’t even know what she was apologizing for.
Azriel shook his head. “I need… Let me know if Uri’s fine to meet me. I have somewhere to go.” He wouldn’t even meet her eyes.
It was like that night again, she thought bitterly as she exited his house, not even bothering to say goodbye.
Her heart constricted in her chest as she realized how stupid she’d been to come to him. She should have gone to Rhys, or Cassian, or even Madja. Her mind betrayed her by replaying that fateful night all those months ago.
Elain closed the door of the carriage and banished those thoughts.
-
She went back to the orphanage a couple of days later. She inquired more about Uri, but Carys had learned nothing more about him. “I can show you where we found him, though,” she offered. Elain readily accepted, scanning the area keenly, memorizing it down to the smallest details, in order to be able to describe it to Az, or, if necessary, to allow Rhys a clear view if he needed to go through her mind.
Her hands closed into two tight fists as she noticed there was no shelter in the area, just a few trees under which Uri had surely sought refuge.
“Sweet boy, I have to ask you something,” Elain said now, while she and Uri were playing with a few blocks in the orphanage’s playroom.
He glanced up at her. His wings were touching the ground, but he didn’t seem to mind. She remembered her younger sister, Feyre, once explaining that it was a profound shame for an Illyrian’s wings to drag on the ground, a sign of weakness. Elain wondered if Uri had ever been taught how to fly. Somehow, she didn’t think he had.
“My friend would like to meet you,” she started slowly. His shoulders immediately bunched up. “You know how you told me your father doesn’t like you much? His brothers didn’t either, and they hurt him badly. He wants to help you.”
Uri didn’t say anything as he went back to his blocks. Elain barely held her sigh in. She knew it was a long shot. She’d seen how he reacted around males, she should have expected his, albeit silent, refusal. Hopefully, Madja knew how to help him, or maybe Azriel could explain to them the best–
“Will you be there with me?” Uri’s small, quiet voice interrupted her thoughts.
Elain settled her eyes on him again, and watched as his attention was wholly on her. “Of course. You’re my friend, now, Uri. You’ll never get rid of me,” she answered solemnly even as her fingers tickled his sides. He giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound she’d ever heard. Her laughter soon joined his, and for the first time in months, years, her heart felt light.
As their mirth slowly trailed off, Uri gave his consent to meeting Azriel.
“That’s good,” Elain nodded. “You will like him. He’s quiet like you, but his heart is full of love to give.” It was just that he hadn’t met the right person to give all that love to, Elain thought wistfully. She’d once believed she was that person, and what a fool she’d been. Her heart ached at the knowledge, but she hoped he would find her one day soon.
Uri’s eyes flashed with interest at that, but he didn’t voice his curiosity. He went back to playing, throwing her glances when he thought she wouldn’t notice.
When she got home hours later, she let Azriel know through the twin wraiths, Nuala and Cerridwen, about Uri’s decision. Her friends could tell something was bothering her, somehow knowing she didn’t want to talk about it. Nonetheless, they spent time with her, trying to cheer her up.
She may not have the love of her life in her arms, Elain mused, but at least she had this. And much more. She had her family, her friends, her job, the orphanage, and Uri. She had much to smile for, to be happy about.
-
“Just a heads up. He doesn’t talk much, and he needs his time before opening up. That also includes telling you if he wants fruit or cereal for breakfast,” Elain warned three days later.
The shadowsinger nodded, even though his eyes were focused on the small building, assessing all the work that was visibly needed.
“We’re hoping to save enough money to fix… everything,” she answered his silent question with a laugh.
He swung his gaze back to hers and arched an eyebrow. Elain shrugged. “We’re reaching the goal soon, and then some more. I might have put the request on top of the pile of papers Feyre and Rhysand have to go through. I might have also added my name there.”
She could have sworn his lips twitched, amusement dancing in his eyes. Her heart constricted with the need of having him.
Elain cleared her throat, aware that a flush had spread on her neck. She could have sworn Azriel’s ears were tinged red, too. “Let’s go meet Uri.”
The child in question lay on his tiny bed. He appeared to be sleeping, his face peaceful. Too peaceful. Elain knew at once he was faking it. She turned to Azriel, mirth in her eyes, and saw the understanding and glee on his features.
“Oh, Azriel, he’s sleeping,” she faux-whispered. “We’ll have to come back on another day. He’s sleeping.”
Azriel shook his head. “That’s too bad, I brought him a present, but I guess I’ll have to give it to him some other time,” he said, doing his best to sound serious.
Uri tensed, cracking one eye open.
Elain interlaced her arm with Azriel’s. “Let’s go, you can give it to him next time.”
She made to open the door, but Uri’s “I’m awake, Miss Elain” stopped her. Exchanging an amused glance with Azriel, they both turned to him.
“You’re awake!” Elain exclaimed, sounding surprised. “Uri, this is Azriel, my friend I told you about. Azriel, this is Uri, my newest friend,” she introduced them.
The child nodded vigorously. His gaze shifted to Azriel, and some of his excitement dimmed. He seemed to study him, taking in his size, his wings. His weariness slowly eased off, leaving interest in what Az had said he had for him.
“Oh, yes,” the shadowsinger said, his shadows handing him a soft toy. It resembled him, the hazel eyes, the dark hair, the wings. It was an Illyrian toy.
Uri’s eyes flickered with something that looked a lot like yearning, though a hint of fear and hurt could be found in them, as though he wouldn’t allow himself to believe it was for him, that he deserved it.
“My mother gave it to me when I was your age. She’d made it herself, claiming it would give me strength and that one day I’d be tall and strong. I think it worked, what do you think?”
Uri nodded, awe shining on his face.
“I want you to have it. So when you feel like you need it, you can just hug him tight to your chest and borrow his strenght,” Azriel finished, offering the toy to the boy.
The young Illyrian grabbed it, holding it tight in his arms. Unwelcomed tears filled Elain’s eyes, and she had to look away.
“Thank you, Mr. Azriel,” replied Uri brightly.
Az only inclined his head.
“Right,” Elain caught their attention. “Uri, do you remember what I told you about Azriel?” She waited for his nod before continuing. “Do you think he could take a look at your beautiful wings?”
The small child hesitated, but after a furtive glance in Azriel’s direction – who was trying his best to make him feel at ease – he gave a small nod.
-
It was a painful process.
Azriel knew it would be. He’d gone through it all those centuries ago, except in that case he was Uri and in his stead was his mother.
Uri was trying his best not to make any sound as Azriel grazed his wings, trying to assess how deep the damage went.
“Can I touch your wings, Uri?” He’d asked.
The boy had been confused at the request. It had taken Az a few seconds to understand that it was due to never being asked for permission to be touched. He’d done his best to cloud the fury he’d felt in that moment, the last thing he wanted was to frighten the small child in front of him.
Azriel consulted with his shadows. The scars were countless, but mostly superficial, which was the preferred outcome he hoped for.
He turned to Elain, whom his shadows had let him know was seated on a stool near the door, her attention solely on them, and gestured to her to come closer.
“It’s not going to take one day, or two, nor three. It’s going to take a while, a few weeks at the earliest. If we rush the healing, we could make things worse,” Az explained to the both of them. Elain nodded, Uri too young to fully understand what he was saying.
“One more thing,” he looked solely at Elain as he went on. “He can’t stay here. He needs a room only for himself, a bathroom with the things he needs, including his balm.”
“I won’t allow him to go back to his— to that place,” Elain growled.
It hurt looking at her, after yesterday’s revelation. The ferocity with which she defended a child that wasn’t her own, that she wasn’t related to… Cauldron damn him, it made him want her that much more.
Az quickly clarified, “That’s not what I’m saying. I think he should come home with you, El.”
The name slipped out, but she didn’t seem to notice. “What?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s clear he feels safe around you, and I doubt he does with any of the other volunteers, does he?” At her shake of head, he nodded. “He needn’t feel crowded, and he might feel shame if the other kids, especially the older ones, witnessed his state” he added, lowering his voice so as not to be heard by Uri.
“I understand, I really do, but I just can’t bring a child to the river house! Nyx is only a few months old,” Elain explained, frustrated at the thought of failing Uri.
“What about the town house?”
He watched as she contemplated his words.
“I guess I could just tell Rhys that I need my space, that I need to figure some things out,” she bit her lip, deep in thought, and Azriel had to grind his jaw to stop the fantasies playing out in his head.
“I will come by often, to heal him,” Azriel offered.
An emotion he couldn’t decipher – despite the years of spying and torturing information out of other people — crossed her face, but it was gone in the next blink of eyes.
“That’s– That’s perfect,” replied Elain. Az didn’t need his shadows to know it was a lie.
Uri agreed to go live with Elain when they sat him down and explained the situation to him. Az could have sworn he almost looked relieved at the thought of leaving the orphanage. Not that he could blame him.
They began making arrangements, and a week later, Azriel dropped Elain and Uri in their new home.
Something that wasn’t his shadows screamed at him that it was wrong to leave his— to leave Elain and Uri alone. That he belonged with them, that he was supposed to stand at their side, protecting them.
The urge was primal, and it left him breathless. It took all his training to not double over in pain.
He ignored it, though.
And so he went to that flimsy house he owned, alone, trying to force those traitorous thoughts out of his head.
-
Uri settled rather quickly, Elain reckoned. He’d been awed by the size of the house, the many rooms and all the comfort he could find in it. He loved spending time in front of the fire, or in the kitchen with Elain as she baked him his favorite desserts (blueberry anything).
But most of all, he loved his bedroom.
She and Azriel had spent a long while debating on how to decorate it, and in the end had settled on few things. The bed, appropriate for his age, had a dark oak bed frame, which went perfectly with the cobalt blue bedding Elain had insisted on getting, as it was similar to the one in the orphanage. The wardrobe matched the bed, like the bookshelves. Az had snuck in a rocking chair, too, blushing as he admitted to her that being cuddled by his mother in one had brought him a great deal of comfort when he was recovering.
There were a few toys scattered on the floor, but they’d decided against buying him too many things. Elain planned on taking him shopping in the Rainbow of Velaris, giving him the choice to choose the things he liked— clothes, toys, shoes.
Uri had stared at her wide-eyed as she’d explained why he didn’t have many things as of yet, like it was too great a gift to even consider.
Though he’d adjusted fairly well, he seemed to be always looking over his shoulders, as if he was expecting someone to be there. Shaking her head, Elain thought it was probably his father, the memory of him, of what he’d done, haunting him from so far away.
They were baking a cake — lemon flavored this time, because Uri had shyly confessed he wanted to try it — when he broached the subject.
“When will Mr. Azriel come by?”
Elain paused. “I’m not sure. I guess soon,” was all she could offer.
Truth to be told, things between her and Az had been… strange. Ever since the day she’d come to his place, he’d acted oddly in her presence. She’d scrambled through her thoughts to see if she’d done anything to upset him, if perhaps she’d acted too familiar with him, but she’d come up empty.
Maybe Rhys had telepathed upsetting news and that’s why he’d behaved that way. But it wouldn’t explain why that had persisted in the following days. It had been almost two weeks since that day, yet he still had trouble meeting her eyes.
The other option, the one that made her heart squeeze painfully, was that he’d still regretted that Solstice Night.
Elain had been embarrassed for months on end by his rejection, barely being able to stay in a room with him, but now… Now, thanks to Nuala and Cerridwen’s help, she’d come to terms with the fact that he did not want her. At first, the words hurt her. She’d been sure her feelings were reciprocated, after all, but now she could say them almost painlessly.
Perhaps Az hadn’t gotten over the embarrassment yet. All Elain cared was that his feelings for her — or the lack thereof — wouldn’t come in the way of Uri’s recovery. Deep down, she knew they wouldn’t, but his silence in the past days troubled her.
“Is he working?” Uri interrupted her thoughts.
“Umh?” Elain shook her head. “I’m not sure. Do you want me to ask?”
He looked confused at that.
“What’s wrong?”
It was his turn to shake his head. “Does he beat the bad guys and take them into the Prison?” He asked instead.
She smiled at that. “That’s Cassian’s job. But Az does help him at times, yes. He fought in the War,” she explained, piquing his interest. “Oh, yes. But Az mainly finds information about bad people, and forces them to confess their wrong doings.”
Uri clapped in youthful excitement. “I wanna be like him when I grow up.”
It was then that Elain noticed the tendrils of shadows coming in from the front door.
A few moments later, Azriel appeared.
To people who didn’t know him, he looked perfectly impassive. But she had spent months looking at him, throwing him glances when she thought no one was looking, studying his perfect features, his silences — yes, there were different ones. She appreciated each one of them, loved the way his eyes tightened when he was worried about something, the way they brightened when he listened to Mor and Cassian’s bickering — his expressions. The one he was wearing now told her he’d heard Uri’s words. Told her they had moved something in him, their effect too great to be put into words.
“Az,” Elain breathed, and blindly saw Uri turn to him, too.
“Good evening,” said Az, and even his voice betrayed the emotion he was trying his best to bury.
“Hi, Mr. Azriel.” Uri sounded timid. She smiled, well aware that it meant he looked up to the male, that he saw him as a role model.
“I already told you, little guy, just Azriel is fine,” said Az, ruffling the boy’s dark hair. The child blushed under the affectionate attention.
Right then, the Illyrian male looked straight at her.
Her breath caught in her throat at the intensity with which he was looking at her.
“Are you alright?”
She nodded, confused at the question. The light in his eyes seemed to dim at her silent reply, leaving her even more puzzled.
But before she could mull his reaction over — which she totally added to the list of strange reactions she’d gathered from him in the past days — he announced, “I talked with the family’s healer, and we decided to add a salve to the regimen. That way, your wings will be able to heal without leaving any scars. What do you think, Uri?”
The boy looked at him, before his gaze slid down to the older male’s scarred hands. “Why didn’t you put it on your hands, too?”
Elain’s mouth hung open, and she shot Azriel a mortified look. But the shadowsinger’s attention was entirely on the Illyrian boy as he answered, “Because the people who hurt me made it so the scars could never be removed.” He seemed to notice Uri’s distress at that, because he bent to his eye level and added, “I got used to it. Plus, it scares the bad guys enough so that they will confess to everything rather quickly.”
Uri smiled. “So you can come by more often?”
Az paused. Then he nodded, slowly, as if his shadows had whispered something in his ears.
Elain wondered at that, at the slightly surprised, soft expression on his face.
Yet it was gone in the next blink of eyes, his face turning impassive once again.
She saw as he opened his mouth, about to make his leave, but Uri spoke up before he could. “Will you come by tomorrow, Mr. Azriel?”
Az hesitated. “I’m not sure.” He glanced at Elain, who shrugged. Uri needed a good male influence in his life. Azriel was one. “I– You see, I have to work–”
“You can come after. Right, Miss Elain?” He asked her.
She nodded. “We could go shopping. You’re in need of clothes, sweet boy.”
Azriel sighed. He knew there was no arguing with the child who had him wrapped around his tiny finger.
Elain giggled a little, as if she could read the thought on his face. He glared at her, but there was no heat behind it. She smiled, and went back to the pie.
-
“I know, I know it hurts,” Elain murmured, fighting back her tears as Uri cried out for the fourth time.
One of the steps of the recovery included a salve to be applied on the scars on his little wings. It only needed to be applied three times, the tonic taking doing most of the work, yet it was painful. Az had warned them both, but nothing could have prepared Elain for the pure agony in Uri’s screams and cries.
She wondered how his father could stand it as he hurt him, over and over again. It made the blood in her veins boil from the hot anger she felt.
Madja was applying the salve carefully, taking great care of his pain, while Elain and Azriel comforted him. Uri was clutching Az’s hand so tight, while his head was resting on Elain’s shoulders. She kept dropping kisses on it, but she knew nothing they did now would ease his pain.
Afterward, Elain gathered him in his arms and sat on the rocking chair Az had thoughtfully insisted they get. She was telling him a tale, one her father used to tell her when she was Uri’s age, all while drying his tears and murmuring soothing words.
Azriel sat on a nearby chair, listening raptly. His features were troubled with distress, for what had been done to the boy, for what he now had to go through.
When Elain finally laid the child on his bed, who was fast asleep, her heart was heavy, and she knew Az’s was, top. She watched Uri, and she reached to smooth the furrows in his brows, pain still etched on his face even in sleep. Azriel dropped a kiss on his forehead, and left a stuffed toy next to him. A new present. He always left him something new after one of the healing sessions.
They got out of his room, and Elain managed a few steps before her legs failed.
She cried, silently, as she’d learned to when she was a girl.
Strong arms wrapped around her, and she leaned her head back against the equally strong chest. She didn’t know how long they stayed in that position, as she tried her best to muffle her sobs and Az tried to calm her. At some point, she could have sworn she felt a tear drop on her hair.
It was the most vulnerable she had allowed herself to be.
-
“Can I play with my toys?”
Elain looked at Uri. She was reading a gardening catalog, interested in finding new flowers to grow.
Uri was supposed to study his letters, which was exactly what she told him.
“But I’m bored and tired, Elain. I’m hungry,” he complained.
One of the hardest things she’d had to learn, Elain found, was understanding when to give in to Uri’s requests, and when she needed to be firm. After almost a month, though, she thought she had the hang of it.
“No, but,” she added, when he started to make the face she knew meant he was ready to protest, “you can take a break from studying to have a healthy snack before Azriel comes for your flying lesson.”
Azriel had been clear from the start: his wings would never fully heal if he didn’t keep them in good condition, and that meant flying.
Today was going to be the first lesson, after more than two weeks since they last applied the salve and given him the tonic.
Uri lowered his gaze to the ground, and didn’t say anything back. Elain furrowed her brows. When she’d first met Uri, his silences were common, his hesitation expected. But in the month and a half since he’d moved in with her, he’d started making his voice heard. He wasn’t scared of speaking his mind anymore, he’d throw tantrums as was expected for his age, he’d laugh so hard that tears came out from his eyes.
So it was concerning to see him so… quiet, now. But what she learned above all was that he hated being pushed into talking. It usually brought a smile to her face, because he reminded her so much of Azriel. If she hadn’t met Cassian, she’d most likely think it was an Illyrian trait.
Elain watched him carefully as he ate, trying to gauge what was troubling him.
He was still eating when Az appeared. Something akin to longing flashed in his eyes as he took them in, but it was gone in the next instant.
“Hi,” she greeted him with a smile, and he answered with one of his own. It brought a light flush to her cheeks.
In the weeks they’d spent together, her infatuation for Azriel had grown stronger again. Well, it wasn’t like it had gone anywhere, but ever since his rejection a year ago, she’d tried to move on. She’d distanced herself from him, as he did the same, and she’d surrounded herself with her family and friends. But now, in this house, just the three of them… It was almost like he’d never broken her heart. Elain kept scolding herself, reminding herself that he did not want her that way. She tried to tell her heart how bad it hurt when he called their almost-kiss a mistake, but it wouldn’t listen. Azriel was the male she wanted, and she now knew that would never change.
“Hi, Azriel,” said Uri quietly. Az’s eyebrows raised at his gloomy tone, and he looked at Elain inquisitively. She raised her shoulders, silently telling him she didn’t know what happened.
“Are you ready for our lesson?” He tried to cheer the Illyrian child up.
Uri burst into tears.
It took both the adults by surprise, enough so that they didn’t react initially.
But then Azriel was by his side, holding the small boy to himself. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Uri wailed louder at that.
Az kept rubbing his back, soothing him. Elain watched the two of them, her heart racing in her chest.
“I’m s-sorry,” Uri tried to say through his sobs.
“What are you sorry for?”
“I’m not good. I’m bad,” he kept crying.
“Why do you say that?” Az asked calmly, steadily.
“I can’t fly. I don’t know how to,” he whispered, ashamed.
The shadowsinger’s hands paused. He seemed frozen to the spot for a few beats, but in the next he said, almost growling, “You’re not bad for not knowing how to fly. It’s not your fault.”
Uri shuddered at that, though he stopped sobbing. A few tears kept rolling down his cheeks.
“I was older than you when I learned how to fly,” Az confessed. “My step-mother wasn’t… nice, neither were my brothers. But my friends, my real brothers, they taught me how to fly. They were patient, and kind, and so I will be with you. And in a few centuries, when I’m old as withered and you young and fit, you’ll be a better flier than me. I promise,” he said solemnly.
Uri sniffled, but didn’t say anything for a long while.
“I wish you were my father,” he whispered, so low, that she knew she was able to hear him only thanks to her Fae hearing.
Azriel froze. He paled as he pulled back to stare at the little boy in his arms. Elain’s heart had soared in her throat at his words. She scrambled to find something to say, but Az beat her to it. “Me too, baby, me too.” Then, he hugged him back, and she was unsure who needed the hug more.
She left them to their sweet moment, and went back to her catalog. A while later, she heard the front door open and close. A quick glance at the window told her the two Illyrians had begun their lesson.
-
Though Elain had prepared dinner, Uri was too tired to even eat that night. Elain let it slide, as she had expected this and had given him substantial food before. She was about to ask him if he was ready for bed when he faced Azriel and asked him, “Will you read me my story tonight?”
Az froze. He glanced at Elain, a panicked, helpless look on his face.”I–”
“Maybe not tonight, sweet boy,” she intervened. Uri turned back to her, his brows furrowed. “Azriel is tired after training you all afternoon. He needs to rest,” she explained.
He seemed to hunch in on himself, mulling over her words. Then he straightened his spine, a clever glint in his eyes, his earlier tiredness seemingly vanished. “Then we’ll read to him!”
This time, both adults froze. They looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Elain lifted a shoulder. Azriel inclined his head. Her eyes widened slightly. His lips quivered. She gave a nod, his following shortly after.
Elain turned to Uri. “That’s a great idea. Let’s go get ready for bed, and tomorrow morning I’m making blueberry muffins.”
Both Illyrians looked at her with interest. She shook her head affectionately. She’d learned pretty quickly that they both loved blueberry muffins. Specifically, her muffins.
Uri clapped excitedly, and ran to his room. She grinned as her eyes followed him until he disappeared behind the corner.
Az cleared his throat, bringing her attention back to him. “I’m sorry for intruding.”
She shook her head. “You’re not. Uri likes you, he’s made it pretty clear, he wants to be around you,” she laughed softly. “I’m sorry for keeping you here. I know you probably have somewhere else to be, and–”
“I don’t.” He stepped closer to her.
Elain met his gaze. “Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that. Did that mean he wanted to be here? “Well, I’m glad then that we’re not…hindering any of your plans.”
“You’re not.” He stepped even closer, until there was nothing but a breath between them.
“Good. That’s good.” She swallowed, her heart pulsing in her throat.
“It is. Good, I mean,” he said, his voice low, lower than she’d ever heard it. “Elain… I need to tell you something.”
Her heart started beating faster. “Oh?”
“Yes,” he murmured. “There’s something I should have told you a long ti–”
“Elain, Azriel, I’m ready,” Uri called out from his room.
They both turned to the sound, and that was when Elain noticed how closer they’d gotten. They jerked apart, and went to the Illryian child.
-
Az willed his thoughts away as he laid down on his bed.
He watched as Uri sat at his side, Elain at the foot of the bed.
He couldn’t believe he was doing this. He thought he ought to be embarrassed, the Spymaster of the Night Court being read to sleep by a four-year-old, but… But he found he was willing to do whatever it took to put a smile on the boy’s face, and the female that was taking care of him. Because Elain was smiling, too, as she looked at Uri. The latter had a kid’s book open on his laps, and was staring at Az expectantly.
“I’m ready,” Azriel confirmed, and Uri nodded, satisfied.
And then he began to read.
It was an effort to keep his laughter in. A quick glance toward Elain told him that she, too, was struggling.
At four years old, Uri still didn’t know how to read — no doubt also thanks to his parents. The story he was telling tonight consisted of describing the pictures depicted in the book.
“Oh, and here’s a tall house. Wow, there’s a princess, too,” he gasped, excitedly.
Az smiled at that, his heart content that Uri’s unease had slowly peeled away in the days he moved in with Elain.
He lay there, and after a while he pretended to fall asleep.
“Elain, I think he’s sleeping,” Uri whisper-yelled.
“He sure is,” Elain agreed. “What do you think, shall we go to sleep, too?”
“Yes,” was the child’s answer.
A few seconds later, Az felt small lips press against his cheek. “Good night, Azriel. Sweet dreams,” said Uri against his skin.
Something warmed in Azriel’s chest at the words. His throat burned, and it took all the control he’d mastered over the years not to let that feeling spill.
“It’s your turn now, Elain,” Uri ordered.
“What?” He heard her ask, and Cauldron damn him, he needed to see the look on her face.
“You need to kiss him goodnight.”
“I’m sure that’s not necessary, Uri,” she protested.
“But what if he gets a nightmare?”
He couldn’t see her, but he knew what she was thinking, what she was feeling. The knowledge came from a place inside him, somewhere he couldn’t touch, yet he knew was there.
So he braced himself for the touch of her lips as they pressed a kiss onto his cheek.
It was a chaste kiss, yet Az nearly groaned out loud. His body tensed with the craving that overtook his body, the need of having her, in all the ways he’d thought of. And he’d spent a long while considering all the ways he wanted her.
“Have sweet dreams, Az,” she whispered, and then he felt them leave.
His name on her lips… It did things to him that he had never contemplated.
He got up, ever so silently made his way to the kitchen. While he waited for Elain, he began cleaning up the mess on the countertop.
A while later, Elain came into the room.
“You’re still here,” she breathed.
Azriel nodded, his gaze fixed on her. It was a damn effort to keep from reaching out and gathering her in his arms.
Az watched as she swallowed. Then she nodded, and asked him, “Do you have anything on his family?”
Azriel’s temper flared at her words, at the reminder. “Not yet. The Illyrian camps… There are many of them.”
She nodded. “I know.” Elain cleared her throat. “I’m sorry, for earlier. For the kiss,” she clarified, though there was no need.
“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” was all he said.
“That’s good. I wanted to apologize in case it bothered you.”
He let out a low chuckle. “It didn’t.”
Her eyes flashed with resentment at his laugh. “It did last time.”
He stopped laughing.
-
Elain knew it was a low blow, but she hadn’t been able to hold the words in. She bit her lower lip as the silence between them stretched.
Azriel didn’t back down from her stare as he said, “El… It never bothered me. I wanted it. I wanted you.” He took a step toward her.
The truth in his words stunned her. Yet her heart crumpled in her chest. “Then why?” She fisted her hands, anger and confusion and hurt battling inside her. “Why did you say it was a mistake?”
He hesitated. She let out a hollow laugh. “Right.” She made to leave for her room, when a scarred hand stopped her.
“Rhys stopped me.”
She whirled on him. “What.”
“Rhys stopped me,” he repeated, his hand still on her wrist. “There were too many things at play and I… I was a coward. I should have fought for you, and I didn’t. I’m a bastard.”
Her eyes burned. “So you let me believe you rejected me? That you didn’t want me? For a year?” She whispered, hurt clear in her voice.
He swallowed. “I’m a bastard,” he said again. “I don’t deserve you. I am nothing but a coward.”
Then, he did something she never would have expected him to do.
He went to his knees. “I am not worthy of your forgiveness, nor of your heart, Elain Archeron. But I’m selfish, and if you find it in yourself to give me both, I will greedily take them.” He grabbed her hands between his scarred ones. “I love you. Until I am nothing but ash scattered through the wind, I am yours.”
Her vision was blurry. “What changed,” she asked breathlessly.
Az was quiet for a few beats. Then, “I have always been in love with you. Please, never doubt that, I beg you. Even during all the months we’ve spent apart, my feelings for you never changed, never faltered.” He took a deep breath. “A month ago, when you barged into my house and you learned these scars came from my brothers… I felt it. I felt it snap.”
The air left her.
“I felt the mating bond between us snap.”
She thought about that day. She remembered how… feral she went as he told her what his brothers had done to him, his strange reaction as he all but kicked her out from his house.
Ten months ago, Elain had rejected the mating bond with Lucien Vanserra. He’d done it, too, but they went beyond simple rejection. They’d cleaved it, just so that it would never haunt either of them again.
Now, she was faced with another mating bond.
Azriel was still on his knees before her. “I don’t know how it’s possible, I’ve been trying to find answers, but it’s never happened before.” He took a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you,” he began. “Because we needed to get Uri settled in, heal him. And I needed to know where you stood, if you still believed I was a male worthy of you.”
He slowly got up. “But now… Now I find myself unable to stay away from you any longer. I love you, I want you, I need you. You fill my thoughts when I wake up, as I go on about my day, when I go to sleep. You’re in my dreams, too, where we and Uri are our own little family.”
Elain couldn’t breathe, her emotions choking her.
She brought her arms around his neck, her hands tugging on his hair, and whispered, “I love you. I tried to move one, but I couldn’t. I love you.”
Then, without breaking their eye contact, she offered him the mashed potatoes she’d cooked earlier.
She barely saw the blatant joy in his eyes before he sat down and began eating.
Elain watched him carefully as he ate all of it, not leaving one crumb. Then he got up and pressed his lips to her, like a starved animal.
He groaned in relief as she parted her mouth slightly. He brought her closer to him, until her small breasts were flush against his hard chest.
One of his arms was around her waist, his hand dangerously low, his other in her hair. She tried to get closer even still. She moaned when she felt his hardened length against her lower belly.
He lifted her up and deposited her on the kitchen counter, one of his legs coming between hers and making space for itself. His knee brushed the spot between her legs, and she moaned again.
He fisted the dress she was wearing until it bunched up to her waist. His gaze turned even hotter as the sight of her undergarments came into view. He cursed.
“I need you. Now. I can’t wait,” he said, urgency in his voice, though an apology lay in his eyes.
“Yes, yes, please,” she agreed, bringing his body close to hers.
He undressed them, throwing their clothes to his shadows. His eyes turned molted gold as they fixed on her wetness. “Beautiful,” he whispered, before his lips kissed that sweet that gave her so much pleasure. He slid a finger in, and the sensation was too much. Stars exploded behind her eyes as she rode those waves of passion.
He was inside her before her orgasm had even finished. He groaned as he settled all the way in, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine. She whimpered as he began thrusting, the sheer size of him knocking the breath out of her lungs. Az covered her body with his own, his quickened breaths beating against her neck.
He laid one of his hands on her breast, his mouth on the other, as he kept pumping deep inside her until she saw white, hot pleasure. He spilled inside her, bit the peak of her breast. The sting was almost enough to bring in a new orgasm.
“My love, my life,” he breathed against her neck.
They went four more times that night, exploring each other, claiming each other, until the first lights of dawn appeared in the sky. They lied on the bed, their bed now, and talked about everything and anything. He shared the years in his father’s cell, she her childhood years. They talked about the feelings they felt for each other, their plans for the future.
They were strangers to sleep that day, but they didn’t mind. It was the happiest they’d ever been in their whole lives.
-
Rhys had been outraged when he'd heard of the orphanage, about all those kids who now didn’t have a family to take care of them, about the state of the building they were staying in.
Elain was making a list of the things that needed fixing — the large sum provided by the High Lord was more than enough — when Azriel winnowed in the town house.
“I found him,” were the words he used to greet her.
Elain turned to him, a confused look on her face. She’d been in the middle of writing down a vision she’d just had when he barged in. “Found him? What– What do you–” Her eyes widened as a sense of clarity came over her. Uri’s father. “You– You did?”
“Yes.” His jaw ticked, fury overshadowing his eyes. “I notified Cassian. I believe he’s taking that piece of shit to the Prison as we’re speaking.”
“The Prison?” Not much was known about the terrible place, but Rhys had asked her if she could use her Cauldron-blessed powers to look into a creature inside a few months back. She shuddered as images of what she’d learned flashed in her mind.
“It’s where he deserves to be.”
“What do you know,” she asked, though it was more of a statement.
“You don’t want to know, trust me,” he growled.
Elain’s spine went ramrod straight. “I do, actually. I want to know what he did to my– to Uri.” She meant it. She also meant the words that almost slipped out. My son. She had come to think of him as such.
Az studied her. After a few minutes, he nodded. “There was only one bed in the… hut they lived in. There were barely a few clothes fit for a child, most of them cut from an older male’s. There was no trace of his mother.” He went silent for a few seconds. “She died during childbirth, because her mate,” he spat out the word. “Refused to take her to a healer. What makes it even worse, he runs a business. A successful business. He had the means to provide for his mate and son, he just refused to.”
All the rage, all the icy fury she’d been brewing over the past weeks, increased tenfold when he finished speaking. But she managed to stifle it as she quietly demanded, “I want to speak to him.”
Azriel shook his head. “You can’t.”
Elain watched him defiantly. “I can. Bring me to him.”
“No, you can’t, and I won’t.” He repeated.
“He hurt my son. Our son. He beat him, burned him, starved him. I want to speak to him.” She raged. She meant it, the word that slipped out. Son. She had come to think of him as such in the past two months, his love and affection and trust something she longed to keep for eternity. She knew Az agreed with her every word.
Azriel’s eyes brightened with unshed tears. “I know, I know. Do you think I don’t want to do the same?” He shook his head. “Do you know what my shadows told me, that first night I came here?” He didn’t wait for her reply. “Uri thought we were mated, that he’d joined our family. And he was right, he’s our son. That’s why we can’t retaliate against his father. We need to think of Uri. Of what he wants. Maybe in the future, when’s a grown male, he wants to meet with him, to go back to him again. We can’t stop it, we can’t jeopardize it.”
“No! I don’t want to go back to him. I want to be with you!”
They whirled around, not having heard Uri come in. Elain watched as Uri’s face turned bright red. “Don’t take me back to him. Dad, please,” he begged.
Az swayed on his feet at the word with which Uri called him. He rasped out, “Never, my baby. My son.” He lifted him in his arms and hugged him, holding him close to his chest.
Elain walked over to them. Azriel let her in their embrace, kissing his son and his mate.
“Mom,” Uri said quietly. “Stay here. I don’t want you near him, he’s mean.”
Elain blinked back tears at that. But she nodded, and held them tighter.
Her loves, her life.
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I’ll leave whether or not this is a request up to you. I just want to share the idea of Christmas season with JayGar. Making cookies with them, putting together a gingerbread house too. Kissing under mistletoe. Decorating the tree, just the place in general. Maybe it snows. Gar insists on making snow people and there’s a snowball fight. Watching them roll around in the snow, play-fighting. Going inside after and making hot cocoa. It’d be so sweet, cozy, fun, and loving and I’m soft for it right now. -Rotten Anon
okay, this makes me feral and foaming at the mouth. I am so deeply upset that Jason was not at the Titans Christmas in Season 4 because it's supposed to take place in Gotham at Wayne Manor if I'm correct? and like I understand that Jason was still kind of on the outs with the Titans, but Gar would have wanted him there, and Jason coming to Christmas dinner or something would have been a great step in mending the relationships. grrr
anyway! Christmas with JayGar. omg. consider this my headcanons post because I can't help myself
Christmas With Jason Todd and Gar Logan
(These headcanons operate under the idea that they are in a poly relationship with the reader, or they are flirtatious/sexual and forming that kind of poly relationship.) (This also kind of accidentally turned into Christmas headcanons about the Titans in general.) (Also, this is mostly fluff and there is some mild sexual themes, because I can't help myself when it comes to JayGar.)
So, first of all, I definitely feel like Christmas at Titans Tower would be so different from a family Christmas - like, spending Christmas with Jason and Gar once the three of you have moved out to start a family and 'settle down' or when everyone has come home to a place like Wayne Manor for a traditional family Christmas. Living with Jason and Gar in your own place would be a lot more like you mentioned, but I am thinking about more of the S2 era (I love that era so much.) But I could definitely make another post about like - post No Place Like Home Christmas with JayGar.
Christmas at Titans Tower - I am imagining a situation where they lived at the Tower for longer before Rose showed up (and then Deathstroke tried to kill everyone) and they had Christmas during that time. OR during the time they continued living at the Tower before Gotham, they had Christmas (and Jason is still there because I said so). It would be wonderful chaos.
Dick would not even have the idea to decorate or really celebrate Christmas in any way until Rachel or Gar bring it up. The original Titans did celebrate Christmas, but it was 90% Dawn's doing. (In the show, we saw how she turned Hank's sad, single guy apartment into a really femme, well decorated place. And it is of my opinion that she planned Garth's birthday party by herself. She would demand Christmas decorations.) And because Dawn wanted extensive Christmas decorations, Dick funded it (with his daddy's credit card) because he would do anything to please her.
So back then, the original Titans had a huge, lavish Christmas tree, they had all kinds of extensive decorations for the main lounge area - Dawn bought everyone ugly Christmas sweaters and Christmas pajamas and made everybody wear them. And they definitely did a Secret Santa where everyone picked a name and only bought one gift, but it was soooo easy to tell who bought which gift.
So when Rachel starts asking Dick 'what are we gonna do for Christmas?' - Dick's first thought is: nothing. Kory and Conner are curious about what Christmas is - it's actually funny trying to explain to them how a holiday that is technically rooted in religion is actually practised by a lot of non-religious people, and most of the traditions have nothing to do with Christianity.
Gar is excited to do something for Christmas. When he was living at Caulder House, they used to have a big family Christmas - mostly because nobody left the house and it was something to do. His parents weren't super religious when he was growing up, so he never had super traditional Christmas celebrations when he was living on the nature reserve - Rita and the others were the first ones to introduce him to a lot of Christmas elements and classic Christmas films, and he has loved it ever since.
Gar loves the idea of a time when you give to others selflessly and when simply being kind is a unique magic of its own. So of course he's eager to celebrate Christmas with the Titans.
You're kind of indifferent to it all - you can get into Christmas, but you can go without it.
And on the other hand, Jason hates Christmas.
Yeah - genuinely, it's of my opinion that Jason from Season 1/Season 2 (and probably Season 3) would fucking despise the concept of Christmas. (An evolved, post No Place Like Home Jason would love Christmas, but we'll talk about that later.)
So - Jason hates Christmas. And it's one of those things that, much like everything else in his life, can be attributed to his upbringing. Sometimes Rachel makes jokes that Jason blames everything on 'foster kid bullshit' but - it's true. Because everything in his life can be blamed on his shitty childhood. When you grow up poor like he did, there is no Christmas magic. He was the kid in school who was telling everyone else that Santa Claus does not exist, because he was bitter and angry that Santa never brought him any presents, and he realized very early on that it was just a made-up story. So he forced that bitterness about his own situation onto other people.
Did he start liking Christmas after he moved in with Bruce? Fuck no.
Having Christmas with a billionaire only made things more awkward for Jason. Especially because Alfred is the one with Christmas spirit, and not Bruce. Bruce grew up half Catholic and half Jewish due to his parents faith, so before they died, he several years observing Jewish holidays and having a huge blow-out Christmas with a lot of Christmas magic, and after they died - he became stoic.
(Note: I am talking about the Titans version of Bruce here.)
He mostly observes the holidays by silently donating to charity, sometimes going to church to say prayers and reflect, and privately lighting a menorah and saying the prayers that go along with it to honor his parents - something that he has never invited Dick or Jason to participate in. Alfred always makes a big, traditional Christmas dinner and decorates the Manor, and he is the one who prompts the exchange of gifts - and Jason fucking hates this.
Jason doesn't have an income of his own, and he hates shopping for gifts with someone else's credit card, and he always feel awkward as fuck receiving generic, expensive gifts from Bruce (like an Xbox or an iPhone) while giving him something like a tie or cuff links that Alfred picked out - that Bruce knows were bought with his own money, that doesn't even garner much of a react beyond a polite, mandatory 'thank you'. In Jason's opinion, one of the only hell's worst than spending Christmas starving, cold, and penniless is spending it in one of the large, opulent, over-decorated rooms of the Manor sitting with Bruce in stony silence while the man sips tea and makes stiff faces at the gift Jason's gives him.
So Jason doesn't expect Christmas at the Tower to be much different. He's not looking forward to it, and generally, wants to avoid it.
But he has no such luck.
Dick is randomly on the phone with Dawn one night (Dawn and Hank are trying to do the farm thing again - they're not taking care of horses, but they are living out in the country in the middle of nowhere, because they have come to like the seclusion), and he mentions that Rachel brought up Christmas, and this sets off every neuron in Dawn's brain. She asks Dick what he's gonna do for Christmas and he says 'I don't know'. Within hours, Dawn has dragged Hank to a Christmas tree farm, picked out the biggest tree possible, and has it strapped to the top of their truck, driving in to San Francisco.
If Rachel wants Christmas, she's going to get Christmas.
When you get up and find Dawn decorating (she dug out the Titans' old decorations, and Dick and Hank are struggling to get the tree out of the elevator) - you are excited. You rush to get the others out of bed, and immediately - Jason starts complaining. He says Christmas is stupid - he's one of those people who feels the need to point out that Jesus was actually born in the summer, and that it's a holiday 'actually made my companies just to sell you more crap'.
But when Dawn says that she needs help bringing out more of the boxes of decorations and Gar asks Jason to come and help, whipped as he is, Jason sighs and rolls his eyes, and he goes to help.
Decorating is certainly an adventure. Everyone is tripping over each other, Dawn wants the tree moved to different locations in the lounge three different times and it's only on the third try that Dick and Hank remember that Conner has super strength and he should be the one doing most of the heavy lifting.
At one point, you're up on a ladder hanging garlands and you stupidly ask Jason to 'give you a hand' - thinking that he'll hold the other end of the garland while you secure it or that he'll hand you another tack, but instead, he walks up behind you where you're standing on the ladder, very firmly and confidently puts his whole hand on your ass and says 'better?'
Gar makes everyone hot chocolate to help the decorating process along, and Jason says that the holiday is 'slightly less stupid' because he thinks the hot chocolate tastes really good.
Once all the decorations from the boxes have been put up, Rachel gets the idea that everyone should make their own custom ornament to put on the tree, and her and Dawn rush out to buy supplies for this, and while everyone is gathered around the kitchen island participating in this crafting session - it is the most genuine family moment that you have ever felt with the Titans. Everyone decorates a simple, flat piece of wood with glitter or paint to put on the tree - Gar decorated his with a green tiger wearing a Santa hat, and Jason made his a depiction of Santa Claus crashing his slay and dying - which you thought was funny and put on a central position on the three.
Gar even got the idea to put Krypto's paw in paint and stamp an ornament with his paw print so he could have one too.
(Okay, this is getting really long and rambly, so here, some quick fire hcs.)
Once Jason figures out that he can use mistletoe as an excuse to kiss people, he is infuriating about it. He will carry it around and dangle it over your head and Gar's head - you will just sigh and smack him, and Gar will blush so hard. Sometime's Gar will give Jason a kiss on the cheek if no one is looking (usually, Jason will respond to this by dodging and stealing a kiss on Gar's mouth) - and rarely, you will actually give in and kiss Jason on the lips if no one else is around.
At one point, Jason even tapes the mistletoe to his bellybutton as a 'joke' - to make you kiss his cock. (It definitely doesn't work. Ya know.)
Gar loves Christmas carols and Christmas music, and he will always play them and sing them at the top of his lungs - Jason pretends to be annoyed by it, but you have caught him singing along under his breath or mouthing the words, or even dancing a little when he thinks nobody is paying attention. But you know the annoyance is kind of real during the 5th round of Jingle Bell Rock. Gar can't help it though.
Gar is a vegan, and Jason will claim it's because he's bored - but he spends one afternoon cooking up vegan versions of several Christmas classics, like Christmas sugar cookies, and a full Christmas spread (with substitute meats that you guys both can't decide are creepy or cool) - and when Gar sees everything, he has some tears of joy in his eyes at the pure consideration of it. Turns out, Jason is actually an amazing cook. (Dick and Rachel are particularly surprised by this development.)
One night, the three of you sit down and watch a bunch of Christmas movies together. Jason finds Home Alone to be hilarious because Kevin is so brutal (and naturally, Jason is reminded of himself), and he spends most of the film commenting on how stupid the criminals are. When you watch The Grinch, Gar cries at the scene where the Grinch is bullied in school and you and Jason have to comfort him about it.
At one point, you buy you, Gar, and Jason matching ugly Christmas sweaters and Jason is adamant that he will not wear it. You are disappointed, but you put on yours anyway, and soon you hear some mumbling between Gar and Jason, including a 'please' and some grumbling on Jason's part - they come back twenty minutes later. Jason is wearing his sweater, looking stone-faced and grumpy about it, and Gar is looking entirely pleased with himself. You have no clue if sexual favours were exchanged, but when Gar moves to put a Santa hat on Jason, the effort he makes to fight Gar off about it is so lackluster.
When Dawn takes a picture of the three of you in your sweaters together, Jason flips her off - and it's one of your favourite pictures of all time.
(I could easily go on like this forever, but I'll leave it there for now.)
#sundrop answers#rotten anon#anonymous#jaygar x reader#jason todd x reader#gar logan x reader#dc titans#titans#dc titans fanfiction#titans x reader
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Silent Night Mink in the Porcupine Mountains
A Michigan ermine in its white winter coat catching a trout in one of the countless streams in the Porcupine Mountains. Merry Christmas!
#garth glazier#garth glazier wordplay arts#garth glazier illustration#garthglazierarts#mink#ermine#nack the weasel#animal art#animal illustration#animal drawing#animal#forest painting#forest#woods#branches#mountains#creek#winter stream#winter#snow#winter wonderland#snowflakes#greeting card art#greeting cards#christmas cards#holiday card#xmas
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Poetry Month 2024!!
April is nearly upon us once again, and that means it’s time to get ready for poetry month!! Just as in years past I’m planning to write and share a poem every day, and I could use your help. Send me an ask (or a dm on discord) with a fandom, a character or pairing, and a word or phrase. I’ll mix it all up, throw it in the oven, and see what comes out!
Below is a list of fandoms I’ve either written in the past (or would like to write)…
Battlestar Galactica
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (no Angel, please)
Carry On (the Simon Snow series)
Doctor Who (modern Doctors/companions, plus Eight)
Fringe
Good Omens
Harry Potter (Draco/Neville is my fave but I’ll write just about any character)
His Dark Materials (the books, I’ve still not seen the show!)
Lord of the Rings
The Magnus Archives
Marvel (the Avengers, Venom, Moon Knight)
MASH
The Old Kingdom (book series by Garth Nix)
Our Flag Means Death
The Raven Cycle (I haven’t finished the Dreamer trilogy yet so please no spoilers!!)
The Sandman
Star Trek (TOS/AOS)
Supernatural
The Tortall universe (multiple book series by Tamora Pierce)
Welcome to Night Vale
The Witcher (mostly Netflix, but I have a sprinkling of book and game knowledge)
Thanks so much for all the prompts y’all have sent over the years! It is truly a joy to write for you. 💜💜💜
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Aqua Teen Hunger Force #90: “Rubberman” | February 15, 2010 - 12:00AM | S08E03
I remembered this one being a little too gross. And you know what? IT IS! But you wanna know what else? It got me laughin’, so I’m not pissed off about it! I’m pissed off about other things.
There has been a spate of sketchy activity in the Aqua Teen area, as evidenced by the nasty leavings of drug-fueled sex-havers. There are condoms and needles and crack pipes all over the place. Frylock’s solution is to set up an information center, urging the drug-users and prostitutes to practice safe sex, and he builds a mascot duck out of the used condoms and needles and stuff. He calls him Clucky, the rubber litter ducky. He comes to life like Frosty, a snow man. He’s now Lance Potter, and he has his own theme song. He demands human appendages and has his ward, Meatwad, acquire them using TV-MA violence.
I’m struggling to account for why exactly I like this episode as much as I do. I feel like other shows would invoke nasty things like used condoms and needles for easy laughs, but this one juuuuuust reaches the absurdist sweet spot that complete loser idiots like me gallantly enjoy. This might not be your thing, “no matter what”, but it worked for me.
Well, it worked for roughly the first half. Then it started to peter out. But it was lively, and there was even a funny song in the Frosty the Snow Man style. I actually guffawed at the flashback Carl has where he talks about the killer whale that nipped his stones. And, guess what? Don “Tansut” Kennedy is the voice of Meatwad's new baby boy, and George Lowe shows up as a cop. Also, the DVD has a fun video showing the behind-the-scenes recording of the Rubberman song, which is why you ABSOLUTELY NEED TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON PHYSICAL MEDI- oh, wait, it’s on Youtube.
EPHEMERA CORNER:
youtube
The First Brit Block (January 22, 2008)
This began a somewhat failed experiment where, on Friday nights, Adult Swim aired their British acquisitions back-to-back-to-back-to-back. We’re talking The Office, we’re talking Look Around You, we’re talking The Mighty Boosh, we’re talking Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. It lasted until April 2nd.
It brings to mind the time they did an “old school bumps” night on August 1, 2008. Fun fact: I think I failed to highlight “old school bumps” night on Ephemera Corner. At least, I can’t find any mention of it in my 2008 posts. Weird! Bad mistake! In fact, they tried to do a weekly-recurring old school night that lasted three weeks from August 22-September 5, 2008.
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