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fortunawren · 9 months

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lyrics v;

Last little meditation practice before I get back to the serious writings.

"Cleopatra" by The Lumineers

This song is based on a true story, and has so many beautiful quotes which is why it's so popular. It's about coming to terms with the one that got away. I found this song on TikTok a few years ago, and it helped me get through heavy loss. It's kind of a peaceful acceptance of just being wrong, and I love it.

Don't let the upbeat music fool you. It's actually the saddest story I've ever heard. Also, who proposes when someone's in mourning?

Still,

*"And I left the footprints, the mud stained on the carpet And it hardened like my heart did when you left town But I must admit it, that I would marry you in an instant Damn your wife, I'd be your mistress just to have you around

But I was late for this, late for that, late for the love of my life And when I die alone, when I die alone, when I die I'll be on time

While the church discouraged, any lust that burned within me Yes my flesh, it was my currency, but I held true So I drive a taxi, and the traffic distracts me From the strangers in my backseat, they remind me of you."*

How tragic, and how beautiful.

"All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" by Taylor Swift

I will sit and listen to the 10 minute version of this song over and over. I cried to the original, and I cry to this one too when nostalgia gets me. Mainly because when she says,

"You never called it what it was 'Til we were dead and gone and buried Check the pulse and come back swearing, it's the same After three months in the grave And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you But all I felt was shame And you held my lifeless frame"

And then,

"They say all's well that ends well But I'm in a new hell every time You double-cross my mind You said if we had been closer in age Maybe it would've been fine And that made me want to die The idea you had of me, who was she? A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel Whose shine reflects on you Not weepin' in a party bathroom Some actress askin' me what happened: You That's what happened: You."

I wish she had released this song sooner because I probably would have found clarity sooner. Jake Gyllenhaal needs to return Taylor's Gucci scarf. Although, I think there's a rumor that the scarf is a metaphor for something far more precious.

Last one,

"And I was never good at tellin' jokes, but the punch line goes I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age From when your Brooklyn broke my skin and bones I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight

And did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? Just between us, did the love affair maim you too? 'Cause in this city's barren cold I still remember the first fall of snow And how it glistened as it fell I remember it all too well."

In my defense, it was a 10 minute long song.

"Strawberries & Cigarettes" by Troye Sivan

I've been avoiding this song all week but it's been on my shuffle repeatedly out of thousands of songs. This song is what I imagine innocent first love feels like, or the beginning of catching feelings or trying something brand new. I posted on my socials this quote about 4-5 years ago, and it's still my favorite line.

"Remember when you taught me fate Said it'd all be worth the wait Like that night in the back of the cab When your fingers walked in my hand Next day, nothin' on my phone But I can still smell you on my clothes Always hoping things would change But we went right back to your games Long nights, daydreams Sugar and smoke rings, I've been a fool But strawberries and cigarettes always taste like you."

"Slipped Away" by Avril Lavigne

Sometimes I'm scared I listened to this song so many times when I was a teenager that I manifested it into reality. I've been Avril Lavigne emo since "My Happy Ending" was on the music video on-demand channels and she was spinning around in that tutu. I ended up getting one as well because I was obsessed.

Of course, attention has to be drawn to these words,

"I miss you Miss you so bad I don't forget you Oh, it's so sad I hope you can hear me I remember it clearly The day you slipped away Was the day I found it won't be the same."

"Ride" by Lana Del Rey

This song is on my sex playlist. You've got to have at least one Lana Del Rey song on your playlist if you're a romantic, and I'm a certified lover girl apparently. I fell in love with this song when Spencer and Tobey were in that motel room. The real ones know what I'm talking about.

Lana Del Rey is my favorite poet, and if you haven't read her debut poetry book, you're severely missing out. The audio of it is in my T.B.B. vinyl cart.

These lyrics,

"I've been out on that open road You can be my full time, daddy, white and gold Singing blues has been getting old You can be my full time, baby Hot or cold Don't break me down (don't break me down) I've been travelin' too long (I've been travelin' too long) I've been trying too hard (I've been trying too hard) With one pretty song (with one pretty song) I hear the birds on the summer breeze, I drive fast I am alone at midnight Been tryin' hard not to get into trouble, but I I've got a war in my mind So, I just ride Just ride, I just ride, I just ride."

are absolutely poetry.

She's essentially my god.

Obviously.

"play this when i'm gone" by Machine Gun Kelly

This is actually Machine Gun Kelly's suicide letter that he addressed to his daughter. A lot of people have doubts about the style in which it was written, but he's a songwriter which is adjacent to a poet. Of course his suicide letter would read like a song. Oddly enough, this song brought me a lot of comfort because it helped me understand the other side to the story of drug use and depression. I desperately couldn't at the time, and it really soothed something in me.

It's probably inappropriate to pick a favorite line out of a suicide letter, but we quote Sylvia Plath all the time:

"I'm 29, my anxiety's eating me alive I'm fightin' with myself and my sobriety every night And last time I couldn't barely open up my eyes, I apologize I'm not gonna lie and tell you it's alright, it's alright You're gonna cry and, baby, that's alright, it's alright I wrote you this song to keep when I'm gone If you ever feel alone You're gonna cry and, baby, that's alright, it's alright I hope you get to go to all the places that I showed you When I was on the road and couldn't be home to hold you Part of me doesn't want this cruel world to know you So just try and keep in mind everything that I told you."

"Ahora Dice - Real Hasta La Muerte Remix" by Chris Vedia, J Balvin, Ozuna, Cardi B, Offset, Anuel, Arcangel

I can't speak Spanish although I've looked at the translation of these lyrics before. I'm a huge Cardi B fan, which is how I came across this song in the first place. It has a fantastic beat and I just love listening to it.

Cardi B says,

"And-and you know that I'm the baddest Cartier glasses, Fendi fabric And I'm years away from basic And I'm miles away from average, but One thing ain't adding up to me How you gon' mess with a bitch that look up to me? Off'"

Off is an introduction to her current husband, Offset. They actually recorded this song before they were in a relationship, and before Offset actually cheated on Cardi B, which blows my mind entirely.

"Male Fantasy" by Billie Eilish

As someone that struggles with gender roles, and my sexuality, and really navigating southern culture with my unconventional approach to life, this song felt like validation for everything that I was feeling.

These words,

"Home alone, tryin' not to eat Distract myself with pornography I hate the way she looks at me I can't stand the dialogue, she would never be That satisfied, it's a male fantasy I'm going back to therapy 'Cause I loved you then and I love you now And I don't know how Guess it's hard to know when nobody else comes around If I'm getting over you Or just pretending to Be alright, convince myself I hate you."

I could honestly drop all the lyrics because it's that beautiful of a song.

"Work Song" by Hozier

Another must on the sex playlist, absolutely. Hozier sings about women the way all women want to be sung about, and he writes his lovers like Shakespeare writes his lovers; flawed.

If your soul doesn't jolt when he says,

"Boys, when my baby found me I was three days on a drunken sin I woke with her walls around me Nothin' in her room but an empty crib And I was burnin' up a fever I didn't care much how long I lived But I swear I thought I dreamed her She never asked me once about the wrong I did When my time comes around Lay me gently in the cold dark earth No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her When my time comes around Lay me gently in the cold dark earth No grave can hold my body down I'll crawl home to her."

then I don't know what to tell you because it's a borderline religious experience. That's why the girlies say Hozier was written by a woman.

"Lover" by Taylor Swift

Part of my grad school application asked me to cite my favorite artist/marketer in an essay, and I chose Taylor Allison Swift. R.I.P. her relationship to Joe Alwyn. Her song "invisible string" really had me thinking that true love existed, but the jury is still out.

Until then, Taylor's vow to her lover,

"Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? With every guitar string scar on my hand I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover My heart's been borrowed and yours has been blue All's well that ends well to end up with you Swear to be overdramatic and true to my lover And you'll save all your dirtiest jokes for me And at every table, I'll save you a seat, lover."

Absolutely beautiful.

"Broken" by Seether and Amy Lee

My dad went through a Seether phase after his second divorce, and I've always been an Evanescence fan ever since my childhood friend's older sister leant us 'Fallen'. I always thought this was such a sad song because their relationship didn't last.

She says,

"The worst is over now and we can breathe again I want to hold you high, and steal my pain away There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight I want to hold you high and steal your pain 'Cause I'm broken when I'm open And I don't feel like I am strong enough 'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome And I don't feel right when you're gone away."

"Money" by Cardi B

I really am a huge Cardi B fan, and I overplay this song to make me feel better about the odds that I'm going to die alone, but I always smile when I hear her say,

"Sweet like a honey bun, spit like a Tommy gun Rollie a one of one, come get your mommy some Cardi at the tip-top, bitch Kiss the ring and kick rocks, sis."

"Moments" by Tove Lo

I'm obsessed with Tove Lo as well. She's in my top five artists of all time, and "Moments" has a really beautiful message. I watched her sing in the acoustic version of this song while a couple on LSD tripped in front of me. 10/10 wonderful experience.

"I'm not the prettiest you've ever seen But I have my moments, I have my moments Not the flawless one, I've never been But I have my moments, I have my moments I can get a little drunk, I get into all the don'ts But on good days I am charming as fuck I can get a little drunk, I get into all the don'ts But on good days I am charming as fuck Rough around the edges, memories and baggage You know me Never play the safe card, when I go I go hard Now you know."

"Savior Complex" by Phoebe Bridgers

See, this is one of those songs where I highly relate so I usually skip it. I only really listen to it all the way through when I'm being honest with myself, which is rarely. I'm going to quote a big portion of this song because it's fairly short.

"Wake up and start a big fire In our one room apartment But I'm too tired To have a pissing contest All the bad dreams that you hide Show me yours, I'll show you mine Call me when you land I'll drive around again One hand on the wheel, one in your mouth Turn me on and turn me down Baby, you're a vampire You want blood and I promised I'm a bad liar With a savior complex All the skeletons you hide Show me yours, and I'll show you mine."

"Sandcastles" by Beyonce

To date, I think this is one of her saddest songs next to "Heaven" although it is a love song. Beyonce sings,

"We built sandcastles that washed away I made you cry when I walked away Oh, and although I promised that I couldn't stay, baby Every promise don't work out that way, oh, babe Every promise don't work out that way."

So, even though she said that she was leaving, ultimately it didn't work out that way. I've honestly never dove deep into these lyrics before so this is kind of interesting.

"Miss You More" by Katy Perry

This song is toxic, but arguably, love itself is just a little toxic which is why its likened to war. Please don't take that as a sign to engage in abusive behaviors. There's a difference between the two.

"Saw a balloon floating away I thought, "did someone let go, or did they lose it?" So strange, you know all my secrets Please keep them safe And darling, you know I'll do the same (You know I'll do the same) Though we're no longer in existence Baby, you'll always be in my orbit I miss you more than I loved you."

Honestly, this song will probably make you depressed if you listen to it because I'm heading down that route.

"Cage On The Ground" by Flyleaf

This is a nice reprieve from all the bullshit love songs. Just kidding, I love them. Flyleaf is a Christian Rock Band, but they've always brought it. Lacey will always have my heart. I honestly took this song to heart as I have famous aspirations. I feel like it's teaching a valuable lesson.

These lyrics,

"Welcome to the machine It's a currency generator And then it's a guillotine A mirror held up to your own behaviour I'm gonna take my bow And disappear into the sound I'm leaving my cage on the ground When I take my bow I'm watching it burn to the ground See my feet flying up through the clouds When they distinguish your name It may extinguish your flame."

Honestly, take it to heart. It's true, and we see it time and time again through our modern sensationalist media. There's an over-crowd for love and appreciation, and then the mob turns against the new idol as they cannot, and will not ever meet the requirements of their projections of a god-like being. It's an endless cycle.

"Brain & Heart" by Melanie Martinez

This song is for the soft-hearts that want to be rational more than anything in the world. Love and matters of the heart are the most blinding things in the world. That's why families get away with hurting each other so long because it's all love, and all hate at the same time. Just listen to her when she says,

"When did humans start to separate Brain and heart as if they could stay alive alone? Flip it around the other way If they were apart and you had no power start or no database Only a shell remains What fun is it, to be so calculated Or be taken advantage of, 'cause your heart's too trusting Silent expressed push my head into my chest Bind them up, forever wed "Don't drift too far, " they said."

#lyrics #lyrics recs #lyric posting #lyric quotes #song suggestions #song recs #music recs #music blog #music #free #annotation #literature #books #poetry #reading #reading recommendations #reading recs

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hattersarts · 2 years

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ME??? PREDICTABLE??? how dare you.

#arcane #cassandra kiramman #ambessa medarda #league of legends #been three thousand years (a week) since i've drawn

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opbackgrounds · 2 years

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I've been thinking a lot since OP surpassed Batman in sales and will eventually surpass Superman, and how some people will still not take it seriously because ItS jUSt A sTupID ComIC

There is always going to be a level of elitism within literary circles regarding comics, but this is hardly limited to the medium. In general, fantasy and sci-fi are regarded as lesser works compared to their more prestigious cousins, the literary novel. Despite them being some of the most popular and influential books of an era, for example, you're not going to see Harry Potter bumping off To Kill a Mockingbird on school reading lists. There are a few exceptions to this, but they're the types of fantasy books or the rare comic like Maus that capture a certain "literary" spirit, which unlike a lot of populist works favors making the reader think about a certain idea or theme over invoking a specific emotion.

Comics have an additional hurdle to overcome when it comes to legitimacy as Great Works(tm), and that’s simply that they have less words per page than books. This might seem a little silly given that all the art means things don’t have to be described, but that just brings up another problem--comics are perhaps the most inefficient and labor-intensive way to tell a story.

Now, most commercial comic industries--including manga like One Piece--are made by a team of creatives, so let me try to put what I’m trying to say into perspective: I follow a webcomic that is well and truly a one person endeavor. Writing, line work, color, book sales, the whole shebang is handled by a single person who creates what I believe to be a professional-grade comic, both in art and story.

And to manage that she works 12 hours a day, 7 days a week all to maintain her three page a week update schedule.

Now, I freely admit that working entirely in color is a completely different animal than black and white, but that’s what I consider the pinnacle of human effort. By the very nature of the medium those three pages a week can only add up to a few hundred words to the overall story, whereas there are authors (particularly in the self-published and romance industries) whose business model requires them to write hundreds of thousands of words a year just to make a living.

So comics are inefficient. And because they’re inefficient, it can be hard to dive deeply into the topics Important Stories for Important People favor in the same way books can. Every soliloquy, every deep insight into the human condition, every cutting social commentary, must also be drawn. And drawing takes time.

What One Piece has excelled in is taking relatively simple systems that can be easily explained within a few comic pages and then having those systems collide in interesting ways. We don’t know much of how the Warlords work on a deep level--for all the shuffling that’s been done in membership we’ve never actually seen the process of how a new Warlord gets elected, for example--but we don’t need to. It’s enough to know that there are Seven Important Pirates who happen to work for the World Government, and then we get to spend arcs seeing those individuals put into interesting circumstances.

There are other factors at play that effect One Piece’s status within both the fantasy genre and its status as a great work--a Western-centric worldview, the fact that it’s a story primarily aimed at children, etc., etc--but if nothing else I believe that the world of One Piece deserves a place among the best that have ever been realized, both because of Oda’s art and his writing. There’s simply nothing else like it in scale and consistency, and I wish that were more widely recognized

#sarc talks #long post

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rhysismydaddy · 3 years

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Prisoner's Game Pt. 1 (Rowaelin)

Synopsis: Aelin Galathynius never thought of herself as a vengeful woman. Until her boyfriend not only testifies, but leads a case against her that lands her in prison for the rest of her life. Post I-Love-You's. He didn't believe her, and she's about to show him that not only is she innocent, he made the worst mistake of his life betting against her. To a woman with nothing but time, life's just a game, after all.

The cinderblock wall dug into her back uncomfortably as she reclined against it, the air in the room was stale, and she hadn't showered in two days. By any measurement, Aelin Galathynius was far from her best.

And yet she somehow managed to look perfectly at ease--happy even--as she lounged in her cell, toying with the ends of her too-long hair.

It was a ruse, of course, just a little trick to piss off the man currently stomping into her space. By the flare of Rowan Whitehorn's eyes, it worked.

"Hello, Rowan," she greeted pleasantly, giving him a little smile and acting like it wasn't taking everything in her not to use the makeshift knife under her pillow to gut him like the spineless coward he was.

She could tell, even across her 8x12 cell, that he was gritting his teeth and fighting a similar action.

The heel of his expensive Italian loafers clicked as he walked across the space to the small table and took a seat at the steel chair in front of it. He tried to push it out further, but stopped when he realized it was bolted to the floor.

"Aelin," he said back, none of the so-obvious anger he was feeling present in his voice. "Been a long time."

Eight years, six months, three weeks, two days, and thirteen hours.

Not that she was counting or anything.

She nodded her agreement, reclining further on the bed and crossing her legs as if she was in the finest dress she owned, not a faded orange jumpsuit.

"What brings you to my side of town, Rowan? Here to finally switch sides and represent me?"

Dressed in a two-thousand dollar suit and tie, hair perfectly gelled back, he looked like he was successful a lawyer meeting with a wealthy client, but they both knew the last thing he'd ever do was work for her.

"You know why I'm here."

She did indeed, but she still said, "I must be exceptionally smart to know why you've come all the way here-"

"Cut the shit," he snapped, finally losing a bit of his cool. He regained it quickly, though, and continued, "I want to know how you did it."

She frowned at her split ends. "Did what?"

Rowan waited until she looked at him to respond. "You know what."

Sighing so deeply it should've rattled the walls, she said, "I can't believe I've spent the last eight years thinking you underestimated my intelligence. You clearly think I'm some sort of oracle genius."

Rowan mimicked her sigh, and she bit her lip to stifle a laugh.

Probably trying to stall, he spent a moment looking at her cell, at the completely bare walls and lack of photographs. All she had was the tally marks drawn in pencil on one wall and a dusty chess set sitting on the table.

When he'd taken inventory of those two things, he sat and just looked at her.

It was clear she wouldn't admit to knowing exactly why he sat in front of her, and he was simply putting off being the one to fold.

Predictable, proud little man.

Eventually, he took his loss and said, "I want to know how you managed to rob me from inside the most secure prison in Rifthold."

She smiled, a full, undulated smile she hadn't used in a long time.

She'd been planning this moment since the day the bars had locked behind her, and it felt damn good to finally see it come to fruition.

According to what she'd heard, definitely not what she knew from personal experience, the private vault in Rowan's apartment had been broken into. Apparently, only one thing was missing: an antique dagger that had been handed down in the family and was now worth over a million bucks.

"Why do you think it was me?" she asked, still smiling.

He gritted his teeth some more, and she internally snickered at the idea he'd have permanent tooth damage because of her. Something else to remember her by.

Green eyes spitting flames at her, he growled, "You left a goddamn business card."

Aelin forced her eyes up to the empty bed above her head, trying her hardest not to laugh. "Maybe I'm being framed?"

"Your fingerprints were on it."

She did laugh then, then laughed some more when his eyes narrowed. He looked like he was about to strangle her. "Rowan, in case you haven't noticed, I'm incarcerated."

She gestured around them to her cell to prove her point.

The bastard just smiled.

Of course he knows that, she thought bitterly, forcing her hand back to her lap and away from where it'd started to creep toward the pillow.

"So how would I rob you?" she asked, getting her mind back on track.

"That's what you're going to tell me," he demanded angrily. "I want to know how you got out of here, got all the way across Rifthold, broke into my apartment, and stole from me without any surveillance camera picking it up."

Aelin ran a hand through her hair, fluffing it just right. When she caught sight of the impatience on his face, she fluffed it some more and readjusted the thin jacket on her shoulders.

It was always too damn cold in this place. She hadn't been warm in almost nine years.

Because of him.

Just for that, she fluffed her hair some more.

Then she said simply, "I didn't."

"Stop lying!" he shouted at her, eyes flashing.

She wasn't, but that was besides the point.

"Fine." She rolled her eyes like he'd won. "I got my cousin to-"

"Aedion spent the night in Wendlyn. His travel is verified, and there are at least a hundred eye witnesses that witnessed him singing karaoke all night. Stop. Fucking. Lying."

Once again, she wasn't lying.

Aedion sure as hell hadn't been in Wendlyn last night. She'd just wanted to make sure his alibi was air-tight as planned.

Sighing again, she asked, "Rowan, even if I did do it, why the hell would I tell you about it?"

His jaw worked for a moment, and she could tell whatever he was about to say was difficult for him. "I'll get time off your sentence if you tell me what you've done with it."

She tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help it.

It burst out of her, full and uncontrollable, and she flopped over on the dirty mattress and howled for a good few minutes.

He glared at her, looking for all the world like he was experiencing a portion of the rage she was made of, but regardless of the threat in his eyes, she took her time composing herself.

"I'm serving ten consecutive life sentences, you idiot."

One for each and every one of her "victims."

"I'll make it nine," he offered generously.

"Even if I was a cat, that'd still leave me dying in a prison cell. Offer me something else."

He just glared at her, unwilling to give her anything she could actually use or want. Just like she'd expected.

"That's what I thought. So no, Rowan Whitehorn, I'm not accepting your little deal. You can think I robbed you all you want; hell, you can even know, in your famous gut, that I did it." She tilted her head, a cruel smile filling her lips. "But it isn't about what you believe, it's about what you can prove. Isn't that right?"

His eyes shuttered at the words, and just like that, they were sucked into the memory of all those years ago.

~Eight years ago~

~Rowan~

Rowan rolled over, edging away from the woman next to him carefully as to not wake her.

Her hair was spread out on his chest, her soft hand was on his stomach, and her leg was draped over his. By all accounts, she was all over him.

And it felt so fucking good.

He'd never met anyone like Aelin before. Anyone so full of life, so hilariously open.

It was like she was constantly on fire, flitting from one place to the next with endless energy and jabs about him being too old and slow.

"What are you going?" she murmured, nails digging in slightly to keep him where he was.

"To get some water. Go back to sleep."

He leaned down and kissed her brow, and she sighed happily and rolled over. Like a total cliché, he watched her sleep for a moment, trying to get his feelings under control.

They'd been seeing each other for less than a year, but he couldn't imagine his life without her. He was in love with her, and if the way she acted and smiled around him was any indication, she loved him, too.

He ran a thumb over her cheekbone, smiling when she tilted her face into his touch.

He was whipped, and he didn't even care.

Rowan shook his head at himself, pulled on a pair of boxers, padded to the kitchen, and held a glass under the faucet.

Then frowned as it sputtered.

He figured he'd at least make himself useful, knowing damn well she would never agree to call the plumber when she could "figure out how to fix it herself on Youtube."

So he knelt down in her kitchen and opened the cabinet door, trying to see what the problem with the pipe was.

Except he never got that far.

His eyes got stuck on the piece of paper sticking out under a false piece of wood covering the back panel.

Knowing it was wrong to pry but somehow unable to stop himself, he tugged the paper loose.

Then fell backwards to his ass, heart hammering and brain spinning as he read it over and over again.

The list of names wasn't long, but all ten of the people on it were highly distinguished members of society.

And they were all dead.

He wouldn't know that, since the death of the last person on the list wasn't even public record yet, but he was the attorney working with the police to find the killer.

Why did she have this list?

And what did the numbers next to the names mean?

One way or another, he knew he had to find out. He also knew he couldn't ask her. He was in too deep, too unbiased to know whether or not she was lying.

He didn't trust himself with her, so he'd have to go the traditional route.

He took a picture of the paper quickly, tucking it back where he'd found it. He snuck back in the room to get dressed, leaving her a note he had to go to work.

He thought he was going to be sick as he left her apartment, a feeling suspiciously similar to dread coiling in his stomach.

There was only one way she could know that last name, only one explanation that made sense.

But he had to know for sure. Had to know if he'd been an idiot this past year; an idiot who'd spent almost every night sleeping next to the killer he'd been searching for.

So he started investigating his girlfriend.

Six days later, he found the security deposit boxes and the murder weapons inside, still covered in dried blood that would be matched to the victims. All with Aelin's prints on them.

Two days after that, the woman he'd thought was the love of his life was arrested on ten counts of murder.

Despite the tears she shed, despite the promises she made to him, despite the love she claimed to have for him, Rowan told the cops everything.

Even though he couldn't imagine her killing anyone.

"It doesn't matter what I believe, it matters what I can prove."

That was the last thing he'd said to her, right as she was being dragged out of the court room and yelling at him to believe her.

The truth of the matter was that when it came down to it, he didn't trust her enough. The facts were against her, everyone on the jury had been against her, and in the end, Rowan was too.

~Present~

~Aelin~

Rowan shook his head, almost like he needed to clear it from the memory they'd obviously both been immersed in, and she smiled.

She hoped what happened all those years ago still haunted him, hoped he went to sleep at night thinking about her and the betrayal he'd served to her on a silver platter.

The first year of her sentence, she was so lost in emotion--in the rage and confusion and deep, deep hurt--that she couldn't bring herself to do anything.

He hadn't even bothered to ask her first. That's what had hurt the worst.

He'd seen that stupid, stupid list and had jumped to the first conclusion possible.

She knew it had looked bad, had looked like she was guilty, but she'd thought that if the worst happened, he'd at least ask her to explain before slapping the cuffs on her.

But he hadn't. She'd gone to prison, and his career had exploded into stardom from the success of the case.

"See, Rowan, when you refused to accept any other explanation other than the easy one, you made a mistake. Because I didn't kill those people."

He rolled his eyes. "Aelin-"

"And I'm not only going to prove it," she continued as if he hadn't spoken, "I'm going to ruin your precious little life while I do it. Just like you did mine."

She stood, put a hand on the steel table, and leaned over him.

"If you want it to stop, all you have to do is drop these bullshit murder charges and issue a public apology for locking me up in the first place."

He stood too, so close his loafers brushed the toe of her dusty, prison issued sneakers.

"That's never going to happen," he promised, voice uncompromising and angry.

Aelin smiled, having predicted his reaction down to the facial expression.

His pride, she'd decided, would be the first thing to go.

She reached around him to slide the pawn on the chess board forward, leaned in even further, and whispered, "Let the game begin, then."

~~~~~~~~~~

Part 2

@perseusannabeth @cursebreaker29 @a-bit-of-a-cactus @elriel4life @girl-who-reads-the-books @aelinfeyreeleven945tbln @live-the-fangirl-life @ireallyshouldsleeprn @highqueenofelfhame @gracie-rosee @rowaelinismyotp @nahthanks @ghostlyrose2 @lovemollywho @inardour @tillyrubes10 @claralady @tswaney17 @rowanisahunk @superspiritfestival @thegoddessofyou @awesomelena555 @booksofthemoon @greerlunna @jlinez @studyliketate @over300books @justgiu12 @maastrash @aesthetics-11 @bamchickawowow @b00kworm @sleeping-and-books @musicmaam @hizqueen4life @maybekindasortaace

#rowaelin #rowaelin fanfiction #rowan #rowan whitehorn #rowan x aelin #aelin galythinius #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction

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whostarlockeda03 · 2 years

Note

3 or 12 for end-of-year asks?

3. What is your favourite line/scene you wrote this year?

Ooh gosh, I don't know! Uhm, probably the scene between Sospes and Sylva in If I Could Turn Back Time?

Or, well, I certainly have a soft spot for that one. But I've written so much this year, I have been pleasantly surprised reading back over everything to try and pick one scene! I'll pop the scene under a cut for you to read if you want :)

12. Who was your favourite character to write about this year?

Nyx Ulric, my bestest boy! No contest. But Cor has also had a fair amount of attention, and these two will probably continue to get the lion's share in 2022, alongside Prompto!

“They get us both?” Sylva queries, turning to him with a knowing smile and an eyebrow raised. “What have you been up to now?”

Sospes grins ruefully. “I wanted to check out that base, since I thought the Lucians weren’t doing anything about it.”

Sylva frowns. “Dear, I told you, I handed that information to Regis’ shield directly. He wouldn’t have ignored it.”

“No, they did not. I only thought they had. I found the soldier they sent in the base when I went last week. He’s in the medical wing, though his recovery, I’m told, is still touch and go.” Sospes explains quietly.

“I see.” Sylva replies, frowning. “So you left our children to infiltrate an enemy base alone , and dragged back a wounded soldier.”

“I couldn’t leave him, Sylvie love, they were going to execute him.”

Sylva sighs explosively, but she shoots him an exasperated grin and pulls him into a hug. He wraps his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

It’s good to have her home.

After they’ve exhausted their children, leaving them in the capable hands of their nanny, he takes Sylva to see the soldier, at her insistence. She’s a healer, after all, and she’s always eager to help anyone in need. Gods know the soldier qualifies.

He leads her to his room and heads in without knocking - he’s been unconscious since the drive back here, and currently the doctors have decided to simply put him in an induced coma if he does wake up.

“Here we are,” Sospes says, allowing his wife to enter the room before him. “And believe it or not, he already looks a thousand times better than when I found him.”

Sylva’s eyes widen and her hands fly to her mouth as she takes in the man before them.

“Sospes!” She exclaims, turning to him.

“I know, it’s pretty bad, isn’t it?” He says, because pretty much everyone who’s seen him had had that same reaction.

“No, Sospes, you idiot!” She hisses, hitting his arm lightly with one hand.

He gets to look affronted for all of a second before she carries on.

“Don’t you know who that is?!”

“No…” Sospes answers, uncertain and drawn out. “Should I?”

Sylva facepalms, sighing heavily. Then, much to his confusion, she starts digging around through her handbag. It takes her a couple of minutes to come up with her mobile, and once she has it, she immediately begins typing something.

“That’s the Marshal of the crownsguard, Sos!” She tells him, still frantically typing.

“The Marshal who died three weeks ago? Somehow, my love, I doubt that.”

“No, you-” Sylva reins in her retort and sighs, eyes shut. “The empire said they killed him. It was never confirmed. They had no way of verifying it!”

Oh.

“His majesty believes he is dead, so he won’t have changed any intelligence, will he? So there’s no sense in-”

The words of the chastised commander come back to him, and suddenly that small snippet of conversation makes a lot more sense.

Oh.

“Oh,” He says weakly, glancing back at the comatose man. He looks so vulnerable, surrounded by a myriad of machines and monitors. His leg is up in traction, precariously pinned in place, and casted where possible. He knows the doctors are concerned about the effect that might be having on his recently relocated hip, but at the moment they’re in agreement that his leg takes precedence. It’s a miracle they saved it at all, really.

“I didn’t realise he was so young.” Sospes murmurs, not tearing his eyes off the Marshal’s pallid face.

“Honestly, Sos, he’s about the one Lucian I’d have expected you to know on sight, since you usually have so much admiration for his leading style.” Sylva says, phone pressed to her ear, the ringing just audible.

“I’ve never met him though!” Sospes retorts, huffing. He folds his arms across his chest, but it’s hard to keep up his minor annoyance when his wife starts to grin at him.

“So Cor the Immortal doesn’t ring any bells at all?”

“I know his name.” He says, sighing. She’s only teasing, but he knows she’s going to hold on to this forever, because he does have a great deal of respect for Cor Leonis, and the fact that he didn’t recognise him is by far the most humiliating mistake of his life.

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redyarns · 4 years

Note

Hello! I've been reading the weeping angel and I loved it! (Super duper fluffy and soft) Btw, since you're open to requests on writing stories. Mind if you make a tododeku one where Shoto wakes up from a nightmare and Izuku is there to comfort the poor bean, flashing foward to a few years later when both of them are pro heroes Izuku in turn has a nightmare (could be anything) and Shoto comforts him like all those years ago? If you don't mind

hey there! of course i can, and thank you so much for reading my stories!

***

Shouto woke up feeling like someone was holding him underwater. He couldn’t breathe, couldn’t hear, couldn’t think - he grasped as his throat, choking and gasping hoarsely before he realized that someone’s hands weren’t closing around his neck, strangling him. They were instead stroking his hair and back, gentle but firm, and he sagged into the body next to his.

“Another nightmare?” Izuku whispered into Shouto’s hair.

Shouto looked around him, realizing several things. For one, they were in his dorm room at UA - he’d forgotten himself for a moment and the neat clutter of his room was slowly becoming recognizable to him. The lights were off but the drapes on his windows were drawn back to reveal the pale moon, lazily filling a small section of the bed with light, and Shouto turned his head to look at his boyfriend.

Izuku was beautiful as always, but there were dark bags underneath his eyes along with his freckles and Shouto immediately felt guilty. They’d only been dating for three months and had tentatively decided to start sleepovers in the same bed a week ago. Shouto hated more than ever that his nightmares were such a problem; he despised the tired look on Izuku’s face, the worried lines between his eyes, and how the other boy absolutely refused to go back to bed until he knew Shouto was okay.

Shouto both loved and loathed him for it.

He didn’t like that he had to subject Izuku to his problems, not when the issues were so deep and twisted that Shouto couldn’t even decipher them, couldn’t - couldn’t -

“Did you know.”

Shouto glanced up.

Izuku stared at him, almost glaring, and the fire of determination in his eyes reminded Shouto why he loved him so much in the first place. All his life, Shouto had been afraid of flames, a harsh and ugly reminder of his father and the cursed mark on his face that he had to carry. Despite that, the fire in Izuku never burned Shouto - it was like a warm embrace, the smell of eucalyptus, and soft kisses to his nose. It was Izuku, and Shouto leaned in, suddenly aching for him so much that he could barely breathe, and Izuku didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around Shouto’s shoulders and his hands into his hair.

“That they say stardust runs through our veins?” Izuku whispered, and it should have been ridiculous, the situation. Shouto’s clock was telling him it was three forty-five in the morning, they were both exhausted from the previous day’s training, and yet there they were, clinging to each other in Shouto’s messy bedroom like nothing else mattered.

“Go to sleep, Shoucchan,” Izuku whispered, brushing his thumb over Shouto’s jaw. Like always, he didn’t ask what the nightmare was about, didn’t push Shouto past his limits. Shouto wanted to kiss him until they both couldn’t breathe. “Sleep with the stars.”

Shouto snuggled closer, breathed in deep, and believed in Izuku.

***

Shouto thinks he might be dying.

Or someone had taken a hot, searing knife and was insistently (and quite rudely) jabbing him in the stomach over and over.

It was this unpleasant thought that made him start opening his eyes - his eyelids felt like they were each a thousand pounds, and for a moment he stopped, trying to keep from throwing up when he realized that the more he tried to blink, the more nauseous he became.

Slowly, though, he woke up, and was nearly blinded by the abhorrently bright white of the walls. He couldn’t move his head, his neck feeling like a giant, swollen brace rather than his actual neck, but the white dots in his vision were slowly blinking away and he squinted around him.

He inhaled deeply, feeling a slight uncomfortable squirm in his chest as he realized that he was in a hospital. He glared at the vase of roses sitting on the windowsill - the flowers themselves were beautiful, warm and soft in the light of the sun, but they were also white roses, which he bitterly knew were definitely not good in a hospital setting.

They also blended a little too well into the whole room - it was like everything was white, the walls, the ceiling, the bed. At least, everything was white except for his husband’s head.

Shouto stared, realizing that the weight on his leg was not from some weird aftermath of the battle he was just starting to remember, but because his lumberjack of a husband was there, snoring and mumbling to himself. Shouto’s leg was falling asleep, not that it was a surprise. His husband was unfairly tall and muscled, something that happened during their third and final year in school, shooting up like a weed but also filling out.

Shouto would have been jealous if it wasn’t for the fact that he loved he could bury his face in Izuku’s chest and that his husband had to bend down to kiss Shouto’s nose like he always did before bed time.

“Shoucchan!”

Shouto startled slightly, wincing as he accidentally moved his bandaged stomach, and wow Izuku looked like a disaster.

His husband’s normally tanned and grinning face looked like he hadn’t washed it in days, there were bags near black underneath his - oh. Shouto watched, stunned and more than a little alarmed as he realized that those were big, globby tears running down Izuku’s cheeks, his eyes dark with his emotions and his skin turning into a rather unbecoming shade of red.

“You’re okay,” Izuku sobbed, and Shouto knew his husband well enough to recognize the way Izuku was cradling his cheeks, sobbing like he couldn’t control himself and his hands shaking tremulously.

“You had a nightmare,” Shouto said, quietly and scratchily.

“You almost died,” Izuku cried, out of breath. Shouto couldn’t help but look at him fondly - Izuku wasn’t an elegant crier, far from it, but he still looked breathtaking like this, and Shouto wished he had the strength to lift a hand and take Izuku’s own.

“You were in the hospital just last week,” Shouto said dryly.

“Shoucchan.”

Shouto sighed and smiled softly, happy to see Izuku’s tears slowing down, and said, “I’m sorry, Izuku. I can’t promise to always be safe - “

“I’m going with you next time - “

“But,” Shouto said as loud as he could, cutting off his husband, “there’s one bright side to this.”

Izuku stared at him incredulously. “What?”

Shouto smiled faintly. “I don’t think the nurse will get mad if number one pro hero Deku smashed that vase of roses, would they?”

Izuku stared, stared, and stared, and then he laughed.

Shouto laughed too (well, as much as he could, anyway), and when Izuku leaned down to rub the tip of his nose gently with his own while giving him butterfly kisses, Shouto could only hum and smile even more.

(As it turns out, the hospital didn’t get mad at them for Izuku accidentally throwing the jar of roses out the window, which only proved Shouto right.)

***

this..... turned out a lot longer than i expected. i hope you enjoyed, nonetheless!

#tododeku #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #ask red #todoroki shouto #midoriya izuku

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jadekitty777 · 5 years

Note

I debated so hard on what words to pick for my request but! I think I've finally settled on "Trust" and "Dance"! Tbh I know you only sent me one word, though, so if you would rather just pick one or the other and go with that, that's totally fine! Whatever tickles your fancy, honestly. I'll be happy to read any Taiqrow you write askldfm

Me: Drabble? That’s like five thousand words, right?

I’m pretty sure getting me to write something concisely is moreimpossible than finding Atlantis. But I’m so super pleased with how this oneturned out. Also, I re-wrote the summary no less than six times.

Title: Won’t Say, Don’t Say (I’m Falling in Love)

Summary: A bitter loner and a hopeless romantic walk into a bar onenight… and you all know how this joke ends, don’t you? [Modern AU]

Rating: T

Pairings: Taiqrow and Raven/Summer

AO3 Link: Right Here!

The bumping sounds of bass spilled out the door of the danceclub as it was opened and then closed with the admittance of another patron,moving the rest of those waiting in line another blissful inch. Tai steppedforward, grateful they were almost to the front. He rocked on his heels toalleviate some of the ache in his knees, looking down when he felt Summer latchonto his arm. She had probably spent an hour in front of the mirror, each bitof her make-up so immaculately placed, with glitter accents around her eyesthat would sparkle under the colored lights once they hit the floor. She wasdefinitely dressed to impress tonight.

“Ooh, I can’t wait for you to meet them!”

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was probably thefifth time he’s heard that since he’d agreed to join her. “Don’t get tooexcited Sums. I came along to have fun, not find a date.”

“Yeah, you say that, buuuut-” She trailed off, letting therest of the sentence hang.

“Hey, I’ve been getting better!” He argued, tucking his facein his collar.

“To get better, you need to actually date someoneTai. Not avoid dating entirely. That’s called ‘ignoring the problem.’.”

“I’m not ignoring it. I’m just… taking a break!”

“Uh-huh. Sure.”

Tai sighed. He knew there really wasn’t any use in arguing.He was pretty sure there was some unwritten universal law that if you knew aperson for more than fifteen years, it was impossible to lie to them. Or maybehe just couldn’t lie to the one girl that he introduced himself to by placing acrown of dandelions on her head while declaring her as his ‘forever flowerprincess’. She responded to such an honest declaration of love in the way anyeight-year-old should: By calling him a stupid dum-dum and throwing sand in hisface.

They’d been best friends ever since.

Of course, having such an honorary place in his life alsomeant that she got to watch from a front row seat whenever he got his heartbroken. Almost like a true movie-goer, the first few times she saw the storyplay out, her heart-strings tugged at his every struggle and pain. By the tenth time,she was yelling at the screen for him to stop making the same stupid decisionsbefore the first scene was even over. Eventually, those criticisms and hisaching chest got through to him, and he decided to just stop performingaltogether.

He had a suspicion that because the screen had stayed blackfor more than a year now, his biggest fan had grown bored with the lack ofentertainment. Why else would she try to turn herself into a director?

“I’m just saying, if you meet someone you like, you shouldgive it a chance.” She jabbed her elbow into his side. “I know you miss beingsomeone’s prince.”

He nudged her back, but her smile was too infectious not tocatch. “Oh, shut up.”

“You know you love me.” She said. A buzzing drew herattention and she pulled out her phone from her handbag. Tai’s assumptions thatit was her girlfriend was proven right when Summer announced, “Raven saidthey’re at the corner of the bar when we get inside.”

Just in time too, because they were next in line. Afterbeing carded and screened, they were allowed inside. It was like walking fromnight into day, the air turning from brisk and breezy to heavy and hot withinseconds of entering the club, the ground under his feet seeming to shake withevery beat of the rhythm blasting from the speakers. Tai had to blink awayspots as he adjusted to the flashing lights.

Summer stood on her tiptoes, scoping out the room. “Oh, Isee them!” She tugged him along as she weaved around the crowd and straighttowards a pair sitting at the quieter end of the bar. His eyes were drawn tothe female of the two, impressed by the wild, black hair cascading down herback. “Rae!”

And it was she who turned to that call, giving him his firstgood look at the mysterious girlfriend he’d been hearing about for weeks. Shewas as stunning as Summer had gushed over, her facial features a perfectcontrast of sharp in the nose and chin, yet delicate in the pale moonlit whiteof her skin and eyes red like gemstones. He may have even thought herdangerous, if not for the way her lips eased into a welcoming smile.

Summer unlatched herself from him, skirting the last fewfeet forward and right into her arms. And then she leaned up and – okay yeah,he didn’t need to watch his admittedly gorgeous friend kissing an equallygorgeous woman. It probably wasn’t good for his health.

Taiyang avoided it by focusing on the second half of the pair,whom was now leaning back against the counter. As he met dusky red eyes, heswore he heard his mind screech to a halt.

For if there was ever a person that perfectly defined bothstrikingly handsome and breathtakingly beautiful, that was Qrow Branwen. It washard to pinpoint exactly what made him so, other than to say all of him. From slicked back, coal-darkhair to the hint of stubble that accented an angled jawline or the too-tightdress shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing just enough to tease, tothe long legs that couldn’t teasetheir flexibility, every bit of him seemed to just be another something to appreciate.He was like a puzzle; the pieces alone didn’t seem like much, but when puttogether the correct way it became a work of art.

Qrow shot him an easygoing smile, tilting his half-fullglass as a greeting wave. “Hey, you must be Tai.”

Dear gods, and a voice that sounded like it was constantlywrecked by sex. That was just notfair.

He swallowed hard against his suddenly dry throat. “Yeah.And you’re Qrow. Hey.” He tacked on lamely. What a night to lose his charisma.

Thankfully, he wasn’t left to flounder long as Raven spokeup, “And I’m Raven. Charmed, really.” Her arms made a loose circle aroundSummer’s waist, tugging her close. “So, now that we’re all acquainted: Drinksor dance floor?”

Knowing there was no way in hell he was getting on the floorwithout being at least semi-drunk, Tai quickly offered, “I vote drinks” just asSummer said, “I want to dance!”

Qrow gestured to his own glass as a sign of his own opinion.

Raven shrugged, slipping off her bar stool. “Guess we’resplitting up then.” She pulled off the leather jacket, tossing it over herbrother’s head. “Be a good coat rack and hold that for me.”

He yanked it off, saying irritably, “Three songs and thenwe’re switching.”

“We’ll see.”

As they bickered, Summer turned to him, the glitter aroundher face only accenting her puppy-dog gaze as she held her girly handbag towardshim. “Please?”

Tai rolled his eyes, hooking his fingers around the strap.“Go have fun.”

“You’re the best!” She beamed, before following after Raven,walking so close they practically melded at the hip.

In the wake of their departure, the appointed coat racktipped his head towards the now empty bar stool, in which the appointed pursehook gratefully took.

Qrow swung himself around, flagging down the bartender as heasked him, “So, what’s your taste?”

It took Tai a moment to realize he meant for alcohol. “Oh,uh, Four Roses, if they have it.”

A whistle. “A bourbon man, huh? Didn’t take ya for thetype.”

“Didn’t used to be. I tried it on a dare. Just ended upliking it.”

“Wonder who that was.” The way he said that implied Qrowknew exactly who had been the instigator. He lent towards him. “Hey, can I dareyou to try another?”

Tai met his gaze, not sure what to make of the almostmischievous grin gracing those pretty features. “Uh, like?”

“What’ll ya have boys?”

Qrow winked at him, before turning to the bartender. “I’lltake another double of scotch, on the rocks. My friend here’ll have some OldCrow, nice and neat.”

Tai could immediately catch the bourbon’s scent the momentit was placed in front of him. It smelled almost sweet, more like a fancymartini, than the bitter, burning whiskey he was imagining. Entirely aware ofthe eyes watching his every movement, he lifted his glass and took the first,brave sip.

And, it was…

Huh.

He lowered the glass, mildly confused. Why did it taste likelightly buttered toast?

Beside him, Qrow had dissolved into laughter, restrained butlively. “It’s weird, right?”

“Not really what I was expecting.” He took another sip,adjusting to the flavor. He’d had better, but for a bottom shelf drink, it wasn’tbad. It had that tame, moderate sort of kick he’d grown to enjoy. “It’s fineenough to drink.”

That mischievous smile was back. “Oh good. Because you’ll bedrinking a lot of crow tonight.”

Tai choked on air. “E-Excuseme?!”

Qrow pounded at the counter, howling with laughter. “Youshould see your face! Man, that was one of my best lines!”

He sighed, setting his glass down with a decisive thud. Evenat only twenty-five, he was too old for this game. “Alright, are you flirtingwith me or messing with me?”

He held his forefinger and thumb a millimeter apart, “Lil’bit of both,” before reaching out for his drink.

Tai watched him drown it, asking, “Why?”

A second thud as another glass hit the counter, ice cubescackling together. “Did you know every time I walked into the room, you justconveniently became the hot topic of conversation?” Qrow finally looked to him,raising an eyebrow. “Summer’s not exactly subtle.”

“Oh Gods.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, wishing theground would just open up underneath him and portal him straight to Hell. “I’msorry. She means well. She’s just got it in her head that I’m lonely.”

“Bet it came with a bunch of ‘You’re not getting anyyounger’ and ‘Love is worth the risk’ speeches, right?”

He groaned. “Yep. Guess the pain’s mutual, huh?”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “Honestly, it was more a change of pace.No one has ever felt they needed to play Cupid for me. I mean, of course not.When you look this good, the romance comes to you.” He gestured grandly tohimself, and had Tai not been practically drooling at his feet not ten minutesago, he might have called him out on his ego. Qrow spared him another wink. “Tobe frank, you don’t look like you need it either.”

Oh. Tai felt hisface flame up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Thanks.”

His smile went from coy to relaxed. “To also be frank, I’mnot looking for a commitment and from your response, I don’t think you reallyare either. I am however hoping to have a good time tonightand if I can do that with a sexy guy, all the more reason. So, what say we getdrunk off our asses, make fools of ourselves on the dance floor and call it anight?”

It was amazing just how much that simple suggestion easedthe tension out of him. He grinned back at him. “I say let’s do it.”

“Alright, then. Cheers!”

The clink of their glasses sealed the promise, and as Taichugged his drink, he figured the night might just be looking up after all.

It was probably their fourth round on the dance floor and itwas practically sweltering. He could feel sweat clinging to him, head spinningwith a wonderful dizziness. Qrow was a better sight; his hair had fallen into amess at some point, bangs plastered attractively along his forehead, and he’dundone a few more buttons of his shirt, revealing a bit more of those nicelydefined pecs. Watching him move to the beat, Tai couldn’t figure out if thefloor was so hot because of how many people were around him, or if it wassimply because Qrow was on it.

Wait, that was a good one!

He caught his fingers into his dance partner’s belt loops,yanking him in close. He had to lean into his ear, just so he could hear him. “Hey,got something to tell ya!”

“Yeah?” Qrow slurred back, slinging his arms up around hisneck. The sudden closeness had broken their rhythm, just leaving them to swaytogether.

Tai searched his brain, trying to remember. What was itexactly? Oh, Right! “You’re pretty.” Henestled himself into his shoulder, hiding his goofy grin against the other’sneck. Fingers ran through his hair, petting him in soothing motions that made hiseyes flutter shut.

So nice.

Qrow was nice.

He liked him.

He wanted to dance with him forever.

“Hey. Listen.” Qrow’s lips touched against his ear, creatinghappy tingles that rushed down his spine. “This song’s for us.”

Tai did his best to focus as commanded, a few of the lyrics driftingaround them becoming startlingly clear.

“What are the chancesthat we’d end up dancing?

Like two in a million,like once in a life.”

The music lifted away, the words becoming inaudible. He liftedhis head, trying to follow their retreat, but his head was heavier then heremembered, and he had to rest it again – this time with his forehead layingagainst Qrow’s own. The magic of them staring into one another’s eyes broughtthe song back.

“Is it love? Is itfate?

Where it leads, whocan say?

Maybe you and I weremeant to be.”

Qrow laced his fingers around the back of Tai’s neck,tilting just enough that their lips brushed together. A second later, he triedagain, kissing him with more earnest.

Whoa, too fast! Toofast! His brain jittered in alarm.

The sweep of a tongue along his lips halted the warningsaltogether.

…Ah, screw it.

Tai tangled his own hands into Qrow’s hair, opening hismouth to him. Their tongues took the place of their feet, dancing together tothe music of their souls. Every breath between them harmonized, every nerve ontheir bodies sang, every beat of their hearts rose up, up, up to the crescendowithout ever needing to fall.

He really wanted to dance with him forever.

It wasn’t meant to be. Qrow broke back first with a gasp,stumbling into him despite the fact they were not moving. “Got to sit. You’regiving me a fever.”

“’Kay.” Tai obliged, tugging him along by his waist as theybumbled about the crowd. It could have been seconds or minutes before they sawthe line of the bar again.

His partner continued to cling to him, head lolling againsthis arm. “Like you. You’re built like a tree.”

The words tumbled out without thought, “Perfect for you toperch on.”

Qrow laughed loudly. He reached out to pat his shoulder,missed, and hit his collarbone instead. “Sunshine, you are so getting mynumber.”

Number of what? Taipondered as the night faded to a blur.

He woke up at home, headache pounding behind his eyes andmuscles aching from the night.

On his phone was a single text from an unknown sender, apossibility in the words:

Call me soon, Sunshine.

As Qrow added creamer to the two cups of coffee, the soundof songbirds made him look back towards the kitchen table. His phone had lit upwith a new notification, but that wasn’t his ringtone. He glanced at theobvious culprit. “Did you really?” He asked.

“Whatever do you mean, dear brother?” Raven said, lookingjust a little too smug not to be guilty.

He shook his head, trying to hide his own amusement. Hedidn’t understand how she kept figuring out his password. At least it was tamerthen the death metal she had chosen last time. He stored the creamer back intothe fridge, and as he set her cup down in front of her, said, “You know, if youever decide to use your powers for evil, you’ll be a force to be reckonedwith.”

“I’m shocked and appalled that you don’t already consider meas such.”

“Pff, whatever.” He plopped down beside her, taking a drinkof his own coffee as he reached for his phone, absently wondering if it wouldbe a joke or just a peppy hello today. Qrow didn’t usually like the clingyones, but somehow, it was hard to be annoyed with Tai about it. It was likegetting mad at a puppy.

So used to their routine that had built over the past twomonths, he was caught off guard by his disappointment when he realized it wasKimi instead.

Hey babe ;) Lookingfor a good time tonight?

He hesitated.

For a moment.

And then typed back a reply. Your place or mine?

He dropped the device back to the table, trying to drown theunexpected twisting in his stomach with half a mugful of coffee. Nothing couldsoothe the burn of Raven’s eyes on him though. “What?” He asked tersely.

“Oh, nothing.” She replied, taking a sip from her ownflower-patterned cup. He thought that would be it. “Summer told me somethinginteresting about your new boytoy.”

He really should have known better by now not to hope forthings. “Yeah? What about him?”

“He’s apparently a hopeless romantic.” She gestured betweenthem, the sudden singing birds from his phone accentuating the motion as shemimed a rainbow. “Disney-Level hopeless.”

“So? Tai knows I’m not in it for the long game.”

“Does he now?” Before he could react, Raven’s hand struckout like a viper, snatching up his phone. “Then I guess you won’t mind if I tellhim you’ll be busy hooking-up with someone else tonight.”

“What-” Qrow lurched after it, trying to wrestle it from hergrasp, spewing obscenities all the while, “Fucking – god damn – Raven cut itthe hell out!”

He got a grip on her arm, but as he made a grab for hisphone, she caught his wrist, twisting it back. As he ceded in pain, Raven spokesharply over his whimpers, “If you’re this scared about it, then why do it atall?”

He spit back in her face, “Don’t act like some fucking saintRae. You used to be worse than me.” Another hiss escaped between his teeth whenher nails dug into his skin, but it would take more than that for him to backdown. “I’m not dumb. You don’t care about me. You’re only acting like thisbecause you know if I break his heart, it could mess things up with you andSummer.”

“Well.” Her grip finally relented. “You’re half-right atleast.”

He took the opportunity to yank his phone from her. Wantingnothing more than to get as far away from her as possible, he wrenched himselffrom his seat, intent on sealing himself away in his room for a few hours.

He didn’t even get to the living room before there was ascrap of another chair being shoved back. “Qrow?” She called after him. Thetemptation to ignore her was strong, and he would have, had she not added, “Youwere half-wrong too. I do care about you.”

Qrow stopped, frowning down at the water stains that warpedthe wood floor of their cheap apartment, before finally looking back at her. Itwas odd, seeing Raven look so kind, so soft. When had she changed so much? Ormaybe he was the one who hadn’t changed enough.

“I get it you know.” She stepped towards him. “What ourparents did, it hurt me too.”

He crossed his arms, avoiding her gaze. “At least you didn’tget thrown out twice.”

Raven would sometimes still joke about how, with the waythey grew up, they could have been the poster children for television’s nextbig family drama series. Their parents argued about everything, sometimes gettingso heated they’d scream at the top of their lungs. Once, cops even showed up attheir house, having been called out by a concerned neighbor. He remembered thatnight with more clarity then he liked. What had spurred that argument had beenone about Raven.

It hadn’t been anything major – she had bit another kid atschool and got sent to the principal, who then informed their parents of theincident. Pretty typical stuff, and other than some detention, she wasn’treally in trouble. But at eight, he couldn’t understand that. He thought thepolice were there to take his sister away. They had both been so terrifiedabout losing the one person that made their home bearable, they had jumped outthe window and climbed up the oak tree in the backyard. The deputy only foundthem because they thought cawing like the birds they were named after wouldthrow him off from their hiding spot.

That night was only a precursor to what would come when, atten, their parents finally divorced and split them as if they were just anotherasset, a bunch of knickknacks to be bargained for. Not their own children. Children who begged and cried tobe allowed to stay together. Children who knew being separated would hurt in away they couldn’t bear.

They might as well never have said a word for all thenothing it changed.

Four years they spent apart, until their father decided hewas done with that title and signed away his custody rights, kicking his ownson to the curb like unwanted trash. It should have been a relief, walking backthrough the front door of his childhood home. But it was already too late. Thedamage was done. To him and Raven, they had been taught the meaning of love wasa nightmare and they wanted no part in it.

For Qrow, that meant he spent his time throwing himself intomeaningless flings and short-term relationships that eventually dead-ended.When things started to get too serious, he bolted or self-sabotaged his wayout. Because if his parents had only ever taught him how to fail, how could heever do any better?

The brush of Raven’s hand on his arm brushed away thememories. He fully turned to face her, seeing his reflection in her, but it wascracking in spots. No longer a perfect mirror. No longer the same.

“Look, I’m glad that this commitment thing is working outfor you. Proud of you, even, that you’re getting past it.” Qrow sighed. “But Ican’t. I told myself I was never going to let anyone make me feel rejected likethat again. So, I won’t.”

She shook her head. “You’re hiding behind excuses, Qrow, andyou know it.”

Chirping made them both looked down. A new message hadpopped up above Kimi’s invitation.

G’morning babe! Do you have the night off? Maybe we couldcatch a movie?

Qrow could almost laugh at how simple it would be. How hecould just lie and jump into bed with someone else. To start calling off plans,avoid messages and calls, until Tai got tired of it and walked away from arelationship that would never go anywhere. How easy it was to break someoneelse’s heart and never risk his own.

As if she could see the dilemma running through his head,Raven reached out, blocking out the screen with her hand. “Listen, I’m notgoing to stand here and tell you that if you give it a chance, it’ll all justwork out in the end. When things fall apart, it hurts. But I will tell you for all the bad that could happen, thegood that does is what makes it worth it.” She looked away, lips quirking up ina gentle smile. “You haven’t let yourself fall in love, so you don’t know, butwhen it’s real, you’ll want to fight for it with everything you have.”

Wait. She couldn’t actually mean-?

The realization hit him like a train. When had things gottenthat serious? “You’re… falling in love with Summer, aren’t you?”

That soft look was back. The immovable stone wall he used tosee his sister as was crumbling, the dust of the destruction blowing away inthe happy laugh that escaped her. “I, yeah. I am. I’m not sure where things aregoing to go for us from here, but I am sure I want to see it through with her.And I know how hard it was for me to get this far. Giving her that much ofmyself, it’s scary. I can’t ask you to do the same.” She gave his arm a solidpat. “But if I can’t ask that, then I am going to be selfish and ask you tobreak it off with Tai honestly. For me.”

He shut his eyes, heaving a sigh against the weight that hadsettled on his chest. “Okay.”

“Thank you.”

As she walked back into the kitchen, Qrow called after herthis time, “Hey, Rae?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s really that good?”

She peered at him over her shoulder, a knowing gleam in hereye. “Let me put it this way: Love and Nirvana work the same way. To find it,first you need to take a leap of faith.”

Those words stuck with him, repeating in his mind as he saton his bed, thumb hovering between the two messages.

“A leap, huh?” He whispered to himself.

He swiped across the screen and typed a reply:

Sorry, can’t tonight. Maybe another time?

Now if only he could be brave enough to jump.

Qrow walked down the sidewalk, hands stuffed in his pocketsto hide from the evening wind’s late-night chill. As he approached the frontdoor, the streetlamps combating the overhead lights from the building split hisshadow in two, one forever reaching the direction he could have gone as theother stretched before him.

He followed its guide, pulling open the door and walkinginto the warmth of the cinema. Above the noise of popping popcorn and the vibranttunes of arcade games, he heard a faint call of his name.

“Qrow!” Tai waved as he strode towards him, grinningbrightly.

He was smiling before he even realized he was, meeting Taihalfway. “Hey Sunshine.” He said, wrapping him up in an embrace and kissing himchastely. “Got the tickets?”

“Yep. We’ve still got some time to get snacks too.”

Never one to pass up an opportunity to gorge himself onsodium and cholesterol, they got some popcorn and soda before heading in to thetheater. They bantered over where the best place to sit was – all argumentssuspiciously stopping when Qrow mentioned if they sat in the back, they couldjust make-out if the movie ended up being terrible. They got settled in, mostlyignoring the pre-commercials in favor of each other, Tai telling him about theracer he was getting to build at the machine shop while Qrow made him laugh ashe recounted his run-in at the gun range with a rather stiff-lipped upperclassman whose prosthetic arm just fell off while shooting.

“And so, he turns to me, right? And says ‘Little help’? AndI was so taken aback by what had happened, I didn’t know what to do! So, Isaid: ‘Buddy, there are a lot of hands I can give you. That ain’t one of them.’And then I just walked away like a total jackass!”

Tai held his stomach, saying between his hearty guffaws,“Nooo, you didn’t! That’s terrible!”

“I know.” Qrow ran a hand over his face, embarrassmentmaking his cheeks redden. “It was the worst.”

“Nah, what’s the worst is that you missed the opportunity tomake the best joke of all,” He was grinning hard enough to clear a manure field.“‘Well, that’s one way to disarmyourself.’”

“No! That’sawful!” He cried, throwing popcorn in the blond’s face as they dissolved intolaughter. Qrow was still struggling to get ahold of himself when he felt thesolidity of a strong arm coming around his shoulders, Tai dropping anaffectionate kiss against his temple. That arm stayed there long after thelights had dimmed and the real previews got going. He snuggled back into thecomforting hold, trading off mini-reviews with Tai as each trailer ran throughuntil the last one finally came to an end and the room became completely dark.

As the movie logo started to scroll across the screen, Tailent over, murmuring, “Hey. I’m really glad you’re here.”

Qrow froze, warning sirens going off in his head. Get out! Get out now!

The brush of warm fingers along his cheek silenced themcompletely.

His heart took the chance to skip closer to the edge. Stay, stay, stay, it beat.

Qrow caught Tai’s hand with his own, pressing his lips to hisknuckles. He then turned to him, staring into eyes so deep blue he could easilyfall forever in them, and whispered back in earnest, “Glad you’re here too.”

Tai closed the distance between them. As they kissed, Qrowfound he still wasn’t quite ready to leap the rest of the way.

But he was closer then he’d ever been before.

And maybe, whether it be tomorrow or next year, he wouldn’t justleap.

He’d soar.

#taiyang xiao long #qrow branwen #Taiqrow #raven branwen #rosebird #Summer Rose #rwby #fanfiction #Chase Firekitten's Tale

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