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stararch4ngelqueen · 6 months

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hear me out…jason proposing 😵‍💫 i’m such a sucker for a lowkey proposal like you’re just having a normal convo and he’s like “marry me” and you’re like wtf but you laugh it off bc like ofc he’s joking so when you’re like “you’re funny” he’s just dead serious, “marry me.”

I don’t really know where I was going with this, but if you get the reference I respect you.

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Time written - 10:10 a.m

—

You weren’t a criminal when you met Robin, years before his tragic prime. It wasn’t every day when your paths crossed with a cape wearing teen around your age, even more so on his search of a bag of valuables you were ready to deny when it ‘accidentally’ came into your hands.

“Care to tell me how that happened?” The Boy Wonder at the time smirked, amused at your gawking face.

“Cat got her own tongue? What, you need some milk?”

You rolled your eyes. I you were a thief, you’d have sense to throw the satchel at his head. The cheesy jokes must’ve been a Robin thing. “I’m more of an Ice cream girl, actually. But, I didn’t steal this!”

To add up on this horribly unprecedented situation, Robin quirked a brow behind that domino mask of his, gesturing his head towards the bag of valuables in question.

“Trade you a milkshake for that.”

It was your turn to be incredibly confused, your mouth left open for quite some time. Was he serious right now?

“I choose the flavor.” You state after a further moment of thought.

“Seems fair.”

“And the place it’s bought from.”

“That’s askin’ a bit much,” Robin began to huff, hinting his growing smirk as your frown deepens.

“All I’m asking for is a five dollar shake in exchange for this bag full of hundreds of dollars, bird boy.”

“A five dollar shake in exchange for about seven hundred bucks inside that bag,” Robin points out, his smile growing bigger and bigger. “Throw in your phone number, an’ we got a deal, kitty cat.”

It turned into unconventional milkshake roof dates, sitting over the skylines, staring down at the chaotic world below as the two of you shared an unintentional paradise.

He’d tease your fear of heights, constantly calling you a Catwoman rip off, but he always made sure to never let you fall. Your relationship was sweet, too sweet, and gone way too fast.

Your rooftop dates were a tradition you kept alive when he died, only to resurface when a knock at your window interrupted you of sleep, opening your balcony to find a single milkshake perfectly balanced, with a bright black arrow drawn on the cup to meet Red Hood on the roof.

Jason Todd wasn’t the same as you remembered him to be, but he was still Jason, underneath all that broodiness that shielded him from whatever unseen traumas he hadn’t shared with you quite yet.

All these months since he ‘returned’, he always made sure to keep up your ice cream date schedules. Nine o’clock sharp on the roof of your apartment building. Sometimes, ontop of Wayne Industries on special occasions. He’d always be the one to carry you, especially now.

What did stick with him was his horrible Robin humor, which was what you believed he was using when he popped such an unexpected question.

“What?” Came your first response, a nervous laugh leaving your lips. A strange warm throb formed in your heart, thudding rapidly in your chest.

“What did you say?”

“Marry me.” He repeats again, never putting off that firm expression plastered on his face.

What an untimely thing to say in the calm before an unknown storm. Both of you were out of breath after chatting for an hour, sipping on thick melted shakes and laughing over the previous Boy Wonder.

“Jason, this isn’t funny.” You peer down at your cup, nearly finished with its contents. He always got your favorite.

“You’re right,” He agrees, his tone a little too calm to be considered any sort of joke.

All possibility of opportunity to pop a laugh and admit he was joking weighed heavily in the air, carried around by the nightly breeze. He never says he’s joking, never shrugs off such an alarming, mind blowing question.

“What if you’re kidding?” Your denial still leaks through, making his lips twitch upwards. It has to be a joke, he wouldn’t say it like this.

“What if I’m not?” He casually responds, nearly wearing down your patience.

“You’re not joking, are you?”

“I’m not.”

“Jason.” Saying his name so softly, littered with fear and hesitancy makes his second life heart melt. Being so sweet on his girl, even after his death, taught him a great lesson about time.

Regardless if he didn’t arrive at nine o’ clock sharp, or if you arrived two minutes late, time could easily be taken away, ruining everything.

He remains quiet, watching your flustered expression vary from your hands along your cup before setting it down beside you. Taking this chance, he gently grasps hold of your hand before it had a chance to retreat into the safety of your jacket pocket.

“I meant what I said,” Jason speaks again in a more calm, soothing tone of voice. “I know this ain’t traditional. I don’t exactly do traditional, but … I wanna marry you.”

His hand squeezes yours, making you hesitant to speak further. He was serious, the realization was heavily daunting in such a unique way. A unique, exciting way.

“Why?” You look at him again, swallowing slowly as he leans closer, nearly making you anticipate a kiss.

Instead, his forehead settles against yours, taking in the rich, crystalline serenity of your unique, radiant beauty.

“Because,” he mutters, “You waited for me.”

Dedication, patience, hope; That was worth more to him than gold, worth much more than the bag of valuables he knew you didn’t steal.

“I have a ring for ya,” Jason continues on whilst his thumb strokes along the back of your hand. “If you don’t like it, I’ll getcha whatever you want. We’ll have as big of a wedding as you want, then we’re gonna go somewhere.”

“Somewhere?” You whisper.

“Yeah. Just you and me; no crime fighting, no danger. Nothing. Just us.”

“Just us?”

“Yeah babygirl,” Jason peers into your eyes, wanting to coo at your noticeable tears. “Wherever you want. I’ll follow you anywhere.”

You just needed to say yes.

You couldn’t help but giggle with an overwhelming mix of emotions, your trembling hand reaching up to settle behind his hooded head.

“Why do I feel like,” you nearly laugh in between your words. “Why do I get this feeling you put the ring in my cup?”

“An’ ruin a perfectly good five dollar shake?” Jason expresses in surprise, chuckling along with your giddy laughter. “C’mon babe. I’m not that inconspicuous.”

“Then where is it?”

Jason tilts his head, raising a brow. “Why’re you asking, kitty cat? Plan on stealing it?”

“No,” you muse, your nose nearly bumping against his.

“You expecting me to slip it on right about now?” His hand finds purchase along your hip, cradling your supple body. “Dosent work unless you—“

You cut him off via a kiss, one he graciously accepts.

You tasted like cherry sublime mixed with the highlife, a good life where you always existed in it. If he were to die again, he needed to know that he went with one successful accomplishment. Marrying his Robinhood sweetheart.

“Yes,” you whisper, those tears you worked so hard to hold back cascading down your cheeks. “I’ll marry you, Jason.”

In knowing him since he was Robin, till you met him as the muscular, ever brooding Red Hood, you’ve never seen the man smile so big. His eyes shining brighter than the moon that was ever so beautiful tonight.

Grasping hold of your hips, he pulls you into his arms, carelessly tilting over his half finished milkshake cup in the process. His lips find you once more after sitting you in his lap, muscled forearms snuggly hugging around your waist, holding you as physically close to him as possible.

“The ring I gotcha-“ he muffles against your pretty lips in between kisses. “- is at my place. Waiting for you—on my bed.”

Your laugh was all you could respond with. From the very start, it’s as if he planned this all out. All it took was a bag of misplaced valuables and the promise of a five dollar shake.

#jason todd #jason todd x reader #jason todd x you #jason todd x fem!reader #dc jason todd #jason todd x y/n #it’s an interesting thing #I like this but I don’t #idk why #I didn’t like how I wrote it #but i hope you enjoy #it

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mossy-rainfrog · 1 year

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[ID: A digital illustration of many different characters and symbols from Star Wars Rebels season 2, surrounded and connected by designs from various Lothal cave paintings.

From left to right, and top to bottom: A small snail from Atollon, peering out from its shell. Next, Ezra Bridger with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes as he says “I’m literally neurodivergent and a minor but ok ://“. A drawing of Ezra’s repainted imperial cadet helmet. Garazeb Orrelios, looking to the side with his teeth bared and his ear flicking up to listen, with an arrow pointing to his ears and saying “ears!!”. Ezra, with his saber ignited, grinning and looking over his shoulder as he runs, yelling “let’s go loth cats” in all caps.

The next section shows Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla kissing, with her hand tipping up his chin, and him blushing with many hearts floating around them. A brown spotted loth cat laying down in a loaf position, with one leg sticking out, captioned “leggy”. Sabine Wren takes her helmet off and scowls harshly, saying “cringe” in all caps. Hera sits in the cockpit of a fighter with a smile, captioned: “[screamo playing over cockpit radio]”.

The next section shows Sabine and Zeb lounging together, with peaceful smiles on their faces as they simultaneously daydream the words “violence murder killing arson biting”. Chopper stands in the center of the entire piece and extends one arm as he says “fuck!”. A Lothal cave painting with a Loth Wolf and a rider, staring to the side. The glowing meteorite stone is visible to the right.

The last section shows the fulcrum symbol glowing gray. Kanan and Ezra mimic the copycat meme from Into The Spider-Verse, with Kanan deep in thought, a hand on his chin, and Ezra watching him with wide eyes, a hand on his own chin. Ahsoka Tano is drawn buffer than her canon appearance, and has her lightsabers ignited as she reaches out her right hand to something unseen, her expression a deep scowl. Sabine, with her helmet on, jumping into the air with a basketball labeled “Ezra” as she dunks it into a net labeled “brother zone”. The piece is dated January 2023, and the artist’s signature is visible under one of the pieces.

The next three images are zoomed in on various sections of the piece. End ID.]

ok the ID for this is already long enough, but I've been rewatching the comfort show of All Time (SWR) and I ended up having so many silly art ideas that I put them all in one piece. I had an INCREDIBLE amount of fun with it, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it :D I miss my space family ;~;

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pherelesytsia · 2 years

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Who did this to you...? 2

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x female/Reader

Summary: Bruised and broken, Y/N, trapped in a loveless marriage, arrives at her best friend's house, desperately hoping someone will help her, aware she cannot return to the estate of her husband.

Warning: fear, anxiety, angst, violence

Word Count: 2.3k

Part 1 Part 3 Part 4

Silver brightened the sinister sky, breaking the dense blanket of clouds, yet did not clash like a ripple of hundreds of poisoned arrows down on the wicked foes. The rain pattered heartlessly, bouncing off the dark blue umbrella. Smoke emerged out of the exhaust pipe, soared upwards, and then faded away. The branches of the lonely trees swayed back and forth in the wind, howling like a wolf summoning the gleaming moon shrouded by travelling clouds.

Light streamed mutedly through the wide and narrow windows and barely touched the paved path leading to the front door flanked by two pots sheltering flowers, tulips. Clenching her hands into fists, Peggy braced herself to face the very worst. Wet spots sprawled on the long coat reaching her knees. The curls had lost shape and although she did not wear lipstick, her lips were red as oozing crimson. No weapon was at her side, hidden well from curious gazes, and no guilt welled within her soul. A low prayer escaped her lips, was certain no harm could come to Y/N, sure no one would attempt to force their way into the house she called her home, had locked the door and drawn the curtains. No love dominated her gaze, felt nothing except utter hatred, and it deepened with every step.

The majestic estate seemed lonely and deserted. Peggy laughed low. Peals of laughter punctured the silence and informed Peggy, standing in the shelter of the umbrella, that many people were beyond the thick walls with eyes capable of seeing the unseen and ears able to perceive that a voice was absent.

The hatred seething in her heart dispelled the cold breaking through the cloak. Fearless, Peggy faced the den of the dragon, had heard countless of stories about the Shelby family, the one sounding absurd and ridiculous yet the desire to know the truth was too great, ignored the wisdom, all she had heard about the dreaded family.

Stopping Peggy´s right hand reached for the wood but she hesitated for a moment as words resounded and she listened carefully but the sounds made absolutely no sense and as laughter silenced the guests, Peggy knew they were all delighted and untroubled. Winter ruled in her gaze. She knocked on the door, loud enough to know everyone in the house must have heard her, even those at the other end, behind thick doors and heavy blankets. Fear didn't flood her eyes, didn’t regret the journey across the town and heard the heavy steps drawing near the door. Focusing her gaze over her shoulder, Peggy witnessed the deepening dusk entering the yard in front of the mansion, but she did not turn and stayed motionless in the pouring rain.

Peggy believed in the good in people, even if it was a Shelby, couldn't imagine sitting at the table and not noticing that someone was missing, that Thomas didn't notice that his wife wasn't seated by his side, not holding her hand and telling her how beautiful and lovely she is. Hatred welled and clouded her mind, unable to understand how someone could be so ignorant, how someone could forget the existence of a woman so loving and kind, but Peggy knew Y/N was right, that she was not exaggerating, telling a story, a wicked tale to receive attention.

The light was blinding, but she saw clearly, sharp as a polished dagger, knew exactly what she had to do, what had to be done. Bracing herself Peggy prepared herself for everything, for shame and screams, guns and pain, accusations, beatings, everything once escaping the throat of fearful humans. She forced a weak smile, and the voices grew clearer. The smell of alcohol lingered in the air. Greeting, Peggy repositioned the umbrella and faced the man framed by vibrant yellowish light.

"Good evening." the voice was cold as the night but did not send a shiver down her spine.

Narrowing her eyes Peggy recognised the man two steps away. Peering into the house, Peggy looked past the man taller than her by a few inches and witnessed children in the ranks of adults and she smiled at the boy in a greyish suit who had come to a halt with a smile on his sharp yet gentle features.

John cleared his throat but Peggy was unimpressed, had hoped to face Thomas Shelby.

"Good evening, I suppose Thomas Shelby is here?", "You should make an appointment. You can call in the morning, the secretary will give you an appointment as soon as possible." spoke the blond man Peggy had seen a few times around town.

Flashing a smile Peggy realised John wanted to close the door, that he wanted to send her away, but she refused to be shaken off and stepped fearlessly closer to the young man.

"No, it's of huge important, I need to speak to him." Peggy spoke sternly.

John heard the urgency in the young woman's voice. Laughing low, he leaned against the frame of the wooden door, settled his hand on the doorknob and half-heartedly listened to the words his brothers were uttering, the jokes mingling with roaring laughter.

"I hear they're having a party, a very lavish one." she broke the silence.

Peggy didn't know where to begin, what to tell him, but she had already heard everything she needed to hear.

“Yes, the family is celebrating.” John responded.

Again, Peggy laughed, clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the stabbing sensation spreading through her chest as she remembered Y/N sleeping in the tattered dress on her sofa and refusing to take it off, and Peggy could only guess what the beaten woman was trying to hide. Peggy wrinkled her nose in disgust. A wave of hot air hit her like skimming waves colliding with the emotionless face of the rocks piercing the ruthless ocean. The stench of smoke and alcohol was prominent in the air, but it did not dull her senses.

"Are you missing anybody in your ranks?" Peggy probed, losing patience.

John grinned and shook his head in response.

"Not that I know of, but if you'd like, I could check? Are you looking for your husband? I can guarantee that he is definitely not present, it's a family gathering." responded John, guessing what might be the cause of the lady's arrival, not seeming she had come to murder the family.

Nodding, Peggy tried to calm her mind. Moistening her lip with the tip of her tongue, she absently nodded and glanced into distance and noticed a girl had joined the young boy. Firmly, she bit down on her tongue. She wished to curse and scream like a banshee, to invade the building like an army of millions of soldiers and inform them all of what terrible creatures they were. Peggy had hoped to encounter sallow faced people who had sent everyone and everything out on the streets of the town to find the missing woman, but they were feasting, drowning in a sea of whiskey and rum, in old stories. Soundlessly, Peggy chuckled and backed away.

"If you believe no one is missing, then I shall be on my way. Have a lovely day, Mr Shelby. I'm dreadfully sorry to have bothered you and your family. I bid you farewell." Peggy said goodbye.

She tried to stay strong, remembered what Y/N had said, that she shouldn't be surprised if no one noticed, if no one was looking for her and fearing for her safety.

Bewildered, John, dressed in a greyish suit, stared after Peggy following the long path, walked directly towards the vehicle parked far away from the others belonging to the members of the family.

Slowly, Peggy mingled with the darkness of the deep night.

Questions rested on his lips, understood nothing, and the words the stranger had spoken resounded in his mind. The door creaked, sang out loud, and John shook his head in confusion and brushed through his damp hair, walking deeper into the house without noticing. The laughter turned louder and John smiled at the children, exchanging questioning glances.

“Everything is okay, go upstairs and play.” Johns assured and the children listened.

Facing his brothers on the sofas bearing the same joyful expression, sipping on the glasses and talking in delight, the worries faded for a brief moment into oblivion.

Thomas laughed and Arthur patted his brother's right shoulder and agreed. No one asked questions, failing to notice how John slowed to a standstill with his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers in the midst of the room. The light of the chandelier touched the faces. John let his eyes slide from one person to the other, from Ada to Arthur, and turned to the others. The strangers' words echoed in his head, chased him like a loyal hound.

His thoughts raced like a racehorse trotting in great haste across fields and meadows. The sound of the gramophone was driving him mad, tried to understand, to make sense of it all, but nothing made sense anymore, nothing, and John was convinced no one was missing.

Glasses bearing whiskey and rum rose to the sky. The brothers laughed and Arthur rose and stood by the rising flames of the fireplace with his arms folded in front of his chest, dressed in a dark suit, and Ada was close by his side. Polly poured herself a glass of wine and listened to the words the brothers exchanged.

The children were safe, John kept counting all of them, but no relief filled his heart and soul, feeling in every fibre of his body that something was wrong, but he found no flaw nor mistake. For a split moment John wondered if the lady had merely arrived to distract the family, if she was searching for her husband, but then John remembered the expression adorning the woman's face and it caused his heart to ache. Deep in thoughts John strolled to his family.

Pairs of eyes harbouring questions settled on John but not uttering a word. His eyes widened and looked at the ticking clock and realised how late it was. The frown on his smooth features deepened. His skin paled, turned almost sickly, and noticed shocked Y/N was missing. Swiftly, John turned and ran back to the door. Fear clouded his mind. Harshly the stiff wind collided with his flesh, tore it open. John whispered a prayer. He hoped the woman was still there, that she was in the vehicle or standing in front of the door, but a faint travelling light was drawing close to the town. John swept the wetness from his skin and felt the cold rain soaking through his suit. An icy shiver roamed across his whole body. He turned around, still hopeful, but the last spark of optimism was smothered. He swore, not able to accept the situation.

There was a commotion. Questions escaped, demanding answers, needing to know what had occurred, who had knocked on the door. The door slammed shut, John stormed into the building, wheezing. He spoke in the tongue of sailors, thought where the young woman could be, where Y/N was, who had taken her, feared for his brother's wife and turned wide-eyed to them, trying to figure out what had occurred.

"John?!" someone shrieked, a woman.

John did not answer, couldn’t. His shaking hands ran though his unmade hair, failing to grasp what had happened and realising that Y/N was not present, that she was not playing in the shelter of the warming flames with the children, that she was not seated on the sofa and realising she was not sitting at the generously set table at dinner. There was ice between Y/N and all of them, but John liked her, found it adorable how she played with the children, and even though it didn't seem so at first glance, he enjoyed her presence.

"Where is Y/N/N?" John asked.

The faces drained of colour. The silence was horrible. Tumult arose and children whispered. All at once they glanced around, noted Y/N was absent, and suddenly discovered she hadn't arrived from work. A glass shattered into thousands of pieces. Eyes settled on Thomas, gazing speechlessly into the distance. The smooth golden ring burned into his flesh. Hastily, Thomas stood up. His legs threatened to give up under the heaviness, under the weight of the world. He cursed.

Lips no longer touched, and nearly asked who was supposed to pick up his dear wife, wanted murder the person but, horrified, Thomas realised it was him who had to pick her up from work, remembered the promise he had made to wait at sharp five in front of the factory.

Thoughtlessly, Thomas advanced, feeling the burden grow beyond measure. Tears blurred his vision. Gulping, he stared at the bouquet of beautiful flowers in a light blueish vase on the coffee table, her favourites, had purchased them in the early hours of the day. Thomas Shelby uttered a prayer as a wrenching pain settled in his chest, had broken the promise he had given his wife on the wedding day.

TagList:

witchymoonbabe secretdreamlandmentality mysticalpandora kittiowolf210 muhahaha303 dreamy-caramel elinalfrida violet-19999 niyah834 watersquirtpewpewboomm piceous21 elliaze heidimoreton literishdegree99 globetrotter28 thecrazytealady regulusblacksimpsblog torresbarnes nightgirl250 sweet-angely05

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the-lonelybarricade · 8 months

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"Though the eldest son of the only well-off farmer in our village, he was still lean from the winter, and his brown hair had turned shaggy. Relatively handsome, soft-spoken, and reserved, but with a sort of darkness running beneath it all that had drawn us to each other, that shared understanding of how wretched our lives were and would always be." - A Court of Thorns and Roses, Chapter 4 But what if Isaac Hale had never truly existed?

A contribution to @officialfeysandweek2023 Day 6: Mates. This is just a little teaser oneshot of a premise I'd love to expand on later down the road, once I've wrangled some of my other WIPs. Hope you enjoy!

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The first time Rhysand saw her, it truly had been a coincidence.

Two years before the end of Amarantha’s seven times seven years curse, the High Lord of Spring had finally begun sending his emissaries over the Wall.

That was the reason Rhysand had gone over the wall, though he could admit his intentions for volunteering were partially swayed by the glimpse of the human hand that he’d seen in his sleep. He hadn’t been planning on searching for her. It had crossed his mind, admittedly, but he had dismissed the thought just as swiftly.

Finding her would be a mistake. An easily exploitable one. So he had kept to the woods. He was only there to monitor Tamlin’s emissaries and remind Amarantha that human girls would only ever run away screaming where they to encounter a faerie.

Except for this one.

That was because she hadn’t seen him yet—was too focused on the snare she crouched over, nimble fingers looping the rope with an expertise that rattled him. She was pretty, a bit young. Sun dappled past the branches overhead, lighting the streaks of golden honey in her braided hair.

From the way she bent over, he could count the notches in her spine. She was poor, likely starving. If that wasn’t evidenced by her slight frame, then certainly from the fact that she was in these woods at all, rigging a trap like she was a hunter and not a teenage girl.

Rhysand would have continued on his way. Unseen, unfeeling.

But then she looked up.

Not at him. A bird took flight off a nearby branch, flapping its wings, and she rose, drawing her bow with a precision that awed him into stillness. She turned, bow poised and stretched back to the corner of her lips.

Startling blue gray eyes narrowed towards the sky, tracking the bird as it moved. Then she fired. He heard the wind whipping past the arrow, listened to it slice through the bird, how its fluttering heart stopped.

He had the strangest sensation that she had fired that arrow through his chest, instead.

She was the girl. The one he saw in his dreams. Rhysand wasn’t certain how he knew, but she turned, confronting him with the sight of her face in full. And he knew.

Those eyes. Like the sky at dusk. They were the ones he had been looking through.

And those hands, flecked with paint.

Amarantha may have sent him into those woods, but evidently so had the Mother.

Without fully thinking, he took a step forward. His huntress whirled, already reaching for another arrow. But she paused when she saw him. One arm stretched toward the quiver at her back, the other fell loose at her side. Her eyes were wide. Her lips, softly parted.

A fae body—particularly a High Lord’s—was built to possess a keen awareness of every sound, every sight, every smell not just in the immediate vicinity, but for miles. Rhysand could hear the soft murmurs of conversation in the Village on the other side of those woods. As a daemati, he could reach all the way back to the Mountain and tug at the awareness of any of the hundreds of minds intricately wound beneath his talons.

But when his eyes met hers, everything went silent.

Even his magic.

Everything apart from the sound of his own living, beating heart.

He’d forgotten he had one of those. But now he could hear it in time with hers. Their breathing synced. She gasped at the same time he exhaled.

“Who are you?” She asked.

Rhysand could only think to lie.

“Isaac Hale.”

“Who?”

He tilted his head, laughing like he imagined a bashful human boy might. “My father owns the farm on the west side of the village,” he said, reaching toward her mind. She unfolded at the slightest touch, parting for him with all the resistance of pushing through the surface of water. Remember? He crooned to her.

She blinked. “Oh.” Her brows merged. “You live on the outskirts of the village. I-I—”

“We never crossed paths much,” Rhys said.

“Yes,” she murmured. Her fingers tightened on the bow, tucking it behind her back. She tilted her chin down, saying toward the dirt. “My family didn’t live in the village… before.”

Oh?

“I heard about that.” He stepped closer, curious about this mind he held in his hands, how his magic practically sang when he stroked his talons against her. She straightened, but didn't seem to notice. “It seems like your family’s fallen on tough times.”

Her chin raised enough so that she could scowl at him. Not so ashamed that it overrode her pride. Good.

“Oh, come on,” he said with a light smile. “It’s not like you’re the only one. I’m out in these woods too, aren’t I?”

“I’ve never seen you in these woods before,” she grumbled. That seemed to jolt her back into motion. She shook her head, unconsciously pushing against his mental talons as she strode towards her quarry.

Rhysand, Mother condemn him, followed. “What’s your name?”

“What’s it to you?”

“You know mine,” he protested.

“I didn’t ask for it.”

Could the Mother and her Cauldron really expect him to turn away? He wanted to know her name so badly he was willing to take it, pry it out of her mind like ripping a wing from a fly. The only thing he desired more was to be given it freely.

She sighed. Long, exaggerated. The kind that said was going to tell him, but she wanted him to know he was being burdensome first. The kind that said she knew, already, that even with his magic twined around her defenseless mind, he was the one wrapped around her fingers.

The girl crouched over the bird, nose crinkled with disgust. Her sorrow permeated the air, thick and cloying. He twitched with the urge to remedy it lest the scent smother him. Such heartache for a bird. Even when it was being killed for her own survival.

He supposed he would not need to worry that she was in any danger of breaking Tamlin’s curse.

“How’s a wager?”

She turned her head. Pushed an eyebrow up.

Rhysand smiled. “Tell me your name, I’ll gut the bird for you.”

“Feyre,” she said.

Fey-ruh. He mouthed it, felt the world go quiet again. All that static noise in the back of his mind cutting away into a musical pause that lasted two full syllables.

He was in those woods for a reason. Rhys knew he shouldn’t follow her out of them. But, well. He had a bird to gut.

#All By Design #Feysand #feysand fanfic #feysand fic #feysand fanfiction #feysandweek2023 #feyre x rhysand #rhysand x feyre #feyre x rhys #rhys x feyre

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dailymikhailo · 1 year

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Drawn arrows unseen will fly

#shameless #shamelessedit #shamelessnet #multi #*#by mel #gif

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scotianostra · 7 months

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On October 14th 1322 a Scottish army led by King Robert I defeated Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland.

Many people are unaware that The Bannockburn did not end The Wars of Scottish Independence, they were to run intermittently for years to come. Seen as possibly the most important of those encounters was the Battle of Old Byland in Yorkshire on this day in 1322 when the Scots once again faced their English foes – but this time on English soil.

Robert the Bruce now took his army of 20,000 mosstroopers ( marauders who operated in the mosses, or bogs, of the border between the two countries)and clansmen through the west marches and laid waste to the areas round Carlisle, Lancaster and Preston before marching across the Pennines through Swaledale and Wensleydale where he could and should have been ambushed and stopped in his tracks by any competent defender of the easily defensible passes. Bruce joined forces with The Good Sir James Douglas at Northallerton and received the news that Edward II was staying at Rievaulx Abbey, about 20 miles away. Bruce conferred with his generals, Douglas, Sir Walter Stewart, and Sir Thomas Randolph and discussed the possibility of capturing King Edward and bringing this long drawn out war to an end.

An audacious task was given to Sir Walter Stewart the hereditary High Steward of Scotland, who with 300 mosstroopers was to break through to Rievaulx Abbey as soon as the English line on the lip of Roulston Scar was broken by the Scottish Army. Bruce ordered Sir James Douglas to light more fires and increase the amount of smoke to conceal his movements from the English commander the Earl of Richmond. Bruce concealed two thirds of his army in clumps of trees below a gully which led round the rear of Roulston Scar.

Edward thought they were safe from attack, his armies having taken up a defensive position atop Roulston Scar, the plateau. The vantage point offered unrestricted views of approaching enemies, with the seemingly impenetrable sheer cliffs giving them the confidence to think they would be able to ward off any approaches. Bruce though, concealed two thirds of his army in clumps of trees below a gully which led round the rear of Roulston Scar. The Scottish King sent a group of Highlanders to scale the more lightly defended cliffs to the south, a medieval track still known as Scotch Corner

Back in Rievaulx Abbey, King Edward and his close cronies the Le DeSpensers were sitting down to a meal in the quarters of Abbot John of Rievaulx. I say meal, but such was Edwards confidence he was safe it sounds like more of a feast as accoring to The Lanercost chronicles 'two swanis roastit, divers fowls, Salmonys and other fishis with divers pies of meat and fruitis and sweetmeats. A Tun of Claret wine and a keg of burgundy wine with the best abbey ale.' They were fated never to finish that meal, that pleasure would fall to Sir Walter Stewart's men.

Bruce with his infantry light cavalry made their way largely unseen, onto Shaws Moor and there in front of them lay, unprotected, the encampments of the English Army. Bruce formed his men into three arrowhead divisions and with the trumpeters blasting out the charge he led his men in an all out thundering gallop, his Lion Rampant Banner flying bravely in the hands of Scrymgeour his standard bearer and with a great cry of ' A Bruce! A Bruce!' they came galloping out of the smoke and smashed through the English lines causing widespread panic and destruction.

Even a tightly disciplined army would have found it difficult to withstand such a charge. The demoralised English mostly deserted their posts and ran for their lives but some salvaged what honour there was for England that day by standing their ground even though their stand was useless. What casualties Bruce's army suffered that day came from the arrows of the few English archers who bravely stood their ground before being hacked down.

Bruce's Standard bearer Scrymgeour took an arrow in his arm which did no real damage due to the chain mail suit. Backwards and forwards, Bruce's force charged scattering the surviving English troops. No quarter was given and the English casualties were horrendously heavy. Finally only the dead and the victorious Scots remained in command of the battlefield.

King Robert then led his horsemen to the edge of Roulston Scarn and ordered his trumpeters to sound the Rally. Down below in the Gully the English and the Scots turned their heads towards the clamour of the trumpets, to see Bruce's host on the escarpment and with a roar of triumph, Douglas' men surged forward and the English army dispersed , some in flight, most in surrender when Sir James Douglas ordered that, with victory secured the Scots gave quarter.

Those captured included many English Knights including The Earl of Richmond who it’s said surrendered his sword to Sir James Douglas, who presented the prisoners to the Bruce, gave him a tongue lashing by for his treatment of the Scottish Queen and her fellow female prisoners while she was an English prisoner. Bruce had Richmond hustled away under close guard as a valuable Hostage, it would be the start of 2 years of confinement for the English Knight, he remained in captivity until 1324, when he was released for a ransom of 14,000 marks.

So what of Sir Walter Stewart? His men were first heard and then seen by Edward's personal guard as they thundered towards the Abbey at breakneck speed. Edward was hustled from the Abbots House, mounted on his grey charger and with a close guard of twenty men galloped away from the scene of his humiliation to try and take ship at Bridlington. Leaving over 100 of his bodyguard to sell their lives in buying him some time to escape. This they did do and delayed the Scots sufficiently to allow their King to slip away.

He was pursued by Stewart and fifty of his men for many miles but in the darkness they lost Edward as the day drew on and darkness fell. Edwards horse became lame and He was forced to seek a fresh mount at Pickering Castle where a day later his grey charger became a prize of War and was presented to King Robert. Edward eventually arrived at Bridlington and requested the keeper of the castle to provide him with a ship to take him to London.

There would be no easy escape for King Edward, he must have been dismayed when next day he looked out to sea and spotted three long sleek Scottish galleys, this was no marauding Scots army content on a raid into England, this was a well thought out campaign, which must have taken some planning to have arrived with naval support.

Escape by sea was impossible, no trading galliot could outrun these greyhounds of the sea. Information was then received that the Scots were approaching the outskirts of Bridlington, and without further ado Edward and his guards then high tailed it to York narrowly escaping capture twice, but losing his shield in the process. The reputation of the fortified city at York meant the Scots did not attack it, and Edward was never captured, he and his party made their way to the safety of Burstwick in Holderness and from thence to London.

Bruce later returned this shield to Edward as an unspoken challenge, Fight or Negotiate peace! Edward did not rise to the challenge and this later was one of the reasons he was later deposed.

The numbers involved in the Scottish invasion are open to question, I’ve stuck at 20,000 as a reasonable number for a planned “excursion” Bruce’s biographer, John Barbour, known to exaggerate at times, put the figure at, in my opinion a ridiculous 80,000.

It would be another six years before any lasting peace between Scotland and England was reached with The Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton, it brought an end to First War of Scottish Independence, which had begun with the English invasion of Scotland over 30 years before.

The Battlefields Trust has more about the battle on their web page, use the links on the left for all the info, some may differ from a wee bit mine, but the gist of it is the same.

#scotland #scottish #history #first war of Scottish Independence #england #robert the bruce

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seesbetterfromadistance · 9 months

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EMP | open rp

The air is filled with the sounds of battle; explosions, gunfire, shouts from both bystanders and responders alike create a feeling of chaos. But amid the chaos were those sent to help, those doing what they could to stop the attack at large, to capture or kill those responsible. And for the most part it seemed those sent to help had gained the upper hand, bodies both dead and simply subdued lined the streets, things seemingly winding down, banter filling the comms as success seemed imminent.

But there was an unseen threat, one that would greatly affect a select few of their team members, that would affect anything electrical in nature.

Hawkeye per usual was perched atop a roof, not the highest in the area but the one that gave him both the greatest vantage point and the best field of fire. His bow string was drawn back, an arrow nocked and ready to find its target, “Do me a favor and move 6 inches to the....” The comms cut and soon the cause hits him ‘like a truck.’ What they hadn’t expected was the other guys to have access to a short wave EMP and when it seemed they were losing of course they’d deploy their last line of defense. It’s quick, the way his hearing aids rapidly heat up and in seconds there’s an ear piercing sound amplified by the devices followed by a pop, his arrow clamors to the ground as his arms slacken, the attack brings him to his knees, his hands coming up to tear the devices from his ears and toss them. His entire world is spinning as a warm trickle of blood drips from his ears. “Shit.” He’s compromised and cut off, he only hoping the EMP was only able to reach a select few of them. But he can’t move, his equilibrium shot, the piercing sound seemingly unstopped as if his eardrums, well what little functionality of them that is seem to have been affected.

#hawkeye rp #clint barton rp #avengers rp #marvel rp #open rp #aos rp

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kinkyrius · 2 months

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I've recently started playing this game where a very important mechanic is hunting deer and every time I notice one I become so excited. There is nothing quite like the rush of stalking prey while hidden in the bushes, bow drawn and eyes fixated on the target. Getting closer and closer to it unseen and unheard as it's going about its merry day, not even imagining who might be following it.

Then, once I've made my way close enough, I release my arrow for the perfect shot. Directly in its throat, the deer dies before it hits the floor.

Of course, the real fun is when the shot isn't perfect. It's when the wounded prey desperately tries to run with my arrow sticking out of it. It leaves a trail of blood on the dirt for me to follow, how thoughtful. I don't even have to run to keep up with it as eventually it's cornered. Scared and bleeding out, I savor the moment before I take out my knife and end its pitiful suffering.

I've been swirling this around my head all day and holy FUCK anon this is so good. Oh to be a deer frantically tearing through the dense wood, an arrow lodged in its collarbone, its chances of escape draining away with the blood from the wound...

#I welcome more anons like this

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shy-blue-blossom · 9 months

Text

The Unseen Princess

Chapter Two: The Beginning to the End

Chapter 1

Normal PoV

When the day came for Gandalf to call upon her was a day when he was running from Orcs. With the help of Lady Galadriel he and his companions were flown to safety. When they landed Gandalf had asked her to help him with Thorin the future king of the lonely mountain.

"Alright set back please." She asked as she had a hood on her head for many reasons.

When everyone moved back she began to enchant a spell.

"Mi le ni ki ms ta ru no ko ruly." She began he began to glow.

"Futo male kana midi cala." She finished enchanting as the light disappeared.

"He is fine he should wake in a couple of seconds and he will think he didn't go against whoever in the first place." She told Gandalf standing up.

"Thank you and I would like you to help us on our journey to the mountains." Gandalf had thanked and asked of her, which she nodded her head to.

Then Thorin woke up and started to go off at Bilbo and that was the beginning then but she did not take her hood off. They began to make their way to the lonely mountain but when Gandalf left to do something and they were told to stay on pace, yet they somehow got lost while being chased by giant spiders, but in that time they had grown close to the princess without seeing her face and not knowing she was indeed a princess.

For when the elves of Mirkwood had taken them, Bilbo and y/n had not been caught, but y/n didn't know that as she made her way around the woods to another exit which was surrounded by Orcs when she saw the dwarves in barrels in the river. At one point Kili had gotten shot in the leg and got it binned not noticing it was poisoned.

"You need to get that looked at otherwise you could die." She said startling them.

As they were arguing about what to do next the princess heard something behind her and before anyone could do anything she already had her bow drawn with an arrow ready to be fired facing a man with black hair to his shoulders.

"I would lower your bow ranger." When she spoke these words the dwarves stopped arguing with each other and she lowered hers to show she was not going to harm him.

"What are dwarves doing out here." The ranger asked.

"What is a ranger doing so far here when they are supposed to be collecting barrels." The princess said before the dwarves could say anything.

The ranger put his bow down and they talked and eventually got the ranger to agree to sneak them into Lake town. While they were on the boat the ranger was watching the princess as if he knew her from somewhere before.

"What is your name?" The little hobbit known as Bilbo asked.

"Bard but can you tell me who that young lady is?" He answered and asked the hobbit.

"That's y/n. We don't know what her last name is or what she looks like, but Gandalf seems very protective of her when he was with us." The hobbit told him as he was looking at her.

Bard just nodded and told them to get in the barrels, but y/n just stayed where she was since there wasn't enough for them all. Even with her there they still got in alright as though she wasn't even there. When they got there a boy said something about their house being watched and the dwarves would have to go through the toilet. When they got in the house y/n couldn't stop her giggles as she had just walked through the door. Soon the dwarves left when Bard had to do something but y/n stayed because she had a feeling something was going to happen.

"Y/n why do you hide behind a hood?" The youngest Tilda asked her.

Instead of saying anything she just pulled the hood down and took it off. When the girls saw her they couldn't believe how beautiful she was. With her silky, smooth middle thigh length h/c hair, and magnificent e/c eyes. But what they couldn't miss was the gorgeous crown placed upon her head.

"Where did you get the crown from?" The oldest Sigrid asked, and she got a smile from her.

"It was my mothers before she passed." She answered still with a sweet smile on her face.

"Can I do your hair for you?" Tilda asked her.

"I would like that but while you do it you will have to look after my crown upon your head so I know where it is." She said with a smile and a giggle as well.

The light in Tilda's eyes was magical as she has never since someone so happy before. She put her crown upon her head as the girls began to play with her hair until they could think of something to do with it. As they were playing with her hair they didn't hear their father and brother come back in as they had just come up with something to do her hair. Bard and Bain his son were just watching them, but Bard saw her ears.

"You're an elf." Bard just said it.

"Yes and if you are thinking I was wearing a hood because the dwarves don't like elves then you are wrong there. It was a different reason, but it seems that secret will come to light soon." She said not looking at him. "So girls do you need flowers for my hair." She asked them.

"Yes please!" They both shouted with excitement and she let out a little giggle then close her eyes and put her hands in front of her.

"Malani ofara kawa." She said and pure white flowers were in her hands.

She turned around to place the flowers in the girl's hands then turned back around to face the wall while they enjoy putting the flowers in her hair. When it felt like they were done she faced them and Tilda put her crown back on her head. She kissed her forehead along with Sigrid as a thank you.

"Now would you like dinner because I could cook for you all?" The princess asked but Bard was just staring at her along with Bain as it was their first time seeing her face.

"No it's alright y/n I will do it but you can help if you like," Sigrid asked her.

"I would love to." She said with her smile as she followed her.

They cooked dinner for everyone and sat down to eat. They all had fun talking about random things until they went to sleep. The next morning they were all talking again about random things until there was a knock at the door. Stood on the other side were four dwarves and one of them was Kili who looked very ill.

"I told you to get your wound looked at," Y/n said as she was getting everything off the table.

When everything was off the table Kili was laid upon it as y/n was looking at the herbs that they had.

"Kingsfoil do you have any?" She asked.

"That's a weed we feed the pigs," Bard told her.

"Bofur go get it." She said facing him then looked at Bard. "Take the black arrow and kill the dragon." She whispered to him.

He did what he was told and left with the black arrow. She then began to look at his wound when she was about to touch it the door broke and in came some Orcs, she grab her dagger that was on her waist and began to fight them as more came. As she was fighting them she didn't see two elves come and help.

"Y/N WATCH OUT!!" Tilda shouted as an Orc sneaked up on her.

She spun around and silt the Orc's neck and it dropped dead.

"Thanks, Tilda." She thanked her when the Orc's had left. "Bain look after your sisters I have someone to call," Y/n told him and kissed the foreheads before running out of the door while grabbing her clock.

What she didn't realise was that a young eleven prince was watching her. He then called out to Tauriel but she was looking at Kili and as she walked out the door Bofur came and she then did some elven healing magic. As they were sorting Kili out they didn't know what was happening in the lonely mountain, they only knew when the roar of the dragon was heard.

Soon Kili was healed and they set out to join their kin in the lonely mountain. The dragon set loose from the mountain and began to burn lake town down to the ground.

Chapter 3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

•Mi le ni ms ta ru no ko ruly kaa - stars come forth at my call and heal.

•Futo male kana midi cala - come sun light and help.

•Malani ofara kawa - come grow precious flowers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Unseen Princess

Masterlist

#x reader #reader #lord of the rings x reader #lord of the rings #lort #lotr x reader #legolas x reader #legolas #legolas greenleaf #the unseen princess

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workingforitallthetime · 9 months

Text

drawn arrows unseen

part 19 / previous installments/tags

Mason vibrates in his stall through the postgame routine, every muscle in his body tense with impatience and anticipation. He showers off as quickly as he can and yanks on his suit. As he charges out the doors of the dressing room, he pictures the ice and where the home team entered, calculating the quickest way to Connor.

But Connor’s already standing there waiting for him outside the visitor’s dressing room, leaning against a cinderblock wall painted in Arizona State colors. His hair is still damp from the shower. His gameday suit matches his eyes and the top button of his collar is open, no tie.

Mason keeps charging straight toward him and doesn’t stop until he’s got Connor shoved against the wall. He buries his face in Connor’s neck, sucking in great greedy gulps of his scent.

Connor’s body goes pliant underneath him, pinned between Mason and the cinderblocks. He whines high in his throat, so soft that only Mason can hear. Something else reverberates through the roaring in Mason’s ears: the thunk of the gate closing behind him after a long hard shift, the latch slamming cleanly into place as Mason sinks panting onto the bench.

Dimly, Mason remembers that this is why he stayed away. The possibility that he would do exactly what he’s doing right now, regardless of who might see or what the consequences might be. But Connor’s scent is going melty again, warm and wanting, and Mason’s way past caring what anyone who’s not Connor thinks.

Connor twists a hand in Mason’s hair. “Let’s go,” he gasps, prodding Mason to one side. He grabs the lapel of Mason’s jacket and pulls him down the tunnel. Mason follows him, nearly running, until Connor takes a quick turn into some kind of ice level suite.

It doesn’t look to have been used for tonight’s game. Once the door closes behind them, the only light in the room comes from behind a Sun Devil logo above the buffet table. The chafing dishes on the table are open and empty and a stack of unused plates waits at the end.

Before Mason can take in anything else, Connor’s flinging himself at him. Finally, finally Mason’s kissing him, deep and insatiable, Connor’s scent rising all around him. He rips shirttails out and buttons off to get his hands against Connor’s skin, to get Connor pressed against him, nothing keeping them apart anymore.

He hitches up Connor’s leg and scrapes his fingernails over the back seam of his trousers. Connor moans against his lips. “I didn’t think…” He tips his head back, opening his neck to Mason.

“I’ve been waiting so long,” Mason murmurs as he kisses his way along the line of Connor’s jaw.

Connor's neck tenses. “You… knew about this?” he asks after a moment. There’s confusion in his voice.

Mason thrills at the word, at the confirmation that they’re a this, that Connor recognizes it too. “Yeah.” He scrapes his teeth against Connor’s neck. “Your scent, god, Connor…”

Connor brings his chin down, dislodging Mason. “How long have you known?”

Mason gives him a puzzled look. “World Juniors.”

“Which one?” Connor asks it cautiously, like he’s not entirely sure he wants the answer.

“The… first one?” Mason answers just as cautiously.

Connor’s scent goes brittle, hardening into ice that’s cold enough to make Mason’s skates skid and squeak. “You knew about this and you didn’t tell me?”

Mason reaches out to cup the back of Connor’s head. “Of course I didn’t, you were…”

Connor ducks out from under his hand. “You let me think I was out there alone? For a year?”

Mason takes a step back, hands in the air. “You were sixteen, I…”

“Do you have any idea…” Connor presses his hands against the side of his head and bends over. When he looks up, his expression is furious. “I went into heat and it fucking sucked.” He’s yelling now. “Everything smelled like shit.”

“I’m sorry, I…” All of Mason’s instincts are telling him to hold onto Connor, but Connor doesn’t look like he’d welcome it. “Your draft, I couldn’t just…”

“You asshole.” Connor takes a step toward him, but it’s just to shove Mason, hard, with both hands against his chest. “How am I supposed to trust you?” He turns on his heel toward the door of the suite.

Mason’s stomach turns over. “You can’t just leave, we’re…” They’re together now, and everything’s supposed to be okay. Mason suffered and endured and waited patiently, and now everything’s supposed to be okay.

Connor looks over his shoulder at him. “I can do anything you can,” he spits, and then he’s gone.

Mason’s knees buckle. It hurts, physically hurts, like the worst broken bone he’s ever had, a systems failure triggering every alarm in his body. He falls to his knees, retching, and that’s where Trevor and Jamie find him a little while later, Connor’s scent still all over his clothes.

(next)

#drawn arrows unseen

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trans-girl-nausicaa · 1 year

Text

tumblr choose your own adventure: part 6

previous parts: https://www.tumblr.com/trans-girl-nausicaa/tagged/CYOA

>Play the lightgun game “Trigger-Happy Cupid: Yuri Rush 2”

You walk to the NORTH side of the barcade, where the arcade cabinets are nestled together against the wall, and get some quarters from the change machine.

Your eye is drawn to the most colorful arcade cabinet there. It is brightly furnished in red, pink, and white on the sides, and has patterns of hearts, roses, and lilies on the control panel. You can’t see the side art, but the marquee has an illustration of a young winged woman with a large bust in a short white tunic, holding a shiny gold crossbow, lounging on large red block letters reading “TRIGGER-HAPPY CUPID: YURI RUSH 2.”

You start putting in quarters, interrupting the demo screen. It costs a whole dollar to start the game? ‘This had better be good,’ you think.

You grasp one of the yellow crossbow-shaped lightguns. The intro cinematic plays:

The buxom sexy cupid woman on the marquee is an agent for the “Heavenly Yuri Agency,” explains another buxom woman, who is wearing a snappy pantsuit and holding a clipboard. Her name tag reads Ophelia Luscious. She explains that it is Sexy Cupid’s responsibility to shoot arrows of love into the hearts of the lovelorn women of the world, and “increase the amount of Yuri in the universe.” Sexy Cupid then leaves the office through a twinkling portal, emerging into the human world.

The cutscene ends and the tutorial begins. The object of the game is to shoot pink sparkly crossbow bolts at women who are in close proximity to each other, and then they kiss, as a big red heart dazzles into view, encircling them.

The camera moves forward constantly, as Sexy Cupid flies around the human world, unseen. You zoom through public parks, movie theaters, and restaurants at first, before moving on to less romantic settings, like hospitals, construction sites, and funerals, where the targets require more shots from your crossbow to become enamored.

After each stage, your supervisor, Ophelia Luscious, grades your performance. She also pops up from the bottom of the screen to cheer you on after a big combo, and scolds you for missing shots.

When you get a grade A on a stage (it takes you a few levels before you manage it), the camera zooms in on O.L. and she winks at you, leaning forward so her cleavage is visible.

In the later levels, you get grade F a few times and have to insert more quarters.

The second-to-last level is space alien girls on a space ship. You snicker at the sight of their mandibles clacking against each others carapaces.

You’ve put eight dollars into the game so far. You’re gonna beat the game.

On the last level, O.L. tells you you have one final target: her. She darts around the screen, pirouetting and dodging tauntingly. Finally, you hit her in the heart with a sparkly bolt.

She swoons, and the camera zooms out to show Sexy Cupid catching her and they embrace. They start making out.

It starts getting kind of intense.

Uh, how long is this cutscene anyway?

#CYOA #choose your own adventure

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lizardlicks · 3 months

Note

Like Theseus’ Ship/Better in the Morning for the ask game??

A meandering WIP that is mostly just stitched together scenes which follow Zuko from immediately after the Agni Kai with Azula through the days and weeks as he navigates deescalating his country after a century of war. Original title came from Birdtalker, Better in the Morning:

Behind my eyes a familiar child I take his hand and he finally smiles Be gentle with yourself as you uncover Your best kept secrets yet to be discovered In stillness, boys, clear water to the bottom You will do better in the morning I will do better in the morning

However The Oh Hellos Theseus had a better fit to it

Isn't that what it's all about? The slow trickling thaw that sets the banks in half The sweet melody it makes when the canyons crack I wanna give it all I've got, and I want nothing I want nothing back

Whatever kingdom come, it probably won't come quick No mighty clarion to announce it No single use ark to discard in an instant Like Theseus's ship, we'll fix the busted bits Till it's both nothing like and everything It's always been It's a wonder we expect a thing to Stay the same at all

A day and a half later finds Katara hauling him up off the floor by his robes, scowling as thunderously as an ocean storm. He can not recall for the life of him how he ended up on the ground. The last thing he clearly remembers is furiously slashing his signature across scroll after scroll-- orders to pull back and reposition troops, rerouting supply lines, halting manufacture of munitions, and machines of death and destruction-- and then he stood, and everything was sort of sliding sideways--

"You need to sleep, idiot!"

Ah. Yes that would do it, wouldn't it?

----

He awakes with the first flush of dawn to the canopy of his childhood bed overhead. There’s birdsong drifting in through his open window from mother's garden.

Aang is here.

He’s here, solid, yet light as a bird, blue arrows brilliant against the deep crimson that surrounds them, the Avatar brought to the heart of Fire Nation, exactly as he always believed destiny intended.

Well, okay. Maybe not exactly--

As Zuko comes awake with a flutter of affection beating through his veins, he begins to pick out more familiar forms all around him. Aang and Toph are firmly asleep, tucked up to either side of Zuko, their weight comforting, and warm as Agni’s light. Sokka’s on the other side of Aang, asleep sitting up, and snoring softly. One of his legs, splinted and bandaged, is propped across Katara’s lap as she dozes against his shoulder, hand curled in his tunic.

Zuko’s eyes drift across each of them, then past, drawn slowly toward the tangle of low voices at the other side of his room to find Suki and-- and Mai standing in the doorway, backs to them and posture bristling. They’re barring the way for some unseen presence in the hall, and quietly but firmly insisting that whatever it is can wait, damn it.

Zuko blinks. The shifting light pools in the swirls and dips of his sheets. He blinks again and Mai is leaning over him, here, solid, not dead, not rotting in a dank cell--

Her lips press into a pale line. She brushes stray hair from his eyes and tucks it behind his good ear.

“How…” He wants to say more, but the barely-there impressions of thoughts keep swirling around his head, and out of reach of his tongue. All that does escape is a yawn.

“Go back to sleep.” Mai has to plant a knee on his bed to lean over Toph without disturbing her. She presses a cool kiss to his temple.

He blinks again, too long, struggling to open his eyes. The scene has shifted. Now Mai is stretched at his side, nose tucked under his chin and Toph has shifted down, and fallen back into sleep with her hand curled around his ankle. Katara and Sokka have changed places too, and Suki is the one holding Sokka’s leg. Ty Lee has appeared from Zuko could not begin to fathom where, and she’s nodding eagerly at something Suki is saying, but her voice is pitched too low, and his head is too fuzzy to snatch meaning out of any of the words he can hear.

They’re all gloriously alive, surrounding him with intangible warmth that reaches down into every corner of his being. He curls out his fire in a slow wave, and lets it ripple against the burning bright pools of life pressed close against him. He wants to burn this moment into his memory, have it come back to him no matter what happens after this.

Against his will, his eyes slip closed again.

#WIP game #asked and answered #zuko #the gaang #lizard writes stupid things

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mrdystopian · 5 months

Text

Inside - Out

Today I feel like the world that I built about myself inside me is falling apart because I understand the fact that people outside can judge and criticize me even when I am not around them and the worst part is to hear all that stuff from your beloved friends that has deep connections and attachments with those peoples. I was built and made different for greater purposes, I find myself pierced inside out by arrows drawn from the quiver of misplaced faith, I deserve better I am better than anyone who is talking shit about me they don't even know how the real world works or anything, They are just enclosed in there mortgage-free sanctuaries of their delusions, fancy themselves protagonists destined to conquer the world. Yet, reality unveils them as mere pawns, manipulated by unseen puppeteers. In their world, love is reduced to emotion, friendships are deemed eternal, and humors are tokens of coolness. We need everyone but some people like me are built differently I know I must acquire my strength and avoid these distractions, as I said I was meant to fulfill a glorious purpose, and the purpose is not for me but to prove to my parents they didn't waste their money, time and effort to raise a pig who is swine to be adored by all, forsaking friendships for the whispers of inconsequential detractors. I am saying this as an affirmation of myself I won't care if people like it or not

#mindset #life #realization #quotes #myself

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rainydaymiddleearthimagines · 2 years

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Destiny Calling: Chapter Ten

"You could have picked a better spot." Gimli said as he struggled to see past the wall. "Well, lass, whatever luck you live by, let’s hope it lasts the night." He said to you. "Your friends are with you." Legolas said to you and Aragorn. "Let’s hope they last the night." Gimli said. A crash of thunder made you look up. You felt a droplet of water on your face. You looked back to see the Orcish armies all standing ready for an attack. You and Aragorn walked alongside each other, him being insistent you not separate from him.

"A Eruchîn, ú-dano i faelas a hyn an uben tanatha le faelas. (Show them no mercy, for you shall receive none!)" Aragorn yelled. You looked at the elvish soldiers around you. They stood with that stone cold demeanor you used to make fun of. Now you understood why they were like that. They mustn't show fear. The opposing army let out a yell, ceasing movement from where they stood. "What’s happening out there?" Gimli asked. "Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?" Legolas asked. Gimli laughed and the army slammed their spears down, growling at the soldiers. Aragorn drew his sword, you already having yours drawn and ready. Gimli jumped, attempting to see what was happening. An elder with a bow released too early, killing an orc with a stray arrow. "Dartho! (hold!)" Aragorn halted. The orc hit by the stray arrow fell, earning a growl from another orc before it hit its armor. The forces charged and you stood next Aragorn.

"Tangado a chadad! (Prepare to fire!)" You yelled. "Tangado a chadad! (Prepare to fire!)" Aragorn relayed, louder for the other archers. The elves all drew their bows, aiming at the orcs. "Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc. (Their armour is weak at the neck, and beneath the arm.)" Legolas said to a few of the elves around him. You watched the forces, cupping your hands to make louder noise as you commanded your forces. "Hado i philinn! (Release Arrows!) You yelled. They released their arrows, taking a wave out of the orcs.

"Give them a volley." Théoden said, the men now drawing their bows. "Fire!" Gamling commanded. Another soldier relayed the command. "Fire!" More arrows flew, hitting the orcs. "Hado ribed!(Hurl to flow!)" You instructed the lower forces, their arrows flying overhead to hit their unseen targets. Crossbows were brought from the other side, striking your soldiers down. You looked over the wall and frowned. "Aragorn te're using pendraith.(Aragorn, they're using ladders)." You said, backing away with your swords drawn. "Pendraith! (Ladders!)" Aragorn yelled. "Swords!" You and Aragorn yelled in unison. He shook his head with a smile at you. "That's my girl." He muttered making you smile.

An orc attempted to breech the wall, Gimli dealing them a cruel hand as he brought down his axe. Aragorn dodged a blow from an orc, you killing it. Haldir brought down a few near the ladders. One knocked down Aragorn, you immediately killing it. "Not today." you huffed, pulling Aragorn up. Screams of war filled the air around you, the smell of blood becoming very strong.

"Legolas! Two already!" Gimli shouted to Legolas. "I’m on seventeen!" Legolas yelled. "Twenty!" You yelled to the men making them both smile. Aragorn chuckled, shaking his head as you fought next to him in amusement. "I’ll have no pointy-ears outscoring me!" Gimli exclaimed, killing another orc as it climbed over. Legolas struck two more. "Nineteen!" Legolas yelled. Aragorn kicked down a ladder, it falling onto orcs below

The Battle of Helm's deep raged on, you fighting hard the entire time. Maybe it was that Elven resolve so many men talked about. Or maybe it was the desire to keep your lover safe. Théoden noticed whatever it was, watching you keep others safe, especially any younger fighters near you.

"Seventeen! Eighteen! Nineteen! Twenty! Twenty-one! Twenty-two!" You heard Gimli call out. You frowned. "They're making a shield wall." you said to Aragorn, him looking through the rain to see the group of orcs attempting to make their way to the keep. "Causeway! Na fennas!(Causeway!)" You yelled. Elves aimed towards the causeway you were referring to, killing some of the orcs. You looked over, eyes widening. "Togo hon dad, Legolas! (Bring him down, Legolas!)" You screamed, referring to the orc with a bomb.

Legolas fired an arrow, striking its shoulder but still it ran. "Dago hon! Dago hon! (Kill him! Kill him!)" Aragorn yelled. Legolas fired again, his arrow hitting his other shoulder. It wasn't enough, the orc being able to throw himself into the drain. Aragorn's eyes widened, pulling you to him and ducking. The explosion hit the wall, men and elves both sent flying. You hit the ground, Aragorn falling next to you.

Your ears rang, your vision blurry as you saw figures fighting in front of you. You lifted your swords, using them as a way to get up. "Brace the gate!" Théoden yelled. Men ran to the gate throwing whatever they could to keep them from breeching the gate. "Hold them! Stand firm!" Théoden yelled.

You helped Aragorn up, kissing his face as a way to let him know you were alright before stabbing something near him. "Aragorn!" Gimli shouted before slamming himself on top of a few orcs in front of you. "Gimli!" You both gasped in surprise. He killed the orcs near him until he slipped and fell back into water. "Hado i philinn! (Release Arrows!)" You yelled to your forces, arrows flying as you prepared to charge. "Are tye readime mime mel? (Are you ready my love?)" Aragorn asked, preparing to charge next to you. "Ve ni indóme voro n-, mime melin (As I will ever be, my dear)" You replied. You rose your sword and pointed. "HERIO! (CHARGE)" You yelled, your men charging towards the orcs. A few of your men died at the hands of a spear, you reaching the water Gimli fell in and pulling him up.

Théoden looked at what was happening to the breach, you killing orcs near you. "Y/n! Aragorn! Fall back to the Keep! Get your men out of there!" Théoden commanded. "Nan barad! (To the Keep!)" You yelled. "Nan barad! (Pull back to the Keep!)" Aragorn shouted. "Haldir! Nan barad! (To the Keep)" You called. Haldir nodded, looking to the elvish forces still around him. "Nan barad! (To the Keep!)" Haldir yelled. Haldir rushed forward, killing an orc but being hit on his arm. He looked down to see his forces retreating and turned to leave. You didn't have foresight for the nightmare that came next.

Haldir turned his back to leave but an orc behind him took the opportunity to strike. Sound seemed to drown out as you pushed through your men, Aragorn trying to stop you as you ran to Haldir just as he was struck. You caught him, looking at him with wide eyes. "yes was an honor serving tye, aranel (It was an honor serving you, princess)" He whispered against you. You felt tears fall as he let out a last breath. You looked at Aragorn who was fighting orcs off in front of you. You noticed a few climbing up the wall. "Aragon, follow me!" you said, getting up. Aragorn followed you to a ladder. "What are we doing!?" He asked. "Can you think of a quicker way off the wall!?" you asked, earning an eyebrow raise from Aragorn. You jumped on one side of the ladder, Aragorn jumping on the other and both of you used it as a quick way off the wall.

The gate was finally breached, soldiers around you yelling commands. "Brace the gate! Hold them!" A soldier yelled. Orcs with crossbows shot down more soldiers as they breeched the gate. "To the gate. Draw your swords!" Théoden yelled to his men. Gamling was grabbed by the throat by an orc, Théoden cutting of its hand. Gamling stumbled backward. Théoden was stabbed with a spear, his yells of battle being ones of pain before he drove a spear into an orc before falling back to the hall. "Make way! We cannot hold much longer!" Gamling yelled.

You, Gimli and Aragorn ran into the hall. "Hold them!" Théoden instructed. "How long do you need?" Aragorn asked. "As long as you can give me." Théoden said. "Gimli, Aragorn!" you called, nodding to a doorway. You three rushed out, walking along a ledge near the wall. Aragorn looked over and saw the orcs still attempting to breech the Deep. " Come on. We can take them." Gimli said. "It’s a long way." Aragorn observed. Gimli looked again, looking at you and then Aragorn and then the ground. "Toss me." Gimli said. Both you and Aragorn looked at him. "What?" You asked in unison. "I cannot jump the distance! You’ll have to toss me!" Gimli said. You blinked looking up at Aragorn before shrugging. Aragorn put Gimli's arm around him. "Don't tell the elf." He said. "What happens on the battlefield, stays on the battlefield." you assured before Aragorn launched Gimli across the gap and onto the causeway. You both jumped over, killing orcs next to Gimli.

"Shore up the door!" Théoden yelled to his men, soldiers coming through with materials to barricade the door. "Make way! Follow me to the barricade. Watch our back!" A man yelled. The orcs were loading a giant crossbow, preparing to fire. "Throw another on over here!" A man yelled. "Higher!" Théoden commanded.

The orcs fired the crossbow into the wall, another one being fired soon after. Some of the orcs used rope to scale the wall, others used the ladders. Legolas fired an arrow at one of the ropes, knocking down orcs climbing up and ones on ladders. "Hold fast the gate!" A soldier yelled.

You fought off the orcs near the gate. "Gimli! Aragorn! Y/n! Get out of there!" Théoden yelled. An orc gripped Gimli and Aragorn's neck, you decapitating it and them looking to you. "Y/n!" Legolas called, dropping a rope for the three of you. You climbed up it, being pulled up by a soldier while Aragorn and Gimli were pulled up.

"Pull everybody back. Pull them back." Theoden commanded before walking away. "Fall back! Fall back!" Gamling yelled. Orcs breeched through the gate, Gamling frowning. "They have broken through!" Gamling yelled. "The castle is breached. Retreat!" Theoden yelled. "Fall back!" a soldier relayed. "Retreat!" Théoden repeated. "Hurry! Inside. Get them inside!" Aragorn yelled to nearby soldiers. "Into the Keep!" A soldier yelled.

The orcs flew their flags at the top of Helm's Deep by morning, charging the battering ram against the final gate. Men braced the door and Théoden sighed. "The fortress is taken. It is over." Théoden said. Aragorn frowned as you ran with Legolas to barricade the door. "You said this fortress would never fall while your men defend it. They still defend it. They have died defending it." Aragorn yelled.

"Is there no other way for the women and children to get out of the caves?" You asked, looking at Théoden. "Is there no other way?" Aragorn repeated the question. "There is one passage. It leads into the mountains. But they will not get far the Uruk-Hai are too many." Gamling replied. "Tell the women and children to make for the mountain pass. And barricade the entrance!" Aragorn told Gamling. "So much death. What can Men do against such reckless hate?" Théoden asked. "Ride out with me. Ride out and meet them." Aragorn said. "For death and glory." Théoden said gravely. "For Rohan. For your people." You said. "The sun is rising." Gimli said.

You felt lightheaded, gripping Aragorn's arm. "What's wrong with you girl?" Théoden asked. "A vision." Aragorn said, looking at you and awaiting an answer. "Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn look to the east." Gandalf's voice rang out. You paused, looking at Aragorn shocked. "There is still hope." you reminded. Aragorn seemed puzzled before he remembered Gandalf's words to him before he left. "Yes. Yes. The horn of Helm Hammerhand shall sound in the Deep one last time." Théoden said, Gimli perking up. "We have to keep the men going. We can win this Aragorn, I know we can." you said.

A loud bang came from the door, it almost being breeched. You drew your blades, looking at the door. "Let this be the hour when we draw swords together." Théoden said. Gimli ran off, reaching the horn at the top of a tower. "Fell deeds, awake." The gate opened a little more, you looking at Aragorn as you mounted a horse. "I love you." you said. "I love you too." He said softly, readying himself for war on his horse. "Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red dawn." Gimli blew the horn, it echoing through the hold as the gate opened. "Forth Eorlingas!" Theoden shouted, you all yelling a battle cry and charging. You killed orcs as they made their way inside, riding down the causeway into the battlefield.

You looked over the hill in the distance noticing a rider on horseback as the steed stood on it's hind legs. "Gandalf." You said relieved. "Théoden King stands alone." Gandalf said, looking at him from the hill. "Not alone. Rohirrim!" Éomer called. The orcs growled in response, seeing the forces of Rohan all aligned for battle. "Éomer." Théoden said relieved. "To the king!" Éomer yelled, the forces charging down the mountain.

As the men charged you fought until your horse could no longer bare the sight of war, dismounting and fighting once more. The riders of Rohan drove the orcs to the forest, Aragorn riding by and scooping you up so you rode on his horse. You both watched the enemy forces retreat, watching them with wide eyes. "Aragorn... We did it... We won." you said softly. "Indeed we did my love..." He said, equally surprised by the outcome. "Victory! We have victory!" Théoden yelled out.

You rode back to Helm's Deep, hugging Éowyn as you arrived. "Final Count, forty-two." Legolas said with a smirk. "Forty-two? That’s not bad for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling. I myself am sitting pretty on forty-three." Gimli said. Legolas shot a orc that Gimli was sitting on. "Forty-Three." Legolas said with a satisfied look. "He was already dead." Gimli huffed. "He was twitching." Legolas shrugged. "He was twitching because he’s got my ax embedded in his nervous system!" Gimli grunted. "Uhm, if I may." you raised your hand, Éowyn smirking. "Fifty-six." You said, both men looking at you surprised as you entered the hall with your friend.

You watched people around you celebrate but you slipped off, walking up the steps and standing on the remnants of the wall. You sighed, thinking of Haldir. An arm wrapped around you, pulling you close. "Haldir would've liked this." You muttered. Aragorn said nothing, pressing a kiss to your head and looking out at the sunlight over the hills.

Hope had come again, Aragorn reaching a silent decision he never thought he'd make.

He was going to make his claim for the throne of Gondor.

#aragorn imagine #aragorn x reader #aragorn

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ordon-shield · 1 year

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Febuwhump Day 27 (Survivor’s Guilt): Malice in the Water

ao3 link here (7th in a series)

(Content warning for: zombies & associated tropes, minor character death)

Sidon was worried. The scouts that had been sent out to the Lanayru Wetlands to check on the monster problem they were having up the route non-Zora took to the Domain still hadn’t returned. He was sure they had just run into a delay… but what if it was something more? What if they’d gotten hurt, attacked by one of the the electrical keese that flew through the woods near the Domain at night, or ambushed by lizalfos with electrical arrows? As their prince, it was his responsibility to ensure they were safe.

Taking a few of the Domain’s guards with him, they ventured up, away from the river that was the foundation of their home. Sidon had rarely seen this part of the land, more used to swimming though the river’s currents, up and down the waterfalls, rather than walking over the cliffs surrounding it. The further along the path they got, the more he tensed, glad for the sword at his hip, but the scouts seemed to have done their job well, the few monsters they spotted along the way scattering at the sight of the armed group. It wasn’t until they were nearly to the base of the path, approaching Inogo Bridge where Sidon had met Link all those months ago, that they saw their first hint at what had happened.

A silverscale spear lay at the edge of the river, the tip sunk into the silt of the shallow water. One of the guards he’d brought with him carefully made her way over, before pulling it out of the river, revealing that the sharp blade at the end of the spear was coated with a dark layer of malice, the foul substance still slowly dripping from the end of it. The entire group tensed at the sight, reaching for their weapons on instinct. They were used to Ganon’s monsters, they knew of the corrupted Guardians that roamed Hyrule, Sidon’s father even once fighting one off himself. But malice, the pure and manifest power of the Calamity itself? It had never come this close to the Domain.

Keeping his eyes peeled for any movement along the banks of the river, Sidon instructed the other guards to search the area and the depths of the river. If they couldn’t find the scouts they’d set out to check on, they could at least recover their bodies. He wondered what Link would think of this. He’d passed through Lanayru just a week before, handing a message off to a scout in the Wetlands. He’d been headed to find the Master Sword, that ancient blade the Princess had hidden away during the Calamity. They hadn’t heard from him since, and Sidon was beginning to worry about him too. He knew Link was a capable warrior, and that Mipha’s spirit had even lent him some of her healing power, but with malice showing up near Zora’s Domain… Ganon must be growing stronger, as the strength of the Princess waned, and that would make everything more dangerous.

He was drawn from his thoughts by a sudden splash, turning to see one of the guards who was investigating the waters pulled down by an unseen monster. Rushing towards the site of the attack alongside the others, he plunged into the turbulent waters, grasping for the guard that was grabbed. He felt someone else dive in alongside him as his hand brushed against a finned arm. Holding tightly, he pulled towards the surface. With luck, whatever monster it was would be ill-suited to fight above the surface, where they would gain an upper hand. Pushing himself out of the water, his grip still tight on the arm he had grabbed, he dragged himself up the riverbank before turning around to see who he’d pulled out of the waters.

It was one of the missing scouts but… wrong, their scales peeling and their fins tattered and torn. They turned their blank and empty eyes towards him and opened a mouth that drooled out malice, the poisonous liquid slowly seeping down their face as they lunged at him with their teeth fully visible. Reacting on instinct, Sidon brought up his arm, throwing them to the side with an uncomfortable crack. Taking the chance to check the situation, he saw the other guards surrounding the guard who was attacked, the one he thought he’d saved, a long bite made by sharp Zora teeth along her neck leaking malice across her pale scales.

Sidon tried to cry out and warn them, but it was too late. Almost faster than he could process, more corrupted Zora, the group of scouts they’d sent down the river, burst from the waters. The guards were armed, but against the familiar faces that they’d seen, that some of them had even trained, they hesitated, and it was their downfall. With weak limbs, and a feeling of horror growing in his chest, Sidon scrambled backwards, his position further down the banks hiding him from their attention. Most of them didn’t even die in the rapid attack, even as their flesh was torn from their bones by the seemingly starving corrupted Zora. Instead, he saw them fall limply to the ground, malice creeping over their wounds.

His heart urged him to fight, to draw his blade and make a stand. His mind told him otherwise. If he died here, or became one of… them, he would leave the entire Domain at risk, ignorant to the danger lurking at their door. Even as the guilt inside him threatened to overflow, he chose to flee, taking the path back to the Domain and hoping they could find a way to solve this problem before it was too late.

#legend of zelda #loz #the legend of zelda #my writing #febuwhump 2023 #febuwhump #botw #breath of the wild #botw fanfic #botw fanfiction #botw sidon

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