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cloudberry-sims · 2 years

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A Decade Through Time: The Alderberg Legacy: Year 1592

The plague event is happening this year , let’s see if I’m as lucky as I was during the 1563 plague event…

From the Beginning I Currently

News spread like wildfire, that the llama plague had finally arrived and was spreading across Outland...

Nobody knew how or when - some blamed the miasma , other the rats that came from boats that anchored by the harbor, some believing it was the wrath of the watcher.

To William Alderberg, it didn’t matter why it happened just that it was affecting his family.

Two of his children , Noah and Olive , had caught the deadly sickness and he feared the worse. When they started to show signs he quickly removed them from the main house to the loft of the old barn. He stayed by them..

Little Olive showed the worst signs and was the first to go. It broke his heart hearing her plead for him to make the pain go away in her fevery state. She was only 7 years old.

Next came 9 year old Noah , whom died in whiles asleep on his cot. William hoped that Noah's death was at least merciful.

Then , it was William left alone in the barn, but he would quickly follow his two children as the plague ate him away... He was 34 years old , leaving his remaining children orphaned...

But it was not only the Alderbergs who was the victims of the plague.

At the Kellogg farm the almost adolescent Esther was stored away in the pig house as she slowly past away.

Her father was devastated over the loss of his oldest child, Anne was too as she had helped raise the girl since she was 2 years old.

Her sisters all mourned her death , even Mary cried genuine tears of sorrow.

The plague had many more victims , but the last one on the grim reapers list was the town baker, Thomas Mildmay.

His death was quick , yet so , so painful , both for him and for his family.

Audrey wept and wept , her mother-in-law Christina whom was also weeping tried to comfort her. They both lamented at the loss of Thomas and for little Geoffrey , who will never get to know the wonderful sweet man that was his father...

Every family who had lost a close one in the llama plague mourned in their own way...

3 months after her beloved husband’s death in the hands of the llama plague along side her brother , nieces and nephew , Audrey thanked the watcher for the mercy of sparing her only living son - Geoffrey.

To hold him in her arms was her greatest comfort in the darkest of times. Her little Geoff looked so much like his father that it brought Audrey to tears , not out of sadness but joy to have a piece of him still with her. Her darling son whom she vowed to always put first , forever and always.

With the Alderbergs , young Philip was absolutely devastated over losing his twin sister , more then losing his father or brother. Something had clearly snapped in him.

He was no longer the good little boy he once was , and nothing his grandmother told him would bring him back.

The family was so busy with Philip that they didn’t notice another one who was grieving badly, perhaps because they were hiding it.

Ursula would sneak inside the wardrobe in the girls room when the need to cry was to high or her head filled with possible what ifs and maybes.

About her , about her friend Esther. Her mixed feelings. The news of the almost 13 year old girl that Ursula had so desperately tried to befriend's death made her 10 year old heart break , yet she didn’t know why. She mourned her uncle and cousins death, she truly did, but why did Esther’s death so hurt more? Why did the watcher's dices decided so cruelly to take her only friend outside of her family away from her? It wasn't fair , not fair at all!

But life had to continue and move forward , even if all of them rather went back in time.

Joan was now the head of household as the primary caretaker of her grandchildren until Griffyn’s 21 birthday.

Even though Joan was a loving grandmother , she was a opportunist and a perfectionist- now that she was fully in control of her grandchildren lives she wanted them to have the best life according to herself, which didn’t sit well with the older children, especially not Griffyn.

The 15 year old didn’t like that his gran got angry if he stayed up working on his fathers unfinished commissions or went out hunting without asking her first , as his father had been okay with it.

He didn't like it either that she started to talk about arranging a suitable betrothed for him with Uncle Nicolas through letters.

But he sadly couldn't do much but to ask for them to wait a few more years , hoping by delaying it far enough until his 21st birthday. He used Little Phil as an excuse , that they should focus on him and his well being instead.

Seems like my theory is correct: The more sims you have the more sims will die.

Honestly I’m devastated that Noah and Olive died , I love William but if it had just been him I would have been okay with it! Olive was my baby girl and Noah was the only kid in the whole brood with brown eyes and I adored him 😭

Joan was scheduled to die this year , but now with William gone I decided to reroll a d20 to see how many more extra years she will haven and she rolled 10 , so she will be around for Griffyn’s 25 birthday. let’s say Joan is around 60ish.

I can see Joan being very loving yet opportunistic , she might play matchmaker and arrange all her grand-kids marriages. She might even poll strings with Arthur or Nicholas to find suitable partners for her grandchildren , even if its probably not something William nor Rebecca would have wanted for their kids.

Thomas’s death made me sad for Audrey and baby Geoffrey , the poor baby won’t get to know his father. I rolled to see if Audrey would get remarried and she will not. So Geoffrey is staying her only child forever.

Esther dying was the less heartbreaking one since she was a story plot character for Anne’s remarriage and would potentially be used for another story line. I was sad for Ursula’s sake since they were friends and could potentially had ended up as something more.

Little Geoffrey almost died too , since he rolled a 18 (I’m following the old death stats for the 1500s and 18 was a bad number , but not anymore in the new states) and I was like: NOPE , NOPE NOPE ! And when I’m against a death I toss a coin , if it lands on heads the sims dies and if it lands on tails the sims is fine, and it landed on tails.

So far I have only done it with Catherine Wardeby since she aged up without me , since when William almost died as a baby I didn’t have that system.

Why I have the old states is simple: I enjoy them more. They keep me on my toes and its exciting. Childhood was not a bed of roses , it was hard hence why I prefer the older death rolls. I might change it if it becomes too much once we are in simerica , but its still 28 years away.

The old states: VS : The new states ,

Pregnancy: 1,10

Babies 1, 5,10,15,20

Toddlers: 4, 8, 12, 16, 18/ 7, 14, 19

Child: 3,9,15,17,19/ 2, 4, 6

Teen: 7,13

Young Adult: 3,18

Adult pt 1: <7

Adult pt 2: <8

Elder: Either <11 or end of life roll.

I will do the end of life roll instead of a elder roll since it’s a lot easier to keep track on. I just hope that Eleanor and Anne lives long enough to meet their grandchildren , something nobody in this family has been able to except for the in-laws. Mary just got to know August before she died and I hope Anne and Eleanor will be luckier then that.I wanna see them as cute grandmas , especially now that William will never meet his grandchildren or be a grandpa 😢

Eleanor might meet her first grandchild before having her adult pt 2 death roll, since Abel is both aging up , marrying and have his baby try on the second day of 1593 and Eleanor is roll is on the last day of 1593 so it’s a hit or miss.

Anne and Catherine share a birthday so it’s unknown if she will get to meet her first grandchild.

Surprisingly if Griffyn lives to young adulthood Joan will possible meet her great-grandchildren by Griffyn and perhaps even Margery and Ursula too , which is insane to me. And I have decided to roll marriage for Ursula , but when it comes to baby roll she will not roll a d10 like the rest but a d4 since she is not a Alderberg technically.

What I mean by that is that she’s no ties to Mary , her children with her two husbands and we are following her descendants. If Ursula was adopted then she would be linked to Mary , but she is not. She is linked to Rebecca’s family.

#TW death #tw: child death #decades challenge #Morbid's decades challenge #A decaded through time #ultimate decades challenge #The Alderberg family #ts3 #ts3 legacy #the sims 3 #the sims 3 legacy

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ktzuki · 3 years

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no matter where i go, you'll always be there. and beyond the astrals, i am with you too.

omg its like the ffxv readers are still alive........ i see yall liking my posts still. anyways! i miss my boys so much that i wanted to write for them again. hopefully i wake up and still adore it because omfg do i feel like shakespeare or somethinf...... UGH MY LOMLS

noctis, the chosen king.

the day you lost your soul felt shattering to him, despite how used he shouldve been to the eyes of death. it was so common, seeing the ones he loved so dearly die as if he was the cause. noctis is still a kid, even if he was a king to be, and the responsibilities he held was killing him in such a slow and careful way that his beloved was the only one to weave him out of that. oh, how he wanted you to stay. at night, he still reaches out for you. he still feels the desperation of wanting to see you one last time. he still misses you, and in every moment does he try to find you. noctis never heals, but just like everything else, he was forced to let you go. you, you, you, you, you, and... next. after all, he is a vessel to the people, and to noctis' belief: things like love should have never come to him in the first place, or just like his name, you too will seek the night.

prompto, the night's best friend.

a strong will with a weak mind. the two usually doesn't work adjacent to each other, but with your daily words of affirmation, it worked. he didn't need to listen to his own thoughts as long as you reminded him as to who he really is: not a monster, not a lost spirit, but your sweetest beloved. if he was the sun, you were most definitely life itself. except when you died, it was as if everything you told him fell apart. prompto has a strong will with a weak mind, and his most vulnerable moments shine through when he figures you're out of sight forever. he reminisces through old pictures, past date locations, he would even hold your clothes close to him at all times. though, it takes a long time, but he does pick up the pieces of you and moves forward. you always told him he was the sun, and though you arent physically around, you are still and always life itself, and as long as he exists, he will walk with pride knowing he knew you and loved you with everything he had in himself, and it wasnt much.

ignis, the hidden adviser.

he was always so hidden to everyone, in a way that he was literally a shadow. ignis didn't mind as it wasnt his job to stand out. as long as things went correctly, he paid no mind. his life from the moment he grasped an understanding of the world was to be there for the king and the king only. you being there didn't change his need to be there for noctis as he grew up with that belief, but you most definitely allowed him to be who he was. not a caretaker for kid noctis, but ignis scientia. he was always ignis, though the time he allowed himself to actually relish the moments in which he could be himself, with you, was incredible. though something cheesy as if it were to come out of gladiolus' novels, you did make him feel lighter, his world brighter, and being with you was the happiest he's ever been. the sight of you was his driving force, and when you left, it still was. though ignis is blind, you still are. he will and will never forget your large toothy grins, or the way you even said his name. he will never allow himself to forget anything about you. though you are gone, you are never gone to him. the fact you were even willing to notice him was enough, and even without the blessing of sight, you were always there. forever and always.

gladiolus, the fiery shield.

gladiolus is very much a family-oriented guy. to adoring his younger sister iris, to taking care of all the gang like his very own brothers. he was the type to dream about the future, and with you, he imagined everything. like a dream, thats what you were exactly. straight from his novels. family is the most important thing in his life, and losing a petal stung him incredibly. at the end of the day, he is a shield, but shields do break down over time, and this was exactly when. for him to lose a petal meant losing a large chunk of his dreams, his aspirations, and his life long goals. it meant losing his loved one, his beloved, his classic juliet. though, he has to keep it hidden. he won't allow the boys to see him sulk or wither away. he wont let iris watch him crumble. though behind the scenes, gladiolus isnt very strong despite what it may seem. you are still always in his dreams, and always the character he sees in his novels. gladiolus will most definitely start a novel himself, and will this time create you to be the flower you ought to be; the dream he always wanted to be apart of, with you.

#final fantasy xv x reader #final fantasy xv #ffxv x reader #noctis x reader #prompto x reader #gladiolus x reader #ignis x reader #ffxv angst #noctis lucis caelum #prompto argentum #gladiolus amicitia #ignis scientia #angst #fanfiction #final fantasy

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rabbit-head-007 · 3 years

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Your casino AU??? I’m in love and I need to know more lore. Your designs for Milla and Sasha are so good and I love how smug Raz looks! Does Raz ever find his family again? And how did Milla and Sasha first get mixed up in the gang?

Thank youuuu for this lovely ask, I’ve re-read it so many times! 💋

I have been…very excited to answer this one 👀

Thank you for the wait as well, I wanted to take some time to add pictures to it! I’ll answer all your questions and more below!

🃏 ‘Does Raz ever find his family again?’

-He does! But they don’t recognize each other for a good while! Raz was separated from his family at the age of 5, and as another 5 years went past he could scarcely remember them, the blurred faces of a mom, dad, brother, and sister being all that was left in his mind. Likewise, Raz had undergone so many changes being raised at the Casino that his family hardly recognized him when they first met him! During a portion of Raz’s life his family moves into the same town he lives in, and with only vague memories of each other, he only saw them as ‘the neat circus family that performed at the market,’ whereas they saw him as ‘the Grulovian casino boy that trouble always followed.’

♥️ ‘How did Milla join the gang?’

-Milla lived most of her life as a caretaker for an orphanage just outside of the city, and was content to stay this way forever. However one night, as she was returning home with groceries, a flurry of cars went rushing past; two rival gangs in a shootout. In the midst of the firing, one car flung a Molotov cocktail from the passenger’s seat, letting it fly into the orphanage, setting it on ablaze. Having lost everything, Milla was distraught, and went on a investigation to find the culprits, following the glowing ember spirits of her beloved children, leading her to the gang’s hideout…where she burnt it to the ground. She left the fiery warehouse expecting to burn away like the rest of them, and found Hollis outside with a proposition: either join her gang and aide them with her newfound abilities, or die behind bars. Nowadays they call her Molotov Milla. She’s become so attached to the flames that some say she treats them like children…

♠️ ‘How did Sasha join the gang?’

-Sasha was a promising scientist whose greatest enemy was his wallet. He had become so desperate for funding that one night he stooped to an absolute low; he was going to use his psychic abilities to cheat at Hollis’ casino. The casino had a strict ‘no psychics’ policy, but he was krafty enough to keep his gift hidden, but he soon found much to his horror that the whole place was run by psychics. Like blood in a shark tank, the other members quickly became aware of his presence, as several dark eyes locked onto him. Hollis uncovered him and made a proposition; if he could beat her in a round of poker, she’d give him all the funding he’d want and more, but if he lost, he’d become a member of the casino, and do his research for their bidding. It’s quite obvious how this story ended…

#now to work for pictures for the next ask and answer any smaller ones in between! Hit me with your best shot folks!#psychonauts #psychonauts 2 #milla vodello #sasha nein #razputin aquato #psychonauts au #psychonauts sasha #psychonauts milla #psychonauts razputin #asks #rabbit rambles #my art #casino au

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pink-bird-30 · 3 years

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Becoming My Own Hero-Olicity & Robstar Crossover Fic

Ight. I’m making this the go to place to find alllllllll the links to my story because tumblr has this astounding ability to make my story impossible to find. Even using my own hashtag I have difficulty finding it!

So here we go. The links to all 7 chapters of Becoming My Own Hero:

Full Synopsis:

Oliver Queen Felicity Smoak had a daughter named Star Gabrielle Queen. On the night of her 8th birthday, her life changes forever. She is kidnapped by ARGUS and is recruited by Amanda Waller to protect the earth from Aliens, like Superman. But the genetic mutation she undergoes makes her stronger than they thought. To hide their mistake, they send her to her home planet Tamaran. Years later, the Justice League needs help from the Titans. The Titans head to Star City to assist in taking down a greater enemy, but how will Starfire handle being home after 11 years of being away, and her family believing that she would never come back?

This is a slow moving story. If you can tell by the publish date, I’ve been working on this for 3 years. A lot has happened that I haven’t been able to keep up with this story, but I’m trying to do better.

I hope you guys enjoy this story and my latest chapter!

As always, Happy Reading!

Chapter 7

Trained Pt.2

I can’t believe this is happening

For as long as Robin could remember he’d always had some sort of attraction to Starfire. Don’t get him wrong, its undeniable that she is this beautiful person, but standing there with his arms around her, deepening their ‘first’ kiss was blinding. He hadn’t truly realized how much he cared about her, how much she means to him, how much this could ruin everything.

What if they broke up? Would she still be his friend? Would she leave the Titans and never come back? Would she go home!?

Robin abruptly pulls back, allowing his doubts to control him, and puts Starfire at arm’s length. Starfire gives him a hurt expression and steps away from him, wrapping her arms around herself.

“Richard?”

He opens his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing comes out. He’s standing there like a fish out of water.

Starfire feels her whole world come crashing down.

How could he…I’m so stupid.

Not waiting for the ‘we’re teammates and shouldn’t date’ conversation, she turns her back on him and reaches for the elevator button. Once it reaches the ground floor she walks inside and finally turns to face a grief stricken Robin.

“I do understand why you wear the mask; you’re eyes tell a story the different than the actions. Night, Robin.”

The doors to the elevator closes and she lets her tears fall freely knowing he will never understand how much he hurt her tonight.

Down in the garage, Robin beats himself up for allowing Batman to continue to dictate his life.

“Dammit!” Robin punches the wall of the garage and immediately regrets it. He crumples back in pain, his hand throbbing. He can already feel the bruise spreading across his hand, creating deep shades of purple. But he doesn’t care. He finally had the opportunity to be happy for once in his life and he chose to listen to his hero side while standing there as Richard.

What did I do?

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Gotham 1996

“Mr. Wayne,” Bruce looks up from his desk taking note of his PR lady, whose name he can’t seem to remember; Rebecca? Leslie? “The press is ready for you.”

Bruce stands up from his desk, straightens his tie, and checks his hair one last time in his cabinet mirror before leaving his office with…Vickie, Vickie Vale!

“Thank you, Ms. Vale. Lead the way.” He smirks and winks at her, knowing how his charm needs to be on full blast for what he’s about to do. He gestures for her to walk out of his office first and follows behind, adjusting his cufflinks as they make theie way to the conference room.

The large windowed room held Gotham’s top reporters from: Gotham Gazzett, Channel 9, The Gotham Times, and Gotham News Network. The first wave of flashes startled Bruce, it’s been many years since he was exposed to the media, and having all these news stations here today is jarring compared to his secluded life back in Nada Parbat.

“Mr. Wayne, is it true you are the Batman?”

“Mr. Wayne, did cha’ really crash your new Bentley?”

“Mista Wayne, are you single?”

Bruce takes a deep breath, allowing himself to adjust back to his playboy swagger; concealing the person whom only a select few know. He opens his arms wide and smiles dazzlingly to the press, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I understand my disappearance has been hard on everyone in Gotham, especially the single ladies.” He winks at Vickie again, making her blush, and continues, “I know my families influence in Gotham is important. And for that, I am apologetic. But there is reason for my disappearance.

“Since the death of my beloved parents, Martha and Thomas Wayne, I’ve always wanted to discover if I had family elsewhere.” Bruce moves across the room, passing the large wooden table in the center of the room, and leans against the glass windows looking down to the city below. He can clear as day see all the destruction his absence has caused in such a short period of time. The thought sending a deep blow to his gut, knowing he chose to leave, but wished there was someone who could have kept Gotham free from evil.

Bruce looks back to the press, taking note they are waiting for him to continue.

“I went across seas to search for a missing relative on my father’s side. My butler, Alfred Pennyworth, had informed me of a long lost niece.” The crowd of reporter gasping at the new discovery. “I’ve brought her here today for you all to meet her. Her name is Gabrielle Wayne.” On cue, Alfred walks into the room pushing a black stroller and stops in front of Bruce.

“If you’d like to take a photo of my niece, please turn the flash off. It can harm a baby’s eyes. She’s only a few weeks old.”

Gently, Bruce reaches into the stroller to pick up Star and holds her in his arms. The room stills at the sight of the new Wayne child. No one never thought the Wayne bloodline would continue considering Bruce’s relations with women has never lead to a serious relationship.

“Excuse me, Mr. Wayne.” A young brunette woman from the Gotham Gazette pushes herself through the crowd of reporters. “Gloria with Gotham Gazette, what are your plans for taking care of Gabrielle? Will Alfred be her primary caretaker or will you be heiring a nanny?”

Bruce smiles down at Star as she stares back at him, a small giggle escaping her. “Alfred and I will be responsible for her. If I do need additional assistance, it will be taken care of in private. Gabrielle deserves to live a relatively normal life.”

Gloria reaches her tape recorder out further to Bruce, “Follow-up question: How can you raise a child in a dangerous city such as Gotham? With the rise of the Falcone crime family, and unrest in the deep underground of Gotham, how can you guarantee her safety?”

“Excellent question, Gloria.” Bruce shifts Star in his arms, moving her to rest her head against his shoulder. “Given my new status as her guardian, it will be my top priority to protect her at all cost. With that being said, today I will be announcing the charity event I will be hosting for GCPD. We will be holding an auction to raise money for the police department and expanding their crime division to include metahuman training. In our ever changing world, we must be prepared for the impossible.”

“Final question Mr. Wayne. How does it feel knowing Oliver Queen is alive and well?” Bruce’s mind goes blank realizing he’s been gone far longer than Oliver has been back in Star City. He feigns shock, “O-Oliver is alive? Since when?”

“He was discovered on an island in the North China sea about two years ago, Mr. Wayne.” Gloria supplies. “Why are you unaware of the sudden reappearance of your long-time friend, Oliver Queen?”

Alfred clears his voice, the attention of the media shifting from Bruce to Alfred. “Master Wayne did not have access to the news overseas, he spent his time searching for his belove niece.”

Gloria scrunches her eyebrows in confusion and pushes forward, “Sir, it’s 1996. The media is everywhere. I find it hard to believe Mr. Wayne was unaware of Oliver’s reappearance.”

Bruce’s jaw locks in a straight line, “Gloria, please understand. If I weren’t overly set on finding my niece, leading to deep parts of Europe where there was hardly an internet café, I would have been in Star City when he arrived home. Trust me when I say, he’s like a brother to me.”

Gloria raises a brow at his claim, still seeing through the holes of his story.

I’ll find out the truth later…

Star becomes restless in Bruce’s arms. He rocks her gently but it doesn’t seem to be calming her down. He casts a slightly panicked look at Alfred who gestures to her stroller. The media watches as Bruce kisses the top of Star’s head, a few camera shutters going off, and he sets Star back into her stroller. He buckles the small black belt across her chest and between her chubby little legs. Almost instantly she starts to nod off, cooing softly. Bruce smiles down at her and places a light blue knitted blanket over her legs. Alfred steps forward to take her back out of the room.

Bruce turns back to the group of people and they are all silent in awe if this new Bruce Wayne.

“Gloria,” Her attention snapping to him, realizing she was entranced by his care as a new father. “I’m grateful my friend is alive and well; I’ll have to check up on him at some point in the future. Until then, thank you all for coming here today to share in this great day. I look forward to mingling will you all at the GCPD Charity event.” Bruce waves to them as he leaves the room, ignoring the onslaught of questions being hurtled his way as he backs out of the room and heads back down where he once came.

Out in the hallway, Vicki Vale walks ahead of Bruce, her maroon heels clicking against the marble floors. He can feel himself releasing a slow breath. This was a journey he never envisioned for himself. He never thought he’d take on such an important responsibility without much thought. This wasn’t like him. But the second he met Star, he knew he needed to protect her at all costs.

He knew it was time to reach back into the Bruce he shut off a long time ago, the young man who didn’t know his purpose in life. The young man who lost everything he cared for and became a playboy that he knew his parents would be disappointed in. The young man that shut himself off from anyone who cared for him and pushed them away. He needs that innocent, vulnerable part of himself back for this new challenged.

He needed to be Bruce, not Bruce Wayne.

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Titans Tower 2012

Starfire lays in bed tossing and turning all night until the first peak of light start to sneak its way into dawn. Starfire growls at the ball of fire that typically greats her happily each day, but after last night, she wanted to be left alone.

She felt a new wave of tears gather in her eyes thinking about last night’s events. Why had Robin pushed her away? Why did she think it could be easy? Why does this human boy have such a hold on her heart?

“Richard…” she sighs into her pillow, hugging it close to her chest. She wants nothing more than to be with him. The feeling of his arms wrapped tightly around her, making her feel safe. The taste of his lips still ever present even hours later. And his eyes, he trusted her enough to show her who he was. And that’s what hurts the most. Robin was so vulnerable with her but pulled away.

What is wrong with boys…

A subtle knock on her door gains her attention. She scrunches her brows in confusion, knowing no one would be up at this ungodly hour besides her. Starfire always rises with the sun, wanting to take in the first few rays to power her through the day. But today was the opposite, she wanted her room to keep the light out. She wants to be alone and bask in the darkness her curtains can provide her.

The knock comes again more urgently, “Star, we really need to talk. I fucked up bad.”

Starfire stills hearing Robin’s voice ring through her door. Why does he think he can pull a stunt like he did last night and not expect any consequences for his actions? Does he expect Starfire to accept an apology and be happy he finally acted on his feelings for her?

He knocks again.

“Star? Please, open the door.” The desperation in his voice was enough to make her eyes roll. Starfire huffs in frustration and weighs her options. It’s either deal with this now or have the entire team butting in when they are trying to hash it out. That thought alone was enough for Starfire to sit up in bed and make her way to her floor length mirror.

Starfire runs her fingers through her hair and checks herself in the mirror. She’s wearing shorts and a string tank top, nothing too risqué, but enough to short circuit any teenaged boys’ mind. She walks over to the door to unlock it, letting it swish open revealing an equally tired Robin.

“Hello, Robin.” Starfire turns away from him and walks back over to her bed, not bothering to wait for him to reply. She hears him clear his throat and step into her room, letting the door swish close behind him. She doesn’t bother to look up at him; she didn’t want him to see how much he hurt her.

“Star—I.” he stops just short of her bed, keeping a friendly distance between them, but close enough that he can still reach out to her.

“You what? You have the regrets? If that is so, please do the leaving. I rather save myself the humiliation.” She crosses her arms and huffs, her hair slightly flaming at the ends.

Robins sighs, already feeling defeated. He spent the last three hours trying to find the right words to express himself, but he’s never really been in a relationship with anyone before. Barbara doesn’t count too much. They were only 14 and she ended up having feelings for someone at their high school.

“May I sit?” He gestures to the space next to her on the bed. He’s never asked permission before, he’s always felt comfortable enough around Star to be there with her, but now everything was different. Her bed didn’t seem oh-so innocent anymore. If anything, it made him very much aware her pajamas cover very little of her.

Her green eyes are sharp and sizing him up, “You may.”

Shaking away all impure thoughts running through his head, Robin sits down next to Starfire on the bed, turning to take her hands in his. “Star, I didn’t mean to push you away last night. I was—” he pauses feeling Starfire pull her hands from his slowly. Robin feels panic settle in his chest for a moment.

Oh god, she doesn’t even want me to touch her anymore.

Tentatively, she touches the corner of his mask, silently asking permission to remove it. Robin sighs in relief and nods, understanding why she wants it off. He has nothing left to hide from her; he’s ready to be open and honest with someone for the first time in years.

Her fingers are soft against his cheek as she gently pulls at the mask, letting it fall to the ground next to her bed. She brushes her thumb against his cheek before dropping her hands to her lap again.

“You may proceed.”

“What I was going to say is that I was—I was scared, Star.” He stares at her with his intense blue eyes, the fear showing bright within them. “All these negative thoughts of what could happen if this doesn’t work out came rushing all at once, and I-“ Robin takes a deep breath, trying to steady his voice. “You’re the last person I want to lose. I’ve already lost too many people I care about.”

Starfire sits there in silence allowing Robin’s words to hang between them. She can see the panicked expression settling across his face. His hold on her hands starts to loosen, but she’s quick to tighten the hold, preventing him from fleeing again.

“Ouch.”

Starfire is confused by his sudden pain and looks down to look at his hand.

“Oh! Richard, what did you do?!” she examines his right hand, running her delicate finger over the deep purple bruise, touching it tenderly to feel for any broken bones. He hisses when she touches the darker stain across his knuckles.

“Ah, yeah. I sorta punch the garage wall last night after you left. I was angry because I still let—” Robin realizes what he was about to say and freezes.

“I am the confused, who are you allowing to do the controlling of you?” Starfire asks as she stands from the bed and goes to her adjoining bathroom for a first aid kit from under the sink. She settles back on her bed, close enough that her knee brushes his thigh.

Robin frowns, “I-my adoptive father. He’s…you don’t know about my family, do you?” Robins asks. Starfire frowns. Of course she knows who Robin’s adoptive father is. It’s her uncle, but Robin doesn’t know that she has her memories back yet.

She’ll have to pretend not to know. But then again, Bruce Wayne is a very public figure…

Feigning confusion Starfire shakes her head, “No, I am unaware of your k’norfka.” She continues to rifle through the first aid kit trying to find a disposable ice pack.

Robin flexes his fingers, feeling the pain radiate through his fingers. “Let’s just say he’s a very public figure and the reason why I have to keep my identity hidden, if they know who I am-“

“Then they will have the knowledge of whom the Batman is.” Starfire looks up to meet Robin’s eyes. She can see the sadness embedded deep within, but she still can’t shake the fact he rejected her last night.

Breaking eye contact, Star pulls the ice pack from the kit and breaks it, letting the beans cool up. She takes hold of Robin’s hand and gently lays the ice pack on his hand.

Robin hisses at the weight of the ice pack, but then relaxes once the cool pack starts to numb his hand from the pain.

“Thanks.” He smiles at her making her heart jump, seeing his eyes crinkle at the corner and the warmth radiating from them.

He really cares for me…

Starfire shifts closer to him, positioning his hand on her thigh, and takes a small pack of pain medication from the kit and hands it to Robin. When he doesn’t reach for them, Starfire looks at him quizzically; confused by his distracted state.

“Richard?”

“Hm.” His eyes are still focused on his hand resting against her thigh. The warmth seeping its way from his hand through his veins.

“Here, take the medication of pain.” He open his hand, accepting the pack of pills. Her hand grazes his, a soft brush of her fingers against his gloveless palm. It sends a small spark to his heart, and he can see Starfire is just as affected when she doesn’t retract her hand right away.

Feeling brave, letting his fears go and taking responsibility for his actions, Robin closes his hand around hers. “For a long time, I let him dictate what I could and couldn’t do. And sometimes that younger, more obedient version of myself overclouds my judgment and I make poor decisions.”

Robin releases Starfire’s hand, letting the packet of pills drop to her bed, and reaches to cup her face. At first she freezes, unsure where this conversation is going, fearful he may reject her again. But when his thumb brushes her cheek tenderly, she leans more into him, accepting the small comfort he is offering her.

“When we formed the Titans, I didn’t want to be the version of myself I was before I came to Jump City. This isn’t Gotham, the threats aren’t the same and the people aren’t the same. I had to become a different type of hero for those kinds of people because there’s hope here.” He smiles lightly, making Starfire smile in return. “ This city isn’t on the brink of destruction; sure there’s been plenty of villains attempting to take over, but the five of us are able to keep them at bay. Each and every single one of us is able to not only protect one another, but ourselves.

“I guess, what I’m trying to say is: I’m afraid of something happening to you. To all of you, but I can’t let that fear dictate my happiness. I know you can handle any situation, but I still can’t help that small voice that tells me otherwise. I trust you Starfire, and I trust that us, together, can work.”

The only sound in the room was the distant rumble of waves hitting the island rocks down below. Could he really mean it? Does he…does he really want to be with her?

Starfire’s eyes widen at his words, “Richard, I do not want to do the reading of the words, but are you—are you asking me…?

The ice pack on Robin’s hand plops to the bed as he moves his hand up her thigh, causing a slight blush to cross her cheeks. He moves up her side, grazing it softly, feeling the soft fabric of the tank top against his hand. As he reaches her shoulder, he inches his face closer to hers before his hand finds home threading slowly through her long auburn locks. Starfire can feel her skin burning from where his hand traveled, leaving a wake of gooseflesh bubbling her sun kissed skin.

Just like the night before, the magnetic pull between the two was undeniable. Starfire rests her head against Robin’s, “Do you promise not to do the freak out again if we have the lip contact?”

Robin chuckles deep in his throat, “I won’t. Not this time.” He brushes a strand of hair away from her face, “I’m all in if you are.”

Wrapping her arms around his shoulder’s, Starfire pulls Robin towards her as she lays down against the pillows, leaving him hovering over her. Robin gazes at her warmly finally feeling content.

Her green eyes glowing bright with glee as she drags him closer to her again. Their bodies flush together, and her hand weaving its way into his hair. His injured hand rests against her hip and the other cups the side of her face. He tilts his head down allowing their lips to brush lightly as Starfire’s hand caresses the side of Robin’s face.

“I very much am, Richard.” She whispers against his lips and gives him a slow, chaste kiss before pulling back completely, watching Robin’s eyes open slowly. A smile spreads across his face making Starfire giggle in return.

“But—“ her face taking on a serious look, making Robin squirm. “—If you do the pulling of the yesterday events, I will not have the pleasantries for you once more. You have the understanding?”

Robin visibly gulps, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “I promise, Star.”

She smiles brightly and gives him another slow kiss. This one sending waves of happiness through the young alien.

“What are we going to tell the others?” Robin asks as he pulls back and reluctantly untangles himself from Starfire. He lays down next to her on the bed, propping himself against the soft purple pillows.

Starfire moves to her side facing him and takes his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together. Will they be upset? Will they celebrate? Should they keep it a secret for now?

Starfire’s train of thought is cut short by Robin’s hand slowly grazing up her side, sending shivers down her spine. She find herself cuddling closer to him, allowing his arm to wrap around her fully.

I can definitely get used to this.

Feeling more and more comfortable Starfire feels herself succumbing to her exhaustion.

“I do believe—” She lets out a yawn and blinks her eyes sleepily. “—it is the problem for later. I did not have pleasant shlorvax last night.” She yawns again, emphasizing her tired state and snuggles closer to Robin’s warm body. Robin shifts to lay on his back, leaving room for Starfire to rest her head on his shoulder and her arms to wrap around his waist.

Sleepily, Robin yawns as well, feeling the events of the past few hours finally catching up to him.

“Sounds good to me.” He whispers, feeling his eyes grow heavy.

“Pleasant shlorvax, Richard.” She kisses the underside of his jaw and falls into peaceful sleep. He wraps his arm tighter around her waist, pulling her closer to him, and drags the blanket over the both of them.

“Night, Star.”

-------------------------------

Starling City 1996

Felicity finds herself wander down the long winding staircase of the foundry. Her still protruding belly stretching her black knit sweater uncomfortably as she waddles down the stairs. She can hear the grunts of someone working out on the gym mats and the sound of keys being clicked on her keyboard. The thought alone sends Felicity to waddle down the stairs at a brisk pace, making her shoes thump against the hard concrete floor.

“Who the hell is touching my keyboard? Is it Roy? How many times have I told you not to touch—”

“Felicity!?” John Diggle shoots up from her desk chair as Felicity approaches. She does a double take to see she’s really seeing who she thinks it is.

“Dig?” She says in disbelief. The past year has been extremely hard on Felicity and finally coming home, but without her love and daughter, she didn’t think anyone would be down here.

Diggle wipes a tired hand down his face and lets out a short laugh that could pass as a choked sob. “You’re okay? Really?” He looks down her body. She looks paler than usual, her hair showing her dark roots and her belly, hanging low. This catches Diggle’s attention immediately.

His eyes widen, “Are you pregnant?”

Felicity bites her lip, knowing this was not how she wanted to tell Dig she and Oliver had a child together. She thought it’d be like when Sara was born. All of them huddled in a hospital room wanting to take a turn holding Star in their arms. They’d take their first Team Arrow photo together. But Ra’s took that from her, from them.

Felicity presses a hand to her bulging stomach, he lips quivers from the onslaught of emotions facing through her.

“I was pregnant, Dig. Oliver and I—” her voice cracks and the damn breaks. Diggle pulls her into a tight hug, wishing he could take all the pain away. She sobs into his chest, wishing Oliver and Star were there with her.

After a few moments, Felicity steps back and wipes away the tears with her black sleeve. She sniffles as she walks over to her forgotten computer desk and sits down in her chair. The chair where she watched Oliver for hours using the salmon ladder. Where she and Oliver would talk about their future together, how they both wanted a family…

And now she sits there alone.

“Dig.” Her voice rough from tears. “We need to help Oliver get out of the league, no matter how long it takes. I need my family back.”

Diggle nods in understanding. If it were Lyla and Sara on the line, he’d be raising hell to get them back.

Felicity begins her research on Ra’s al Ghul in order to develop a plan to bring down the League of Shadows. She starts by listing anyone and everyone that is in association with the league:

Sara Lance, Malcom Merlin, Maseo, Talia al ghul, Nyssa al Ghul, Star Queen...

The last name catches Diggle off guard, “Felicity, whose Star Queen?”

Her fingers stop moving on the keyboard and turns to him sadly, “That’s our daughter’s name. Star Queen.”

Diggle feels his throat tighten realizing this baby girl is stuck in one of the scariest places on Earth. Why would Felicity leave her there? Why not bring her back?

“Before you ask, I did not have a choice.” She looks up at the celling of the foundry her eyes growing wet once more. “She had to stay and be inducted to the league as an heir. They took my baby from me Dig, my baby.”

Diggle places a comforting hand on Felicity’s shoulder. Not truly knowing how to comfort her in this situation. How could he? His wife and child are safe at home, far away from these kinds of monsters that Oliver and Felicity find themselves fighting against.

“Yo, Dig!” Roy bellows from the training mats. “Did you see the news? Bruce Wayne is back in Gotham. And he has a kid!” Roy comes barreling in from the sparring mats, sweat dripping down his face. He takes a good look at the small blonde perched in her usual seat. Roy stops short of the med table, the shock overwhelming him before he rushes at her, and engulfs her into a big hug.

“Felicity, is it really you?!” Roy asks in disbelief. How is it possible that she is back? It’s been almost a year since she and Oliver went to Nada Parbat to resurrect Thea. Thea came home right away and told them how Oliver had to stay to be the Heir to the Demon Head. And Felicity was subjected to stay, but did not understand why. But standing there, taking in Felicity’s appearance, it wasn’t tough for Roy to put two and two together.

“That’s why you stayed. You were pregnant…Where’s the-?”

“Roy.” Dig says warningly.

Felicity looks away from them, feeling her throat tighten. She clenches and unclenches her firsts trying to control her emotions, but post-partum has already kicked in and she couldn’t help the few tears that fell.

“She is safe.” She whispers. Roy steps forward and wraps his arms around her again, giving her a tight hug. Felicity reacts immediately feeling safe in her friend’s arms. Roy was always like a younger brother to her, and she missed him terribly for the year she was gone.

But why did Roy come in here again?

“Bruce Wayne is back in Gotham. And he has a kid!”

Felicity abruptly pulls back from Roy and swings her chair back around to face her desktop. She rapidly types in a series of codes and brings up the local news.

“Good Morning, Starling City. I’m Summer Gleeson and here’s Today’s breaking news. Billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne has returned to Gotham City after being gone for nearly 7 years. Not only is his reappearance suspicious, but he has a child! Before you all lose your hats, here’s the dish. Our sources at the Wayne conference earlier today confirm that it is a long lost niece on Bruce’s father’s side. Here is the first look at the new baby of Gotham, Gabrielle Wayne!”

The tv cuts to the press briefing at Wayne Enterprises. They watch as Bruce makes this grand speech before Alfred rolls in a stroller.

Felicity feels her chest beat fast as she realizes what is happening.

“Oh, frack.”

Diggle looks questioningly to Felicity before watching the screen once more.

“…her name is Gabrielle Wayne.”

“That’s my baby…” Felicity sobs, clutching at her still round belly.

Roy’s eyes widen, “Why would Bruce Wayne…”

“Oliver, this was the plan he didn’t tell me about. But I don’t think he thought Bruce would be so public…” Felicity’s voice drifts as she watches her baby girl giggle on screen, bringing a smile to her tear streaked face.

A warm hand lands on her shoulder and she leans her head against it. “She’s beautiful, Felicity.” Diggle gave her shoulder a squeeze letting her know he’s here for her and ready to take on whatever it take to bring her home.

With a renewed feeling of ambition. Felicity takes a deep breath, sits up in her chair, and squares her shoulders, causing Diggle’s hand to fall away.

“So,” Roy steps forward to lean against the desk, facing Diggle and Felicity. “What’s the plan, boss.”

Felicity smiles for the first time in months, feeling hope after all the darkness she was exposed to for 9 months.

“We’re getting them back.” She reaches out to take Diggle’s and Roy’s hands. She needed their team to get this done. They will need all the help they can get to bring Oliver and Star home.

“Let’s get to work.”

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angelicamerlinbarnes · 3 years

Text

TUA DISNEY AUs: Moana (Pt. XII)

(please understand that by AU, I mean they share an incredibly small amount of things in common with the original source material which I barely remember BUT the “story” takes place in the setting of the film) (not to be misleading or anything :p)

(BEWARE: murder?, i don't know i don't really remember, sorry, i guess, etc.)

(If you can handle watching Umbrella Academy, this will be fine for you.)

(Moana) Allison is in line to be chieftess, but she wasn’t always. She used to have six siblings, but they all slowly disappeared before she came of age, leaving her alone with her crazed father. He won’t allow her near the ocean, claiming it’s dangerous since it claimed her brother Ben’s life so many years ago, but somehow Allison thinks there’s more to that story than meets the eye (ears?)… and when Lila, the goddess of darkness, comes to claim Allison’s island, it gives her a chance to look for answers. She steals away in the night to save her home and her people, taking only Ray with her.

(Maui) Luther was banished and stripped of his shapeshifting powers when Lila’s heart was taken, as Reginald needed to blame someone for the goddess’ anger and Luther was the only choice - just he and Allison remained by that point and Allison had always been of more use. He now lurks on an island, waiting for Allison to come and bring him home.

(Te Ka) Lila was the dark to Eudora’s light. They were ancient goddesses who presided over all nature, but the sea goddess the Handler became jealous of their love and power and sent one of her minions to steal Lila’s heart, destroying the balance between the two lovers. Lila became bitter and angry and Eudora fell into a deep despair, the two of them separated for eternity lest some brave soul can bring them back together.

(Te Fiti) Eudora fell into a deep, sad sleep after losing Lila, and wakes only once a year to be nurtured by Diego, Klaus, and Five, who live on her shores. She will sleep forever, she vows, unless Lila is returned to her, but as much as Diego, Klaus, and Five want to save her, they cannot bear leave one another alone on the island.

Ray is a beloved healer on the island, a wiseman who can control the winds. Allison takes him with her because a guy who can control the winds is pretty fucking useful on a journey in a sailboat across the sea, and Ray follows her because he is deeply, desperately in love with her, and this is the closest he will ever get to telling her and he knows it.

Diego left seven nights after Klaus killed himself. He rescued Klaus, not dead after all, from the island where he found Five and the three of them made their own family and home together on Eudora’s island. They care for her together, and hope and pray for someone to come and save her soon. But when they recieve word from Ben that their home is dying, Diego finally leaves to go looking for Lila’s heart, kissing Klaus goodbye and leaving his husband and son to care for Eudora alone.

Klaus was the tribe’s resident crazy person, voodoo witch doctor, and herbalist who could speak to the dead. He fled home, faking his death by jumping off a cliff in front of a multitude of village people just a few nights after Ben died. The ghosts caught him, but nobody else knew that, and Klaus sailed as far as he could until he reached Lila’s island, where he found Five stranded. He stayed there with him, braving the furious ash and fire for almost a year before Diego found and rescued them, taking them to Eudora’s safe haven. Klaus knows he must remain dead to the world outside of his chosen family - Reginald wants to kill him, because he’s the only link to Ben. And Reginald can’t have anyone knowing the truth about what happened to Ben.

Vanya was kidnapped by (read: sold by Reginald to) Leonard, a patron of the Handler who kept watch over an island full of mortal women. Vanya fell in love with Sissy, one of the island’s residents, and helped take care of her son Harlan, who she had with one of the island’s overseers. The island is a volcano beneath the sea, and therefore impossible to reach without the Handler’s personal approval, but when Vanya starts a revolt and wins back the island, it seems like things are finally looking up. That is, until they’re not.

Five left first, when Reginald wouldn’t let him practice his magic. He was tossed about by the storms, and stranded alone on a timeless island for what felt like forty-five years before the Handler offered him a second chance in her waters. He accepted, but jumped ship as soon as he could, which happened to be on Lila’s island. He made friends with a lot of coconuts, all named Dolores, until Klaus showed up, saving him from his solitude. The happiest day of his life was when Diego came and got them off Lila’s island long enough to land them on Eudora’s. Five wonders if he’ll ever make it home.

Ben was drowned in the sea by Reginald when he was seventeen. He had found out where Lila’s heart was and intended to return it to the goddess, and Reginald, who had a deal with the Handler regarding an exchange of power once all of the islands were destroyed, killed Ben to keep him from ruining the plan. Ben encouraged Klaus to flee, knowing Reginald would kill him too, and has been by Klaus’ side ever since, working to save their home and people by bringing their family back together. It’s going… okay to be honest it’s going kind of shitty.

Hazel was perfectly happy living with his wife Agnes on their own island, all of their people lost to the Handler. But when Agnes became sick, Hazel made a deal with the Handler - Agnes’ life for Hazel’s eternal servitude. Unfortunately, Agnes passed away just as they shook hands, and the Handler can’t bring anyone back from the dead. Hazel lived on the island where Vanya was held in despair for years, eventually giving his life to give Vanya and the other captives a chance to escape.

Cha-Cha was an Amazonian warrior captured and brainwashed by the Handler into doing her bidding. She stole Lila’s heart, the only one capable enough to do so, and broke free of the Handler’s training the moment it touched her palm, the two goddesses’ influences canceling each other out. She now guards the heart where she hid it so many years ago, keeping it safe from the Handler and all her allies. To get the heart, you have to get past her - and nobody’s done that yet.

The Handler literally is the ocean. She is the ancient goddess of the sea, an incredibly powerful position, but was jealous of Lila and Eudora’s love and power and stole Lila’s heart as a way of taking that power for herself. Unfortunately, she can’t take any of that power until all of the islands are destroyed and Eudora dies, at which point Lila will be rendered obsolete.

Reginald is the murderous and psychopathetic chief of the siblings’ home island. They all hate him and he hates them. He made a deal with the Handler for infinite power and killed his own son in cold blood. He’s a bitch and we’re all glad he’s dead now.

Grace is the siblings’ beloved mother and is known around the village as a healer and a caretaker. Diego is reunited with her in the final battle saving her from Lila’s violent hand, only to lose her when she chooses to become the new ocean goddess once the Handler is purged from sea. But they still feel close to her, able to see her whenever they wish, however blue she may be.

Pogo is the wiseman who meditates all the time and gives both useful and useless advice. He is killed by the Handler when he won’t tell her the location of Lila’s heart.

Diego learns the location of Lila’s heart from Klaus, who learned it from Ben, and sets off to retrieve it and take it home to Lila. He wins the heart from Cha-Cha, earning her respect and trust when he passes her maze of hallucinations, choosing to save the ghosts of Five and Klaus instead of get his greatest wish. Diego is ushered from her island safely to Luther’s, where he gives the heart to Allison.

Ray and Allison share a dramatic, heartfelt confession and kiss just before leaving the island in a raging storm, in which Ray dies distracting the Handler long enough for Allison, Luther, and Diego to get away. They are taken in by Vanya, who has made her way to Eudora’s island, where Klaus, Ben, and Five wait. Reunited, the siblings return Lila’s heart and she and Eudora share a beautiful and tearful reunion.

They ask the goddesses to take them home, wanting no other reward, but find that their island is soon to be sunken beneath the waves, the Handler’s rage at losing her chance at infinite power bubbling over. An epic battle ensues, in which Klaus and Ben use their combined powers to kill Reginald and remove him from power. Diego saves Grace from the Handler’s wrath for having such meddling kids, and Cha-Cha arrives just in time to distract the Handler long enough for all seven siblings to come together and use their combined power to purge the seas of the Handler’s spirit, effectively killing her.

Grace makes the selfless choice to take the Handler’s place as goddess of the ocean, taken in by Lila and Eudora. The siblings grieve her, but she tells them she will always be close to them, and that they may visit her whenever they wish. As a sort of repayment for losing their mother, Lila and Eudora help Grace to revive Ray from the bottom of the ocean, returning him to Allison.

Allison becomes chieftess and Luther stands by her side as leader of the warriors, as does Ray. Luther learns to again harness his shapeshifting powers from the moon gods, who welcome him up in the sky with Ray and Allison and all his siblings whenever he wishes. Ray takes over as spiritual leader after Klaus chooses to step down and leave with Diego.

Diego trains in the ways of the warriors and Klaus practices magic until he feels strong enough to leave, and they set off to become pirates and find Five, who left a few years ago in pursuit of adventure and new, exciting knowledge. Ben, brought back to life as a merman by Grace as a gift for Diego for saving her, follows them across the earth.

Vanya finds the timeless island Five was once stranded on, now called Ogygia, and settles there with Sissy and all the other women once held captive by the Handler’s goons. They are effectively sirens, but are careful who they lure in, as sometimes Klaus and Diego come to visit without warning and Vanya would never want to hurt her family.

Cha-Cha takes off to travel the world alone, making peace with herself and her mistakes. She explores new lands and seas and finds joy in her new experiences, occasionally crossing paths with one of the siblings she knew once upon a time.

Lila and Eudora keep the balance as dark and light once again, dancing across the sea and making waves with their rhythmic love. They guard the siblings and protect their islands, and the earth sings with their joy.

Oh, and that dumb chicken is in here somewhere. Maybe Kenny’s mom.

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samwpmarleau · 3 years

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1) It doesn’t fit with GRRM’s track record to introduce something as monumental as this, let alone so late in the game, and have it be what it says on the tin. For Aegon to actually be Elia and Rhaegar’s son who miraculously appears at the 11th hour to save the day doesn’t fit at all. Also, unfortunately, GRRM’s presentation of his characters of color is absolutely abysmal. While he debunked the theory of Dany blowing up the Water Gardens (THANK GOD), that doesn’t mean he’s going to magically treat Dorne how it deserves to be treated. A lot of the “evidence” I’ve seen about Aegon being real hinges on GRRM actually doing right by his characters of color and their associated storylines, which is … not likely.

2) The Golden Company was founded by Bittersteel, the #1 Blackfyre supporter who kept trying to make the Blackfyre cause succeed even long after Daemon was dead. The GC has been faithfully pro-Blackfyre ever since, and was even led by a Blackfyre, Maelys, in the Fifth Rebellion as well, which was not all that long ago.

3) The GC has never broken a contract before — in fact, their words have been “as good as gold” since the very beginning when Bittersteel founded it — so why would they now? They would only break a contract for blood (“some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood”), for a Blackfyre. They broke the contract so they can help put Aegon on the throne and finally complete what Daemon and Bittersteel began.

4) The GC met with Viserys and Dany and laughed them out of the room. Why would they then be all gung-ho for a different Targaryen? Viserys wasn’t even a madman or pathetic when he met with them (Dany was still “a little girl”), Robert had only recently gotten the throne and therefore it was at its most vulnerable, and Viserys was well-known in Westeros as the Targaryen heir. If they were going to support a Targaryen, it would have been Viserys. Or Daenerys. Yet they didn’t. So why support Viserys’s alleged nephew instead? They would only do so because the Targaryen was only nominally one, in reality a Blackfyre.

5) Illyrio specifically says the Blackfyres are extinct in the male line, meaning they are still around, only through the female line, such as Illyrio’s late wife Serra. Aegon being Illyrio and Serra’s son would explain Illyrio’s fondness for the boy, why he’s so sad to see him go, and why he’s so invested in putting a “Targaryen” on the throne. Additionally, he found Serra as a sex slave in a Lysene brothel — quite a long ways down from the favored son of a Targaryen king. It would make sense for Illyrio, who loved her deeply, to in her memory restore what was “stolen” from her family.

6) Illyrio has a trunk full of children’s clothes, despite the fact that he’s supposed to be childless. Good clothes, too. (Those clothes are also blue, the color Aegon dyes his hair. Maybe a coincidence, maybe not.)

7) JonCon notes that Rhaegar’s eyes were “a deep purple, darker than this boy’s,” implying to us the reader that Aegon is not Rhaegar’s. It’s also a hint that JonCon has suspicions that Aegon is not the real deal but is in denial, because if Aegon isn’t real, then that means Rhaegar really is lost to him forever and he can do nothing to avenge him.

8) I’ve seen the argument for “sun’s son” being Aegon but it doesn’t make sense. Asha is called the kraken’s daughter, for one, despite being a Greyjoy in her own right, so yes, it tracks that Quentyn can be called the “sun’s son” despite being a “sun” himself (and it just has better rhythm). Plus, if he weren’t the “sun’s son,” how would he instead be the “mummer’s dragon”? He’s not a dragon, he’s not a fake, nor is he being controlled by a mummer, whereas that fits for Aegon. And in Dany’s HOTU vision, there’s a cloth dragon swaying on poles above a cheering crowd — how would Quentyn fit that either (especially since he’s dead)? But Aegon would. This is also in the same passage as “slayer of lies,” mind you. Aegon is the lie to be slain. The other people in the prophecy are pretty clear as to their identities, so why would “sun’s sun” and “mummer’s dragon” be riddles?

9) The Blackfyres and their rebellions have been developed more and more through the years, including an entire Dunk and Egg book about the second one. Would be a bit odd to completely drop that thread, no? The Third Rebellion didn’t even happen until late in Aerys I’s reign, so it’s not like the Blackfyres will play a central role any time soon in D&E. In the main series, however, they would. Plus, GRRM wrote the D&E book about the Second Rebellion while he was also writing ADWD, and it’s in ADWD that history lessons about the Blackfyres are repeatedly brought up.

10) The parallel between Aegon and Jon. Jon is a real secret Targaryen raised without knowing his true identity, whereas Aegon is a fake secret Targaryen raised without knowing his true identity.

11) There’s plenty of the “human heart in conflict with itself” that GRRM loves with him being fake. Dany gets another family member, the son of her beloved brother Rhaegar — only to find out Aegon’s a fake. JonCon raises a child for over a decade, the son of his beloved Rhaegar, redemption for losing at Stoney Sept — only to find out Aegon’s a fake. Dorne (Doran specifically) gets a piece of their beloved Elia back — only to find out Aegon’s a fake. Aegon himself has believed his whole life that he’s Elia and Rhaegar’s son, the heir to the throne, has gone through many hardships to get where he is — only to find out he’s been lied to since day one. Those are all very real, very poignant beats.

12a) The supposition that Elia would save her son but not her daughter — Dornish Elia, who would value her daughter just as much as her son — is nonsensical to me. I CANNOT get behind that one bit. Maybe I can justify Elia being willing to sacrifice someone else’s innocent baby if it meant saving her own (though that’s a horrible and heartless thing to do), but I CANNOT see a justification for her saving Aegon yet not Rhaenys.

Moreover, if the baby weren’t Aegon, why would Elia be so willing to die for it? If it weren’t hers, if she had been pragmatic/cold enough to trade her baby for someone else’s, why on EARTH would she not have left that baby in the nursery and gone with Rhaenys, her actual child? The men Tywin sent had a reputation even back then and had scaled the walls of Maegor’s Holdfast. Elia would be dumb as a bag of bricks to think they would spare “her” son and Rhaenys, or possibly even herself. If they were to magically spare “Aegon,” great! Everyone’s happy (except Tywin). But why would Elia take that risk? No. She would only tell Rhaenys to run away yet stay with Aegon because he was her child and she had no other choice.

12b) If Elia switched the babies, then why don’t the Martells know anything about it? They were involved in a Targaryen restoration, Oberyn even went to Essos to sign the betrothal pact between Arianne and Viserys. Yet none of them know that their nephew is alive? If Elia really did take the pains to switch the babies for her son’s safety, why would she not have involved her family? At the very least, by having whoever she sent Aegon with even just hint to her family that he’s alive? But they know nothing. Zilch. They put their eggs in Viserys’s basket, then Dany’s, who are at best Elia-adjacent.

12c) Who would even be able to do such a thing as switch out the babies without a soul being the wiser? Varys, probably, but there is no way in hell Elia would entrust her son to him. Far beyond simply being a shady person in general who is out for himself and himself alone, he was the one who purposefully whispered in Aerys’s ear about invented conspiracies and betrayals. He made Aerys more paranoid, more dangerous. To the detriment of Rhaegar, Elia, their children, and the realm at large. Varys is the entire reason Aerys went to the Tourney at Harrenhal in the first place, because he convinced him that Rhaegar convened the tourney to meet with a bunch of lords in order to depose Aerys. Varys directly and gleefully contributed to Aerys’s further descent into tyranny.

Elia wouldn’t have trusted Varys as far as she could throw him, certainly not with something as precious as her child, not even if she were desperate. Even if she did trust him for some insane reason, how is Varys so powerful as to find a lookalike for Aegon but not for Rhaenys? Surely it’s easier to find a black-haired, brown-eyed toddler than a silver-haired, purple-eyed baby, no? Or why couldn’t he direct Elia to one of the many secret passageways so she could escape with the kids rather than this convoluted baby swap? Or any number of other things? At every turn, Aegon (but not Rhaenys!) being spirited away by anyone, most especially Varys, doesn’t hold up. Hell, why would Varys help Elia? What does he have to gain by not only helping her but egregiously undermining Aerys? Aerys whose ear he’s been meticulously whispering into, Aerys who’s the only reason Varys is at court and has power at all? Agreeing to and orchestrating the baby swap runs counter to everything we know about him.

13) Aegon being real means Elia and Dorne are essentially dealt two blows. We and they spend all this time believing her son was brutally murdered in King’s Landing. But then, psych! He’s actually alive! They get their hopes up, the wound is opened all over again, only for him to … be brutally murdered in King’s Landing. (Or possibly elsewhere, but likely KL.) Why is that better? What would be the point of Aegon being Elia and Rhaegar’s son if he’s just going to die like his “cover story” says he did? Actually, they’d be dealt three blows, really, given that Quentyn died as well in the pursuit of Targaryen restoration. Things are going to be painful enough without having Aegon be the real Aegon.

14) JonCon didn’t come to be Aegon’s caretaker until Aegon was 5. In other words, he wouldn’t recognize whether or not this Aegon is the one he saw as a baby. But because he’s so personally invested in Aegon being the real deal, he doesn’t question it too much. The result is that JonCon, who is well-known to have been close to Rhaegar and thus Elia (proximally, not emotionally of course, what with him hating her and all), him caring for the boy lends viability to the story. Which we see in action by Doran believing, or at least being willing to listen to, JonCon’s letter.

15) The Toynes have a very negative history with the Targaryens (and Barristan) but a positive one with the Blackfyres. Would it not make more sense for Myles Toyne to align himself with a Blackfyre rather than a Targaryen? Myles, who was the one who put his seal to the secret pact?

16a) It’s been 84 years. Even R+L=J, which is as much of a sure thing as you can possibly get, is disputed by some in the fandom. Some people believe Ashara Dayne is alive, and a subset of those go so far as to say she’s Jyana Reed. Some people have some theory about the Boltons being vampires. Like. It has been so long since the last book that things that would have been surprises or interesting twists have been examined to death, so by now they seem “too obvious.” Ten years ago, Aegon being real would undoubtedly have been a much more believed thing, because we’d have just recently been told it. But now? There’s been ample time to parse everything out and to determine that no, he likely isn’t real. Same for R+L=J. Ten years ago, or longer, Jon being revealed to be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna would have been a bombshell. But now? It’s obvious as fuck. So to circle back around to “Yep, Aegon is real!” ignores the fact that it’s supposed to be a smokescreen and a twist.

16b) Related to this is GRRM’s own words. There’s an SSM where he’s asked whether Rhaenys and Aegon are really dead. He affirms that Rhaenys is but hedges for Aegon. Why? Not because he’s saying Aegon is real, but because he’s introducing the Young Griff arc. If he were to say, “Aegon’s definitely dead, too,” or “Aegon’s definitely alive,” that would completely spoil the tension and truth/untruth of the storyline.

Do I know that Aegon’s a fake? Obviously not, since we don’t have the books. But the evidence points to it being extremely unlikely that he’s the real deal. Like I also said, however, I’m not sure it really matters whether he is or not. So far as he knows, he’s truly Elia and Rhaegar’s son. His name is Aegon, he was raised to be a king, he seems to be quite a decent young man (people who cite him tipping over the cyvasse board can suck it), he will probably ride a dragon at some point, and so on. At the end of the day, who he’s biologically related to doesn’t seem super relevant.

#list #do not reblog

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zoeybeecee · 4 years

Text

SnippetMatria

The bonfire before the patriarch's seat soared above the young male's seated form and flickered with a faint jade glow. The patriarch's gray-green eyes held a warm smile as he beheld his new subjects, dozens of refugees who, like himself, faced insurmountable odds to reach their new home. Wolf-like humanoids, several of which were some of the patriarch's own relatives, watched with bated breath as their young leader stood to his feet. A pair of wings as white as freshly fallen snow were folded at the patriarch's back, giving him a celestial presence among his mortal kin and even matched his moonlit pelt.

The elders who were present had known the new patriarch to have the black-brown fur of his fathers. From his first father, the young male gained not only the tremendous height, but the charisma that was unquestionable, unwavering. From his second father, he gained a gentle wisdom which was also respected...and a legacy of angelic prose.

Approaching the patriarch from his right, a golden-brown wolf-like humanoid greeted his younger brother with a brisk arm brace. His dark green eyes glittered with pride at his sibling. “Annitir, Moonhide,” the older brother said, using an endearing sibling phrase.

“Annitir, Dusthowl,” Moonhide, the patriarch chuckled. Taking in a deep breath, he sighed away his anxiety, and addressed his clan. “Elders, brothers, sisters...my kin. Our journey has been indeed an arduous feat which will be told to all generations. We've escaped the tyranny of Jaxxix the Butcher!”

A cheer rose from the group, and among the dozens of admiring creatures called Khanin, one female smiled warily. She knew, much like the elders, who the real refugees were. Those who really escaped the nightmare in Cassik Forest from long ago.

And still Moonhide continued, “We faced our most primal fears and befriended the Feliskins of Akrhyn! We traveled the Ambrose Sea!”

Another cheer echoed through the forest from the Khanin.

“And now, we have made our home here,” Moonhide brought the swell of excitement down from the group. His voice heavied slightly. “Though we have lost many in our travels. Even our-beloved Matriarch...I-I will try my best to carry on her rule. We will live our lives to the fullest, as she would have wished. And in her memory, this wood will be forever called: Verna's Walk!”

The female could see the pain in her leader's eyes for such a brief moment, she wondered if she was trying to find something in his gaze. She blinked, noticing the leader's paw raise to quiet the murmurs and whispers.

“I do not mean to sadden your hearts,” Moonhide's voice rang clearly, void of sorrow. “For tonight begins our first season in our new home. I ask that you unburden your hearts on this night and revel in the joy of this new world. A world to live in peace and happiness.” With a simple gesture of his paw, Moonhide dismissed the group to partake in their nightly feast.

The female was among the last to stand. The thoughts in her mind and heart seemed to fill her stomach as well, and as she took a last glance at the patriarch, she could see that he spoke with his brother in hushed tones. She stepped away from the crowds, thankful for the cool night air on her pale brown fur and that delicately stroked at her brownish-blonde mane. She knew that she could not venture too far, for fear of drawing attention, and she would draw further attention if she did not eat with her foster family. She would instead wait for her turn, however long it took. She sat against the dull yellow trunk of a golden maple, her gaze flitting from the hungry Khanin that each took a fair portion of various types of meats hunted earlier: swamp venison, boars, herons, swans, hares, various fish. It was a mighty banquet for them, and perhaps the most food they have had in years.

“Kiera?” a voice resounded from her right.

The female sat up as a shadow fell over her. She looked up to see the patriarch's brother, Dusthowl stop before her. She blinked, her voice leaving her long enough for him to continue.

“I-I'm sorry. Did I-” Dusthowl stepped back sheepishly. His long blonde tail swayed anxiously.

“No,” her answer was sharper than she intended. “Err-I mean, I was just...I was waiting for the rest of them to go.”

Dusthowl cleared his throat as he took a glance from his brother in the distance and back to Kiera. “Would you like to wait with us?”

“At the Patriarch's seat?” Kiera's voice dropped to a whisper. She swallowed nervously.

Dusthowl gripped the back of his neck, his claws stroking at the hairs of his mane. “He's the same Moonhide, Kiera. I promise. It'll be like old times, like when M-Verna was alive.” Releasing his anxious grip on his neck, he extended his paw. “I think he needs the both of us right now. Please, Kiera.”

Kiera should have turned her gaze away, but she was held by those pitiful dark green eyes that pleaded even more fervently than words. She glanced at the profile of Moonhide, hunched forward in his place, alone. Her ears crinkled slightly. She berated herself for being nervous around Dusthowl and for even having reservations about Moonhide. She had known both brothers for most of their lives. She was Moonhide's caretaker after he'd nearly escaped death from his cut collar. Her delicate grip seemed to be swallowed by Dusthowl's long bony paws.

Dusthowl pulled Kiera to her feet with a gentle tug. After she dusted off her kilt and tunic, Kiera followed Dusthowl to the main bonfire, seating herself at Moonhide's right. She stared at the strange green flames and gray green smoke which held a soothing fragrance at a closer distance. She blinked away her trance, startled as Dusthowl took his place beside her.

“This fire,” Kiera's tongue seemed to grow heavy. “It's fed with golden maple?”

“Not just golden maple,” Moonhide's voice sounded distant to Kiera. “There was some moss that the gatherers thought would make the fire last longer.”

“The moss seems to work, don't you think, Moonhide?” Dusthowl asked hopefully.

“It's been going on-” Moonhide's voice grew concerned as he brought his gaze to Kiera. “Kiera? What's the matter?”

Kiera brought her paw to her face, wiping away the haze. “I'm fine. I just want to get some water is all.”

Dusthowl stretched back to the tent opening behind them and produced a skin of liquid. “Here. You don't mind, annitir?”

Moonhide shook his head, “No it's fine.” He stood back up, his hulking shadow was cast over the tent wall.

Kiera wanted to take the proffered skin, but saw a strange twinge of sadistic glee in Disthowl's face. She blinked, thinking that her mind was being tricked by the smoke, but the crooked smile did not leave his face.

“Let me help you with that,” Moonhide's whispered voice resounded above Kiera, startling her. She was trying to grasp for a reason why the brothers would be acting odd, and could only come to the conclusion that the smoke was affecting them.

“Vendrixx, Valdra,” Kiera called the brothers by their birthnames. “Snap out of it, you're-”

The smoke swirled around them in grayish green tendrils. She coughed and gagged on the strange smoke, clawing her way out of its clutches-

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rabbiitholes · 4 years

Text

“ He preys on fear, anger, regret. And if he gets in your mind... you're doomed.”

*some slight changes made to canon, mostly certain implications made in canon because... let’s not go there.

Biography

From a very young age, Jervis Tetch was obsessed with the works of Lewis Carroll’s Alice In Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, especially the Mad Tea Party chapter that portrayed the Mad Hatter. Growing up wasn’t entirely the easiest for him, though he always had the support of his beloved sister, Alice Tetch, who was only just two years younger than him. Despite the minor age difference between the siblings, Jervis took on more of a caretaker role as their parents often worked long, late hours and let the two to their own devices. Over the years, the Tetch siblings grew incredibly close to the point to point where people found it to be rather odd. Their relationship tended to differ from the more normal brother-sister bond others had, finding themselves to be rather co-dependent on one another to an unhealthy degree.

It was the norm for them, though, when their parents had more important things to take care of. Jervis would always walk her to school, drop her off and head off to his own classes. Just like clockwork, he’d pick her up after the school day and it became a cycle for the two. The siblings tended to be quieter than their other peers, though where Alice’s quietness would bring curiosity and intrigue, his would bring bullies to torment him. It didn’t help that Jervis, early on, figured out that he was gay, and it felt like things only worsened at that point. Despite the bullying, he would always keep his sister far away from it all and pretend that nothing was wrong if only to ensure she didn’t have to be bothered by it all. Reading Lewis Carroll’s work, watching the Disney version of the Alice in Wonderland movie, and having tea parties were just the activities that became their very own. It was easier to be in their own world together.

Then came the day that both of their parents were found dead after a fatal car accident and Jervis became the legal guardian for Alice through exhaustive hours dealing with the justice system and the fact that they had no other family members who could take them in. Things were fine for a while; Jervis began to work full time while he finished high school and they eased into their new lives together. At eighteen, that was when things began to take a slight turn and the first incident with Alice’s blood occurred. It was an accident, of course – but it showed the two that her blood was poisoned, could drive a person into a monstrous version of themselves, and Jervis seemed to be the only one immune to it. They kept it hidden, with no one to trust, and ensured there were precautions in place for it to never happen again.

Life went on as it did, Jervis attending the local state university in neural science and taking hypnosis classes on the side as it had caught his interest through his schooling. Eventually the time came when Alice turned eighteen and graduated from high school, ready to start her own life with a fresh start. It was during this time that Jervis, now twenty, began to experience the initial onslaught of symptoms from his Schizophrenia and began to spiral into a psychotic episode. Things started off slow, the hallucinations and delusions starting off small until something inside of completely snapped at the idea of his beloved sister leaving him after all these years together. So he did what he had to, of course. Using the hypnosis skills that he had picked up over the years, he forced Alice to stay by his side, refusing to let her go.

That only lasted so long, unfortunately. She eventually broke free of it, terrified of what her brother had done to her and what else he could be capable of, so she ran away, and Jervis was left alone in the wake of what he had done. Now completely alone for the first time in his life, he began to spiral further down until he finally sought out help to get his life back on track in an effort to get Alice back in his life. Seeking out a therapist, Jervis was officially diagnosed with Schizophrenia and was put onto antipsychotic meds to help reduce the intensity of the psychotic symptoms he suffered from, continued with intensive therapy and began to find himself on the right track. He graduated with his degree in neuroscience, found a job as a neuroscientist at Wayne Enterprises and felt firmly grounded in reality for the first time since Alice had left.

It wasn’t meant to last, unfortunately. Gotham was where his sister had wound up, and the sight of her in the city sent him reeling. Jervis began to fall apart all over again, stopped going to therapy and taking his meds and instead started his search for Alice. It was around this time that he had begun to invent circuitry that could control minds and was eventually fired from Wayne Enterprises when they found out what he was doing. No matter, though, his focus was on his own work and his sister and it wasn’t long before he was able to track her down. That possessive and obsessive nature he had tried to keep down for so long only reared its ugly head as he kidnapped her, set a plan in motion to use her poisoned blood (the Tetch virus) to infect the entire city that had stolen her away. Jim Gordon and the GCPD interfered, and in the struggle, Alice ripped herself away from Jervis in an effort to get away and ultimately fell from the second story of the warehouse and was effectively impaled through and died.

Losing his sister was the last straw, and his entire world shattered. Before, Jervis had been able to carefully conceal his madness and could integrate himself properly into society without an issue. Alice’s death shattered his reality, and he was forever plunged down the rabbit hole, lost in the Wonderland of his own making. Over the years, Jervis became a well-known villain to Batman as The Mad Hatter, joining the infamous gallery of the rogues. He yearned for chaos, wanted to watch Gotham be driven into madness after they tore his dearest sister away from his loving arms.

With current events happening in Gotham at the moment, Jervis would be considered more of a wild card than anything else. While he does side with the defiance, he has no actual loyalties or allegiance to anyone else on that side or any thought out plans for himself. Mostly, he’s just happy to add to the chaos and mayhem occurring, content to help the city destroy itself.

Abilities

Hypnotism: Jervis's main attribute is his sheer mastery over mesmerism and hypnotism. He is capable of using his hypnotic abilities on individuals without any difficulty and by using a stopwatch. His power of hypnotism has improved to the point where he can get others to do whatever he wants them to do simply by having them hear his voice.

Brainwashing: By using his hypnotic power of suggestion and a ticking stopwatch, Jervis can tap into a person's darkest side so as to implant a hidden impulse in them.

Genius level intellect

Expert tactician

Skilled marksman

Uncanny ability to understand the human mind: no one really knows, including jervis, if he was born with this ability or if he is just that skilled at reading people. sometimes hypnotism isn’t useful just on its own, and this ability gives him the capabilities to know a person’s deepest darkest desires and secrets, enabling him implant the suggestions he wishes to in a person’s mind

of course none of the hypnosis abilities will be used on anyone unless it has been plotted out ahead of time and i have been given the consent from the mun

Wanted Connections

friends: of course people that he is close to and gets along with very well. likely to have wonderland characters assigned to them

enemies: self-explanatory, but it would be fun to have some enemies for jervis and some tensions arising from that for him.

allegiance: considering he’s a bit of a wild card currerntly and doesn’t have any loyalties to anyone but himself, i think it would be fun for someone to try and get him on their side, working for them. his abilities would be very useful to have working for someone rather than against.

karma is a bitch: honestly i don’t know what else to name it, but the idea of someone kind of messing with jervis the way he does with people would be great, honestly. bit of karma for taking control of people and fucking them up. basically this would be someone playing with his heart, which he’s kept closed ever since alice’s death, and making him believe they have feelings for him when it’s just a ruse to get back at him for the things he does. a bit of a taste of his own medicine. angst and suffering

i’d very much love to have alice here too so that’s always open if anyone was interested. could be fun, and not everyone stays dead sooooo

#gothamintro #mental illness tw #death tw #violence tw #abuse tw #technically

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pandoras-proxy · 5 years

Note

I'm also obsessed with the whole Strahd/Tatyana dynamic (I have an Insta account dedicated to it - @barovia_bites) Looking forward to seeing more from you!! You are an awesome artist and story teller :)

Thanks so much! It’s definitely something I’ve been enjoying a lot in our campaign. :) I think I mentioned it in a previous post, but the whole Strahd/Iona arc started with a letter she wrote to the Lord himself. I really loved this exchange, so I figured I’d share!

Iona’s 1st letter

I write this letter not knowing where to begin. How did we meet? What were we to each other? How did I hurt you? I have more questions than there are stars in the sky.

I suppose I’ll begin with a confession.

I said I didn’t know you, but in truth, there was a whisper of a memory… but only a whisper. It may as well have been obscured by the mists that brought me here. I sense I have a history here, but there are so many things I do not understand. Help me understand.

Maybe then, I could understand the love you say we had or this curse you say I brought… Maybe then, we could free you of this cycle of suffering you are trapped in, together.

I don’t know where I’ll be by the time this reaches you but something tells me that if you want me to receive a reply, I will. Given how contentious our first meeting was (with words of anger from you and bravado from myself), I ask that you remember the protection I am under.

[There is a large space between these words and the next, and a small drop of ink, as if Iona’s quill hovered for a long time in search of words.]

Was I musically inclined when you knew me? In this lifetime, I find solace in music so I’ll leave you with the beginnings of a song:

I know not if fate would have us live as one

Or if by love’s blind chance we’ve been bound

You flee my dream come the morning

Your heart, its passion displaced

By anger ever growing, hardening into stone

The wish I whispered, when it all began

Did it forge a love you might never have found?

[Beside the words are music notations]

Iona

Strahd’s 1st letter

My Dearest Iona,

There is so much I long to share. So much, that I too find it difficult to determine an adequate place to begin. We have had so many beginnings you and I, and each one has been lost in the darkness of the past. But perhaps I shall start with the first.

A long time ago, my father had called upon me to serve in his wars. He called upon my sense of honor. He called upon my sense of duty. And, finally, he called upon my years. I gave him victory, and for that he took my youth. Time is such a precious thing. You cannot own it. You cannot keep it. You can only spend it. And, once you have, it is forever lost.

Following the triumph of our kingdom, I sent for my family, long unseated from their ancient throne, to settle with me in Castle Ravenloft. They came with a younger brother of mine, Sergei. He was young and handsome, and I hated him for both. But mostly, I hated him for what he brought with him. You.

From the moment I first looked into your eyes the rest of the world vanished. In you I saw everything that I had yearned for and lost. Youth. Kindness. I longed for you to be mine. But, alas, your heart went to Sergei. “Brother,” you called me. Yet while that word spilled from your crimson lips, I knew its true meaning. “Elder,” “Old-one.”

What my father had taken from me, he had left to my brother.

Darkness overtook me. I would find a way to preserve what youth I had left, no matter the cost. Perhaps then, I could rightfully take what should have been mine. I made a pact with death, which I signed with blood. But in the end, it did not matter. You hated me for what I had done. For the sacrifices I made in your name!

You threw yourself from the waterfall, and thus our first beginning came to an end. But I could not let it be the last. I darkened the skies and shrouded the land to keep you here with me. I would endlessly traverse time itself to find you again. I stand at its harbor, scanning the horizon, and through its waves I can see moments as slow and transparent as glass. And you, forever on the other side, your hair blazing like the rising sun. I tremble in your radiance. All other desires, hopes, and aspirations have been banished by its rays, until there is you. Only you.

You ask me if you have always been gifted with music? Yes. But to me your greatest work was simply your presence. It has been the symphony of my heart, and the dirge of my soul.

Strahd

Iona’s 2nd letter

I learned about Ireena today. She was one of our many lost beginnings, wasn’t she? I wonder how many times you’ve found me as you stood vigil over your oceans of time. It sounds… so lonely.

Has tragedy truly followed all of our meetings?

I don’t know how much of my life you’ve seen, if any, but I have not given my heart to another. The thought is terrifying. Love has only ever destroyed those around me and made them suffer. As it has made you suffer. All that you’ve gone through, the pain, the sacrifice, this cycle of torment, can you honestly say it’s been worth it?

And yet, even as I write this, I realize our paths aren’t so different. Rage and despair have lead me to a pact of my own, as you must know. I don’t care its price so long as the violence in my heart is reconciled.

Will you help me or will you hinder me in the end, I wonder?

I travel now, my destination unknown. This world of yours is a dark place and I sense its menace around me, like the eyes of a predator upon my skin. Tell me, what will I face? If I ever need aid, is it the Vistani I can trust? How can I show that you and I are connected?

As ever, I am full of questions but perhaps you understand my caution. Already this beginning of ours was nearly ended.

You’ve told me about yourself and about us and for that I thank you. Is it strange that I look forward to your next letter? That I’ll watch the night skies and think of you when I see the mists?

The first song isn’t ready for an end, so I will leave you with this one instead:

Sun sets, beloved one

Time to dream. Your mind journeys,

But I will hold you here.

Where will you go, beloved one,

Lost to me in time?

Seek truth in a forgotten land,

Deep within your heart.

Wherever you shall go, beloved one,

Follow my voice-

I will call you home.

[Music notations are beside the words]

You’ve called me home again.

Iona

Strahd’s 2nd Letter

Dearest Iona,

Tatyana was the first, and Ireena the last. Until you. And through the years, there have been many more.When you threw yourself from the cataract, I knew I must keep you here with me. I drew upon the darkness and formed the ashen mists that envelope this land. They are a prison, which binds souls to this valley and keeps them here with me. Time and time again, you would be born. Time and time again you would choose death over my embrace.

When Ireena passed, I waited again - patiently like the tide. But you did not return. Despite all possibility, you had escaped. I scoured the world from my castle. Searching. Until there was a whisper… but only a whisper. And I followed, just as the moon follows the sun across the horizon.

No, Iona, I cannot say that love has been worth torment. It has never brought me happiness. The fires of hell could burn for all eternity and it would never equal what I feel for you in minute of the night. Yet appraising its value is futile. If only I could cast it into flame and sear it from my heart, I would. But, in my endless vigil, I have found the most horrifying truth: Love never dies.

Join me, here in Castle Ravenloft and bring an end to this curse you have placed upon me. Until then and always, I too shall watch the night sky and think of you.

Strahd

Iona’s 3rd letter

[Some context: This letter is sent after Iona leaves Ravenloft against Strahd’s wishes. She does it reluctantly but with the belief it must be done to pursue her goals.]

I know you will be angry. Maybe you will never forgive this perceived betrayal. But please know that I did not do it to spurn you or to hurt you. What I said before was the truth; when I have completed what I must do, when the connection between the Feywild and the Material Plane has been severed, I will stay with you. Whether you try to stop me or help me from now on, I will come back to you. I will walk to your castle gates and I will give you everything that I am.

Until then, I beg for your understanding and for your forgiveness.

I hope you will write back. Though I’ve only known you a short time, there’s already a hollow ache in my chest at the thought of your silence. If you write, will you tell me one of your happier memories? Before the curse. Before Tatyana. I want to you know you. Not the Lord. Not the Vampire. But the man. I want to open my heart to you.

I’ll share a memory of my own.

When I was a young girl, I was rather mischievous. I would escape my caretakers often and lose myself in the gardens of the Unseelie court. There I had such adventures. I would weave myself a crown of black hellebore and nightshade and carefully make dolls out of twigs and grass. In my halls of hedgerow, I presided over a kingdom of leaves and flowers.

In it, I would slay dragons and capture fell beasts, all of which were in truth the resident sprites of the garden. Whether it was the honey I used to entice them or simply the amusement at seeing a Fey Lord’s daughter prance about with flowers in her hair and dirt on her knees, they played along in a spectacular fashion.

I had death-defying duels with willow switches. I embarked on quests to find treasures of seed and stone hidden for me throughout the garden. I held court and danced beneath faerie light.

Despite its darkness and the pain it caused me, some of my happiest memories were in the Feywild. I hope I can be the light in your darkness.

I left you my lute in the gardens by the cliff. It’s the last thing I had of my mother. In its place, I will cherish the memory of your lips and the sliver of your heart I carry in my possession.

Now and always, I am yours.

Iona

#curse of strahd #iona #text post #love letters #asks

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sapphiresassenach · 7 years

Text

A Far Away Infinity

There probably will only be one more chapter and then an epilogue after this! The next update will probably be in another week because its finals and I am swamped. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Part 1 2 3 4 5

Part 6 // Truth and lies and regrets //

~Five Years Earlier~

Time dragged on in a sluggish fashion after Jamie left. The days distracted her but the nights were lonely and dark as she ached for someone who was now across the world, away from her forever.

In the months he had been away, she had started med school and that filled a small void. It gave her motivation to get up in the morning and not sit in bed and sob for the things that she threw away. But on the weekends, she had to fight the urge to get on the first planes out of Scotland and go in search of the sun-burnt red head in California.

She would pull up the airline site, she would search for times, she would pick her flights and then her curser would hover above the blue button of “book.” And then she would imagine all the infinite possibilities of hitting that blue button, all the things that could change the course of her life.

Would he be happy to see her or mad? Would his face light up when she showed up on his apartment doorstep? Or would it be too late?

In her wildest dreams, he would see her. He would see her and then run to her. Eyes locked and heart pounding, he was running to her and then she would know nothing but warmth and the safety of the embrace of her love.

But the curser still blinked and the blue bottom remained untouched. The laptop closed and she replaced it with a textbook and so another weekend went by with her silenced dream placed silently on the shelf again with other lost things.

~Present~

The small room was cramped and the air was freezing. She had permanent goose bumps, but not all because of the air. Normally, doctors didn’t frighten her, but when one of the new doctors came into to Jamie’s room, she felt herself start to shake a little.

“Well, it looks like Jamie will regain the full function of his hand over time. The ring finger may be stiff though, but we have every reason to belief that he will make a full recovery.”

The breath everyone in the room had been holding released in one collective sigh of relief. Jenny smiled at back at her and Brian smiled for the first time since she had seen him, placing a skinny hand on Jamie’s shoulder.

Jenny had told Jamie that Brian looked terrible because of the stress of Jamie’s accident, not willing to risk his recovery due to the news that their father was dying. She knew Jamie didn’t quite believe it but didn’t want to make Jenny more upset than she was.

“He will need a caretaker for the first few weeks. Someone to help while he recovers. We’d like him in bed for at least another two weeks.”

The room went silence for a beat before Jenny spoke up. “Aye, aye. It won’t be the first time I’ve taken care of ye, brother. And I dare say it won’t be the last.”

Jamie rolled his eyes at Jenny’s look, but glanced at her from the corner of his eye, asking her a silent question. She smiled at him reassuringly, trying her best to comfort him.

“And I’ll be there, Dr.,” Jenny and Brian both glanced at her declaration. Brian with his ghost eyes and Jenny with a brow drawn up in question.

The Dr. cleared his throat and nodded while retreating to the door. “Good. Good. It will be helpful to have someone with medical experience there for a bit.”

He smiled at her before glancing back at Jamie. “You’re lucky to be alive, Mr. Fraser. I suggest you remember that.”

Jamie nodded and looked to her again with something in his eyes that she couldn’t quite identify. “Dinna worry, Dr. I will.”

Jamie was released from the hospital the next day and was under strict instructions not to fly. A part of her heart felt light at the news, he couldn’t be going back to California. At least not for a little while.

The greeting he got at Lallybroch’s door warmed her heart. She hadn’t seen Jenny’s children before, nor how much they loved their beloved uncle.

“Uncle, uncle!”

“No jumping on him, wee Jamie! He’s still healing,” Jenny’s voice ran clear and loud despite the fact that she was out in the yard still, helping bring in the bags. She smiled and hoisted up a bag from the trunk while her phone ran for the second time today.

She didn’t need to look, she knew it was Frank. He had been trying to contact her and she had tried to be clear. It was over and they both needed to move on.

A soft tap on her shoulder made her jump out of her thoughts and back into the present.

“Ian!”

He smiled at her, once of those smiles that could melt you from the inside. He gave her a warm hug and it was the most welcome she had felt in a long while.

“It’s good to see ye, Claire.”

“You too, Ian. I’ve missed it.”

He smiled at her and glanced back to where Jenny was trying to prevent her children from smothering their uncle as he walked in the door. “Aye, I suppose ye have.”

A routine developed the next week at Lallybroch as it always does. No matter how strange of circumstances, there always is some constant each day as she had learned over the course of her nomadic life.

She mostly kept to herself as Jamie healed. He slept a great deal, after developing a fever from a minor infection. She checked on him, cared for his hand and back, made sure he took his medications. But when there was no more to do, she walked the fields of Lallybroch, taking in the valleys and hills and the sunsets that she used to watch with Jamie in college.

Nostalgia was powerful and she wanted nothing more than to lay down in the grassy hills and dissolve into the land that she once thought would be her forever home. A place for her and Jamie. Just a place to call home.

She spoke to Jenny a little during the week, but helped her with the little ones, admiring the split between Jenny and Ian. A little part of her felt Jenny was hurt when she stopped visiting, but how could she explain?

Brian had been avoiding her for the most part, keeping to himself in his study and visiting with Jamie.

So, when he was waiting for her in the living room after she came back from her usual sunset walk, she was intrigued.

He motioned for her to sit on the sofa across from him, a gesture so like the one he had done that had torn her life apart.

Sighing, she sat as straight as a rod and placed her hands in her lap. He was silent for a long while before clearing his throat.

“I owe ye an apology, Claire,” his voice was again tired and aged, the deep lines in his face growing stronger as he took a deep breath and finally looked her in the eye for the first time.

She said nothing. Just waited.

“I told Jamie in the hospital about what I did,” he wrung his hands in his lap. “I dinna ken if he heard.”

He leaned forward, trying to reach out to her but holding himself back. “You see-

He tried to begin, but the words failed him. She watched him struggle for the right ones, the ones that would erase the past. But there were not enough powerful words in the world to undo time.

“I kent I was dyin’ then, Claire.”

It was hard not to feel pity for him. He looked a man very much beaten down. By everything. It was hard to stay mad when he was trying to think out the best life for Jamie. Even if it wasn’t the life he had wanted.

“Why did you wait so long to tell everyone?”

He smiled sadly at the fire and shook his head, glancing up at the bedrooms where his children and grandchildren resided.

“I didna want to be a burden. Jenny was starting to have her barins,” his voice got quieter as he shut his eyes, unable to look at her. “I didna want Jamie to come home.”

“Why? Why was it so important to you, that he left?” The anger in her voice was audible to her and she knew to him, but she had to let him know just an once of the pain he had caused her these last years.

His head, which was once a full scalp of dark hair, was now streaked heavily with grey, nodded as if to confirm that he knew what he had inflicted on her.

“You want more for your children. You’ll understand one day. Jamie always said he would run this place happily. He never complained about it and I never gave much thought as to why he shouldn’t, but when I found out about the cancer,” he looked to me pleadingly, tears in his eyes. It took every bit of strength for her not to run over and comfort him. The amount of pain that shown through his eyes was almost too much to bear.

“I wanted more for him than my life. Not that it was bad, I wouldna trade it for the world, but I wanted him to experience…more, ye ken?”

His eye drifted to the wooden globe in the corner. Jamie had told her once it had been passed down for five generations before his father and mother.

“That’s why I needed him to go so badly, in part to live the life I never saw, and for him to be happy. But now I realize he might have been happier here with ye.”

And with eyes swimming with regret and grief and sadness and all the other dark things, his last words were filled with potent emotion.

“I’m sorry, truly.”

Brian’s words ran through her mind all night as she lay awake in bed, tossing and turning to the tune of the storm outside, echoing her inner turmoil. She forgave him. She had too. That’s the thing about impending death, it makes everything all too final.

One part of her wanted to tell Jamie the whole truth. To explain to him why she made the choice she did. But how could she?

Pressing her cheek against the cool side of the pillow in her guest bed that Jenny had made up for her, she prayed to the universe for some kind of clarity.

“My father is sick, ye ken?”

She paused for a moment, setting down this steaming bowl of chicken soup Jenny had made fresh that morning on Jamie’s bedside.

“Yes, I know. Jenny told me.”

But she didn’t know just how much he knew about the sickness. Whether he knew that the time Brian had left was fleeting or whether his diagnosis had been the catalyst for his decision to “suggest” she let him go to California.

“Well, it’s when yer sick, I think, it causes all the regrets ye have to puir out of ye.”

She smiled at his accent as she pulled up a chair next to his bed. It had dulled a little since his move to the states, but here, in his homelands, it was as thick as ever.

“Yes, I’ve seen it happen in patients.”

She reached to touch him but held her hand back before making contact. Their touches had been tentative since they had come back to Lallybroch, both dancing in repetitive circles of light grazes and small squeezes.

“He told me about some of his regrets,” his words were carefully chosen as he reached for her hand. The beam of sunlight from the window illuminated them twined together on the bed sheet. He smiled at this sight and brushed his thumb against the back of her hand.

“Well, he thought he was telling me while I was asleep, but I heard.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough.”

There was a long pause. A pause that neither one could bare but neither seemed to know how to end. So, she turned to the one thing she knew with certainty and went to inspect his injured hand.

His gaze unnerved her as she sat, looking at the area. Finally, he broke the silence.

“I dinna ken everything while I was in the coma, mind ye. I’m no sure what was a dream and what wasn’t.”

He spoke casually, looking down at the blankets Jenny had smothered him with, playing with the end of the hand-knit yarn. The distant sounds of the running farm echoed through the open window as she poked and prodded.

“What are you trying to figure out? I’ll help…no, hold it this way,” she said as she carefully unravel his dressings.

“Alright….Ouch!... did ye tell me that you were the one who broke all my records freshman year and no Rupert?”

She laughed as she inspected his hand, looking good for the state of it. She had told him a lot while he was unconscious and now was slightly afraid of what he heard. “Yes, that’s true. Sorry.”

He made a “mphm” noise and a wince as she cleansed the wound with rubbing alcohol.

“Did Jenny complained about wind from her curry take out?”

She laughed again while looking at him, his eyes full of mischief in the sunlight creeping in from the window.

“Can’t confirm the wind, but she did have some curry, I smelt it in that room for two days.”

Jamie smiled at her as he watched her wrap of his hand in clean bandages, squinting in concentration.

“Ye love me,” he said abruptly, watching her face carefully as he spoke, seeing every emotion she tried to show and hide.

“You know I do,” she smiled and looked back down at his hand, trying to play it casual, not knowing what he meant or what he heard.

A finger brought her face back up to look at him as he shook his head slowly.

“No… ye…ye said ye dinna want me to leave, that ye wanted to marry me and have my children,” he paused, out of breath to find her truth in her glass eyes. “That kind of love, did ye mean it?”

“Yes...yes I did.”

Later, she thought it funny how a single word, a single sound, could alter the whole course of her life. The whole future changed in one millisecond as the sound left her mouth, forever altering the universe in one breath of “yes.”

Continued here

#outlander #outlander fanfic #a far away infinity #my fanfic #jamie and claire #modern au #outlander fanfiction

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theghostofabird · 4 years

Audio

Eleven Addresses to the Lord

BY JOHN BERRYMAN

1 Master of beauty, craftsman of the snowflake, inimitable contriver, endower of Earth so gorgeous & different from the boring Moon, thank you for such as it is my gift. I have made up a morning prayer to you containing with precision everything that most matters. ‘According to Thy will’ the thing begins. It took me off & on two days. It does not aim at eloquence. You have come to my rescue again & again in my impassable, sometimes despairing years. You have allowed my brilliant friends to destroy themselves and I am still here, severely damaged, but functioning. Unknowable, as I am unknown to my guinea pigs: how can I ‘love’ you? I only as far as gratitude & awe confidently & absolutely go. I have no idea whether we live again. It doesn’t seem likely from either the scientific or the philosophical point of view but certainly all things are possible to you, and I believe as fixedly in the Resurrection-appearances to Peter & to Paul as I believe I sit in this blue chair. Only that may have been a special case to establish their initiatory faith. Whatever your end may be, accept my amazement. May I stand until death forever at attention for any your least instruction or enlightenment. I even feel sure you will assist me again, Master of insight & beauty. 2 Holy, as I suppose I dare to call you without pretending to know anything about you but infinite capacity everywhere & always & in particular certain goodness to me. Yours is the crumpling, to my sister-in-law terrifying thunder, yours the candelabra buds sticky in Spring, Christ’s mercy, the gloomy wisdom of godless Freud: yours the lost souls in ill-attended wards, those agonized thro’ the world It this instant of time, all evil men, Belsen, Omaha Beach,— incomprehensible to man your ways. May be the Devil after all exists. ‘I don’t try to reconcile anything’ said the poet at eighty, ‘This is a damned strange world.’ Man is ruining the pleasant earth & man. What at last, my Lord, will you allow? Postpone till after my children's deaths your doom if it be thy ineffable, inevitable will. I say ‘Thy kingdom come’, it means nothing to me. Hast Thou prepared astonishments for man? One sudden Coming? Many so believe. So not, without knowing anything, do I. 3 Sole watchman of the flying stars, guard me against my flicker of impulse lust: teach me to see them as sisters & daughters. Sustain my grand endeavours: husbandship & crafting. Forsake me not when my wild hours come; grant me sleep nightly, grace soften my dreams; achieve in me patience till the thing be done, a careful view of my achievement come. Make me from time to time the gift of the shoulder. When all hurt nerves whine shut away the whiskey. Empty my heart toward Thee. Let me pace without fear the common path of death. Cross am I sometimes with my little daughter: fill her eyes with tears. Forgive me, Lord. Unite my various soul, sole watchman of the wide & single stars. 4 If I say Thy name, art Thou there? It may be so. Thou art not absent-minded, as I am. I am so much so I had to give up driving. You attend, I feel, to the matters of man. Across the ages certain blessings swarm, horrors accumulate, the best men fail: Socrates, Lincoln, Christ mysterious. Who can search Thee out? except Isaiah & Pascal, who saw. I dare not ask that vision, though a piece of it at last in crisis was vouchsafèd me. I altered then for good, to become yours. Caretaker! take care, for we run in straits. Daily, by night, we walk naked to storm, some threat of wholesale loss, to ruinous fear. Gift us with long cloaks & adrenalin. Who haunt the avenues of Angkor Wat recalling all that prayer, that glory dispersed, haunt me at the corner of Fifth & Hennepin. Shield & fresh fountain! Manifester! Even mine. 5 Holy, & holy. The damned are said to say ‘We never thought we would come into this place.’ I’m fairly clear, my Friend, there’s no such place ordained for inappropriate & evil man. Surely they fall dull, & forget. We too, the more or less just, I feel fall asleep dreamless forever while the worlds hurl out. Rest may be your ultimate gift. Rest or transfiguration! come & come whenever Thou wilt. My daughter & my son fend will without me, when my work is done in Your opinion. Strengthen my widow, let her dream on me thro’ tranquil hours less & down to less. Abrupt elsewhere her heart, I sharply hope. I leave her in wise Hands. 6 Under new management, Your Majesty: Thine. I have solo’d mine since childhood, since my father’s suicide when I was twelve blew out my most bright candle faith, and look at me. I served at Mass six dawns a week from five, adoring Father Boniface & you, memorizing the Latin he explained. Mostly we worked alone. One or two women. Then my poor father frantic. Confusions & afflictions followed my days. Wives left me. Bankrupt I closed my doors. You pierced the roof twice & again. Finally you opened my eyes. My double nature fused in that point of time three weeks ago day before yesterday. Now, brooding thro’ a history of the early Church, I identify with everybody, even the heresiarchs. 7 After a Stoic, a Peripatetic, a Pythagorean, Justin Martyr studied the words of the Saviour, finding them short, precise, terrible, & full of refreshment. I am tickled to learn this. Let one day desolate Sherry, fair, thin, tall, at 29 today her life the Sahara Desert, who has never once enjoyed a significant relation, so find His lightning words. A Prayer for the Self Who am I worthless that You spent such pains and take may pains again? I do not understand; but I believe. Jonquils respond with wit to the teasing breeze. Induct me down my secrets. Stiffen this heart to stand their horrifying cries, O cushion the first the second shocks, will to a halt in mid-air there demons who would be at me. May fade before, sweet morning on sweet morning, I wake my dreams, my fan-mail go astray, and do me little goods I have not thought of, ingenious & beneficial Father. Ease in their passing my beloved friends, all others too I have cared for in a travelling life, anyone anywhere indeed. Lift up sober toward truth a scared self-estimate. 9 Surprise me on some ordinary day with a blessing gratuitous. Even I’ve done good beyond their expectations. What count we then upon Your bounty? Interminable: an old theologian asserts that even to say You exist is misleading. Uh-huh. I buy that Second-century fellow. I press his withered glorifying hand. You certainly do not as I exist, impersonating as well the meteorite & flaring in your sun your waterfall or blind in caves pallid fishes. Bear in mind me, Who have forgotten nothing, & Who continues. I may not foreknow & fail much to remember. You sustain imperial desuetudes, at the kerb a widow. 10 Fearful I peer upon the mountain path where once Your shadow passed, Limner of the clouds up their phantastic guesses. I am afraid, I never until now confessed. I fell back in love with you, Father, for two reasons: You were good to me, & a delicious author, rational & passionate. Come on me again, as twice you came to Azarias & Misael. President of the brethren, our mild assemblies inspire, & bother the priest not to be dull; keep us week-long in order; love my children, my mother far & ill, far brother, my spouse. Oil all my turbulence as at Thy dictation I sweat out my wayward works. Father Hopkins said the only true literary critic is Christ. Let me lie down exhausted, content with that. 11 Germanicus leapt upon the wild lion in Smyrna, wishing to pass quickly from a lawless life. The crowd shook the stadium. The proconsul marvelled. ‘Eighty & six years have I been his servant, and he has done me no harm. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?’ Polycarp, John’s pupil, facing the fire. Make too me acceptable at the end of time in my degree, which then Thou wilt award. Cancer, senility, mania, I pray I may be ready with my witness. John Berryman, “Eleven Addresses to the Lord” from Love and Fame.Copyright © 1971 by John Berryman. Used by permission of Farrar, Straus & Giroux, LLC, http://us.macmillan.com/fsg. All rights reserved. Caution: Users are warned that this work is protected under copyright laws and downloading is strictly prohibited. The right to reproduce or transfer the work via any medium must be secured with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC.Source: Love & Fame (1970)

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touransafghanistanlitblog · 5 years

Text

Ten Interesting Fiction Books on Afghanistan

Khaled Hosseini – A Thousand Splendid Suns

After the success of his debut and its subsequent (well received) film adaptation, Hosseini’s second book was released amid much fanfare. A Thousand Splendid Suns establishes more or less the same thematic elements as The Kite Runner, but is a more gut-wrenching read in many ways. The protagonists here are Mariam and Laila, two women whose lives are beset with familial tragedies, as rockets from Russian planes whiz past and the Taliban abides. www.culturetrip.com

Atiq Rahimi – Earth and Ashes

At fewer than 70 pages, Atiq Rahimi’s book charts a story of great magnitude on a small canvas. The author is an Afghan exile living in Paris, and this intricate first fable of his was thunderously received in France. It tells the story of Dastaguir and his grandson, the only survivors of a vicious Soviet attack on their village, and their subsequent journey in search of the boy’s father. Although the book was criticized for being unidiomatic and too detached, its film adaptation, directed by the author himself, was the recipient of numerous accolades, including an award at Cannes. www.culturetrip.com

The Watch by Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya

Following a desperate night-long battle, a group of beleaguered soldiers in an isolated base in Kandahar are faced with a lone woman demanding the return of her brother’s body. Is she a spy, a black widow, a lunatic, or is she what she claims to be: a grieving young sister intent on burying her brother according to local rites? Single-minded in her mission, she refuses to move from her spot on the field in full view of every soldier in the stark outpost. Her presence quickly proves dangerous as the camp’s tense, claustrophobic atmosphere comes to a boil when the men begin arguing about what to do next. Joydeep Roy-Bhattacharya’s heartbreaking and haunting novel, The Watch, takes a timeless tragedy and hurls it into present-day Afghanistan. Taking its cues from the Antigone myth, Roy-Bhattacharya brilliantly recreates the chaos, intensity, and immediacy of battle, and conveys the inevitable repercussions felt by the soldiers, their families, and by one sister. The result is a gripping tour through the reality of this very contemporary conflict, and our most powerful expression to date of the nature and futility of war. www.goodreads.com

Jeegareh Ma by Rahela Nayebzadah

Based on a true story, Jeegareh Ma is a testament to the power of love in the face of struggle and hardship. Ghulam and Firishta, a wealthy couple, move to Kabul, Afghanistan, to begin a new chapter in their lives. Firishta is diagnosed with meningitis and passes away, leaving their six young children motherless. Moving back to Herat, Ghulam and his family discover that their motherland is no longer the same: the Soviet Union has invaded, causing them to seek refuge in Iran. In Iran, Ali, an impoverished, dark-skinned, and plumpish man asks for Maryam's hand in marriage. As Afghans living in Iran, Ali and his family are denied identity, worth, and value. Ali's prayers are answered when he and his family are accepted by Canada as refugees. Jeegareh Ma is a story of courage where love, family, and God are put to the test. www.goodreads.com

This Shall Be a House of Peace by Phil Halton

Chaos reigns in the wake of the collapse of Afghanistan's Soviet-backed government. In the rural, warlord-ruled south, a student is badly beaten at a checkpoint run by bandits. His teacher, who leads a madrassa for orphans left behind by Afghanistan’s civil war, leads his students back to the checkpoint and forces the bandits out. His actions set in motion a chain of events that will change the balance of power in his country and send shock waves through history. Amid villagers seeking protection and warlords seeking power, the Mullah's influence grows. Against the backdrop of anarchy dominated by armed factions, he devotes himself to building a house of peace with his students — or, as they are called in Pashto, taliban. Part intrigue, part war narrative, and part historical drama, This Shall Be a House of Peace charts their breathtaking ambition, transformation, and rise to power. www.amazon.com

Caravans by James A. Michener

In this romantic adventure of wild Afghanistan, master storyteller James Michener mixes the allure of the past with the dangers of today. After an impetuous American girl, Ellen Jasper, marries a young Afghan engineer, her parents hear no word from her. Although she wants freedom to do as she wishes, not even she is sure what that means. In the meantime, she is as good as lost in that wild land, perhaps forever.... "An extraordinary novel....Brilliant." www.goodreads.com

Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra, John Cullen

Since the ascendancy of the Taliban the lives of Mosheen and his beautiful wife, Zunaira, have been gradually destroyed. Mosheen's dream of becoming a diplomat has been shattered and Zunaira can no longer even appear on the streets of Kabul unveiled. Atiq is a jailer who guards those who have been condemned to death; the darkness of prison and the wretchedness of his job have seeped into his soul. Atiq's wife, Musarrat, is suffering from an illness no doctor can cure. Yet, the lives of these four people are about to become inexplicably intertwined, through death and imprisonment to passion and extraordinary self-sacrifice. The Swallows of Kabul is an astounding and elegiac novel of four people struggling to hold on to their humanity in a place where pleasure is a deadly sin and death has become routine. www.goodreads.com

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 11-year-old Parvana has rarely been outdoors. Barred from attending school, shopping at the market, or even playing in the streets of Kabul, the heroine of Deborah Ellis's engrossing children's novel The Breadwinner is trapped inside her family's one-room home. That is, until the Taliban hauls away her father and Parvana realizes that it's up to her to become the "breadwinner" and disguise herself as a boy to support her mother, two sisters, and baby brother. Set in the early years of the Taliban regime, this topical novel for middle readers explores the harsh realities of life for girls and women in modern-day Afghanistan. A political activist whose first book for children, Looking for X, dealt with poverty in Toronto, Ellis based The Breadwinner on the true-life stories of women in Afghan refugee camps. www.goodreads.com

And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

An unforgettable novel about finding a lost piece of yourself in someone else.

Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations. In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most. Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page. www.khaledhosseini.com

Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini

A short, powerful, illustrated book written by beloved novelist Khaled Hosseini in response to the current refugee crisis, Sea Prayer is composed in the form of a letter, from a father to his son, on the eve of their journey. Watching over his sleeping son, the father reflects on the dangerous sea-crossing that lies before them. It is also a vivid portrait of their life in Homs, Syria, before the war, and of that city's swift transformation from a home into a deadly war zone.

Impelled to write this story by the haunting image of young Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy whose body washed up on the beach in Turkey in September 2015, Hosseini hopes to pay tribute to the millions of families, like Kurdi's, who have been splintered and forced from home by war and persecution, and he will donate author proceeds from this book to the UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency) and The Khaled Hosseini Foundation to help fund lifesaving relief efforts to help refugees around the globe.

Khaled Hosseini is one of the most widely read writers in the world, with more than fifty-five million copies of his novels sold worldwide in more than seventy countries. Hosseini is also a Goodwill Envoy to the UNHCR, and the founder of The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. www.khaledhosseini.com

#afghanistan

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