#katherine howl | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kaihuntrr · 2 months

Text

part thirteen: the scarlet witch.

Martyn meets a deadly foe.

Martyn’s footsteps crunched against the cold, silent dirt streets. Grian and the others weren’t too far ahead of him. Martyn could see them walking a few dozen paces in front of him, but something about the walk back made it feel longer than it should have. Maybe it was the way his head buzzed over the two shots of liquor, maybe it was because of the eerie howls of the wind and the dark clouds above him, or maybe it was the lingering thought of the empty street.

Martyn’s stomach grumbled. It could be hunger, too.

The stories the people in the tavern told him filled Martyn’s mind as he walked. He passed by dimly lit streets and tall buildings as he pondered on their words.

A woman who made a deal with the sea princes. A deal that gave her magic. She even saw their treasure. How did she do it? How did she communicate to the beasts?

Why did a sea prince guard the island?

Martyn shuddered. Was it the same one that he saw? What had stopped it from eating him then, if it destroyed any hunting ship that left?

…Perhaps Martyn alone didn’t look like a threat.

How could he be? The titan was hundreds, if not thousands of times Martyn’s size. It could have easily swatted him out of existence with a simple flick of its tail.

…So why didn’t it?

Martyn’s vision became a slight blur as he nearly tripped over his own feet, only to be caught by Cleo.

“Watch your step,” Cleo held Martyn’s arm up and let him lean against them. “You almost fell.”

Martyn shook his head and leaned away from Cleo. He was a little shaken, but he could stand on his own. He’d walked all the way here by himself, didn’t he? Scar and Grian paused their conversation to look at Martyn warily, and Katherine was idly looking around, her arms crossed.

“I’m fine,” Martyn smiled, a small hiss escaped him as the throbbing pain of his headache hit. He looked at his friends and sighed, “I’m just… thinking.”

“About what?” Scar tilted his head. Martyn hummed, unsure of how to start. He knew if he opened his mouth he’d likely ramble. Scar raised an eyebrow as he glanced between Martyn and Grian.

“We heard stories about this island in the tavern,” Grian crossed his arms as he looked at Katherine, Scar, and Cleo. Neither of them were there to hear it, and it seemed Martyn didn’t want to speak. “Apparently, the island is called Crescent Bay, and it’s haunted by a witch who made a contract with the sea princes.”

“Who’d make a deal with those monsters?” Cleo hissed and narrowed their eyes.

“Someone who saw their treasure,” Grian sighed. The three’s eyes widened in surprise. He shook his head, “So we’d best stay wary of this place. I have no idea what she could do to us.”

Martyn could see the gears turning in their heads, just like they had in his. A human had already seen the sea princes’ treasure, and she was given magic in return. It sounded unbelievable, but Martyn felt like it wasn’t too far-fetched. The island looked sketchy already, and the thought of facing off against a sea prince before they left filled Martyn with both adrenaline and fear.

After all, how could he fight something so large and imposing, when all it took was a growl to send chills down his spine?

“We’d better prepare for a fight, then,” Cleo hummed. “The sea princes are trouble enough, what more trouble could come if someone made a deal with them?”

Grian nodded. “I agree. We should work on making the ship heavily defended. If we can’t get a boat for the Kites soon,” he looked behind himself, listening to the distant crash of waves against the wooden poles of the port, “We just have to make them cooperate with us.”

“I’m sure they would, considering the circumstances,” Katherine let out a weak chuckle, “Especially if you’re going to be fighting a sea prince….” She shook her head, “But for now, let’s turn in for the night. ”

Grian led the group back to the docks to meet back up with Joel and the others. It was a simple walk. There didn’t seem to be too many people outside, if there were any earlier, there were fewer now. It was odd. Despite the tall, ominous buildings, there didn’t seem to be too many residents of the isle.

It made Martyn’s skin crawl thinking about what could’ve happened.

“What sort of deal was it?” Katherine asked, “Do the islanders know?”

“Magic for blind following,” Grian shrugged as they continued to walk. He crossed his arms, “Though I suspect there may be more to the story than they gave us.”

“They also mentioned that a sea prince guards the island, and that no hunter has ever left this place alive,” Martyn spoke. He shrugged with a smug smile on his face, “While I don’t want to brag, I'm certain we’ll be home soon.” He clumsily put one foot in front of the other and would have tripped, if it weren’t for Cleo catching him.

Cleo smiled and rolled their eyes with a small huff, “And get something off of the beast.”

“What are you talking about?” Katherine raised an eyebrow. “Wouldn’t just escaping be enough?”

Right. Katherine wasn’t a Canary.

Would it be alright to trust her? She’d been nothing but friendly with them. Who would she tell, anyway? Perhaps she’d tell Kites, and maybe then would that noisy crew cooperate with the Canaries.

It should be fine to trust her on this.

Grian stopped and looked back at Katherine. “Do you promise not to tell anyone?”

The two stared at each other for a long moment. Katherine’s face slowly scrunched up while Grian furrowed his eyebrows.

Katherine looks uncomfortable.

Katherine glanced between the three Canaries with narrowed eyes. “...Sure,” she finally spoke. “I don’t like the way you’re all looking at me.”

Grian hummed in agreement. “We were commissioned by the king to bring back a sea prince,” he began to walk. Katherine followed, staring at the captain with wide eyes. He looked straight ahead, “Some naval commanders challenged us to who would lead the hunt. We’re planning to bring home a scale as proof so we can lead.”

“Huh. That’s an awfully big task for just one hunting crew,” Katherine muttered, putting a hand on her chin. “You all must be very capable.”

Scar nudged Katherine’s shoulder. “We’re the best hunters around,” he proclaimed. “So we’ll be back in no time!”

Katherine laughed along with Scar before she turned to Martyn. “Enough time for you to go back to your special someone,” she giggled as Martyn’s cheeks flushed red. The others started chuckling to themselves as well. “I wish the best of luck to all of you. It’ll be a challenge to get a scale off of one of them, I’ll bet.” Katherine’s gaze faltered, her amused look turned into a contemplative one. She crossed her arms as she became more and more engrossed in her thoughts. Perhaps she was doubting them. Martyn couldn’t fault her- it was a difficult task!

It was bound to be a challenge, no doubt about it, but with the Canaries, Martyn felt like anything was possible.

Or maybe that was just the alcohol getting to him.

Whatever the case was, Martyn had promised Scott that he would make it home alive and well. That meant he had to come home with something from a sea prince. Now that he knew for sure that they were very real, it was only a matter of time until they snagged something from it.

“Just you wait!” Martyn proclaimed, raising his voice. His friends turned to look at him in amusement. “The terror of the sea princes will be gone soon.” He was sure of it. Even if that sea prince was hauntingly confusing to understand. Martyn probably needed some time to think–

“I wouldn’t say that,” a new voice spoke. It was loud, clear, and sounded like it came from above.

The hunters stopped walking, looking around the empty streets for the source of the voice.

Martyn whipped his head around. “Who’s–”

A loud thud hit the ground, and Martyn’s eyes widened as he turned around and saw the figure in front of him.

Her hair was long and chestnut brown with lighter tips. She was dressed like some pampered noble with her dress shirt and corset, and her red hooded cape with golden moons stitched into the hems. A pair of sickles hung from the sides of her belt.

But the most intimidating thing about her was the huge angry red scar over her left eye. It didn’t look natural, as if it was purposely carved on her face. Martyn took a step back.

“It’s so lovely to see the island’s got some new faces, and they’re hunters too,” the stranger had an eerie grin. She laid her hand on the hilt of one of her blades. “I think you’d be some good entertainment. It’s been so boring lately.”

“Who are you?” Grian’s hand hovered over his gun holster.

The stranger gasped, putting a hand to her chest. “Me? Haven’t you heard about me? The islanders just love to tell every visitor all about me.” she laughed. She rolled her eyes, drawing her sickle and swinging it around casually. She looked at each of the hunters, her eyes strangely luminous in the darkness. “I know hunters are dumb, but you’re dense.”

Her sickle. Her twin sickles.

Martyn squinted his eyes to get a better look of them. They were shaped like crescent moons. The stranger wore a red hood.

A red hood and twin-blades shaped like the moon.

“You’re…,” Martyn’s voice quivered.

She laughed, sheathing her blade as she cocked her head. “The Scarlet Witch, at your service,” she bowed with a sense of over dramatic flare. “Though I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

The witch stood up to her full height, looming over them, and placed her scythe hand on her hip. She rolled her eyes and turned around, glancing back at the hunters before waving her hand. She chuckled, shaking her head like someone said a joke.

“I’ll see you around, Hunter.”

The witch broke into a sprint, disappearing in a blur of red as mist began to fill the empty streets. The cold chill of the winds brushed against the hunters, Martyn shivered.

Martyn stared straight ahead, looking down the misty street. He wasn’t sure what it was, but everything in his heart told him to follow. The light buzz in his head only got worse if he thought about turning around like nothing was wrong.

He couldn’t possibly leave without getting answers.

“Wait!” Martyn dashed after her into the misty streets, hoping to find that blur of red.

Martyn could hear a set of footsteps running after him. “Martyn– don’t go after her!” Grian’s shouts did nothing more but encourage him further. Something about the witch was so engaging. He had to follow her, he had to know more. He couldn’t let her slip away.

“I have to!” Martyn glanced behind him. He stopped as he saw a blur of red on a street to the side. He took a sharp breath before breaking into a run in that direction. “I need to know what her deal is!”

“Martyn!” Grian’s shouts became distant. The twists and turns Martyn took, plus the mist beginning to grow into thick fog made it hard to see and hear.

Yet, Martyn could hear the clinks of metal from the witch’s sickles and her running footsteps just ahead of him. He had to keep chasing, he didn’t want to end up lost. He took another deep breath and followed the sound.

Martyn passed by silhouetted buildings, thankful he hadn't run into anything yet, as his heartbeat drummed in his ear. He shook his head, trying to unhear the phantom sounds of the sea prince’s heartbeat echoing through his head.

Somehow, the scenarios were similar. It was hard to see anything, and Martyn kept pushing on to the point of hearing a loud heartbeat echo in his ears. He couldn’t get his mind off of that sea prince. Those inhuman eyes. Its vast, almost incomprehensible size. The way it simply stared at Martyn before it left.

It was haunting and alluring at the same time.

When I come home, I can tell Scott the wait is nearly over.

Martyn could picture the concern on the ginger’s face when he told him about the hunt. Martyn never wanted Scott to worry too much. He should be worrying about something else- maybe about his tavern business or some petty squabble Martyn wasn’t aware of, just something not so dire. Martyn should- would be just fine. Oh, how Martyn longed to be back with the man already. He always felt homesick a few days into a hunting trip before he got used to being on the ship again, but this time, he was so ready to return home.

The uncertainty of this whole commission might be sending imaginary alarm bells in his head, but Martyn pressed on.

I can’t wait to tell you everything.

It sounded unbelievable enough that Martyn was on an island guarded by a sea prince and terrorized by a witch. Martyn couldn’t wrap his head around it being so bizarre. It was a step closer to understanding the sea princes however, and Martyn couldn’t waste that opportunity.

The sound of Martyn’s steps changed from a mix of dry dirt and a stone path to creaking wood and the rush of water. A bridge over a river, good to know. He made himself stop. He didn’t want to fall over the edge. The heavy fog slowly lifted as Martyn waved away the air and revealed the entrance to a dark oak forest. The trees in front of him were tall and dense, its leaves were tightly packed so that there were only small hints of light filtering into the forest.

Martyn looked up to see the darkened clouds pull back ever so slightly, letting the ominous moonlight trail down to the ground around him.

The Scarlet Witch was there, too. She had her back turned towards him, facing the entrance of the forest. She stood completely still as Martyn pulled his gun out of its holster and aimed it at her. Martyn saw a slight twitch from her as he cocked the gun.

“Don’t move.”

“I won’t even try,” the witch shrugged. Despite having her back turned, Martyn could tell she was smiling. “What do you want?”

“I want answers.” Martyn’s grip on his gun began to shake.

“About what?”

“The rumors. Are they real?” Martyn tried to stop his heart from speeding up. He’d never done this before. He’d never threatened a person. But this was his chance to learn more. He needed to learn more. Martyn pointed his gun at one of the witch’s hands, noticing a small twitch, “Put your hands up.”

The woman raised her hands up. She laughed, “Oh, those things?” she nodded. “Yes, they’re very real.”

“Including the sea prince?” Martyn gripped his gun tighter.

“Yes, including the sea prince,” the witch sighed. “Are you going to talk my ears off about what goes on around my island, or can I leave?”

How did she act so… casual? For all she knew, Martyn could pull the trigger then and there, and she’d be dead. Was this not serious for her? Still, Martyn was learning from this.

“So they are real…,” Martyn muttered, glancing to the side and lowering his guard to think. He wasn’t sure if the sea prince guarding this island and the one he saw near the world border were the same, but they were the same accursed species lurking around. He aimed the gun back at the witch’s back, “How did you find the treasure?”

“You really want to know, don’t you?” the witch turned her body, showing the calm, murderous glint in her eyes as her lips formed a small smile. Martyn flinched at seeing the long, strange scar on her face. Martyn has seen and worn some nasty scars on his own body, but the witch’s scar was jagged and odd-looking. It looked like it was supposed to stretch longer, but it was all scrunched up. Clearly, there was something very wrong about her. She giggled, “I’ll admit, you’re a very eager hunter.”

“I said, don’t move,” Martyn growled, his hands shaking as he pointed the gun at the witch’s face. “Or do you want me to shoot you?”

The witch rolled her eyes. “If you do shoot me, you won’t get your answers,” she laughed. “So how about you play nice?”

Martyn glanced between his gun and the witch. She called his bluff. In all honesty, Martyn couldn’t dream of shooting a person. It just felt… wrong. At least with monsters, they don’t feel. They scream and writhe in pain, but it's not the same as hurting a person.

Martyn lowered the gun, his grip beginning to loosen as he took in deep breaths.

“There, that’s better,” the witch smiled. “And for good measure…”

In one swift motion, Pearl leapt forward and tackled Martyn off the foot of the bridge and into the dirt.

Martyn felt the back of his head collide with the ground first, the rest of his body flailing as the witch used her arm to pin him down, pressing it against his neck. Martyn tried to form words with his mouth, but her arm pressed harder on his neck, making them sputter off into nothing. She sat on top of his chest, pushing her weight on Martyn’s chest and shoulders.

“Get off of me!” Martyn choked. His legs thrashed against the ground as he tried to push the witch off of him, but she only shifted her weight higher. She wrapped her hand around his throat and squeezed, her nails biting into his skin as the other hand grappled for one of her sickles.

The witch grinned, her expression darkening, “What? You get to threaten me, and I can’t do the same to you? On my island?” She grabbed the hilt of one of her sickles and whipped it forwards, stabbing the tip of it into the dirt, dangerously close to Martyn’s neck.

Martyn gulped as the weight behind her grip on his throat lessened enough so that it wasn’t choking him anymore. Where was his gun? He moved his hands along the ground to find it, but when his fingers brushed against his gun’s handle, the woman twisted to kick it away. It skidded off the dirt path, falling into the long grass.

Martyn glared up at her. “You don’t, because you’re withholding vital information about the sea princes.” He tried to take steady breaths, but with the weight she still held against his throat and the blade so close to his neck, it was useless. “And as a hunter for the king, I’d say you owe me some respect.”

The witch’s eyes widened. “A king’s hunter, you say?” her grin split wider across her face as she bent forward over him. “Tell me this, what’s your crew’s name called?”

Martyn couldn’t think straight anymore. “We’re the Canaries,” he spat. “And we’ll leave this island alive, and show the world to not be afraid of the sea princes anymore.”

For some reason, that answer caused the witch to lean back, her grin dropped. Had she heard of them? She looked away from Martyn and hummed, he could see the gears turn in the witch’s mind for several moments before her eyes widened and she looked straight back at him. She giggled for half a second, then erupted into full-on laughter.

Martyn wanted to laugh too, in order to ease the tension in his mind, but his eyes darted back and forth to the witch and the blade next to his neck and he kept quiet.

“Little birds who flew too close to the sun,” the witch rolled her head, smirking at Martyn. “I’d say I’d feel bad, but I don’t. I’m excited for the carnage, actually.”

She leaned in close. Martyn wished he could look at anything else other than the piercing witch’s blue-green eyes. “Now be a good little bird and sing somewhere else,” she hissed. “Unless you want to try the open waters… Die like the ‘heroes’ you want to be.”

Her voice sounded different. Martyn could’ve sworn it sounded like thunder with how the ground seemed to tremble as she spoke.

The witch leaned away, her face illuminated by the moonlight. “But, to be nice, I’ll tell you my name, little bird,” she put a hand on her chin and smiled, her teeth almost looked like fangs. “My name is Pearl Moone. Welcome to the island.”

Pearl Moone. An odd name for an odd lady.

Pearl chuckled to herself before lifting her sickle from the dirt and delicately grazed Martyn’s left cheek with it. He flinched and hissed as a stripe of pain cut along his cheek, under his eye. She quickly got off of him and stomped on his gun as she passed it, somehow breaking it immediately. Martyn cupped his bloodied cheek as he stared at Pearl with wide eyes.

“Consider that as a welcome gift,” she grinned mockingly at him, “I’ll see you soon.”

Pearl spun the lightly bloodied sickle and watched as drops of red liquid flew away. She rested the twin crescent blades on her shoulders before casually striding into the forest. The mist grew thicker until it was covering the entrance, obscuring the red cloaked witch until she disappeared into the darkness.

Martyn stared after Pearl. He didn’t realize how quickly blood began to pour out of the cut on his cheek until it began to leak out of his hand, dripping down his arm. But he couldn’t move. It was like staring at that sea prince again. There was something about her that made Martyn stop in his tracks even as his heart raced.

Pearl was just as scary as a sea prince was.

#the sea prince au #sea prince chapters #limited life smp #limited life #life series #life smp #trafficblr #majorwood #mean gills #coral kids #scottyn #martyn inthelittlewood #martyn itlw #inthelittlewood #scott smajor #smajor1995 #dangthatsalongname #pearlescentmoon

71 notes · View notes

eliaswoodt · 6 months

Text

The Name List

Organized from A-Z (yes I will add more names whenever I find more I like, probably in reblogs)

I currently have 1035 names (and that’s only including the first names. I have a list of last names, too.)

Angel, Atticus, Atlas, Apollo, Ares, Athena, Achilles, Artemis, Adonis, Avery, Aubrey, Aubry, Aceline, Ashlynn, Aislinn, Anjanette, Arthur, Archer, Addison, Arrietty, Amity, Autumn, Alastor, Alastair, Alasdair, Alistair, Alison, Arren, Arin, Astra, Aoife, Adalyn, Adeleine, Astoria, Agnes, Angus, Abigail, Ann, Anne, Ambrose, Adeline, Avarsel, Agatha, Ari, Azariah, Aniyah, Armani, Anastasia, Annabelle, Adah, Adelaide, Avis, Amelia, August, Axel, Adelina, Amir, Amin, Ayala, Arne, Averett, Adil, Astro, Ava, Anti, Ailun, Akemi, Asahi, Akari, Asako, Atsuko, Azumi, Aka, Aren, Akko

Blossom, Bambi, Babs, Bo, Bella, Blair, Bea, Bonnabel, Badeea, Betty, Bailey, Boris, Bee, Bugs, Blaise, Benjamin, Bog, Buford, Beatrice, Bryce, Bryan, Bazil, Brutus, Bellamy, Brigitte, Bailee, Bailey, Bao, Belladona, Belladonna, Bell, Bill, Bishop, Bones, Boneothy, Benno, Behemoth, Barry, Bellynn, Bowie, Bunki

Clover, Canyon, Cleo, Cameron, Celestial, Celestino, Ciro, Camilo, Cain, Charlotte, Clara, Corey, Cin, Charlie, Cassidy, Chiara, Callista, Cisco, Cynthia, Casper Clinton, Celestina, Clement, Christopher, Cornelius, Clifford, Claudius, Carey, Carrie, Coatl, Cyrus, Cyril, Cecil, Caisus, Castiel, Calla, Cosmos, Cherry, Cheryl, Crowley, Crow, Cassius, Cliodna, Clíodhna, Cliona, Conan, Cordelia, Calypso, Cas, Cillian, Chiyo, Chiaki, Chihiro, Calcifer

Danny, Darlene, Dex, Dot, Diana, Daphne, Demeter, Daedalus, Daeddel, Darphel, Dawn, Derrick, Derek, Dravan, Dravid, Drae, Dallas, Dimas, Dominic, Damien, Drew, Delilah, Dakota, Darian, Darius, Darwin, Devan, Darla, Dagmar, Daelyn, Dale, Dae, Dacey, Desmond, Dabria, Daniel, Daniela, Danialla, David, Davis, Donnel, Dennis, Demitrius, Delaney, Daiki, Daiyu

Everest, Emery, Ember, Elliott, Elliot, Earlana, Eliseo, Ezequiel, Emie, Evan, Eloise, Eric, Emmet, Elizabeth, Eugene, Ethan, Eret, Ester, Elias, Eos, Ellis, Edwin, Ebony, Elijah, Eliza, Enzo, Elissa, Edward, Eddalyn, Esther, Eda, Edalyn, Edalynn, Edison, Eddison, Estervan, Emma, Eden, Erfan, Eun-hae, Erytheia, Egan, Errol, Eiichi, Eiji, Eriko, Etsu, Etsuko, Eiichiro, Ezume

Flint, Finn, Fae, Fred, Fritz, Fang, Frankie, Frank, Fermin, Freddie, Freddy, Finley, Freya, Fai, Felix, Freda, Faolan, Frey, Feylynn, Faelynn, Failynn, Felipa, Febby, Febbie, Febie, Feby, Flynn, Fuji, Feiyu, Fukiko, Fumitaka, Fumito, Fuyuko

Griffin, Garnet, Gothi, Gertrude, Gabe, Grant, Giovanni, George, Gage, Gregory, Gabriel, Gabrielle, Guy, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Gerry, Grey, Gray, Gia, Grace, Gracian, Gracis, Gracie, Gretel, Gideon, Griffilow, Ghost, Ghazaleh, Gavin, Gryphon, Griffith, Goliath, Grayson, Greyson

Harmony, Hannah, Harlei, Harlie, Haritha, Haris, Harry, Harlan, Harvey, Hadrian, Harley, Hari, Harlow, Howl, Hank, Harper, Herbert, Humphrey, Hestia, Helios, Hephaestus, Hollis, Hunter, Hero, Henry, Helda, Hajar, Hasta, Hadis, Howard, Howie, Hannan, Haoyu, Hisako, Hachi, Hiroto, Hoshiko, Honoka, Hiroshi, Hiro, Haitao, Hamako, Haruhi, Harue, Hayate, Hide, Hideyo, Hidetaka, Hisaye, Hisayo, Heiji, Higari

Ivy, Ivey, Ivo, Ida, Iris, Ilyssa, Illy, Irene, Iren, Isaiah, Ira, Idelle, Ivan, Illaoi, Isabel, Isabell, Isabelle, Isobell, Isabella, Ismelda, Io, Ismael, Isolt, Icarus, izuru, Isamu, Itona, Ichiro, Ichiko, Ichigo, Isoko, Ishiko, Isaye, Inari, Ikuko, Itsuki, Itsuko, Inosuke

Juniper, Jupiter, Jinx, Jamie, Javier, Josiah, Joan, Jake, Julia, Jamil, Jamila, Jesse, Jessie, Jess, Jasper, Janus, Jordan, Joshua, Julian, Juilliard, Julius, Juliana, Jeremiah, Jace, June, Junebug, Jazzy, Jackson, Jackie, Jackalynn, Jodie, Johnnie, Jan, Jaime, Jason, Jorge, Justin, Justice, John, Jay, Janelle, James, Jennifer, Jillion, Jill, Jana, Jonah, Jaycee, Jaxen, Junpei, Jona, Jun, Jin

Kenneth, Kat, Kas, Kris, Keith, Kingston, Kaeton, Kingsley, Kent, Katherine, Kyle, Knox, Kristen, Kristin, Kristeen, Kylie, Kaylee, Kamila, Kehlani, Kendall, Kerry, Kry, Kenny, Kath, Kathleen, Krow, Kix, Kedrick, Kennon, Klaus, Killian, Korallia, Krank, Kaz, Kaede, Kirara, Katsuhiko, Keisuke, Kanako, Kenji, Kaemon, Kamin, Katsu, Kaki, Kazane, Kazuyuki, Kazushige, Kenta, Kei, Kimi, Kin, Kohako, Koichi, Kota, Koji, Koharu, Kosuke, Kuma, Kumi, Kuniko, Kuniyuki, Kideko, Kazuko

Lullaby, Lotte, Lapin, Lorelei, Loralai, Lorelai, Luna, Lily, Lucy, Lee, Liana, Lola, Lethe, Lance, Laurence, Luther, Luca, Lennon, Logan, Lennox, Ilias, Liu, Lui, Luis, Lefu, Liam, Lyall, Lowell, Luella, Leona, Leonie, Leon, Lev, Lincoln, Lin, Link, Laverna, Lazarus, Lewis, Louis, Louise, Levi, Leslie, Lesley, Leilana

Marley, Marlai, Mei, May, Mae, Marceline, Marshall, Marshalee, Millie, Mallorie, Marcela, Melanie, Maddison, Mary, Mirabel, Marsh, Murphy, Montgomery, Mildred, Memphis, Molly, Maverick, Maurice, Muiris, Morgen, Max, Moses, Marion, Merrill, Monroe, Melanthios, Maxwell, Matias, Melissa, Maëlle, Marlene, Meredith, Maybelle, Margaret, Maeve, Moss, Mara, Maria, Myrtle, Mona, Mark, Markus, Michael, Micheal, Michelle, Mahsa, Minoo, Mehdi, Mohammad, Matin, Morpheus, Marlowe, Monica, Marilia, Magnus, Malachi, Malachy, Maggie, Makoto, Megumi, Mio, Maemo, Maemi, Masa, Masaaki, Masashi, Michi, Midori, Michinori, Momo, Motoko

Natasha, Noelle, Noni, Neville, Nixon, Neda, Natalio, Ned, Nausicaä, Noxis, Nova, Nathen, Newt, Noah, Nash, Nox, Nathara, Nathaira, Nathair, Nyoka, Nagisa, Nathan, Nate, Nik, Nick, Naohiro, Naoko, Nara, Natsu, Naoya, Nishi, Nobuko, Nori

Olindo, Ollie, Oliver, Ophelia, Odysseus, Orion, Osono, Oxen, Onyx, Otto, Ottoline, Otitile, Ottavia, Octavio, Olivia-Marie, Oakley, Omar, Olivia, Oscar, Octavian, Octavia, Oz, Octavius, Otta, Oisin, Orson, Orlos, Osiris, Owen, Odalis, Odell, Ozuru

Penelope, Patton, Paddy, Percy, Paulie, Page, Pazu, Phoebe, Phebe, Prairie, Porter, Parlay, Pally, Piper, Parker, Payton, Phil, Paul, Philip, Pyre, Piers, Phylis, Patricia, Payne, Payneton, Pip

Quinn, Quincy, Quil, Quinley, Quinstin, Quinlan, Quillen, Quavon, Quaylon, Quensley, Qing, Qrow, Quilla, Quianna, Quita, Qiao, Quinella, Queenie, Qaylah, Qailah, Qitarah, Quenby, Qadira, Qudsiyah, Quan, Qian, Quinby, Quella

Roseline, Raul, Rahul, Rafael, Roque, Rogelio, Remmy, Rei, Rey, Ray, Robin, Ro, Reika, Rowen, Rowan, Rose, Rosie, Ralsei, Riley, Remus, Rosalyn, Rosalin, Rosaline, Renata, Ron, Rat, Ratt, Reef, Roxy, River, Reed, Rufus, Robbie, Renee, Rivia, Ross, Rex, Ruth, Rosemary, Rosabe, Rosabee, Rosabell, Rosabelle, Rosabel, Rai, Rain, Rosella, Rosalie, Rhody, Robert, Raelinn, Rebane, Ren, Rollin, Ralph, Roxanne, Rox, Roderick, Reginald, Reggie, Rio, Ryu, Ryo, Ryoji, Rinmaru

Sage, Sam, Syd, Selkie, Storig, Sal, Sirius, Summer, Susie, Scott, Sunni, Sosuke, Sophie, Satsuki, Sheeta, San, Sulley, Sully, Savannah, Sappho, Selene, Shaw, Sean, Seán, Shaun, Sawyer, Sabrina, Sebastian, Shane, Stan, Socks, Snom, Stolas, Spencer, Sammie, Stevie, Samus, Sarff, Sullivan, Seth, Susiebell, Susiebelle, Sadreddin, Shellaine, Sverre, Saoirse, Sylvania, Sanae, Silas, Sumi, Shiori, Shinzu, Sile

Toby, Tobias, Teddy, Ted, Tomas, Thomas, Tomothy, Tyche, Taiga, Tundra, Tracy, Timothy, Troy, Tatum, Tommie, Tommy, Theia, Tae, Trix, Trixy, Thanathos, Tod, Todd, Toddy, Tora, Torie, Theodore, Theo, Theophania, Talos, Thanatos, Teddy, Tomohito, Tazu, Tanjirou, Touya

Ulysses, Urijah, Uriyah, Urina, Ukiah, Ulnar, Ursula, Ulric

Virgil, Vanessa, Vito, Venacio, Vylad, Veronica, Valentina, Violet, Velma, Venus, Verna, Veld, Victoria, Victorie, Vinyl, Vincent, Vasuki, Vex, Valor, Valentine, Valerie, Valeria, Valerius, Vitoria, Vic, Victor, Vik, Vikktor, Viktor, Vick, Vicky, Vicke, Vickie, Vidya

Wynn, Willow, Warren, Wilbur, Wylie, Will, Walle, Whisp, Wade, Wendell, Wendy, Willard, Wes, Wallace, Wilber, Wyatt, Wybie, Wynnie, Wennie, Winnie, Wynnston, Wynston, Wynsten, Wiles

Xenophon, Xuan, Xio, Xori, Xanthos, Xander, Xavier

Yen, Yukio, Yae, Yoko, Yume, Yaeko, Yui, Yuzuki

Zane, Zana, Zion, Zachary, Zach, Zachariah, Zander, Ziana, Zoe, Zula, Zenix, Zenith, Zaharia, Zaria, Zack, Zakaeia, Zara, Zakaria, Zev, Zaira, Zanata

98 notes · View notes

smalltownfae · 11 months

Text

Looking for blogs that do book reviews or book related posts and have similar tastes to mine in order to find more excellent reads so please let me know if you are a fan of 3 or more of these:

Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb

Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling

Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Discworld series by Terry Pratchett

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

First Law series by Joe Abercrombie

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tokien

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

Winter Rose/The Changeling Sea/The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A.McKillip

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch

Shades of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Greenhollow Duology by Emily Tesh

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

Sistersong by Lucy Holland

Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

Dawn/Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

I read mostly fantasy, but some classic literature too and I have been trying to get into historical fiction. I prefer long series if the characters are complex or entertaining enough. Books being queer is a plus.

#booklr #fantasy books

123 notes · View notes

pocket-sized-nightmare · 3 months

Text

this is my fic for day two of @mcyt-yuri-week! today's prompt is "royalty"

Rescuing the kidnapped rulers is not going well.

Gem would like to say that it isn’t going according to plan, but she knows there was never a plan in the first place. As much as she loves Jimmy, and as glad as she is that Scott and Jimmy are getting their cute little gay reunion, she wishes he’d brought backup. fWhip, maybe, or maybe Pearl. Definitely Pearl. She just wants to see Pearl again.

Jimmy finishes breaking down the door to Scott’s cell. Scott stumbles to his feet. “Oh, void. Oh, void…”

Jimmy turns to the other cell. “Alright, Gem. Your turn.”

He taps at the bars around the door a few times, slams his pickaxe against the heavy metal door, then—

Footsteps echo from overhead.

“I hear someone down there!” Joey calls in a singsong voice. “I’m on my way!”

“We’re running out of time.” Scott clings to Jimmy, shaking like a leaf. “You have to get out of here.”

Jimmy looks at Gem with tears in his eyes. “I have an ender pearl in stasis at the Ocean Empire. I’ve told Lizzie to drop it on my signal, but I…” He can barely get the words out. “I can only take one.”

Scott looks at Jimmy. Jimmy looks at Scott. Both of them look at Gem.

“Go,” Gem whispers.

Jimmy sends a message to Lizzie, then wraps his arms around Scott. As the ender pearl drops, Scott forces himself to look away from his imprisoned companion.

Gem stares at the wreckage — bent bars, a broken metal door, and an open chest in disarray. There’s no denying what just happened.

Sausage and Joey make it down the ladder and stare at the unlocked cell. Gem can see the fury in their eyes before they even say a word. She crawls to the back corner of the cell and curls up in a ball in a hopeless attempt to shield herself from their attacks.

Sausage stalks towards her. “So he got out, did he?”

Gem nods. Tears pour down her face.

Sausage points his staff at her, prepared for another attack. “You let him escape. And you’re going to tell us everything.”

---

Everyone is understandably furious about this.

fWhip is on the verge of snapping and screaming at anyone he comes across. Shrub blinks back tears every time the subject comes up. Jimmy and Katherine spend all their energy caring for Scott and refuse to think about anything else.

The only person who hasn’t broken yet is Pearl.

None of the other rulers know that Gem is her partner. Neither of them talk much about it — they go on midnight picnics to stargaze, build the community garden behind Pearl’s castle together, and fall asleep in each other’s arms when the world feels safe enough for them to let their guard down, but that happens less and less often lately, and Gem has never liked being open about her emotions anyway. The moment Scott and Gem disappeared, Pearl took a page out of Gem’s book — both metaphorical and physical. She withdrew to her room, researched search-party spells and telepathic links for hours, and cared for Gem’s pets. When Jimmy returned with Scott and not Gem, Pearl knew everything before he could even say a word. The final puzzle piece of her plan fell into place then and there.

Pearl’s plan is simpler than anything the other rulers have come up with. In a way, that’s her cover. Xornoth’s minions are expecting big, flashy fireworks and chaos. They’ll be on the lookout for the hissing of fWhip’s explosives or the howls of Shrub’s wolves.

They will not look for PearlescentMoon crossing the border to Mythland under cover of invisibility.

She makes it all the way to Sausage’s castle without anyone batting an eyelash. The door is locked, but a window just above the door isn’t, so she climbs a nearby vine and cautiously slips through it. If she’s remembering Jimmy’s instructions clearly, there should be a ladder just below her, and then the cells are underneath that. Gem must be nearby.

It’s too quiet. Gem’s too quiet. Gem is never that quiet.

“Please, Gem,” Pearl whispers under her breath. “Please don’t be dead.”

She ties up her dress so it won’t get in the way, then opens the hidden trapdoor and sneaks into the basement.

The basement isn’t deep underground, but every step feels like an eternity. The unbearable smell of mold and dust overwhelms Pearl. She shivers with a cold ache that feels almost otherworldly. She has to get Gem out of there. She takes another step down the ladder, then another, faster and faster, when—

The ladder creaks.

From below, Gem gasps and scrambles to the back corner of her cell. “No, stop… I’ll give you anything you want, just not the dragon egg… please, just don’t hurt me…”

Pearl blinks back tears at the sight, but she forces herself to stay silent. One wrong move could doom them both.

She steps softly to the ground, walks over to an overstuffed chest, and gathers Gem’s items. She can’t carry everything, but she makes sure that Gem’s armor, tools, potions, and staff end up in her pockets.

Gem stares at the open chest. “I’m going crazy. I’m losing my mind. Please stop, just leave me alone…”

Pearl can’t stand to be silent anymore. She takes out a bucket of milk and drinks it, letting the invisibility spell fall away. “Don’t worry. It’s me.”

Gem stays curled up against the wall. Her eyes widen. “Pearl?”

“Oh, gemstone…” Pearl cautiously steps closer to the cell. “It’ll be alright. I’m gonna get you out of here.”

Gem breaks down sobbing.

Pearl lets her own tears fall. “I’ve got your stuff here. I’m gonna hand it through the bars, okay? Then I’ll break you out.”

Gem nods, still crying too hard to speak.

Pearl hands Gem’s items to her one by one. Gem equips her armor faster than Pearl’s ever seen before and holds her staff close to her chest for comfort. “Thank you,” Gem whispers.

“Of course.” Pearl turns her attention to the cell itself. Her heart drops. “Oh, my void. There’s no door…”

“They took it away after Scott escaped.” Gem holds her staff tighter. “They didn’t want me getting out too.”

“Gem, that was two days ago!” Pearl sits down next to the cell and reaches between the bars to take Gem’s hand. “No one’s come down for you since then?”

Gem squeezes Pearl’s hand so tightly that her fingers turn white. “No, they’ve come down. They can…” Her voice breaks. “They can still cast spells through the bars.”

Gem’s broken expression shatters Pearl’s heart. “Oh, love,” she whispers. “I’m here now. It’s going to be alright.”

Gem starts to cry again. “Pearl, help me…” “I’m here to help. Don’t you worry.” Pearl takes out a pickaxe and cautiously taps at the bars. “I’ve got to do this as quietly as possible. Sorry it’s so slow.”

“Take your time.” Gem slowly uncurls and moves away from the corner.

With a loud clang, Pearl manages to snap two of the bars off the wall. She slips through the gap and kneels down next to Gem, making a point not to look too carefully at her. Not yet. She needs to get Gem out of there first. She can’t afford to stop for anything, no matter how much it hurts her to see Gem like this. “I’ve got invisibility potions. If I’ve done it right, we should be able to see each other, but no one else can see us. I’ll break through the wall, and–“

“We’ll be seen.” Gem leans on her staff as she struggles to her feet. “We need to teleport.”

“Gem, it’ll kill you.”

Gem ignores her. “I can get us as far as the castle gate.”

Pearl sighs. She knows her partner well – when Gem makes up her mind about something, there’s no talking her out of it. “Fine, but you have to conserve your power. I’m not letting you die halfway to safety because you overdid it. I’ll take you back to my empire, and we’ll get you fixed up.”

She hands Gem a bottle of a purplish-gray potion. Gem drinks it and makes a face. “You’ve really got to work on your recipe.”

“Hey, I’m trying to save your life here,” Pearl chuckles. “Give me a break.”

Gem lets herself laugh. “Of course. But when you drink it, I think I’ll be proven right.”

“Oh, come on, I had one from a different batch earlier. It’s not that bad.” Pearl chugs her potion… and fails to hide her disgusted expression. “Never mind. That’s horrible.”

Gem smirks. “Told you so.”

She’s interrupted by a voice from above the cell. “Don’t tell me we have another intruder.”

“We’ll take care of them this time,” another voice says. Pearl recognizes the voice as Sausage. “She’s not getting away from us.”

Gem freezes in panic. “Pearl, they’re coming. They’re gonna find us.”

Pearl slams the bars back into place. “Gem, breathe. If you’re gonna teleport us, you have to do it now.”

Gem takes a deep breath. “Hold onto me.”

Pearl puts an arm around Gem’s shoulders. Gem closes her eyes, holds the staff out in front of her, and whispers something Pearl can’t hear. With a flash of purple light, the two vanish from the cell.

The spell works perfectly. Gem and Pearl land just outside the castle gates, and judging by the lack of odd looks around them, the invisibility potions are still working their magic. They’ve made it out. “You did it,” Pearl whispers.

Gem leans her whole body weight onto her staff, then collapses to the grass. “Pearl, I can’t…” she murmurs weakly. “I can’t walk. I don’t know what to do…”

Pearl’s voice is soft and kind. “I’ve got you. It’s alright.”

She lifts Gem into her arms with ease. Gem wraps her arms around Pearl’s neck and clings to her for dear life.

“Just hold on, my love,” Pearl whispers as she carries Gem through Mythland. “You’re gonna be alright. I’m getting you out of here.”

When they cross the border into Gilded Helianthia, the air itself seems to get lighter. Pearl hadn’t realized how corrupted Mythland has become until that moment. She has to figure out a way to heal it. No one else will get hurt — she’ll make sure of it.

“Pearl?” Gem clings tighter to Pearl as the kingdom’s golden buildings come into view. “I don’t want to be seen like this. Don’t let me be seen like this…”

“It’s alright. The invisibility spell should hold for a few minutes more.” Pearl rubs Gem’s back, hoping the gesture is comforting and not painful. “No one will see you until you’re ready.”

Gem takes a shuddery breath. “Okay. Okay, that’s… that’s fine. I just… it’s just…”

The castle appears in their vision. Pearl whispers to Gem, “Just what?”

Gem closes her eyes and tries to hide her tears. “I don’t want to die…”

“Oh, starlight…” Pearl blinks back tears of her own. “I won’t let you. You’re going to be alright. I promise.”

Gem buries her head in Pearl’s shoulder and lets herself cry. “Can we go inside?”

“Of course, my love.” Pearl keeps Gem wrapped safely in her arms as she enters the castle. “Of course.”

---

Pearl’s mind whirls as she carries Gem up to her bedroom and lays her down on the bed. Void, she’s tired. She hasn’t had a good night of sleep since Gem and Scott went missing. She can hardly imagine how Gem feels.

Gem curls in on herself with a pained wince. “Pearl, what do we do?”

“Just try to relax,” Pearl says as she types something into her communicator. “I have to tell the others that you’re safe so they stop worrying. I can tell them you don’t want to see them at the moment, if you’d like.”

“Mhm,” Gem mutters. “Do that. But what about…”

Pearl sighs. “I have Joey blocked at the moment.” After a pause, she adds, “And Sausage, too.”

“Okay. Fine. Send it.” Gem curls further into herself. “But they can’t see me like this.”

“Of course not.” Pearl types a few more words.

<PearlescentMoon> I have Gem

<PearlescentMoon> She’s safe and recovering in my empire

<PearlescentMoon> She’s requested no visitors right now but I’ll let you know when she’s ready

Dozens of messages ping in at once, but Pearl ignores them and puts her communicator down. Her partner is more important. As she sits down on the side of the bed, Pearl finally lets herself take a good look at Gem for the first time.

Gem’s braid is messy and full of dirt. One of her antlers is snapped in half. She’s covered in deep cuts and bruises, and there are dark circles under her eyes that make it clear she hasn’t slept in days. Her skin is pale and dry. Pearl chokes back a sob. “Oh, no, gemstone, I’m so sorry…”

Gem takes shuddery breaths as she tries to calm herself down. “No, it’s… it’s alright. You got me out. That’s enough…”

Pearl opens a green shulker box on the shelf and takes out bandages and healing potions. Gem stares in amazement. “You had that prepared for me?”

“Gem, you have to get used to people loving you,” Pearl says bluntly. “Did you really think I was going to drop you at the edge of my empire and leave?”

“Good point,” Gem murmurs, clinging to consciousness. She sighs. “Help me?”

“Of course.” Pearl hands her a healing potion. “Drink this.”

Gem chugs the bottle in seconds. She hums peacefully as the potion takes effect, filling her with warmth and comfort from the inside out.

“Okay. Now here, let me…” Pearl gently bandages Gem’s wounds one at a time. Bit by bit, Gem lets herself relax.

Pearl finishes by filing down the sharp end of Gem’s broken antler, then helps her to her feet. “I’m gonna wash your hair now, alright?”

“Okay…” Gem allows Pearl to lead her into the bathroom. She sits down in front of the sink and undoes her tangled braid.

Pearl realizes it’s the first time she’s ever seen Gem with her hair down. She wishes it could’ve come at any other time, so she could sit and admire Gem’s beauty instead of worrying for Gem’s safety. “Here, tilt your head back. I’ve got you.”

Gem closes her eyes as Pearl gently washes her hair, combing out all the tangles and dirt. It occurs to her that the gentle touch is the most physical affection she’s received in weeks. When Pearl finishes washing Gem’s hair and takes her hands away from Gem’s head, Gem feels involuntary tears prick at her eyes again.

Pearl returns with a ribbon and ties Gem’s hair back into a braid, then notices that Gem is crying. “What’s happening, gemstone?”

Gem just sobs.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s gonna be alright.” Pearl helps Gem to her feet again, then wraps her in a hug and helps her stumble back into the bedroom. “You need your rest, alright? You’ve been through so much.”

Gem falls onto the bed and allows Pearl to tuck her in. Her breath speeds up I’ll m as she fights her instinct to cling to wakefulness. “I… I can’t… I…” She blinks back another wave of tears. Finally, she manages to form a single word as she grabs Pearl’s wrist. “Stay?”

“Always, my love.” Pearl sits down on the bed.

Gem pulls her closer until Pearl is lying down beside her, then curls up in her arms. “Thank you, sunflower. For everything.”

“Of course.” Pearl kisses Gem on the forehead. “We got you back, and we’ll never let them take you again. I’ll make sure of it.”

“I love you,” Gem murmurs.

“I love you too,” Pearl whispers back. “Sleep well, starlight.”

Gem’s eyes close again, and she slips into the first restful sleep she’s had in months. Pearl stays by her side.

The world might be broken, but they will keep each other safe.

#mcytyuriweekvalentines #empires smp #empiresshipping #gempearl

24 notes · View notes

wellhalesbells · 10 days

Text

Best of 2024 - Q1(ish)

✨✨ I forgot I told myself I was going to start doing this this year. A few people I follow do kind of a 'best of' thing and since I forget everything that happens almost immediately I thought: hey, that's a good idea for you, you should do that. So here I am with it sorta on time-ish \o/ ✨✨

Books

The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden. I tend to go into books with very little to no idea of what they're about (on purpose) so absolutely everything here was a surprise in the very best way. If I could've directed it, I would've directed it in exactly this way!

Voyage of the Damned, Frances White. This was such a lovely surprise?? I'm really enjoying these cross-genre books and this has to be the one that absolutely nailed both the best. It's a fantasy murder mystery and both are very involved - the world-building is excellent and the murder mystery is fun and terrifying in the best way!

Remarkably Bright Creatures, Shelby Van Pelt. I love books that like people, that prize connection, and that want to build community. Basically books that remind me that people are generally good and willing to try and that's this! Plus: octopus!

Empire of the Damned, Jay Kristoff. Empire of the Vampire was one of my favorite reads in 2022 (when I read it) and the sequel definitely lived up to its predecessor. The story is so compelling and the characters are so impossible not to fall in love with. Happily, this did not suffer from middle book syndrome: so much happened and so much moved forward.

Dinner on Monster Island, Tania de Rozario. I took this out at the library on a whim - it was available and it had a cool cover so I was in. I learned so much. I knew next to nothing about Singapore so everything to do with that blew my mind and Tania de Rozario's voice is wonderful, not to mention she connects so much of her life and surroundings to horror movies and that is a touchstone that I have in spades.

I should also special mention Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, which I adored.... though it did completely ruin the movie for me (which I had also never seen and watched a few days later), haha. Sophie is the catalyst for absolutely every single thing that happens in the book and Howl is useless and dramatic without her and to see her be so very ineffectual in the film (and have things that happened because of her be taken away from her) while Howl was so powerful was like.... wha??? It was beautiful animation but... yeah. And Stardust by Neil Gaiman, which was so enjoyable! It has that irreverent, this-might-as-well happen humor that I love in fantasies.

Comics/Mangas/Manhwas/Etc.

On of Off, Vols. 1-3, by A1. Um. Can I just say that I love when one of the characters in a queer couple is a big huge dude? I don't know, a few years ago a switch got flipped in my head and size difference is now VERY MUCH A THING for me. I don't really want a small dude, I just want a big huge dude and a normal-sized man. (Or a big huge woman and a normal-sized woman - see Cosmoknights, which.... I'm realizing now probably had something to do with the switch and its aforementioned flippiness) Voila! I also like when the big huge dude is like: I'm not really that into it and then falls hardcore in love and has a dramatic: "What in the actual fuck just happened?" moment. This and The Dangerous Convenience Store have that exact dynamic and I cannot stress enough I could read it 100,000 more times and not get tired of it.

Saga, Volume 11, by Brian K. Vaughan. Just bring back Marko. Like, just do it. Every time it teases me with it, I want it more. Bring him back, gimme, I want. I remain in love with this series but, crap, does it just want to rip my heart out every chance it gets.

The Other World's Books Depend on the Bean Counter, Volume 4, Kazuki Irodori. This is my shit. It's a fantasy world that a completely ordinary corporate worker is sucked into and he ends up entirely reorganizing the structure of their accounting department so it a) actually functions and b) is accountable (ha). However, he has no resistance to "magicules" and the best way to acclimate him to all the magic that constantly surrounds him is for him to have sex with a very attractive soldier. Like, that's just brilliant writing is what that is, no notes. I love it, it wins all the things. (It's based on a novel that they only just began releasing in English and the comic is the superior version for me at this moment in time.)

Cherry Magic!, Vols. 9-10, by Yuu Toyota. I cannot believe I'm still so invested despite the fact that the original hook for this manga has disappeared and it's essentially just a very domestic, slice of life story now but it's just so nice to see them both happy and married and together?? So the original plot of this was there's essentially some old wives' tale that if you're a virgin at thirty you get magic powers. Cue Adachi turning thirty and he can suddenly read people's minds when he touches them and finds out through this power that his coworker, Kurosawa, is in love with him. It's a really cute, fun series and I am happy for it to go on forever. (Also, they made an anime out of it this year and it's stupid cute. There is also a live action series that I haven't watched yet.)

Therapy Game Restart, Vols. 1-3, by Meguru Hinohara. So, Minato is pile of endless insecurities in a trenchcoat and Shizuma is his confused but calm partner and it turns out I am really into that? Consistently surprised by how much I am into that but I am, in fact, into that.

Special mention to The Third Ending by Chobom - I really hope this is getting an official printing at some point because I am in love with it and I will buy the fuck out it (the fact that it's behind a digital paywall right now is the only reason this isn't number one). It is so exactly, specifically to my tastes it's ridiculous. So the idea here is Joon confesses his feelings to Yoonseul in high school, when he doesn't know him too well but likes what he sees, and Yoonseul turns him down a little harshly (he was mad at someone else and was a little less careful with his words than he would've been otherwise). Yoonseul starts having bad days on nights when he dreams of that memory and the two meet again and start hanging out so Yoonseul can assuage his conscience. They become really close friends and they end up drunkenly kissing, Yoonseul knows it's a mistake and Joon overhears him talking about it to a friend and how much he regrets it. Joon confesses his feelings again and Yoonseul, again, turns him down because he can't imagine anything physical happening between them. That should be the end of it. Except, very slowly, Yoonseul realizes he is completely in love with Joon and he's fucked this thing up to high heaven. Cue my absolute FAVORITEST dynamic - the chasee becoming the chaser.

Fisk (s1-2), Netflix. This is an Australian comedy about probate lawyers and if you're on the fence about it watch the episode with the Popovitches (season 1, episode 3). I very nearly peed my pants.

Only Murders in the Building (s3), Hulu. Okay, I'm a big fan of musicals and it's not a love I indulge very often so when I do watch them, I tend to get way too into them. (Yes, I bought this album immediately.) I adored this season and I adored Howard - making him a series regular was ingenious.

The Righteous Gemstones (s3), Max. This season was so good. This show in general is so freaking good but I really loved this season. This family is so genuinely fucked up but to get to the last episode and have them rise to the occasion and figure out their brand of love was so satisfying. And I do adore that they tried to copy other functional families they saw before realizing that was just never going to work for them.

Mr. Villain's Day Off (s1), Crunchyroll. Okay, I love this manga and the show is so exactly this manga. Like, I've reblogged a ton of shot for shot comparisons so when I say 'same,' I mean 'same.' The entire idea is this monstrous alien bent on destroying the world enshrines his days off with reverence and diligence - he's just a normal guy, obsessed with pandas, who's only evil at work, thank you very much. It's just so silly and weirdly heart-warming?

Girls5Eva (s3), Netflix. There's something about Renee Elise Goldsberry for me that is magnetic. I love everything about her, I love getting to watch her do comedy, I love hearing her sing, I love her character. Also, the singing? I've mentioned how I am weak for the singing, yes?? (Yes, I have these albums too.)

Minx (Starz) was also really, really good but I wish it hadn't been canceled prematurely! It definitely wasn't finished, y'know, and it was so unfortunate to end it with Doug on the wrong side of things - I want to see the resolution, dammit!

Movies

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022). I haven't laughed at a movie like this in a long time. I've watched it twice so far this year; I went home two weeks ago and made my dad watch it with me and tears were streaming down our faces by the end. Pedro Pascal should never not be doing comedy because he was made for it.

Bottoms (2023). This is so exactly my sense of humor? The ridiculousness of this was just *chef's kiss* Also more Ayo Edibiri in everything.

Talk to Me (2022). I had been waiting for this movie to get onto some streaming platform so I could watch it and I think the best compliment I could give it is that I wanted to watch it again the next day. Great horror, great resolution!

John Wick 4. I expected this to feel so long and bloated and yet it didn't at all. I was invested the whole time and I think it helps that I watch action films, like, once every three years so these feel like fun little treats more than anything.

Nate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid. There's a joke in here that I relate to so hard it's almost embarrassing. Talking about ordering coffee, he goes: "If you could just do whatever you think it is and if it's wrong, I won't even tell you, how about that, I will walk out of here as if that's exactly what I ordered. I will go outside, I will throw it away, and go try again at a different Starbucks." That is exactly how I would handle that and this entire special is filled with that. I giggled so hard.

Also, special mention to Taylor Tomlinson's specials Look at You and Have It All. I love how honest she is on stage and how open she is with her audience. It's rare to have that and I think it feels so special because it is.

See you all again in Q2 (ish, probably, lbr) *salutes*

#ummm don't read or watch illegally *wink wink*#but do utilize your local library!#since i don't have a legal way i read the third ending i didn't link it lolol #but here it is the #best of the best #(for me specifically)#2024 #also all the streaming platform things are us-based so sorry if i lead you to something that doesn't exist there for you :(

14 notes · View notes

authormeat · 7 months

Text

URBAN LEGEND

Eyeless Jack Plot: The city has had a spike in urban legends coming true. Eyeless Jack is behind most of them. To think the targets are not the suburbia homes but apartments instead. Word Count: 1.4k

Warning: Description of Gore, Break-in.

Reader discretion is advised.

Urban Legends are in themselves myths. They are usually made as a warning to children who live in cities or in remote places where it's just not safe. To think one would be so close to home. The bustling city has been put into a close crisis, so close in fact they have initiated a curfew.

People have reported waking up in their bathrooms with organs missing. Kidneys, for the most part. Some have reported their gallbladder or horrifically; a lung. However, that case has been closed since yesterday. Deceased.

Standing outside your emergency fire exit the city below is eerily silent. Several people are out as well. Smoking, playing music, enjoying the gap of free time. Others have boarded up their apartments. Everything rolls in the blue hue of the night.

Clouds block the sky above, which would be drowned by the light pollution anyways, and only the small chatter keeps company. A beer is in your hand. The buzz warms your body from the cold air. In truth it's freaky, especially as many friends and co-workers have had second hand knowledge of some of the reports.

'It was in my apartment complex.' Mark Heber, missing appendix.

'I knew them from down the street.' Katherine Rook, missing kidney.

'She was such a sweet lady. She ran that ma and paw shop on 14th street.' Evelyn Sharon, missing kidney.

'He lived in your apartment complex.' Martin Grant, missing lung. 'Right across from your apartment.'

There were a few others. Targets of random chance, but at least never in the same place twice. Sipping the last of the cheap beer made little difference to the spike of paranoia. As the night grew darker and the people slowly retreated in for curfew the silent city stilled further. Lights are a little dimmer. Everything was blue.

Crawling back through and closing it with a soft click the T.V. helped little with how dark it was in the apartment. Shuffling over you click on a tall lamp to bring in some yellow to the drowning blue. How little it helps to comfort the anxiety. Truthfully, these murders disturb you more than any of the other Urban Legends being fulfilled. The imagery of awaking with organs missing. The numb pain which breaks through the nerves. Indescribable.

You busied the rest of your night with watching a Late Night Show. At least until your head lulled forward and the live audience's laughter drowned out the fear. Yet, even as you slept it never crossed your mind; you never did lock that window.

So, as the beast made the stalk across alleyways. Up the many stairs of fire exits and digging their gloved fingers under the window lip, only did they find one this blue night. The pull is slow, mumbling of a T.V. being the cue of any noise.

The draft flows in, snapping you awake. Looking at the window your senses kick into high gear. The first thing you grabbed was the remote to the T.V. which cut off the joke mid-sentence. Wind brushing through, whispering in your ears of danger. The apartment is no longer safe and you can recognize this.

You check your pockets for your phone scanning the living room. The space isn't big and the lamp had been shut off, causing your adjusted eyes to be blinded by the dial keyboard.

You fail to notice the massive figure looming in the darkness of your open bedroom door.

The blue mask has blended in with the surrounding hues.

Your alert senses fail to hear the hushed breath below the howling wind.

Pressing the dial the phone rings. You take careful footsteps toward the kitchen, which holds the front door just beyond a tiny hall. The safer option is to circle the kitchen for a weapon and run out into the hall to alert neighbors.

"911, what's your emergency?"

You check the bedroom doorway. No one is standing there. Even as you squint.

"I think someone is in my apartment." You whisper.

The voice on the other end becomes soft. "Where are you? Are you safe?" Scanning the small kitchen, nothing is hiding in the dark.

"No." You whisper your apartment complex address, as clear as one could get while you pull a knife from the block on the counter.

"Are you able to get out of the apartment? Do you know who's in there with you?"

"I live alone." The island separates you from the living room, and what lurks on the other side. "I'm heading for the front door."

"Stay on the line we're sending over to the closest dispatch who can help you, which floor are you on?"

"The 8th." The hush of hopelessness across your voice enveloped the fear.

Circling the kitchen you finally make it to the front door. Clacking sounds of sliding locks and a click from the front door knob had you so close to freedom.

Until the force of something slamming into your back.

The phone tumbles from your hand but the knife is gripped tight. Struggling to swing the weapon, a strong grip grabs your arm and wrist. Twisting it so far you're forced to let go.

A scream rips into the air for a moment until another force covers it.

"Who knew playing with food would be such a hassle." The bellowing low voice rumbles through the air. You struggle.

"I'm quite hungry, taking one organ is becoming inefficient." You struggle harder. The hand wraps tighter around your arm and face. Muffled screaming unable to reach through the thick leather of the beast's glove.

"Suppose explaining to you would be purposeless, but meat always tastes better when it’s doused in fear." The creature looms over. Pushing you against the blazing surface behind. It's too hot. The holes of the mask are dark. Where are their eyes?

"Because our time will be short I'll be binging on your organs." Breath becomes quicker, your mind is muddy from the hand covering your mouth and nose. "All of them, or at least the ones I choose to rip from your body."

The police would find the front door wide open. Blood covering the doorknob. A broken phone and abandoned knife just behind the entrance. The bloody path leads them into the bathroom.

The visceral horror of the victim's body is nothing short of brutal. The blood was encapsulated in their bathtub. For the most part.

The arms and wrists snapped and shattered. Legs ripped from their sockets and dislocated, bones twisted inside. The rib cage ripped open and muscle was missing. They would find it later having been thrown against the wall. Their throat slashed and torn, bitten as though from some sort of wild animal was on it.

Several organs have chunks missing, no parts found. Dental review of different sized teeth, canines, incisors, and molars. Humans, wolves, bears, mountain lion teeth, and many other animals. All shapes and kinds. Whatever took them wasn't human. The bloodbath of it all was contrasted with a strange, handwritten note. Left neatly folded by the edge of the tub with no blood.

"Life is a privilege for the food I choose. Cold snacks are bland in contrast to the blazing heat of adrenaline. Do remember to check the locks in your homes, even a simple window may let me inside. I was trying to play peacefully, taking only what I craved but when the cold was too much and the snack too tedious, a meal was in order. A buffet of choice, a king's meal. I am full."

There were no reports from neighbors of any sort of struggle or sound, neither down stairs nor sides. There was no footage from the halls or outdoors. There were no fingerprints to match nor DNA to save. Nothing but the blood which pooled around a clogged drain. Nothing but the victims.

The 911 call is recorded only till a loud slam is heard, then a short crunch of what would be concluded the phone being completely crushed.

The city feared the Urban Legend of finding themselves in a bath of ice. But now even more so. As it seemed the organ collector wanted more than just a donation.

#creepypasta #creepypasta fanfic #eyeless jack #meat.fanfic

35 notes · View notes

ladyloki234 · 5 months

Text

The Princess and the Wolf (Loki X OC Love Story)

By LadyLoki234

Chapter One

Once upon a time, there lived a King and his fair Queen who were blessed with four beautiful daughters whose names were Cassandra, Penelope, Katherine, and their youngest daughter Ophelia. The four princesses were each born with extortionary gifts, Cassandra the eldest possessed the gift of speaking with animals. Penelope the second oldest was possessed with the gift of healing giving her the power to heal the sick and injured Katherine the middle child was granted with the gift of understanding and seeing illnesses. Lastly, Ophelia the youngest daughter was blessed with the gift of using her voice to sing. The daughters were beloved by all the people in their kingdom, but it was Princess Ophelia who was adored by all who heard her beautiful voice.

For many years the King and his Queen ruled their kingdom in peace, and the princesses used their gifts to help all who were in need. Cassandra made sure that all the animals lived within the forests and ensured their safety. Penelope and Katherine attended to the sick and injured in the castle infirmary and used their abilities as best as they could. Ophelia would spend her days out walking through the forest admiring the beauty of nature, she comes across a small pond sits on top of a medium-sized rock, and sings to herself.

Vargen ylar i nattens skog

(The wolf is howling in the forest of the night)

Han vill men kan inte sova

(He wants to, but cannot sleep)

Hungern river i hans varga buk

(The hunger tears his wolven stomach)

Och det är kallt i hans stova

(And it’s cold in his burrow)

Du varg du varg, kom inte hit

(Wolf, wolf, don’t you come here)

Ungen min får du aldrig

( I will never let you take my child)

Vargen ylar i nattens skog

(The wolf is howling in the forest of the night)

Ylar av hunger o klagar

(Howling out of hunger and moaning)

Men jag ska ge’n en grisa svans

(But I will give him a pigtail)

Sånt passar i varga magar

(Which suits a wolven stomach)

Du varg du varg, kom inte hit

(Wolf, wolf, don’t you come here)

Ungen min får du aldrig

( I will never let you take my child)

But little did she know that she was being watched from the shadows of the forest, suddenly the princess heard the sound of a twig breaking, and she looked around trying to figure out where the sound came from. She was still sitting on top of the rock as she kept wandering on what was in the forest with her, then she spotted a pair of glowing green eyes from behind some bushes, then there was a low growling sound, the princess picked up a large branch that was on the ground and holds it in both of her hands to defend herself with.

Slowly a large black wolf emerges from the bushes and begins to approach her, the princess is scared at first as the wolf comes closer to her. The wolf was not like all the wolves that run freely in the forests, this wolf was as tall as a horse with jet black fur with a little sliver under his neck and chest, and his eyes were like the color of emeralds. Ophelia closed her eyes afraid to meet the wolf’s gaze, then there was silence Ophelia slowly opened her eyes and saw that the large wolf was lying there with its head still up with its green eyes still fixed upon her, she didn’t see that the wolf was aggressive in any way but noticed that the wolf wasn’t going to hurt her, she slowly puts the branch down onto the ground and slowly climbs down off of the rock, the wolf didn’t move from its spot as Ophelia slowly approaches him, The wolf laid there still as he watched her walking closer towards him.

Ophelia had never seen a wolf that was twice as big as any of the normal-sized ones that roam around the forests during the night, but this wolf was out in broad daylight and there were no other wolves to be seen, she guessed that he must have been a lone wolf who didn’t have a pack of his own.

As she was a couple of feet from him the wolf stood up from the ground standing right in front of her, Ophelia stopped in her tracks as she saw the wolf getting up off of the ground and standing there not moving an inch. The wolf stopped in front of Ophelia looking straight into her eyes, the wolf lens its head down closer to her, Ophelia stood completely still as the wolf started sniffing her, Ophelia’s body froze as the wolf was taking in her scent, soon the wolf looks back at her again then shortly after the wolf started licking her face. Ophelia laughed softly as the wolf continued licking her face, she held her hands up and placed them on the sides of the wolf’s face.

The wolf stops licking her and starts rubbing its head against her chest, Ophelia smiles taking one of her hands and running her fingers through his soft black fur.

“You’re not like all the wolves that live in this forest, you seem like you are very gentle and tamed.” She says to the wolf as she continues to pet his head running her fingers through his ebony-black fury. Ophelia sits down on the ground then the wolf dose the same lying down beside her the lays its head down on top of her lap. She softly smiles at the wolf as she runs her hand and fingers through its fury, she remembered her older sister Cassandra that not all wolves are vicious but treated with kindness and respect they can be a fine companion. As the hours passed Ophelia could see that the sun was starting to set.

" Oh my, I didn't realize that it was getting late." She says. The wolf gets up to let her up, Ophelia dusts off the dirt off of herself as she stood up, she looks back at the wolf and walks up a little closer to him. The wolf looks at her with his emerald green eyes, Ophelia then noticed that the wolves eyes didn't seem to be animal but appeared to more like human eyes. "I don't know why but your eyes are more human then animal" she says to the wolf as she stood close to him. "It's because..I'm not a wolf" The wolf spoke for the first time. Ophelia's eyes widened and took a step back away from him

"Y..You can speak, but how is this possible?" she asked.

"Please don't be afraid my lady, I will tell you of how I came be to like this." The wolf says to her in a soft tone. Ophelia nodded her head and listened to him.

"My name is Loki, Prince of Asgard son of Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga and brother of Thor." He then bows his head to her. Ophelia also bowed her head back in return. Loki counties to explain to Ophelia of why he was cursed as a wolf.

"Years ago a Sorceress came to Asgard and stood before Odin, mother Frigga, my brother and myself."

"What did she want?" Ophelia asked

"She told Odin that if he return what belongs to her she would punish Odin by placing a curse on the eldest son."

"She was going to curse your brother Thor?" Ophelia asked. Loki nodded his head then continues the rest of the story.

"Odin refused to return what belong to the Sorceress, and then the witch became angry, just as she was casted the cruse I pushed Thor out of the way and the curse was placed upon me instead, and I was transformed into the wolf you now see before you." Loki lowers his head sadly with his eyes closed. Ophelia walks up in front of Loki taking her hand and places it gently on top of his head.

"You saved your brother's life, that was a very brave thing that you did. I would have done the same for my sisters." She sees Loki lift up his head looking back at her once again. Loki steps closer to her then places his head over her shoulder as if he was gently embracing her, Ophelia softly smiles wrapping her arms around the back of his neck hugging him back with half of her face buried in his soft black fur. As they embraced each other Ophelia and Loki pull away and staired into each others eyes.

"What is your name my lady?" Loki asked.

"Ophelia, Princess Ophelia." She answers.

"It is an honor to meet you lovely Princess." He says as he bowed his head then looks back up at her. "May I ask you something Princess, while I was walking through the forest I heard the sound of someone singing, was it you?"Loki asked her to see if it was true.

Ophelia nods her head and gave him a shy smile. "Yes, it was me. My three older sisters and myself were born with different abelites." She explains to him.

"What kind of abelites do you and your sisters have?" Loki asked as he sat down and listens.

"My older sister Cassandra cane speak to animals. My second sister Penelope can heal people. And my third sister Katherine can understand and seeing illness."

"And you my dear, I may guess that yours most be your voice?" Loki asked her hoping that he had guessed right. Ophelia softly smiled "Your guess is indeed correct Prince Loki, I was gifted with the ability to sing." Loki sits back up and walks toward Ophelia then he lays down onto the ground and gestures his head towards his back.

"Climb on my back, I'll take you back home before it gets dark." He says as he offered to take her back home. Ophelia climbs onto his back, Loki slowly stands up then turns his head towards her.

"Hold on tight Princess." Ophelia nods and gently holds on to him as he sprints off out of the forest to return the princess safely back home to her father's castle.

After a few hours passed Loki had br ought Ophelia safely back to her home, but Loki couldn't go any farther, he lowers himself down onto the ground to let Ophelia off of his back. The princess looks back at Loki as he stood back up on his feet.

"This is were I leave you young princess, I cannot go any further." He says to her with a sad tone in his voice. Loki didn't like the thought of leaving his newly found friend but he knew that he must. Ophelia walks over towards Loki and looked sadly into his eyes.

"Will I see you again Loki?" she asks as she stood in front of him. Deep down in her heart Ophelia felt a deep connection towards Loki even though she had just met him, but after spending sometime with in in the forest she already felt safe around him. Loki steps closer towards Ophelia and gently nuzzles the side of her cheek with his snout as if he was comforting her.

"I will always be around whenever you need me my dear princess, if you are ever in the forest again and wish for me to come, I'll be listening for your beautiful voice so that I know that it is you." Ophelia wraps her arms around the back of Loki's neck and gives him one more hug before saying goodbye. She pulls away looking at him and strokes his cheek with her hand.

"I'll never forget you Loki, you're the only friend I've ever met, and I'll miss you." Loki leans into her touch and closes his eyes. "And I will miss you as well dear one, and I'll never forget you either." As they said their goodbyes Ophelia watched as Loki runs off back to the forest, but before he entered the forest Loki turned back around looking towards where Ophelia was still standing, he raises his head up and lets out a howl as if he was saying to her "Farewell my dear princess" then he disappears into the night back into the forest. As Loki vanished back into the forest Ophelia quietly went back inside the castle and walked back into her room. As she was in her room Ophelia walks over towards her window and looks out towards the distance. She hears a howl coming from deep within the forest, somehow she knew that it must have been Loki, she smiles softly to herself as she was about to walk away from her window "Goodnight Loki, my dear friend." She walks over to her bed lays down covering herself up with her blanket closes her eyes and falls into a deep sleep. As she fell into a deep sleep Ophelia found herself laying in a flowerbed with red and white roses, she slowly lifts herself up looking around noticing that she was in a meadow which was the same meadow were she had met Loki in the form of a giant black wolf. She felt at peace as she admired the roses that were all around her, she was careful not to touch the thorns that were on the steams of the flowers, she brings the rose up to her nose and took in the rose's scent.

"I see you're enjoying yourself my lady." A familiar voice comes from the other side of the trees, Ophelia turns around quickly to see who it was, at first there was nothing but then a shadowy figure steps out from behind one of the trees. A man walks out dressed in black green and gold clothing with an emerald green cloak draped around his shoulders, upon his head was a gold helmet with horns. Ophelia sees him approaching her, she slowly takes a step back

"Don't be afraid my princess, I mean you no harm I could never bring myself to harm you my dear." He says in a soft tone as he steps closer to her. They both stood there staring face to face, Ophelia's heart was racing fast in her chest as she looked at the man that stood before her. He reaches out one of his hands moving it towards her cheek, Ophelia remained still as he gently placing his hand upon her cheek, Ophelia's eyes close for a moment then opens them again.

"It's me Ophelia, don't you recognize me?" He asks her in a calm voice. Ophelia looks deeper into his eyes raising her right hand gently pressing her palm against his cheek, then it struck her a smile appears on her face as she finally knew who this man was.

"L..Loki? she as in a soft voice. Loki smiled and softly nods his head.

"Yes my dear princess, now you see as I truly am, but only if it's in your dreams." He leans in his into Ophelia's hand and places a soft kiss into her palm. She always wondered of what Loki was really like in his true form and now she finally knew even if she could only see him like this in her dreams, but it didn't matter to her, either in reality or in her dreams she could still see Loki whenever she had the chance.

"Is that the only way I can see you like this in my dreams?" She asked. Loki softly smiles and gently pulls her into a warm embrace. Ophelia's heart skipped a beat as Loki held her in his arms, then she wraps her arms around him and lays her head against his chest.

"Yes dear one, but even when you wake up in the morning you could always come and visit me whenever you want, even if I'm in the form of a wolf." Loki gently runs his hand on her head and tenderly runs his fingers through her hair as he held her close to him. Ophelia lifts her head up and meets his gaze, her eyes soften as their eyes meet once again, she couldn't help but feeling safe around him either if he's a human or a wolf. Loki's expression changes, Ophelia noticed that he looked sad, she places her hand under his chin and gently lifts up his head so that he was facing her.

"What's wrong?" she asked in a worried tone.

"It'll be morning soon, though I wish it wouldn't come just yet, because I very much enjoy our time that we have together." Loki takes his hand and softly caresses Ophelia's cheek. She places her hand on top of his and leans into his touch one last time.

"I enjoy spending time with you as well Loki, you're the only friend that I'll ever have and I'm glad that I met you." Loki smiles softly at her, he felt happy that he'd met someone who has accepted as who he was, this truly made him feel very warm inside and his heart was beating with joy, for he knew that this was the first time that he had ever felt this way about anyone until he had met her, something deep inside him was telling him that she could be the one, for if he learned to love and earn her love in return and receives true love's kiss then and only then could his curse be broken.

"You must go now my dear, dawn approaches." Loki leans in forward and places a tender kiss onto Ophelia's forehead. "Be well my dear princess, until we meet again." As the sun was starting to rise Ophelia wakes up propping herself up on her bed and softly smiles to herself. She could still remembers everything from her dream, Loki's soft and gently voice, the touch of his hand caressing her cheek, and the tender kiss to her forehead, she knew that it wasn't no ordinary dream like what most people would have, her dream felt and looked much more real. She gets up from her bed walks over to her vanity mirror sits down in her chair and looks at her reelection. A worried thought comes to Ophelia's mind, she was worried of what her father, mother, and sisters would think if she told them about Loki, the last thing that she needed was her father sending out his best hunters to go after Loki and kill him. This worried her a lot, but she came to make the toughest choice in her life, she would have to keep this a sceret from her own family. But her friendship with Loki was more important, or maybe it was something that was much more than friendship, she looks back at her reflection in the mirror and thought to herself. "This feeling, could it be...that I've fallen in love with him?" Thought of this made Ophelia's heart beat even more fast, but she wasn't sure of when or how she would tell Loki on how she really felt about him, she was also worried if he would feel the same way about her. Then she looks at herself in the mirror and smiled.

"When the time is right, I will tell Loki how i really feel about him." That was her promise that she had made.

@jaidenhawke

#loki fanfic #loki x reader

25 notes · View notes

sannes-reincarnation-saga · 19 days

Text

Chapter two: Ivar.

CW: Slaves in a medieval society, abuse,

The only thing keeping Ivar alive in this hellhole was his desperate desire to kill Katherine Blackthorne.

It was a freezing November night and Ivar knew he was supposed to die here, trapped in this narrow kennel in the middle of the castle's courtyard.

During the day, he was on perfect display, stripped of his clothes and dignity for the English to gawk at. But now, the night engulfed him in darkness as thick as the northern sea during a night dive.

Pain pulsed through Ivar’s legs. They twitched, unable to straighten in the cramped space.

The kennel's icy bars warmed as they pressed into his shins and he leaned his clammy forehead against them. They felt almost good against the burn of his fever.

His back must have gotten infected after the last whipping. The soiled hay in his kennel stuck to the dried blood on his back, irritating the crisscross of partly crusted wounds. Every twitch pulled his skin painfully, and he trembled violently in the frigid air.

Somewhere to his right, a heavy metal door slammed shut. The servants’'s entrance? It was too loud for a wooden door and not loud enough for a castle gate. But this late at night?

A pair of heavy steps rushed towards the courtyard, joined by a couple lighter ones. Nervous whispers echoed through the cloister walk as they drew near.

“Does Lady Blackthorne know of this?” asked an older maid. Ivar strained to listen. Nothing ever happened in Blackthorn castle without the bitch’tes knowledge. And explicit permission.

“Not yet,” came the gruff reply.

“But- you can’t bring a stranger inside! Who even is this girl? Oh gods, what if she's a witch?”

“Doubtful. Found her out in the woods, totally out of it.”

“But- The woods? At this time? A girl shouldn’t be in the woods at night. And why- why is she naked?” The woman's voice pitched high within discomfort on the last question.

“Dunno. Should I have left her to freeze to death?”

“No! But- but I have nothing to do with this, you hear. Nothing.”

A lone lantern flame cast their long shadows onto the courtyard as they rounded a corner. Hissing, Ivar shifted onto his side to see them set foot on the wet cobblestones. They glittered in the light.

The head of housemaids hurried ahead, head turning hectic on her long neck to spot any possible witnesses lurking in the dark. Her bonnet sat askew on graying brown hair, thrown on in a rush no doubt, but her black servants dress fell straight down to her ankles, the dark linen pristine and bar any wrinkles. In stark contrast to the bulky, mud smeared appearance of the huntsman following her.

His boots and leather trousers were crusted in late autumn slush. A thick scarf and hat obscured half his face. Only his frostbitten red nose and grim eyes were visible, looking down at the person he carried bundled in his coat.

“By the gods, did you hear that?” Ivar could see the woman's face now, her sharp features drawn tight in displeasure. Her thin lips pursed as she spat out: “I think that Norse pig is awake.”

The huntsman didn’t answer. Instead he wrapped his brown leather coat tighter around the unconscious girl in his arms. Pale, dangling legs and a shock of blond hair stuck out of it.

“How can you be this calm?” The woman spat, black skirt swishing as she faced him. “What if he rats us out for some extra food?”

The huntsman's bushy brows furrowed. “The Norse are too proud to bargain for food scraps.”

Ivars dry lips cracked in a smile, when a sudden burst of wind whipped across the courtyard, its howl drowning out the servants' protests and extinguishing the lantern flame. When it hit him, his black salt-sweaty hair blew into his gray eyes, hay flying everywhere.

“A bad omen,” hissed the maid. Cloth rustled and a match scraped against a matchbox’s striking strip. Once. Twice. “I tell you all this is a bad omen.” It lit with a crackling sizzle.

The wind carried a smell that sent goosebumps down Ivar’s back.

The stench of angels.

The sweet decay of death hit him like a battering ram, catapulting his thoughts to abandoned battlefields full of angels sprouting from the ground, decomposing the corpses of his comrades.

Why would the huntsman haul an angel touched corpse from the woods? Ivar wondered, swallowing down bile.

After some fumbling the maid’s lantern flickered back to life and Ivar noticed the small puffs of warm breath escaping from the unconscious girl. So she wasn’t dead?

A draugr perhaps? No, Ivar doubted it. Never would the huntsman make such a mistake.

But angels only took the living. And never let go of the dead.

Whatever this girl was, a living corpse or a human, Ivar knew at least one thing for sure:

She was an unplanned disturbance in Katherine’s meticulously run machinery of a castle.

And during war, disturbances meant chances.

Ivar curled up in his frigid kennel, back burning at the stretch. For the first time since his capture, he smiled.

Taglist:

@ashintheairlikesnow @vickytokio @newbornwhumperfly @kira-the-whump-enthusiast @whump-for-all-and-all-for-whump @studyofwhump @dragyouthroughthewhump @studyofwhump @secretwhumplair @whump-queen @whump-captain

#isekai #dark fantasy #fantasy #isekai manga #light novel #manga #manga art #whump #viking whumpee #medival fantasy

13 notes · View notes

galathynius · 1 year

Text

2023 reading log

the uncensored picture of dorian gray by oscar wilde / jan. 2-9 / 4 stars

buzz saw: the improbable story of how the washington nationals won the world series by jesse dougherty / jan. 9-11 / 4.5 stars

proposal by meg cabot / jan. 17 / 3 stars

sidelined: sports, culture, and being a woman in america by julie dicaro / jan. 12-17 / 4 stars

remembrance by meg cabot / jan. 18-19 / 3 stars

how sweet it is by dylan newton / jan. 19-20 / 3 stars

daughters of sparta by claire heywood / jan. 21-22 / 3 stars

highly suspicious and unfairly cute by talia hibbert / jan. 22 / 4 stars

gentlemen prefer blondes: the diary of a professional lady by anita loos / jan. 23-26 / 3 stars

hell bent by leigh bardugo / jan. 26-31 / 4 stars

all about love: new visions by bell hooks / jan. 22-31 / 4 stars

daisy jones & the six by taylor jenkins reid / jan. 31-feb. 2 / 4 stars

everything i know about love: a memoir by dolly alderton / feb. 2-9 / 4 stars

emma by jane austen / feb. 11-19 / 4 stars

fake it till you bake it by jamie wesley / feb 19-23 / 3.5 stars

my dark vanessa by kate elizabeth russell / feb. 23-26 / 4 stars

throttled by lauren asher / feb. 26-28/ 2 stars

the locker room by meghan quinn / mar. 1-5 / 1 star

come as you are: the surprising new science that will transform your sex life by emily nagoski / feb. 17-mar. 5 / 4.5 stars

pucked by helena hunting / mar. 5-11 / 3 stars

legendborn by tracy deonn / mar 12-23 / 4.5 stars

unadulterated something by m.j. duncan / mar. 23-25 / 4 stars

the fifth season by n.k. jemisin / mar. 26-apr. 15 / 4 stars

how to fake it in hollywood by ava wilder / apr. 16-19 / 3.5 stars

sharp objects by gillian flynn / apr. 19-22 / 4 stars

the homewreckers by mary kay andrews / apr. 22-25 / 3.5 stars

the kiss curse by erin sterling / apr. 25-26 / 3.5 stars

the wedding crasher by mia sosa / apr. 26-27 / 3 stars

let’s get physical: how women discovered exercise and reshaped the world by danielle friedman / mar. 25-apr. 27 / 4 stars

mile high by liz tomforde / apr. 27-may 6 / 1.5 stars

happy place by emily henry / may 6-7 / 5 stars

carrie soto is back by taylor jenkins reid / may 7 / 4 stars

the spanish love deception by elena armas / may 8 / 2 stars

neon gods by katee robert / may 8-9 / 1 star

love in the time of serial killers by alicia thompson / may 9-11 / 4 stars

the bodyguard by katherine center / may 11 / 4 stars

the intimacy experiment by rosie danan / may 11-12 / 3 stars

upgrade by blake crouch / may 12-13 / 4 stars

by any other name by lauren kate / may 13 / 3 stars

the dead romantics by ashley poston / may 15-17 / 4 stars

the ballad of songbirds and snakes by suzanne collins / may 19-28 / 3.5 stars

so many ways to lose: the amazin’ true story of the new york mets—the best worst team in baseball by devin gordon / may 13-jun. 4 / 4 stars

iron widow by xiran jay zhao / jun. 5-7 / 3 stars

the grace year by kim liggett / jun. 7-8 / 4 stars

the last magician by lisa maxwell / jun. 9-11 / 4.5 stars

little fires everywhere by celeste ng / jun. 12-14 / 4 stars

not a happy family by shari lapena / jun. 14-17 / 2.5 stars

the familiars by stacey halls / jun. 17-21 / 3 stars

the girls i’ve been by tess sharpe / jun. 21-22 / 3.5 stars

once more with feeling by elissa sussman / jun. 23 / 3 stars

the cheat sheet by sarah adams / jun. 24-25 / 1 star

how to sell a haunted house by grady hendrix / jun. 26-29 / 3 stars

little thieves by margaret owen / jul. 1-3 / 4.5 stars

this is how you lose the time war by amal el-mohtar and max gladstone / jul. 3-6 / 3 stars

the very secret society of irregular witches by sangu mandanna / jul. 11-12 / 4 stars

the lies of locke lamora by scott lynch / jul. 13-27 / 4.5 stars

seven days in june by tia williams / jul. 28-30 / 4 stars

bloodmarked by tracy deonn / jul. 31-aug. 2 / 4 stars

something wilder by christina lauren / aug. 3-4 / 3 stars

howl’s moving castle by diana wynne jones / aug. 4-5 / 4 stars

dark matter by blake crouch / aug. 12-13 / 3 stars

eat up! food, appetite, and eating what you want by ruby tandoh / jul. 30-aug. 14 / 4 stars

the silent companions by laura purcell / aug. 5-18 / 4 stars

mr. wrong number by lynn painter / aug. 19-20 / 2 stars

romantic comedy by curtis sittenfeld / aug. 20-21 / 4 stars

the last tale of the flower bride by roshani chokshi / aug. 21-23 / 4 stars

the hating game by sally thorne / aug. 23-25 / 2 stars

lessons in chemistry by bonnie garmus / aug. 25-26 / 2.5 stars

the godparent trap by rachel van dyken / aug. 27 / 2 stars

i’m glad my mom died by jennette mccurdy / aug. 27-29 / 4 stars

the atlas six by olivie blake / aug. 29-sep. 9 / 3 stars

wordslut: a feminist guide to taking back the english language by amanda montell / sep. 1-9 / 4 stars

practice makes perfect by sarah adams / sep. 10-11 / 3 stars

all systems red by martha wells / sep. 13-14 / 3 stars

do i know you? by emily wibberly and austin siegemund-broka / sep. 14-16 / 4 stars

same time next summer by annabel monaghan / sep. 17 / 3.5 stars

Ounder the influence by noelle crooks / sep. 18-22 / 4 stars

burn for me by ilona andrews / sep. 22-23 / 4 stars

the littlest library by poppy alexander / sep. 24 / 3 stars

the neighbor favor by kristina forest / sep. 25-27 / 3 stars

satisfaction guaranteed by karelia stetz-waters / sep. 28-oct. 5 / 3 stars

the ex talk by rachel lynn solomon / oct. 5-7 / 4 stars

change of plans by dylan newton / oct. 8-9 / 2 stars

coraline by neil gaiman / oct. 9 / 4 stars

you, again by kate goldbeck / oct. 9-11 / 3 stars

mrs. caliban by rachel ingalls / oct. 12 / 3 stars

summer sons by lee mandelo / oct. 12-19 / 4 stars

the death of jane lawrence by caitlin starling / oct. 19-24 / 3 stars

house of hollow by krystal sutherland / oct. 25-29 / 4 stars

white hot by ilona andrews / oct. 28-nov. 2 / 4.5 stars

twice shy by sarah hogle / nov. 4-5 / 3 stars

sexed up: how society sexualizes us, and how we can fight back by julia serano / nov. 2-10 / 4 stars

artificial condition by martha wells / nov. 11-14 / 4 stars

wildfire by ilona andrews / nov. 14-16 / 4.5 stars

between a fox and a hard place by mary frame / nov. 18 / 3 stars

revolting prostitutes: the fight for sex workers’ rights by molly smith and juno mac / nov. 18-20 / 4 stars

emily wilde’s encyclopaedia of faeries by heather fawcett / nov. 21-24 / 4.5 stars

love and other words by christina lauren / nov. 24-25 / 3 stars

the boyfriend candidate by ashley winstead / nov. 26 / 3.5 stars

the seven year slip by ashley poston / nov. 27-28 / 5 stars

how to fall out of love madly by jana casale / dec. 3-10 / 3 stars

ordinary monsters by j.m. miro / dec. 10-21 / 3 stars

rogue protocol by martha wells / dec. 22-23 / 4 stars

what you wish for by katherine center / dec. 25 / 3 stars

the blonde identity by ally carter / dec. 25-26 / 2.5 stars

just my type by falon ballard / dec. 26-31 / 2 stars

#belatedly jumping on this trend don’t mind me #trying to inject some life back into this blog #allison’s reading log

88 notes · View notes