Greatest hits of FIFA cultural exchanges thus far:
Learning about flyovers and pyrotechnics at American games being a thing
Non-americans discovering the size of American football stadiums....for high schools in texas. Also the size of our stadiums in general.
Going to baseball games as a side treat! Lmao.
Non-americans losing their minds over "like, 100 petrol pumps," at buc-ees.
Related: Americans often forget how huge target and Walmart is.
People discovering American BBQ
Non-americans being obsessed with mid American restaurant chains like Golden Corral and Taco Bell
A lot of them really did feel god in this chile's apparently
The rightful obsession with waffle house
New understanding of American Big Drink With Ice supremacy as summer creeps in
Begrudging acceptance of mandatory water breaks during games
Americans realizing we have a Team USA and we are not, in fact, just "hosting our friends" from around the world â mostly because we won our first match and our team is decent??? Not amazing but not the worst.
Side rant: us women's football team is legendary good and we should care about that more like. Hello???
Admitting Americans are right about air conditioning
Related: the english team did warm ups in Florida RIP, and also the there's a video of the French team just being like fuck the heat, fuck the sun, this is so hot...
Americans who do not normally care about international football but fucking love a sport and cheering so we're just hyping whatever team is nearby, like we see a party and just show up and learn the chant. Like sorry many of us don't know shit about soccer but if we see a bunch of people in viking helmets or kilts or holding a bunch of flags and cheering we're game.
TAILGATING!!!!
I already said this but American yellow school bus is an international celebrity
The Scottish drank Boston dry of beer apparently, like they quadrupled what Boston normally sells for fourth of July weekend. SAM ADAMS HAD TO GET AN EMERGENCY BEER DELIVERY.
Also the English team fans got kicked out of The Londoner pub in Dallas after drinking 5,000 beers and going over max capacity lmao
Free refill drinks, tortilla chips & salsa.
So many non-americans are going to be here for the 4th of July for our 250th anniversary which is going to be great and hilarious
Non-americans discovering ranch as a beloved condiment
Non-americans understanding American obsession with hamburger now
Japan's homebase is in Texas and the cultural differences are frankly great and also the Japanese fans are SO NICE and helped clean up the stadium after a match???
All the short videos with the eagle screech (which I think is actually a hawk but whatever)
Like yeah America's government is literally the Legion of Doom, but we generally aren't that bad. I'm glad the world is seeing the little things that there are to love in America.
HOW is it possible that I am seeing this for the first time? Now safely installed in my tumblr short cuts folder. I am SO bad at coding that this is a real life saver.
On this day one year ago, I was fired from Crumbl Cookies because my grandfather suddenly died and I cried when I found out and was on the clock. They make you sign a waiver to not talk about the recipes that lasts one year after your termination. Well guess what babes. That day, is today. RIP Nanu, youâve been missed. But for anyone who likes the Chocolate Chip Cookies or the Iced Sugar Cookies, check out the recipes in the links. Feel free to ask about other recipes, itâs been a year but some things are just reskinned versions of these lol. Good Luck and Happy Baking.
Edit: Here is a Master List of all the recipes I have been able to remember thus far; I will be updating it as I am able!
they should invent a high ponytail that doesnât give me a headache and they should invent a low ponytail that doesnât make me look like a millerâs apprentice going off to enlist in the continental army
*gently takes your face in my hands* hey. remember that fandom is for fun. if you're not having fun it is ok to step back. if you're intentionally making it unfun for others it is ok to step back. none of this is real. go sit in the sun and smell a flower. i love you.
Night Court: Spends 500 years running a PR campaign to convince everyone else they're evil
Night Court: Is infamous for its tyranny and debauchery, and also for having the Most Powerful Daemati High Lord Ever as its lord
Night Court: The High Lord willingly serves Amarantha (Hybern's general) for no apparent reason other than to save his own skin (because no one else knows about the secret city he sacrificed the rest of his court to save, after all)
Night Court: High Lord publicly abuses a human girl for months Under the Mountain, in front of all the other High Lords
Night Court: High Lord kidnaps said girl from her wedding to the Spring Lord, she later turns up married to Night with an explanation that definitely doesn't involve mind-control
Night Court: Approaches Summer on the pretext of forging an alliance, betrays and robs them instead
Night Court: Sends formerly human girl as a double-agent to break the Spring Court from within
Night Court: Somehow Just Knew about an imminent attack on the Summer Court, despite no one else getting word. And they definitely don't try to leverage this as capital against their previous offences against Summer
Night Court: Tries to change the time and location of the High Lord meeting at the last minute and strongarm everyone into agreeing to it
Night Court: Causes immediate insult to every other High Lord present at said meeting by insisting they bow to its Lady, because the Night Lord thinks she deserves it
Night Court: Immediately starts talking shit to the other lords about Spring, who has yet to arrive
Night Court: Immediately starts drama with Spring, once he does arrive. Uses magic to choke him quiet when he says things they don't like
Night Court: Refuse to admit responsibility for betraying and stealing from Summer, using their aid in the attack to deflect from it
Night Court: Dodges questions about murdered Winter children and deflects with a sob story when pressed. A former human woman must apologise on their behalf
Night Court: Violently attacks delegates from the Autumn Court not once, not twice, but three times over the course of the proceedings
Night Court: "So, who wants to be our allies?"
.........................
................and then six out of seven fucking hands go up.
Oh my god I am still not over how the acotar series just absolutely fumbled Tamlin and Feyreâs relationship. We went from Ethel Cain level âThis was all for youâ to now heâs just a generic toxic macho dude now I guess?? Are you kidding me?? Iâm sorry but that is so boring. Worse, there was a great setup. Both of them survive Amarantha, and instead of exploring how that kind of shared trauma warps love into something painful and unrecognizable we get, âheâs controlling now.â Thatâs it?? Thatâs the arc??
Show me them trying to be together and they canât breathe around each other because everything reminds them of what happened. Or where Feyre looks at him and remembers the boy who sent her away to save her life and the man who couldnât save her under the mountain. Or where Tamlin sees her and is just haunted by the fact that she died for him and he didnât do anything to stop it. Thatâs angst and tragedy. And for Feyre instead of just the repetitive âI was treated so badlyâ internal monologues or the âI wouldâve fallen in love with the first person to show me kindnessâ (I freaking HATE that line so much you donât understand) imagine if we actually got her grieving that relationship.
Because she loved him beyond words. She died for him. Amaranthaâs last taunt was literally âSay you donât love himâ and Feyre wouldnât say it because her love was that real, she couldnât even lie about her feelings. If only we could have read Feyre coming to the terrifying realization that the love that was strong enough to break a 50 year curse curse isnât strong enough to put them back together after it. All that grief and anger, but with her trying to keep telling herself that they were real, and they mattered, so why arenât they enough anymore?
And youâre telling me that same love just evaporates into a lesson about red flags?? We got the most surface-level âtoxic man vs strong heroineâ rewrite imaginable. I feel like everything I think about those novels comes to the same conclusion. Absolute. Wasted. Potential.
SJM is a Zutara Shipper? That sounds like Elucien....let me explain
It was recently brought to my attention that Sarah hinted in 2017 at being a Zuko/Katara shipper in the Avatar the Last Airbender series. This was exciting to hear as I was in the ATLA fandom over a decade ago and Zuko/Katara was my first OTP and introduction to fandom. I have loved them a long time and they will always hold a special place in my heart. I want to explore why Sarah shipping Zutara is really important when it comes to Elucien because there are a lot of great parallels.
Note: if you know anything about the ATLA shipping fandom/wars...you immediately know what she means by this. Zutara is a fanon ship that was often baited by the writers. Her disappointment is a shared, common reaction to the ship.
A very long, detailed analysis is below the cut. This NOT for ATLA discourse. This is intended to focus SOLELY on Elucien. Read below if you are a fan of Zutara/Elucien....
ATLA Characters vs ACOTAR Characters
Let's start with the characters themselves.
We have Prince Zuko, the exiled and scarred prince of the Fire Nation, who was banished after his evil, power-hungry father (the Fire Lord) horribly punished him for embarrassing him with his kindness (not wanting innocent soldiers to be used as bait in war), which he viewed as morally inferior and weak. It is implied his mother, a gentle-hearted woman, was abused in the marriage. She disappeared when he was young to maintain her husband's political power, only so that her children would live. The loss of his mother is his greatest trauma, along with his desire to go back home and gain his honor and father's acceptance.
Then we have Lucien Vanserra, exiled and scarred son of the Autumn Court, who had to flee after his evil, power-hungry father (the High Lord) horribly punished him for embarrassing him with his relationship with a lower-Fae female, which he viewed as repulsive and below their High Fae status. It is implied his mother, a gentle-hearted woman, was abused in the marriage. His lover was brutally murdered by the hands of his father/brothers and he had to flee, never having the chance to see his mother again. Losing Jesminda is his greatest trauma, likely along with losing his home, Court, and family.
Let's also not forget...they BOTH WEILD FIRE! I do think the Lucien/Zuko comparison is quite obvious and direct, where the Elain/Katara is a bit more symbolic.
For our ladies, we have Katara, master waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe. She is the youngest daughter of the Chief. She begins the journey as someone untrained and incapable of bending her own element, in a small, impoverished village due to the effects of war and destruction on their nation/culture by the Fire Nation. Her mother was tragically murdered by the Fire Nation in order to save her daughter's life. This is singularly her greatest trauma. Throughout the show, we see Katara become a powerful and master bender.
Finally, we have Elain Archeron, who was once human and is the middle sister in her family. She was the daughter of a once-successful merchant. She also loses her mother and is very close to her father, who she also tragically loses in the war. She loses her humanity and her fiance, Graysen, in one fell swoop when they put her in the Cauldron. This is singularly her greatest trauma, one that we see she has trouble letting go, even becoming practically comatose when it first happens. We later learn Elain possesses magic and is a seer.
A little less here, but I am not surprised. Katara and Elain, personality-wise, are very different. However, I will add that both Elain/Katara are often associated as symbols of HOPE in the narrative. But this brings me to my next point which is where I believe SJM was influenced by Zutara when writing Elucien....
Shared Grief as the Catalyst
Every Zuko/Katara shipper knows the crux of their relationship is from their shared trauma. Despite being on opposite ends of the war, they both carry an immense grief in losing their mothers to the war. It is the first thing they realize they have in common, the first moment they share a genuine, sincere connection, enough for them to reach out and open up to each other.
Elain and Lucien also have a shared trauma. They both lost their first loves/fiances. Lucien lost her tragically. Elain lost him in a brutal rejection. It broke both of their hearts, and they both carry grief and complicated emotions around it.
The hurt and pain brought Zutara together. As a result, they understand each other in ways others can't. I have no doubt that Elucien will spark from a similar place of understanding.
Complimentary Symbolism
One of the most beautiful parts of Zuko/Katara is the use of opposite/complimentary symbolism. Two halves of a whole. Balance and unity.
Zuko= Fire and Sun and Blue Spirit
Katara= Water and Moon and Painted Lady
Lol can you believe we got the line below...I couldn't come up with a more romantic symbolic line if I tried and that's canon folks
Lucien = Day and Fox and Spring/Loss
Elain = Flowers and Fawns and Spring/Life
Elain, often associated with gardens and flowers and roses, was asked what she needed at her lowest point. She said "Sunshine." Enter Lucien, the secret heir to Day Court and Helion, whose name means Light. The Fox and the Fawn. Elain "Made for Spring" Archeron and Lucien "Spring Court Emissary and Courtier" Vanserra. I wrote Spring/Loss and Spring/Life because Lucien had to see Spring become ruined/flee the one place he called home. There is strong foreshadowing that Elain will help in some way to revive spring and possibly bring it back to life, hopefully with Lucien's help.
Let's also not forget that Elain was formerly human and now living as a High Fae in the Night Court. Lucien is a High Fae who looked down on humans and now lives in the mortal lands. It's an interesting dynamic!
Betrayal
Okay buckle up. This one is important. The feeling of betrayal is important to the development of both ships. Let me break this down.
Katara is a victim of the Fire Nation. Zuko is the prince of the Fire Nation who once hunted them down to retrieve the Avatar. She often conflated her feelings toward Zuko with her feelings regarding her mother's murder by the hands of the Fire Nation', as evidenced here.
Katara: I'm sorry I yelled at you before.
Zuko: It doesn't matter.
Katara: It's just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.
We see these messy emotions come back when Zuko joins the team to teach Aang firebending.
Zuko: This isn't fair! Everyone else seems to trust me now! What is it with you?
Katara: Oh, everyone trusts you now?! I was the first person to trust you! [Places her left hand on her heart.] Remember, back in Ba Sing Se. And you turned around and betrayed me, betrayed all of us!
Zuko: What can I do to make it up to you?
Katara: You really want to know? Hmm, maybe you could reconquer Ba Sing Se in the name of the Earth King. Or, I know! You could bring my mother back!
Now, at this point, we know she has not forgiven him for Ba Sing Se. Remember, this was the moment they shared their intimate connection over their shared Dead Mother trauma. (In an episode called The Crossroads of Destiny nonetheless). She offered to heal his scar, and later when given the chance to choose between what is right vs. what he wants....he chooses what he wants, which is to return home to his father for his acceptance. Katara took this as a personal betrayal and we see she still imagines his face as the enemy by demanding he bring her mother back (even though it isn't possible/he isn't responsible for it).
You know who else has mentioned betrayal?
For a long moment, Elainâs face did not shift, but those eyes seemed to focus a bit more. âLucien,â she said at last, and he clenched his teacup to keep from shuddering at the sound of his name on her mouth. âFrom my sisterâs stories. Her friend.â âYes.â
But Elain blinked slowly. âYou were in Hybern.â âYes.â It was all he could say. âYou betrayed us.â He wished sheâd shoved him out the window behind her. âItâit was a mistake.â Her eyes went frank and cold. âI was to be married in a few days.â He fought against the bristling rage, the irrational urge to find the male whoâd claimed her and shred him apart. The words were a rasp as he instead said, âI know. Iâm sorry.â
Elain associates Lucien's involvement with Ianthe/Hybern/The Cauldron as a personal betrayal. Lucien, much like Zuko, is sorry for his actions that have hurt her.
Both Zuko and Lucien don't argue about the anger/accusations of betrayal. They own it. They just want to make it right.
In the same episode of the snippet above ("You could bring my mother back!") Zuko and Katara go on their infamous "field trip" or journey together, just the two of them. Despite Katara's anger, the two of them are in perfect sync. They are the perfect team and pair, moving fluid in their elements, sneaking around enemy ships. Zuko defends her desire for closure (however dark it may be) against her friends and family wishes. He never questions her. He supports her emotionally. He yells at an enemy solider- "Don't lie! You look her in the eye and you tell me you don't remember what you did." (OH COME ON, what is hotter than that!?) In the end, she forgives him. Not because of what he did. But because he understands her and gives her space and places no expectations of who she is or what she should do. He accepts her. All the dark and pain and light inside.
Don't mind the romantic sunset in the background
Going on an adventure? Likely against the wishes of friends and family due to it being dangerous? Doing whatever is necessary to help the girl forgive you/trust you? Giving her the necessary space and support to do what she has set her mind to? Helping her find closure and healing along the way? Falling love? Sure sounds like an Elucien book......wonder where SJM got the inspiration?
Azriel vs Aang
I cannot write this post without mentioning Aang and Azriel. This is NOT an ATLA shipping discourse so please no comments regarding the Kataang/Zutara ship war. I am using this as a comparison to Elucien/E/riel.
I have a feeling that SJM has written Azriel (specifically in the Bonus Chapter) to serve as a foil to Aang's dynamic to Katara. Which is that both characters feel entitled to their crush.
Aang, the young hero and savior of the world, has a long-standing crush on Katara that is not really reciprocated romantically throughout the series.
When the group goes to watch a play based on themselves, there is scene where the actors on stage go:
Actor Zuko: Wait, I thought you were the Avatar's girl! [Aang in the audience nods in agreement.]
Actress Katara: The Avatar? Why, he's like a little brother to me! I certainly don't think of him in a romantic way. [Aang in the audience grows concerned.] Besides, how could he ever find out about ... this? [Actress Katara and Actor Zuko embrace and hold hands while Actress Katara pops up one leg. Aang gets up from his seat to leave.]
It can be interpreted that his nodding and getting upset is attributed to feeling possessive of his crush on Katara. That she belongs to him, as he is the Hero and the Avatar, and should get the girl. He is jealous of something that didn't actually happen between the actors on stage (he is only 12 to be fair).
Further evidence here:
Aang: But it's true, isn't it? We kissed at the Invasion, and I thought we were gonna be together. But we're not.
Katara: Aang, I don't know.
Aang: Why don't you know?
Katara: Because, we're in the middle of a war, and, we have other things to worry about. This isn't the right time.
...and then he kisses her, and she doesn't want it/isn't expecting it, and runs away back to the theater. We won't get into that here.
Hm, this story sounds familiar....
Azriel ignored the question. "The Cauldron chose three sisters. Tell me how it's possible that my two brothers are with two of those sisters, yet the third was given to another."
There is a similar sense of entitlement, that also ended with Elain running away from the scene, upset. The difference being he rejected her at the urging (and convincing) of Rhysand because he knew it was a mistake.
Tension & Healing & Growth (What's Next)
"There is a great deal of tension, growth, and healing to be found for both of them (together)." - from Sarah J Maas herself. If she was a Zutara shipper, I can totally see her inspiration in elements of Elucien.
In the end, many Zuko/Katara shippers really believed these two brought out the best in each other in the best possible ways. (I know I did). And I think that's a big reason a lot of Eluciens ship Elain/Lucien...the potential of how they'll complement each other is so huge.
Just as Katara and Zuko were once extremely tense in their relationship, they underwent an incredible and beautiful journey of healing and growth. One that ended in....Zuko sacrificing his life for her. Animated in slow motion with romantic/epic musical scores. For the girl who lost her mother (who sacrificed herself to save her daughter). An epic friendship but no romance....which Sarah herself agreed she wasn't a fan of....
So I imagine she is going to rectify that narrative for Elucien. I for one cannot wait to read their story in their book.
Azriel issues a direct call for the Blood Duel, and Lucien excepts, but not for the reasons you might think. Many believe its him pressing his claim on his mate, while others say it is a lost cause he should let the untouched bond lie. But this isn't for Elain, or the bond, or the chance to each Azriel a lesson.
This is the countless moments of suffering Lucien Vanserra has endured over the course of his life. This is for himself.
AO3 LInk: https://archiveofourown.org/works/83211456
Chapter 1: A Knife in a Box
âThe reason why the humans are become so rigid when Iâm around is because Iâm not nearly as present as much as I could be.â
âNo. The reason why humans become so rigid around you is because your people enslaved them for thousands of years.â Lucien uncrossed his arms, moving away from the window to face Jurian as he continued his argument. âThat or, if youâre thinking about the other kind of rigidâŠâ Lucien rolled his eyes at Jurianâs small wink, the light of the afternoon sun glinting off his golden mechanical one. Vassa stood only a few feet away, eyes stuck on the desk at the end of the room. Shallow towers of parchment and ink were stacked atop it, missives and invitations and disputes whose handlings she struggled to catch up on, even with the aid of both her friends.
Lucien took a deep breath, and shot his palm to Jurian. âI realize this is like pulling teeth for you, but can we please be serious for a moment? I can try to be present at more human functions, maybeâŠshow them Iâm more than willing to learn and understand how things are done.â
âOh, theyâll marvel at that,â Jurian scoffed, throwing an arm up, âWhat a skill, to be able to shut up, sit back, and listen.â Lucienâs lips parted to retort, but Vassa, standing between them, held up a hand.
âIt doesnât matter, LucienâŠâ The queen dropped into one of the seats beside them, defeated. âWe can introduce and show you off to the people all we want. Youâre still an fae. After Hybern, they donât trust you. Hells, they barely trust me, andâŠonce I have return to Koscheiâs cage, and we tell them I have to leave control of the lands to you and Jurian?â She sighed. âItâll be uproar.â
âMore than that,â Jurian replied, âItâll be rebellion. Weâll be stuck between figuring out how to free you, managing a kingdom who distrusts their leadership, all while trying to key an eye on the politics in Prythian.â Despite his joking tone, Lucien could feel Jurianâs worry, the warrior placing a gentle hand on his queenâs shoulder.
Vassa rubbed the center of her brow. âIâm running out of time. I donât know what to do.â For once Jurian kept silent, moving to sit beside her and rubbing her back in a way that make Lucien itch, not because he was fond of Vassa in that wayâhe knew that she and Jurian grew quite close in the year since the war, and wholly respected that closenessâbut it made him want to raise a hand, and tug on that invisible thread at his rib.
Just once.
Then he shut the thought down, hateful cold killing the slight heat he initially had at the thought.
âShould I bother asking if the Night Courtâs produced any answers?â Lucien perked up at Jurianâs question, giving a venomous scoff as he let his fingers interlock behind his back.
âThey couldnât find a way to save their High Lady from bleeding out at her sonâs birth. I wouldnât put much stock in them having any answers.â He knew it was a bitter thing to say, but bitterness was more and more the only thing he felt when it came to the Night Court. The entire Inner Circleâs distrust, Rhysâ constant secrets, Feyreâs dismissive attitude and willingness to just accept whatever her dear mate spouted out?
It was all too much, so much so that verballing sparring with the eldest sister was becoming the only thing he could look forward too. Despite their barbs to one another, Nesta had softened on him, all while Elain had made exactly zero in progress in figuring out what she wanted.
At least, where he was concerned. She made it very clear what she wanted that night on the stairs, when she let herself be touched and nearly killed by that skulking, murderousâ
Lucien cut the thought off at the head, knowing the bond and his fae instincts were the culprits behind it. Azriel wasnâtâŠbad. He was just there. His brothers would say he was âin the wayâ of what was rightfully his, and by the cultural standards of the fae, they would be right.
Mates were seen as destined for one another; the cosmos themselves ordaining the union to result in the strongest relationship possible, as well as the offspring.
But it wasnât like that for humans. There was no thread. No bond. No esoteric, magical claim.
Elain may be fae now, but she was human, and bond or no bond, he had no right to her if she didnât desire him. Even with the binding at both their hearts, and the ravenous desire he had to yank and pull and tug on it to bring her clsoser to himâŠhe would not do it.
Not until she yanked first.
Thatâs when a knock came at the door, Vassa calling for whoever it was to open it. Once of the elderly servants poked his head in, grayed moustache shuddering with every word.
âYour grace, a package has arrived for Lord Lucien.â
âA package,â Jurian asked, all three watching as the old man walked up and placed a small foot-long wooden box on the table. With a nod, he vacated the room, Lucien leaning down to the pick the box up and slide off its thin, ornate top.
Inside the velvet-cushioned interior lay a dagger, ornate with a handle wrapped in dark leather, the blade itself an obsidian sheen with runic writing in silver along the flat of it. Lucien had seen the weapon exactly once, twisting in Azrielâs hands as he watched the shadowsinger train the Valkyries during a visit.
Now it was here, sent to him in a box, and he knew exactly what it mean.
âTell me thatâs not what I think it is,â Jurian groaned, rubbing his hands over his face and trying to bite back a laugh.
Lucien sighed, âIt is.â
âWhatâs going on,â Vassa asked, standing up to see the knife up close. Lucien turned to her, and felt a small appreciation for the worry in her eyesâthe protectiveness she had for him. In her defense, itâd be alarming for anyone to be sent a knife via postage.
He spoke, âAzriel? The Illyrian whoâs beenâŠcourting my mate?â He let the anger show in his voice. âHeâs issuing a formal challenge.â
âChallenge?â Vassa parroted.
âAh yes, a Blood Duel, first one in centuries.â Jurian gave a thoughtful look. âOr at least, the first notable one anyway.â
Vassa glanced between the two of them. âI donât understand.â
âItâs an Autumn Court tradition. When a mated fae is being courted by someone who isnât their mate, either the mate or the interloper can challenge the other to a duel for their claim. ItâsâŠusually a fight to the death.â Vassaâs eyes widened at that, and Jurian stood up, snatching the knife from Lucienâs hand.
âThe Shadowsinger challenging you for your mate,â he laughed, spinning the blade and letting it dance in his fingers before handing it back. âThe fucking nerve. Iâd be livid.â
âI am.â Taking the weapon back, Lucien tossed it back into the box and slid the lid back on, letting the container rest in his trembling hands. Nostril twitching, an ancient, simmering wrath coiled through his bones, one older far older than this slight.
Older than the mating bond, and the war, and even that fateful day, when Tamlin lumbered back to the Spring Court with Feyre at his side.
âIâve been nothing but respectful,â he hissed, doing everything in his power not to crush the box to splinters and ash. âRespectful, and quietâŠâ Lucien didnât see Jurian take a step back, the faeâs stare piercing through the wall, than the forests, than the mountains, all the way to a court of stars and darkness, where so many seemed so complacent to disrespect him.
It was no different in Autumn, or in Spring, or anywhere elseâŠand Cauldron boil him alive, he was tired of it.
âLucien?â The softness in Vassaâs voice called Lucien back from the flames, and his eyes fell upon hers in subtle, wordless gratitude. He hated that fire, hated being angry and dangerous and sitting in the cruelty of his own thoughts.
He promised himself, would never be anything like the male who tormented his mother, but there were times where his wish to be kindâif a bit biting and playfulâfaltered, left vulnerable to the threat of embers hungry for kindling.
He shifted the box under his arm, loosening the grit of his teeth. âI need to go.â
Vassa reached out for him as he turned away, the concern on her face only growing. âWhere?â
âTo Spring,â Lucien replied, eyes smoldering as he held up the box and the knife inside. âThis, needs a worthy response.â
Fanart of Olyvar and Sansa from "The Weirwood Queen" by @redwolf17, an ASOIAF fanfic you can find here, on AO3. I absolutely adore that series, it's probably one of my favorite fanfics of all time.
Correction to the link sourced by OP! The Artemis II team did not take these photographs. These were shot by a Ukrainian student named Ildar Ibatullin sometime in the last year or so. Furthermore, the Moon does not have these actual colors in reality; Ildar does a lot of post processing and compositing to saturate the colors in order to artistically represent the mineral composition of the lunar surface.
If you would like to see photos taken by the astronauts aboard Artemis II (and more!), here is the repository that NASA is keeping.
