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megsironthrone · 3 years ago

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Meg's Game of Tales: Tale 10

*Familiar Characters are NOT mine! The original story of "The Frog Prince" was written by The Brothers Grimm.*

Warnings: Mentions of magic, slight angst, fluff, bittersweet. Frog Prince AU. It's a bit of a long one.

Pairings: Gendry x fem!reader

Many years ago, in a land not too far from our own, a prince disappeared. Of course, no one truly knew he was a prince outside of a few people. The prince was a bastard, born to the king out of wedlock and hidden away from the jealous queen until he was old enough to hide on his own. The prince, who spent most of his life unaware that he was royalty, found company in a band of outlaws. That was where his fate changed. That was where he met a witch.

The witch offered to help him remain hidden forever. Worried for his safety, the prince agreed. He would remain in hiding until the queen was dead. Unfortunately, his father passed first and the queen had gone a rampage trying to find the prince. So the prince accepted the witch's offer, but it came a terrible price that he would be forced to live year after year. Eventually, the queen did die, murdered, but the witch was nowhere to be found. And so the prince was forced to remain hidden in the form the witch had cursed him to. That is where our story begins.

You were enjoying your small amount of solitude when you came across a small pond you'd never seen before. Sitting on a lily pad in the pond was a lone frog. You were content to ignore it at first; it was just a frog after all, but something caught your attention. The frog's eyes were blue. In fact, those eyes looked almost…human. You'd never seen eyes like that on a frog before.

Curious, you got down onto your knees to get a closer look. Your governess would have a field day seeing a princess on the ground like that. The frog didn't move an inch as you leaned in a little closer. Unfortunately, you leaned too far and your hand slipped. You managed to prevent yourself from falling face first into the water, but your most prized possession wasn't that lucky. A golden pocket watch that you kept in your bag or around your neck at all times hit the water before you could even process what was happening.

"No!" you cried, trying to grasp the piece of jewelry before it sank too far. You weren't quick enough and the watch began floating out of sight. Tears welled up in your eyes as you sank back onto your bottom in the mud. That watch had been your grandfather's, the former king of your kingdom. He had gifted it to you when he was ill saying that it would be a gift to be passed down to any sons you had. Now it was gone forever.

A small splash caught your attention. You looked up to find that the frog was no longer on the lily pad. You sniffled. "Great, first my watch and now the frog." You pulled your knees up to your chest and cried, though your tears didn't last long. For it was only a moment later that you heard the water moving again. You glanced up. There, on the muddy bank of the pond, sat the frog. Its blue eyes bore into you as it waited for you to realize that it had rescued your precious treasure. When you finally did, your eyes widened.

"Oh! Oh, thank you!" you cried out, scooping up the frog and watch at the same time. "Oh, you are the most wonderful creature!" You knew the watch would never work again, but it had sentimental value to you. "My dear friend, I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you." You did your best to dry the watch and place it back in your bag while still holding onto the frog in one hand.

"If there is anything you need, my dear frog, I swear you shall have it." You gazed into the frog's eyes as you tried to discern what a frog could possibly need from you. And then? The unexpected happened. "You could take me away from this damned pond to start with. And you could give me information about Queen Cersei."

You blinked in surprise. "D-Did you just…talk?!" The frog rolled its, or rather his, eyes. It was a sight to behold. "I did. Sorry for startling you, Princess. I was cursed by a witch and have been a frog ever since." You stared at him for a moment while your brain tried to catch up to the fact that you were, indeed, carrying on a conversation with a frog.

"I-I suppose I could bring you to my father's castle. You can rest and have all the food you could possibly eat. As for Queen Cersei, I assume you mean the Mad Queen Lion from the neighboring kingdom? She died years ago. There is no official royal on the throne of that kingdom as the king never had any legitimate heirs. There were rumors of prince that was of age when the king died, but he disappeared before he could be legitimized and given the throne."

The frog didn't respond for a moment. Then, you heard him laughing. At least you thought he was laughing. It sounded more like croaking, but what did you know? You'd never met a talking frog before. "I knew the prince," he finally said, "He disappeared because Cersei was hunting him. He was taken in by a group of outlaws and then accepted the help of a sorceress to hide him from Cersei."

You listened as you walked, intrigued by the frog's tale. He spoke to you all the way back the castle. When you entered your home, you were immediately scolded by your governess, who screamed at the sight of the amphibian in your hands. She even tried to take him from you and throw him out, but as luck would have it, your father was passing by and you explained everything to him.

"Very well, the frog shall remain with you. You will make sure he has everything he needs until you repay your debt to him." You gave your father a kiss on the cheek and the frog thanked him. Then you scurried up to your chambers with the frog in hand. After getting him set up quickly, you stepped out of his sight to change out of your muddy clothes.

*time skip*

You spent the next several days getting to know your new friend. After a couple of days, you got the feeling he was hiding something, but never questioned it. He was obviously cursed and it was probably a sore subject for him and you didn't want to pry. However, everything would soon come out.

One evening, as you were readying for bed, your new friend began croaking rather loudly. That was odd since he did have a voice, though it sometimes didn't come through clearly when he was overly amused or excited about something. Other times it was him snoring. You thought that was it until you suddenly felt him hop into your hair. You screamed, not expecting that to happen.

The doors of your chambers burst open and you heard your guards yelling for someone to halt. You peered around your changing screen in time to see someone escaping off the balcony. You reached up and gently plucked the frog from your hair. "You saved me," you whispered. Before the frog could reply, your father's voice boomed from the doorway, "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

Once more, you explained to your father what your friend had done for you. Your father smiled at the frog in your hands. "It seems we are in your debt once more, friend. Whatever you would ask of me, if it is within my power, you shall have it." There was not even a second of pause before the frog turned in your hands to face you and made his request.

"A kiss. That is what I wish." You blinked and nearly dropped him in surprise. "What?" The frog croaked in merriment. "I wish for a kiss. Something that would mean nothing to you but everything to me." You glanced at your father for help, but he merely shrugged. "You are indebted to him, Y/N. If a kiss is his only request, then you must honor it." You glanced down at the frog's blue eyes and nodded. "Very well."

You steeled your nerves and took a deep breath. Closing your eyes, you leaned forward with your lips puckered. It only took a moment for your lips to meet the wet skin of the amphibian and you couldn't wait to pull away. "Oh gods," your father muttered, causing you to open your eyes. Your frog friend was glowing! This time, you did indeed drop him to the floor.

The glow of the light grew brighter and brighter until everyone in the room had to shield their eyes. A few moments later, the light vanished. You looked and your jaw dropped in a very un-princess-like fashion. A tall, muscular man now stood where the frog had been. He smiled at you, his bright blue eyes twinkling with joy. It didn't take a genius to recognize the eyes you'd been staring into for days.

"It's you. Y-You're the missing prince," you said and his grew grin. "I am. Gendry, bastard prince and last remaining heir of King Robert. The story I told you the day we met was my story. I was transformed into a frog by a sorceress to protect me but then she disappeared and I've been stuck as a frog since. Thanks to you, I can return home."

"Will they believe you?" you asked and another voice spoke. "I can assure you that they will." You jumped and Gendry gently pushed you behind him, shielding you from whoever had entered your chambers without permission. It was getting be a bit crowded in there.

"You. Why did you run? You could have turned me back years ago!" The sorceress shook her head. "I could not. That was part of the curse. You could not reveal your true identity and I could not change you back. Only a kiss from a princess could do that." Gendry glanced back at you in surprise, clearly indicating that he'd had no idea.

The sorceress continued, "But now you have returned to your true form and you can assume your father's throne. With the princess by your side, of course." You popped your head from behind Gendry and uttered, "I beg your pardon?!" She smiled at you though there was no warmth in it. "The final part of the spell. The princess who kissed the frog is meant to rule by his side as his queen."

At that, Gendry turned to you and clasped your hands in his. After feeling his skin as a frog, you were surprised to feel that his hands were warm. "You do not have to do this. I will not force you. I shall travel to my kingdom with the sorceress and claim the throne. You may remain here if you wish. I would ask for permission to write to you often, as a friend. Maybe we'll become more one day, but I wouldn't dare force you. Whatever you choose, I will accept it."

He left the room with the guards, the sorceress, and your father. You vaguely heard your father offer Gendry and the sorceress rooms for the night so they would be well rested for travel the next day. Meanwhile you spent the night wracking your brain trying to decide what to do. In the end, you chose to stay. You knew you weren't ready to take on being a queen just yet. Gendry looked heartbroken when you told him, but he smiled anyway.

"Then I'll be happy to call you my friend for now. Take care, Princess." He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss to your cheek before turning away and heading down to the horse that waited for him. You ran as quickly as you could up to your balcony. As he began riding away, Gendry looked back at you and waved. You blew him a kiss. Then, you waved until his horse was out of sight, knowing one day, you would see him again.

#meg's game of tales #game of thrones #fairytale au #the frog prince au #gendry baratheon #gendry waters #gendry waters x reader #gendry baratheon x reader #gendry x reader

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jokertrap-ran · 3 years ago

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(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Event! 轻云寻隐录: Sariel’s BDAY 2021 Event! Qingyun’s Hidden Records (Chapter 5) [FINAL]

“I will remember this day.”

*Light and Night Master-list | Sariel’s Personal Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Image used with permission from 蓝咕咕 ☆ *Join my Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Event story tag will be #For Light and Memories

The sky had already turned completely dark by the time we reached the actual Lin Isle.

“Lin Isle” was most certainly located up a mountain. The antique-style pavilions and pagodas were built on the mountainous terrain, its lights were akin to a long dragon, coiled around the lake that stood in the middle of it all.

❖☆———————————★❖

Sariel: It'd be better if you don't wander off on your own.

Sariel: There are many Spirits here that do not like outsiders. They'll spare no chance to attack you on sight.

Hearing this, I unconsciously gripped onto his sleeve, sticking closer to him.

MC: Are we going to go look for the little lizard now?

Sariel surveyed the area and shook his head.

Sariel: Rest for tonight. We'll go fetch him tomorrow.

MC: Rest where?

❖☆———————————★❖

Sariel took me to a cold, lone, old mansion. We were seemingly the only ones in it.

Sariel: Rest here. Don't leave unless it's for something of absolute importance.

Having said so, he turned to leave. I darted a hand out to catch his sleeve.

MC: What about you?

Sariel: Scared now?

Faced with my puppy eyes, he gave a helpless sigh.

Sariel: I'll be right next door.

Sariel: Yell for me if anything happens and I'll hear you.

I felt relieved knowing that he was only a wall away.

❖☆———————————★❖

I entered the room and was just about to lie down after washing my face and rinsing my mouth when I suddenly realized that I hadn’t given him the birthday present that was in my bag.

MC: I almost forgot!

I rolled back upright, retrieved the present, opened the door, and stepped out into the courtyard.

❖☆———————————★❖

It was deathly quiet in the courtyard, with only the cold moonlight shining upon the gravel paths. Both the door and the windows of the room Sariel was staying at next door were shut tight with no lights on.

MC: Wonder if he's already asleep…

??: What are you snooping about for?

The sudden voice that came from behind made me jolt up with a violent start, causing the bag in my hand to nearly tumble to the ground.

I warily turned back to see Sariel standing under the shade of the bamboo, the bright moon giving his silvery-white hair an obscure glow.

MC: You scared me half to death…

Sariel: What are you planning on doing, sneaking around in the dead of the night instead of sleeping?

MC: I just remembered that I haven't given you your birthday present yet.

Sariel: Tomorrow will do.

MC: No way! It'll be too late once midnight passes.

I procured a mysterious-looking paper box from my bag, gently opening it before Sariel to reveal its contents.

MC: Ta-da!

However, Sariel wasn’t as surprised as I thought he would be. At first, he froze

What's it to him?

I quickly looked down at the box…

MC: The words are upside down!

In the box was a row of cupcakes that I’d specially piped the epiphyllums on, each with a single word iced alongside it.

They had originally been lined up to form the words “Happy Birthday Sariel, please smile more”, but has now become a jumble that didn’t make sense at all. The long journey with them in tow, in the bag I carried along, must have jumbled their arrangement...

MC: No, this doesn't count. I'll do it again. Let me rearrange it before showing it to you…

However, Sariel softly held my hand down.

Sariel: No need. I can read just fine.

Sariel picked up a cupcake with the word "smile" written on it and took a bite of it, his eyes considerably softening.

MC: How does it taste?

Sariel: Better than the sugar painting.

MC: Can't you just give me a straightforward word of praise?

MC: I tried one after making them. It was especially delicious.

Sariel: So I'm not the first one to be eating this cake?

MC: ……

Sariel: So, she swore up and down to celebrate my birthday and to be the first one to wish me a Happy Birthday.

Sariel: Yet ends up being the one to take the first bite out of my birthday cake?

MC: C’mon! You’ve already advanced a year! No more mulling about old things and let bygones be bygones!

Sariel: You said everything, not me.

MC: Isn't it fine so long as you like it?

Sariel: ……

MC: No saying anything disheartening on birthdays, no complaints about how boring it is, how naggy, or how noisy I am… Not a single word!

Sariel: ……

MC: Right, I have a small gift for you.

I withdrew a formal top hat from the bag, something that I’d spent days working on. Atop the brim of the black satin hat was an epiphyllum, embroidered by layers upon layers of silver threading.

MC: I made it myself. Look, isn't it way better than before?

Sariel took the black formal top hat from me, gently running his fingers along the embroidered epiphyllum as his eyes softened.

Sariel: A little.

MC: Just "a little"?

Sariel: Want me to pick it apart now?

MC: No thanks… How could I ever make you lift a work-related finger on a nice, pleasant, day off?

A quick glance at my watch told me that it was nearly midnight. I quickly cleared my throat and straightened up.

MC: Happy Birthday, Sariel! Midnight’s not over yet, so it’s still your birthday!

Sariel: Don’t get too attached to this date.

Sariel: It means nothing to me.

MC: But the 1st of September is a very special day to me.

Sariel: What's so special about it?

MC: You. That’s why it’s special.

Sariel looked away a little awkwardly. In the darkness, a faint tinge of red seemingly rose up to his cheeks.

MC: What? Do you have something to say about it?

Sariel: ……

However, he never answered; merely staring stubbornly ahead, into the distance. Following his line of sight, I found that there were several blooming epiphyllums planted at a corner of the courtyard.

They appeared to have sensed something, their pristine white petals slowly stretching outwards until the flower had fully bloomed. It was almost like they'd wanted to use every ounce of strength they had to dedicate this beautiful life to the moon tonight.

I turned to look at Sariel, only to find that his eyes had already long since been trained back onto me.

There, too, seemed to be slivers of gentle moonlight wavering in his orbs.

Sariel: (Y/n).

Sariel: I will remember this day.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Memories⊹ —————★❖

Previous: (Chapter 4)

#光与夜之恋 #Light and Night #Otome #Translations #Tencent #齐司礼 #Sariel #For Light and Memories #轻云寻隐录 #Qingyuns Hidden Records #Sariel BDAY 2021

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reallifesultanas · 4 years ago

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Non real life sultanas

A little Christmas surprise post comes. One of my most popular videos on Youtube was the one, where I gathered non-historical characters, explaining how fictional or how historical they were, and if there was a real historical person behind them as an inspirer. Now, for Christmas, I would like to summarize for you the main fictional characters of the Muhteşem Yüzyil series.

Several fictional characters were present in the Muhteşem Yüzyil series, many from the very first minutes. The presence of some fictional characters was forgivable, as we were left with very little detailed information about the harem of Sultan Suleiman I. Thus, for example, the characters of Sümbül Agha, Gül Agha, Mercan Agha, and other eunuchs, although not portraying historical characters, were necessary for the dramaturgy of the series. Sümbül's character was the most important among the eunuchs and perhaps this is why many of us may think that Hürrem actually had such a close friend in the person of the chief eunuch. However, this is not true. During Suleiman's reign, many chief eunuchs took turns, and none of them were known to be particularly close to Hürrem. Of Hürrem's close servants, only one is known by name, a woman named Nevbahar. The characters of Nigar Kalfa, Gülsah Hatun, Fidan Hatun, Daye Hatun, Fahriye Kalfa were similar to Sümbül. None of them were historical, but surely every sultana had their own trusted servants, as they showed in the series. Like the eunuchs and kalfas, the concubines of Prince Mustafa and Prince Bayezid, Ayşe, Rana, Defne or Rumeysa Hatun, can also be considered forgivable fictional characters. We do not know anything about the harem of the two princes as neither of them had a major consort and as their children were born from different women.

However, there were also characters who were written into the story just for the sake of the drama. Which of these characters was acceptable is up to everyone and feel free to write your opinion about them in a comment here or on another platform! So here's the long-awaited list:

Sadika Hatun

Sadika was a Hungarian woman in the series whose husband was killed by Sultan Suleiman on the day of their wedding. Sadika then became the spy of the Hungarian king, Lajos II and she traveled to Istanbul to personally avenge her husband’s death. Matrakci Nasuh Efendi then, by chance, meets the girl and helps her get into the harem, where she immediately joins Ayşe Hafsa Valide Sultan's service and then becomes Hatice Sultan’s chief servant. During her job, of course, she gets close to Suleiman's bed several times, and then she had the opportunity to attack the sultan. However, she does not succeed, Suleiman survives, and Sadika is thrown in the Bosphorus.

In reality, this story would not be possible at all. Even if we assumed that Sadika really existed and Suleiman actually killed her husband, she would not have been able to get into the Sultan's harem and take revenge. On the one hand, Sadika was already a married woman, an adult woman. Such women could not enter the harem, only virgin, child girls could become the sultan's later concubines. However, even if Sadika had somehow been able to get in the harem, a long education would have awaited her before she could join the Valide Sultan's service. While there may have been some exceptional cases where older or non-virgin women wanted to be gifted to the Sultan, these are special cases. Such was the case, for example, when Hayreddin Barbarossa wanted to kidnap the beautiful Giulia Gonzaga, a widowed Italian noblewoman known far and wide, to send her to the Sultan's harem as a gift. In the end, he didn’t succeed, but even if he did, we don’t know if the sultan would had ever taken the woman to his bed.

Leo

In the series, he was the love of Hürrem from their youth. Leo came to Istanbul with the goal of finding her former sweetheart. Leo is a talented artist who, with the help of Nasuh Efendi (ahh Nasuh brought all the good people near to the Sultan…) will become the painter of Sultan Suleiman and Pargali Ibrahim. His former relationship with Hürrem will soon be revealed to Pargali Ibrahim, who is thus trying to blackmail Hürrem. Hürrem repeatedly begs Leo to leave the capital, but the man remains, which eventually leads to his death.

In reality, Hürrem - and all the other concubines - were taken into Ottoman captivity as little girls, so it is out of the question that they would have had a love or a fiance. And even if they had, they could never have found them. Nasuh Efendi, though one of the greatest suckers in the series - yet the dearest character - was not like that in reality at all, but he was a wonderful scholar who, by the way, was not so closely friends with either Sultan Suleiman or Pargali Ibrahim.

Princess Isabella

Princess Isabella Fortuna was a Spanish noble lady in the series who was on a ship to her future husband, the Austrian prince, when she was captured by Ottoman pirates and was taken to Istanbul to Sultan Suleiman. At first, Suleiman was only interested in the princess for political reasons, but later he fell in love. Princess Isabella initially resisted Suleiman's approach with all her cartilage, but over time she fell in love with the sultan and became his lover. This, of course, Hürrem could not stand and did everything she could to get rid of the princess who was eventually sent home by Suleiman himself.

In reality, of course, such a situation would have been unthinkable. Even assuming that Isabella existed and was captured by pirates, no princess raised in the Catholic faith would have voluntarily become the concubine of a Muslim sultan, she would have committed suicide instead. Let us not forget that Suleiman was loyal to Hürrem from the 1520s onwards, so in reality there was not a single woman who could make hard time for Hürrem during her decades-long relationship with Suleiman. Isabella Fortuna, on the other hand, never existed. Surprisingly, however, they could have patterned her from a real character. There was an Isabella of Castile in this period who was born in 1518 as the child of the widowed Queen of Aragon, Germaine of Foix and Charles V, but she was never captured by Ottoman pirates and was never the bride of the Austrian prince. Isabella's existence was kept secret by her parents all her life, only her mother's testament revealed that she ever existed. It is also known from there that Isabella died young in 1537.

Aybige Hatun

In the series, Aybige was the niece of Ayşe Hafsa, and so the daughter of the Crimean Sahib Giray khan. Aybige originally only came to visit her aunt in Istanbul, but later Hafsa Sultan wanted to see her as the wife of her favorite grandson, Prince Mustafa. However, Aybige was in love with Bali Bey and Mustafa longed for someone else aksi. Bali Bey was eventually almost executed for their love, and Aybige returned to Crimea with her father in the end.

Aybige’s storyline makes mistakes at almost every point. First, Ayşe Hafsa was never the sister of the Crimean khan, so the daughter of the Crimean khan could not have been her niece either. In addition, although Sahib Giray Khan had several daughters, none were called Aybige and none of his daughters ever traveled to Istanbul. The only true point in the whole storyline is that Sahib Giray Khan really collaborated with Sultan Suleiman in his Moldovan war. It is also important to mention Bali Bey at this point. Although Bali Bey was a real historical figure, there is not the slightest match between historical Bali Bey and the series Bali Bey. The real Bali Bey was not a romantic guy who fell in love with every second woman. Bali Bey was a cruel warlord. And if it comes to Bali Bey, let’s say a few words about Prince Mustafa as well. The idea of wanting to marry Mustafa to a khan’s daughter is completely absurd! Since the reign of Sultan Mehmed II, princes have been forbidden to marry anyone, so Prince Mustafa has not been allowed to marry anyone either. And the fact that Suleiman would have supported the idea - even if such a marriage had been able to occurre at all - is an even greater absurdity. Suleiman did not want Mustafa as his heir, so he would never have given him as much power as the support of the Crimean khan.

Firuze Hatun

In the series, Firuze was a Persian spy who, with her amazing abilities, was able to heal the pains of the sick Prince Cihangir, earning the love of Hürrem Sultan. Firuze, however, thanked Hürrem kindness in a disgusting way, and became Suleiman's secret lover, whom the sultan fell in love with. In the end, Hürrem was only able to overcome Firuzen with a little, Firuze was eventually exiled from the palace so she could return to Persia.

In reality, Suleiman was loyal to Hürrem, living in a monogamous relationship with her. Even if there was an occasional one-night-stands, Suleiman never fell in love with another woman, only Hürrem. Thus, the Firuze storyline has already failed here. The fact that there was a Persian spy in the harem would have been an interesting suggestion though. There were certainly spies in the royal court of every empire, but they were probably not hiding among the concubines. Eunuchs, for example, moved with much greater freedom, were much better candidates for being a spy…

Huricihan Sultan

In the series, Huricihan was the daughter of Ibrahim Pasha and Hatice Sultan, who grew up in the palace of Beyhan Sultan after the death of her parents. From there she returned to Istanbul, where she fell in love with her first cousin, Prince Bayezid. Their love became a relationship and then marriage without the Sultan’s permission. Huricihan became the head of Bayezid's harem and soon her relationship with Hürrem and Suleiman slowly became better. Huricihan's end eventually was brought by Prince Selim's concubine, Nurbanu, who knocked her out in the heat of a dispute, killing her.

In reality, Hatice and Ibrahim Pasha were never married, so they didn't have children either together, so Huricihan never existed. If she had existed, for the reasons already mentioned, it would have been utterly inconceivable for Bayezid to marry her, either secretly or openly. Especially knowing that Bayezid had never had a favourite singled out concubine, as all of his children were born to different women. With a background like this, it’s unlikely he’d ever wanted to marry anyone. Although Hatice Sultan did indeed have a daughter, she was born between 1510 and 1515, so she was well ahead of Bayezid in age, and of course she had nothing to do with the prince and was not even called Huricihan.

Mihrünissa Hatun

In the series, Mihrünissa was the daughter of Hayreddin Barbarossa the Head of the Fleet, whom her father sent to Prince Mustafa as a consultant. Later, the two young person fell in love with each other and married without the Sultan's knowledge. In time, Mihrünissa also gave birth to Mustafa's son Mehmed. After Prince Mustafa and his son Mehmed were executed, Mihrünissa went to the capital and cut her own throat before Hürrem's eyes.

In reality, for the reasons already detailed several times above, no prince could marry anyone, so Mustafa also never married. In addition, Barbarossa never had a daughter named Mihrünissa and Hayreddin Pasha was never a supporter of Prince Mustafa. However, even assuming that Mihrünissa existed, there is no chance that she could have committed suicide before Hürrem's eyes. Prince Mustafa's harem retired to Bursa, so that no member of the harem could travel to the capital, especially not to the palace and kill herself in front of Hürrem. So, in fact, the Mihrünissa storyline was just 100% fiction.

Nazenin Hatun

In the series, Nazenin arrived in Istanbul with Nurbanu, where Hürrem, who was struggling with menopause, sent her to the sultan herself. Nazenin thus became the sultan's concubine and soon gave birth to a daughter, Raziye Sultan. Eventually, on Hürrem's instructions, she was killed by Nurbanu.

In reality, as I have said many times, Suleiman was loyal to Hürrem. In addition, after the birth of Prince Cihangir in 1531/2, Suleiman had no more children, neither to Hürrem nor to anyone else. It is true that he had a daughter named Raziye, however, the child died in 1520 at the age of a few years as a result of an epidemic.

Surprising realities

After many fictional characters, one would think that all eunuchs and kalfas were fictional characters, as we know quite a bit about the harem. However, this is not true! There were some historically inspired characters, such as Gazanfer Agha, who, although existed and was one of the most influential eunuchs ever, was not a loyal man of Nurbanu, but Sultan Selim II. Gazanfer reached the peak of his career, by the way, during the reign of Safiye Sultan.

Similarly historical was Canfeda Hatun, who was Nurbanu’s most loyal servant and one of the most influential kalfas of her era. True, Canfeda’s character in the series was a fusion of two loyal servants of historic Nurbanu. In her young age, in the princely harem of Selim, Nurbanu became acquainted not with Canfeda but with another kalfa, who remained her faithful servant for the rest of her life. Canfeda only became Nurbanu’s main supporter during Selim’s reign.

Like them, Afife Hatun’s character was partly real also. Sultan Suleiman's wetnurse was really called Afife and the sultan always kept in touch with the woman. However, Afife Hatun never moved to Istanbul to rule the Sultan’s harem, but lived a simple life.

Gracia Mendes Nasi was introduced last season as a wealthy Portuguese Jewish woman who helped Portuguese refugees get to Istanbul. Later, Gracia became the lover of Grand Vizier Rüstem Pasha, which made her an enemy of Mihrimah Sultan. In reality, Gracia Mendes was a very benevolent soul who was committed to Jewish traditions and her Jewish brothers. She was never a lover of Rustem and an enemy of Mihrimah. However, like the series, Gracia actually enjoyed the Sultan’s support and, with his help, she made great improvements in Istanbul’s Jewish Quarter and helped many refugees start a new life in the Ottoman Empire.

One of the most interesting guest actors of the last season of the series was Anna Jagello, the daughter of the former King of Poland, the sister of the new King of Poland. Although the woman was a real historical figure, the historical Anna never traveled to Istanbul and never corresponded with Hürrem Sultan. However, Hürrem exchanged letters several times with Anna's mother Bona Sforza, Anna's father, King Sigismund I of Poland, and Anna's brother, the later Zsigmond Ágost II king of Poland, and even Anna's sisterm Isabella, the Hungarian queen. Thanks to the intercession of Hürrem, the relationship between the Kingdom of Poland and the Ottoman Empire was quite good and almost friendly during Suleiman's reign.

* * *

Egy kis karácsonyi meglepetés poszt következik. Youtube-on az egyik legnépszerűbb videóm az volt, amelyben a nem történelmi karaktereket gyűjtöttem össze, elmagyarázva, mennyire voltak kitaláltak, mennyire volt mögöttük egy-egy valós történelmi személy, mint ihlető. Most karácsony alkalmából szeretném nektek összefoglalni a Muhteşem Yüzyil sorozat főbb kitalált karaktereit és történetüket.

A Muhteşem Yüzyil sorozatban több kitalált karakter is jelen volt, sokan már az első percektől kezdve. Egyes kitalált karakterek jelenléte megbocsátható volt, hiszen nagyon kevés részlet maradt ránk a Szulejmán háremében jelenlévő személyekről. Így például Sümbül Aga, Gül Aga, Mercan Aga és más eunuchok karakterei bár nem valódi személyeket keltenek életre, szükségesek voltak a sorozat dramaturgiája szempontjából. Sümbül karaktere volt a legfontosabb az eunuchok között és talán emiatt sokan gondolhatjuk úgy, hogy Hürremnek a valóságban is volt egy ilyen közeli barátja a fő eunuch személyében. Azonban ez nem igaz. Szulejmán uralkodása alatt rengeteg főeunuch váltotta egymást és egyikről sem ismert, hogy különösebben közel álltak volna Hürremhez. Hürrem közeli szolgálói közül csupán egy ismert név szerint, egy Nevbahar nevű nő. Sümbülhöz hasonló volt Nigar Kalfa, Gülsah Hatun, Fidan Hatun, Daye Hatun, Fahriye Kalfa karaktere is. Egyikük sem valós személy volt, ám bizonyosan minden szultánának megvoltak a saját megbízható szolgálói, ahogy ezt a sorozatban is mutatták. Hasonlóan az eunuchokhoz és kalfákhoz megbocsátható füllentésnek tekinthetőek Musztafa herceg és Bayezid herceg ágyasai is, Ayşe, Rana, Defne vagy Rumeysa Hatun. A két herceg asszonyairól ugyanis semmit sem tudunk, egyiküknek sem volt kiemelt jelentőségű főágyasa, gyermekeik más-más nőktől születtek.

Voltak azonban olyan karakterek is, akiket csupán a dráma kedvéért írtak bele a történetbe. Az, hogy ezek közül melyik karakter mennyire volt elfogadható, azt mindenki maga döntse el és nyugodtan írja meg kommentben itt vagy más platformon, hogy mit gondol róluk! Következzék hát a várva várt lista:

Sadika Hatun

Sadika a sorozatban egy magyar nő volt, akinek férjét az esküvőjük napján megölte Szulejmán szultán. Sadika ezek után a magyar király, II. Lajos parancsára Isztambulba utazott, hogy ott személyesen bosszulja meg férje halálát. Matrakci Nasuh Efendi aztán egy véletlen folytán megismerkedik a lánnyal és segít neki bekerülni a hárembe, ahol azonnal Ayşe Hafsa Valide Sultan szolgálatába áll, majd Hatice Sultan főszolgálója lesz. Menetközben természetesen többször is Szulejmán ágyának közelébe kerül, majd lehetősége nyílik a szultánra támadni. Azonban nem jár sikerrel, Szulejmán életben marad, Sadikát pedig a Boszporuszba fojtják.

A valóságban ez a történetszál egyáltalán nem lenne lehetséges. Ha feltételeznénk is azt, hogy Sadika valóban létezett és Szulejmán valóban megölte a férjét, akkor sem állt volna módjába bejutni a szultáni hárembe és bosszút állni. Egyrészt Sadika férjezett asszony volt már, felnőtt nő. A hárembe nem kerülhettek be ilyen nők, csupán szűz, gyermeklányokból válhattak a szultán ágyasai. Mindazonáltal ha Sadika valahogy mégis bekerült volna a hárembe hosszadalmas oktatás várt volna rá, mielőtt a Valide Sultan szolgálatába állhatott volna. Előfordulhatott ugyan néhány kivételes eset, amikor idősebb vagy nem szűz nőket akartak volna a szultánnak ajándékozni, azonban ezek különleges esetek. Ilyen volt például, amikor Hayreddin Barbarossa el akarta rabolni a messze földön ismert, gyönyörű Giulia Gonzagát, megözvegyült itáliai nemesasszonyt, hogy a szultán háremébe küldje ajándéknak. Végül nem járt sikerrel, ám ha sikerrel járt volna is, nem tudni, hogy a szultán valaha is ágyba vitte volna-e a nőt.

Leo

A sorozatban Leo Hürrem fiatalkori szerelme volt, aki azzal a céllal érkezett Isztambulba, hogy megtalálja egykori kedvesét. Leo tehetséges művész, aki Nasuh Efendi segítségével (ahh Nasuh csupa jó embert juttatott a szultán közelébe…) Szulejmán szultán és Pargali Ibrahim festője lesz. Egykori viszonya Hürremmel hamarosan kiderül Pargali Ibrahim számára, aki ezzel próbálja zsarolni Hürremet. Hürrem többször könyörög Leonak, hogy hagyja el a fővárost, de a szerelmes férfi marad, ami végül halálához vezet.

A valóságban Hürrem – és minden más ágyas – még kislányként került oszmán fogságba, tehát kizárt, hogy szerelmük vagy vőlegényük lett volna, ha pedig mégis, az sosem tudott volna rájuk találni. Nasuh Efendi, pedig aki a sorozat egyik legnagyobb baleke – ugyanakkor legkedvesebb karaktere – a valóságban egyáltalán nem ilyen volt, hanem egy csodálatos tudós, aki egyébként nem állt ilyen közeli barátságban sem Szulejmán szultánnal, sem Pargali Ibrahimmal.

Izabella Hercegnő

Izabella Fortuna hercegnő a sorozatban egy spanyol nemes hölgy volt, aki éppen jövendőbeli férjéhez, az osztrák herceghez tartott hajón, mikor az oszmán kalózok elragadták és Isztambulba vitték Szulejmán szultán elé. Először Szulejmán politikai okokból érdeklődött csupán a hercegnő iránt, később azonban beleszeretett. Izabella hercegnő eleinte minden porcikájával ellenállt Szulejmán közeledésének, idővel azonban beleszeretett a szultánba és a szeretője lett. Ezt természetesen Hürrem szultána nem állhatta és mindent megtett, hogy megszabaduljon a hercegnőtől, akit végül Szulejmán küldött el.

A valóságban természetesen elképzelhetetlen lett volna egy ilyen szituáció. Ha feltételezzük is, hogy Izabella létezett és a kalózok fogságába esett, egyetlen katolikus hitben nevelt hercegnő sem vált volna szabad akaratából a szultán ágyasává, előbb lett volna öngyilkos. Azt se felejtsük el, hogy Szulejmán az 1520-as évektől kezdve hűséges volt Hürremhez, a valóságban nem volt egyetlen nő sem, aki éket verhetett volna közéjük több évtizedes kapcsolatuk alatt. Másrészről pedig Izabella Fortuna sosem létezett. Meglepő azonban, hogy valós karakterről mintázhatták. Létezett egy Kasztíliai Izabella ebben a korban, aki 1518-ban született az özvegy aragóniai királyné Germaine Foix és V. Károly gyermekeként, azonban sosem esett oszmán kalózok csapdájába és sosem volt az osztrák herceg menyasszonya. Izabella létezését egész életében titokban tartották szülei, csupán édesanyja végrendeletéből derült fény arra, hogy valaha is létezett. Innen tudni azt is, hogy Izabella fiatalon elhunyt 1537-ben.

Aybige Hatun

A sorozatban Aybige Ayşe Hafsa Sultan unokahúga volt, a krími Sahib Giray kán lánya. Aybige eredetileg csak látogatóba érkezett Isztambulba, később azonban nagynénje szerette volna őt kedvenc unokája, Musztafa herceg feleségeként látni. Aybige azonban Bali Bégbe volt szerelmes és Musztafa is más után vágyakozott. Bali Béget végül majdnem kivégezték a szerelmük miatt, Aybige pedig apjával visszatért a Krímre.

Aybige történetszála szinte minden létező ponton hibádzik. Először is, Ayşe Hafsa sosem volt a Krími kán testvére, tehát a krími kán lánya sem lehetett az unokahúga. Emellett Sahib Giray kánnak bár több lánya volt, egyiket sem hívták Aybigének és egyik lánya sem utazott sosem Isztambulba. Az egész történetszál egyetlen igaz pontja, hogy Sahib Giray kán tényleg együttműködött Szulejmán szultánnal annak moldáv háborújában. Fontos megemlíteni ezen a ponton Bali Béget is. Bali Bég bár valós történelmi személy volt, de a legkisebb egyezés sincs a történelmi Bali Bég és a sorozat Bali Bége között. A valódi Bali Bég nem egy romantikus fickó volt, aki minden második nőbe beleszeretett, és akiért bolondultak a nők. Bali Bég egy kegyetlen hadvezér volt. És ha már Bali Bég szóba jött, ejtsünk néhány szót Musztafa hercegről is. Az ötlet, hogy Musztafát egy kán lányához akarják adni teljesen abszurd! II. Mehmed szultán uralkodása óta tilos volt a hercegeknek házasságot kötni, így Musztafa herceg sem köthetett senkivel házasságot. Az pedig, hogy Szulejmán támogatta volna az ötletet, már ha egyáltalán felmerült volna egy ilyen házasság, még nagyobb abszurdum. Szulejmán nem Musztafát akarta örökösének, így sosem adott volna a kezébe akkora hatalmat, mint a krími kán támogatása.

Firuze Hatun

A sorozatban Firuze egy perzsa kém volt, aki csodálatos képességeivel gyógyítani tudta a beteges Cihangir herceg fájdalmait, amivel kiérdemelte Hürrem szeretetét. Firuze azonban rút módon hálálta meg Hürrem kedvességét, ugyanis Szulejmán titkos szeretője lett, akibe a szultán halálosan beleszeretett. Végül Hürrem csak egy hajszállal volt képes felülkerekedni Firuzén, akit végül száműztek a palotából, így visszatérhetett Perzsiába.

A valóságban Szulejmán hűséges volt Hürremhez, monogám kapcsolatban éltek. Ha előfordult is alkalomadtán egy-egy egyéjszakás kaland, Szulejmán soha nem szeretett bele más nőbe, csak Hürremet szerette. Így a Firuze történetszál már itt el is bukott. A tény, hogy Firuze perzsa kém lett volna érdekes felvetés, bizonyára akadtak kémek minden birodalom királyi udvarába, azonban ők valószínűleg nem az ágyasok között rejtőztek. Az eunuchok például, sokkal nagyobb szabadsággal mozogtak, sokkal könnyebben lefizethetők voltak…

Huricihan Sultan

A sorozatban Huricihan Ibrahim Pasa és Hatice Sultan lánya volt, aki szülei halála után Beyhan Sultan palotájában nevelkedett. Onnan tért vissza Isztambulba, ahol beleszeretett elsőunokatestvérébe, Bayezid hercegbe. Szerelmükből kapcsolat, majd házasság lett a szultán engedélye nélkül. Huricihan Bayezid háremének feje lett és kapcsolata lassanként rendbejött Hürremmel és a szultánnal is. Huricihan végzete végül Szelim herceg ágyasa, Nurbanu lett, aki egy vita hevében leütötte őt, ezzel megölve.

A valóságban Hatice és Ibrahim Pasa sosem voltak házasok, így gyermekük sem született, tehát Huricihan sosem létezett. Ha létezett volna is, a már korábban említett okokból teljesen elképzelhetetlen lett volna, hogy Bayezid feleségül vegye őt akár titokban, akár nyíltan. Különösen tudva, hogy Bayezidnek nem volt sosem kiemelt ágyasa, minden gyermeke más nőtől született. Ilyen háttérrel nem valószínű, hogy valaha is feleségül akart volna venni bárkit. Hatice Sultannak bár valóban volt egy lánya, az 1510-1515 között született, így korban jóval megelőzte Bayezidet, és természetesen sosem volt semmi köze a herceghez és nem is Huricihannak hívták.

Mihrünissa Hatun

A sorozatban Mihrünissa Hayreddin Barbarossa flotta parancsnok lánya volt, akit édesapja küldött Musztafa herceg mellé tanácsadónak. Később a két fiatal egymásba szeretett és a szultán tudta nélkül egybe keltek. Idővel Mihrünissa életet adott Musztafa fiának, Mehmednek is. Miután Musztafa herceget és vele együtt fiát, Mehmedet is kivégezték, Mihrünissa a fővárosba ment és Hürrem szeme láttára elvágta a saját torkát.

A valóságban a már fent többszörösen részletezett okok miatt egy herceg sem köthetett házasságot, így Musztafa sem nősült meg soha. Emellett Barbarossának sosem volt Mihrünissa nevű lánya és Hayreddin Pasa sohasem volt Musztafa herceg támogatója. Ha azonban feltételeznénk is, hogy Mihrünissa létezett, nincs arra esély, hogy Hürrem szeme láttára lehetett volna öngyilkos. Musztafa herceg háreme Bursába vonult vissza, így a hárem egyik tagja sem utazhatott egyetlen percre sem a fővárosba, nemhogy a palotába, Hürrem elé. Így tulajdonképpen a Mihrünissa történet-szál 100%-ban kitaláció volt.

Nazenin Hatun

A sorozatban Nazenin Nurbanuval együtt érkezett Isztambulba, ahol aztán a menopauzával küszködő Hürrem maga küldte őt a szultán elé. Nazenin így a szultán ágyasa lett és hamarosan egy lánygyermeknek, Raziye Sultannak adott életet. Végül Hürrem utasítására Nurbanu ölte meg.

A valóságban, mint már sokszor mondtam, Szulejmán hűséges volt Hürremhez. Emellett Cihangir herceg 1531/2-es születése után Szulejmán nem nemzett több gyermeket, sem Hürremnek sem másnak. Az igaz, hogy volt egy Raziye nevű kislánya, azonban a gyermek 1520-ban néhány ��ves korában elhunyt egy járvány következtében.

Meglepő valóságok

A sok kitalált karakter után azt gondolhatnánk, hogy az összes eunuch és kalfa kitalált karakter volt, hiszen meglehetősen keveset tudunk a háremről. Azonban ez nem igaz! Volt néhány történelmi ihletésű karakter, mint például Gazanfer Aga, aki bár létezett, és a valaha volt egyik legbefolyásosabb eunuch volt, nem Nurbanu hű embere volt, hanem II. Szelim szultáné. Gazanfer pályája csúcsát egyébként Safiye Sultan uralkodása alatt érte el.

Hasonlóan valós volt Canfeda Hatun is, aki Nurbanu leghűségesebb szolgálója volt és az egyik legbefolyásosabb kalfája korának. Igaz, Canfeda sorozatbeli karaktere, a történelmi Nurbanu két hűséges szolgálójának ötvözéseként született meg. Nurbanu fiatal korában, Szelim hercegi háremében nem Canfedával, hanem egy másik kalfával ismerkedett meg, aki élete végéig hűséges szolgálója maradt. Canfeda csak Szelim uralkodása alatt került képbe és vált Nurbanu fő segítőjévé.

Hozzájuk hasonlóan Afife Hatun karaktere is részben valós volt. Szulejmán szultán szoptatósdajkáját tényleg Afifének hívták és a szultán mindig tartotta a kapcsolatot az asszonnyal. Azonban Afife Hatun sosem költözött Isztambulba, hogy irányítsa a szultáni háremet, hanem egyszerű életet élt.

Gracia Mendes Nasi az utolsó évadban került bemutatásra, mint gazdag portugál zsidóasszony, aki portugál menekülteknek segített Isztambulba jutni. Később Gracia a nagyvezír Rüsztem Pasa szeretője lett, aminek köszönhetően szembe került Mihrimah szultánával. A valóságban Gracia Mendes igen jótét lélek volt, aki elkötelezett volt a zsidó hagyományok és zsidó testvérei iránt. Sosem volt Rüsztem szeretője és Mihrimah ellensége. Azonban a sorozathoz hasonlóan, Gracia a valóságban is élvezte a szultán támogatását és segítségével nagy fejlesztéseket vitt véghez Isztambul zsidó negyedében és nagyon sok menekültnek segített új életet kezdeni az Oszmán Birodalomban.

A sorozat utolsó évadának egyik legérdekesebb vendégszereplője Jagelló Anna volt, az egykori lengyel király lánya, az új lengyel király testvére. Bár az asszony valós történelmi személy volt, a történelmi Anna sosem utazott Isztambulba és sosem levelezett Hürrem szultánával. Azonban Hürrem többször is váltott levelet Anna édesanyjával Bona Sforzával, Anna édesapjával, I. Zsigmond lengyel királlyal, valamint Anna testvérével, a későbbi II. Zsigmond Ágost lengyel királlyal, sőt Anna másik testvérével Izabella, magyar királynővel is. Hürrem közbenjárásának köszönhetően Szulejmán uralkodása alatt meglehetősen jó, szinte baráti volt a viszony a Lengyel Királyság és az Oszmán Birodalom között.

#selim ii #gazanfer agha #gazanfer #suleiman the magnificent #safiye sultan #suleiman i #suleyman i #haseki hürrem sultan #hürrem sultan #nurbanu sultan #aybige hatun #ayse hafsa #ayse hafsa sultan #princess isabella #firuze #firuze hatun

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wandering-bitch · 3 years ago

Text

Fic Annotation: No Round Peg, But Not So Square pt 1

No Round Peg is my fic about family and disability, for the mdzs reverse big bang. It's based on Ashes' beautiful art with the concept "a-qing joins the jiang sect"

Here are notes on the writing process and the world building!

I was really worried this fic would get the same lukewarm reception as Blood In The Cut, my mini bang fic. Both are really tied up in my feelings about my body at the time of writing and hashtag disability content, so I figured the Fandom would be bored

i mean this is about feeling like your body and circumstances are failing you and keeping you from your dreams, and also how part of community and caring is making sure children don't feel that way!

but apparently when ppl read this they just see jc being a dad, even though that's like, not at all the point of this fic, and fell in love, so whatever! nice!

scene 1

love my little worldbuilding here with the yunmeng tour, i can totally see the jiang sect, being all free loosey goosey, would pick up more gutterpunks with potential than most other sects

this is probably how jfm found wwx in the first place

also like that i got to write the regular world + how it was affected by sunshot. im really interested in non-cultivators!!! all this amazing shit happens!!!! what are the repercussions!!!

god in theory i should love g0t but i just don't fuck with it

anyway: i love a-qing!!! arguing with rich fuckers!

in my original outline, jc did test a-qing's spiritual root, bc i had just watched the beginning of duoluo continent + finished lingjian mountain and that trope was fresh in my head

a-qing had a wood spiritual root, bc her 'qing' is bamboo and bamboo is kind of wood and wood as a personality type grows very quickly and also water feeds and supports wood and i thought i was Very Clever to figure this out

but i couldn't find a way to do that in this interaction so now it's just extra info

scene 2: a year later

JIN LING JIN LING JIN LING

i just think a-qing's a gremlin who should get to bully a little brother!!!

now we're gonna talk about Classism

honestly "but now we're gonna talk classism" is a big Wandering Bitch//Covert mood

A-Qing's confusion at the passage of the book she read (or tried to teach herself to read) is because her eyesight is going, she just doesn't realize yet.

See, one of the things I noticed when reading the golden flower for research is the couple of times they make philosophical conclusions from how characters are written. There's a big thing about how if you write "gold flower" vertically, the character for "light" is in there. (check annotation on ch1 verse 8 on the translation i linked)

The passage I had a-qing read (ch 10 verse 5) includes a different character fr light, and then sun and moon. And while sure, I can tell the difference between 日 and 月, I figure if you've never tried to read and also everything is mildly blurry, it might be hard

and a-qing, being a proud gifted kid, gives up easily

and then fucking beats a man half to death with her bare fists because fuck classism

“an unruly but clever disciple” we get it covert you still like to invoke the memory of wei wuxian, you love the fact that jiang cheng can never let him go, even when jiang cheng has moved on with his life and is focusing on his new responsibilities

jiang cheng i love you but you should have given a-qing a reader from the start but what do i know!!!!

Scene 3: Probably six months later, although I didn’t draw a hard timeline

sorry i made being blind stressful, a-qing

this is me really obviously processing the stress of your body changing without your permission. if you think it’s about puberty, you’re wrong, it’s about progressive disability.

anyway she runs away rather than dealing with her problems head-on because this is unbearable!!!!

“she probably bought something in town and had it billed to the sect, the restaurants and shopkeeps were used to that sort of behavior” hey jiang cheng i’m proud of you for thinking about your brother without crying

“he’d certainly stayed out too late when he was her age, although he was usually with someone else...” hey jc im proud of u for thinking about ur brother without crying

i thought about getting rid of jin ling's little bit of narration but honestly how could i do that

jin ling deserves to narrate and he deserves to be a hero and a terrible little kid

sorry fairy but dogs do not belong on tiny boats

even if they're very good dogs

i love a good unreliable narrator especially when they’re an absolute clown about it. u may have noticed this from the 22000 words of “falling in love with love”, starring my favorite clown jin guangyao

in a-qing’s world there are three genders: kids, adults, and rich fucks

i just like wanderers and notions of home.

“stuck his wet grimy hands around her in a disgusting hug” a running theme in my work is stuff like this, very visceral? sensory? descriptions of love and familial intimacy. I forget if i kept the phrase “wet baby noise” in a prior work but it’s one that’s stuck with me, because babies make wet noises, and it kinda exemplifies this stuff. tender and honest and gentle moments are not always sanitary or dry. they often happen because you have just rescued a six year old from a river in september and you are both sopping wet and covered in sand and a little bit of reeds, so your hugs and snuggles are gonna smell Bad

but the hugs are going to be no less important and i feel like part of your brain IS going to notice “uuugh river smell” as your heart go “jin ling u dork i love u”

dramatic frog screams

fairy mvp

a-qing is a mood though, if there’s a protection circle and u leave it and u die??? your fault. fuck you.

the real way you know that a-qing is a jiang is bc she goes from 0 to yelling at jiang cheng. no other sect would dare. wandering cultivators??? they’d try to be “””reasonable””” or some shit. only a proper jiang disciple would jump to “are u fucking kidding me shut up i love u ur the worst” the second anything doesn’t go their way

also “you’re not a young woman you’re my best student” jiang sect doesn’t have gender it only has grades

on the one hand, i wanted the message to be “disabled people can be independent and successful”. on the other, i wanted it to be “disabled people can accept help and that’s not shameful and part of being in a community is the community understanding that you don’t need to perform to abled standards if you are disabled and also the community providing the aid necessary for u to excel as much as u want”

so i asked my spouse/beta which i should go for and they said:::::: both

have a-qing (the individual) say and demonstrate that she can be successful and independent, and have jiang cheng (the community) say and demonstrate that she doesn’t have to be independent and successful-by-exactly-abled-standards, her value is in her existence not her adherence to those standards

both both is good

jiang cheng not knowing how to comfort people

a-qing and jiang cheng ganging up on poor jin ling to point out his mistakes...... but kiddo u cannot put a dog on a tiny rowboat if that dog is dumb and you can’t steer a boat

jiang cheng: god damn it this kid keeps remminding me of my brother and technically has no family....... im.... gonna...... im gonna adopt her...... nie huaisang, paying jin guangyao three taels of silver: you were right, he is the fathering type jin guangyao: there’s a reason all the young disciples call him ‘daddy’

anyway thanks for coming to Wandering Bitch Disability Hours!! Because i disguised it as Wandering Bitch Dad Hours, Jiang Cheng Hours, and Jin Ling Hours, it was popular this time!!

#mdzs #the untamed #jiang cheng #jin ling #a-qing #my fic

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kaeda-the-wolf · 3 years ago

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This is just a bit of an intro to the band.

This story was first created between myself and a dear friend of mine. We wanted to write a fun fanfic story about a bunch of different metal bands. We created our own characters, picked a band name, and decided we wanted to try and write the wildest story we could following the characters. Ten years later it's evolved into this thing that lives rent free in our hearts, mine especially. We got some 40 or 50 chapters in on the original draft and after complications of the site it was originally posted on crashing, which caused us to lose 5 chapters, plus getting caught up with life, it sat and collected dust for a while.

While it was shelved, we still constantly discussed ideas and characters and finally, about 5 years ago, we sat down and really plotted the story out, revised some things, and created a new character or two. We got so far into a re-write before life got in the way again. With permission of my lovely friend, I've taken the story over, because we didn't put so much love into this for it to just sit and not have anything be done with it. That said, for the first 12 or so chapters, anything that's written from River's POV, I cannot take credit for.

Everything from about that point on will be written by me, though it was planned in great detail by myself and my friend.

As I said this is a fanfic, featuring more than a few of our favorite bands. We've taken some liberties with this, of course, and therefore I feel a need to ADAMENTLY state that nothing in this piece of writing has ever happened and that everything is entirely a work of fiction. This piece is meant to be a love letter to heavy metal, to these bands, and to the art of storytelling. Maybe one day I'll take the time to sit down and reimagine this little world that my friend and I have created and turn it into something completely original, but it is definitely not this day.

All that said, I do hope whoever picks this up enjoys it.

Content Warning: this has a little bit of language. It's just a bit of an intro.

Word count: 695

River

Stockholm, Sweden

The lights dimmed in such a way that made the energy peak in a matter of heartbeats. The crowd’s voice rose as one, a mighty roar with a chant echoing behind it:

“Memento Mori!”

A mantra repeated again and again.

Remember that you will die.

Harsh, but undeniably true. We all succumbed to the harsh realities of life with the only certainty being that everyone would, in fact, die in the end.

But though that was the only certainty of the future at this point, I chose to divert my eyes to the present, to the sliver between the curtains where thousands of emotional faces conjoined with their chanting. Bodies of all ages and sizes and backgrounds here to marvel at our gift.

Scott handed me one of my guitars, a Kirk Hammett signature ESP (fitting for the song about to be played), customized only to feature my signature camo paint job. I looped the leather strap over my neck, letters scrawled “RY”. River Young. The joke was that the initials were my name so the crew found it appropriate to identify me as Ry. But the strap was my first, worn and scathed from years of travel, given to me by a man I owed my life to. “Good luck,” Scott said and we clasped hands in a second of comradery, guitarist and the tech who kept her life organized.

Low thrumming came from Oblivion’s bass guitar and I forced myself back to the present again, the screaming of the crowd demanding my attention. The first of our brigade had snuck up on stage without their detection. I made my way up the ramp to the back of the stage, Tygo—our fearless and indescribably patient manager—slapping my hand in a low-five as I went by. The drums, a steady beat of snare and symbols, joined the thrumming, the pulsing, my own heart rate picking up to match the tempo.

Before I was even fully on the stage, I began strumming out the solid riff of Metallica's iconic Orion. Jess’ guitar doubled mine as we both strutted onto the stage, the lights coming up in a blinding wave. The screaming intensified.

“Are you motherfuckers ready to party?” Jess called into her microphone as I took a stand to her right. The crowd’s volume rose. In a Children of Bodom tank topped with a leather jacket, black tendrils falling down her back, she looked like a well-entitled member of metal royalty. “I can’t hear you!” More clamoring for recognition.

I begin to strum out the chords, fingers dancing down the neck of the guitar, letting the strings sing. Oblivion hammered on his bass across the stage from me, the humanized representation of his instrument. Broad shoulders, long thick pitch black hair, chiseled facial structure. This song was one of his favorites; you could see it by the intensity in his expression, tightness in his shoulders.

His twin brother, Avaalon, matched the pace with his drums, crimson hair whipping around his head as he jammed out from the back of the stage, our insignia proudly displayed on the bass drum. A grinning grim reaper, Memento Mori painted in blood red across it.

Kristian had appeared last, tapping out the notes for his own keyboard arrangement, making the whole song sound a bit more on our end of the genre. Symphonic metal with the traces of death metal that Jessii thrived on. Kris, the only one with short hair—almond colored—already grinning like it was Christmas morning as his fingers charged away across the white surface of his keyboard.

As my own hands continued their job, I marveled at these individuals as if it were our first time performing together. All so different, all so very wounded and beat up from life. We were a little fucked up and alone to start with, but what brought us together is also what helped us heal. And that’s what came from the guitars, Oblivion's bass, Kristian's keys, Avaalon's drums, and Jessii's voice; the music we had been making together for the last four years. I was not looking at band mates or even friends. They were my family.

#I Wanna Be Somebody #Memento Mori #Fictional heavy metal band #fictional characters #original lyrics #MY original lyrics #Jessii #River #Oblivion #Avaalon #Kristian #Tygo

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mygoodqueenbess · 4 years ago

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Has QEI’s tomb ever been opened?

Hi Anon!

Plain answer, no. But, when I was looking for more details on the Internet (and because I was curious, I never really investigated her death in depth) I came across two interesting sites.

Now, here I warn you that I got excited and gave you a very long answer to your question.

This first one is from the Westminster Abbey website:

"Her death, at Richmond Palace, on 24th March 1603 was an occasion of universal mourning. For some days the body lay at Richmond and then was brought by barge to Whitehall Palace to lie in state. Thousands of people turned out to see her funeral procession to the Abbey on 28th April 1603 when there was "such a general sighing, groaning and weeping as the like hath not been seen or known in the memory of man". The coffin, covered in purple velvet, was borne on a chariot drawn by four grey horses with black trappers. The coloured wooden funeral effigy lay on top of the coffin.

Her body was encased in lead within the wooden coffin and first buried in the vault of her grandfather King Henry VII (underneath his monument) in the Abbey. (...)

The original funeral effigy, by John Colt, that had been carried on her hearse was remade in 1760 with a wax head and new outer clothes. The original, and unique, corset from 1603 effigy still survives however and after recent conservation was displayed separately from the clothed effigy.

King James I erected the large white marble monument to her in the north aisle of Henry VII's chapel (less tall than the monument James later erected for his mother, Mary, Queen of Scots in the opposite aisle of the chapel). This was made by sculptor Maximilian Colt and painted by Jan de Critz. The recumbert effigy resembles portraits of the Queen in old age. The cost was £1485.

In 1606 the Queen's coffin was transferred to a vault below the new monument and places on top of the coffin of her half sister Mary I.

The gilded collar, with a representation of the "Burgundy" or "Three Brothers" pendant, was added in 1975 and made by Mrs H. Hughes. The crown (designed by Janet Arnold), the cross on the orb and the sceptre the Queen holds are also modern replacements, the originals having been stolen centuries ago. These were the gift of Mr Brian Court Mappin. The railing around the tomb (designed by J. Peter Foster in 1983) is another modern replacement for a lost original. Although the effigy is now just white marble a drawing found in Germany, dated 1618-20, shows the Queen wearing an ermine lined crimson robe with a blue orb in her hand, a coloured dress and flesh colouring on her face. The four lions at each corner of the effigy were gilded. No trace of this colour now remains."

This second one is from the blog The Tudor Travel Guide and here is where it becomes really interesting:

"Elizabeth made it clear that she did not wish to be disembowelled following death (as would be customary). Yet shortly after the queen died, Rober Cecil left orders with the surgeons to do so, while he went to London to proclaim James VI the new King of England. And so the queen was embalmed and her body transferred to a lead-lined, wooden coffin.

(...)

During the period in question, Southwell reports how there was a loud ‘crack’ from the coffin as Elizabeth’s ‘body and head’ broke open from the pressures of gases released as the corpse rotted. While the force of the explosion splintered the ‘wood lead and cere cloth’, people speculated on how much worst might it have been if the body had not been opened and disembowelled after death! It is interesting isn’t it, that the story of this event occurring after the end of Henry VIII is much repeated, and seen as a sign of his obesity and gluttony. But here we have the same thing happening with his daughter, who was not subject to such vices!

(...)

I came across a book written by Arthur Stanley, published in the 1880s. He had been given permission to survey all the tombs in the abbey by the then queen, Victoria. It makes for fascinating reading since the crypt in which all royal burials are deposited is closed and I have never read anything specific regarding the Tudor tombs that lie beneath the abbey floor. However, Stanley gives us a glimpse inside these hidden vaults.

In trying to find the actual coffin of James I, Stanley explored a narrow aisle located underground between the eastern end of Elizabeth’s monument and those of James’ own infant daughters. He had already looked in this area before; it was empty and seemed of little interest. However, upon closer inspection, Stanley found a tiny aperture in one of the walls. Upon peering inside, he saw a narrow vault containing two coffins, one placed upon the other. Because I have never read this account before, I am going to include it in some detail.

Our intrepid adventurer describes the scene: there was ‘no disorder or decay’ except the ‘centring wood’ at the head of the uppermost coffin had fallen in, and some of the sides were crumbling, which had ‘drawn away part of the decaying lid’. Although no coffin plate was present, a dim light illuminated the lid enough for Stanley to see a carved Tudor rose, ‘simply but deeply incised in outline’. On either side of the rose were the carved initials ‘E.R’ and beneath the year ‘1603’. Stanley goes on to describe the lid being decorated with ‘narrow, moulded panelling’ made of ‘fine oak an inch think’, while the base was made of ‘inch elm’. The whole thing was covered in red silk velvet, ‘much of which remained attached to the wood’."

I don't know if you really wanted to know all this, but I found it so interesting that I wanted to share. xoxo

#Answers #Elizabeth I #Royal tombs #Westminster Abbey #Arthur Stanley #Quotes #Good Queen Bess

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oldsolidbooks · 4 years ago

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The trade and the ton

I am partial to historical romance novels, and particularly fond of the traditional Regency romance. They are not a so-called “guilty pleasure” for me, as I hold them in high esteem, and delight in them openly. But I do admit that I am rather picky about the books of this genre I read—or of any genre, for I am a picky reader—and always pleased to find a particularly good specimen. Some of those are famous, classics of the genre, others are hardly known.

One of those hidden gems is The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South.

I found it browsing a goodreads list, and added it spontaneously to the little collection of used paperbacks I bought with a valentine’s gift code from my favourite online book store. It arrived soon afterwards, and I immediately, actually rather randomly, picked it up and read it. And I loved every line on every page!

I expected it to be a pleasant read, nice and just generally good fun. It turned out to be brilliant. The little black volume itself looks good enough, though unassuming, if not a bit off, perhaps, as the type-setting is pretty but at times looks unfinished. As I found out, it was independently published in 1999, when indie and self-publishing was not quite as common as it is now, and the style in Regency romances differed from the older classics and the current revival of the genre.

The story itself is gorgeous. It is written in a far more traditional style, reminiscent of Heyer, yet not at all imitating her. Only a tad old-fashioned, fit to the period and without being stuffy, very funny and full of sparkling dialogue. The supporting cast is great, featuring everything a traditional Regency romance needs, such as a no-good but darling younger brother; a set of caring friends; loyal servants, prone to gossip; and a quite despicable villain. Unlike other books of its type, it also features a delightful group of cotton mill workers.

The hero, Mr Ethan Brundy, is simply amazing, and very unusual for the genre: an illegitimate workhouse brat turned super-rich cotton mill owner, who drops his aitches and dresses expensively, with little taste. He is genuinely kind and caring, responsible and confident. His accent and his earnesty, not to mention his appearance, cause people of the ton to underestimate his intelligence and quick grasp. Nor do they understand that he cares not in the least about their opinion of him—he stands by his background, his class, and his convictions, and he does so with a disarming friendliness. His unwavering strength of character, combined with his exceptional candour, and his controversial opinions, expressed so kindly, are a joy to behold. And so is his love for his reluctant bride.

Lady Helen, or ‘elen, as her husband calls her, is very much unlike him: cold, haughty, and supercilious. She hasn’t a kind word for anyone, except perhaps her brother, and she delights in shoving her numerous suitors away by mere force of rudeness. Though very beautiful, she makes her way through more seasons than her father could afford, because she is still waiting for a man who might not exist. Mr Brundy is, for her, a mere laughing-stock, hardly a real person.

“Mr. Brundy,” she said with a nod, making the most perfunctory of curtsies to her father’s guest. He made no move to take her hand, but merely bowed and responded in kind. “Lady ‘elen.” “My name is Helen, Mr. Brundy,” she said coldly. “Very well– ‘elen,” said Mr. Brundy, surprised and gratified at being given permission, and on such short acquaintance, to dispense with the use of her courtesy title.

Now why does she marry him? Because Mr Brundy, as I have said before, is more than confident, and certain he to reach every goal he sets himself. The moment he sets eye on his ‘elen, he decides to marry her, and her father, a dept-ridden duke, pressures her to accept his offer of her hand. She gives in:

“Mr. Brundy, you are no doubt as well acquainted with my circumstances as I am with yours, so let us not beat about the bush. I have a fondness for the finer things in life, and I suppose I always will. As a result, I am frightfully expensive to maintain. I have already bankrupted my father, and have no doubt I should do the same to you, should you be so foolhardy as to persist in the desire for such a union. Furthermore, I have a shrewish disposition and a sharp tongue. My father, having despaired of seeing me wed to a gentleman of my own class, has ordered me to either accept your suit or seek employment. If I married you, it would be only for your wealth, and only because I find the prospect of marriage to you preferable –but only slightly!- to the life of a governess or a paid companion. If, knowing this, you still wish to marry me, why, you have only to name the day.” Having delivered herself of this speech, Lady Helen waited expectantly for Mr. Brundy’s stammering retraction. Her suitor pondered her words for a long moment, then made his response. “’ow about Thursday?”

And now, the (supposed) marriage of convenience slowly evolves into a love-match of misunderstandings. Only Mr Brundy’s friends are truly aware of his sincere feelings for his wife, and only one of them of her feelings for him. Because Lady Helen enters marriage not only thinking her groom a cit, but certain that he’s only after her social standing. He, in turn, takes all her insults to heart and believes that she only married him for money even as her feelings for him grow to fondness, and love.

All this is tricky to write, for has it been done with less grace and skill, both characters and their romance would have been insufferable. But Mr Brundy’s love for his wife and his way with her are wonderful, as lovely as could be, and her growth as a person, and the development of her feelings are plausible and well-written, gradually, yet with sudden, clear reason.

There are sudden, tender moments of a shy, reluctant couple; adorable scenes of the Pygmalion kind; dinners and balls and dress fittings and the refreshing contrast of trade and ton—and a significant trip to the industrial North.

And in the end, there’s a great, rather Heyer-esque adventure, which causes first more secrets and misunderstandings, and brings our couple to defeat the villain, and finally admit their mutual love to each other.

It is truly a gem, I promise. It is a Regency romance in the most traditional sense, and yet thoroughly original. It’s funny, but never silly. Sensual, but restrained. Romantic and sweet, but never saccharine. All in all, a true delight.

#booklr #adultbooklr #book recommendations #literature #the weaver takes a wife #sheri cobb south #weaver series

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cheri-translates · 4 years ago

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Headcanon - when you think he has an ex-girlfriend

This work, 当你误会他有前女友, was originally written by 君兮耶君兮 on Weibo, and she has given me permission to translate it 🌸

[ VICTOR ]

You feel slightly indignant.

When you went over to LFG to invite Victor out for dinner, you were told that he was in a meeting. Planning to wait in his office, you discovered that it was already occupied by someone.

A woman.

An impeccably and gorgeously dressed woman.

You take the coffee from the secretary’s hands, donning a professional and mild smile as you enter the room. “Miss, please enjoy.”

The woman lowers her head, staring at her delicate nails. “LFG’s service is as thorough as always. But I prefer cappuccino. Vic knows that.”

“Vic”...? Isn’t that an intimate term of address?

You laugh wryly in your heart while maintaining your blank expression. “How should I address you, and may I know how you’re related to CEO Victor?”

“My surname is Lin. As for how we are related - According to our former relationship, you could say that I’m LFG’s female boss.” Miss Lin exudes an arrogant aura, causing your blood to boil.

An ex-girlfriend?

Before you can probe further, the door is pushed open, and Victor strides in.

“Vic, you’re here~” Miss Lin stands up, unconcealed joy in her eyes.

Victor takes a step backwards coldly. “Hello, Miss Lin.”

The business-like manner he’s treating her causes your bubbling anger to dissipate.

“Why are you being so distant? Just call me ‘Cha Cha’~” Happiness seeps into Miss Lin’s voice. “Can we have dinner tonight?”

Victor furrows his brows, walking past her and to your side. He wraps an arm around your waist. “Apologies. I’ve already made a reservation at a restaurant with my wife.”

“Wife?! You’re married?!” Miss Lin exclaims in a shrill voice, her face stricken in disbelief as her eyes flit to you, looking as though she’s suffered a wrong.

Ah, so she is his ex-girlfriend.

“The wedding invitation was sent to your parents.” Victor lifts his wrist to look at the time. “It’s late. If an opportunity arises, LFG will collaborate with your parents. We’ll make a move.” He gestures to her to leave the room.

She bites her lip, eyes welling up in tears as her storms off, her high-heels clacking against the floor so loudly that the entire company can hear them. Just watching her makes you worried that she’d accidentally sprain her ankles.

“See you again, Miss Lin~” You wave at her, grinning broadly.

Miss Lin almost trips on her feet. She tosses her head around, gives you a harsh glare, then leaves LFG.

After the troublesome person is gone, you peel Victor’s claws from your waist.

“What’s wrong?” He gives you an odd look. “Are you throwing a fuss again?”

What does he mean by “a fuss”?!

“Hmph.” You face away from him, refusing to talk.

Victor knits his brows tightly, turning your head around so that you face him properly. “Speak.”

“Victor, you’re being fierce towards me! Because of your ex-girlfriend!” The more you talk, the more maligned you feel, tears swimming at the edges of your eyes.

“I don’t have an ex-girlfriend.”

He sighs, wiping your tears away gently. His finger pads brush the corners of your eyes, grazing your skin. “She’s just the daughter of a business partner, and a junior two years younger from university. I helped her resolve a few issues.”

You turn your face away, huffing. “She said you knew her preference for cappuccino.”

With a look of resignation, Victor tidies your slightly messy hair. “That was the only type of coffee we had in school back then.”

Does he think you’ve never read romantic fiction books on how people from the same school and graduate into the same profession end up together easily?

Seeming to be in a pleasant mood, he pinches your cheek. “Jealous?”

You’re livid. It’s bad enough that this man doesn’t coax you - how could he be happy right now?!

“You’re the one who’s jealous!”

“What nonsense.”

Victor leans down, pressing his forehead against yours. “In university, I was busy learning how to run a business. Where would I find the time to bother about such things?”

A warm kiss meets your eyebrow. “Also, I spent 17 years looking for you. In this life, there’s only you.”

“Don’t stand so close to me - I’m still angry!” You poke his chest, pushing him away timidly.

“Angry?” He gives you a mischievous glance. “In that case, let’s call off the reservation at the restaurant and go straight home.”

“Victor!”

[ GAVIN ]

Gavin has been acting weird recently.

He often holes himself in the study room, where he would remain for at least half an hour. At first, you thought he was troubled by an unresolved case. But when you bumped into Eli in the STF, he commented that the officers have been pretty idle these days.

So what exactly does Officer Gavin do in the room?

You peek through the door furtively, meticulously observing every movement by Suspect Gavin.

Gavin is in front of the desk, its middle drawer opened halfway - the only drawer which has a lock.

On the table rests a small, pale pink box that you’ve never seen before.

The colour clearly doesn’t gel with Gavin’s usual style.

Wanting to have a closer look, you instinctively inch closer, and end up pushing the door further and catching Gavin’s attention.

In one swift motion, he hurriedly covers the box and stuffs it back into the drawer, twisting the lock. It’s as though he has a guilty conscience. If you weren’t suspicious that he was hiding something from you, you would have applauded him for how smooth his actions were.

“W-what’s wrong?” Mr Gavin has never been good at lying, and he stammers.

“Nothing. I’m just here to tell you that dinner’s ready.” You try to pretend that nothing happened, but you just can’t suppress your curiosity. “What are you doing?”

Gavin’s eyes dart around. “I was... looking at files.”

Who stores files in a pink box oozing with a feminine aura?! Does it contain wanted posters for absconded Disney princesses?!

You release a gloomy noise of acknowledgement, turn around, and head downstairs.

Behind you, Gavin sees that he has successfully evaded suspicion. With a sigh of relief, he double-checks that the drawer is locked properly before trailing behind you.

You’re upset.

Gavin has his own little secret. And it’s a pink one.

Your head is plopped on the office desk, not a single word typed on the proposal document even after half an hour. Finally, you decide to call Minor in.

You pull the curtains closed, increase the intensity of the lights, and glare at Minor fiercely. Like an interrogator, you question: “Let me ask you this - do you know why your Bro Gavin has a small box?”

Minor shrinks into the sofa. “I know.”

He adds softly, “And it’s pink.”

So even Minor knows about it but you don’t... :)

“What’s in the box? Don’t tell me it’s ‘files’.” Just thinking about the obvious lie Gavin spun makes you angry.

“Eh, there’s nothing much. It’s just things belonging to the girl Bro Gavin used to like. He just adds things into it from time to time.”

A girl Gavin used to like.

Then again, Gavin is so outstanding. Before you reunited with him, how could he not have had a girlfriend? Anyway, those things happened in the past, so you should be more magnanimous, and not care about it.

“Not care about it”?! What a joke!

After receiving the acknowledgement that Gavin has an ex-girlfriend, you’ve been in an incredibly bad mood. It’s akin to finding a good pig, and then discovering that one of its trotters has been fractured by someone else.

What’s worse is that Gavin remains in the study room to look at the box frequently, and even adds things to it! Doesn’t this mean that she’s still constantly in his mind?

The more you think about it, the more enraged you are. After work, you storm off, your high heels clacking against the floor noisily.

When you reach home, you find that Gavin is already back, and is current in the study room.

Good. Very good. You’ll settle the matter with him once and for all.

Fuming, you push the door open and exclaim, “Gavin, you’re still thinking about your ex-girlfriend even when you’re already with me?!”

“???”

Your sudden action startles Gavin, leaving him unable to hide the box in time. He stares at you, frozen in place.

He recovers after a moment. “I don’t have an ex-girlfriend.”

Nonsense. “Minor told me everything. That box stores the things related to the girl you used to like!”

“Minor?” Blue veins pop out on his temples as he balls his hands into fists.

He picks up the box and brisk walks over to you. “There isn’t another woman. These... are all yours.”

A hand-copied “Byron’s Poetry Collection”, photographs of you from various angles evidently taken in secret, a worn out copy of Franz Liszt’s “Liebestraum”, a ginkgo bookmark, and pictures of the both of you...

They are indeed related to you.

There’s practically not a shred of anger left in your body.

You lean into his arms. “Since they’re related to me, why did you have to be so secretive about it? I even thought you...”

He sighs. “I wanted to give this to you during our wedding. But it seems I have to do it earlier now.”

Why do you feel strangely guilty?

You purse your lips. “I could pretend that I didn’t see it?”

Gavin gives you a resigned smile as he pats your head. “If you see it again, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He lowers his head, burying it in the crook of your neck, greedily drinking in your scent. “But I guess we could bring the wedding earlier.”

[ LUCIEN ]

“Good afternoon Ah Ming, have you had lunch?”

It’s 9pm, and you just received an overseas call from Ah Ming, who is now in London. You guess that they’ve had lunch not too long ago.

“We’ve eaten. Teacher’s Wife, don’t tell him I said this, but Professor just went into a jewellery shop to get a custom-made brooch. Apparently, it’s very suitable as a gift for one’s girlfriend. It’s definitely for you. I’ll send you a picture.”

It was indeed worthwhile to buy Ah Ming small bites behind Lucien’s back. Having eaten your cakes, he’s on your side.

Since Lucien didn’t tell you about it, it must be meant as a surprise. In that case, you pretend not to know about it.

After Lucien returns, you take a meticulous look through all the gifts he gave you, but there’s no sign of that brooch.

Could Lucien be waiting for an even more suitable time to give it to you?

But after waiting for a long while, he doesn’t seem to have an intention of giving you the brooch. You gradually sense that something is not quite right. Lucien custom-made a brooch meant for a female, but it’s not for you.

So could it be for another woman?

This question receives an answer in the best biological centre in the country, where you see a woman sitting on a stone bench, wearing the brooch you saw in the picture Ah Ming sent.

Your initial high spirits in coming here to invite Lucien out for dinner was doused with a bucket of cold water.

Finding a conversation topic, you decide to engage in small talk with her.

“Hello, are you waiting for someone?”

The woman seems to be a good conversationalist, and she answers your question candidly.

“Yes, my boyfriend is a professor here.”

Since the topic has arisen, you can dive straight to the main topic. “Your brooch is beautiful. Did you buy it from somewhere?”

The woman lowers her head and fiddles with the brooch. A sweet smile subconsciously surfaces on her face, a complete contrast to the emotions in your heart. “My ex-boyfriend gave it to me, so I don’t know where he bought it. from.”

Who in the world smiles so happily at the mention of their ex-boyfriend??

No - the important thing is that Lucien is her ex-boyfriend?!

Or rather - she is Lucien’s ex-girlfriend??

Jealousy overwhelms you, causing you to find this woman and even the building unpleasant to look at. Much less Lucien, who has just appeared at the main entrance.

Seeing him walking towards you, you get to your feet. He opens his arms, waiting for you to rush into them as you usually do.

Gripping your bag, you turn around and walk away.

Lucien: ???

He hurries after you, tugging your arm and pulling you into his arms. “What’s wrong?”

Despite struggling, you’re unable to free yourself from his grasp, so you simply give up.

You’re angry. “Don’t hug me. Go hug your ex-girlfriend!”

The more you speak, the more angry you feel.

“Ex-girlfriend?”

It’s rare for Lucien to be astounded, and it seems he doesn’t understand what you’re saying.

“There.” You tilt your chin towards the direction of the woman.”She said it herself - that brooch is from her ex-boyfriend!”

Lucien looks over in the direction you’re signalling towards. When the woman notices his gaze, she gives him a nod.

Such an interaction - do they think you’re blind?!

You’re so enraged that the corners of your eyes have reddened. He once said that you were the only colour in his monochrome world - what nonsense! Right now, you feel like you’re just a streak of green in his colourful and vibrant world!

“The Little Butterfly has misunderstood me.” Lucien looks as though he’s been wronged. He draws closer to your ear. “That’s Professor Huang’s girlfriend. More accurately, his fiancee. What she meant was that Professor Huang was her ex-boyfriend. Now, he’s her fiancé.”

Very quickly, Lucien catches your drift. “Professor Huang asked me for a favour to have the brooch custom-made while I was abroad. It was an engagement gift to her.”

...how would you have known what she meant...

You let out a “hmph”, lowering your head and refusing to speak.

He ruffles your hair. “Look over there.”

You lift your head, and see the woman lunging into the arms of a bespectacled man. Just like the countless times you’ve lunged into Lucien’s arms.

After verifying that you had really misunderstood the situation, you apologise softly. “I’m sorry.”

Lucien presses his hand on the top of your head, giving it a rub. The smile on his lips is tender and affectionate. “I’ve never had a previous girlfriend. You’re my first, and the only one. However...”

He steers the topic of the conversation.

“I’m very happy to see my Little Butterfly jealous. It’s very cute.”

[ KIRO ]

Kiro is really good when it comes to his skills.

Not in terms of cooking, but in terms of make-up and fashion.

Each time you fret over your dressing when attending all sorts of gatherings, meetings, and even day-to-day activities, he always pick out the most appropriate outfit for you.

At first, you thought this was a necessity for artistes. At least, that was until you visited him at his workplace once, and heard Savin being in awe at how skilled Kiro was when he arranged your hair out of boredom. “If the both of you could work together when writing songs, would your output be as good as your hairstyling?”

“...Savin, having one’s hair tied up isn’t good for the scalp. I can’t bear for my Miss Chips to go through such pain. I used my own special model before this~” Kiro pats his own hair as he stares into the mirror, then helps loosen the bun he tied for you.

His own special model?

But this is the first time he’s trying out this hairstyle on you.

You tilt your head in suspicion, looking at Kiro.

Kiro senses your eyes on him, and he turns around to meet them before averting his gaze.

Something’s odd. Kiro is definitely hiding something from you.

Make-up, pairing accessories, hairstyling... these things are close to the hearts of women.

Does Kiro have an ex-girlfriend?!

With such a thought in mind, you start viewing Kiro in a new light.

It’s not good to cause a scene when there are so many people around, so you decide to suppress your emotions for now.

Make-up artistes at the side watch Kiro and comment politely, “It’s rare to see Kiro being so meticulous. Yesterday, as usual, he asked my daughter about make-up. Specifically, make-up suitable for Loveland City’s Golden Horse Film Festival. He even recorded down pointers in a small notebook.”

‘As usual’? ‘Golden Horse Film Festival’?

You haven’t received an invitation to this award ceremony. So Kiro was definitely not asking the make-up artiste on behalf of you.

He really has an ex-girlfriend!

A staff member pushes the doors to the make-up room. “Savin, there aren’t enough people outside. The director wants Kiro’s make-up artistes to help out.”

Savin makes a sound of acknowledgement. “The two of you - stay here, and don’t move around.” He then brings the make-up artistes to the filming venue.

Seeing that they’ve left, you decide to settle the issue once and for all.

You stand up and shift further away from him.

“Miss Chips, did I do something wrong?”

Since just now, Kiro could sense that something was off about you. Moreover, you’re deliberately staying far away from him. If he couldn’t see that you were angry, he'd truly be a fool.

Your eyes redden as you bite your lip. “You’re so skilled. Did you... practise with your ex-girlfriend a lot?”

He immediately grabs your arm and denies it. “I don’t have an ex-girlfriend.” His eyes are filled with the seriousness of KEY. “I’ve only had Miss Chips.”

Although you really want to believe him, you need proof.

“In that case, why did you say that you have a “special model”? You’ve never tried that hairstyle with me before, and I’ve never won a Golden Horse Film Festival award...” Your voice grows soft, and you can’t help but choke at the end.

At the sight of you crying, Kiro becomes frantic, forgetting that there are tissues on the table. He lifts his arm, using his sleeve to wipe your tears dry.

“I was referring to an actual model. It’s the one in our basement storeroom - the mannequin with the same hairstyle as yours.”

He didn’t think his words would cause you to misunderstand. He explains further. “As for the Golden Horse Film Festival, I didn’t want to bring it up yet. I thought you would have preferred to find out from the officials. I think they should be sending you the invitation tomorrow, my ‘Best Producer’~”

The news is too sudden, like a streak of lightning in a clear sky. You’re unable to react, and can only stare blankly into his blue eyes.

“Miss Chips?” Kiro waves his hand in front of your eyes.

You have no reaction.

Like a gigantic Apple Box, he jumps up and down.

You finally return to your senses, lowering your head and speaking softly. “I’m sorry...”

“Your suspicions hurt my feelings.” He holds his chin, as though in deep thought. “Your punishment is to accompany me to the amusement park this weekend~”

[ SHAW ]

There’s something off about Shaw.

In the past, he used to send messages in the open, and you wouldn’t intrude on his privacy. But whenever he gets a notification these days, he’d first cast a glance at you to ensure that you aren’t looking before he replies.

You didn’t really care at first. But as it happened more frequently, you started becoming suspicious that he was up to some shady business behind your back again. It was as though he was planning to swindle someone - and you had a feeling that the victim was going to be you.

Another notification sounds, and his eyes subconsciously flit towards you.

You arch your brows. “What do you want!?”

“Nothing. Continue watching the television.” He blocks the screen from you secretively.

There’s definitely something going on.

After replying to the message and checking that his phone is locked, he sets it down on the coffee table, leaning back against the sofa and watching the television.

After a while, he gets up, preparing to get a glass of cola from the kitchen. He tells you sternly, “Don’t look at my phone.”

You purse your lips.

Another notification.

“...”

It would have been better if he didn’t specially tell you not to look at it. Now, you’re even more curious.

You glance towards the kitchen, and decide that it should be a while before Shaw returns. You wouldn’t be discovered if you just snuck a quick peek, right?

Judging from the name alone, it’s obvious that the sender is a female. Troubled, you tap open the chat.

“It’s been so long. How’s it going at your end?”

“I’m all prepared. You can tell her tomorrow.”

“Mm, she doesn’t know about it yet, but she seems to be getting suspicious since I’ve been hiding from her when I send messages.”

“Why do I feel like my existence shouldn’t be known?”

“That has always been the case.”

“Sigh. Be careful then.”

“Sure. I’ll leave tomorrow to you.”

“Existence shouldn’t be known?” You repeat. In the realm of relationships, the person who fits such a description is usually a third party or a mistress.

Or could it be Shaw’s ex-girlfriend?

“Hey!! Why did you peek at my phone!?” With Shaw’s sudden return and how you forgot that you were supposed to be doing this in secret, Shaw catches you red-handed.

It’s a good thing you can confront him in person. After all, you’re the “existence who has been known”.

You narrow your eyes at him. “Who are you talking to?”

“No one.” He looks as though he has nothing to hide. But after interacting with him for such a long time, you aren’t sold at all.

“Is she your ex-girlfriend?” The more you think about it, the more you believe in your inferences.

Shaw’s eyebrows arch upwards at this unexpected question. “What are you thinking? What ex-girlfriend?”

“Then why don’t you want me to know, and why are you hiding it from me?” You shoot him a cold expression.

“You’ll know tomorrow.” He snatches his phone from your hand, turns around and walks into the bedroom.

That night, Shaw tries to hug you to sleep as usual. But after you struggle from his grasp, he sighs and gives up, lying on the bed properly.

You don’t sleep.

In the morning, you feel Shaw getting out of bed. For someone like him who doesn’t get up until noon, this behaviour is yet another dubious point.

You don’t stir, pretending to be asleep while he changes his clothes.

Before he leaves through the door, he glances in your direction. “I have something on in the afternoon so I won’t be back. Tonight at 8pm, I’ll be waiting for you in Live House’s break room.”

He knows that you didn’t sleep.

Without an appetite, you skip breakfast, and have something simple for lunch to stave your hunger pangs.

At around 5pm, you start questioning yourself. Giving up would be an impossibility. Back then, Shaw was the one who confessed his feelings to you first.

You change into a sheath dress, which very appropriately showcases the sophistication and beauty of a mature woman. If the other party is a white collar employee, you’d show her the aura of a company’s boss. If the other party is a younger girl, you’d let her experience the cruel workings of society.

After applying make-up meticulously, you’re all set, and you drive to Live House.

Today, Live House isn’t as crowded as it usually is. It could almost be described as desolate.

The large hall isn’t lit, so you use your phone as a light source as you make your way to the break room.

Once the door is open, cream clematis flowers flood your vision, and you’re at a complete loss.

“Happy birthday.”

Shaw is standing in the middle, holding a present. On the table next to him, there’s an exquisite birthday cake.

You forgot that it was your birthday today.

“Shocked silly?” He walks towards you, wrapping an arm around your waist and leading you towards the table.

“That wasn’t my ex-girlfriend. It was the boss of the floral shop. I let her decorate the break room for me.”

You come to your senses. “Then why were you acting so secretively?”

“Stupid. If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” He pinches your cheek. “Make a wish.”

“My wish is to have three more wishes.”

“Wishes don’t come true if you say them out loud.” He holds up a cake knife. “All right, since you’ve ruined your wish, let’s enjoy the cake~”

“Shaw!” You twist his ear angrily.

“Just kidding. I’ll give you three chances to make a wish. For real this time.”

Under the soft illumination of the candle lights, your shadows meld together, just like the cream clematis flowers.

More translated and original works: here

–

[ Permission to translate ]

君兮耶君兮: You can - just note the source of the author

#mlqc #mlqc victor #mlqc gavin #mlqc lucien #mlqc kiro #mlqc shaw #cheri shortcake

224 notes · View notes

the-observant-frisbeetarian · 5 years ago

Text

George deValier (2015 profile)

since: 05-02-10, id: 2348750, Profile Updated: 06-02-13

country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Author has written 17 stories for Hetalia - Axis Powers.

If I lose the light of the sun, I will write by candlelight, moonlight, no light. If I lose paper and ink, I will write in blood on forgotten walls. I will write always. I will capture nights all over the world and bring them to you. – Henry Rollins

Hi! I’m George. One day, I will be a professor of history, who wears tweed suits and lives in a library. Right now, I am a graduate student, who wears jeans and t-shirts and… um… lives in a library.

Reviews and PMs.

I don’t demand or even expect reviews. They do, however, make me happy. So if you are kind enough to leave one after reading, please know that even though I may not reply, I read every single one, and I am incredibly grateful - your few words of praise have brightened a moment of my day. :-)

If you send me a Private Message and don’t receive a response immediately, please know that I am not deliberately ignoring you. I find it a little difficult to keep up with replying to PMs; if I haven’t responded to your message in at least three months, it’s usually because I’ve, er, lost it. Feel free to send me another one calling me a giant prat and demanding a response.

Fanart and Translations.

I am perfectly okay (quite ecstatically happy, actually) with people doing whatever they like with my fics – whether that be translations, fanart, cosplay, AMVs, whatever. You do not need to ask permission - I will always say yes. All I ask is three things. One: please credit me as the author (and a link to the original story would be fantastic). Two: please let me know so that I can check it out and thank you profusely! And three: something I hate to have to mention, but please never do anything to make money out of these works. Obviously, Hetalia does not belong to me – it belongs to the amazing Hidekaz Himaruya, who is incredibly awesome for giving us such fantastic characters to play with. :-D

MY STORIES

THE VERAVERSE

The Veraverse is a Hetalia World War Two AU, of fics involving different characters and pairings, all living within the same time period and all interconnected in some way. As each story in the series is named after and loosely based on the lyrics of a wartime song sung by Vera Lynn, I flippantly dubbed it the ‘Veraverse.’ The name has sort of stuck, however. I have posted a list of character's birth dates here: http://george-de-valier.deviantart.com/art/Hetalia-Veraverse-Birth-Dates-340315828

This series is, at its core, about the power of love over war. It's about the real reasons people fight, and the real reasons they survive. It's about finding something beautiful in the midst of something ugly and evil. But overall, although I hope there is more to these stories than just romance, they are essentially about love.

Don’t expect every fic to be updated quickly. These stories intertwine, and will be published simultaneously, and it may be a while between chapters for each specific story. Most can be read separately, however a few will require that you read at least one other story in the series to make sense of it (e.g. ‘My Echo’ does not make much sense unless you also read ‘Lily of the Lamplight.’) Rest assured, they will all be completed.

We'll Meet Again Alfred Jones/Arthur Kirkland (America/England)

Complete - Thirteen Chapters

‘We’ll Meet Again’ is about love arriving when you least expect it, and how it can transform loneliness.

Keep Smiling Through Alfred Jones/Arthur Kirkland (America/England)

Complete – One Shot

Just a little mini-sequel to ‘We’ll Meet Again’ about a brief moment in Alfred and Arthur’s lives.

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart Ludwig Beilschmidt/Feliciano Vargas (Germany/Italy)

Complete - Eighteen chapters

‘Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart’ is about love being blind, proving stronger than hate, and lasting longer than war.

Bésame Mucho Antonio Fernandez Carriedo/Lovino Vargas (Spain/Romano)

In Progress – Fourteen chapters

‘Bésame Mucho’ is essentially about love overcoming fear.

Lily of the Lamplight Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

In Progress – Eighteen Chapters

‘Lily of the Lamplight’ is about selflessness, survival, and how love can change you for the better.

My Echo Unrequited Vash Zwingli/Roderich Edelstein (Switzerland/Austria)

In Progress – Six Chapters

‘My Echo’ is about how true love is selfless – even if it is unreturned.

Jealousy Ivan Braginski/Yao Wang (Russia/China)

In Progress – Six Chapters

‘Jealousy’ is a little different to the other stories in this series. It is about control, madness, and how love has the power to destroy as well as to save.

Something to Remember You By Sadik Adnan/Gupta Muhammad Hassan (Turkey/Egypt)

In Progress – Three Chapters

‘Something to Remember You By’ is about losing love, and yourself with it.

UPCOMING VERAVERSE FICS

Somewhere in France With You Francis Bonnefoy/Matthew Williams (France/Canada)

Darling, where better to meet again than the most beautiful city in the world?

It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow

Toris Laurinaitis/Feliks Łukasiewicz (Lithuania/Poland)

Art. Music. Passion. Destruction. Young, wild love, in the streets of Berlin, on the eve of war.

When I Grow Too Old to Dream Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland)

“What would you do if I just… took this tree? Claimed it for Finland?”

“I’d let ye take it.”

“This lake?”

“Ye can have it.”

“This entire forest?”

“’t’s yours.”

“Would you let me take your whole country, Berwald?”

“Yes. And you? What’f I just… took this rock?”

“You can’t have that rock. That’s a Finnish rock.”

You’ll Never Know

Elizaveta Héderváry/ Lili Zwingli (Hungary/Liechtenstein)

“But who knows? Maybe you'll meet a charming little Swiss girl with plaits and a basket who likes to yodel on mountaintops."

Elizaveta always hated it when Gilbert was right.

When the Lights go on Again

Eduard Von Bock/Raivis Galante (Estonia/Latvia)

"I will stay with him through this darkness. I will give my soul to keep it from him. And I swear, whatever I must do, that Raivis Galante will live to see the lights go on again.”

Room Five-Hundred-and-Four

Herakles Karpusi/Kiku Honda (Greece/Japan)

“Life's most important conversations take place in bars. Perhaps in places not too dissimilar from this - perhaps between people not so different from ourselves. Bars, after all, are where people meet, and where they rejoice; where they forget, and where they say goodbye. They are the crossroads of life."

"You sound like a philosopher. Though your name suggests a hero."

Faraway Places

Bad Friends Trio (France, Prussia, and Spain)

“Ah, those were the days, huh, Gil? Remember the time you tried to take on the entire Parisian police force?”

“Or the time you knocked yourself out running from that bull in Pamplona?”

“Or that time Francis tried to seduce your grandfather?!”

“Francis what?”

“Oh, look at that, I’ve finished my drink.”

Autumn Leaves

Augustus Roma Vargas (Ancient Rome)

But I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall.

OTHER FICS

THE MAPLEVERSE

This is a currently small modern AU, set in modern day Canada.

La Patisserie de la Rose Francis Bonnefoy/Matthew Williams (France/Canada)

Complete – Six Chapters

A birthday present for Claudia, aka ThisCouldTheoreticallyBeSparta

An essentially fluffy Franada with lots of cameos and cake and general silliness. I like to think this story is about friendship as much as it is about love. It's also about seeing something in someone that no one else can - not even themselves.

Libelle Hall Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

In Progress – Three Chapters

A Gift for Kay, aka Kay the Beta

‘Libelle Hall’ is about change, and about love growing from self-realisation. It’s also an examination of Gilbert and Roderich’s characters, and how they aren’t that different from each other, after all. And it’s a gift for my beta Kay, because she loves PruAus, and she’s awesome.

Of Ponies and Edelweiss Gilbert Beilschmidt/Roderich Edelstein (Prussia/Austria)

Complete – One Shot

A Valentines’ Day present for Claudia

Just a fluffy, romantic little fic for Valentines’ Day. Well, as romantic as Gilbert gets, anyway.

ONGOING MULTI-CHAPTERS

Catch Perfect Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland)

In Progress – Twelve Chapters

‘Catch Perfect’ is basically proof that I can’t even write crack without some semblance of plot and angst. I am still writing this, just ever so slowly.

The Tiger and the Dragon Ivan Braginski/Yao Wang (Russia/China)

In Progress – Seventeen Chapters

I first posted this story almost three years ago. Last year I started re-publishing it, mainly to fix up the writing quality and some plot points. Yes, it’s melodramatic; yes, it’s a bit cliché. Basically, if this were a published novel, it would be the type to have GAY EROTIC ROMANCE in tacky writing across the cover. But really, what the hell, it’s fun. :-D

COMPLETED ONE SHOTS

Stay With You Germany/Italy

A rare story with the characters as nations, and my very first posted fanfiction. I had just discovered Hetalia when I wrote this, and loved the random humour of it, but also wondered what it could be like if it was a more serious take on the Second World War. Also, it has always been blatantly obvious to me that Germany and Italy are in love with each other. Like, duh.

Gallipoli Australia and New Zealand

Another nation story from me, about a conflict embedded in the consciousness of every Australian. We haven’t been given much to go on with Australia’s characterisation, so I went with my gut instinct – he’s anti-authority, he’s an easily broken optimist, and he cares deeply about his men. Gallipoli shattered the romantic idea of war for this country. I think it would have shattered Australia, too.

Sleep, Little Bird Berwald Oxenstierna/Tino Väinämöinen (Sweden/Finland) and Peter (Sealand)

There is not much I can really say about this one, except sorry. Oh, and that it’s not in the same universe as ‘Catch Perfect.’ I wouldn’t do that. ;-)

LINKS!

http://george-de-valier.deviantart.com (deactivated account) - Where I fave and comment on the wonderful artwork that people have drawn for my stories. I adore fan art, so please tell me if you have drawn any! If I happen to come across art for my stories that I haven’t been told about, be warned, I WILL proceed to fave and comment on it anyway. :-)

www.youtube.com/user/ykwyh26 - My lovely and talented beta Kay’s YouTube site, where you can hear all the songs from my Veraverse stories.

VIDEOS

I am incredibly flattered that the amazingly talented Alyss Lane has written a gorgeous song based on ‘Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart.’ It is called ‘Auf Wiedersehen,’ performed by Willow, and you can hear this beautiful song here – www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N8T4oIppS0

The following are awesome AMVs for my fics, made by some very talented artists.

The Veraverse

Sanctuary, by Insomniac3Ltd

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfvTV5b9Zwk (unavailable)

We'll Meet Again

We’ll Meet Again, by Shokora15

www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4COUwq9yzA

Wild Horses, by SirenShadow95

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaiMnawL3hM

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart

Stereo Love, by snobo52

www.youtube.com/watch?v=UH8-zY-3qiI

If I Die Young, by NightmareCCL

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkoVnwzwLlU

Stay, by PastaWithWurst

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i61AAOfNm4 (unavailable)

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart, by Sydney Amber

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM9anzT81tM

Home, by Sanity4Fire

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjPTML1vjXA (unavailable)

Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart, by ShiroBaraLuv123

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qltINwf-ZkU (unavailable)

Bésame Mucho

Fear, by ykwyh26

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua5Ak4O9P88

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room, by Kayleigh Turgeon

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDaLTw5wIs (unavailable)

The Only Exception, by InuLoverNr1Hitomi

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pt_sHtZfIw

Don’t Tell Me You Love Me If You Don’t Mean It, by AnnoyingGirl1234

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkcTKOAN8Y8 (unavailable)

Lily of the Lamplight

Lili Marlene, by xxEmoxxChibixx

www.youtube.com/watch?v=otYq31Qnct8

Sleep, Little Bird

Sleep, by Hetaliagirl96

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tOCsWjpNsk (unavailable)

La Patisserie de la Rose

Take Me Home, by Ahogemako

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwsX1rJ2CDo

Something to Remember You By

Lullabies, by Lanie P

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnRXhe2cdZw

STORIES WRITTEN FOR ME

These are all fantastic. Please check them out, you won’t be disappointed!

Mi Piachi perché Mi Piaci, by ThisCouldTheoreticallyBeSparta

(GerIta, Spamano, PruAus, BelgHun and teeny mentions of Franada, Netherlands/Australia, UsUk)

A wonderful birthday present of fluffy GerIta goodness from my wonderful friend Claudia.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7601790/1/Mi_Piaci_perche_Mi_Piaci

Maple Street, by fubibliophile

(Canada and America)

A really cool, atmospheric one shot from the very sweet fubibliophile.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7796628/1/Maple_Street

Chapter Four of Hetalia Fairy Tales, by Kitty-Kat Allie

(GiriPan)

An incredibly sweet GiriPan fairy tale from a wonderful author and a lovely person.

www.fanfiction.net/s/7730679/4/Hetalia_Fairy_Tales

1. Something To Remember You By » reviews

VV AU. 1914. Constantinople, Turkey. On the eve of war, street dweller Sadik Adnan's way of life and existence is called into question by the strange, beautiful Egyptian imam, Gupta Muhammad Hassan.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,732 - Reviews: 73 - Published: 5-30-13 - Turkey & Egypt

2. Lily of the Lamplight » reviews

WW2 AU. Austrian musician Roderich and German soldier Gilbert are forced into an army prison unit and a fight for survival on the Russian Front. But in the midst of blood and death and hell on earth, how long can they fight their desire for each other?

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 4 - Words: 27,329 - Reviews: 557 - Updated: 5-21-13 - Published: 11-20-11 - Prussia & Austria

3. Libelle Hall » reviews

Modern AU. When Roderich Edelstein – student, musician, and reluctant activist – attempts to save a local music hall from destruction, he is not prepared for the conflicting emotions evoked in him by arrogant demolition worker Gilbert Beilschmidt. Gift fic for Kay the Beta.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 2 - Words: 8,900 - Reviews: 174 - Updated: 5-6-13 - Published: 2-20-13 - Prussia & Austria

4. Jealousy » reviews

WW2 AU. Insane Russian Commander Ivan Braginski is the terror of his battalion and his enemies alike. He controls the lives of thousands - but it is the memory of one that controls his own. Tie-in to 'Lily of the Lamplight.'

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 3,077 - Reviews: 80 - Published: 11-29-12 - Russia & China

5. The Tiger and the Dragon » reviews

Human AU. Awkward, average chef Yao Wang is sick of being thought of as boring and predictable. When he meets the enigmatic and slightly unnerving Ivan Braginski, Yao is immediately captivated. As he falls deeper it becomes apparent just how dangerous Ivan really is… but Ivan is just as smitten, and Yao may be too in love to care about the consequences…

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Drama - Chapters: 4 - Words: 12,967 - Reviews: 155 - Updated: 11-15-12 - Published: 8-25-12 - Russia & China

6. My Echo » reviews

WW2 AU. Captain Vash Zwingli is a soldier in someone else's war; a man mad enough to lead where others will not. He treads a fine line between life and death, between sanity and madness, in a constant battle to forget. But when Vash's past confronts him in the worst place on earth, will it finally tip him over the edge – or give him a chance for redemption? Unrequited SwissAus.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Angst/Drama - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,378 - Reviews: 73 - Published: 11-15-12 - Switzerland

7. La Patisserie de la Rose » reviews

AU. Accountant Matthew Williams is used to being unnoticed, ignored, and forgotten. That is until pastry chef Francis Bonnefoy appears like a burst of colour in his dull, grey life. Gift fic for TCTBS.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance - Chapters: 6 - Words: 35,111 - Reviews: 573 - Updated: 10-10-12 - Published: 12-9-11 - France & Canada - Complete

8. Catch Perfect » reviews

AU. When Berwald loses everything he is forced to move into a share house with an insane Dane, a sociopathic Norwegian, an unfathomable Icelander and a perfect Finn who makes it all worth putting up with.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance/Friendship - Chapters: 8 - Words: 36,538 - Reviews: 582 - Updated: 9-22-12 - Published: 10-10-10 - Sweden & Finland

9. Blue, White, Red » reviews

Human AU. 1777; The American Revolutionary War. Three times, American rebel Alfred Jones meets British soldier Arthur Kirkland. One blue; one white; one red.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 3 - Words: 5,981 - Reviews: 369 - Updated: 9-20-12 - Published: 8-26-12 - America & England/Britain - Complete

10. Auf Wiedersehen, Sweetheart » reviews

WW2 AU. Feliciano Vargas is a passionate, if slightly scared, Italian resistance member. Falling in love with a German fighter pilot was the last thing he expected... and it will test his national loyalty, and his heart, to their limits.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 18 - Words: 104,322 - Reviews: 3246 - Updated: 8-11-12 - Published: 12-18-10 - Germany & N. Italy - Complete

11. Keep Smiling Through » reviews

'We'll Meet Again' mini-sequel. Keep smiling through, just like you always do; 'til the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away! USUK

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: K - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 2,376 - Reviews: 172 - Published: 6-28-12 - America & England/Britain - Complete

12. Bésame Mucho » reviews

WW2 AU. Lovino Vargas only ever wanted something exciting to happen in his boring, everyday Italian village existence. He never expected war, Resistance, love, passion, treason, or a cheerful, confusing, irritatingly attractive Spanish freedom fighter.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 5 - Words: 39,037 - Reviews: 817 - Updated: 5-30-12 - Published: 8-1-11 - Spain & S. Italy/Romano

13. Of Ponies and Edelweiss » reviews

Gilbert Beilschmidt is not, generally speaking, a romantic man. Which makes his behaviour this particular Valentine's Day a little odd for Roderich to understand… Gift fic for TCTBS; spin-off of 'La Patisserie de la Rose.'

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,143 - Reviews: 130 - Published: 2-14-12 - Prussia & Austria - Complete

14. Sleep, Little Bird » reviews

Human AU. Tino, Berwald and Peter are the perfect family. Things like this don't happen to people like them. But when they do, how are they supposed to accept it?

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Family/Tragedy - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,169 - Reviews: 294 - Published: 9-26-11 - Finland & Sweden - Complete

15. Gallipoli » reviews

Gallipoli, April 25, 1915. Australia is a young nation with plenty to prove. And war is where nations prove themselves.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Drama/Angst - Chapters: 1 - Words: 4,966 - Reviews: 48 - Published: 4-28-11 - Australia - Complete

16. We'll Meet Again » reviews

WW2 AU. London pub owner Arthur Kirkland is driven to distraction by loud, brash American fighter pilot Alfred Jones. Unable to stop it, Arthur finds himself falling for Alfred's charms... just as the pilot is preparing to leave for war.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: M - English - Romance/Angst - Chapters: 13 - Words: 43,415 - Reviews: 1376 - Updated: 1-20-11 - Published: 7-18-10 - America & England/Britain - Complete

17. Stay With You » reviews

Germany lies defeated and alone in the aftermath of the Battle of Berlin... but not everyone has abandoned him.

Hetalia - Axis Powers - Rated: T - English - Angst/Romance - Chapters: 1 - Words: 1,325 - Reviews: 66 - Published: 5-4-10 - Germany & N. Italy - Complete

THANK YOU MARVINHERE FOR FINDING THIS!

#George deValier #George devalier profile #George devalier profile transcript #George devalier summaries

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ask-de-writer · 4 years ago

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SEA DRAGON’S GIFT : Part 73 of 83 : World of Sea

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

SEA DRAGON’S GIFT

Part 73 of 83

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

140406 words

written 2007

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

//////////////

Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story provided that all author and copyright information remains intact. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions.

All sorts of fan art, cosplay, music or fiction is actively encouraged.

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New to the story? Read from the beginning. PART 1 is here

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The Grandalor’s hailing drum called across the water between ships in Kurin’s characteristic hand, “Please don’t force us to harm you further! Turn into the wind and slack sails. Lower the fore sail and hold position with jibs and mizzen. We will come to your aid if you do.”

Kotance stood still, shivering with rage and struggling with the concept of having lost — — — to the Grandalor. He did nothing.

A familiar voice began calling orders and getting the ship organized. Sailors jumped to obey, turning the Longin into the wind and slacking and lowering sails. The injured were now being moved to the safety of the sickbay. Expert lofters and riggers from the rope walk began to survey the extent of the damage and report on what needed doing.

Kotance’s rage and frustration now found a focus. He hit Mord Halyn in the back of the head with the hilt of his long, serrated edge knife. Stunned, Mord fell to his knees and was struck again. As Mord collapsed to the deck, Kotance reversed his knife for a killing stroke when he too was dropped by a blow from behind. Second Officer Marrik, the replacement helmsman, had left his post and wielded a marlin spike like a mallet to the back of Kotance’s head.

Kotance awoke to the shock of cold seawater thrown into his face. Trying to see the source of this affront brought blurry doubled images of a woman leaning over him and another few indistinct people behind her. Gathering his strength, Kotance finally brought the scene before him into focus. Trying to get up brought home the realization that he was bound.

Turning to the woman in front of him, he cried out angrily, “Mistress Daeron! What is the meaning of this outrage! Why am I bound?” Turning his attention to the rest of the group he got a horrible suspicion. “How did we get Kurin back? Why are the fugitives Barad and his woman here and unbound?”

“Barad and Captain Tanlin are our guests for the time being,” said Mistress Daeron icily. “They, along with Master Juris, are supervising our repairs. The Grandalor is also rendering medical aid to the injured. Kurin has come aboard to acquire facts from our crew and officers. She has informed us that she will be staying on board the Grandalor until she can present their case before the Council’s representative. It further appears that there have been illegal actions committed by this ship under your command.

“You have been relieved. As there are no others on board who have a Masters Certificate, the ship is presently under the command of the Combined Council of Masters and Officers.”

The sun climbing up from its low point near the horizon found the Soaring Bird slashing through the waters of the Dragon Sea, driven north by straining canvas. Her crew ate a light meal in preparation for action and went quietly to their battle stations. They knew that they would have contact by mid-morning at the latest.

Sarfin watched in disbelief as the crew unlimbered and tested the catapults. Others went about the dangerous business of hanging and securing a submerged ram at the bow of the longer hull. Huld directed everything quietly, without any excitement. If anything, he seemed a little sad.

The high lookouts began to call “Hai! Sail! Two points starboard!” Soon their calls changed, “Ships! Two, engaged close!”

Sarfin saw Sula expostulating with Huld, apparently urging attack, though he failed to make out her exact words. He did hear Huld though, “Captain are now you. Right are you that wrong much is. For battle prepared are we. Time now to wait for news is.” To his crew he ordered, “Hold in readiness weapons. Alert stay.” A horn picked up his order and turned it into a call that resounded across the ship.

Crew men and women carefully safetied the loaded catapults and other devices and secured their racked ammunition. Weapons were cocked, drawing cables remained attached to the cocking arms and to their winches. The weapon crews remained at their posts, relaxed but ready. This was clearly work that they had done before.

Now that Sarfin could see for himself the ships in question, there was no doubt that the Grandalor and the Longin were tied together. The Longin’s mainsail could never get into the position that it was in unless her rigging was seriously damaged. The damage became even more apparent as the Soaring Bird got closer to the drifting ships and reduced sail to the calls of horns. She turned gently to bring the maximum amount of her deadly firepower into play in an instant. Crew folk calmly removed safeties and checked the arming and aiming of their weapons.

Hailing drums began to pound their talk across the waves. As Sula heard the situation, she felt a shock of disbelief. Her friend, Mord Halyn, relieved as Captain, was now injured and in sickbay. There had been a battle but it was the Longin that attacked the Grandalor in an apparent act of piracy. The Grandalor was now rendering aid to a defeated Longin.

Huld simply looked at Sula with a quizzically raised eyebrow and said, “Attack not now. Information priceless is. Lives saved, yes?”

Sula sighed and replied, “True, Honored One. Let us join them and give assistance.”

Huld issued orders which were relayed by horn call about the ship. Weapons were unloaded and ammunition stowed. Damage control crews began to prepare their equipment to assist the Longin. Sarfin was relieved to see that this, too, was clearly work that they had done before.

Sula turned and said, “It looks like you have your work to do, now, Captain Sarfin. I’m glad that I don’t have to sit in judgment on this mess.”

“I know what you mean, Captain Sula. Still it should prove to be an interesting case,” Sarfin replied thoughtfully. “I have to wonder just how the Grandalor managed to get permission to be here in the Dragon Sea. The Great Sea Dragons don’t like being disturbed all that much.”

So silently that it almost went unnoticed by the lookouts, a huge dark, head rose up by the rail near to Sula. It was black, covered with frills, spines and fins and had massive tentacles about the hugely fanged mouth. Dark Iren regarded them with large, intelligent eyes for a moment before speaking.

“They asked for a safe refuge to assemble their case, Captain Sarfin. We gave it to them.”

At first Sula could only gape. Legend had come to life before her eyes. “You’re Dark Iren!” she managed to exclaim at last.

Tolerantly, the Dragon replied, “Of course I am. You are Sula Corin Dark Dragon. I have been wanting to meet you ever since you renamed the Sun’s Daughter. According to your beliefs you risked much bad luck in doing so. Yours remains the only ship on Sea that is named for one of us.”

Sula shrank a little at that. “If it offends you, we can rename her.”

She was answered by a dragon’s grin, full of huge razor sharp fangs. “Don’t. Given the circumstances and the belief system connected to it, I find it flattering. Your conduct in combat and after is meritorious. You have always rescued friend and foe alike when the battle is done.

“I wish that I did keep the Halls of Dead, beneath the sea. I would give Davaros back to you if I could. He was a good man.”

Sula shook herself and shut her eyes in pain at the mention of her husband’s name. In a small voice, she said, “I never really believed the legend, yet I hunted half around the world hoping to find you so that I could ask.” When she opened her eyes she found genuine concern and sympathy in the monstrous eyes that were looking back at her.

“That is very curious, Sula, because I came here to ask a favor of you.”

“What can I do for you?” Sula asked softly.

“Your help in sorting this all out according to human Laws, both Great and fleet, would be appreciated, Captain Sula.”

Past her awe, she replied, “Of course I will give assistance if Captain Sarfin requests it.”

The Great Sea Dragon responded, “Sula, I want you to do it. Please. There are people involved who are unique on Sea, and they are important to the future of Sea as a place for people to live. Not to mention, my Orcas like some of them very much.”

“What do the Orcas have to do with this?” asked Sula curiously.

Dark Iren eyed her with consideration before answering, “Much. Every ship on Sea has its attendant Orcas even if they are not seen. They tell us all that happens on each ship. They find some lives worthy of celebration and sing them. I do not understand why they sing for one and not another. It is sufficient that they understand their reasons.

“You humans have the Orcas to thank that you survived your first generations here on Sea. They alerted us to your presence and let us know that your kind were dying out. We were able to save your kind because of that timely information. Now, something wholly new is happening. We want it to go on.

“The problem, put simply, is this, human Laws need to be observed for humans. Some have been broken. These matters need redress. You have shown yourself to be capable and fair. I trust you.”

“What is the wholly new thing that is happening?” Sula asked, curiosity piqued.

Dark Iren answered carefully, “Mecat gave Captain Tanlin a Dragon’s Gift but there was an accident. The Sea Hawks Skye and Thunderhead got included in the Gift. Major and unforeseen changes have resulted. The ecological results of all of this need the evaluation that only time can bring.”

“I will help, then, though I believe that the best help that you could get would be the Honored One, Captain Huld.”

The Great Dragon meditated on what she said and then replied thoughtfully, “If the trial were to be over points of honor or ethics, I would ask him. You are more alert to the core legal issues. Assist Kurin if she asks it. Be a friend.”

“That’s the one thing that she can’t do, if she’s to assist me,” Sarfin injected into the conversation. “A judge cannot be a friend, however much he may wish to be one.”

TO BE CONTINUED

<==PREVIOUS NEXT==>

Return to the Master Story Index

Return to World of Sea

#SEA DRAGON’S GIFT #Part 73 of 83 #World of Sea #Written by De Writer

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thisstableground · 5 years ago

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hey! what was your first experience with in the heights/how did you discover it & how did you become so thoroughly overtaken by it? i hope you feel better soon

ooh, i like this question!

so i got into hamilton around november 2016 and thats what lead me to it. first listened to in the heights must’ve been early january 2017, because i remember it was the day before i went back to my home in brighton from my mum’s where i had spent christmas break, and i was laying on the couch in mum’s living room and eating grapes the first time i listened. i don’t remember much of my emotions towards it that first time, other than enjoying it but finding the story harder to keep track of (it was only the second musical soundtrack i’d ever listened to, after hamilton, which is a lot easier to follow because it’s sung through). i can remember unexpectedly laughing out loud at usnavi in the club and going “wait what” when abuela died and that’s about it. but i vividly remember my second listen to it the day after. i’d gone and read all the story summary on the Genius lyrics page so i understood it more, and i can remember getting on the train back home just as i was listening to It Won’t Be Long Now on headphones and getting such shivers that I nearly cried (and then i did cry on the train later, at Alabanza), and it entered frequent rotation between my near-constant relistens of hamilton.

so i really liked it from the start but i think it didn’t completely take over my heart until i started writing fic for it. fic for me is about learning who the characters are and it really took no time at all of writing some character study and dialogue for usnavi and vanessa before they just grabbed something in my heart and made a permanent home there, now that i understood them a little more.

i love the music and the originality and the skill that is in it, but i think that something that made it really stick emotionally and become my favourite is that it was about such ordinary people. it was about people who struggle and who aren’t necessarily doing anything that will make them go down in history but aren’t any less valuable or lovable for that, and it was a revelation for me at that point in my life, where i still only defined myself by my grades and intelligence and was really struggling with the fact that i could just barely get through a day functionally, never mind do anything world-changing to establish a legacy, which at the time felt very important to me and is part of what drew me to hamilton. it’s hard to explain, but in the heights just made me feel like it’s okay for your legacy to be that you work hard in the ways you are able to and support the people around you and look for help from them when you need it. it felt like permission to live an ordinary life and reassurance that you can find happiness doing that.

it’s funny because with all of that, i would’ve thought that nina would’ve been my favourite – i’m a former gifted kid university dropout who put way too much pressure on myself with grades. and i do love her but somehow it’s usnavi who i relate to most. the getting stuck, the way that his past and his grief have given him sort of tunnel vision for what he wants from his future and how he needs to think more about what he wants now, and what he wants outside of what other people think he wants. the big ADHD vibes, the nervous chatter. and relating to him in some ways made me want to be more like him in others – the positivity and kindness, which i’m 100% sure is something that i developed more in myself the more i listened to his parts in the musical and wrote stories about him. i talk a lot more now than i used to, because i’m not so self-conscious about the fact that i talk very quickly and excitably, and that sometimes i make an idiot of myself by babbling. i like who i am much more now that i lean way more towards an usnavi than an alexander.

it also came along like, when i wasn’t exactly mental health recovered but i had been living in brighton a while and gotten past the worst parts and even with all the problems i was still having i felt like i was in the place i was supposed to be, for the first time in my life. i remember when i was younger i used to be in my own bedroom just sobbing and thinking “i wanna go home” and not knowing what i meant because i was in the only place that i could technically consider home but still didn’t feel like it, and always feeling torn between different parts of my identities and not knowing where i belonged within those identities and communities that i’m a part of. i’d never want to claim that this means i understand what it means to be latino or an immigrant because i dont and i know i never will, but even though ITH is not my identity narrative, it comforts me to hear it anyway. it felt and still does feel so, so good to listen to finale where usnavi says i’m home and think yeah, me too, and to know that he’d been looking for so long for that certainty and finally found it just like i had.

its been the fuel for so much of my creativity, alongside other LMM fandoms. i think part of it is because of an interview i read with lin once, where he said he wrote ITH because nobody was writing the roles he wanted to play so he had to do it himself. that attitude but turned towards my own areas of neurodiversity and mental health has since been the centre of most of my academic work and the foundation of what i did for most of my creative writing degree: the idea that if the story you want doesn’t exist it’s not because it’s not worth telling, it’s because maybe you need to write it yourself. i’d never had enough of a sense of purpose before to sustain any creativity.

before i started writing fic and doing art prompts back in december 2016 i hadn’t made or written anything much for years and years, and even before that i’d never really done more than write a few poems and some essays and doodled some abstract art at very sporadic intervals like once or twice a year. and i started that creative journey off with hamilton but it’s ITH that stuck with me and that i’ve stuck with (and DNH, but like, i’m into that for the opposite reasons i am into ITH, where ITH is a beautiful thing that inspires me want to make more beautiful things, and DNH is a trash fire that i’m frantically trying to put out and then weave a nice rug to cover all the damage).

GOD this gave me all my big ITH feelings again. i can remember writing fic after nightmares when my PTSD was still bad. i can remember being in the phase where i was still surprised whenever i woke up and felt good about life and i’d put ITH on with headphones and turn the corner out of the street i lived on at the top of a hill and could see all the brightly coloured houses leading down to the sea and felt safe. i have such a strong memory of a day when i had been in the middle of undergraduate dissertation panic where i just went outside and went to the park which was empty because it was pouring with rain and i went on the swings and played ITH loudly and sang along because nobody was there to hear. the people i’ve met through fandom are some of my favourite people ever. i just love this show so, so much and it has a really important place in my life and my memories.

#marveling-under-many-skies

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iambecome · 4 years ago

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Entry #2?

(Originally posted to a reblog by someone else, though it was apparently about gender dysphoria so maybe my comment was a bit inappropriate. Still, this has been bothering me quite a bit so Id like to keep the post.)

When a man dons feminine clothing, it feels as if he is so powerful that he can be dangerous even when decorated with all the incumbering trappings of femininity. Even in the more submissive displays, it feels more like a gift being given, or like permission granted to those that see him, one that he has the power to take away at will. The man still remains, under the clothing, while his chosen appearance lays on top like decorative trim.

Upon seeing a man in any form, people are inclined to wonder how he got that way, what decisions led him to that appearance. His appearance tells a story of who he is, both in that moment and before it.

Women, however, are largely left devoid of this backstory. Our appearances are not meant to signal who we are as people, because-- unlike the men-- our appearance is not a decorative trim: it is the sum of our being. We are reduced to what is written on our faces and nothing more.

Therefore a woman in feminine attire does not say, “A person who is choosing to be delicate with you,” it merely says, “Something delicate”. The rough ugliness of masculinity in a woman doesnt not evoke images in our mind of a woman facing hardship or challenge, it is only ugly.

Therefore it does not matter how we dress ourselves. In the end it is not what the appearance is saying or not saying, it is that we are little more than that appearance with no consideration of what is beneath.

You can see this in how we address our deviancy. Deviant men are regarded as frightening, perverse, spectres on the edge of society that invite terror into people’s hearts. Deviant women are hardly regarded at all.

You would be terrified of the madman in your house, but I highly doubt anyone would be terrified of a broken dishwasher.

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holidaywishes · 4 years ago

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The Light Beyond The Stars IV

part iv: an illness beyond compare

Summary of series: When Malcolm is young, he dreams of a place where he could run off to and leave his life behind. When he meets Cassandra, his perspective changes and his dreams only include her.

Summary of Chapter: Apollo’s P.O.V as he tries to keep Cassandra from Malcolm

Warning: nothing right now

Author’s Note: First off, to those who’ve sent in asks, I haven’t forgotten about you. I had this chapter nearly finished before I left last week and wanted to finish it before I forgot. Next on my list are the few requests I have. Second, I think I had a different idea for this chapter but it kind of escapes me now so I decided I’d write another P.O.V chapter, this time from Apollo. Keep reading and I hope you keep enjoying ;)

masterlist

the other masterlist

Apollo’s P.O.V

You could see Cassandra falling for the boy from the square from the way she looked at him and spoke to him but you didn’t trust him.

“I don’t want to be the overbearing father that her mother expects me to be,” you said to your father, Zeus, as the two of you stood in the Throne Hall, “but I know he’s tricking her. I can’t let her be tricked”

“How do you know that he’s tricking her?” he asked

“That’s how they met. He was playing some foolish games, magic tricks, in the square.”

“He’s mortal. That’s what they do. That’s how they have fun...”

“She’s too trusting”

“She’s naïve, yes, but she’s smart. She won’t let herself be tricked.”

“She won’t know”

“What are you proposing I do?”

“I need to see his life.”

“You’re asking my permission to look into this boys future? You don’t have to ask, that’s your ability, Apollo. Your choice.”

“I never look. I never take advantage of that responsibility. Others, I’ll be honest, have come in handy. But I would never look into someone’s future.”

“Are you going to change this boys future?”

“No?” you questioned, unsure of what he was saying

“Have you ever planned on changing anyone’s future?”

“No”

“Then why would you never look? You need to know. It’s your gift. Your responsibility”

“The Oracle said..”

“I don’t care what the Oracle said,” he interrupted, “she gave the gift to you. And you passed it down to your children. That makes it your choice what you do with it. If you do not plan on changing this boys future as it is written, then there is no harm in seeking what you wish to find.” You shook your head trying to clear your confusion, slowly making your way to a large pool of water that acted as a gateway to the prophecies you held.

“We’ll dream up a world of our own...” you heard the boy’s voice say, his image appearing on the water

“What will this world have?” Cassandra’s voice cascaded shortly thereafter. You skipped past this moment, as it couldn’t have been too far from the present and you needed to find something further away; something to prove your fears true.

“A little Follow-the-Lady..” a man’s voice slurred. When you didn’t see the young Malcolm you recognized anywhere near this man, you assumed you had found him grown up so you continued to watch. You saw that he had a child, a boy, named Rumpelstiltskin and, though he didn’t appear to be a great father, he loved his son. You watched the two of them together, skipping past moments like they were on videotape until you found the father and son on an island

“Best of all: We can fly!” Malcolm exclaimed

“Flying is impossible” His son added

“Neverland is where the impossible is possible. If you believe it.” You watched as the man jumped off a rock, attempting to fly, only to fall on his face and his boy rushed to his side; Malcolm becoming aggravated with each failed attempt

“Maybe you can’t fly because you’re not a boy anymore.” Rumpel stated and the words seem to trigger something in his father and he took his son to a tree to acquire a handful of Pixie Dust. Malcolm climbed the tree, leaving his scared son below, and found the flowers which held the Dust.

“I want to fly...” he whispered to himself but was quickly met by a shadow who told him he didn’t belong on the island. You were sure that would be the end of this moment, so you began to fast-forward but when you saw the shadow reappear, you stopped to listen to what Malcolm had to say to his son

“I can never be the father you need me to be.” He said, a look of pain on his face, “I’m too weak.”

“I don’t understand. What are you trying to say?” Rumple asked, moving toward his father

“That there is a way that I can stay here, a way that I can get the pixie dust to work so I can fly again,” he whispered, “just like I was when I was a boy.” You found yourself pulled into the discussion between the two, waiting to hear what the conclusion would be

“How?” The young Rumple asked intently

“By letting go of the thing that is holding me back-- You.” His father answered, and the shadow growled before pulling the boy away

“Help!” Rumple called to his father, trying to get away from the monster pulling him away, crying when Malcolm wouldn’t help me, “Don’t let him take me!”

“I don’t have a choice. To stay here, I have to believe I’m young again. And with you here to remind me, I can’t.”

“No, Papa, please! Help me!”

“A child can’t have a child, Rumple! I’m sorry but it’s true.” Malcolm responded, his voice softening only for a moment before letting the shadow take his son away, “I was never meant to be a father.” The shadow forced Rumple to watch as his father was lost in a flurry of green dust, changing into his younger self and you watched the boy cry as he watched the shadow take away his son.

“Apollo?” Anthea asked from around the corner, noticing that your breathing was harsh

“That boy is evil.” You stated, hovering over the pool of water where you had watched Malcolm’s life unfold, “we need to keep him away from Cassandra.”

“How do you suggest we do that? She’s in love with him” Anthea answered

“Love can be controlled. She can be convinced” you said, turning to face your niece

“Uncle...”

“Anthea, you don’t understand what I’ve seen of this boy. He’s going to hurt my daughter. I can’t let that happen. I won’t.”

“I don’t think you understand how young love works--”

“This boy has mortal love. It will fade when he discovers who she is, what she is and what she can do. Her love can--”

“If you tell her to stay away from this boy, if you try to squander her love for him, she will not listen to you. She will find a way to see him. To be with him”

“Not if I have anything to do with it!” you yelled, your voice boasting throughout the room, quieting Anthea and causing her to bow her head to you before walking out of the room. You were forced, now, to wait for your daughter’s return. When she finally arrived back at the house, you quickly directed her inside to rip her away from the young man in front of her. You stood by while Cassandra and Anthea went back and forth about the mundane activities that Cassandra’s night must of held before you finally answered, “You cannot change this boy’s fate.”

“I’m not trying to change his fate!” she challenged you, her eyebrows clenching together in frustration

“Aren’t you?” Anthea started, “what was it you were telling him outside? That there was good in him? Magic even?”

“You cannot tell mortals that there is magic in them.. They cannot know it exists”

“They already know it exists!” she yelled

“What do you mean?” you asked, panic in your voice before you narrowed your eyes at your daughter

“He knows about Neverland,” she explained, “I didn’t tell him. He already knew. And yes, fine. I told him there was magic in him. That there was good in him. But I didn’t tell him what he could do with any of it.”

“That’s not the point, Cassandra!” you shouted, moving closer so your frame would tower over her, “we have the gift of sight. Of Prophecy. It is a burden that we have been entrusted with. You cannot use it to make the boy you love stay good!”

“I’M NOT!” She shouted, tears brimming her eyes as she tried to make herself appear taller for a moment before returning to her original stance, “I believe in him, papa, is that so wrong? I want him to know that he doesn’t have to go down that dark path. And he won’t, if he’s given a chance”

“You can’t provide that path for him, little one,” you said gently, placing your hand on her shoulder to calm her, “he needs to find his own path. To find his own light, not the light that you show him”

“I’m not trying to tric–” she started, stopping suddenly, “the boy I love?”

“What?” you and Athea said together and Cassandra took notice

“You said I can’t use our gift to make the boy I love... stay good” she said

“I–” you stammered, glancing at Anthea only to see her shake her head and shrug to you

“I never said I loved him” Cassandra continued, her voice steady as she walked toward you

“But you do, don’t you?” Anthea added, “I saw the way your heart broke when you thought he wasn’t going to show…”

“I do love him,” she admitted, “but I never said I did”

“I’m not blind, Cassandra, and I think you forget, my sister is the Goddess of Love.” You mentioned, your voice balancing finally

“And what would she have told you of this mortal and I?” Cassandra added

“That you loved him!” you defended, raising your voice to try to hide your secret

“No,” she countered, taking another step toward you, “no, she wouldn’t have come to you just to tell you that ‘your favourite daughter was in love’ she would have said that you needed to stop me from falling for a mortal. From making the same mistake you did” Her words at a bite to them that you didn’t expect, not quite this early on in her life. And not directed at you.

“You’re going to get hurt, Cassandra,” you shouted, “mortals think they know everything. Think they can handle anything. But they find out about us and they run away. He will run away if he finds out about who we are.”

“He’ll say you lied. That you kept secrets from him. He’ll never trust you again” Anthea spoke up, a growl to her tone

“There’s nothing that says he has to find out. I love him but I am willing to put his future before mine” Cassandra tried, her voice becoming meek

“It’s not fair, my love, to him,” you said, sitting down and gesturing for you to do the same, “you know his future. You know his choices. He won’t know yours. Loving him and him loving you is not fair to him.”

“I haven’t looked at his choices or his future since I met him. Since I saw him.” She admitted

“But you knew it without looking,” Anthea added from where she sat, shrugging when Cassandra scowled at her, “that’s the point”

“Papa, please,” she pleaded, reminding you of Malcolm’s young son and you had to clear your throat before the memory crept onto your face, “what are you going to do?”

“Me?” you spoke firmly, “nothing. Unless you lead me to it. No, I won’t do anything and neither will you”

“What?” she exclaimed

“You cannot see him anymore”

“Father, please” she begged

“Enough,” you stated, standing up, “you are not to see this boy anymore!”

“Papa” she pleaded weakly

“Cassandra, there are rules,” you stated once more, “we are immortals, this boy is a mortal”

“So am I. I’m like him. Part mortal” she said, beginning to sob

“BUT YOU ARE ALSO MY DAUGHTER!” you yelled, the house shaking as the lights rose and fell with your voice, “and you will do as I say.” You watched as she wiped away the tears from her eyes and she sniffled as she looked up at you; you could sense a rage burning inside her that concerned you

“Would this have worked if someone told you to stay away from my mother? Or the Cassandra who broke your heart?”

“No but you are not me and you are not them” you answered

“You can’t forbid from seeing him, father” she argued

“I can and I did” you said, trying to force finality to your tone

“Why?” she whined

“Because, Cassandra,” you said, seething as you stopped toward your daughter, “he is not like us. You need to choose your family over a love you will never have!” She nodded softly, just once, before walking toward her room.

“I’ll check on her.” Anthea said as you sat down, crashing your palms onto your forehead and thought to yourself that you just wanted what was best for your daughter even if she didn’t agree with you.

After nearly two weeks of Cassandra’s moping, you had heard of an illness going around and it had gotten quite serious according to the few tales you’d heard from the mortals.

“It started as a flu, apparently,” you heard someone discussing the symptoms, “but after a few days, her son was vomiting and coughing blood!”

“Oh my goodness,” another squawked, “how is he doing now?”

“He passed last night. After only eight days. Tragic.”

“Truly.” The discussion ended there and you made your way throughout the town square, listening in on conversations when you thought they may be discussing this new illness; discovering that a great deal of the population had already succumbed to it, some so fast they could barely determine what the cause was.

“Father!” Cassandra ran to you, terror in her eyes, “have you heard what’s been happening?! Everyone is so ill”

“So I’ve heard. Some have had gangrene or parts of their body swollen up. It must be horribly uncomfortable” you replied and she stepped back from you

“Papa...” she said and you looked at her, finding a look of disgust on her face, “you could be a little more... empathetic toward them. They’re suffering”

“They’re mortals, Cassandra, they’re suffering will end. They will live with it until they can no longer.”

“It’s awful, just awful. I wonder how it started. I heard it was from the Great Famine that only ended two summers ago.”

“Enough of this, Cassandra. It is a plague. They happen. People die and then it ends.”

“You’re so callous, father!” She gasped and you furrowed your brow, “must you act so heinous?”

“Cassandra,” you leaned in to whisper to your daughter, “I am a God. I am not acting callous or heinous. I am merely reciting the reality of the situation. It is terrible, I agree. But there is nothing we can do about it.”

“But there is...” she whispered back, causing you to tilt your head to the side in curiosity, “you can heal them. I haven’t quite gotten a good understanding on that ability. So much can go wrong, as I’m sure you know, but you can heal those who are ill. Those who need to be healed.”

“No, Cassandra.” you stated, tearing your gaze from hers

“Papa...” she whined but you continued to look forward, slowly walking through the square, past the gossiping townsfolk

“It is impossible, Cassandra,” you continued, “as you said, so much can go wrong. You forget that as easy as it is for us to heal, it is just as easy for us to...” You hesitated, looking down at your daughter whose eyes were still filled with fear and had a sinking feeling

“What?” she asked, eyebrows raised as she awaited your response

“Spread the illness ourselves...” you answered, “Cassandra, we have many gifts. It was a cruel responsibility that I was granted, to be able to heal mortals and immortals alike but to also be the cause of the very plague that I was healing them from. Plague’s much like this one.”

“Can’t you control which one you use?” she questioned and you shook your head

“It’s not that simple, my dear,” you replied, “the smallest distraction and the rate of survival diminishes.”

“So... how do we stop this?”

“We don’t,” you said, “we can’t. It must run it’s course.” You noticed her inhale sharply and her eyes fall to the ground before resuming your journey.

“It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People are terrified... it is an illness beyond compare, isn’t it father?” She proposed and you nodded, looking at her as she watched the people rush around the two of you in fear as they attempted to avoid others. All you could wonder was ‘had your daughter caused this?’ Her abilities were stronger than yours had been at her age and tearing her away from the boy she loved may have manifested in a new Plague that was devouring this small, peaceful village that you’d spent your days in.

“Cassandra!” Malcolm exclaimed as he bumped into your daughter, apologizing profusely to both of you, “I haven’t seen you for nearly a fortnight!”

“Malcolm...” she greeted softly, “I am sorry that we haven’t spoken, my father and I have had to look after some of the critically ill. Have you heard of this disease making it’s way throughout the village?”

“I have. It’s quite deadly,” he mentioned, looking up at you once before finding Cassandra’s eyes once more, “it’s spreading throughout the entire country!”

“The entire country? Oh that’s terrible!” she exclaimed in shock

“We must go,” you said, pulling your daughter away from the mortal boy, “there are many who need our assistance. Good Day, Malcolm.”

“Good Day, Sir” he replied as you and Cassandra began to walk away. You had almost gotten away from the boy without Cassandra stopping to say anything more when her kindness got the better of her

“Please,” she whispered to Malcolm, holding his hand before squeezing it gently, “stay safe. I don’t want to hear you’ve gotten yourself sick. And keep Charlotte safe as well.”

“I will,” he smiled, placing his hand atop hers before he caught your stare, “stay well, Cassandra.” He placed a small kiss to the back of her hand before he turned and continued on his way. When Cassandra turned back to walk with you, she had a small smile forming on her face that seemed to fade when you cleared your throat

“My opinions on that boy have not changed, Cassandra, you are not to see him.” You concluded, noticing her turn to find Malcolm in the crowd

“I know father.” She replied distantly and you shut your eyes in defeat as you realized you’d lost her to this mortal boy who you’d seen give his own son away for a taste of the youth he once had.

#Peter Pan #Peter Pan Fic #Peter Pan Imagine #Peter Pan Series #Peter Pan OUAT #Peter Pan OUAT Fic #Peter Pan OUAT Imagine #Peter Pan OUAT Series #masterlist #the other masterlist

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