#.atomic prince charming

[musette22]

For the nonnie who asked: here are some of my all time favourite lengthy Stucky fics (30-200k, mostly multi chapter):

Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream, WhatAreFears

This, You Protect by owlet

Home Is Wherever I'm With You by cydonic

Lucky Seven by BetteNoire

Political Animals by @spacerenegades, Deisderium

Wishes and Words by wearing_tearing

A Company Man by @whtaft

Push It Real Good by spoffyumi

The Size of Perfection by @phoenike

Like Real People Do by 2bestfriends

Easy Work For Easy Pay by AustinB

Prince Charming by Brenda

What's in a Name? by levi_cas_tho, maichan

Critical Feline Mass by Kryptaria, zooeyscigar  

Ipseity by SkyisGray

Circling Back by chaya

Ain't No Grave (Can Keep My Body Down) by spitandvinegar 

The Necrofloranomicon by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen)

with all my skin and bone by unicornpoe

He's All That by @spacerenegades

Monoclonius by Zenaidamacrouras1

oh meet me, my darling, where the sun sets over the barley by charlesdk @trancowboy

Coming Home by charlesdk @trancowboy

The Settler by charlesdk @trancowboy

Waking Up Slow by odetteandodile

Family Placement by notlucy

I Held You in Gloved Hands (And I’m Not Letting Go) by @voylitscope

then a small thing happened by BeaArthurPendragon

North Fork by BeaArthurPendragon

Itsy Bitsy Yoga by wearing_tearing

All Those Little Pieces by Ellessey

Bucky Barnes Gets His Groove Back & Other International Incidents @silentwalrus1

Scents and Sensibility: The Working Assassin's Guide to Supersoldier Seduction by galwednesday, silentwalrus, skellerbvvt

Coming Home For Christmas by Chiyume

Chase the Lightning From the Sky by SilverSlashes

These next ones I haven't had a chance to read yet, but I love these authors' other fics so I'm sure these are brilliant too!

lane lines by @sparkagrace

Till It Bleeds Daylight by @cable-knit-sweater

Backhoe by @zenaidamacrouras1

hey now, you're an all star (get your game on, go play) (WIP) by @buckyismybicycle

I was alone, I took a ride (I didn't know what I would find there) by @otp-holic

Till there were no more wolves in the West by @dharmasharks

better to speak or die (WIP) by @between-a-ship-and-a-hard-place

Atoms by @andrea1717

I'm sure I'm forgetting some brilliant ones, so feel free to add to this! Also, please check out these authors' other works too, they're all brilliant <3

[seansilv25]

So season 10 of Death Battle was bonkers...

so bonkers that I want to share my opinions on each and every episode (In one or a few sentences each)

16: Killua vs Misaka [This was probably the middest episode to ever mid. So mid that my best buddy TJ has forgotten that it even exists on more than one occasion. 5/10

15: Darth Vader vs Obito Uchiha [neat choreography and somber ending, but the analysis and result just feel... "iffy" in a a way I can't describe. 6/10

14: Martian Manhunter vs Silver Surfer [While the Surfer's ending monologue was chillingly thought-provoking, this episode doesn't have much else going for it. 6.5/10

13: Dark Souls vs Skyrim [Neat and all, but I'd probably like it more if the animation was a tad less jank and all Fromsoft games didn't look the flippin' same. 7/10

12: Gojo vs Makima [This episode was pretty alright, at least if you're not a salty simp (Thankfully, I'm not) 7/10

11: Frieza vs Megatron [The fight was cool and all, but it is kind of ruined by the flonkered pacing. 7/10

10: Ant-Man vs Atom [It was neat seeing the combatants take the fight in a more "scientific" way with all their planning. 7.5/10

9: Cole McGrath vs Alex Mercer [One of the "Never gonna happen" princes finally becomes reality, and it was good. 7.5/10

8: Phoenix vs Raven [Cool and all, but can we pour one out for Jean? Not for her death to Raven, but her 16th death in the comics? 7.5/10

7: Galactus vs Unicron [The king of "Never gonna happen" and it was pretty grand and, dare I say, huge... );) 8/10

6: Guts vs Dimitri [Pretty sick and raw fight that made me respect Dimitri and the Blue Lions more, despite preffering the Black Eagles (Don't look at me, I just go with them because they have best girl) 8.5/10

5: Stitch vs Rocket Raccoon [The song lyrics were accurate, because I certainly had a blast watching this. As well as Rocket having a literal one (RIP Ice Cream Guy) 9/10

4: Rick Sanchez vs The Doctor [A-aw geez, guys! This episode was fantastic! WUBBA-LUBBA-DUB-DUB!! 9.5/10

3: Goku vs Superman (2023) [I guess it's true what they say; Third time IS the charm, because that was fucking INSANE! 10/10

2: Scooby-Doo vs Courage the Cowardly Dog [Zoinks! the peak levels are through the roof! 11/10

1: Bill Cipher vs Discord [Just as peak as Scooby vs Courage, but I love Gravity Falls more than I do Scooby-Doo, so I feel like I have to go with this. 11/10

And that's all of them! Will I be making one of these for season 11? I dunno. But I'm not sure if that season can top the peakness of this one. But until next year, we shall see...

XKA OBJBJYBO; OBXIFQV FP XK FIIRPFLK, QEB RKFSBOPB FP X ELILDOXJ, YRV DLIA! YVVVBBBBB!!!

-VLRO CXSLOFQB QOFMIB-BADBA ABJLK LC AOBXJP

As much as I love a good, rousing puzzle, I prefer to at least let people have something to go off of to begin with. Also, I want to stick it to that melodramatic isosceles who thought he could mess with my dear friend and her friends. So the key is to not get stabbed in the back. Or crushed by a falling cieling. So probably just to not be from Italy or Rome.

You're welcome!

-Who Q wishes he was

[sl-newsie]

Spelled (Carlos de Vil x Sanderson Daughter)- Ch. 11: Chemistry in Chemistry

Later on I go back to my locker to get my chemistry book, and am visited by Tiffany, who’s carrying a platter of lemon tarts.

“Oh, sugar! You have got to try these! Mom sent me the recipe, and I swear it’s like tasting Heaven!” She beams and pops a tart in my mouth before I can respond.

She’s right- they’re delicious! 

“Golly, Tiffany. These are wonderful! They melt in your mouth, they’re the perfect blend of tart and sweet! It’s like you’re baking with magic!”

She shakes her head with a distant smile. “Oh, no. I leave all that magic stuff to you witches and sorceress gals. The only magic I use is a dash of chemistry, a hint of nostalgia, and a good heaping of love!”

I close my locker and give a nod. “Speaking of chemistry, I’ve gotta get going to class. Wonderful treats as usual! Keep up the good work!” We both wave goodbye and I start to walk off to class-

“Those kids are trouble,” Chad points to Evie and Mal as they chat by their lockers.

Him, Audrey, and Ben are standing a few feet away from the new students, and it makes me upset to see them already gossiping about them.

“C’mon Chad, give them a chance.” Ben attempts to act positive.

“No offense Bennie Boo, but you’re just too trusting!” Audrey remarks with a laugh.

“Shut up, princess entitled,” I say smugly as I head off for chemistry. I drag myself into the classroom like a depressed zombie and flop down next to Doug, who (no surprise) is reading.

“Doug, why must we torture ourselves through this dull class?”

He doesn’t even look up from his textbook. “What’s the difference between this and your potions class?”

I groan. “Because that class actually involves stuff I’m going to use in life! Stuff I’m actually good at! This? This is all about atoms and equations I will never think twice of after this class.”

“All knowledge is useful at some point,” Doug says in an unamused tone.

I roll my eyes. “Easy for you to say! You’ve never gotten anything below a B+ in your life!”

“Hey, um could you maybe sit across from me today?” Doug asks with a hopeful voice as he puts down his book.

“Why?” I ask as I move to sit down on the opposite side.

He looks around, then says: “I don’t think there are any other open seats, and Evie’s new to class-”

“So you want me to move so Evie can sit next to you?” I finish with a smirk.

Doug gives me a begging look. “Please! I might have a chance with her if I play my cards right.”

“I donno, Doug. Last I heard she was dead-set on finding a prince. Just wait until she meets Chad.” I gag.

Just then, the prince of egos himself strides into the room and sits at his spot up front. Teacher’s pet. Soon after Evie comes in, looks around, and walks over to sit at our table. Doug gives me a thumbs up and a giddy smile. Oh brother.

Sadly though his attempts to make conversation are interrupted by Evie’s new obsession with Chad.

“Any chance he’s in line for a throne?” Evie asks as she dreamily stares at the blonde royal pain.

I shoot Doug an ‘I told you so’ look.

“Chad Prince Charming Jr, Cinderella’s son?” Chad clarifies, which makes Evie’s eyes go wider.

“Not the shiniest crown in the chest, if you get my drift,” I mutter.

Evie goes on to ramble about Chad, but is interrupted by the teacher.

“So, what is the atomic weight of silver?”

“Um… I mean not very much, it’s an atom, right?” She tries to joke, but the teacher motions for her to step up to the chalkboard.

See, Evie? Life isn’t all about crushes and heartthrobs.

“How do I find the atomic weight of silver?” Evie asks openly as she picks up a chalk piece. Out of the corner of my eye I see a faint glare, and then spot a small hand mirror in Evie’s hand- the same enchanted one she was using last night!

Evie starts writing the answer, and across the desk I can see Doug doing the math in his head with an impressed look. Can’t anyone see she’s cheating?

I guess the teacher doesn’t, because he’s got a surprised look on his face and is all flustered when Evie finishes the equation.

“I forgot, always a mistake to underestimate-”

“A villain?” Evie smiles gleefully. “Don’t make it again.”

While I must applaud her moxy, cheating is never the best way! If there’s one thing I agree with Aunt Winnie it’s that true power and brains will always conquer liars and cheats.

I see Chad exchange a note with Evie, who looks at him with even more hearts in her eyes. Doug and I try to look at each other without smirking. Oh Evie, you’re in for a big surprise.

The rest of the class goes slower than molasses, and when class is dismissed Evie jumps up and follows Chad out the door. I see Doug’s shoulders slump, so I try to cheer him up.

I push Doug’s shoulder. “Gee, Doug. Guess the atomic weight lesson wasn’t the only chemistry going on today.” 

He rolls his eyes. “Shut up. She doesn’t want anything to do with me. She just wants Prince Chad,” he says in a mocking preppy tone.

“Doug, Evie just wants a prince to impress her mother. She thinks that finding a prince is the only way to get what she wants in life. Just give her some time to see how big of a jerk Chad is and she’ll wake up and see just how much she’s missing out on.”

Doug attempts to smile. “You think so? Or did you just cast a positivity spell?”

I hold my head back and laugh. “Gosh, no! I’m just speaking the truth!”

We both gather our school supplies and head out into the hallway.

“Enough with the love talk. I’m gonna go meet up with Ben for Carlos’ tourney training.”

Doug frowns. “I thought you hated sports. Remember, we talked about starting a sports haters club?”

I try to shrug it off. “Yeah, but… Carlos needs all the help he can get and-”

“Oh! I see how it is!” Doug smirks. “You just wanna spend time with Carlos.”

“No, no! I do not. I’m just trying to help the VKs fit in.” I deny as I put my books back in my locker.

“Uh-huh.” Doug gives me a teasing look. “Seems you got a special soft spot for a certain VK with freckles.”

“No, I do not! Now if you’ll excuse me I gotta go-”

“Oh! Did I hear that right? Magica likes someone?” I hear Rosaline gush behind me.

“Who is it?” Fiona asks excitedly.

I give them a stern look. “I do not ‘like’ anyone, so just drop it. I will not belittle myself even further by allowing my personal life to become your entertainment.”

“Oh, please! You gotta tell us!” Tiffany begs. “I’ll make you some cherry-chocolate muffins?”

Grr. As much as I love her muffins, I must put my foot down.

“No!”

“What’s going on?”

No. No. NO!

“Not a good time, Audrey,” I try to say politely, but now the drama queen herself has zoned in on me.

“I hear you’ve got a crush. Spill it, freak.”

I squint and give her a warning glare. “And why should I tell you anything, Audrey?”

She gets a wicked smirk on her face. “Because if you don’t I’ll tell Fairy Godmother you’ve been keeping secrets.”

Wait- no. No, no! Why is this happening to me? I’ve become the victim of gossip!

Suddenly I point down the hall. “Look! There’s a sign for a shoe boutique sale!”

While they go scurrying off to find nothing, I escape the crowd of giggling girls by turning a corner and slipping into the bathroom. I lock the door to make sure no one comes in, and walk over to the sinks just as my head starts spinning.

“Mirror mirror, I need help. Please now show me my true self.” I sprinkle some pixie powder mixed with moondust specs. My happy reflection melts away, and when I see myself in the mirror again it’s a face that shows all-out fear with pink flames engulfing everything. God, why am I getting so wrapped around this whole love thing? I’m letting everyone’s teasing send me into overthinking, and that only makes me dangerous.

I poke my head out the door to make sure no one’s around, and think I’m in the clear-

“Hey, Magica!”

I give a silent prayer for more patience.

“Perfect timing, Ben. You have no idea-”

“Sparks! I need you to write down some ideas for the next family day.” Ben smiles.

Is he joking?

I gape at him. “You think you’re stressed out? My emotions are dialed to 100 and I feel like I’m going to set my textbooks on fire! Sometimes I feel like I want to melt into the background and be a nobody again! People keep talking about my hair, asking for favors, and teasing my feelings- which are confused and unstable enough as it is!”

 At this point I’ve cornered Ben against the wall, and I’m surprised he doesn’t look scared. Just pitiful. Which makes me even more mad.

“I’m sorry, Magica. But this is what happens when you don’t go by normal standards. Pink hair’s definitely a giveaway, and, um…”

I sneer at him. “What?”

“Your, um, your temper doesn’t really help either,” Ben says with a cautious voice.

“Temper? Temper? I can’t help it that I inherited my aunt’s temper, and I can’t help it that nearly every whiny stuck-up here is driving me up the wall!”

Ben tries to talk back. “Not everyone’s that bad, Sparks. Just take a bit to calm down, and then… maybe write-?” He starts to ask hopefully.

I wave my hand. “I know, I know. Write up some family day ideas. Blah blah blah.” Starting to get a handle on my emotions, I give Ben a scared expression. “I’m serious, Ben. When I get like this things never go right, and I don’t want to hurt someone. Just let me cool off and I’ll get you your list.”

“Or, better yet, you can still come with me to help Carlos with tourney training. Might help take your mind off of it.”

Believe me, Ben, seeing Carlos definitely will not get my mind off of it!

“Fine. But don’t expect me to be all smiley sunshine and rainbows,” I say in a dull voice as I let Ben move away from the wall.

Then again… Carlos always seems to cheer me up.

“Alright! Let’s go see what this kid can do,” Ben rubs his hands together and starts walking towards the tourney field. “Standing by for any positivity spells, right?”

“Um, yeah.”

Is that why I’m going, or is it just an excuse to see Carlos?

[lil228]

Red White and Royal Blue Wrap Up

Wrap Up

Rating: 9.5/10 

Prediction Points: 7

Who I would recommend this book to: Any young people who are queer, or queer allies, those who like happy endings, people who like romance and don’t mind a little bit of cheese. 

Quick Thoughts

It’s books like these that remind me why I read. I read to feel less alone, I read for enjoyment, I read to feel emotions. I read to connect with other people, and I read to become a better writer. This books did all of those things for me. I giggled and held back tears. It is books such as Red White and Royal Blue that make me feel like there is a place for queer romance in mainstream and literature and pop culture.  The characters are well rounded, the plot is original, the romance believable and compelling. In short I love this book.

Characters 

Favorite Character: Prince Henry and Amy.

The characters in this book were each unique and felt like real people. They spoke and acted like real people. The young 20 somethings behaved like real 20 somethings. They never used outdated slang, or acted like 45 year olds. All of the character who were supposed to likable were, and they were easy to root for. The book did a really nice job with Helen who could have easily been written as another workaholic parent who no time for her children, but she isn’t. It’s clear that she cares about her children, and views herself as a mother first and then the President. She is a realistic depiction of a mother who both loves her children, and can be frustrated by them at times. Each character felt unique, and everything they said (or typed/texted) and did felt real. Each character had a unique voice. I do wish we had either gotten more Pez, or that the author had cut him entirely, apart from the youth shelters he seemed to have little to no impact on the plot or other characters much- especially compared to June, Nora and Bea. I also wish that we had gotten mention of  Amy having a wife or being trans a little earlier as I think it would have made the representation a bit more impactful.  

Plot

I knew I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard the premise. I don’t normally read romance because I don’t enjoy reading about conflicts within a relationship, and I usually end up thinking one of the parties at least a little bit on an ass. However I adore forbidden/secret romance stories. I like these stories because the source of conflict comes from outside the relationship, rather than from within the relationship. This book also handles the enemies to lovers aspect really well. The characters have a genuine, honest conversation about what has caused the atomicity, and are able to work through it, and genuine apologies are given. I also like that the reason Alex doesn't like Henry isn’t something Henry did with malicious intent, but Henry still apologizes. I also really like that both Henry and Alex’s immediate families (minus Philip) were supportive. The spicy senses were implied in a tasteful way, but I was still a little uncomfortable reading them, but I really think that this comes down to the fact that I was reading the book at work, and that I am still new to reading books with that type of content.

Final Thoughts

This book was amazing. I know that it can be cheesy at times, but I think that’s part of why I like it. Not every queer love story has to end in disownment or disaster, sometimes the romance works out, and the characters are happy by the end. This book made me fall in love with reading all over again. The humor is great, and the serious moments do a great job at invoking emotions. This book was chalk full of distinct and likable characters. Both Alex and Henry are likable and charming in their own ways, both they and their romance was easy to root for. This book also dose a nice job at exploring some difficult topics such as homophobia, invasions of privacy, coming out, politics discovering ones sexuality, being outed, and public vs private images of public figures. It manages to handle of these topics while still managing to be a lovely romance. I love this book and have a feeling it will be one that I re-read at least a few times. 

[denimbex1986]

'LONG before Cillian Murphy there was Sam Waterston, and long before Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer there was Peter Goodchild’s Oppenheimer (BBC4, Friday), which is being reshown for the first time in decades.

Goodchild, who was interviewed by Variety last month to coincide with the film’s release, started his BBC producing career in radio drama and later moved to television with the science documentary series Horizon.

When Horizon diversified into science docudramas in the 1970s, Goodchild, who holds a chemistry degree, got to combine his two interests in a successful series about Marie Curie.

It was his idea to make a seven-part miniseries about J Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, played by Waterston. First shown on BBC2 in 1980, Oppenheimer was a big hit with viewers and critics, winning three Bafta awards. It also garnered Emmy and Golden Globe nominations after it was shown on PBS in the United States.

The budget of £1.5m (about €7.5m today) – 90pc of it coming from the BBC, the rest from WGBH Boston – might seem like a grain of New Mexico sand compared with the £100m price tag of Nolan’s Imax epic.

Back then, however, it was a huge spend for a British drama.

A huge physical production, too, with scrupulous attention to detail. For maximum authenticity, Goodchild, now 83, told Variety, the Manhattan Project’s Los Alamos Laboratory was recreated on a purpose-built set in Colorado Springs, complete with water tower and replica bomb.

The supporting cast was made up almost entirely of American actors based in Britain.

Two notable exceptions were future Poirot star David Suchet as the excitable, voluble Hungarian physicist Edward Teller and Edward Hardwicke (Dr Watson to Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes) as his Italian colleague Enrico Fermi.

Viewers who have grown used to watching even modestly budgeted dramas shot on HD video that mimics celluloid film may find the switch from Oppenheimer’s interior scenes, which were mostly shot on videotape in a studio in the UK, to the ones shot on film in America a little jarring at first.

But the story is so engrossing you cease to be aware of the contrast after a while.

What’s remarkable is how well Oppenheimer, which was written by Peter Prince and directed by Barry Davis, holds up 43 years later.

There’s none of the slowness or staginess you sometimes see in dramas from the period. Friday’s opening two episodes positively zipped by.

They spanned the years 1938, when Oppenheimer was at the University of Berkley, to 1942, when Lieutenant General Leslie Groves (Manning Redwood), ignoring warnings about Oppenheimer’s long associations with active communists and championing of left-wing causes, put him in charge of the Manhattan Project, which was to be housed in a high-security facility in Los Alamos.

Waterston, just four years ahead of his best actor Oscar nomination for playing Siydney Schanberg in The Killing Fields, is fantastic as Oppenheimer.

You can see why the BBC was prepared to pay him well above the normal rate for appearing in one of its dramas and to put him up in a luxury hotel during filming.

He conveys Oppenheimer’s charisma, intelligence, brilliance and charm, especially to women.

But we also see his ruthlessness and arrogance.

When we meet him, he’s romantically involved with psychiatrist and communist Jean Tatlock (Kate Harper), who suffered from clinical depression (she died by suicide in 1944), yet thinks nothing of casting her aside when he sets eyes on his future wife Kitty Puening (Jana Shelden), who at that time is married to someone else.

They tumble into an affair. In one particularly cruel moment, he humiliates Jean by turning up at a dinner party at her home with Kitty on his arm.

Even at this stage, the seeds of Oppenheimer’s downfall are being sown. Naively unconcerned about the dangers of having communist friends, he doesn’t realise he’s already under FBI surveillance.

A terrific drama from a far more creative age of TV.'

[liroyalty]

Children of the future Empress Suzanne in v!long live the queen-

Primrosa Lucifenia de’Lareryth Heart, Crown Princess of the Lareryth Empire

The sole child of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart, & sole heir to the throne of the newly expanded Lareryth Empire. After marrying her arranged spouse, Seth de’Lareryth Heart & being crowned queen, Sue kills Seth 2 years later, as well as the only two other legitimate children of the former king & queen. Having failed to get pregnant by Seth before his death & no other legitimate child to pass the crown off too, Sue solely inherits the power of the Empire. Sometime later, after Seth’s death, Sue begins a ‘courtship’ with Arthur Rogue of Jailiam, in an effort to combine their shared vision of a uniting the 12 tribes of Jailiam under one banner. They’re very successful in doing this together, & afterwards, she ends up killing Arthur to take all he’s conquered under the Lareryth Banner, but not before getting pregnant from Arthur. Deciding that it would be best to have at least one heir on hand, Sue carried the pregnancy to term & was delighted to see she had a daughter that was her spitting image & affectionally names her daughter after her beloved mother, ‘Primrosa’. Sue would raise her daughter to be both tough, elegant & intelligent, giving her a military education similar to her own Camellian military upbringing, & allowing Primrosa to study anything she pleased. The Crown Princess proved to be no slouch, & like her mother, craved as much knowledge as she could get, so studied a incredibly wide range of subject, from math & science, to politics, to art & even forbidden magics. Primrosa also was shown to be a very excellent marksmen with varies types of guns, as well as a gifted magus, one of the most gifted of the era. She also holds the same attitude as her mother, sharing little time for fools & is very blunt & straightforward with her ways. She does, however, enjoy a bit of spotlight, & socializing(with the right people anyway). Despite some nobles of the large Empire believing that Primrosa is unfit to rule such a large empire created by her mother, Sue herself firmly believes her daughter if more then ready to rule when the time comes.

Daughter with Warlord Arthur Rogue. Faceclaim - Jieun from The Abandoned Empress

Errol Kingsford Chuuno, Crown Prince of Avalon

The firstborn of two children & heir to the throne of Avalon. [This particular child will be portrayed by the other party, so his personality will be decided by them]

Son with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Cedric Islar from Lilian of Turin

Hera Rosa Chuuno, Princess of Avalon

Secondborn of two children, spare heir to the throne of Avalon. She is both very smart & intelligent, able to keep up with some of the brightest minds of the time in complicated conversations. Hera appears the part of a soft & dainty princess, but her heart beats with ambition. Knowing she is the spare heir, she intends to marry a Crown Prince somewhere so she can be in line to become a Queen, much like how her mother did.

Daughter with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Kaira de Orsia from There’s No Use Hanging On

Rosarita Nox de'Lareryth Heart, Crown Princess of the Lareryth Empire

Firstborn of three children & the only daughter of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), heir the the throne of the Lareryth Empire. Of all the royal children, she is the most refined & the most magically gifted, able to be both elegance & charming, while throwing death threats & insults towards those she deems her enemies. She is one of the few people, along with her mother & father, who can keep her first brother, Lucas, calm & controlled when he is angry. Studying in her younger days a large array of subjects, including having military training, Rosarita’s best subject was undoubtably forbidden magics, making her a strikingly powerful magus.

Daughter with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Roxana Agrece from A Way to Protect the Female Lead’s Older Brother.

Lucas Sangue de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Secondborn of three children & the first son of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), he was originally the ‘spare heir’, but gave his position to his younger brother instead, officially making him last in line for the Lareryth Throne. Lucas is the chaotic combination of his mother’s assertive personality, his father’s borderline insanity, & both parent’s willingness to kill other people as if it was a mere chore. This makes the prince very statistic in his nature & nearly completely apathetic towards others, with exception to a select few, like his family. He can also be possessive of those few things he cares about, to the point of explosive violence, & seems to have issues with being violent all together. Despite being a prince, he acts nothing like one, with his behavior & speech being like that of a delinquent, lacking even the most basic of refinement & respect. His physical strength also appears abnormal, & while he is not quite at his father’s level, it’s clear a few Atomite genes were passed onto Lucas.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Jeremy Agrece(Adult form) from A Way to Protect the Female Lead’s Older Brother

Jonas Finn de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Thirdborn of three children & the second son of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), he is the official spare heir since his older brother’s stepping down from the position despite being so young. Despite his youth, Jonas appears like a very bright & intelligent child, studying a large array of subjects. His entire focus appears to be on his studies, rarely ever appearing in public or at social gatherings, which he holds a strong distaste for. He is blunt when speaking to others, but mostly appears to avoid talking to others if he can.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Lloyd Cardence Valentine(young form) from Becoming the Villain's Family

Lawrence Shinpachi de'Lareryth Heart, Crown Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Firstborn of two sons between Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Oni Shinpachi, heir to the throne of the Lareryth Empire. His father’s last name was made to be his own middle name in the memory of the man his father was before his birth. Being the prefect picture of his mother, it’s unknown to the Lareryth Court exactly how Lawrence’s father is, but it is mostly believed that he is former King Seth de’Lareryth Heart’s son. While this isn’t true, Sue & Oni decided it best to let the court believe such, so Lawrence’s claim for the throne couldn’t be argued. Lawrence himself was raised to be a kind but firm prince, to be chivalrous yet not let such a nature allow him to be pushed around. He holds true to his upbringing, & is quite the force to reckon with in debates of any nature, while also being a delight to have as a friend & within one’s social circle.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Perez Brivacheu Durelli(Adult form) from I Shall Master This Family!

Kichiro Genji de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Secondborn of two sons between Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Oni Shinpachi, spare heir to the throne of the Lareryth Empire. Born with his father’s brown hair & his mother's black pearl eyes, he is considered one of the most handsome men of the Empire. Accepting of his position as simply a spare, & not really desiring any power for himself, Kichiro decided instead to decided to throw himself into knighthood. He proved to be an outstanding fighter very quickly, & rose through the ranks of the Lareryth military at lightning pace, by 15, he was already a Major General, & became a Lieutenant General the day after his 16th birthday. While he was a straightforward man, & could be frightening in certain situations, he was also a gentle soul, heading many charity originations & was a large part in aiding clean up & restoration effects in the many countries his mother conquered during her reign. He gained many metals & badges of honor for his efforts & is often called the ‘Great Knight’ or ‘Great Knight Prince’.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Kassion from Today the Villainess has Fun Again.

Mizushima Aiya, Crown Princess of Mizuho

The firstborn of Akihito & Sun Fang’s many daughters, & heir to the throne of Mizuho. Despite being born a female, & having more of her mother's traits then her fathers, Aiya's birth was an exciting one for the Mizuho court, as it was their first child after a long wait. Despite her clearly intelligent nature, Aiya was at first denied the proper education that only men got at the time, prompting both Akihito & Sun to reform the educational system to allow females, as well as the commonfolk, to pursue the same level of education that only aristocratic men were allowed. She studied a large array of subjects, from math & finances, to politics & world culture, she was also still taught the ways of noble elegance & etiquette, with Sun passing on her knowledge of how to appear both lady-like & ruthless. Aiya was also later recognized as the Crown Princess to Mizuho after Aki & Sun fall to have a male child, so the rights of succession were changed to automatically give rights to the firstborn child of the reigning monarch, regardless of their gender.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor. Faceclaim - Joo Sehwa from When the Black Moon Rises

Mizushima Taigenia, Princess of Mizuho

The first of a pair of twins consisting of herself & Chōhisa, officially the secondborn daughter & the spare heir to the throne of Mizuho, she was named a feminized form of the name 'Taigen', which means 'great ambition', Taigenia would hold true to her name. Like her older sister Aiya, Taigenia was bared from having the education that she wanted, which her case, was to learn about war & battle. Rather then waiting for the education reform of Mizuho, Taigenia simply asked her parents if she could study war in her mother’s homeland of Camellia. Agreeing this, Taigenia spent 2 years in Camellia, undergoing it’s Mandatory Military program, & returned to Mizuho as a master of stealth & Cloak-&-Dagger style of attack. She serves as the royal spy to the Mizuho court, & is very defensive of her family, especially her twin sister, & has no issues with becoming physical with other people should they anger her.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim - Xuanyuan Yu(Alternate version) from Mejaz Regulus in the World

Mizushima Chōhisa, Princess of Mizuho

The second of a pair of twins consisting of herself & Taigenia, officially the thirdborn daughter, her name is the combined version of two other names, ‘Chō’ meaning ‘butterfly’ & ‘Hisa’ meaning ‘long-lasting’, she is most called ‘Hisa’ by her family. Hisa was born very short & blind, making her be seen as a cursed child by the Mizuho court. For this, she was the most sheltered princess, & had difficultly learning certain subjects. She mostly took a liking to music & song, as it was the easiest for her to learn given it did not require sight. So, while being unable to read, write, preform math & understand science, she made it her mission to learn every musical art possible. She has mastered over 50 different instruments, with the most of them being in the stringed category.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim - Shinobu Kocho from Demon Slayer

Mizushima Bara ‘Rosa’, Princess of Mizuho

Fourth daughter & the second-to-last of Akihito & Sun Fang's children. Sun desperately wanted to name who she thought was her final child a name based her mother's, despite it being a very European name. They decided to call her 'Bara', in reference to Sun's mother's namesake flower, but her direct family addresses her as 'Rosa'. Originally born very small & thin, Rosa was a child that got sick easily, but would get healthier as she grew up. During her young years, she was often sheltered to keep her from getting sick, so took an interest in reading, as it allowed her to mentally escape to far away places; falling in love with reading quickly. This love carried over into Rosa's adult years, & she began writing stories & novels of her own.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim -Tsubaki Fujiwara from Black Summoner

Mizushima Fuyuko, Princess of Mizuho

The Fifth & truly final child of King Akihito & Queen Sun Fang’s children. A surprise child born in the dead of winter, she was named as such, her name meaning ‘winter’s child’. Being born during such a time, she seems closely tied to winter’s magic, ice, snow, chilly winds & other seasonal magics. With her grand gift, she is a well practiced magus even at her young age. Being the only one in the family, besides her mother, who has any magic at all, she is often called a ‘witch’ by the Mizuho Court.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​​. Faceclaim - Shouxie from Raven of the Inner Palace

[thenightling]

Chosen One vs. "Not like Other Girls."   Someone in my Sandman Facebook group, in in a conversation about Jim Henson's Labyrinth, asked about the prequel comics.   When I said I didn't like them because it relied on the "Not like other girls trope." the person tried to imply that I'm a self-loathing misogynist by saying "So not like Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker or all those others?"  No, not like that.   That's a "Chosen One" trope, not a "Not like other girls" trope.     When I say "Not like other girls (or women) I mean it goes out of its way to depict most women as subservient and submissive / passive and with limited to no personality while this character is "special" because she's strong and assertive, not a "chosen one."  But just strong-willed.   The story is about Jareth's mother and her experiences in The Labyrinth and  "Not like other girls" is NOT the same as "Chosen One" trope. Buffy (Buffy The Vampire Slayer), Emma (Once Upon a Time), = Chosen one. Girl with a personality = "Not like other girls."   Note the subtle and offensive difference. A Chosen one is a hero destined for greatness because of some matter of how they were born or a prophecy, or they have a special power that no one else does, that sort of thing.  Any one of any gender can be a Chosen One hero if the plot calls for it.    With Buffy The Vampire Slayer it was said that in each generation there would be a slayer.  Buffy happened to be it.   In Once Upon a Time Emma was "The Savior." The adult daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming raised in our world and destined to save her people from The Dark Curse.   In Harry Potter, Harry's mother died saving him from Voldemort and there was a prophecy that only Harry could truly destroy Voldemort. "Not Like Other Girls" trope = Sexist idea that women are usually inferior and the girl / woman has actual personality traits that the writer obviously only associates with men.   Chosen One = A traditional "Only you can save the day" Hero.   There IS a difference, guys! By the way, no, I do not like the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot.   I love Phoebe in Ghostbusters: Afterlife and I loved Kylie in Extreme Ghostbusters.  I don't like the ones in the 2016 movie.  For starters, unlike the original Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters 2, instead of using actual parapsychology terms they make up terminology that contradicts even theoretical physics.  i.e. a device that destroys ghosts instead of capturing them.  Energy cannot be destroyed, only changed or transferred.   Then you have the "intellectual one" licking her nutrina wand / proton blaster after use.  According to the movie's own lore the blaster is the tail end of a nuclear accelerator, it literally fires a stream of charged atomic particles. Do you know what that could do to your tongue?  They also came off as rather mean spirited and had far too much slapstick.   I, as a little girl, could relate to Egon, I can't relate to whats-her-name in the 2016 film.  And yet I loved Phoebe in Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I brought up Ghostbusters 2016 because the last time someone suggested I hate female protagonists or other women it was 2017 or so and someone in my Gothic Horror group literally called me a self-loathing misogynist for not liking the 2016 Ghostbusters movie and I never quite got over it. Sarah in the original Labyrinth would have been special for solving the Labyrinth as a boy or a girl.   She was more of a chosen one.   However Jareth’s mother is a “Not like other Girls.”  In fact several characters literally kept saying how she’s not like other girls.  Simon Spurrier has a bad habit of writing his women characters like that, as if most women are inferior lifeforms but these particular ones are not. He even did that with Dora in his 2018 Dreaming comics.   

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NotLikeOtherGirls?fbclid=IwAR2Xmsq5XOrwNLMid5BrZ0T26IKV863vZUmZkDc2rXm4i_zwnhYD-kU2wQ4

[mylyricpages]

‘AFTER THE SHIP COMES IN’ - ARCHIVE SERIES - VOL. III ( FULL LENGTH VERSION ) ( 2013 )

For me the lyrics that didn’t end up on my ’official’ lyric collections for whatever reasons still have their own charm and their own little place in my affections. Often they didn’t get onto those collections because they didn’t turn out quite as I’d imagined, or they didn’t quite fit in with the tone of the material that surrounded them, or sometimes, there simply wasn’t enough room on the particular collection they seemed to belong to.

But something about them still had a certain ‘something’ for me that just couldn’t be ignored.

I’ve got a few personal favourites among them and I’m glad that they can now finally see the light of day …

Hope you enjoy

James Ellis

‘After The Storm’ Sessions ( 2007 )

UPON THESE STREETS NO MORE

THIS IS OUR TOWN

I ACHE FOR YOU

DELIVER US

A WORLD AWAY

HYMN FOR YOU

‘The Silence & The Sound’ Sessions ( 2008 )

WHEN THE TRUTH IS WEIGHING YOU DOWN

YOUR MODERN MIRACLES

TALKIN’ BIG BAD CHRISTMAS BLUES

‘Age Of The Restless Heart’ Sessions ( 2009 )

THE CONTENDER

HOMECOMING ( GHOSTS IN THIS PLACE )

SWEET MARY ANN

‘When The Sky Fell Down’ Sessions ( 2009 )

ALWAYS

A FINAL SIGH ( MY SWEET SALVATION )

HEADLIGHTS ON NIGHT ROADS

‘Post Atomic Blues’ Sessions ( 2010 )

I’M COMING HOME

A WANDERER’S SONG

Compiled December 2013

UPON THESE STREETS NO MORE

I.

Wake up every morning, there’s a deep quiet that hangs in the air around here thought I saw you in the mirror thought I felt your touch but you’re no longer here same house, same room same bed, but you you’re missing you’re still missing

You’re missing You’re missing

Everyday I’ve thought I’ve seen your face in all the crowds thought I’ve seen you at the same old places with all the same old faces thought I’ve seen you stood over my bed at night no voices, no laughter no light, ‘cause you you’re missing you’re still missing

You’re missing You’re missing

II.

Found myself going from the alleys where death was the salvation of the homeless saints to the motels where suicide cocktails were a nightly escape

for a sign of you for a sign of you

Found myself going from the broken people living in their broken down tenements to the cocaine kings with their empires built upon the blood stained pavements

for a sign of you for a sign of you

Found myself going from the hot stench of a hundred greased up joints to where the street corner princes would score their cheap brutal points

for as sign of you for a sign of you

Found myself going from the pool hall pimps living their lives beneath the neon strips to where the downtown gamblers were down to their last chips

for a sign of you for a sign of you

Found myself among the sweet sisters who sold their souls to the blessed night to where the young punks risked their lives for glory in bloodied fist fights

for a sign of you for a sign of you

Found myself goin’ from the addicts who still had god living in their hearts to where the royal souls lived out in the old trailer parks Found myself going from the streets that dripped empty to the shelters where dreams died aplenty

for a sign of you for a sign of you

III.

Wake up every morning, there’s a deep scent that hangs in the air around here thought I heard your footsteps fall thought I heard your voice in the hall but you’re no longer here no touch, no sense, no Feeling, ’cause you you’re missing you’re still missing

You’re missing You’re missing

THIS IS OUR TOWN ( I’M NOT GIVING UP )

The lights go out at the old refinery Almost one at a time it seems to me And this town it just begins to die as it slowly fades with all our dreams

people living and people dying and all our children out to play but the emptiness still drifts through these streets from the gardens of the biggest mansions to the lights of the amusement arcades

there’s a breathless pride here that we’re somehow losing there’s a quiet strength here we’re slowly giving up I can see it, I can see it in all of our eyes

Well, we sold our dreams for gold and we sold ‘em for silver we sent it so far down the river we sold our faith for a dollar sign Well, we let ourselves live out our lives beneath a constant sky of grey we let it all fade away beneath our weary feet within our weary gaze

Well, we closed off our hearts we whistled away our fragile hopes beneath the crashing sound of the rollin’ thunder shut our eyes tight and grew blind as this town began to go on under But someday soon these clouds will pass us by

It’s the luck of the draw, my friend it’s the lottery of the modern times but still, these are not the days to be giving up on our lives

I’m not giving up I’m not giving up on our lives I’m not giving up I’m not giving up on these times

I’m not giving up I’m not giving up

This is our town This is our town

I ACHE FOR YOU

Hear the sound of my angels whispering softly As the hours slip away again September air, this feeling of losing you haunts my thoughts again Hear the sound of this new day as it begins As the hours fade away again Autumn air, this feeling of losing you haunts my thoughts again

Hope to open my eyes one more time Hope to hold you somewhere outside my mind It’s just a hope now a small hope I still have of you

So, everything I am is still all of you So, everything I am is still all of you And as I sleep I dream of you

You sleep so faraway, I sleep here alone You sleep so faraway I ache for you I ache for you You sleep so faraway I sleep here alone I ache for you I ache for you

On my own on my own

DELIVER US

You’ve got to change the world for yourself You’ve got to pull it all together now Sweet child, it’s tough, never enough to get you through the longer days You’ve got to learn to give your hurt away You’ve got to somehow try to live in today Sweet child, got so confused got so used to the song always playing in your head

You close your eyes for someplace new fry to forget all the things you’ve been through but you can’t find the colour that surrounds you at all any more

You always find comfort somewhere in your mind ‘cause inside it always feels just fine but you can’t find the things that used to help you at all any more

And it feels as if it’s all fallen through And it feels as if it’s the end of the line to you but just let me help let me help you if I can

You know the more I learn the less I under stand the more I can give up to you

You know the less I have the more I believe the more I can give up to you

You and I can deliver us You and I can deliver us

A WORLD AWAY

It was in thought of you, that I heard such a faraway melody I felt something special, something deep inside of me heard a sound that caught the air above the sea caught a glimpse of you that might just carry me

Here I am, safe in my own skin Here I am, lonely again deep in my own world

I found myself in a different day I found myself gone astray I found myself in another place lost without a state of grace

Now you’re a world away from me Now you’re a world apart from me Now I’m a world away from you Now I’m a world apart from you

Morning falls in this room, all my thoughts are filled by you I wish I’d stayed that day, I wish I could find my way felt the grace of angels as I let myself sleep reached for a part of heaven that might just carry me

Here I am, wrapped in my own skin Here I am, secure again lost in my own world

I found myself under cruel pity’s stare I found myself beyond repair I found myself never wanting to stay lost without anything left to say

Now you’re a world away from me Now you’re a world apart from me Now I’m a world away from you Now I’m a world apart from you

I was born again, I was coming home to you again Until somehow I lost my way again I was coming home again I was coming home

but now I’m a world away I’m a world away from you

HYMN FOR YOU

Let me be your late night prayer, let me be the light at the top of your stairs Let me heal your deeper soul Let me find a saving grace a beautiful grace for you Let me sing a hymn a hymn for you

Let me be the church for your faith Let me be the strength that’s in your grace Let me heal your deeper soul Let me find a lasting song a heavenly gospel song for you Let me sing a hymn a hymn for you

So let me shine a light on you So let me shine a light upon you Let me sing a simple hymn a simple hymn for you

I’ll sing a hymn, a hymn for you for all the things I see in you I’ll sing a hymn, a hymn for you to help you see that love always surrounds you

I’ll sing a hymn, I’ll sing a hymn for you

I’ll sing a hymn I’ll sing a hymn

WHEN THE TRUTH IS WEIGHING YOU DOWN

Oh brother, I made a phone call to god the other day told me for all our sins we will soon have to pay Oh brother, I got a phone call from Jesus left on my answer machine said he’d forgive me if I’d give myself up to the age old dream

Oh brother, it’s hard facing as your thoughts keep racing it’s hard facing up to all the things you’ve done

Oh brother, it’s hard sleeping as your mind is weeping it’s hard sleeping after all the things you’ve done

Oh brother, I’m just a wandering son So far from home lost upon this road you and I are travelling upon

Oh, brother, I’m just a wandering son what do I do when the truth is always weighing me down

Oh brother, I passed angel Gabriel stood in the rain told me I need to believe in some thing when I’m caught up in so much pain Oh brother, somehow I found myself beside the devil in the gutter where I lay said he’d save my soul if the price I was willing to pay

Oh brother, it’s hard staying for a price not worth paying it’s hard staying after all the things you’ve done

Oh brother, it’s hard praying as your faith is fading It’s hard praying after all the things you’ve done

Oh brother, I’m just a wandering son So far from home lost upon this road you and I are travelling upon

Oh, brother, I’m just a wandering son What do I do when the truth is always weighing me down

when the truth is weighing me down when the truth is weighing me down

YOUR MODERN MIRACLES

They say you have the healing hands if I only have the faith some of them believe you’re the answer to the question in this never ending race I heard all those people talking said you parted the rivers just like that but I don’t want to believe in your modern miracles at just a tip of the hat

An enigmatic face, with an enigmatic name have you been here before? are you the same? maybe they’re crying in the streets but don’t you put your healer’s hands on me

please don’t take all of my pain away I don’t think I believe in all that you have to say don’t care for the things I’ve heard I’m not about to spread the word need to be left alone to decide on my own

I need to be left on my own

They say you have the answers to all the questions I have some of them believe you’re the father and mother of every child in this land I heard all of those people whisper said you set the world alight just like that but I don’t want to believe in your modern miracles with just a tip of the hat

An enigmatic man, with an enigmatic plan have you been here before? tell me if you can maybe they’re dying on the streets but I don’t you ever try to take my blame away

please don’t take all of my pain away I don’t think I believe in all that you have to say don’t care for the things I’ve heard I’m not about to spread the word need to be left alone to decide on my own

I need to be left on my own

Oh, I need to be left alone

TALKIN’ BIG BAD CHRISTMAS BLUES

I’ve had a little time away from you And I’ve decided it wasn’t enough I’ve had so much time to myself Funny now, how things don’t seem so tough

I’ve had a little while away from you And I’ve realised your smile is just for show Maybe I’ve had too much time to myself I’d love to smash your face into the snow

You carry on with the presents I’ll carry on with the food You answer the door to the carol singers because I’m just not in the mood

How can you be so different today You’ve been so self absorbed all year Honey, how can you be so two faced when you don’t even want me here

December twenty fifth, suddenly you’re so damn nice All wrapped up for Christmas baby Yuletide sugar and spice

Honey, it’s gonna be a cold day in hell before I spend another Christmas with you

I’ve had a little while away from here And I didn’t shed one damn tear I’ve had so much time to myself Funny now, how things seem so clear

I’ve had a little time to myself and I’ve decided that this time I’m through Maybe I’ve had too much time to myself don’t think I could spend anymore time with you

How can you be so different today You’ve been such a bitch all year Honey, how can you be so two faced when each of us would rather be any where but here

December twenty fifth, suddenly you’re so damn nice All wrapped up for Christmas baby yuletide sugar and spice

Honey, it’s gonna be a cold day in hell before I spend another Christmas with you

Well, another Christmas with you? Honey, I’d rather spend it alone Well, another Christmas with you? Honey, maybe I’ll hitch a ride to the moon Honey, I’ll never spend another Christmas here with you Hey Santa, room for one more?

THE CONTENDER

I’m on my way home ma, on a home bound train travelling through the night under a cold hard rain left the ring behind me and everything that comes with that big city life Well, beat my last opponent, ma but in the ring he did go and die Ma, I hope you understand this man’s blood I do have upon my hands

Now my fighting’s all behind me my history’s been written and I’ve punched myself out of the door now my kingdom of riches has fallen to ruins and my crime, ma has well and truly been paid for

I fought the champion of champions, ma, under the glow of the big bright lights oh ma, I can’t remember how many fights I had to fight to get that far it was such a long way from those fights in the ship yards and the blood of those back streets when a man had nothing else to give but his bare fists and his small town dreams

I fought my way up out of the gutter, ma as you know so well got paid their rotten money and my soul I did sell ma, each son has gotta make his way in this damned world take his chances for his tale to tell

maybe I was no more than a kid when I fought my way into the big leagues but I fought my way into being a man and I bled upon the canvas for my dreams well ma, my first fight was with Jimmy down at the amusement arcade my last fight was in the neon of Las Vegas I guess nothing much has really changed

Oh ma, I had it all, the biggest dream a man might ever get to dream I had the rage inside me the hunger to let rip all of my grief

I fought so hard, ma, to escape the days of those dirty back streets I fought so hard against my own beliefs

I got hurt so bad, hurt others in return there ain’t no lesson ma that can’t ever be learned when there’s just you and him in the ring when there’s no where to run for you or for him

Oh ma, when I arrive home please open your door put your arms around me tight

Oh ma, give me a mother’s comfort give me a place to sleep again through the night Oh ma, kiss me upon the forehead give me a place to sleep for just a time

With thanks to Bruce Springsteen

HOMECOMING ( GHOSTS IN THIS PLACE )

Well, time slips away and you and I got nothing left but our old war stories the old times haunt our soul and we just sit our way through these days dreaming of all the good times and all the past glories you and I got all our old memories to hang onto but that’s about all that we got left

Well, you and I are home now I can’t hardly remember this place now Well, you and I are home now this is our home coming now

this is our homecoming this is our home coming

Well, somehow lost myself down on the old streets today to the thoughts of the times between you and me Some things remain just the same others they just change beyond belief Mr, we fought for you and your own but somehow we can’t even get a place to call our home

Well, you and I are home now I can’t hardly remember this place now Well, you and I are home now this is our home coming now

this is our homecoming this is our home coming

Well, I’m shut off from all the dreams we used to have and we’re ghosts in this place that used to be our home We’re just the disappeared the gone without a trace around this place now Mr, how can you hate those that fought for all that you believe in I’m living here with my nightmares each night and day while you and your own are free of our sins

Well, you and I are home now I can’t hardly remember this place now Well, you and I are home now this is our home coming now

this is our homecoming this is our home coming

SWEET MARY ANN

These dusty old rooms, it never feels warm in here anymore there’s the sound of her lonely footsteps upon the old wooden floor there’s no mail ‘cept for the bills no calls ’cept something to be sold she catches herself in the quiet feels her blood run so very cold

she sleeps through the night lost to her childhood dreams till way past dawn She knows what it is to truly be alone

no one to care for, far too many memories to forget glasses always half empty in this house full of regrets each day begins to feel longer than the last finds herself living her life through the past

she sleeps through the night lost to her childhood dreams till way past dawn She knows what it is to truly be alone

She wonders if she still has god on her side, wonders if her sins will always outweigh her pride She wonders if she can escape this life she’s somehow trapped in

she sleeps through the night lost to her childhood dreams till way past dawn She knows what it is to truly be alone

last night she dreamt she was still a child, running out where the pines grew tall and wild out of breath, her heart pounding oh so fast but at least she felt she was free at last

Oh sweet Mary Ann She wishes she was a child again

Oh sweet Mary Ann She wishes she was a child again

ALWAYS

A child simply never a man, head always buried in the sand Standing on the shoulders of a girl who’s so much taller than I am So much, so little in common sightseeing from a view up above falling through the atmosphere a momentum from the altitude of love

A child simply never a man, eagerly gossiped about sometimes just as easily ignored not quite separated but still apart You strip mime for a stranger you’re a cross over success a haunting image in silhouette in a state of permanent undress

Somewhere between defeat and surrender I found you Somewhere between contentment and unrest I found you I found myself thinking it makes perfect emotional sense

I stutter in awe of you you are beyond me always better than all of me always, yes always

I falter in awe of you you are beyond me always better than all of me always, yes always

A FINAL SIGH ( MY SWEET SALVATION )

In my darkest hour, nothing seemed right My heart kept telling me You would save me You’re the one salvation the one guiding light My heart kept telling me You would save me

tell me, is this an everlasting silence Is this an everlasting peace Is this a final sigh

A final sigh

In my darkest hour, no words in my mouth My heart kept telling me You would save me You’re the one beautiful hymn the one gospel song My heart kept telling me You would save me

tell me, is this an everlasting silence Is this an everlasting peace Is this a final sigh

A final sigh

You are the one who found me You are the one who saved me You are the one who gave me hope again

You are the one who gave me hope again

HEADLIGHTS ON NIGHT ROADS

I see the shimmer of morning up ahead I see the distant light up ahead against this bitter winter cold I see the headlights shine I see the headlights on night roads the headlights always up ahead of me

Need to reach for the light need to get through the night Need to listen for the sound Need to listen for the sweet sound of you to get me through this dark, dark night

I see the glisten of morning up ahead I see the distant light up ahead through this cold winter mist I see the headlights shine I see the headlights on night roads the headlights always up ahead of me

Need to reach for the shining light need to get through the dark of this night Need to listen for the sound Need to listen for the sweet sound of you to get me through this dark, dark night

Need to get through this night through this night to you

Need to get through this night through this night to you

I’M COMING HOME

I’m cold and I’m lonely, and I’ve been so far away things seemed so much better In the days before yesterday

I’m coming home I’m coming home

Some nights I feel so useless, and don’t have a thing to do Only now, child, I realise I should have stayed with you

I’m coming home I’m coming home

And each night I can still feel your sweet breath Upon my lips And each night I can still feel the touch of your hand upon mine

I want to come home I want to come home to you

I want to come home I want to come home to you

A WANDERER’S SONG ( MAX’S SONG )

Well, better get my meal ready, better get my bed made up man, I got nine lives to live so I guess I’m always gonna try my luck Well, if you wanna be my best friend you better give your house up to me man, I just need a place to rest my weary head the rest I’ll give to you for free Well, I ain’t never gonna stay still for long I’m always gonna move from place to place man, I might get dirty, I might get beat up but I ain’t never gonna lose my grace

I’m max the cat, I’m max the cat man, I know just where it’s at I’m max the cat, I’m max the cat man, I’m a real class act I got the moves and I got the style I got the million dollar smile I’m max the cat I’m max the cat

Well, I got a nose for trouble and I got my head held high Man, got my senses to the ground and got my aim to the sky Well, I’ll spend my days under the sun and I’ll travel my own road beneath the night man, I’ll follow my curiosity where it takes me I won’t ever back down from any fight Well, ain’t no place safe when I need to sleep just gonna curl myself up wherever I might be man, gonna lay myself down whenever I feel the need

I’m max the cat, I’m max the cat man, I know just where it’s at I’m max the cat, I’m max the cat man, I’m a real class act I got the moves and I got the style I got the million dollar smile I’m max the cat I’m max the cat

Well, I’m a wanderer and you know I ain’t no stray I’ll be back in the end but you won’t see my face for days man, gonna get you to hold me tight in your arms, gonna steal away your heart with my natural charms Well, I might spend my days carefree and wild I might strut my stuff and parade my style but man, if there’s one thing I’ll always do it’ll be to come home sweet home to you

I’m max the cat I’m max the cat

I’m max the cat I’m max the cat

[baristabirdgoddess]

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure bed rest doesn’t mean take out the soldering iron.” Kendra scolded in a soft voice as she entered the lab. She crossed the room to a table where the Atom suit lay still while it’s owner was working on what looked to be to suit’s circuitry. 

Kendra leaned against the table, fixing Ray a concerned yet firm look. “At least sit down before you fall down, Ray. Let me take over.”

@raypalmer-atom​

[smalls-words]

A Princess in Goodness Class?

Summary: Mal and the VKs come to the island of Auradon, expecting prissy princesses and princes. But when Evie finds one that’s not like the rest, she’s determined to set Mal up.

Pairings: Mal x Fem!Reader, Evie x Reader (platonic), Ben x Reader (best friends, platonic obvi)

Genre: Holy Trinity (Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort)

Warnings: Homophobia (the word d*ke is used a lot by a bitchy blonde boy), mean parents, near death about three times, Maleficent is truly evil.

A/N: Reader is designed like me (masc-presenting, but with pressure to be fem). Also, I know that Amphitrite and Poseidon are a thing, but in this timeline, they are not. Also also, gods genes are so fucked that familial relationships by bloodline don’t exist, so... keep that in mind :)

*not my gif*

You hated school. Absolutely hated it. You were one of the only Auradon Kids that acted like a Villain Kid, doing anything you could to miss school. However, the motivation of your overbearing Mom was enough to keep you inside.

But you were pleasantly surprised to find yourself in the same chemistry class as the Evil Queen’s daughter, funnily named Evie, and you sat next to her whilst Doug sat on the other side. 

You had an agreement with your teachers - get the work done, and then you can go do what you like. But, your Mom had her own rules too; you would not be able to enter the ocean until the final bell rang, which she would know since she claimed she could always see you.

So, like it or not, you had to suffer through chemistry. 

Until…

“Hey. Hey. Oy.” 

You ignored the VK until she pulled out your earbud, earning her a glare from you. “What?” 

“Who’s the next in line here? For a throne?” She asked you, and you rolled your eyes.

“Couldn’t care less.” 

“Just tell me who.” She begged, and you sighed, looking around the room. 

“Chad Charming. Son of Prince Charming and Cinderella. Absolute airhead, don’t know what he’s doing in Chem.” You grumbled, noticing the teacher come up into your view.

“Y/N, can you tell me the atomic weight of Silver?” He asked you as he caught you talking.

“107.8682.” You answered.

“Nerd.” Chad remarked, the VK looking at you for a response.

She watched as a grin came upon your lips before a greenish-blue hue enveloped your irises, her head turning at the sound of Chad screeching and now had water stains on his pants. 

“What the hell, Salacia?!” He growled at you, but you stuck out your tongue. 

“Salacia?” Evie looked at you as Chad left, intrigued. 

You smirked at Evie and simply put your earbud back in your ear, finishing your last question before handing in the work and leaving. 

“See you later, Queenie.” You said as you ducked out of the room.

She turned to Doug, watching his answers carefully. “Who’s she?”

“Y/N? Daughter of Amphitrite.” He shrugged.

“Amphi-what-a?” Evie stammered. 

“Amphitrite. You know…?” Doug made a wave gesture with his hands but Evie still didn’t get it. 

“Amphitrite is the Queen of the Seas. Y/N is the princess.”

Evie’s eyes widened with intrigue, coincidentally timed with the ring of the recess bell, and she sprinted out of the room to find Mal. 

“M!” She found her by the gardens, drawing in her sketchbook.

“Hey, E.” The half-fae smiled at her. “What’s up?”

“I found the perfect match for you!” She squealed, sitting down with her mirror in hand.

“Mirror Mirror in my hand, show me Y/N Salacia.”

The glass swirled before your face came onto it, a focused turn in your lips whilst the background seemed familiar. Evie and Mal looked up and saw you walking across the garden, heading straight for the swimming pool.

“Let’s go!” Evie tried to pull Mal up onto her feet, but failed.

“No. I’m trying to stay focused on our mission.” Mal scowled, but it lessened as her friend gave her a knowing look.

“What? You think by drawing the wand over and over it’ll magically appear in your hand?” 

Mal glared at Evie before her eyes drifted to you as you stepped into the pool centre. “Okay, fine.”

Evie squealed once more before dragging Mal to the centre, opening the door to the stench of pool chemicals. She led Mal to the side as she heard your voice chattering away, a gurgled version of multiple voices coming back. 

“Hey hey hey, I know you all like the Surface World, but one at a time, please!” You chuckled, waiting for your siblings to get in line. 

One by one, they asked you about school, your job as the pool cleaner, how your friends were. You had no answers for the last question, as they were interrupted by the sound of talking behind you. 

“Who’s there?” You questioned sternly, pushing your hand through the mirage to make it stop.

You threw a spurt of water around the corner and two voices came back, one a familiar-toned squeal and another a brand new growl. You stepped around the corner to face Evie and her friend, the infamous Mal. 

“Hey Queenie. What are ya doing here?” You folded your arms, cocking your head to the side.

“Um… Nothing?” She offered.

“Hmm. Seems like you were eavesdropping.” 

“And so what if we were?” Mal snapped back, making you grin. 

“Nice to meet you too, Mal.”

“Who were you talking to?” Evie asked.

“My family.” 

“And where are they?”

“Under the sea.” 

Mal frowned at your short responses. “So why aren’t you under the sea too?”

“Because I have to learn how to be a princess, according to Mom.” You retorted. “They don’t really have that kind of schooling beneath the Surface World.”

Mal sighed as she had to take off her soaked jacket, glaring at you whilst Evie stepped in front of her. “So, now that we’re all friends, can we all play nice?”

You looked down at your phone. “Well, I actually have a class with you two.”

Evie snatched your phone from your hands, seeing the ‘Remedial Goodness’ title. “You, a princess, are taking a Goodness class?”

“What can I say? I don’t like being a pretty little thing for people to stare at.” You shrugged, taking back your phone as you grabbed your backpack.

“So, are we going or not?” 

---

Your brain felt like it was melting within your skull as you stared at the new writing Fairy Godmother wrote on the chalkboard. 

“Question 1: If someone hands you a crying baby, do you: A) Curse it? B) Lock it in a tower? C) Give it a bottle? Or D) Carve out its heart?”

You were falling asleep at this point, looking over at Evie hopelessly when she asked for option B again. You also glared at Fairy Godmother, because you knew that not only was this compulsory, but punishment for bursting the pipes in the girls bathrooms. 

“Mal?” Fairy Godmother pointed at the purple-haired girl.

“C, give it a bottle.” She replied without a thought. 

“You are on fire, girl!” Carlos remarked.

“Just pick the one that sounds the least fun.” She shrugged, earning an ‘ah’ from all of them.

“Miss G? When can I go home?” You raised your hand so that the bend of your wrist was no higher than the width of your chemistry textbook.

“When you finish filling out the blanked words on your sheet.” She passive-aggressively retorted.

You looked down at your sheet and sighed. “Miss G, it’s in English.”

She came up to your table and gasped in light shock. “So it is! I’ll have someone fix it for you.”

“You can’t read English?” Mal scoffed as Fairy Godmother got a runner to print your sheet properly.

“Can you read Ancient Greek?” You remarked, smirking at her silence.

“I thought not.”

After filling out your sheet, now in Ancient Greek, you handed it over and grabbed your backpack. “Later, VKs.”

“Bye, Y/N! Hope to see you in chemistry!” Evie waved goodbye whilst Jay and Carlos fawned over you.

The boys quickly sprinted out of the room whilst Fairy Godmother reconsidered having you in their class, the two catching up quite quickly. “Y/N! Y/N, wait!”

You spun around on your toes by your locker. “Hey, guys.”

They both scrambled over talking to you, but then a hand came to yours and spun you back around, Chad now in your space. “Ready for our date?”

“What ‘date’?” You scoffed.

“Chemistry. Come on, Y/N, a princess has to do some work to earn her title.” He smirked.

You dropped your books into your locker and his eyes widened when yours glowed, water wrapping around his waist before he was dunked into the fountain. When he rose, you were standing in front of him.

“Get it through your thick skull, asshole! I don’t like boys!” You snarled.

“You sick dyke!” He snarled back, only to get a fist to the face.

“Y/N!” 

You turned at Fairy Godmother’s shout of your name, scowling at her but she could see the hurt in your glowing eyes. She walked down to you calmly as your breathing moved your torso, her hand coming to your shoulder in comfort. 

“Chad, apologise.” She demanded as he stood, soaked.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” He mumbled, shy under the gaze of the powerful woman. 

You scoffed without a word as he left, knowing he didn’t really mean it whilst your attention fell to Fairy Godmother. “Y/N, I’m sorry, but that’s another week of Goodness class.”

“But-!” You protested, yet she silenced you.

“I know. He will get punished. But your mother gave strict instructions to-”

You stormed away from her, clouds threatening above with thunder and lightning. Mal and Evie watched as you made your way to the grounds, magic shooting up your body to dress yourself in the school’s tourney uniform. 

“She’s on the team?!” Carlos and Jay shouted in unison.

---

After the game, in which you were taken down by a Sherwood Falcon player, you left before Ben did his little performance shtick to Mal. You were sitting in the nurse’s office, quietly healing your rib with a cup of water, before the door barged open and you lost focus.

“Hey, Y/N- oh, that looks nasty.” Evie cut herself off.

“Yes, and I was trying to heal it.” You grumbled, looking down at the water in dismay and annoyance.

“Crying over spilt water?” Mal jeered, but she didn’t get a playful glare from you.

“It’s seawater. I need it when I’m injured otherwise- Agh!” You winced, lifting your shirt to see the dark purple bruise on your torso again.

“Damn, that looks bad. What is it?” Mal questioned, coming closer.

“Broken rib. I need to heal it properly before it screws up.” You gestured for her to move back before you tried to lift the water off of the ground. 

“Agh!” You winced again, not noticing the concern in Mal’s eyes. 

“Can you just… go to my room? There’s a tank of seawater there.” You handed over the cup to Evie.

“Magic Mirror, take me to Y/N’s room.” She asked it as it rested in her palm, leaving promptly.

You slowly took off the rest of your padding before you felt light fingers on your torso, seeing Mal’s glowing eyes scanning your ribs. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” You warned, glaring your own magical eyes. 

“Just be still.” She grumbled, placing a hand over the bruise.

You felt your magic connect to hers, watching her eyes glisten like your own before you jumped back. The feeling in your chest had frazzled you, concern in her eyes. “Y/N? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay.” You looked down to see your bruise reduced to light blue, green and yellow.

“What was that-?”

“I’m back!” Evie barged through the door again, holding the cup of full seawater to your delight.

“Oh, thanks, Queenie!” You hugged her one-sidedly and took the water into your hand, holding it by your torso before it glowed.

When your hand pulled away, Mal and Evie were shocked to see the bruise completely gone. You let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding, before you slid off your jersey to hear two short gasps.

“You can look. I’m confident in my body, unlike the other girls that go here.”

Whilst Evie watched Mal, Mal watched you. The way your muscles moved underneath your skin, how your broad shoulders held your stature. She really only averted her eyes when your shirt blocked her view, the grey simplicity and the Auradon Prep logo on your breast pocket snapping her out of her thoughts.

“I will see you girls, uh… at a later date.” You shrugged, leaving the nurse’s office.

Evie grinned as Mal watched you leave, a squeal leaving the navy-haired girl. “You were gawking!”

“I was not.” Mal grumbled.

Evie simply kept the memory to herself as she guided Mal back to their room.

----

A knock came to your door and when you opened it, you grinned. “Hey, Princey.”

“Hey, Y/N.” Ben grinned at you.

“What do ya need?”

“A friend. And some help.” He continued when you raised your eyebrows.

“I thought so. You have plenty of that first part.” 

“Yeah, but you’re my best friend.” 

You smirked as you sat back down at your desk, picking your pencil back up to continue your Latin homework. “Like I said before, what do you need my help with?”

“Can you help me set up a date with Mal?” 

You looked back up at him. “You’re gonna ask her out?”

“Yeah. Why not? We’re already going to the coronation together.” He shrugged.

“Alright. Where are you gonna take her?” 

He hesitated. “The Enchanted Lake.” 

You gasped playfully. “That’s my spot, you dork!”

He chuckled. “You don’t mind that I’m gonna use it for a bit?”

“No, it’s fine.” You grinned.

With your magic, you helped Ben plan his wonderful date. The picnic was all set up on the ruined stone, many fruits and sweets alike being transported by your magic. You eventually heard him coming, Mal’s giggles echoing on the rocks, and you silently dove into the water. 

At your command, your legs merged into your tail, a creamy seafoam colour at the top that faded into a bright sea green comparable to the shallow of a cove. Your chest stayed covered in your clothes, the material now floating aimlessly in the water, before you came to rest behind the rocks per Ben’s request. 

However, what wasn’t under your command was the tiara that came upon your head, adorned with pearls and gems alike. You hated wearing it, but it was a part of your form, so you had no choice.

The date went well, as far as you knew. You saw Ben come into your view as he climbed around the rocks, looking down at you.

*Can you get the glowy rock for me, please?* He asked and you sighed.

*Go on.* 

As he jumped into the water, you controlled the currents to bring it to him. Suddenly, a melodic voice echoed around you and you turned to see Mal as the origin of it.

Her voice soared up and down the octaves, the painful but beautiful song hitting you right in the heart. How could this girl be so evil yet so… alluring? 

“If only…” She sang a few times, your voice compelled to join at a lower octave so as to not let her hear you. 

When she came to face the lake, you shuffled back and watched her sit. Suddenly though, you realised that Ben had been gone for too long. 

*Ben? Where are you?*

*Still searching for it. Just wait a second.* He replied in your mind, but Mal didn’t have a second as she dove into the water, thrashing about.

*Ben, get your ass back here! Mal doesn’t know how to swim!*

*What?! But she lives on an island!*

*With a barrier!*

You watched painfully as Mal continued thrashing about, her head ducking under the water a few times until she began to sink. Air bubbles began to surface and your eyes began to flicker, the water swirling around you.

*Crap! I can see her but I’m too far away!*

*Fuck it.* You swore, diving into the water.

It was just as clear as above the surface, if not clearer, and you swam over to Mal. Her eyes were fluttering, half-closed, and you looked back up at the surface. Even if you wanted to, she could suffer altitude sickness - the Enchanted Lake was mysterious in that way.

So, you did the only logical thing you could think of. 

You kissed her.

You felt your magic pour into it as it changed your carbon dioxide breath into life-giving oxygen, whilst you slowly swam her up to the surface. When you breached it and laid her down on the stone, she began to cough and you pulled away.

“Hold still, Mal.” You murmured, your hand hovering over her chest.

Her half-open eyes watched as water drained carefully from her lungs, not a scratch in her throat as you threw away the ball which not-so-coincidentally hit Ben in the face. He watched as Mal registered your presence, looking down to see your tail hanging over the side.

“What the hell?! What are you doing here?!” She snapped at you.

“Saving your life, apparently.” You barked back.

“I asked her to be here.” Ben interrupted your fight, watching your eyes wander away from her.

“Are you okay?”

“You scared me!” She hit his arm. “And now, I’m soaking wet!”

“Y/N can fix that for you if you want-”

“Nuh-uh. Prissy princess can go back to her stupid lake and stop creeping on dates!” She gestured to your tiara.

Mal watched you fume, but like Fairy Godmother, she saw hurt in your eyes. Much more than when Chad called you a dyke. 

“Mal, that’s not fair.” Ben scolded lightly, but you put a hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t.” You calmly stated.

Mal watched as you shuffled off of the stone, noticing how the tips of your tail were creamy like the top of it before you disappeared underwater.

“Mal, that wasn’t nice. Y/N is my best friend.” He sighed in defeat.

“Yeah, well…” She trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Both of them felt the awkwardness on the ride back to school.

----

At your next Goodness class, you sat awkwardly as the four VKs talked to their parents. Whilst they were occupied, you watched Fairy Godmother sit down next to you, looking at your drawing of your tiara.

“Do you know if Amphitrite will be attending Family Day, Y/N?” She asked you sweetly.

“She never comes. Why should I bother asking her again?” You shrugged.

“What about Poseidon? Maybe one of your siblings?”

Mal turned around as Carlos conversed with his mum, noticing your frustration. Her emerald eyes glowed and your head shot up to meet hers, eyes also glowing. 

*Talk to your mom, Mal.* You scolded in her mind.

*Are you-*

*Don’t ask me that question.*

Mal frowned at you before you shot up, shocking Fairy Godmother. She left the group and her mother, telling Fairy Godmother to stay, whilst she found you as your bedroom door slammed.

“Y/N?” She knocked on your door.

“Go away, Mal.” 

She heard your sniffle and quietly unlocked your door, opening it to see you standing with your head hung low. She slowly walked over to you and placed a hand on your back, yours catching her wrist as you spun quickly.

“Don’t touch me.” You snipped.

“Y/N, why are you crying?”

“I hate this place! I don’t want to be here any more than you do!”

You sank onto your bed and Mal watched painfully as more tears spilled. “Your parents can’t come, they have no choice - mine choose not to come.” 

She sat down on the end of your bed, unsure of how to comfort you other than a hand on your ankle. She felt you freeze for a moment before her thumb began to move back and forth, the soothing touch bringing your mind to a halt.

“Can I… Would you, uh… Would you like to join us on Family Day?” She asked slowly.

You sat up. “You’d let me do that?”

“Of course. We gotta stick together.” She nudged your shoulder and you smirked half-heartedly.

“I’m not a Villain kid, Mal.”

“No, but you’re close enough. Not quite Villain, not quite Auradon.” She grinned, tucking a strand of hair out of your face.

“I think it’s quite cute.”

You chuckled softly, the honeyed sound sweet to her ears. “Thanks, Mal.”

“I’ll come and get you in the morning, okay?” 

You nodded as she stood, watching her close the door before locking it again with her magic. You lay down on the bed, hoping that Family Day would be better with them by your side.

----

You stood at the top of the staircase, dressed in the colours of your tail to represent your family, and walked with Evie’s arm linked in yours. You greeted some of the others you’d not seen before, many of them admiring your outfit, before you came to a stop in front of the chocolate fountain. 

You reached out to touch a strawberry to the chocolate before you felt a piercing by your temple, looking up at the sky with a hidden middle finger as you ate the strawberry plainly.

“Ooh, save some for me, please.” Mal greeted you.

“Hey, you used the word please.” You remarked, grinning as she took a bite of the delicious strawberry. 

“I’m getting there.” She smirked as she looked at the badge on your chest - Princess Y/N Salacia.

“What’s the badge for?” 

“All princesses have to have one. Unfortunately, that applies to me.” You shrugged.

She grinned, adjusting it slightly so it was lop-sided. “There. Much better.”

You shook your head playfully before she was called away, watching Evie as she walked over to you. “Nice badge.” She smirked, but you saw dismay in her eyes.

“Close your eyes.” You asked, which she did.

You gently touched your fingers to your badge and then to her hands, watching her eyes widen with happiness as she saw a badge of her own - Princess Evie Grimhilde.

“How did you know my last name?” She looked at you.

“A demi-goddess knows a few things.” You smiled, giving her a hug before the call for croquet sounded.

“Hey Y/N, wanna play against me?” Jay offered.

“Oh, I’ll match that!” Ben came over, letting Mal go with Evie.

“Sure, boys. But be prepared to eat my dust.” You grinned, grabbing a croquet mallet. 

You watched the boys try and beat you, but your accuracy was too much for them. “What the hell, Salacia?” Ben grumbled playfully.

“When you train for a few hundred years under the sea, the Surface World is so much easier.” You grinned, watching Jay react to your age.

“You’re… what?!” He exclaimed, making you chuckle.

“316 years old, Jay. Mom’s a few hundred million, so I would say that I will outlive you all before I die.” You smirked.

You felt a small tickle on your wrist before you turned in its direction, noticing Mal smiling at you. You waved at her, gesturing for her to come and play, but she shook her head.

*I’ll wait until you guys are done. I’m still trying to get used to this thing.* She wiggled her croquet handle loosely and you chuckled.

*Alright then.*

*Don’t take too long, Grandma.* She teased.

*So you heard?* You asked, to which she nodded until someone on her end interrupted your mental conversation. 

You watched as Jay hit the ball too hard, shaking your head as you walked to hit it. There weren't enough balls to go around, so you and Jay had decided to share turns on his.

“You?!” 

You looked up to see Mal frightened, Audrey and Queen Leah looking at her, one with anger and one with fear. 

“How are you here? And how have you stayed so young?” 

“Queen Leah, it’s alright.” You stood upright.

“Maleficent is still on the island.” Ben came to your side, holding Mal by her shoulders. “This is her daughter, Mal. Don’t you remember my proclamation to give the new generation a chance?”

“A chance to what, Ben? Destroy us?”

You stepped forward. “Queen Leah, if I may-”

“No, you may not.” She snapped.

“You remember, don’t you? The poison apples? And the spells?! The spells…” She trailed off.

“I do remember, Queen Leah.” You muttered, feeling a gentle tickle of Mal’s magic by your hand.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Evie came to your other side.

“My daughter was raised by fairies because of your mother’s curse.” Queen Leah scolded Mal.

“So her first words, her first steps… I missed it all!” 

You pushed Evie back a bit, concern in her expression as she looked at your stiffened neck. 

Mal stepped forward. “Hey, I’m so-”

“Go away! Stay away from her!” Chad stepped in.

“Don’t do this, Chad.” Ben warned him.

“What? They were raised by their parents, Ben. What do you think villains teach their kids, huh? Kindness? Fair play? No way, okay? Uh-uh.”

He turned to Mal. “You stole another girl’s boyfriend.”

“Hey, hey!” Ben huffed.

“You enjoy hurting people.” He pointed at Jay, turning to Evie.

“Chad…” You growled, glowing your eyes at him.

“And you… you’re nothing but a gold digger, and a cheater.” Chad pointed at Evie.

“Princess Y/N…” Queen Leah warned you, your eyes turning to her.

“Mirror Mirror in my hand, who’s the biggest jerk in the land?!” Evie asked her mirror before it showed Chad.

“What? Come on!” He batted away her hand.

“Back off, Chad!” Jay growled as he shoved Chad back.

Your very short fuse blew. “ENOUGH!” 

Water rose from the opposing fountains and collided together to make a clear wall, watching the two groups stagger back at your display of power. You checked over Mal and the other VKs, going back to Mal briefly before you turned to face the others.

“What kind of princess protects villains? Huh?” Chad taunted.

“Shut up, Chad.” You grumbled.

“I’ll tell you what kind - a ‘shellfish’, bitchy, dyke.” 

Your eyes glowed brighter and spikes protruded from the wall, all pointing at Chad. “Call me a dyke one more time.” You snarled.

You looked down when a tickle formed on your chest, a small hand hovering a few centimetres away. “Y/N, don’t.” Mal looked at you carefully.

“Yeah, Y/N, listen to her.” Chad edged you on, the spikes growing sharper and closer to him.

“Y/N!” Mal put her hand on your chest and you looked down at her.

“I said don’t.” She calmly stated, all whilst you breathed heavily as anger coursed through you instead of ichor.

“Why not? When will he learn from his mistakes? When will any of you learn from your mistakes?!” You called to the crowd around you.

“Yes, I’m gay. So what?! I am next in line for the Throne of the Seas!”

You glared at Chad and his smug smirk whilst you lowered the walls of water back into their fountains. “If you don’t learn from your mistakes by then… I will rain monsoons on your pathetic kingdom.” 

You took Mal’s hand off of your chest but held it as you grabbed Evie’s, leading them towards the stairs. 

“And Ben…” You turned to your best friend.

“You’ve seen my angry side once. Make sure he is punished otherwise you will see it only once more.”

----

You sat on the small table on the side of the park as the Auradon Kids and Villain Kids sat at their respective tables, your eyes searching Mal’s lost ones.

*Are you okay?* You murmured in her mind, her eyes focusing onto you.

*Don’t ask me that question.* 

*Okay. How are you feeling?*

*Not that one either.*

You sighed, folding your arms onto your table as you rested your head on it, laying it to the side to see her smile softly. *There it is.*

*What?* She asked you, turning around to see nothing out of the ordinary.

*Your smile, dummy.* You giggled.

*What about it?* 

*It’s much better than those princesses that practice theirs in a mirror.* 

She shook her head playfully whilst looking at you. *Aren’t you one of those princesses?*

You raised your eyebrows momentarily. *I don’t practice.*

*Ah. So you just smile like that naturally? That lop-sided grin with a little dimple?*

*Me? A dimple? Look who’s talking!*

You watched her laugh with her mouth covered, your own chuckle too far away for her to hear. Mal watched you too, noticing how the colour in your magical irises seemed to swirl like whirlpool and it made her think about her own eyes.

*Just because I have a mother who cannot decide on a favourite colour, doesn’t mean your magic isn’t less beautiful.* You complimented.

*In fact, green is my favourite colour.*

*Then I’m like your mother. I can’t decide between purple, green and black.* She smirked.

You looked her up and down once. *I’ve noticed.*

“Doug!” 

Your thoughts were pulled out of Mal’s mind as you watched Doug try to talk to Evie, their blooming relationship adorable, but Chad was being a menace again. You walked up to him and gripped him by the chin, pushing him into his chair.

“Look guys! Y/N’s trying to be a bad guy!” Chad teased.

“You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, now I’m the bad guy.” You growled, making it storm on top of him whilst you stayed completely dry. 

“Y/N.” Mal warned you, a single glance having you let go of his chin, bruises already forming.

“Good luck covering that up with makeup.” You remarked.

“Good luck with your face tomorrow then.” Audrey smirked at you.

“Yeah. I mean honestly, how ugly can a princess get?” Jane smirked too, but they both froze when you smirked.

*Beware, forswear, undo Jane’s hair.* You heard Mal’s mind mutter before Jane screamed, her hair returned to its natural bob state.

“Ha ha!” You cackled mischievously. 

Mal’s hand came to rest on your back. “There’s a lot more where that came from.” She dared the girls.

“Excuse me, who do you think you are?” Audrey accepted.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?” 

Audrey watched as your eyes glowed brightly, a water ball coming into your hand as you muttered a foreign language. The girls instantly ran, with Chad’s hand held tightly in Audrey’s grip.

Mal turned to you as the water fell through your hands, giggles stopping air from coming into your lungs. A few seconds later, you took some deep breaths, clearing your eyes of tears. “What kind of spell was that?” She asked.

You chuckled whilst wiping the last tear. “That’s what’s funny - there is no spell. I just said a few random words in Latin. Pig, tree, water, Greek, pillow.”

Carlos, Jay and Evie all grinned at you before you hugged Mal with one arm, kissing her forehead. *Nobody makes fun of you on my watch… Princess Malificent Bertha.* Your voice echoed in her head.

*I’m not a princess.* She scoffed at you.

*Daughter of the Queen of the Moors? I think that counts.* You replied.

“I have to go and get fitted for my dress. I’ll see you all tomorrow.” You bid them all goodbye before leaving.

“Who are you going to choose, Mal?” Evie scolded lightly.

“What?” 

“Y/N or Ben? You can’t have both.”

Mal sighed, walking away from the group towards the kitchens. She knew she had to choose, but she didn’t want to hurt either of you.

So who would it be? 

Future King of Auradon? 

Or Future Queen of the Seas?

----

Mal sat nervously upon the horse and carriage, her dress a stunning shade of lilac as she sat next to Ben, last night’s creation in her hand.

“Don’t be nervous.” Ben took her hand. “All you have to do is sit there and look beautiful. No problem there.”

Mal chuckled. “Thank you.”

She watched his knee bounce before he spoke again. “Mal, would you wear my ring?”

“Um… Not now.” She took her hand out of his. “I think it would probably just fall right off of me.”

She silently offered him the anti-love potion muffin, telling him when to take it but he swallowed it whole on the first chance he’d gotten. 

Mal fretted. “Do you still have… Those… Strong feelings for me?”

“Well, let’s give the anti-love potion a few minutes to take effect.” He licked his fingers.

She nodded slowly. “Yeah, okay… Wait, what?! You knew?”

“Yeah, I knew.”

“Okay, I can explain myself.”

He smirked at her. “No, look, it’s fine. You had a crush on me, I was with Audrey, you didn’t trust that it would happen on its own. Am I right?”

“Yes. Yes, you are so right.”

He took her hand. “Good. Because I think I know why you gave me that anti-love potion muffin.”

He watched Mal blush before he chuckled. “Y/N is a beautiful girl. All I ask of you is that you treat her with respect, care, and honesty. She doesn’t get much of it because of her Mom and her status as the heir to the Throne of the Seas.”

Mal sighed, watching him grab a bottle of water hidden in the secret compartment. He dropped his ring into the bottle, but to Mal’s surprise, it fizzled up into nothing.

“Where’d it go?” She asked.

“To the only place I trust it to be.” He smirked.

He gave her another, a slimmer ring with a gem that swirled with sea green and purple. She gasped at the sight of it. “What…?”

“Wear it if you want. It matches your eyes and your dress.” He complimented her.

Mal followed him out of the carriage when it came to a stop, counting every step so she didn’t fall until she came to the small break in the staircase. She curtsied to the King and Queen, both of them dressed regally before an usher brought her away.

“This way.” He gestured for her to enter first.

The ballroom was massive - the ceiling stretched up high to fit the grand mosaic of Belle dancing with the King in his beastly form, as well as the choir members and her friends along with Auradon’s people. She was guided to her place at the front row, only for a small gasp of shock to leave her lips.

There you stood, in a gown as regal as your status. The cream and sea green fabrics laced well together, your hands without gloves unlike other princesses. Your tiara from the lake shone brightly on your head, your eyes drifting towards her with a gentle smile.

*Hey.* You muttered timidly in her mind.

*Hey. You look…* Mal trailed off, unable to describe your beauty, nor the fluttering feeling in her heart.

*So do you.* You chuckled, looking back up at the front doors and a few set of cameras.

*Why are you up there?*

*Mom couldn’t come, so I’m taking her place as the one to bless the new king. Who just so happens to be my best friend, and I’m supposed to do this first try, on camera, in front of millions of people-*

*Y/N.* 

You felt your hand be tickled before you looked down at Mal, noticing her soft smile as her emerald eyes shone. *Just breathe.* She murmured.

*Thanks for this, Mal.* You replied just as softly.

*I’m gonna be right here if you need someone to talk to.* 

You nodded your head ever so slightly before the doors opened, a slow breath coming from you as Ben saw you. You gave him a little wave, to which he did back, before he slowly made his way to you, the crowd bowing like a tidal wave that slowly hurtled towards you.

Fairy Godmother gently placed the King’s crown on top of Ben’s head before you stepped forward. “Do you solemnly swear never to exploit our oceans, never to greatly disturb our seas, protect our kingdom and our alliance whilst you reign?”

“I do solemnly swear.” He smiled at you as you touched a finger to the Beast's head upon the crown.

*Great job, Y/N.* Ben told you.

*Thanks. Getting sweaty palms though.* You replied sheepishly as you stepped back.

Fairy Godmother slowly took her wand from the Queen and stood in front of Ben, blessing him in her own way. After he swore to protect Auradon, she lifted her wand to tap his crown, sealing the blessing.

But it was snatched from her by Jane, and lightning shot out of the end of it, smashing a window. You created a wall of water around the King, Queen, and Fairy Godmother, your eyes shining brightly.

But they flickered when Mal stole the wand from Jane, holding it like a tiny sword. You lowered the wall around the trio by the King’s request, your gown bubbling into a shorter version.

“Mal… What are you doing?” You stepped down carefully towards her.

“Give me the wand.”

“Stand back!” She warned you.

“I told you so!” Audrey grumbled and when Mal turned to point it at her, your wall of water blocked her off.

You looked at Evie, Jay and Carlos as they ran up behind Mal, the young half-fae’s eyes seeing the hurt in yours. “No, no, do not give me that look!” 

“Mal, you’re really going to do this?” Your broken tone muttered.

“We have no choice, Y/N!” She cried.

“Our parents-”

“Your parents made their choice, just as mine made theirs. They have no power over you here, Mal, and I know you might not believe it because I didn’t initially either. But you do have a choice.”

You took a step towards her and she didn’t flinch. “I think… I think I wanna be good.”

“You are good.” You retorted.

“How do you know that?!” She sniffled.

“Because I see you, Mal. I see through the shields you put up to push people away, because believe it or not, I did the same. I see you… and I love what I see.” 

Gasps came from around the hall, but none of them had your attention like Mal had yours. 

Mal still held a grip on the wand, something the others in the hall were acutely aware of, but all you saw were broken children, neglected and manipulated by their evil parents. 

The Evil Queen cared only for beauty, even when Evie was extremely intelligent. Cruella De Vil could only see the ancestry of dogs, but Carlos saw the love in their companionship. Jafar craved power, whereas Jay craved sports.

And Mal… Maleficent deprived her of love.

You were more than willing to show yours to her.

“I don’t want to take over the world. It doesn’t make me happy.” Mal’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts.

“I want to go to school… And be with Y/N.”

Your head lifted from the ground as more gasps came from the surrounding audience. She turned around, and a tear fell as she gestured to the ring on her hand. 

“Because Y/N makes me really happy.” She tearfully admitted.

She turned back to her friends, fist extended in the middle of them. “I choose good, you guys.”

“I choose good too.” Jay smiled softly, bumping fists.

“I choose good.” Evie chuckled, adding her fist too.

Carlos hesitated before looking up at you. “So, just to be clear, we don’t have to be worried about how mad our parents will be? Because they’re going to be really really mad.”

You chuckled, shaking your head with your laughter. “Your parents can’t reach you here, Carlos.”

“Okay then. Good.” He added his fist.

Mal looked over at you. “Come here.” She gestured with her head and you added your fist, nuzzling her temple with your nose whilst the crowd erupted into cheers.

*Thank you for choosing good, Mali.* You muttered in her mind.

*That name is not sticking.* She retorted.

Suddenly, a loud crack of thunder came from above you, but you were not the one to generate it. Green smoke swirled like a rollercoaster before landing behind you, with Ben pulling you back by the wrist.

“I’m back!” Maleficent sang wickedly.

“Go away, Mother.” Mal groaned, even whilst she laughed. 

“She’s funny. Oh, I’m so… You’re very funny.” Maleficent snorted.

“Wand me. Chop-chop.”

Mal pointed the wand to Maleficent before throwing it to Fairy Godmother.

“Bibbity-bobbity-”

“Boo.” Maleficent interrupted before her staff glowed, freezing everyone except for herself and the VKs.

She wandered over to your still form, smirking as she took off your tiara. “Ah, the power of a demi-goddess and yet, still can’t break through!” She put it back on your head, albeit crooked.

“Now, where shall we start? Oh, I know!” She pointed the wand at Mal before your ring came flying off of her hand.

“Perfect fit!” Maleficent exclaimed, yet Mal’s eyes pricked with tears.

“Falling in love with a half-fish dyke? Really? Falling in love is not what you want, dearie.”

“You don’t know what I want!” Mal tearfully whined. “Mom, have you ever once asked me what I want? I’m not you!”

“Well obviously! I’ve had years and years and years and... years of practice being evil. You’ll get there.”

“No, I will not.” Mal rebutted. “And I really wish that you had never gotten there yourself. Love is not weak, or ridiculous. It’s actually really amazing.”

She looked over at your still form, noticing how your head had moved slightly. Was that when Maleficent adjusted your tiara?

Anger bubbled in her. “And now I command, wand to my hand!”

Maleficent struggled to keep it in her hand, and eventually failed, pacing around. “Give me the wand, give me the wand!”

“No!” Mal barked back.

“You all... will regret this!” Maleficent howled before green smoke enveloped her, spreading higher and higher.

And then Mal felt a soft hand take hers, looking up to see you standing on shaky legs. “Y/N?! How are you awake?!”

“Demi-goddess.” You grinned at her before a wince left your lips.

“What’s happening?!”

“Don’t worry about me. Fight your Mother, end this.” You kissed her forehead before you threw a spurt of water at the newly formed dragon.

“Hey, you fugly Fae! Fuck you!” You flipped her off before Mal stepped in front of you.

You sent power through your hand on her shoulder as she cast her spell, three chants working to put her Mother into a small lizard state. The quartet rushed down to see the commotion as Fairy Godmother was freed.

But when the rest were freed, Ben’s roar was cut short by your agonising wail. 

“Y/N!” He raced up to you before Mal could, her dress holding her down. 

“Y/N, what’s happening?!” She asked, kneeling down beside you.

Your dress began to fade as your legs merged together, your tail drier than anything in that room. You leaned into Mal as your breaths became shorter, pain rushing through your body as if hot knives had replaced your bloodstream.

“Ow ow ow ow ow…” You muttered repeatedly.

“She needs to get to a body of salt water.” Fairy Godmother ordered, but there was none nearby.

“Hold on, Y/N. Just hold on.” Mal kissed your temple softly, helping Ben carry you to a car.

They left the back doors open so your tail could extend, but the sun wasn’t helping, making you curl in on yourself. You grabbed onto Mal’s dress and she listened carefully when your mind prodded hers.

*Maleficent… She was taking my magic to fuel herself. I need… I need it back, Mal…*

Mal felt your mind fade away just as the car came to a grinding stop, the enchanted lake just below. Ben and Mal hurriedly brought you to the top of it, the breaks between your breaths getting longer and longer.

“Hurry!” The King and Queen fretted.

Ben and Mal looked at each other before they jumped off, you in their arms. Ben came floating back to the top, having let go of you, and he watched you and Mal sink.

“NO!” He roared above the surface.

Yet, all Mal heard was silence. She held onto you as you sank deeper and deeper, darkness surrounding her. She held onto you and closed her eyes, a spectacle happening around her that she couldn’t even see.

Her magic stretched out of her and enveloped you both, the remnants of your magic being gripped by her tendrils. Steadily, your magical wisps began to grow in size until you both shared half, your eyes opening to adjust to your surroundings.

“Mal!” You exclaimed, watching her eyes flutter shut.

“No no no no no! Come on, come on!” You lightly slapped her cheeks, but that just let air out.

Then your mind kicked in.

And you kissed her.

You forced the water out of her mouth, pushing the oxygen into her lungs with force each time. You didn’t stop until you felt her hands hitting your shoulder sluggishly, her eyes opening to see you.

“You’re okay. By the seas, you’re okay!” You hugged her tightly.

“Yeah, I’m- speaking underwater?!” She gasped for air but you grabbed her wrists.

“It’s okay, I can do that. Make other people breathe underwater for a period of time.” You clarified when she looked confused.

“You scared me.” Mal slapped your shoulder and you chuckled.

“I’m sorry, Mali.”

She shook her head at you before pressing her forehead on yours. “You’re so dumb.”

“I still make you happy though.” You retorted.

She nodded. “So happy.”

You held her by the waist as magic swirled around you both, her dress disappearing as a shorter version revealed itself. She looked down at your tail as swirls began to litter it, looking back up at your love-sick smile.

“What are those?” She pointed at your tail.

“Oh! It’s my royal markings.” You shrugged.

“My my, Princess Y/N Salacia. How beautiful they are.” She teased, watching you grin.

“All the better to place you by my side, Princess Malificent Bertha.” 

Mal’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

You nodded. “We have this thing, back at home, where we can only communicate telepathically with two important people in our lives. Our closest friend… and our soulmate.” 

She nuzzled in close to you, watching your tail swish back and forth as you slowly swam to the surface. “Good luck with Ben. He’s a handful.”

You snickered at her remark, only for your heads to pop out of the water to be met with cheers from Ben and the royals.

“I love you, Mal.” You murmured as your hand came to hold her cheek.

“I love you, Y/N.” She replied. “Now, I’m freezing, and I believe there’s an afterparty.”

You chuckled at her antics before swimming to the stones, helping her out first. You then lifted yourself easily out, your tail converting back to legs whilst your markings from before travelled to your arms.

You held Mal all the way back to the royal afterparty, letting her have a little nap whilst she leaned on you. Her breathing was steady, her body was warm, and her heart was full.

It was enough to send you to sleep too.

.

.

A/N - Definitely didn’t stay up until 2:30 because this idea came to me right before I fell asleep. Noooooooooooooo. 

[the-primordials]

ROMANCES【Love OR Despair?】

• Name: Arum

Gender: Male

Age: 9.4 Million

Pronouns: he/him

Species: God

Title:

(King of the Gods)

Divine Form:

Arum's true form resembles a dragon. Body length sitting at 136 meters and a wingspan of 342 meters. When in hybrid form he wields a dragon golden sword. (Hybrid form above, humanoid dragon.)

Physical Appearance:

Height (194 cm), more on the muscular bulky body build side, a rose beige skin tone, dirty golden blonde hair, chin length; messy hair. Emerald green eyes that shine with a sense of seriousness and vibrance.

Personality:

Prideful, Benevolent, Charming, Spontaneous,Stubborn.

Relationship: Great Nephew

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

Arum, King of the Gods, and God of Matter (Atoms), War and Compassion. He was the first god to be born and the first to create one of the new mortal races. He is the son of Zotikos Ruler of the Titans & Lavada Queen of the Pure (Souls). Arum is a god that is loved and revered throughout Eden. He has been known to be a fair and a just god. Arum has loved and been loved, but every time he would break off his relationships, always feeling something... or someone was missing from his life, someone to complete him. As such many have tried to fill that missing piece in his heart, but none have succeeded, yet. So will you be the void that fills that space? Or will you only break a longing heart?

• Name: Samuel Ulrich Van Doren Elsenburg

Gender: Male

Age: 23

Pronouns: he/him

Species: Human + ¼ Incubus

Talent: Aristocrat, Sorcerer, Strategist

Title:

(The 2nd Prince) (Cursed) (Son of The Witch) (He Who Rules Fire) (The Hidden Underdog)

Physical Appearance:

Height (183 cm), athletic body build, fair pale skin tone, obsidian hair, mid waist straight length hair. Crimson eyes, that hide a hidden pain.

Personality:

Caring, Extrovert, Super Cautious, Clingy, Brave. (Cold & Distant)

Relationship: none

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

Samuel Van Doren Elsenburg, the second heir to the throne of Ager Somnia, Kingdom of Dreams. Samuel was born at a young age with Leukocytosis as such he was very sickly growing up. Many considered he was cursed by the gods for having succubus blood flowing through his veins like his mother. And due to this the king turned his back on him and his mother as years went by. Till one day his mother made a deal with a Devil (Soul Seeker, Argus He Who Whispers). After she gave her life so her son could live, Samuel from then on promised himself that he'd take revenge on those who wronged him and his mother, and one day revive her. Since then Samuel distanced himself from others. He became cold and scary to all who came near him. He shut his heart off to all, even those who tried to show any form of kindness. But that is only how everyone perceived him, while his younger sister was one of the few who knows his true nature. So will you open the doors to a lonely heart, that is need of healing? Or will lead this young man to the spiralling stairs of doom and destruction?

• Name: Cliodhna

Gender: Female

Age: 689

Pronouns: she/her

Species: Succubus (Demon)

Talent: Enchantress, Illusionist, Dark Mage

Title:

(The Temptress of Man) (That B*tch) (Man Slayer) (Blight on Reality) (Heartbroken Child) (Cursed) (Witch Of The Northern Tundra)

Demon Form:

Unknown.

Physical Appearance:

Height (166 cm), bottom hourglass body build, pale skin tone, dark velvet hair, long wavy straight hair. Bright intoxicating pink eyes.

Personality:

Flirtatious, Vengeful, Caring, Courageous, Realistic.

Relationship: none

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

Cliodhna, The Temptress of Man and daughter of the Demon King. Cliodhna, was born between a forbidden love, she was a child that was never ment to be born. But in the end her mother kept her. But she also kept her secret from the rest of the Demon races, for her very existence would start wars of unheard carnage. And carnage they did start, one day Cliodhna's existence became known to the Demon race and once the humans found out about an Heir to the Demon throne, a war broke out between the two races. A war that lasted for a 100 years, a war were Cliodhna earned the title "The Temptress of Man". But ever since the gods intervened to stop that war centuries ago. Cliodhna since then became nothing more than a fairytale in history. Until one fateful day were she fell in love with a human noble. Their love was a different kind of forbidden love, but she did not care. And from this union a daughter was born that would one day make a sacrifice so great it would save the life of another. And so as the years went by and she wept for the man she loved, who died at the hands of his own people for his treacherous deed. And ever since then she has continued to torment and bring fear to the people who stole her love and daughter from her. So will you be the cement that seals the cracks in the heart that lays shattered before you? Or will revel in the pain of another, and destroy all hope she has left?

• Name: April Collins

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Pronouns: she/her

Species: Human

Talent: Historian, Detective

Title:

(Archaeologist) (Bookworm) (Someone Famous) (Lone-Wolf) (Curiosity's Biggest Fan)

Physical Appearance:

Height (173 cm), fit slightly average body build, light pale skin tone, dark brown hair, chin length curly hair. Bright deep brown eyes.

Personality:

Curious, Intuitive, Brave, Impulsive, Idealistic

Relationship: none

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

April Collins, is the daughter to the famous Professor Collins an Archaeologist who was the first to find remnants of the first humans made by Eligos. A civilization that was so advanced that it still puts people in awe of their abilities. As such it was something that many wished to learn and discover more about. Including April who follows in her father's footsteps and became a renowned Archaeologist as well throughout her younger years. She became so obsessed with everything to do with the Ancient Ones she was able to find their very first city. She has since been known by many for her hard working attitude and smart brain. That she has gained a lot of her own fame that it no longer was over shadowed by her father's. But in doing so she also attracted the bad kind of attention that comes with fame. As such she was one day kidnapped from her hotel, while on her way back to her home town. She was then coerced into finding a certain tomb, for a certain secret cult. And at first she did not want help... until she learnt of what this "Tomb" may hold within it. So will you be another great trophy for the Professor? Or will you make her see you in a different light?

• Name: Ravyn

Gender: Female

Age: 27.2 Billion

Pronouns: she/her

Species: Primordial

Title:

(Darkness Primordial)

Primordial Form:

She stands at 1.2km in height and wields a spear resembling the Spear of Longinus.

Physical Appearance:

Length (279 cm), slim hourglass body build, warm almond skin, dark royal purple scales, Amethyst hair with bit of vibrant pink, waist length slightly wavy hair. Tired soul piercing silver/purple eyes with black sclera. [Lamia looking in appearance.]

Personality:

Impatient, Stoic, Sarcastic, Selfish, Manipulative.

Relationship: Sister in law

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

Ravyn, Primordial of Darkness, Mother of the Danmed, Ruler of the Darkness, Goddess of Fear, & The Bringer of Chaos. Ravyn was the 6th Primordial to come into existence, just barely before her twin Astera. Ravyn is the twin sister to Astera 'The Primordial of Light' and sister to 'The Primordial of Space' Christos. She was known to be the quiet one of the Primordials, she mostly kept to herself, but was always in everyone else's business. She loved to cause trouble as long as it brought her entertainment, and either pain or some sort of suffering to others. But when it came to 'The Primordial of the Void' she would simply follow you while hiding in her shadows. And that was because what other's didn't know was that.... The moment she came into existence and set her eyes upon you 'The Primordial of the Void', she knew you were her soulmate a being she was willing to serve, worship... even love till the end of existence. But the day her brother tricked and sealed you away... She went to war with her brother and sister. Only to always lose. As such as the eons went by she bided her time and set in motion a plan to unseal, her lover. So will you The Empty Void accept a one sided love, or is it? Or perhaps you will use the feelings of someone so close to your arch-nemesis, to your advantage?

• Name: Invar

Gender: Male

Age: 35 Billion

Pronouns: he/him

Species: Primordial

Title:

(Time Primordial)

Primordial Form:

(Think of a mummy Pharaoh.) He stands at about 60 meters in height, and wears a golden gauntlet on his right hand and wields a Khopesh in his left.

Physical Appearance:

Height (188 cm), toned lean body build, fair skin tone, waist length wavy white hair. Strong kind curious filled crimson eyes.

Personality:

Intellectual, Friendly, Carefree, Open-minded, Wise.

Relationship: Friend?

Marital Status: Single

Mini-Sum:

Invar, Primordial of Time, God of Time and Infinity, Father of Time, Sage of Time, He Who Sees All & Knows All. Invar was the 2nd Primordial to come into existence and the second one too be born from necessity like you. The moment upon his existence it felt as if the hands of existence itself had began to move and come together forming a puzzle, which would later be known as reality. Invar was the first conscious being to exist besides you. And as such, as the eons went by, The Primordial of the Void and Time became close friends, that stood through thick and thin. When your siblings came into existence he was always there to help you when needed. Until... the day of your banishment. He who could see all that is to come. Didn't even warn his closest friend of their impending doom. Since that day Invar, mostly closed himself off from the rest. He was either in his Clock Tower or travelling to other universes timelines. When the new races came into existence he invented a new system alongside the God King. It was the status bar that would go on to revolutionize Eden forever. And as we came closer to the day of your awakening he was the first to reach out to you. So will mend old wounds of betrayal? Or will you stab him in the back the same he did you?

• Name: Ren Hashimoto

Gender: Female

Age: 16 (516)

Pronouns: she/her

Species: Human (Otherworlder)

Talent: Hero, Sage, Archmagus, God Slayer, Goddess •○□¤•◆°.:

Title:

(Summoned Hero) (Outsider) (Otherworlder) (Goddess)

Divine Form:

Unknown.

Physical Appearance:

Height (171 cm), athletic skinny body build, light pale skin tone, black hair with dyed purple, shoulder length straight hair with slightly curled ends. Light brown eyes, that seem to be lost and very lackluster.

Personality:

Depressed, Cautious, Resentful, Curious, Insecure.

Relationship: none

Marital Status: Single

Romanceable: Female MC's only.

Mini-Sum:

Ren Hashimoto, a once very ordinary 15 year old Japanese girl of Earth. Till it changed all one day when her and four of her other friends were swept up in a summoning circle, and brought to Eden. Upon their arrival she and her friends was greeted by The New Gods of Eden who offered her and her friends safe passage back to Earth and many rewards. If! She and her friends killed the Evil God Of Oblivion & Corruption for them. Since she needed to get back to her world as soon as possible she had no choice but to accept the offer. After one year of gruelling and rigorous training and many battles. Ren and her friends were able to slay The Evil One. But just as hope came knocking and she was to return home to her world and loved ones... She was hit with a infinite amount of Despair. Upon the Evil One's dying breath he transferred all of his remaining powers to the hero. Making Ren a Goddess, and in doing so binding her to this universe's reality. Both a miserable curse and a blessing. And due to this she pleaded with the Gods the old and the new to take away her divinity away. But none could help. So she went to The Ancients the oldest and most powerful of the gods... The Primordials. But when she asked the Ruler of the Primordials to remove her divinity, he refused and laughed at her plight. Since then she has been wandering the lands of Eden in search of the only glimmer of hope she has left. The one known as The First, The FORGOTTEN ONE.... THE ETERNAL ONE. So when you meet this Goddess of the winds will you answer her plight? Or will ignore and blow out her last glimmering hope?

[whitecrownsblackthrones-archived]

Since I made a post about the children Ann will eventually have, as well as Slane, it’s only fair I make a post about the children Sue will eventually have as well. So here they are, the children of the future Empress Suzanne -

Primrosa Lucifenia de’Lareryth Heart, Crown Princess of the Lareryth Empire

The sole child of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart, & sole heir to the throne of the newly expanded Lareryth Empire. After marrying her arranged spouse, Seth de’Lareryth Heart & being crowned queen, Sue kills Seth 2 years later, as well as the only two other legitimate children of the former king & queen. Having failed to get pregnant by Seth before his death & no other legitimate child to pass the crown off too, Sue solely inherits the power of the Empire. Sometime later, after Seth’s death, Sue begins a ‘courtship’ with Arthur Rogue of Jailiam, in an effort to combine their shared vision of a uniting the 12 tribes of Jailiam under one banner. They’re very successful in doing this together, & afterwards, she ends up killing Arthur to take all he’s conquered under the Lareryth Banner, but not before getting pregnant from Arthur. Deciding that it would be best to have at least one heir on hand, Sue carried the pregnancy to term & was delighted to see she had a daughter that was her spitting image & affectionally names her daughter after her beloved mother, ‘Primrosa’. Sue would raise her daughter to be both tough, elegant & intelligent, giving her a military education similar to her own Camellian military upbringing, & allowing Primrosa to study anything she pleased. The Crown Princess proved to be no slouch, & like her mother, craved as much knowledge as she could get, so studied a incredibly wide range of subject, from math & science, to politics, to art & even forbidden magics. Primrosa also was shown to be a very excellent marksmen with varies types of guns, as well as a gifted magus, one of the most gifted of the era. She also holds the same attitude as her mother, sharing little time for fools & is very blunt & straightforward with her ways. She does, however, enjoy a bit of spotlight, & socializing(with the right people anyway). Despite some noble of the large Empire believing that Primrosa is unfit to rule such a large empire created by her mother, Sue herself firmly believes her daughter if more then ready to rule when the time comes.

Main Canon Daughter with Warlord Arthur Rogue. Faceclaim - Jieun from The Abandoned Empress

Errol Kingsford Chuuno, Crown Prince of Avalon

The firstborn of two children & heir to the throne of Avalon. [This particular child will be portrayed by the other party, so his personality will be decided by them]

Son with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Cedric Islar from Lilian of Turin

Hera Rosa Chuuno, Princess of Avalon

Secondborn of two children, spare heir to the throne of Avalon. She is both very smart & intelligent, able to keep up with some of the brightest minds of the time in complicated conversations. Hera appears the part of a soft & dainty princess, but her heart beats with ambition. Knowing she is the spare heir, she intends to marry a Crown Prince somewhere so she can be in line to become a Queen, much like how her mother did.

Daughter with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Kaira de Orsia from There’s No Use Hanging On

Rosarita Nox de'Lareryth Heart, Crown Princess of the Lareryth Empire

Firstborn of three children & the only daughter of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), heir the the throne of the Lareryth Empire. Of all the royal children, she is the most refined & the most magically gifted, able to be both elegance & charming, while throwing death threats & insults towards those she deems her enemies. She is one of the few people, along with her mother & father, who can keep her first brother, Lucas, calm & controlled when he is angry. Studying in her younger days a large array of subjects, including having military training, Rosarita’s best subject was undoubtably forbidden magics, making her a strikingly powerful magus.

Daughter with @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Roxana Agrece from A Way to Protect the Female Lead’s Older Brother.

Lucas Sangue de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Secondborn of three children & the first son of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), he was originally the ‘spare heir’, but gave his position to his younger brother instead, officially making him last in line for the Lareryth Throne. Lucas is the chaotic combination of his mother’s assertive personality, his father’s borderline insanity, & both parent’s willingness to kill other people as if it was a mere chore. This makes the prince very statistic in his nature & nearly completely apathetic towards others, with exception to a select few, like his family. He can also be possessive of those few things he cares about, to the point of explosive violence, & seems to have issues with being violent all together. Despite being a prince, he acts nothing like one, with his behavior & speech being like that of a delinquent, lacking even the most basic of refinement & respect. His physical strength also appears abnormal, & while he is not quite at his father’s level, it’s clear a few Atomite genes were passed onto Lucas.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom. Faceclaim - Jeremy Agrece(Adult form) from A Way to Protect the Female Lead’s Older Brother

Jonas Finn de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Thirdborn of three children & the second son of Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Prince Consort Bowen Chunno(otherwise know as The Madman), he is the official spare heir since his older brother’s stepping down from the position despite being so young. Despite his youth, Jonas appears like a very bright & intelligent child, studying a large array of subjects. His entire focus appears to be on his studies, rarely ever appearing in public or at social gatherings, which he holds a strong distaste for. He is blunt when speaking to others, but mostly appears to avoid talking to others if he can.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Lloyd Cardence Valentine(young form) from Becoming the Villain's Family

Lawrence Shinpachi de'Lareryth Heart, Crown Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Firstborn of two sons between Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Oni Shinpachi, heir to the throne of the Lareryth Empire. His father’s last name was made to be his own middle name in the memory of the man his father was before his birth. Being the prefect picture of his mother, it’s unknown to the Lareryth Court exactly how Lawrence’s father is, but it is mostly believed that he is former King Seth de’Lareryth’s son. While this isn’t true, Sue & Oni decided it best to let the court believe such, so Lawrence’s claim for the throne couldn’t be argued. Lawrence himself was raised to be a kind but firm prince, to be chivalrous yet not let such a nature allow him to be pushed around. He holds true to his upbringing, & is quite the force to reckon with in debates of any nature, while also being a delight to have as a friend & within one’s social circle.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Perez Brivacheu Durelli(Adult form) from I Shall Master This Family!

Kichiro Genji de'Lareryth Heart, Prince of the Lareryth Empire

Secondborn of two sons between Empress Suzanne Ying de’Lareryth Heart & Oni Shinpachi, spare heir to the throne of the Lareryth Empire. Born with his father’s brown hair & his mother black pearl eyes, he is considered one of the most handsome men of the Empire. Accepting of his position as simply a spare, & not really desiring any power for himself, Kichiro decided instead to decided to throw himself into knighthood. He proved to be an outstanding fighter very quickly, & rose through the ranks of the Lareryth military at lightning pace, by 15, he was already a Major General, & became a Lieutenant General the day after his 16th birthday. While he was a straightforward man, & could be frightening in certain situations, he was also a gentle soul, heading many charity originations & was a large part in aiding clean up & restoration effects in the many countries his mother conquered during her reign. He gained many metals & badges of honor for his efforts & is often called the ‘Great Knight’ or ‘Great Knight Prince’.

Son with - @tetsuwan-atom​. Faceclaim - Kassion from Today the Villainess has Fun Again.

Aiya Mizushima, Crown Princess of Mizuho

The firstborn of Akihito & Sun Fang’s many daughters, & heir to the throne of Mizuho. Despite being born a female, & having more of her mother's traits then her fathers, Aiya's birth was an exciting one for the Mizuho court, as it was their first child after a long wait. Despite her clearly intelligent nature, Aiya was at first denied the proper education that only men got at the time, prompting both Akihito & Sun to reform the educational system to allow females, as well as the commonfolk, to pursue the same level of education that only aristocratic men were allowed. She studied a large array of subjects, from math & finances, to politics & world culture, she was also still taught the ways of noble elegance & etiquette, with Sun passing on her knowledge of how to appear both lady-like & ruthless. Aiya was also later recognized as the Crown Princess to Mizuho after Aki & Sun fall to have a male child, so the rights of succession were changed to automatically give rights to the firstborn child of the reigning monarch, regardless of their gender.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor. Faceclaim - Joo Sehwa from When the Black Moon Rises

Taigenia Mizushima, Princess of Mizuho

The first of a pair of twins consisting of herself & Chōhisa, officially the secondborn daughter & the spare heir to the throne of Mizuho, she was named a feminized form of the name 'Taigen', which means 'great ambition', Taigenia would hold true to her name. Like her older sister Aiya, Taigenia was bared from having the education that she wanted, which her case, was to learn about war & battle. Rather then waiting for the education reform of Mizuho, Taigenia simply asked her parents if she could study war in her mother’s homeland of Camellia. Agreeing this, Taigenia spent 2 years in Camellia, undergoing it’s Mandatory Military program, & returned to Mizuho as a master of stealth & Cloak-&-Dagger style of attack. She serves as the royal spy to the Mizuho court, & is very defensive of her family, especially her twin sister, & has no issues with becoming physical with other people should they anger her.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim - Xuanyuan Yu(Alternate version) from Mejaz Regulus in the World

Chōhisa Mizushima, Princess of Mizuho

The second of a pair of twins consisting of herself & Taigenia, officially the thirdborn daughter, her name is the combined version of two other names, ‘Chō’ meaning ‘butterfly’ & ‘Hisa’ meaning ‘long-lasting’, she is most called ‘Hisa’ by her family. Hisa was born very short & blind, making her be seen as a cursed child by the Mizuho court. For this, she was the most sheltered princess, & had difficultly learning certain subjects. She mostly took a liking to music & song, as it was the easiest for her to learn given it did not require sight. So, while being unable to read, write, preform math & understand science, she made it her mission to learn every musical art possible. She has mastered over 50 different instruments, with the most of them being in the stringed category.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim - Shinobu Kocho from Demon Slayer

Bara ‘Rosa’ Mizushima, Princess of Mizuho

Fourth daughter & the second-to-last of Akihito & Sun Fang's children. Sun desperately wanted to name who she thought was her final child a name based her mother's, despite it being a very European name. They decided to call her 'Bara', in reference to Sun's mother's namesake flower, but her direct family addresses her as 'Rosa'. Originally born very small & thin, Rosa was a child that got sick easily, but would get healthier as she grew up. During her young years, she was often sheltered to keep her from getting sick, so took an interest in reading, as it allowed her to mentally escape to far away places; falling in love with reading quickly. This love carried over into Rosa's adult years, & she began writing stories & novels of her own.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​. Faceclaim -Tsubaki Fujiwara from Black Summoner

Mizushima Fuyuko, Princess of Mizuho

The Fifth & truly final child of King Akihito & Queen Sun Fang’s children. A surprise child born in the dead of winter, she was named as such, her name meaning ‘winter’s child’. Being born during such a time, she seems closely tied to winter’s magic, ice, snow, chilly winds & other seasonal magics. With her grand gift, she is a well practiced magus even at her young age. Being the only one in the family, besides her mother, who has any magic at all, she is often called a ‘witch’ by the Mizuho Court.

Daughter with - @thelazyeditor​​. Faceclaim - Shouxie from Raven of the Inner Palace

[mrsdeanwinchester19]

The Dinner-Sequel to The Interview

Pairing: Steve x reader

Word Count: 3k

Summary: Sequel to The Interview.  Steve takes his wife to meet his team after her interview

Warnings: None

“Steve, do you think this dress is ok?” I ask, coming out of our walk-in closet wearing my lace, off the shoulder red dress.  Steve is taking me to dinner with the team tonight, so I want to make a good first impression.  Most people would think I’ve met the team before, but Steve kept our relationship a secret in the beginning and then the team broke up because of the Accords and we got married when we were on the run, so we really couldn’t invite any of the team members.

We had our wedding in Norway, one of the few countries that hadn’t signed the Accords.  They claimed they didn’t sign because if a non-government owned unit made from people from different countries called the Alsos Unit hadn’t helped them in World War II, the Germans would have succeeded in creating an Atomic bomb in their country.  In Norway, there was one team member, Thor, who was visiting Earth; he vouched for us.

After our wedding, we went to Wakanda on our honeymoon and visited Bucky. We had been having dinner with Bucky, T’Challa, and Shuri when we told him we got married.  He was upset that he couldn’t be there, but he understood when he found out the wedding happened when he was asleep.  When he said Steve could make it up to him by naming his first son James; Steve started choking on his Umqombothi drink.  I know Steve wants kids, but he wasn’t willing to have them while being on the run. Now that we’re not hiding, we’re actively trying for a baby.  I wonder if tonight he’ll break the news that he has a wife AND is trying to get said wife pregnant.

As I walk out of the closet, I bend down to adjust the ankle strap on my right heel.  I stand back up, smooth my dress, and look up at Steve.  He’s staring at me with a dopey smile on his face, love evident in his eyes.  “The dress itself is fine, you make it look perfect.”

“Ugh, Steve, quit it with the cheesy lines,” I protest while blushing.  Men used to say these things to their wives and girlfriends back in their time, it’s why Steve and Bucky can be prince charming when they want to be. Bucky more often than Steve now that he’s more like his old self, or so Steve says.

“I’m just being honest,” he defends, shrugging his shoulders.  He comes over to me and wraps his arms around my waist.  “You nervous?”

“What do you think?” I ask rhetorically.   I haven’t been this nervous since I first met Steve. In 2014, during a career conference once for journalists, the resort we were at was seized by terrorists.  One of my coworkers and I were the only ones from The New York Sun attending, despite the fact that it was in New York. I suppose they only wanted to go if the convention was out of town so they could get out of work and go on vacation. We were held in the resort’s Grand Hall for hours until the Avengers were able to save us.  There was a pretty big fight between Steve, Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the terrorists but luckily no one died.  I had been hurt in the kerfuffle, a broken finger, but after Steve wrapped my finger in a brace, he allowed me to interview him.  During the on-camera interview with him, Thor was teasing him in the background, doing silly faces and the “blah blah blah” hand motion.

Steve had asked for my name and number to “keep in touch and see if my finger heals correctly”.  When I gave it to him, he wrote it down in an old-fashioned address book. I hadn’t expected him to call me ever, but he did, asking for a date.  At first, he was weary of me being a journalist, in case things ended badly and I wrote a bad article about him.  However, a year later, he was thankful I was a journalist because I had access to all archived articles about the Winter Soldier.  After that happened, I knew he trusted me wholeheartedly and I felt the same. When the Accords started happening, I had access to the signing, to interview government people about it, and relayed that information to Steve about who he could trust.  That was how I found out about Norway not signing.

“They’ll love you,” he says.  “Bucky loves you, Tony will probably love you because he’ll think the interview prank you pulled on me was hilarious.  Nat and Wanda will be happy another girl is around.  Thor likes you, even Loki took a liking to you; he would love the interview prank. Clint will like you, Bruce will like you; no one has a reason to dislike you.

I turn around and take a good look at him. Royal blue dress shirt and black pants. His hair is up and I want nothing more than to run my fingers through it. He keeps me pressed to his body closely and I rub my hands along his chest. “If we didn’t have to go to dinner with your friends, I would be all over you right now.”

“Sorry, last night’s sex is just gonna have to hold you.” I give a little laugh.  “I’m just messing with you, I’ll be all over you tonight,” he growls, pulling my face up to his and kissing me deeply.  His kisses always leave me breathless, whether they’re passionate like this or small, chaste kisses when he’s leaving for work in the morning.  This however, is a whole new level and it’s making my heart go crazy.

Steve picks up the basket on the kitchen counter and we walk out the door. When we get to the car, he opens the door for me, ever the gentleman, before climbing in himself.  As he drives there, I fiddle with the hem of my dress.  I’m so worried I’ll talk too much or too little, or I’ll offend someone or embarrass Steve. What if I mention something about him that they don’t know?  Like that he bawled like a baby at Where the Red Fern Grows and Homeward Bound. Tony would probably love that but I don’t want to make Steve feel bad, I was crying too.

My biggest worry is what they’ll think of me after the interview.  Will they think it was funny or will they look at me as unprofessional for not telling them I had a conflict of interest with the Avengers?  I think Tony will like me, and maybe Nat, but I have no idea about the others.   I don’t think Bucky would come around as much as he does if he really didn’t like spending time with both Steve and me. Besides, sometimes when Steve is on a mission and he isn’t, he comes and keeps me company with old movies and our little two person book club we started.  His first choice of book was The Hobbit, which he told me he had read it when it first came out in 1937.  He was happy but not surprised to find out there were movies based on them.

When we drive up to the compound, Steve has a difficult time getting me through security.  They recognized my face and apparently Tony told them not to let me back. “Don’t alert Tony about her,” Steve said as he explained the situation to the guard.  He looked skeptical but agreed.

Steve led me upstairs, but not to the dining room where the team was waiting. He led me to his room.  “Well, well, well, Mr. Rogers, I thought we had to meet your friends in a little bit. Though I know you could probably get it done in ten minutes.”

“Ha ha ha, very funny,” he sarcastically replies.  “I just needed to grab…this,” he says, pulling his wallet out of his nightstand.  “Forgot it here yesterday.”

I simply hum in response to his explanation because I’m too busy looking around his room.  I’ve only seen it over FaceTime and in pictures.  It’s very different from our room at home. Our house, which we had just moved to from our apartment in preparation for a family, has a farmhouse theme.  Our master bedroom has a cream colored walls and one shiplap wall which our bed’s decorative headboard sits against, while our king sized bed is covered in a thick white comforter.  There’s a gray bench at the end of our bed and a blue and white rug.  There are nightstands on each side of the bed where we keep our small before bed items and our white, shared dresser is on the other side of the room, next to the door for our walk-in closet.  We have an attached bath with a clawfoot tub and a shower stall.  Our room lets in lots of natural light, which Steve loves because he likes to let the morning sun warm his back on his days off.

This room has a completely different feel to it. It’s much darker than our room at home. The walls are gray and his comforter is dark blue.  He has a black dresser across from his bed with a TV mounted to the wall above it. A plain bathroom with just a few essentials like shaving cream, a toothbrush, toothpaste, etc sit on the counter.  While our walls at home aren’t covered in pictures, we have more than the two he has here.  One is a picture of him and Bucky laughing and the other is of his parents before his father went to war; the war he never came back from.  Both pictures he has copies of hanging up at home. There’s a somewhat large window on the wall, but it’s covered with a blackout curtain.

I did most of the decorating at home, while this decorating was all him.   “Steve?” He looks at me.  “Do you not like our room at home?”

He furrows his eyebrows.  “No.  I love our place.  Why would you think that? Also, that’s very random to be bringing up now.”

“Well it’s just…this room is so different from ours at home.  I just didn’t know if you liked the darker colors better.  I want you to be comfortable in our room at home.  We can change it if you want it to look more like this one.”

He gives a little laugh and turns to face me.  “I didn’t decorate this room, Tony’s person did and he gave me this room because it’s the “most masculine”.  I prefer our room because it’s bright and spacious.  The fact that you decorated it is special to me because it’s like a present you gave to me.  Plus, I don’t have the best eye for interior design since everything I grew up with was either floral or had doilies.  But to be honest, this one feels a bit like a dungeon.  I just don’t bother to change it because I just sleep at home.  And I didn’t change it before I met you because even then I just used it to sleep, if I slept at all,” he looks into the distance, remembering all the nights he spent up in the gym, trying to beat the memories out of his mind.  He changes the subject, “Ok, so when we go down there I’m gonna have you wait around the corner and then you can come out when I tell you.”

He leads me downstairs and has me wait in a hallway. He walks around the corner and I hear Tony say, “Alright Capsicle, what’s the surprise you have for us?”

“Everybody just sit down and I’ll get to it in a minute,” he replies.  The sound of chairs scraping the floor is heard and Tony grumbles something about how he had been planning to have lasagna with Pepper tonight.  After a few seconds of silence, Steve comes back around the corner, grabs my hand, and leads me out. I nearly trip over my heels when we start moving and the pit in my stomach only grows.

At the sight of me, Tony and Natasha stand up startled. “What is she doing here?” Tony angrily asks.

“I thought you banned her,” Natasha adds on.

They all begin chattering, asking Steve why I’m here until Bucky calmly says, “Hey Y/N.”

Sam looks at Bucky confused, “You know her?”  Bucky nods his head and Sam looks at Steve, confused and a little hurt.  “Steve?”

“Everybody,” Steve starts, setting his hand on my lower back.  “This is Y/N, my wife.”

“WIFE?!” they all shout at different times.  Steve and I get bombarded with about a million questions at once.  When did we meet, why weren’t they invited to the wedding, when the wedding was, why I interviewed Steve the way I did, etc.

A loud thud on the balcony draws everyone’s attention. Thor is standing there in his armor and cape, holding his hammer.  “Sorry I’m late for team dinner,” he begins but stops when he sees me.  “Lady Y/N, I haven’t seen you since the wedding.  How has being married to the Captain been?”

“Oh you know, being married to a man-child is a struggle, but he’s hot enough for me to keep him around,” I joke.

“Thor, you know her too?” Tony asks.

“Yes I do.  Loki does too but I decided not to bring him tonight.  I think it would have been a bad idea.”

“Alright, Tony, sit down and I’ll explain everything,” Steve says.  Tony hesitantly sits down and everyone else follows.  Steve explained everything from why we met to why we couldn’t invite them to the wedding.

As he’s finishing telling the story and answering questions from the team, Tony’s bots bring in the pasta and Steve gets up and grabs something from the basket we brought.  He opens a bottle of wine and begins filling glasses.  When he gets to mine, I put my hand over my cup.  “Not tonight,” I say.

“But it’s your favorite,” he says.

“I can’t,” I say, not wanting to get in to it.

“C’mon, I won’t let you drink too much,” he says jovially.

“No, Steve…I can’t,” I say forcefully, looking up to make eye contact, hoping he understands without giving anything away.

He understands, but unfortunately his mouth works faster than his brain.  He looks down at my stomach and an excited smile spreads on his face.  “Are you…?”

I look around the table, seeing the Avengers all looking at us expectedly.  I look back at Steve and sheepishly nod.  He gasps and nearly drops the bottle, but luckily he realizes that when I reach out to catch it.

“A babe,” Thor says happily.  “Mazel tov.”

“They’re not Jewish,” Bucky says to Thor.  “Can’t wait to meet little James or Jamie.”  I give Bucky a look to let him know it’s not happening.  “Ok, Bucky works too.”

Tony puts his head in his hands looking like he’s about to pass out.  “Oh my god, we find out Steve is married to a woman I banned from the compound, and now that he’s going to be a father.”

I look at Steve to see him with tears in his eyes. Thankfully, Natasha saves us. “I’d like to propose a toast,” she says, standing up and holding her glass out.  “To Steve and Y/N, I hope you have a long, happy marriage and a healthy baby girl that you name Natasha.”

“That was the other thing we had planned to tell you tonight.  We’ve been trying for a baby.  I guess we were successful.”  Steve finishes pouring the drinks while everybody suggests baby names.  After a while, the conversation drifts to other things.  I enjoy listening to them, though they’re constantly quipping (mostly Tony).

Bucky, who’s sitting next to me, whispers to Steve, who’s on my other side, “Are we going to church this Sunday?”  The three of us go to church most Sundays. Steve and Bucky both grew up going to church, and it gives them some hope in a dark world.

Tony, who wasn’t involved in the conversation, cuts in. “Barnes, you could live at church and you still won’t go upstairs when you die.”

Bucky’s metal hand clenches so hard around his fork I’d be surprised if it isn’t bent.  He looks at Tony and gives him a very fake, overly sweet smile.  “Tony, I love how mean you are to me because it makes me feel less guilty about what I did to your parents.”

Tony stands up, slamming his hands on the table and Bucky mirrors him.  It looks like they’re about to attack but Steve intervenes.  “Tony, Bucky!  Tony, that was uncalled for and Bucky, that was unnecessary.  We know how you actually feel about your past and we’ve watched you try to change.”  Both men slowly sit back down.  “We have a guest.”  Bucky relaxes first, then Tony does.

“Y/N,” Tony addresses me.  “I need to apologize for my rudeness towards Bucky on my first night officially meeting you.  I was hoping not to fight with him tonight.”

“You call that a fight?  You should hear these two,” I say, gesturing to Steve and Bucky on either side of me.  “These guys can bicker with each other like an old married couple for hours about the smallest things.  Last week they had a 45 minute argument on how many times you can reuse a towel before it needs to be washed.”

“Wash it right away,” Steve mutters.

“Steve, we used to use towels so many times before we washed them in the 40s,” Bucky argues.

“Yeah but that was because if we needed to wash things, Mom had to heat up water and then hang-dry it on the balcony.  It’s easy to wash things now days.”

“Anyways,” Tony says, stopping their argument.  “I guess the interview you gave Cap makes sense now…somewhat.”

“Well I was pissed at him that day, so I think he deserved it.”

Tony smiles at Steve.  “You need to bring her around more often.”

Taglist: @imanuglywombat @infernal-fire @dottirose @carpediemm-18​

[denimbex1986]

'The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, according to some estimates, killed in excess of 200,000 people – without even counting those suffering from radiation poisoning-related sickness and death in the years to come.

The fire-bombings in March 1945 of Tokyo which killed around 100,000 civilians and left over one million homeless, and the devastation of Dresden which killed around 25,000, had already shown the world that the Allies were willing and capable of using weapons of mass destruction. Nonetheless, the atomic bomb was a game-changer.

The firestorm that engulfed Dresden took a concentrated effort from 772 RAF heavy bombers making four raids over three days (13-15 February 1945). It took one plane and one bomb apiece to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Not only that, the cruelty of the new super-weapon and the sickness caused by radioactive fallout would create a new type of horror in the human imagination.

The creation of the atomic bomb would go on to become one of the most significant events in human history, driving and defining the Cold War and creating a threat that still hangs over us all today. The hydrogen bomb, which began its development in New Mexico under America’s then chief atomic scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, while the atomic device was being built and tested – would be 1000 times more powerful. A new terrifying epoch had arrived.

Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds

Christopher Nolan’s biopic is a huge achievement. At the heart of this achievement is Nolan and his star Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

It is perhaps one of the greatest characters in modern drama. A character as ambitious as Macbeth and as conflicted as Hamlet; a man whose decisions have consequences that dwarf the petty concerns of princes and would-be kings. With the destruction of the world a possibility and the gruesome agonising death of thousands a certainty, it is impossible to imagine how the stakes could be any higher.

Oppenheimer is a remarkable film about a remarkable man. And like Oppenheimer himself, it is also complicated, contradictory, and flawed. At its best, the film allows us inside the mind of a man, who though incredibly driven, arrogant, and often selfish, also had severe doubts about the project which he led to make atomic weapons a reality.

When asked if he had any qualms about the number killed and maimed in the bombing of Hiroshima he replied, ‘terrible ones’. He was also obviously a quite brilliant scientist and administrator and very charming when it suited him to be so. Cillian Murphy takes this role, undeniably already packed with dramatic potential, and elevates it to remarkable heights. Murphy must surely take home a best-actor Oscar for his performance and a host of other awards besides. They will all be well deserved.

The film is also, as we’ve come to expect from Nolan, a stunning visual spectacle. Relentless, nerve-shredding, and sublime. Sonically, Nolan applies his usual sledgehammer approach, and while there are some transcendent moments of stillness (no spoilers here), the persistent score has a tendency to flatten narrative shape and blurs distinctions between perspective and timelines. The sound and score certainly deliver on intensity and excellent execution even if (as ever in Nolan’s work) they never quite let you breathe. However, that very breathlessness offers us another way into the fizzing anxiety and churning mind of Oppenheimer himself.

First-person perspective

It is interesting to note that the screenplay was written in the first person. This is highly unusual (if not unheard of), and rather than ‘Oppenheimer crosses the room’ – the script states, ‘I crossed the room’. This will have driven every creative decision in the making of the film and it will certainly have provided the platform for Murphy to build his incredible performance.

It does, however, also create a host of other problems in terms of the characterisation of the supporting cast – none of whom are particularly well-rounded or as fully formed as they could be. While the supporting cast is excellent – and it seems from interviews with them, (Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and others), that ‘supporting’ was absolutely the duty they were expected to perform – the audience is rarely given insight into what motivates and drives these secondary but nonetheless significant players in Oppenheimer’s life.

As a result, his relationships with wife Kitty (Blunt), lover Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), and brother Frank Oppenheimer (Dylan Arnold), are frequently unsatisfying and you are left admiring the presence and grace of these performers – as opposed to really investing in their stories or believing they’re real people. If this is an attempt to evoke Oppenheimer’s narcissistic personality, it doesn’t quite work; audiences don’t need to be alienated from these people even if the man himself was.

While Oppenheimer himself was (as he is referred to in the film) a ‘womaniser’ and lived in a very male-dominated world, it is also undeniably problematic to have one of the scarce female speaking-parts in the film, within a few seconds of their few lines – cut to a nude, sex scene. Putting us in the shoes of the protagonist is one thing, but modern audiences deserve better. While the carnality and intensity of the relationship between Tatlock and Oppenheimer was obviously one of its defining factors, Nolan has made a tone-deaf misstep here. The scene is saved though, by the implication that Oppenheimer, while clearly conflicted about the bomb, was also aroused by the power it gave him. It is here he quotes ‘the destroyer of worlds’ line to his lover. It’s another contradictory moment in a contradictory film.

This hyper-identification with the experience of Oppenheimer creates more problems still. After the success of the ‘Trinity’ test in the New Mexico desert, the score seems to join in with the jubilation of scientists at their great success. Can this note of triumphalism be explained away by the insistence of Nolan to tell us this story from Oppenheimer’s perspective?

Later of course Oppenheimer’s personal doubts set in, but it’s a moment of ambiguity that speaks of the film’s ambiguity on the need for the bomb, rather than our protagonist’s own story arc.

The problem of politics

Some commentators have condemned the film for its omissions. The test sites in New Mexico where the ‘Trinity’ detonation took place, and years of subsequent atomic weapons research and testing, has had a huge impact on native American people in the area.

In a recent article in Time Magazine, Buu V. Nygren, the President of the Navajo Nation, stated, ‘cancers, miscarriages, and mysterious illnesses [are] a direct consequence of America’s race for nuclear hegemony. It’s an accomplishment built on top of the bodies of Navajo men, women, and children—the lived experience of nuclear weapons development in the United States. But, as usual, Hollywood chose to gloss over them.’

It is also arguably a cop-out not to show the images of the Hiroshima blast victims – while Cillian Murphy’s horrified reactions are shown (and beautifully handled) – it is important when dealing with a story like this to honour the victims through complete candour about the savagery of the bomb. After all, if ever there was a plot device that isn’t simply a MacGuffin, it’s the real atomic bomb.

As the film passes into its final chapter, which focuses on the political machinations that led to Oppenheimer’s fall from grace, one can’t also help wondering if we’re being asked to empathise with the wrong man. The dead Japanese become statistics – our ‘hero’ has to face his worst crisis yet and the dogmatic subjectivity of the film once more shows its limits.

Oppenheimer was also a ‘fellow traveller’ and at times more or less sympathetic to the cause of socialism and communism. A fair amount of screen time is given to this aspect of his early life, and while it’s one of the most open and critical portrayals of McCarthyism and the persecution of ‘reds’ in America, there still remains the whiff of naivety and foolhardy romanticism around the most politically active characters in the film. Nonetheless, the American State doesn’t come out well, and Nolan at least seems piqued by its heavy-handed and undemocratic persecution of those who want a better world.

This film raises a great deal of important questions, some of which are easier to answer than others. Was it right to develop a bomb in the context of World War Two while the Nazi regime was busy developing its own? Once Germany had surrendered, was it right to hasten the end of the war with Japan by dropping the bomb? While it’s clear now that the answer to the latter question can only have been no, it is difficult to give a definitive answer to the first question. Also, were Oppenheimer’s ‘terrible’ qualms about the work he carried out enough to clear him of responsibility for the unnecessary murder of Japanese civilians and the poisoning of Navajo land? Where does the final responsibility lie? Can scientists – as so many of the New Mexico cohort, including Oppenheimer, attempted to do – really set themselves apart from the politicians and military that dropped the bomb?

Can Nolan be excused for lionising a man with so much blood on his hands? For even though the film recognises the man’s flaws– it undeniably does nothing to mitigate the mythic ‘father of the bomb’ status and allure that surrounded the real Oppenheimer – has Nolan minimised the suffering of the distant (non-white) victims of the bomb? Could or should he have done anything differently?

All of these are good questions, and many of them are unanswerable.

What this film has done, however, is to have reminded us of the fraught history of the creation of atomic weapons and shown us – however indirectly – that they are truly awesome and truly terrible. While the film may not go far enough in condemning the use of nuclear weapons, it is by no means a pro-nuclear weapons film. Everyone who leaves the cinema will (rightly) question the still extant threat of nuclear holocaust and challenge politicians who still cling onto nuclear arms. As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, this threat is more real than it has been since the 1980s. It’s a threat which we cannot take lightly.

Last of all, despite all these moral and political questions, and all the questions about the creative decisions Nolan and his team have made, there is something truly transcendent about this film. All its contradictions are at least appropriate to the overwhelming complexity and scale of the subject matter.

In summary, Cillian Murphy’s performance is unmissable and so is this complicated and incredible film.'

[ideshansophos]

Chapter 1

There is knowledge that is forgotten not by timespan but by choice itself. Why? Simply because our predecessors decided that the future leaders of humanity do not have the wisdom to wield it. Travelling through a portal to a particular position, may it be spacial or temporal , may belong to whatever law requires great endurance. Enough endurance for the atoms in your body to split apart and reform again in the designated destination. First time always hurts like a bitch. However, it is very much possible.

After becoming a guinea pig for temporal dissonance experiments for 14 years, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two surefire ways for time travel to occur intentionally. There are more ways but alas even with calculations they are unpredictable and unsafe. One is via generating one’s own Higgs Field in two locations. You just need to procure one for yourself. Believe me or not, there are many mad men who have already been testing with the Higgs Boson particle so you won’t even need to find one. After all, we just need it to empower the resonance with your own field. You also need to build a fast metabolism rate of your body. Anywho, this pathway will be blocked unless you are rich or working with government grants for science. The other way is a little sceptical, although I’m the living proof that this way also works. The second way is to make a pact with Astaroth. According to Solomon’s book this is the demon prince of time and space. When they tried this crazy shit on me, I pissed my pants literally. Engrave his sigil in your mind, these complete sigils can work as protection charm. That is the only way you can stay sane when an Archdemon is trying to invade your mind. It’ll take time. Mostly depends on your visualisation and mental strength. If your focus is strong, it will come. From there on, at any moment if time slows down or stops will mean that it is here. Why is there no blood, candles, sacrifice and pentagrams? Well, pentagrams only work for mages who hold authority over elements, can command lifeforce(mana) and possibly modern Celts who can read dragon veins( Techtonic Energy). It won’t do shit for normal humans. Also, pacts are not to be made lightly. For when the trade comes, it will look towards your deepest desire to manifest your wish. I messed up. To be able to revive the dead. That was the first thing that come to my mind when a time demon is in front of me and that is my regret till now. To save my mother. To be unable to do that was my price.

“ Under my authority,The gates of time and space shall yield to you. However, to maintain balance you will be unable to travel to the year 2008. Each time you travel, your body shall crumble bit by bit and mind shall go corrupt. Do you have the perseverance to accept?”

“ I accept.”

That was the only conversation between us.

This is what I got. Tattooed on my heart. I did pass out. Though it gets better. This is what lets me travel.

[your-disobedient-servant]

Voltaire’s Paméla Letters Translated: Intro and Letter #1

The letters that Voltaire rewrote in the vein of Richardson’s Paméla after his falling out with Frederick the Great have intrigued me ever since I first heard of them in November or December. Only discovered to have been a rewrite and not originals in the late 20th century, it’s hard to say how much of it is authentic and how much exaggerated or made up, but for me, the fact that they have been altered only adds to the fascination.

Six months into learning French, I’m still not sure I’m quite ready to use this as translation exercises, but I’m impatient, I found the book for very cheap, and besides, I feel that to translate Voltaire you must channel some of the hubris, so bring it on. Poetry (to my surprise, it turns out I actually enjoy translating poetry in some masochistic way) and all. In the end, I am proud of the result.

This is not a very juicy letter, but I’m sure one will come along soon enough. I’m not sure how many will I be able to complete because there’s about fifty of them altogether, but I hope I manage at least a few.

Big thanks to everyone who helped me out with the draft. The rest under the cut for brevity, English followed by original French.

FIRST LETTER

In Clèves, July 1750

It is to you, please, niece of mine, to you, woman of a wit superb, philosopher of the selfsame kind, to you who, like me, of Permesse, knows the many paths diverse; it is to you I now address this disarray of prose and verse, recount my long odyssey's story; recount unlike I back then did when, in my splendid age's glory, I still kept to Apollo's writ; when I dared, perhaps courting disaster, for counsel strike for Paris forth, notwithstanding our minds' worth, the god of Taste, my foremost master!

This journey is only too true, and puts too much distance between you and me. Do not imagine that I want to rival Chapelle, who has made, I do not know how, such a reputation for himself for having been from Paris to Monpellier and to papal land, and for having reported to a gourmand.

It was not, perhaps, difficult when one wished to mock monsieur d'Assoucy. We need another style, we need another pen, to portray this Plato, this Solon, this Achilles who writes his verses at Sans-Souci. I could tell you of that charming retreat, portray this hero philosopher and warrior, so terrible to Austria, so trivial for me; however, that could bore you.

Besides, I am not yet at his court and you should not anticipate anything: I want order even in my letters. Therefore know that I left Compiègne on July 25th, taking my road to Flanders, and as a good historiographer and a good citizen, I went to see the fields of Fontenoy, of Rocoux and of Lawfeld on my way. There was no trace of it left: all of it was covered with the finest wheat in the world. The Flemish men and women were dancing, as if nothing had happened.

Go on, innocent eyes of this bad-mannered populace; reign, lovely Ceres, where Bellona once flourished; countryside fertilised with blood of our warriors, I like better your harvests than all of the laurels: provided by chance and by vanity nourished Oh! that grand projects were prevented by doom! Oh! fruitless victories! Oh! the blood spilled in vain! French, English, German so tranquil today did we have to slit throats for friendship to bloom!

I went to Clèves hoping to find there the stage stations that all the bailiwicks provide, at the order of the king of Prussia, to those who to go to philosophise to Sans-Souci with the Solomon of the North and on whom the king bestows the favour of travelling at his expense: but the order of the king of Prussia had stayed in Wesel in the hands of a man who received it as the Spanish receive the papal bulls, with the deepest respect, and without putting them to any use. So I spent a few days in the castle of this princess that madame de La Fayette made so famous.

But this heroine and the duc of Nemours, we ignore in these places the gallant adventure; for  it is not here, I vow, the land of novels, nor the one of love.

It is a shame, for the country seems made for the princesses of Clèves: it is the most beautiful place of nature and art has further added to its position. It is a view superior to that of Meudon; it is a land covered in vegetation like the Champs-Élysées and the forests of Boulogne; it is a hill covered in gently sloping avenues of trees: a large pool collects  the waters of this hill; in the middle of the pool stands a statue of Minerva. The water of this first pool is received by a second, which returns it to the third; and at the foot of the hill ends in a waterfall pouring into a vast, semi-circular grotto. The waterfall lets the waters spill into a canal, which goes on to water a vast meadow and joins a branch of the Rhine. Mademoiselle de Scudéri and La Calprenède would have filled a volume of their novels with this description; but I, historiographer, I will only tell you that a certain prince Maurice de Nassau, the governor, during his lifetime, of this lovely solitude devised nearly all of these wonders there. He lies buried in the middle of the forest, in a great devil of an iron tomb, surrounded by all the ugliest bas-reliefs of the time of the Roman empire's decadence, and some gothic monuments that are worse still. But all of it would be something very respectable for those deep minds who fall into ecstasy at the sight of poorly cut stone, as long as it is two thousand years old.

Another ancient monument, the remains of a great stone road, built by the Romans, which led to Frankfurt, to Vienna, and to Constantinople. The Holy Empire devolved into Germany has fallen a little bit from its magnificence. One gets stuck in the mud in the summer nowadays, in the august Germania. Of all the modern nations, France and the little country of Belgium are the only ones who have roads worthy of Antiquity. We could above all boast of surpassing the ancient Romans in cabaret; and there are still certain points on which we equal them: but in the end, when it comes to durable, useful, magnificent monuments, which people can come close to them? which monarch does in his kingdom what a procosul did in Nîmes and in Arles?

Perfect in the trivial, in trifles sublime great inventors of nothing, envy we excite. Let our minds to the supreme heights strive of the children of Romulus so proud: they did a hundred times more for the vanquished crowd than we solely for ourselves contrive.

In the end, notwithstanding the beauty of the location of Clèves, notwithstanding the Roman road, in spite of a tower believed to have been built by Julius Caesar, or at least by Germanicus; in spite of the inscriptions of the twenty-sixth legion that quartered here for the winter; in spite of the lovely tree-lined roads planted by prince Maurice, and his grand iron tomb; in spite of, lastly, the mineral waters recently discovered here, there are hardly any crowds in Clèves. The waters there are, however, just as good as those of Spa or of Forges; and one cannot swallow the little atoms of iron in a more beautiful place. But it does not suffice, as you know, to have merits to be fashionable: usefulness and pleasantness are here; but this delicious retreat is frequented only by a few Dutchmen, who are attracted by the proximity and the low prices of living and houses there, and who come to admire and to drink.

I found there, to my great satisfaction, a well-known Dutch poet, who gave us the honour of elegantly, and even verse for verse, translating our tragedies, good or bad, to Dutch. Perhaps one day we will be reduced to translating the tragedies of Amsterdam: every nation gets their turn.

The Roman ladies, who leered at their lovers at the theatre of Pompeii, did not suspect that one day, in the middle of Gaul, in a little town called Lutèce, we would produce better plays than Rome.

The order of the king regarding the stage stations has finally reached me; so my delight at the princess of Clèves' place is over, and I am leaving for Berlin.

***

LETTRE PREMIÈRE

À Clèves, juillet 1750

C'est à vous, s'il vous plaît, ma nièce, vous, femme d'esprit sans travers, philosophe de mon espèce, vous qui, comme moi, du Permesse connaisez les sentiers divers ; c'est à vous qu'en courant j'adresse ce fatras de prose et de vers, ce récit de mon long voyage ; non tel que j'en fis autrefois quand, dans la fleur de mon bel âge, d'Apollon je suivais les lois ; quand j'osai, trop hardi peut-être, aller consulter à Paris, en dépit de nos beaux esprits, le dieu du Goût mon premier maître !

Ce voyage-ci n'est que trop vrai, et ne m'éloigne que trop du vous. N'allez pas vous imaginer que je veulle égaler Chapelle, qui s'est fait, je ne sais comment, tant de réputation, pour avoir été de Paris à Montpellier et en terre papale, et en avoir rendu compte à un gourmand.

Ce n'était pas peut-être un emploi difficile de railler monsieur d'Assoucy. Il faut une autre plume, il faut une autre style, pour peindre ce Platon, ce Solon, cet Achille qui fait des vers à Sans-Souci. Je pourrais vous parler de ce charmant asile, vous peindre ce héros philosophe et guerrier, si terrible à l'Autriche, et pour moi si facile ; mais je pourrais vous ennuyer.

D'ailleurs je ne suis pas encore à sa cour, et il ne faut rien anticiper : je veux de l'ordre jusque dans mes lettres. Sachez donc que je partis de Compiègne le 25 de juillet, prenant ma route par la Flandre, et qu'en bon historiographe et en bon citoyen, j'allai voir en passant les champs de Fontenoy, de Rocoux et de Lawfeld. Il n'y paraissait pas : tout cela était couvert des plus beaux blés du monde. Les Flamands et les Flamandes dansaient, comme si de rien n'eût été.

Durez, yeux innocents de ces peuples grossiers ; régnez, belle Cérès, où triompha Bellone ; campagnes qu'engraissa le sang de nos guerriers, j'aime mieux vos moissons que celles des lauriers : la vanité les cueille et le hasard les donne. Ô que de grands projets par le sort démentis ! Ô victoires sans fruits ! Ô meurtres inutiles ! Français, Anglais, Germains, aujourd'hui si tranquilles fallait-il s'égorger pour être bons amis !

J'ai été à Clèves comptant y trouver des relais que tous les bailliages fournissent, moyennant un ordre du roi de Prusse, à ceux qui vont philosopher à Sans-Souci auprès du Salomon du Nord et à qui le roi accorde la faveur de voyager à ses dépens : mais l'ordre du roi de Prusse était resté à Vesel entre les mains d'un homme qui l'a reçu comme les Espagnols reçoivent les bulles des papes, avec le plus profond respect, et sans en faire aucun usage. Je me suis donc quelques jours dans le château de cette princesse que madame de La Fayette a rendu si fameux.

Mais de cette heroïne, et du duc de Nemours, on ignore en ces lieux la galante aventure : ce n'est pas ici, je vous jure, le pays des romans, ni celui des amours.

C'est dommage, car le pays semble fait pour des princesses de Clèves : c'est le plus beau lieu de nature et l'art a encore ajouté à sa situation. C'est une vue supérieure à celle de Meudon ; c'est un terrain planté comme les Champs-Élysées et le bois de Boulogne ; c'est une colline couverte d'allées d'arbres en pente douce : un grand bassin reçoit les eaux de cette colline ; au milieu du bassin s'élève une statue de Minerve. L'eau de ce premier bassin est reçue dans un second, qui la renvoie à un troisième ; et le bas de la colline est terminé par une cascade ménagée dans une vaste grotte en demi-cercle. La cascade laisse tomber les eaux dans un canal qui va arroser une vaste prairie et se joindre à un bras du Rhin. Mademoiselle de Scudéri et La Calprenède auraient rempli de cette description un tome de leurs romans ; mais moi, historiographe, je vous dirai seulement qu'un certain prince Maurice de Nassau, gouverneur, de son vivant, de cette belle solitude, y fit presque toutes ces merveilles. Il s'est fait enterrer au milieu des bois, dans un grand diable de tombeau de fer, environné de tous les plus vilains bas-reliefs du temps de la décadence de l'empire romain, et de quelques monuments gothiques plus grossiers encore. Mais le tout serait quelque chose de fort respectable pour ces esprits profonds qui tombent en extase à la vue d'une pierre mal taillée, pour peu qu'elle ait deux mille ans d'antiquité.

Un autre monument antique, c'est le reste d'un grand chemin pavé, construit par les Romains, qui allait à Francfort, à Vienne et à Constantinople. Le Saint-Empire dévolu à l'Allemagne est un peu déchu de sa magnificence. On s'embourbe aujourd'hui en été, dans l'auguste Germanie. De toutes les nations modernes, la France et la petit pays des Belges sont les seules qui aient des chemins dignes de l'Antiquité. Nous pouvons surtout nous vanter de passer les anciens Romains en cabarets ; et il y a encore certains points sur lesquels nous les valons bien : mais enfin, pour les monuments durables, utiles, magnifiques, quel peuple approche d'eux ? quel monarque fait dans son royaume ce qu'un proconsul faisait dans Nîmes et dans Arles ?

Parfait dans le petit, sublimes en bijoux, grands inventeurs de riens, nous faisons des jaloux. Elevons nos esprits à la hauteur suprême des fiers enfants de Romulus : ils faisaient plus cent fois pour des peuples vaincus que nous ne faisons pour nous-mêmes.

Enfin, malgré la beauté de la situation de Clèves, malgré le chemin des Romains, en dépit d'une tour qu'on croit bâtie par Jules César, ou au moins par Germanicus ; en dépit des inscriptions d'une vingt-sixième légion qui était ici en quartier d'hiver ; en dépit des belles allées plantées par le prince Maurice, et de son grand tombeau de fer ; en dépit enfin des eaux minérales découvertes ici depuis peu, il n'y a guère d'affluence à Clèves. Les eaux y sont cependant aussi bonnes que celles de Spa et de Forges ; et on ne peut avaler de petits atomes de fer dans un plus beau lieu. Mais il ne suffit pas, comme vous savez, d'avoir du mérite pour avoir la vogue : l'utile et l'agréable sont ici ; mais ce séjour délicieux n'est fréquenté que par quelques Hollandais que le voisinage et le bas prix des vivres et de maisons y attirent, et qui viennent admirer et boire.

J'y ai retrouvé, avec une très grande satisfaction, un célèbre poète hollandais, qui nous a fait l'honneur de traduire élégamment en batave, et même vers pour vers, nos tragédies bonnes ou mauvaises. Peut-être un jour viendra que nous serons réduits à traduire les tragédies d'Amsterdam : chaque peuple a son tour.

Les dames romaines, qui allaient lorgner leurs amants au théâtre de Pompée, ne se doutaient pas qu'un jour au milieu des Gaules, dans un petit bourg nommé Lutèce, on ferait de meilleurs pièces de théâtre qu'à Rome.

L'ordre du roi pour les relais vient enfin de me parvenir ; voilà mon enchantement chez la princesse de Clèves fini, et je pars pour Berlin.