#How We Are His Own Sovereign Choice

[vaguely-concerned]

...the 'almond room' thing in the unwanted guest IS a reference to/play on words on amygdala, right? (amygdala comes from the greek word for almond!) I didn't read that wrong? it is stupid sexy Ianthe coyly inviting Palamedes into a different chamber of her brain, as it were?

(also the pieces of meat -- the feeding or kissing, it's hard to say which of it all -- being present right from the beginning... ianthe DOES know exactly what has happened to her, doesn't she. palamedes is just cutting his way through her layers of denial and repression all merciless and scalpel-like to get her to admit it. or, she knows subconsciously at least -- each person comes in and feeds her something that she's helpless to stop from becoming a part of her even in her coffin, with bloody kisses. oh baby love is feeding me bad meat and I have no choice but to swallow it down. like yeah I suspect that is how human contact can feel when your sense of self and boundaries developed to be a specific kind of Fucked Up lol. that shit could make a person dream of being a diamond in a glass of wine; perfect, inviolable, untouchable, eternally separate and safe. In the words of Andrea Gibson in Prism:

They say the womb is where we learn love is knowing the cord that feeds you could at any moment wrap around your neck

that is quite literally ianthe's first introduction to love -- her sister, a cord around her neck. Corona is Ianthe's other self, a second soul running around outside of her body, and she seems to consider herself as responsible for (and entitled to) the preservation of Corona's soul as her own. the way this mirrors that growing up, Ianthe had to be two necromancers in one body to let them stay together. (twins and ghosts all the way down I guess.) she's still just trying to do the same thing, I think, she's simply put on some bigger boots about it. the central problem of lyctorhood, self vs. connection/love, rears its head once again -- Ianthe existentially wants total self-contained self-sufficiency, perfect control, sovereign sway and masterdom over her soul... but she wants that at the same time as being in uninterrupted (uninterruptible!), eternal and indelible intimacy with her sister, whose soul also cannot be allowed to change. which, you know. freedom and love don't coexist the way you want them to, Ianthe, no matter how clever you are there won't be a way to get what you want. (especially not with a sister whose idea of what love is seems to go more towards being consumed, made one, by whatever violence necessary -- 'she could have taken me'.) man. Ianthe is a spectacular and ongoing piece of work, but sometimes it's hard to see how she could ever have turned out otherwise considering the conditions she was born and raised under haha.

the two-way street of the horror of digestion, whether you're the devourer or the devouree. part of you in me, part of me in you, whether either of us likes it or not we're both changed by this. bad news: you can't get out of interconnectedness by finding the cleverest loophole around it, ianthe. nice try, though)

[siderealscribblings]

0 Years, 0 Months, 15 Days

Good news; the Sovereign didn't think Furina was crazy when she said her reflection told her to find him. Whatever enchantment had spoken to her had kindly filled him in shortly after he had "woken up" and promised him something that Furina might be able to return to him.

The bad news was that Furina had no idea what it was he lacked other than tact, social grace, manners, and fashion sense. Perhaps her fate was to teach a surly dragon how to at least act like a gentleman. 

"Explain to me why I need an overcoat and an undercoat," Neuvillette demanded from the other side of the changing screen.

"Because one's appearance often forms the base of a first impression," Furina sighed, glad that he had finally stopped defying her and put on a damn shirt.

"That's foolish," Neuvillette huffed, tugging a jacket over the top of the screen.

"Be that as it may, even Mondstatians are not so libertine as to walk around naked...outside of certain colonies, I'm told," Furina said. She had privately hoped that her new ally would be amenable to taking direction from her, but the monster that looked like a man had a temperament to match, questioning everything from Furina's choice in the coronation ceremony to the decision to move him into the Palais apartments across from hers. Why seemed to be his favorite word and Furina had learned early on that he was quick to sniff out a lie told to get him to shut up. Five days into her short reign and she was already receiving so much lip from someone who ought to be standing at her side and helping like he was supposed to.

How am I supposed to lead someone who won't be led…or even be fully honest with me? Furina thought, looking up from her book as Neuvillette stepped around the side of the screen, buttoning up a starchy white shirt to hide a row of blue and white scales. I dump all my secrets at his feet like Mirror Lady told me to and he won't even give me his real name!

It was getting hard to buy the "I don't remember anything concrete about my previous lives" excuse that "Neuvillette" trucked out, but calling him on it would invite too many inconvenient questions about Furina's own murky past. He clearly didn't remember how to dress properly, that much was clear; at least Furina retained an impeccable sense of fashion.

"I can barely move in these clothes," Neuvillette grumbled, scowling as a talon tore a button off his shirt.

"Thankfully sitting on a bench requires very little movement," Furina said, wondering if they made nail trimmers to maintain dragon claws. "Unfortunately your…lineage is very difficult to hide so I'm afraid you'll have to get used to neck to toe coverage."

"Or you can be truthful for a change and tell them you have enlisted the services of a dragon," Neuvillette replied. 

"Yes, splendid idea; let's publicly announce to the world that a Sovereign has returned!" Furina said, clapping her hands.

"Good; glad you agree."

"I was being sarcastic ," Furina said, rubbing her eyes. Intelligent as he was, the concept of double-speak either eluded Neuvillette or he pointedly ignored every joke or sarcastic quip from Furina as a matter of principle. She didn't know which explanation was more annoying.

"Deceiving Heaven means deceiving everyone. It's essential that we avoid unnecessary attention as much as possible and that means convincing everyone around us that I am an ordinary goddess and you are my ordinary subordinate , " Furina said with such certainty, despite not knowing how she knew such a thing. Whenever she thought back to her life before standing on the stage, staring at her own reflection, her thoughts would inevitably turn back to her mission at hand. A little voice told her that she didn't have time to wonder where she came from or how she seemed to know things that she knew; there was too much to do here and now, despite Neuvillette's endless line of questioning.

"And what happens when I exceed my mortal lifespan, unchanged by time?" Neuvillette asked, scowling at the gloves Furina foisted upon him. "Do we just lie until your mission is accomplished?"

"Yes, that is precisely what we are going to do!" Furina snapped, a migraine straining her temples. " That is the plan for now, and if you don't like it-"

Furina reigned her anger in, taking a deep breath through her nose to steady herself. "...are you going to cooperate with me, or aren't you?"

"I said I would," Neuvillette said, eyes narrowing at Furina. "Do you doubt my integrity?"

"I doubt you understand what cooperation means if your behavior over the past few days is any indication," Furina said, folding her arms and returning his glare. "You cannot undermine me in front of my subjects; I don't expect blind obedience from everyone I lead-"

"Only in matters of fashion, it seems," Neuvillette muttered.

"... but I would hope you understand that other humans will interpret your questioning as a challenge," Furina said much to Neuvillette's irritation.

"Must humanity read into everything for hidden meaning?" Neuvillette sighed, rolling his eyes. "A question is simply a question."

"That depends on how it is phrased and when it is asked and in what company it is asked," Furina explained. "And the wrong question at the wrong time will invite suspicion that we can hardly afford. So if you must raise an issue with me, I would prefer you do it in private."

Neuvillette's brow knit, clearly unhappy with having everything from his clothing to his speech constrained by a bossy little woman who didn't even have the power to pour a cup of tea. Once or twice he considered abandoning the charlatan to weave her lies on her own, but a faint tug of energy called to him. She had something of his; something he couldn't be sure killing her would release.

Even if killing Furina would grant him wholeness…cutting down someone whose worst crime was being annoying seemed wrong to Neuvillette. Not just wrong; unjust. And for someone who knew so little about himself, Neuvillette couldn't afford to disregard the tug of instinct.

"Fine…would you like these complaints to be written as well?" Neuvillette sighed.

"Was that genuine sarcasm I detected?" Furina chuckled, patting Neuvillette on the shoulder. "Worry not; I'm sure I'll come up with a solution that will see us rid of one another before too long. Until then…it's best you follow my lead."

Neuvillette's mouth twisted into a bitter scowl as he studied his reflection, every trace of draconic lineage concealed behind starchy linens and poofy neck-scarves. Best for who?

Read More...

Chapter 1

The Games of Divinity (Neuvillette Knows AU)

[leafa-blog]

“DAY 1 REGENCY”

"Hearts in High Society"

— And I tell you no!-

— Could you stop being so irrational? — I speak with total parsimony.

— Irrational me?! Ha! Please- he was angry, his face showed it — Didn't you just hear that they are saying that I am not fit to take care of my kingdom! And you tell me that I am being irrational with that!-

— Prince, you know better than anyone that you are still a minor and the council cannot let you lead the kingdom just by your own good will, you must earn the merit of being a good sovereign - he tried to make the young man lower the fury that was trying to emerge inside him.

— hahahahahaha apparently cousin I think they saw that you are a chick so you can manage your kingdom as you wish! hahahaha-

— You better shut up Grimmjow!! If you don't want to!-

— If I don't want to, what?! Aha - he began to tease him - come on if you dare, you know very well that you still can't beat me even if you want to! You're a kid who still has a long way to go to defeat me! - he smiled arrogantly.

— Damn you!! How the hell did you end up being my relative!! You'll see!-

— Prince, that's enough - he raised his voice - now you understand why the council gave the instruction…-

— Damn if I know! Until I come of age you will be the Regent!!! Tsk! - he said, clicking his tongue trying to calm down as much as he could — it's just that I'm very upset, my father has died, the king is three meters underground! And they talk about who will lead the kingdom while we are still in mourning!! That's what has me pissed off, you'll see these old men of the Council! They are even looking for me already engaged to have offspring in the kingdom, shit! Don't they know that I have already chosen the princess of the Ice Kingdom?! She is the one I will marry, not another woman from God knows what kingdom it will be! -

— Prince Kurosaki, Princess Rukia is a good choice, and if you ask me I did not ask to be the regent, but you know well that I have served your father for many years, who trusted in my skills as a strategist and my knowledge despite my young age at that time, if I can argue it is likely that those are the reasons why I was chosen; regarding your relationship with Princess Rukia, you cannot choose until you turn twenty-one, and there are only two years left for that to happen, the princess you have chosen thinks that you could perhaps be the right choice, if you do not like the idea then you can simply dismiss him when he comes of age-

—For who you are Ulquiorra, are you talking a lot today? Is there something you're hiding from me?-

— Of course not, it's just that he's looking for answers and I'm trying to make him see reason and calm down, he can't keep acting like a little boy and fighting while arguing with Duke Grimmjow -

— Ulquiorra, why are you wasting your time with this idiot Ichigo? You know very well that if he is not suitable, the kingdom becomes mine! Hahahaha - he laughed loudly, while the orange-haired boy sharpened his gaze — Come on, don't look at me like that Ichigo, you know I'm joking, but seriously, your advisor is right, you won't achieve anything if you keep getting angry like you do-

— bu…-

— But nothing! before you continue, do you want me to list the reasons why you have not been taken into account and have been relegated while you reach the age to assume the throne? - he looked at the hazel-eyed boy who was frowning once again - One, that face you are putting on right now is the main factor, as the future king nothing should bother you! Two, you make a scandal with little things, I screw you over every five minutes and you are trying to hit me or say something, three you scream for every idiocy that happens around you, four despite your age you have not shown that you have merits of honor, come on, you are not going to rule if you have not even gone hunting with Kaien, commanding the squad of knights that he has, at this point at least one conquest or help to your people you should have made, I could continue listing, your infatuation with the Ice Princess is not the problem, it is her kingdom, if you marry her, you must open the policies between both kingdoms, and you well know that Byakuya Kuchiki He is not someone who is easily bent, you must start getting along with your brother-in-law if you want to open an improvement in politics and trade in both kingdoms- After listing each point with his fingers in front of the boy, he looked at his friend.

— You must accept that leaving Ulquiorra as regent is a good idea, maybe you will learn a thing or two about how to rule the kingdom with a cool head, it does not always have to be heart, you know well that reason is what must prevail, you have my support, but you must EARN IT, and that of all the old geezers on the council too–

— Duke Grimmjow is right, if he doesn't prove that he is capable of running the kingdom, then I'm afraid they will look for someone else who can do it-

— But there's no one else with royal blood, apart from me, Grimmjow and even Kaien!, and as far as I know, both of them won't do it, they respected my father too much to do something like that? Who the hell could take my place then?!- he snapped angrily again.

—The fact that you don't know beyond these two doesn't mean that there aren't more legitimate heirs to the throne, even if they marry one of your sisters and a boy is born, he would be the future heir while a regent other than me governs - his advisor sighed, thinking that he was getting nowhere with all this.

— Look Ichigo, you must understand that you must learn to behave, the kingdom is not a toy and you know it, sometimes you must rule with an iron fist, sometimes you must be impartial and other times you must think of strategies that achieve the best benefit, do not think that everything is rosy, you are almost an adult, you know what wars are and what happens in them, not in vain I have scars all over my body to tell you how raw they are, we are 10 years older than you, that is why we are speaking to you this way, understand once and for all that you more than anyone must learn to use every aspect that makes a king great!-

— Sometimes I'm surprised at how much Grand Duke Grimmjow has matured, it seems like it was just yesterday that I pulled him out of the mud when he fell while playing with his dog -

The blue-haired boy looked at him in astonishment as a blush of embarrassment rose across his face. "Shut up, idiot! Don't talk nonsense!"

— It's okay, I understand - he let out a sigh - it's just that I thought I could... that they would have more confidence in me, but I see that it wasn't like that... I feel like I've disappointed my father - he said a little melancholically.

— King Ishin would be proud of how he's taking all this pressure, trust me-

— Thank you Ulquiorra, you and Grimmjow have been the closest thing to brothers I've ever had, I'm grateful that you're here supporting me despite everything- he smiled at both of them.

Grimmjow with a smug smile and Ulquiorra the hint of a ghost smile that appeared on his face, showed the trust and friendship they had for each other despite not saying it very often, between them there was respect and affection in their own way.

— Well, then, Mr. Regent, what should I do to learn from you? — he said, smiling.

— Believe me, this is an honor, but a great responsibility, and I hope that the two years will pass soon so that the true heir can be returned to his rightful place.

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— Father, is this necessary?

—What's bothering you, my dear? — he looked at his daughter as she paced around the large throne room.

— It's just that... I thought... well... actually... - she tried to speak coherently but she was afraid of making her father angry, he was a very good man, he always was with her, but he was also a king and as such he was ruthless and powerful when he wanted to be.

— Come on, sit next to me, calm down and tell me what's wrong. — Although her voice sounded authoritative, it was tinged with affection.

— I'm sorry, father, but is it necessary for us to go to that kingdom? To… to meet my fiancé? - a blush rose on her cheeks — I… I don't think that… it's a good idea- her voice was getting lower and lower.

— I understand, but the kingdom of Soul Society sent me a letter, I know that the king recently passed away and that the heir cannot rule his kingdom yet, but they have chosen a Regent and from what I know he is someone very capable even for his age, I would like to know the truth and exchange some ideas with him, but you are right a union is very hasty, you are barely seventeen, although if you ask me I married your mother when she was your age and you look like her when I met her-

That made the young woman feel very good, as she was having many doubts about her future. Would she marry without love? Honestly, it was not in her plans to do so, but that is why she needed to know who the young man was that they wanted to marry her in the future.

— But still, father, you and mom got married in love, didn't you?

— Well, if you're right- he put his hands on his daughter's- let's do something, let's take the invitation, meet the young man and if it seems good to you and you approve it, you go ahead, if not, then we'll see what we can do with that kingdom, in any case we have trade to offer and political ties without the need for a real union, although if that were the case, it could strengthen our kingdoms further- he mentioned calmly.

— Okay, I think we can go and I'll give Prince Kurosaki a chance… if he's not what I want… then I won't continue with this - she looked at her father - thank you for always being so understanding - she hugged him tenderly while he returned the hug and kissed her head.

— Your mother would be proud of how much you have grown and matured — she said in the middle of the hug.

— Thank you…- he moved away a little, looking into his father's deep brown eyes - and when do we leave? -

— In three months, the regent appointed by the council has been in power for six months, but it seems that there are still things that he is handling and it will take that long for them to be able to attend to us, even though the invitation arrived much earlier -

— I understand, I imagine it must be hard for him, if you say he is still young, how old will he be? -

— From what I know of some of the emissaries, it seems that he is a young man of about twenty-seven years old, also that he is someone who has a particular face and also has a cold and distant appearance - he laughed quietly when he remembered something - it even seems that they call him Empty Prince or something like that -

His daughter also laughed when she heard what her father said. "For someone so young, he shouldn't be like this." She put her hand on his lips. "Maybe it would be good if we could invite him here sometime, maybe we could show him that there is nothing good inside the Void. I would even ask Nelliel for help for that."

— Daughter, stop the mischief, okay? -

— Okay, dad, whatever you say -

They both laughed complicitly, they loved each other and that was what was important, they were always there for each other, understanding every aspect that their status as royalty allowed them, before their kingdom "Las Noches" they were very loved, the king's implacability, his intelligence and his power as a sovereign was greatly admired, and his loving and big-hearted daughter was the perfect combination to reign over them, it is because of them that no other kingdom had faced them before or ever, because King Sousuke Aizen had been the best king that had arrived in a long time.

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— Welcome to our lands, King Aizen and Princess Orihime — he greeted politely and bowed appropriately to the greeting before royalty.

— The pleasure is our Regent Ulquiorra Cifer - he greeted politely giving a small smile, he looked around and when his daughter was at his side he took her hand.

— A pleasure, Mr. Cifer - the princess's greeting was not long in coming, lifting the hem of her dress slightly and bowing slightly.

— The honor is ours, princess - he looked directly into the young woman's hazel eyes - comments do not do justice to your beauty, without a doubt, not even the most beautiful paintings and poems of the hills facing the cliffs with the ocean as a muse could match your true beauty -

The young woman in question could not hide the blush that settled on her cheeks, she had met many young men as part of the etiquette of royalty, some who even at this point were still pretending to get her to marry, but no one had spoken to her with such subtlety, without ignoring the deep voice of the young man in front of her, not to mention matching his beautiful appearance, his hair as black as night and those eyes, with an incredible tone as green as the thick forests in front of his kingdom, without a doubt she was also amazed by his presence, so much so that she could not even articulate a response to the young man's flattery.

— My dear? - the king looked at his daughter, one did not have to be wise to be able to observe the impact that the Regent had in front of her, internally he knew how to appreciate that the young man had a very good education and even good taste - he raised his hand in front of his lips and cleared his throat - this to bring his daughter out of her reverie.

— Eh?! Oh I'm… I'm sorry! - she said sadly, hiding her face behind the fan she was holding. Her father chuckled.

— Don't worry...- the black-haired man tried to sound friendly, he was about to continue but the trumpets were heard announcing the next visitor. Everyone looked in the direction where a large white carriage with golden lines was stopping, right where King Aizen's carriage had been before.

— What? - he asked quietly without showing it, he was confused.

Announcing the kingdom's crier, he mentioned the names of the other visitors

—His Royal Highness of the Ice Kingdom, the Heir to the Throne Kuchiki Byakuya and Princess Rukia have arrived!!- was heard, while those mentioned got off the carriage.

Both wearing matching white outfits, with some black lines on their suits, they looked imposing, elegant and overly refined.

— I didn't know we wouldn't be the only guests, the letter we received didn't mention that this was a party - said the King, looking from the corner of his eye at the Regent who returned his gaze.

— A thousand apologies, Your Majesty— he bowed deeply— I'm afraid I wasn't careful and put both dates together, but don't worry, believe me, you're more than welcome— he clenched his fist without anyone noticing how upset he was, because he knew very well that he had been very meticulous, and the fact that they were here only meant one thing, and that was that the crown prince had put his hands in this matter.

The good thing about his face not showing much of the emotions was good, so no one would know that he was about to explode in anger, never but never would he make an affront of that type to any king! I mean, everyone deserves respect and sending sovereigns an invitation to hospitality for several days at the same time was not what should be done, each sovereign deserved time and dedication, as he said, it was only done that way at parties, events where several rulers could meet with the characteristic of first seeing how the kingdoms were composed and making sure firsthand the magnitude of power they possessed in each of them, of course it was also the perfect moments to exchange sons and daughters in exchange for ties with themselves, and clearly as in this case, it was not precisely that, but it was a way to try to open relations with the Kingdom of Nights, but now with this mess how to show the King that they are a serious nation that seeks the best alternatives to cooperate and unite their ties in terms of politics and trade.

King Aizen stepped closer to the nobility who had arrived right in front of them.

— Prince Byakuya -

— King Aizen -

They looked at each other intensely, some knew that there was a kind of rivalry between the two kingdoms, but not to the point of war at least.

— It's a pleasure to see you in good health, the Crown Prince said.

— I say the same, and how is your father? I have heard that he no longer travels because of his health, that he is a little delicate - I speak slowly - I will ask the gods for his speedy recovery-

— I appreciate it, you're right, you're no longer up for these long trips, so I'm taking on these roles that apparently will soon be my complete responsibility-

— Your Highness Byakuya Kuchiki, it is a pleasure to have you with us, I regret this inconvenience, that both sovereigns are in our empire at the same time- he intervened.

— Regent Ulquiorra Cifer - the prince quickly looked the young man up and down - I see that you have done very well, congratulations on your mention - he looked away as he searched for his younger sister.

— Rukia -

— Nii-sama - he spoke quietly - it is a pleasure King Sousuke Aizen - he made a very proper and elegant bow before the brown-haired boy.

— Princess Rukia, the pleasure is mine, you are a very beautiful young woman, compared to the immaculate glamour of snowflakes- said the King.

— I appreciate your compliments, and…- he looked to the side, and saw the young woman who was with the older man — I think you must be Princess Orihime, isn't that true? - he spoke subtly

— Oh yes... I'm sorry, Prince Byakuya - she looked at the aforementioned - Princess Rukia - she bowed, she looked nervous, and how could she not be, if she rarely attended formal events, her father always indicated that she could miss it, because she always felt a little self-conscious with a lot of people around especially if there were etiquette involved, she would prefer to be free running in the field barefoot if the crown were allowed to perform such actions.

— Apologies again sovereigns, please let us go to the living room, I will send for the prince to accompany us - he walked forward a little, not leaving aside that he took a small look at the young woman with orange hair, he sighed internally knowing the reason for the change in the Kuchiki royalty's schedule.

— Hinamori - I said and a small young girl quickly approached

— Yes sir - he bowed.

— Please go prepare the hall and… - he came a little closer so that only she could hear him - prepare more food, the prince was up to his old tricks again, send for him and have him get to the great hall as soon as he can, let me know before he arrives, I must speak to him seriously - he said the last thing harshly.

— Okay sir - he couldn't help but recoil in fear, he knew the young man was kind but when he got angry, that was another story.

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— Well? I'm still waiting for your coherent and justifiable explanation for this uncomfortable and irreverent situation - the black-haired man spoke harshly.

— Oh come on Ulquiorra, don't get angry... this is just part of the plan - the boy in front of him mentioned without any regret.

— What plan, if I may ask? -

— I'm just trying to let everyone know who my future wife will be, you said it yourself, I must improve my relations with Byakuya and what better way to invite them, I wasn't going to wait another six months to see Rukia -

He let all the air out of his lungs, he was furious but he wouldn't show it, not like that, not in that way, he really wondered sometimes if Ichigo understood the concept of maturity and responsibility before what it meant to become King. He looked at the shine in his eyes, even though he didn't handle the issue of feelings like the rest of the people did, he knew that the boy was deeply in love, but precisely for that reason he was doing crazy things that would only bring problems to the kingdom.

— Listen… - I try to start.

— What the hell did you do today Kurosaki Ichigo!! - he came in raising his voice.

— Grimmjow? What the hell is wrong with you? Don't go screaming like a madman, don't you see that we have guests?! - he reproaches his cousin.

A vein could be seen with the naked eye, he was holding back right at that moment for whatever his subconscious was thinking — What did you say? -

— I said stop shouting, we have guests - he mentioned again - are you deaf? Did you forget that important visitors were arriving to the kingdom today? -

— Ulquiorra please tell me that you did not agree with this immense idiocy that my brainless cousin committed in the name of God knows what! -

The green-eyed man just watched him, he was quiet even for his own good, if he opened his mouth, he would probably later regret what he said, he didn't act on impulse, he thought and looked for the best possible alternatives to solve problems, only this time, it was beyond his sentimental knowledge the idiocies that people in love committed.

— For the love of the gods, what's wrong with you two? Isn't it a good idea to start showing my relationship with Rukia in public? —

— And you're a complete idiot! You still ask? This is honestly the main reason Ulquiorra is the Regent! How the hell did you think of having both kingdoms that don't get along so well in the first place, showing your intentions to marry another princess when the main one chosen by the council came to visit to approve or not the engagement! You're humiliating King Aizen and his nation you piece of animal!

And it was at that very moment that he realized the magnitude of his actions. He looked worriedly at Ulquiorra, who only shook his head and sighed imperceptibly.

– For God's sake, what did I do? I don't want to start a war… what do I do? -

—And now you ask? Seriously, you're an idiot. — His cousin looked at him irritated.

— Well, we can't do anything now, we already have everyone here, so what we have to do is avoid making this bigger and, above all, turning it into a public humiliation - he looked at the young man and narrowed his eyes - as for you, I thought you had learned something from the lessons I was giving all this time, let me tell you that this does not add any merit for you, in fact, I feel disappointed -

The prince felt very bad, he did not believe that his actions could be interpreted like that, first he wanted to make it clear that the only woman for him was Princess Rukia, but it was not right for the other kingdom to feel ignored and offended by his such motives.

— For now, everyone is in the great Hall, we must attend to them and you - he called the young man - will be polite and will not commit any more nonsense during the three weeks that they will be here -

— Okay - he said, his head down - and Ulquiorra… I… I'm sorry -

The older ones looked at him and then at the young man. Maybe something good could come out of this. After all, the only way a boy can measure the value of each decision he makes is by making mistakes and bearing the consequences of them.

— Okay, let's go, they are waiting for us -

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— A thousand apologies for the delay, I was attending to an emergency, but it has already been resolved, dear guests, some of you already know him and others don't, I present to you the crown prince Kurosaki Ichigo -

— It is a great pleasure to have such distinguished nobility as guests, Your Majesty King Aizen — he bowed to the elder — Crown Prince Byakuya — now he bowed again to the aforementioned young man.

He moved to where the princesses were sitting on either side of the table. "Princess Orihime, it is a pleasure to have you with us, illuminating us with your beauty." He placed a chaste kiss on the back of the maid's hand.

Then he moved to the other end and approached with great delicacy - Princess Rukia, not even the most beautiful rosebush along with the peonies could compete with your resplendent beauty - he placed a chaste kiss even with the slower action than with the other young woman, he looked intensely into the violet eyes a perceptible shine in both was noticeable from a distance, even making both young people sigh quietly, not going unnoticed by anyone.

The young woman with hair like the sunset couldn't help but look away, what was she doing there anyway? Wasn't it obvious that the young prince had already chosen a wife? She didn't even want to guess what her father was thinking at that moment, she looked this time at the Regent, a tall, gallant young adult and even noticed the half-curve of his lips, right, he was upset, why? Was it because of the prince's action? She continued to watch him even when he cleared his throat a little.

— I'm sorry, excuse my boldness, Princess Rukia — the orange-haired man spoke quietly.

She slightly moved her hand away, and placed it at the height of her chest hoping with that to calm the beating of her heart, a blush appearing on her white cheeks — do not worry, Prince Ichigo -

— Once again, I appreciate you being with us and my most sincere apologies for having brought both visits together, it is not our intention that you might feel a little uncomfortable, I will be at your complete disposal if you have any comments on this matter and the best dispositions to rectify this situation - said the black-haired man with a bow.

— Don't worry, young Ulquiorra, I think we can get something out of this meeting, isn't that right? Prince Byakuya? I've wanted to meet with your father for a long time, but given the situation it would be good if we could both talk, what do you think, Young Ulquiorra? - the brown-haired boy mentioned.

— You are certainly right, there is no reason to wait for the conversations, we can take advantage of the fact that we are here - said Crown Prince Byakuya

— I really appreciate the trust you are placing in us, we will make you feel as comfortable as possible -

Everyone nodded at the young man's words.

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A few days passed since they arrived, the hospitality of the Soul Society kingdom was impeccable worthy of royalty as they were, there was no complaint beyond both guests being there at the same time, but the young Regent had managed to get everyone comfortable and satisfied with the treatment, even trade ties were achieved, among other points that the three kingdoms could complement each other, there were treaty signings and they were looking forward to collaborating with each other for any situation that might happen to any of them. This while the young crown prince Ichigo was tasked with accompanying both princesses on all their outings, although he would have to be learning about alliances with the kingdoms, he could not just leave the young women who had arrived precisely for him, for the purpose of marriage, or at least for some who came to idealize them that way.

The orange-haired girl, when she saw the prince, did not hesitate to admit that the young man was handsome, but even so, butterflies in her stomach as her mother said, she did not feel them; in fact, for some strange reason they looked alike physically, orange hair, hazel eyes, anyone could pass them off as simple siblings, but they did not know how far from reality they were if they were to even think about it.

How many days had it been now? About eight maybe, and she had to admit it, she was bored, she walked through the garden corridors behind Prince Ichigo and Princess Rukia, she had taken the young man's arm, they were chatting pleasantly, they seemed happy but she was bored, honestly this was not the idea she had in her plans, at least she thought she could meet the prince and see his qualities and if he was a good prospect, but looking at them again she admitted that there was already a winner, and that was the brunette, so why fight for someone who had already made her choice? she would be a fool if she did, as to end up unhappy, with a broken heart at the expense of him even being able to take a look at her as a woman. She regretted having told her lady-in-waiting to stay at her father's castle, as she thought she would be with the prince all the time. How wrong she was. At this point, she honestly didn't like the idea of being a bad third, as she had once heard from the young ladies in her castle.

As she listened to the rhythmic laughter of the two young men in front of her, she looked away at the garden, that was more interesting to observe, she was distracted while walking that she didn't notice that the princes had retreated down another corridor and she continued in a straight line until she collided with someone.

— Oh... I'm sorry - she said the moment she felt some arms holding her, preventing her from slipping, since she was right on the curb of the hallway.

— Don't worry, are you okay?

— Re… Regent Ulquiorra - she stared at him - I… I'm so sorry - she immediately moved away from the touch of his hands, she felt a tickling precisely where he was touching her.

— Excuse my boldness, he hastened to say.

— No… no, it’s my fault, I wasn’t paying attention -

The young man nodded to avoid disturbing the maid, looked around and noticed that she was alone — May I ask, and Prince Ichigo? -

Hearing this, she also looked to her sides. She didn't realize when she lost sight of them. She sighed in defeat. She had gotten lost. "I think I lost them," she said, embarrassed.

The Regent mentally shook his head, the prince was not keeping his part of the deal and that was to take care of the princess as well.

— Don't worry, I'll escort you to your room and send for you to come and get you.

— Oh no! Please no…-

— You are right, how bold of me, I will send a lady to take her -

— No! I mean, it's not necessary… - she lowered her head a little embarrassed.

Ulquiorra watched her, that innocent and sweet look, a pang came, he instinctively brought his hand to his heart, what had that been? Ignoring the feeling he continued talking to her.

— Princess, I can't leave you alone, even though we're in the castle, it could be dangerous for you -

She shook her head again. “May I make a request?”

— Uh? -

— I don't want to be a bother, but can I accompany you? -

— What? - I ask, bewildered. — I don't understand, what do you mean by "come with me?"

— Regent Ulquiorra…-

— Ulquiorra -

— Huh? -

— Just call me Ulquiorra, princess -

— Ul… Ulquiorra? - without knowing why, her heart began to beat fast, a small blush appearing on her cheeks — … okay, but if I have to call you only by your name, you do the same too -

— A fair deal, I don't see why not, if that's what you want - I look at her - now, explain to me what you're trying to ask me? Orihime -

Even though she became even more nervous hearing her name under that deep, masculine voice, she tried to compose herself and continue her conversation. "I want to accompany you, because I'm bored," she finally said. "Please don't send me to the prince." She lowered her gaze and continued. "I understand the circumstances of my arrival here, but you, more than anyone, know that it's a waste of time for me to stay here."

— Prin… -

— Let me finish… please… - the young man nodded - Prince Kurosaki and Princess Kuchiki understand each other very well, I just don't want to keep accompanying them, I get very bored, but I have been able to observe you a few times - a pink tint of shame settled on his face - I won't apologize for that, but yes, I would like to be able to help you -

— It is an unusual request, I am sorry that you are being insulted, believe me, it is not our intention - she bowed deeply - and on behalf of the prince I also apologize, but I do not know if I can let you accompany me - she tried to dissuade the young woman from her idea.

— Please, I know you think I won't be of any help, but believe me, my father has been my tutor in many of the duties of royalty, as well as how important decisions are when thinking about what's best for the kingdom, believe me, I would feel more useful if you let me help you -

- But -

— The king left yesterday for an emergency, if you remember, and he asked you to take care of me and not hesitate to ask for my help if necessary, do you remember? -

— Of course princess, I remember, but even so, putting you in a situation with such commitment, I wouldn't feel very comfortable, you are our guest anyway -

— Oh please, believe me, I'll be of help to you! - I look at him - please don't send me to spend the rest of my time here with Prince Ichigo and Princess Rukia, I don't want to bother them anyway... - in her own way she was begging to be of help to the young Regent.

He couldn't help but let out an imperceptible sigh, this young woman truly left him speechless, there were few occasions like today when they could talk, she was determined and very persistent, very good qualities in a ruler.

— Okay — he said as he turned around, the maid gave him a wide smile, she was able to achieve what she had been thinking about doing for days — please follow me this way, right now I'm heading to the throne room, I have some business to take care of —

- Yes of course -

The princess showed him a radiant smile, one that he didn't think he had seen since he arrived, so internally he felt good, and why not, in the end it was part of making his guests comfortable and at ease, or was there another reason why he thought that way?

Once in the Hall, Regent Ulquiorra attended to many matters, being a ruler is an exhausting and very delicate task to handle, since you must act as a judge, fair and impartial, so that both parties or each person feels that their problem has been resolved in a good way, without harming them in the process.

Mostly they were villagers who asked for audiences, they came to argue about land, cattle and other goods with their neighbors, as well as merchants who wanted the same working conditions as those who had years of having their businesses, as well as some problems between villagers looking for solutions to their problems of shortages or at least charity to get ahead while they look for the best alternative to be able to survive on their own, some cases should not even be reaching a resolution by the Regent, but apparently the elders of the council loved to put the young man in a complex situation whenever they could.

At one of the hearings a foreign merchant arrived offering a good deal, he came from another kingdom and explained the way to make riches in the lands of Soul Society, if the young man was not so calculating and thought very well the whole proposal would have been easy to deceive him, but for him it was not the case, even so, he had to admit that Prince Ichigo if he were in charge at that moment, would have fallen for the merchant's trick. The young man had to do something about the matter, but how to check the actions of the man who had arrived, if he wanted to prevent others from falling for his tricks he had to think of a way to arrest him and sentence his actions, without showing that he was using his sovereign influences for it.

— Uh? - he coughed under his breath. — Regent Ulquiorra - the young woman called.

— Oh, Princess, excuse me, I think you must have gotten bored with this. If you like, I can ask them to take you to your bedroom so you can rest — the boy said in a low voice so that only she could hear him.

She frowned and looked at him. Annoyed? Maybe it was her imagination what she saw, so she asked him to speak.

— Please let me handle this — he pointed at the situation.

- As? -

— Let me talk, I think I know what you're thinking, let me handle it, I promise I'll help you -

Not very convinced, he let him take charge - okay -

— Thank you - he smiled, then stood up and stood in front of the merchant, putting on a stern and serious look - How are you Mr. Jerome Guizbatt -

— Eh? Excuse me, Your Royal Highness, I think I didn't hear your name. It's a pleasure to be in front of such beauty in this kingdom. — The man said, bowing.

— Don't you recognize me? -

— A thousand pardons your royal highness, my mind is a bit foolish and this servant has forgotten where I may have met you on some of my travels, if you have gone outside these borders, perhaps it was in the kingdom of King Jugram, or in the plains of the Karakura Crystal Kingdom - he bowed in front of her as an apology - again forgive this foolish servant who does not remember you -

— Okay, I'll refresh your memory Mr. Jerome -

Ulquiorra didn't understand much but one thing he was sure of, was that the princess's attitude at that moment was extremely incredible, such rigidity and authority when speaking, was not only disturbing but an exquisiteness seen in the front row, she was cold and calculating just like her father Aizen.

— Remember visiting the kingdom of Hueco Mundo six months ago, you requested an audience with King Sousuke Aizen, offering the same business that you are showing here today - he made a gesture with his hand - at that time you were denied such an offer, but you no longer insisted to the king, but instead went directly to some villagers -

— What? - the merchant looked at me in astonishment. — I… -

— I'm not finished, so I ask you not to speak - he mentioned coldly, his inquisitive eyes towards the man - The villagers believed in his words, they offered their cattle, lands and others had to sell much of what they had, he offered heaven and earth with his business, but in the end he just left leaving them penniless - he spoke with disdain.

— Your Royal Highness, allow me to speak, that was not entirely true... who told you about that? ... believe me, in that kingdom there are only hypocrites and slanderers, of course I helped them and gave them what they deserved, I have not left them with anything - he began to speak desperately, what he heard did not go according to his plan, and all that was left was to lie so that he could at least get out of there and find another place where he could steal with his lies.

— You dare say that in MY KINGDOM we are all liars! – she said angrily.

Ulquiorra, who was watching everything, decided to get up the moment the princess raised her voice. She looked back at him and asked him with her eyes to let her continue.

— Your… your kingdom? … it’s… you’re Princess Orihime?! … but… but how? As far as I know, you haven’t married the prince of this kingdom yet, and there was no way you could be here?! — he spoke hastily without thinking about what he was saying.

— Then accept that he went to My Kingdom and did what I just expressed -

The merchant's face fell when he realized what he had said, his plan was being ruined, he had to find a way out of this and quickly to flee from that kingdom immediately, he would even have to figure out how to change his appearance and his name again.

— Princess, please listen to me, I'm not saying that in your kingdom all people are like that, but you must understand that those who came to accuse me were only slanderers, I spoke to them about the risks when doing business, and they all agreed to take them, the market was bad on that occasion and I tried not to leave them on the street, I gave them what would be their share and even out of my good will I gave them a little more - she tried to lessen the situation, from one moment to the next her expression changed from one of astonishment to a gloomy expression.

— Don't try to fool me, Mr. Jerome! - she remained impassive - I knew many of those you are mentioning who were hypocrites, several were peasants who brought food to the palace, do you think my father would not have noticed if they had deceived him, also as you say, there are risks in their business, just as you described to Regent Ulquiorra - she took the length of her skirt, carefully and began to walk down the steps until she stood in front of the merchant - now say again in front of my face that everything I have said has been pure slander - her expression returned from a smile of self-sufficiency, she knew she had him cornered, from the moment she arrived and began the story of the business, she remembered what happened in her kingdom, even with pain she found out that one of the elders who participated in the "business of the foreign merchant" when left with nothing with the last cents bought a lasso and ended his life, knowing that someone came to cause harm and pain to humble people who only wanted to get something to leave to their families children or grandchildren, but having lost everything, they took with them even the desire to continue existing, remembering the suffering they were leaving their families.

She couldn't help but clench her hands, burying her nails in her palms, she was furious, she always said that if she found the culprit she would make him pay for the pain and tears he left in her domain.

The man in front of her didn't avoid putting himself in a hostile posture, if in the end he was going to fall for his actions at least let him do it taking something with him, he just got furious when he heard the last thing and more when she stood in front of him, he was already fed up! — Very well princess! Not very brave! Ha! always the same all the damned ones of the crown believing themselves better, that's why I started to cheat and steal, IF NO ONE GIVES ME ANYTHING I'D BETTER TAKE IT! - he roughly took the young woman by the arm.

It was seconds, but the Regent did not know when he reached him, he could only watch as he pushed the man away with a blow to the face, his face of disgust could not be hidden, without any other expression he only looked to the sides and with his gaze asked the guards to take the man, several placed their swords at the height of the merchant's neck, in a threatening manner, in case he tried something else.

— Damn it! — The man held his face but felt a liquid dripping from his nose, he looked at his hand and realized, blood?! — Damn imbecile! You broke my nose! What the hell are you protecting? That bitch?! In this kingdom I haven't done anything so you can't touch me! Believe me, I'll go to every empire and put this damn place in the worst shape, you'll see! —

— Guards! Capture this man - he stood in front of the princess and raised his arm preventing him from approaching again - You are wrong about one thing - he spoke coldly, his voice more pronounced and serious - we have treaties with the Kingdom of Hueco Mundo, what you did there, you can also pay for it here, and not to mention that you dared to harm the Princess, in a deliberate act against the crown, your sentence is already given -

— What?! - he said, trembling with fear upon hearing everything. —No... it can't be - he instinctively brought his hand to his neck.

— Correct, your sentence… is Death - Ulquiorra looked back at the princess who still had her face down and taking his arm, he narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the man - believe me, you will pay dearly for this, take him away! -

And as the guards took the man away, screams and shouts could be heard throughout the hallway until he was taken to the cell.

He immediately went to the princess and gently took her arm. The young woman looked at him again with a resigned smile, her eyes wet with the tears she was holding back. "I told her..."

— I'm sorry! - she apologized - I thought I could handle it like my father, but I think... I think I still lack character - a couple of tears came out of her eyes - sorry -

— Princess, you have nothing to apologize for, thanks to you justice was given to those who were affected by that man, but if there is one thing I must call your attention to, it is that you put yourself at risk, I don't want to know what your father will say when he finds out -

— Don't tell him! Just say what is necessary, don't tell him more, I know him too well and I don't want to cause them any trouble -

— Princess….- he looked at her frown — Orihime is fine, I won't say anything, but promise me you won't do another stupid thing like this -

— I promise! — His eyes sparkled and he smiled widely. How she could be smiling at what had just happened was quite an enigma to him.

— Come on, let's get her checked out. I won't let your father return with any damage. I gently took her hand and guided her. — Do you always do these things hastily? — I asked without looking away.

The princess just laughed under her breath — Do you want me to tell you Ulquiorra? -

And yet he knew that from that moment on, since he started treating her that way, things would go in another direction, not expected by either of them.

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.

.

Another week and things had changed, no one believed what they saw with their eyes, firstly Princess Orihime spent more time with Regent Ulquiorra, he for his part seemed not to be bothered at all by her presence, even those who had the opportunity could notice how well they worked as a team, with audiences, and quick solutions for the kingdom, that too after the black-haired man gave Prince Ichigo a good lesson because in the first place he would have to be taking care of the princess, which was why now the position had fallen mainly to the Regent.

— Well, tomorrow we have the hunt, and now I ask you to be careful with both of them - she looked accusingly at the young man.

— I've already told you a thousand times that I'm sorry! - he gestured dramatically. — Please Ulquiorra, we can't just forget about it. - the aforementioned only narrowed his eyes skeptically, but still let the boy continue. — Okay, okay, fine, I'll keep an eye on both of them. Happy? - He crossed his arms with a pout on his face.

Imperceptible sigh — Prince, you know better than anyone that this is important, you have already chosen a perfect maid, there is no problem but even so, there is little more than a year left until you take the throne, I am only asking you to be more responsible, stop playing around, be grateful that the princess has been very cautious and immediately understood what was happening between you and Princess Rukia, but stop making her the talk of the town, she does not deserve to be spoken ill of when she has been mainly the one who has helped us the most in many decisions -

— Ulquiorra, can I ask you something? — the orange-haired man looked at him seriously — I know you'll say I'm immature and whatever you want, but I think I have a lot more experience in this than you —

- Hmm? -

— What I'm trying to tell you is, do you like Princess Orihime? - he spoke bluntly.

— What nonsense are you talking about? - he replied.

— I told you, I'm more of an expert on this subject than you, why don't you admit that you like the Princess? Or rather, why don't you ask for her hand in marriage? -

— You know that my patience has a limit, and this includes that limit, please how do you think he could claim Princess Orihime? - internally he is in a mess, like her? claim her? how to even think about that, well, it is true she was not indifferent to him, she was good company and she was not noisy as some thought, she was quiet, attentive, cheerful, curious and she achieved what she proposed, it could ... it could be that if he really liked the princess? ... - he mentally denied - but even if it were like that, what would she think of him? she could not even feel the same, plus there was the fact that she was Crown Princess to the throne but what about him ... Who was Ulquiorra Cifer?, now a Regent but what about after? simply an advisor to the king, yes good position, but after all he had no royal blood, and without a dowry to offer or a kingdom to grant ... then how does he even have the nerve to imagine something like that.

— Oh come on Ulquiorra just admit it -

— What stupidity -

— Because you refuse to accept reality -

— Because there are none to accept, so if you'll excuse me -

— Damn it Ulquiorra! Come on, don't be so apathetic about this! -

— Prince, I ask you please… not to meddle in my affairs — he spoke coldly.

— What? But Ulquiorra - I try to make him understand.

"I said that this is it," he left without listening to the young man's reply.

As he walked to the garden, he was thinking about the matter. Feeling? Loving? In terms of feelings, he was like a child, he didn't know anything about that. He had read some books, but beyond that feeling, which didn't exist even in his adolescence. He came to consider that at some point he would marry a woman who was a good candidate to have genes that would leave good offspring, even though it wasn't even in his plans to have that kind of ideas at the moment.

Once he reached the garden, he observed the princess, near Princess Rukia and Prince Ichigo approaching them, even with the reason of the young man with orange hair, he had to discard the idea as soon as possible, he would not even think what King Aizen would say if he were to propose such madness in his eyes.

— How ridiculous - I say quietly, it was better to continue with the current plan, finish this remaining year well and try to teach the prince to be a good ruler for his people.

— Princess Orihime? Are you okay? - the young man with orange hair asked worriedly, he looked at Princess Rukia who had a worried look and turned his gaze to the young woman with hair the same color as his.

— Prince Ichigo, yes... excuse me - without looking into her eyes, she answered. If someone observed closely, they could notice at a glance the young woman's strange gesture, somewhere between embarrassed, sad and nervous.

Not very convinced, he nodded. "Okay, it's about to begin. Let's go look for our horses. This day will be exciting and fun," he said happily. He took Princess Rukia's hand. When he offered his arm to the other young woman, she denied it and just followed them.

Once everyone was on their horses, they were about to start the hunt. They would go with some soldiers for protection but mostly it was just about hunting a wild boar or a fox. Their dogs were already ready. The Princesses did not enjoy those distractions but as part of the protocol they had to accompany the prince to said event.

Inside the forest everyone followed the hunting dogs, attentive to any movement, all except one, a young woman with hair like the sunset, - Please, how do you think I can claim Princess Orihime? - Her thoughts were fixed on what she heard, she was looking for Ulquiorra so they could go hunting together, but she didn't forget what she heard, she closed her eyes tightly even listening to the echo of that conversation.

— Why don't you admit that you like the Princess? Or rather, why don't you ask for her hand in marriage?

— You know that my patience has a limit, and this includes that limit, please how do you think I can pursue Princess Orihime? -

— Oh come on Ulquiorra just admit it -

— What stupidity -

— Because you refuse to accept reality -

— Because there are none to accept, so if you'll excuse me -

— Damn it Ulquiorra! Come on, don't be so apathetic about this! -

— Prince, I ask you please… not to meddle in my affairs — he spoke coldly.

— What? But Ulquiorra - I try to make him understand.

"I said that this is it," he left without listening to the young man's reply.

— I... What do I feel for him? - she whispered to herself, she knew they had gotten along, in their own way but they did, love? She didn't know yet, but if there was one thing she was sure of it was that her heart beat strongly every time she saw him, and without mentioning his voice, hearing his name under that manly and deep voice created sensations that she never thought she could even feel... but when she heard the conversation he had with Prince Ichigo, the only thing she achieved was that her heart hurt, did she want to cry? Of course she wanted to, she wanted to get out of there, get to her palace and throw herself on her bed and cry for days if possible until she got rid of the pain she was having, it was hard for her to breathe, is that why books describe love like that? A sweet but agonizing feeling?

— Princess Orihime! — the orange-haired boy shouted — Don't go so far away! —

— Princess! - the young Kuchiki also said -

— Huh? - she grabbed her horse's straps, and without realizing it, her horse's leg stepped on a snake that was hidden in the undergrowth. It immediately rushed to bite the animal's thigh, which began to neigh uncontrollably in pain. — No... I can't control it... please calm down - she said, scared, but the horse, due to the pain, began to run uncontrollably.

— PRINCESS!!! - shouted Prince Ichigo.

— What do we do Ichigo? - said the young black-haired girl scared.

— Damn, please get help, I'll try to reach her, please be careful -

— You too, please, come back safely — she said with tearful eyes.

He held his horse's straps tightly and made a movement to indicate to the animal that it should run with strength.

— HELP!!! PLEASE HELP ME! - the young woman screamed, her tears coming out, she was scared, she almost never rode and that was the main reason, she was afraid that the horses would lose control, and just today because she was distracted, she didn't notice the danger around her — HELP!! ULQUIORRA PLEASE SAVE ME!!!- she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Ulquiorra, who was up ahead watching the activity, heard screams. He paid a little attention and managed to hear her voice and her name. He didn't hesitate for a minute to move his horse in the direction of the screams. He managed to see Prince Ichigo. Upon seeing him, he only said enough for him to understand.

—His horse was bitten by a snake, he's out of control!

— I didn't ask you to take care of her! -

— Damn! I know, it was just a second, damn we couldn't catch her! -

Both of them were hitting their horses with their whips, trying to catch up with him, but the animal was running so desperately that not even branches or bushes could slow down his pace.

— PLEASE STOP! PLEASE! HELP ME! ULQUIORRA PLEASE HELP ME! - despite the tears that blurred his vision, scrapes from the bushes, cuts from the branches, he continued trying to stop his horse.

— ORIHIME! - the black-haired man shouted without hesitation.

Upon hearing his voice, she looked back and saw him, they were coming with Prince Ichigo, with all their horses galloping, her face lit up with hope — ULQUIORRA!! -

— We must try to reach her, remember that there is a cliff ahead - said the orange-haired man

— Shit! You're right - while trying to catch up with her, he was thinking about how to prevent her from falling into the cliff, it was more than fifty meters high, if she fell there, it was impossible for her to survive. Then he saw a group of bushes — That's it! -

— ORIHIME PLEASE LISTEN TO ME! - I screamed — I NEED YOU TO JUMP! -

— WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ASKING THEM FOR?! HAVE YOU GONE MAD?! - the prince shouted.

— Shut up! - ORIHIME, NEXT TURN ON YOUR LEFT SIDE, JUST JUMP THERE ARE SOME BUSHES -

- I'M SCARED! - she replied, holding the animal's neck uncontrollably.

She had doubts, but also fear inside her, and did not know what to do…

— TRUST ME! DO NOT BE AFRAID! -

That was enough to give him a little confidence - OK! - and when he saw the turn, and a clearing up ahead he understood! It was now or never, so with all the strength his legs could give him, he managed to get on one side of the horse and when he saw the bushes he launched himself!

She fell into them and rolled a few meters still, at least the flight of her dress managed to cushion the fall a little, when she looked ahead terrified she saw that her horse fell down the cliff, she only heard the neighing of the animal moving away, she closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands, she began to cry uncontrollably.

Ulquiorra when he arrived, jumped off his horse and ran to where the young woman was — ORIHIME! - he found her crying inconsolably, her clothes torn, her arms scratched, her hair tangled - God! God! Please God! - he came right to her, took her hands off her face and hugged her tightly — I'm here! I'm here! It's over... it's over... calm down... - she continued crying uncontrollably but now on the young man's chest, she did not stop shaking, she was still scared.

— Princess! Prince Ichigo has arrived, are you okay? — Ulquiorra saw him and shook his head, it was better to let him calm down.

— Leave us, I will take her to the castle when she calms down, please ask the doctor to come, he must check -

— Okay — without waiting any longer, he went straight to the castle.

—Shhh… calm down, it's over… I'm here now - I caress her hair.

— I was so scared... I didn't know what to do... - she continued crying on the young man's chest.

— Calm down, I'm here, I won't leave... - he hugged her tightly again - God, I didn't know what would happen if I lost you... I can't... Orihime... listen... I... I don't want to lose you, just thinking about it terrifies me... -

- That? -

— Please listen, only at this moment do I have the courage to say it… I like you, I love you… I know I have nothing to offer you but if you accept me… I will be your humble servant for the rest of my life, I had never known feelings for anyone but now that I have them clear… For this heart… I want you all to myself -

The young woman was stunned, she didn't know what to say, more tears came out of her eyes, this time from happiness, she also felt the same — Me too... I love you too! And I don't want to go away from you... - she hugged the young man now — Please stay with me! Don't leave me... -

He took the young woman's face, her red cheeks as well as her nose, crying and fear had left her with that appearance, but despite that, for him she was still beautiful, he brought his face closer to the maiden, their breaths collided, their gazes intense and longing, their lips ended up joining in a chaste kiss, sweet and delicate, full of devotion...

They didn't know what the future held for them, there would be consequences to this perhaps, he was aware of the world that separated them, but one thing he was sure of and that was that he wanted to be with her, he didn't have to offer her, but probably his father could take it into account with the knowledge he possessed, a Regent pretending to a princess, at least until the Crown Prince took the throne, now it was only a matter of time before both of them had to fight for their feelings.

Hueco Mundo could have a Regent in the future, or it is possible that if the King allows it, he could be the next ruler in such an empire, it is something that time will be in charge of deciding.

END

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Lee Minho (Lee Know) Perspective Reading

Disclaimer: I don't claim to know him, just a girl with cards. If you have a set perfect image of him, keep it moving, if not, enjoy the ride. This is just my interpretation of the energy and cards I get.

Alright, so decided to go with him for the next reading now that we are in Scorpio season, why not get to him as there was someone interested in his reading. The song that came to me, like Taehyun, it came very quickly was Beautifully Broken by Ashley Simpson. At first, I had no clue what song this was. I just heard the song name, so had to look it up, and I realized it was an old song I used to like. The lyrics that stood was 'I am beautifully broken, and I don't care who knows it.' Honestly, this is so Scorpio energy. I am not sure if he wears his scars on his sleeve, not sure why that came up, but he may be unapologetic about who he is, including his flaws, he may even embrace them. I am not too familiar with him, so this will be fun to dig in and see what I can get. He can sometimes be hard to read for me, so not sure how deep he will let me go.

Okay, well this was the quickest I have seen this deck of cards fall out, since doing this, and a lot wanted to pop out, so there can be a lot lurking within him in the shadows here. I get a sense he needs some sort of struggle or pain to kind of feel anything. He may feel like a shell of himself. It is like he needs to feed off of something, maybe others to feel anything. I mean, this colorless Angel card is kind of like someone lifeless and cold. Or someone who is numb to the world. He doesn't seem much of an optimist or a dreamer. Seeing this, not sure why I am pulled to my more spiritual deck, he isn't giving me the vibe he is very connected in that sense. But I can also see him not using tools or addictions to escape. It is like he wants to face the harsh realities of the world. I felt like I got this vibe from him in the idol reading, where he kind of likes the struggle and darkness.

I asked for more, and of course a lot came out, man this dude may seem to like to show his dark side, which now the song choice makes sense. I am beautifully broken, I don't care who knows it is really showing here with all these cards coming out. He kind of embraces that aspect of him. Once again, the Peaceful Among Thorns card is reversed, it is like he likes to step in the fire, the chaos, because it makes him feel. Yeah, I am in his energy, and I am feeling nothing, so yeah, there is a sense of numbness here (not complaining from my end though), like he may need external things to give him some sense of feeling. I am not sure why Fragmentation is reversed here. Maybe he doesn't see himself as broken. It is like he is a beautiful puzzle piece. Interesting phrasing there.

So, he got the Sovereign card, in this energy he seems to stand in his own power and loves his authentic self. He stays true to himself and what he stands for. It is kind of like no one can bring him down. With the Tamer energy. He is very good at keeping his cool through any storm that may come his way, or he just knows how to remain cool, calm and collected. He understands people may not agree with him and that is okay. Now, with this creator energy here, life is a game or a play for him, maybe even a stage, a place he can have fun and create the life he may want. I just think of The Magician when I look at this card, he can manipulate the environment and people around him. It doesn't have to be malicious, but it can also be that way. I am not getting a purely innocent vibe from him, but not negative either. He is kind of neutral in a sense. Not on the good or bad side. I can see him playing both sides to be honest. He is always seeking something to fulfill the needs he desires whatever that is. He is always on the search for something more exciting and thrilling. The thrill of the chase I am getting.

He is showing different elements with this deck of cards. He seems like a pure romantic, a person who may seek true love, or maybe this love can help fill him in a sense. Love may allow him to purify his thoughts, maybe bring clarity to his life, or make things clear for him. It can also help him to feel more deeply. Or just be able to tap into his emotions more. He seems like a very thoughtful person with the undercurrents of emotions that may lay dormant but could come to the surface if he finds the love he needs. Crazy messages here but going with it. Love seems to be able to awaken something in him. This sounds like a damn love story here wth

It seems building bonds with others will be important in his life. It seems he enjoys having people close to him, or just connecting with others. It is like he is meant to find his true love or a soul mate here. Maybe there is someone in his life that he may need to take a leap of faith with. There are also opportunities here for him that he needs to take a chance on, as I said earlier, he isn't the most optimistic or the type to have faith in things. He may feel things will all go to hell, interesting wording that popped up here, but he just needs to learn to have faith things will work out for the best. He seems to be a very loyal person. Someone who stands by others through thick and thin. He is always there to listen and be of comfort to someone he cares about. Different vibe here from the first part, this is taking me somewhere else.

So, these selections of cards are mostly telling him to allow himself to open up and be vulnerable, so if he allows love into his life, it will give him the opportunity to reveal the inner most vulnerable sides of himself. To bring out those emotions that lay dormant. He may shut that part of him off, which can make him feel cold and empty inside, which is why he seeks external pleasure or enjoyment. It is like allow himself to be on display. He seems to like to go into his dark and shadow side, but not his soft, warm and vulnerable side. It is like he should come out the darkness and show his color and light. He is like backwards, most people hide their shadow side and keep their lighter side on display, he is the opposite, embraces the shadow side, but keeps his light within him. There could also be a lack of freedom of expression with him, due to shutting his vulnerable side off.

Let's end this with Tarot. so not surprised my Scorpio card came out, well duh, he is one, the keywords that stick out are secretive, cautious of others and taboo. There is also a deep undercurrent to him I am getting. He is not the type to share too much, and maybe that is why he may struggle for people to get to close, because you may discover things about him, he may not like, not the dark side, but the more vulnerable one. With the 4 of Cups rv, he tries not to brood or sit with his emotions for too long, he needs a distraction to keep him away from that. He seems to be emotionally and spiritually disconnected as well. With The Star reversed, makes sense, lack of hope and optimism on his part, once again, blocked spiritually as well and a lack of healing one's soul, or doing the soul work. I get it, some people are just not spiritual and focus on the material and Earth plane, so he may be in that energy. He may also have a difficult time seeing the potential in things as well. It is like he is constantly on the move, so he doesn't have to connect with himself or feel, which is why he may feel a void within himself.

Okay, he is a fascinating character, thankfully I felt nothing energetically, but that also could indicate strong disconnections there. I thought it would be hard to get anything from him, but he made it rather easy. I am sure there is more to him he isn't sharing though, but this was fascinating on its own.

[walkswithmyfather]

Isaiah 14:24, 27 (NLT) “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sworn this oath: “It will all happen as I have planned. It will be as I have decided...The Lord of Heaven’s Armies has spoken— who can change his plans? When his hand is raised, who can stop him?”

Psalm 71:5 (NIV). “For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord, my confidence since my youth.”

“Sovereign Over Sin” By In Touch Ministries:

“Temptation will come, but God promises to give us the power to resist.”

“God is sovereign. He is the supreme authority over everything, including sin and its repercussions. He doesn’t cause anyone to sin, but He will allow temptation to enter our life. And since we have free will and the Holy Spirit, we can decide how to respond. Thankfully, He retains ultimate control and weaves the consequences of our actions in accordance with His purposes.

Sometimes God permits our sin to run its full course. For instance, when the Israelites refused to turn away from their disobedience, He “gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk by their own plans” (Psalm 81:12). Without divine protection, the nation s uccumbed to corrupt influences and was overrun. Those consequences drove the Israelites to repentance, which was His original plan. Conversely, God will sometimes put an immediate halt to sin. Such was the case when King Abimelech took Abraham’s wife to himself. The king had been misled and was not aware that he was about to commit a sin. But the Lord knew of the deception and intervened (Genesis 20:1-6).

Temptation is inevitable, but engaging with sin is a choice. God’s sovereignty means that any temptation must first pass through His permissive will. In this way, He makes sure His children are never tempted beyond what they can resist (1 Corinthians 10:13).”

[Photo thanks to Heather Wilde at Unsplash]

[coimbrabertone]

Why George Russell's Disqualification is Really Napoleon's Fault

Alright motorsports fans, with the end of the Belgian Grand Prix (held before the summer break this year because the F1 calendar is becoming increasingly cursed year after year) F1 enters its summer break. NASCAR and Indycar are on an Olympic break thanks to both series currently being on NBC (who is the US broadcaster of the 2024 Paris Olympics), and MotoGP doesn't come back from its second summer break until next week.

So what the hell am I going to talk about in this blog.

Well, George Russell won the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix until he got disqualified for having an underweight car. Some people have theorized that Mercedes made a mistake and underfueled him, others have said that George switching to a one-stop meant he lost out of valuable pitlane speed time, using up more fuel, still others have theorized it's down to the unique procedures at Spa - where drivers turn around after turn one and drive the wrong way into pit exit - that meant Russell didn't have the chance to pick up rubber and thus increase the weight of his tyres.

I, meanwhile, have a different theory.

George Russell could only have been disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix because of Napoleon!

Yes, really.

How, you may ask? Well, the Napoleonic Wars created the conditions that ultimately allowed for the the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to exist. Thus, the long lap that causes F1 cars to deliberately underfuel for the race, the unique post-race procedures due to track length, and choice of this area as the venue for the Belgian Grand Prix...none of that would've been possible with Napoleon.

Our story, as all good motor racing stories do, begins in 651 when the Benedictine Monk, Saint Remaclus of Stavelot founded the dual Abbeys of Stavelot and Malmedy (which you may recognize from corner names of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, as these are neighboring villages).

These abbeys wound gain more territory in 747 when Carloman, the Majordomo of the Franks and uncle of Charlemagne, abdicated and became a monk himself.

They would be enlarged again in 882 by Charles the Fat, Holy Roman Emperor, in compensation for the Normans raiding and burning down both abbeys the previous year.

Thus, the Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy became one of the many mosaic pieces of the complex historical mindscrew that is the Holy Roman Empire, holding territories along what is now the Belgian-Germany border. Back then though, they were a rather significant ecclesiastical territory, holding land where Lothringia met the Low Countries.

This was the exact region where, in the late 15th and early 16th century, the Dukes of Burgundy attempted to create their own sovereign territory, using the chaos of the Hundred Years War in France to become lords over Luxembourg, Hainaut, Flanders, Brabant, and Holland. Soon enough, the Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy was one of only three independent states remaining in the region.

It was Stavelot-Malmedy, an ecclesiastical state which thus couldn't easily be absorbed into secular Burgundy.

Then the Prince-Bishopric of Liege, which again, was an ecclesiastical state which meant it would be a tricky proposition for a Catholic Duke of Burgundy to try and conquer.

And finally the Duchy of Bouillon, which was a downright weird state in that the title was a secular Duchy that was sold to the Prince-Bishopric of Liege, and in the late 17th century became a sovereign possession of the La Tour d'Auvergne, a French noble family.

In any case, upon the death of the Burgundian line, their territories were divided between France, the feudal overlord of Burgundy, and Philip the Handsome (the son of Mary the Rich, the last Duchess of Burgundy, and Maximilian von Habsburg, an Austrian Prince).

Philip the Handsome was in turn married to Joanna the Mad (we should bring back the random ass nicknames people used to get in the past btw), the Queen of Castile and Aragon. Their son, Charles, would thus inherit Spain, the Burgundian possessions in the Low Countries, and, eventually, Austria and the title of Holy Roman Emperor. Yeah.

So thanks to Charles V rolling a natural 20 in his birth dice roll, Stavelot-Malmedy was suddenly one small little ecclesiastical holding squeezed between the two halves of what would eventually become known as the Spanish Netherlands.

Then, the northern half of the Spanish Netherlands decided they didn't want to be Catholic anymore. This ushered in the Dutch Revolt of the 17th century, a bloody religious struggle concurrent with the Thirty Years War and the Portuguese War of Independence that marked the end of the golden age of Spanish power.

Come 1700 and Charles II of Spain (Charles V was Charles I in Spain, regnal numbers get weird when you rule over half of Europe), the last Habsburg King of Spain, dies an inbred and infertile mess. The Low Countries become a battleground in the War of the Spanish Succession.

On one side, France and Spain, as Charles II had declared his grandnephew, the French Prince Philip of Anjou, threatened to tip the scales of western Europe towards the Bourbon dynasty.

On the other side, a grand coalition of Austria, England, the Dutch Republic, Prussia, Portugal, and Savoy aimed to contain French power.

This was the War of the Spanish Succession, and the war would be transformative for the southern Low Countries. The Spanish Netherlands went back to Habsburg hands and became the Austrian Netherlands, meanwhile, the Duchy of Cleves, just to the east, was returned to Prussia following a French occupation.

The Dutch Republic in the north was Protestant, the Austrian Netherlands were Catholic, and Protestant Prussia was emerging on the scene as well. This would more or less lay the stage for the Napoleonic Wars, where the armies of the French Republic and later the French Empire would occupy all of this land. Gone were the Austrian Netherlands, gone was Stavelot-Malmedy, Liege, and Bouillon, and gone was Prussian Cleves.

Instead, the land surrounding Spa-Francorchamps would became part of the French Department of Ourthe, named for one of the principal rivers of the region.

However, much like the War of the Spanish Succession, numerous grand coalitions would rise up against Napoleon, the primary participants being Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, the Dutch, and Russia. In 1815, they would finally defeat Napoleon once and for all, and the Peace of Vienna would shape the new postwar Europe.

Of the old Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy, Stavelot would go to the United Kingdom of the Netherlands (the new kingdom combining the modern-day Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg), while Malmedy would go to the Kingdom of Prussia.

The border would be a minor tributary of the River Ambieve known for its reddish water. The name? Eau Rouge.

Fast forward to 1830 and the largely Catholic southern Netherlands revolt from their Protestant overlords in the north and demand the creation of a Kingdom of Belgium. Following a great power conference in London, the Belgians would get their wish, and in 1831, the Kingdom of Belgium was born, including Stavelot.

The Dutch would recognize Belgium Independence in 1839.

Eau Rouge was now the Belgian-Prussian border.

Come 1871, and Prussia becomes the German Empire.

Come 1914, and this border region is amongst the first overrun by the Germans in World War I. Spa becomes a major German field hospital from the get-go, and by 1918, Spa is the German military headquarters and the primary residence of Kaiser Wilhelm II.

Upon the German surrender in 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm would abdicate and leave for the Netherlands, meanwhile, France and Belgium - the countries that wore the greatest scars from World War I - would demand harsh reparations from Germany. For Belgium, this would include Eupen-Malmedy.

Thus, the great majority of the old Princely Abbey of Stavelot-Malmedy was now within Belgian borders.

Jules de Thier, owner of the La Meuse newspaper in Liege, found this new territory to be the perfect site for a high-speed triangular race track in 1921. The race would begin in old Belgium, with a run to the old border - originally they would veer right, pass through Ancienne Douane - the old customs office on the Belgian-Prussian border - then back left to rejoin the track on the other side of what is now the Eau Rouge corner - then run through the German territories.

Burnenville and Malmedy were in old Germany, then swing back at the bottom of the track, crossing back into pre-war Belgian territory in time for the Masta kink, then Stavelot, Blanchimont, and La Source would all be in pre-war Belgium as well. Cross the start-finish line after La Source (as it was back then) and then cross into former Germany again on the next lap.

Thus, the Belgian Grand Prix was born in a region that had only just been annexed from Germany.

This led to Spa again becoming a battlefield during World War II, but with the borders restored after the war, Spa would again be in Belgium and, from 1950, the Belgian Grand Prix would become a traditional staple on the Formula One calendar.

Spa-Francorchamps would be transformed a couple of times over, not assuming its current form until 2007, but it was born from the great Napoleonic shakeup in European politics.

The ancient double abbeys of Stavelot-Malmedy were separated for the first time in 1200 years, and it would take another century for them to be reunited in modern Belgium.

So yeah, if you're mad that George Russell was disqualified, blame Napoleon...or Kaiser Wilhelm II I suppose, whichever one fits your fancy.

Oh, and by the way, Lewis Hamilton takes a record-extending 105th win following his teammate's disqualification, so I suppose Mercedes still has something to be happy about.

[lakemojave]

The Direct Actors: A Baldur's Gate 3 "Adventure" pt. 10 live tonight at 6pm Pacific!

WE! ARE! SO! BACK! After a several months hiatus @caputvulpinum is back from wandering the earth as penance for its numerous crimes against me, the channel, and the sovereign nation of Venezuela. We can get the team together again! Join us for the return of our co op campaign of BG3, with @radiofreederry as Dhudlei Durite, @caputvulpinum as Micah Harper, my friends Nana and April as Leviathan, and me as Delilah "Mama D" Harper! See y'all then!

Art by @terrafey, recap under the cut

THE STORY SO FAR: On the way to a union rally, Delilah "Mama D" Harper and her grandson Micah were abducted and taken aboard an ilithid nautiloid, which they escaped with mysterious dancer Leviathan and self-proclaimed "Champion of Ilmater and Paladin of Good" Dhudlei Durite. Each infected by a mind flayer tadpole, but so far immune from transforming into mind flayers themselves, The Direct Actors, as the party have come to be known, now turn their attention to the Shadow-Cursed Lands, where Moonrise Towers, the lair of the Cult of the Absolute, awaits them...

LAST TIME: With Leviathan missing after falling off a cliff, the Direct Actors allowed Lae'zel to venture forth with them, and at her insistence headed into the mountains in search of a Githyanki creche. Along the way, the party killed a racist who was trying to steal a Githyanki egg, and met a blue jay who asked them to kill some eagles. At the creche, the Direct Actors were introduced to the finer points of Githyanki culture, including a brutal training regimen. Dhudlei was allowed to take an egg to raise with his girlfriend, and said girlfriend was subsequently nearly killed by the Zaith'isk, a supposed device for purifying those infected by mind flayers. As it turned out, the device was really meant to kill the infected as sacrifices to the lich queen Vlaakith. Initially in denial about her queen's sinister nature, Lae'zel insisted that the party seek the Githyanki inquisitor, and an audience with Vlaakith herself led the party to enter the Astral Prism, the Githyanki artifact they'd been carrying which had protected them from ceremorphosis. Vlaakith demanded they kill the Prism's occupant, but Dhudlei was more interested in getting some answers from this being which bore his mother's face. The Dream Visitor explained how Vlaakith had deceived her people and, her secret exposed, Vlaakith declared Lae'zel a traitor and ordered her death. Fighting their way out of the creche, the Direct Actors stopped to catch their breath at camp. They were visited by Kith'rak Voss, who declared his allegiance to the Githyanki Prince Orpheus, and called for Lae'zel to meet him in Baldur's Gate, as Micah chastised Dhudlei for his recklessness in the creche. The argument was interrupted by the sudden return of not only Leviathan, who had spent days wandering the Shadow-Cursed Lands, but New Gale, who had taken a new form as a gnome. Leviathan remembered little of his time in the shadowlands, but seemed shaken by it. The Direct Actors returned to the monetary which housed the creche, and Dhudlei guided Micah to claim the Blood of Lathander, a holy weapon, for his own. Afterwards, after a conversation with Mama D about choice and destiny, Micah received a surprising visit from Ilmater himself, who promised that they would meet again, and answers would be revealed...

Will Lae'zel leave her cult programming behind her, and will she and Micah be able to bond? What has Dhudlei figured out about the Dream Visitor? What - and who - did Leviathan see in his time in the Shadow-Cursed Lands? Will Ilmater reveal himself again? Find out in another exciting instalment of Baldur's Gate 3, starring the Direct Actors!

[house-of-kolchek]

Twisted Tango (18+)

Vax'ildan x Reader

Enjoy the elf smut. That's all.

Word Count: 6169 (nice.)

It wasn’t often you found the opportunity to dress up. 

So, when the Sovereign Uriel of Emon called for a formal dinner… gala… whatever the hell Percy had called it, you couldn’t help the surge of excitement at the opportunity to let your hair down - literally - and find a nice dress that would outline the smoother aspects of your battle-hardened form.

That, and you hoped to maybe catch the attention of a certain half-elf.

You arrived to the venue, feeling bright and tall in a fitted dress embellished by twin slits on either side, reaching your mid-thigh. Though they felt a little wobbly, you’d chosen the pair of striking heels Keyleth had suggested, giving you an extra couple inches of height and complimenting the colour of your outfit. Having just barely arrived, you’d already received multiple compliments and stares. Even Vex had voiced her approval, shooting you with a knowing look and a quirked brow that sent a flush to your cheeks.

But they were nothing compared to the moment when Vax noticed you. 

The rogue - who was dressed quite handsomely himself, with his usually loose hair gathered to a low ponytail - faltered in his steps, nearly running into Scanlan as his eyes stuck to you. As the gnome started shouting a few choice words, Vax simply ignored him, his attention solely stuck to you. You couldn’t help but catch the slight warmth that dusted Vax’s cheeks, and the quirk in his lips, his gaze flickering from your feet to the top of your head. 

At that moment, Percy took the opportunity to lecture the group on proper etiquette, breaking whatever spell had fallen over the two of you. With that, you simply sent Vax a bashful smile, turning your attention to the gunslinger and preparing to break out your admittedly rusty people skills. 

As your group finally entered the expansive castle, a hand gently brushed against the back of yours, and you glanced to your left to catch Vax’s soft grin. He dipped his head towards yours, stealing your breath away as he dropped his voice to a near-whisper.

“You look fantastic,” he uttered. It was simple and quiet, yet it still sent your heart rate into overdrive. You thanked him, offering a look and a compliment of your own that decorated his cheeks with a matching warmth.

Cute.

Surveying the room, you strayed off towards one of the walls, though you felt Vax’s gaze follow. With a fairly noble history, you found yourself slipping into a pleasant smile, meaningless greetings and empty chuckles. When a racket of noise sounded from the middle of the room, you had to bite back a snicker at the sight of Grog and Pike, throwing back glasses of champagne as if they were shots. 

Your amusement was short lived, however, as your gaze slid over to Percy, your heart dropping at the expression painting his features. Gone was his excitement, his wonder at speaking with all the diplomats, lord and ladies. You instead saw a strange combination of visceral fear and rage swirl in his eyes, and excused yourself from the bland conversation you’d been sharing with a Lady who’s name you’d already forgotten. 

By the time you’d reached him, the rest of the party had joined, surrounding the man in a small circle. His gaze was haunted and distant, and you were nearly at the point of snapping in front of his face before Vex pulled him from whatever trance he was in.

“Those two…” Percy uttered, describing the fall of his home at the hands of the couple - you’d overheard their names as the Briarwoods - Sylas and Deliliah. They seemed unassuming, like perfectly reasonable, if anything rather pompous characters, but if Percy spoke truth…

“Should we say something? To Uriel?” Vax offered, sending a curious glance towards the retreating couple. His brows had furrowed in that slight way, deepening with suspicion. Percy refuted - how could you say anything without any proof?

“Well, it looks like they’re staying overnight,” Vex commented, laying a supportive hand on Percy’s shoulder. You followed her gaze, noting the trunk that was being dragged up a distant stairway. In your sympathy for Percy, and newfound distrust of the couple, you began circulating different ideas of how to find any proof of wrongdoing. 

Naturally, Vax beat you to the punch.

“Why don’t I make myself scarce, and slip into their chambers. See if I can figure anything out,” He suggested, this time earning the group’s agreement. Nodding his head, he turned towards the staircase, until you caught his arm.

“I’m coming with you,” you stated. No room for questioning. “You’ll need a lookout. Y’know, just in case someone else decides their bedroom is a good place to throw a party.”

Vax didn’t resist your grasp, and his lips twitched upward at your joke. With a whispered agreement, he offered you his arm, and you looped your hands around the bend of his elbow.

He guided you through the room, matching the pleasant greetings and smiles you sent towards other guests. If he was impressed by the way you swiftly and politely dodged conversations with the nobles, directing their attention to other bragging opportunities, he didn’t show it. 

Though he did gently elbow your side as you turned towards the staircase, fixing you with an amused grin. 

You slipped up the staircase easily, your arms parting at the end of the hallway, though you continued to crave the soft warmth he’d provided. You followed his lead, ducking behind an archway in the oncoming hallway. You held your breath, waiting for one of the guards to pass through the hall, before Vax ushered you to creep along the wall. He stalked behind the guard, flicking his foot to the side to gain their attention towards the opposite wall, motioning for you to slip past. You watched as he expertly circled around the guard, remaining completely unseen as he caught up to you.

He sent you a quick, cocky grin, quirking one of his brows before motioning for you to follow him into the next hallway. To say you were impressed was an understatement, and you nearly got caught up in your distraction, as by the time you reached him, he was…

Why was he unbuckling his belt?

You watched him throw the belt into the hallway, incredulous as you peeked into the room. The article hit the ground, forming into a snake that clearly caught the attention of the two guards in front of the door to the chambers. With mirroring exclamations of confusion, they raced after the snake, leaving the hall empty. Vax caught your hand in his, leading you towards the door as he picked the lock, the both of you sparing a last glance around the hall before slipping into the room.

“You weren’t going to tell me you’re literally wearing a snake?” You whispered, shaking your hands out. Vax only chuckled, shooting you another cocky grin as you stepped further into the room.

“One of the many tricks up my sleeve,” he remarked, glancing at the door. You huffed out a laugh, keeping next to the door to listen for any commotions outside.

Vax swept through the room, rifling through drawers, papers - even checking under the bed. Finding nothing, he let out a disgruntled sigh, catching your gaze before turning to the last item in the room. You watched as he opened the trunk, yanking out article after article of clothing until it was empty. 

“Wait - look at this,” he uttered, and you stepped forward, watching him run his fingers along the top of the trunk until it made a clicking sound. The item shifted, shelves full of strange items emerging from the sides. The top panel opened to display a wicked looking book with a skull plastered across the front. 

“Well there’s your evidence,” you commented, leaning over Vax’s shoulder as he picked up the book, running his fingers along the cover before flipping through a few pages. Most of the scrawled writing was incoherent, scribbled out in a language you didn’t quite recognize. However, the ominous pictures and sketches of skulls were enough to carve a pit in your stomach. 

“The whispered one?” Vax muttered, hesitating on one page before a muffled voice rang through the hall. Both of your heads snapped up, and you cursed, rushing to refill the trunk as he tucked the book into his jacket. 

“We need a distraction!” You hissed, reaching to pull him to his feet. Your thoughts raced for a moment, gaze desperately flickering throughout the room until your eyes rested on one of the pillars of the bed. Vax grunted as you spun around, leaning your back against the pillar and yanking him forward until his chest nearly pressed against yours.

You couldn’t words, your stomach dropping and your eyes widening at the position you’d put yourselves in. Suddenly, it felt like a stupid idea. What the hell would Vax think? But then the voices continued to get closer - the deep echoing timbre of a man that had to be Sylas Briarwood.

Vax’s lips parted, his brows raising in a sort of confused shock. As you dropped his hands, they hovered in place, right above the curves of your waist. You swore his pupils dilated, his eyes searching your own, before dropping to your mouth. And then, as dread and horror all started to twist their way into your brain, he blinked, a choked sound forming in the back of his throat before he surged to crash his lips against yours.

Your chest exploded in sparks, your brain quickly catching up with you as you attempted not to fall into the kiss. This was a distraction - a way to excuse your presence in the room. It would be easy to play the eager couple getting too hot and heavy to find the right room. You hiked one leg over his hip, pulling him flush against you as his hand cupped the bare skin of your thigh. You found his free hand, guiding it to slide up the side of your torso until his thumb just barely brushed the underside of your breast. 

This was a distraction.

Was it?

Vax let out a short gasp, seeming to buckle further into your form at the brush of his thumb. His mouth was hot against yours, a low sound clipping in the back of his throat as the door opened, and light filtered into the room. 

It was over before you’d even processed it, and Vax broke away from his lips, swinging his head to the doorway and feigning surprise at the new presence. Your lips still tingled as you followed his gaze, catching the eyes of Deliliah Briarwood. Vax’s grip grew tight along your hip, and you fought to ignore the sparks it shot up into your chest.

“Oh dear- we must have ended up in the wrong room,” you drawled, and you didn’t really need to try and add an extra husk to your voice. You caught Vax’s gaze quickly, his eyes flashing with something you hadn’t seen before, something almost hungry as he moved to drop your leg to the ground. “I’m sorry about that, as you can see, we got a little eager.”

The Lady Briarwood’s lips parted, as if she were about to say something, and you finally processed the fact that you might have actually gotten away with it, until her gaze fell on something just past your feet. You dared to follow her sight, your heart dropping as you noticed the open trunk, which must not have latched properly. 

Fuck.

Vax also seemed to acknowledge the fact that you were, in fact, busted, as he scrambled to stand fully, his hand finding yours to pull you behind him. 

“Right, we’ll just get out of your hair then,” he rushed, beginning to yank you toward the door with him, when Sylas Briarwood caught his collar. The man grinned, looking absolutely wicked as his eyes flashed with gold, and then Vax froze, dropping your hand. 

“Wait- Vax!” You cried, rushing to get between the two, when Sylas punched you - hard. You flew backwards, crashing into the wall and falling to the ground. Your head throbbed and the world around you grew fuzzy, Deliliah’s form blurring as she draped herself onto the bed. Shaking your head, you propped yourself onto your elbows, your vision snapping back into place just as Sylas sunk his teeth into Vax’s neck.

He cried out, his eyes flickering back to their normal hue as he fell forward, hitting the ground just in front of you. He was on his feet in the next second, catching sight of you and reaching to pull you up. He stood in front of you with one arm outstretched from his side, and the other clutching at his blood-soaked neck. 

You uttered his name, watching as the Briarwoods approached you with matching wicked smiles. Vax’s hand found yours, and suddenly he was running in the opposite direction, only turning around again to wrap his arm around you, pulling you into his chest as he jumped backwards, crashing through the window. 

You barely had time to gasp before you jolted in midair, Vax grunting in pain as his back hit something solid, and then you were spinning the rest of the way down, only coming to a stop when you both landed in a pool of water. He grunted again, a rush of bubbles tickling your face as you hit the bottom of the fountain. 

With a gasp, you broke through the water’s surface, adrenaline forcing you onto your feet. The water came up to your knees, and you reached to drag Vax up with you, the rogue looking closer to unconsciousness than you liked. You could feel the Briarwoods’ gazes from their window as you hooked your arms under his, struggling against the water to drag him from the fountain. 

“Shit.. Shit- Vax! C’mon we gotta go!” You hissed, earning a half-coherent groan from him as the ground shook below you. You dared to glance up, pure visceral fear striking through you as you watched Sylas step out of the now cracked concrete, and towards you. You had no weapons, no real way of fighting back as Deliliah appeared next to her in a cloud of dark purple smoke. 

Your heel caught on something beneath the water, sending you tumbling back, Vax falling with you and into your chest. You heard a rumbling chuckle from Sylas, as Vax gasped awake, reaching to clutch at his neck again. You wrapped a feeble arm around his waist, feeling his hand brush against your leg pressed against his side. You were fucked, and you knew it. 

And still, Vax leaned forward, pushing off the ground as your arm fell away from him. Seemingly out of nowhere, he unearthed one of his daggers, surging forward on unsteady feet and taking a swipe at the man standing twice his size. You followed suit, rushing to stand and raising your fists. 

Vax swung the dagger again, just barely missing the sleeve of Sylas’ arm. You surged forward in an effort to distract the man, swinging a fist, which he easily caught. He bent your wrist back, drawing a sharp gasp from your lips, until Vax’s dagger dug harshly into the top of his shoulder. 

Sylas barely even flinched, swinging you backwards and reaching around to catch Vax by the throat. You landed back into the water, spitting out a short stream and looking up just in time to see Sylas swipe, leaving angry red slices across Vax’s stomach. He yelped out, growing limp in the man’s grip, and you scrambled onto your feet once more. Without thinking, you plucked one of your shoes from your feet, hurling it at the man’s head and catching him across the cheek. 

He barely flinched, his gaze darting your way before returning to the half-elf. Whatever words he said were drowned out by a shrill cry, and a bird - whom you had to assume was Keyleth - dove across his face, slashing across his cheek with her talons. 

This time Sylas did flinch, throwing Vax across the fountain before whirling around to face Keyleth. Your surge of relief was once again overpowered by fear. You rushed to Vax, your heart dropping at the pool of blood dying the water around him, when a sudden force of dark energy hit your side, sending you flying back once again. You shouted, gripping at your side and flicking your gaze to meet Deliliah’s menacing grin.

“For fuck sake, I am getting real tired of being thrown around!” you roared, kicking your other heel off and rushing towards the woman. You dodged another burst of magic from her, diving in close to swing a leg towards her. She caught the kick, extending a hand and curling her fists. Your eyes couldn’t help widening as a force seemed to squeeze on your throat, fully constricting your airway.

Fuckfuckfuck.

Just as quickly, that force was gone, and Deliliah darted to the side to avoid a sharp gunshot from Percy. Stumbling backwards, you just barely brushed soothing fingers against your neck, sparing a brief glance towards Percy - his teeth gritted and eyes wild. 

You hadn’t seen that look on Percy before.

A shout from Grog caught your attention instead, and you almost wanted to cry at the sight of him covered in angry cuts, Sylas’ blade hovering and seeming to glow. Another shout from Pike had you whirling around, as she fell against a burst of Deliliah’s magic. 

“Wait, where’s-”

Your babble was cut off as a hand caught your arm, tugging you back out of the fountain. You could hear Vex’s voice, her familiar deep timbre and accent, though you couldn’t make out one word she was saying. Suddenly, a huge wall of green vines erupted in front of you, snapping you from a daze as you fell back into Vex’s grasp. 

“Love- are you alright?” She asked, and you frantically met her gaze, before searching the rest of the group. 

Your gaze finally settled on Vax, upright and missing those horrifying slashes across his torso. While Pike must have taken the time to heal him, he still looked worse for wear, blood dripping from smaller cuts as Keyleth supported one of his arms over her shoulders. 

“I’m okay yeah,” you breathed, catching his gaze, and the flickering relief that settled between you two. 

Until Percy let out a wicked scream.

The group whirled around, catching sight of the retreating figures of the Briarwoods. Percy took aim, emptying his barrel without any luck, before whirling around again, his eyes seeming to glow with anger. 

You stepped back.

“You let them get away!” He cried, pointing at Keyleth.

“Hey!” you snapped back, though he wasn’t listening, his attention returning to the Briarwoods’ abandoned footman. He stepped towards the trembling figure - who looked no older than just a boy, really - demanding questions, and receiving shaky, desperate answers. 

“I don’t know anything!” the boy cried, stretching his hands out in front of him. A black smoke seemed to surround the two of them, and the world around you felt like it was growing cold. A gunshot rang out, and the boy screamed as his fingers flew off his hand.

“Percy!” Vex shouted, dropping your arm to rush forward a few steps. You barely heard the argument between the two of them as you watched the boy curl in on himself, a wave of confusion, sympathy, and fear washing over your shoulders. 

And then the palace doors opened, and everyone was ordered to their knees.

–

In the grand scheme of things, you’d gotten off easy. 

It didn’t stop you from grumbling as your weapons were stripped away from you, and the doors to your keep slid shut, clicking with a heavy lock. House arrest, until the council and the sovereign could all determine just what the hell had happened that night. 

While your bones and your head ached, you decided against going to Pike, opting to give her some space as she kept a distant stare at the wall. You could always take the edge off with a spare elixir or two that you’d stashed in your room. 

As you stalked away from your chambers, still tired, but feeling more refreshed than before, you caught sight of Vax’s door, which was just slightly ajar. Peeking forward, you saw him laid back on his cot, his gaze fixated somewhere along the ceiling. Surveying his form, he looked relatively unscathed, save for a few slight scratches, and two angry looking pinpricks along the side of his neck. 

A heavy breath of relief left you. He was okay. 

“Are you gonna continue to stare at me or come in?” his voice rang out, startling you out of your thoughts. With all that had happened, you’d forgotten just how good his hearing was. 

You stepped into the room, closing the door as he pushed himself to a seated position. The silence between you grew stuffy and awkward, your gaze darting from the dim expression in his eyes to the cracked stone tile that laid just at the foot of his cot. Your fingers tangled together, your foot tapping on the ground as you chewed on your lower lip.

“Almost lost you back there.” You intended it as a lighthearted joke, though it felt like it couldn’t quite reach your eyes. Vax was quiet, his brows falling and his lips turning downwards as he took in your expression. Leave it to him, being able to see right through the meek defence you put up. 

“C’mere,” he soothed, and you didn’t hesitate to follow, stopping just a few inches from his knee. Vax reached out, catching your tangled hands and gently tugging you forward until you stood between his legs, having to tilt your head down to meet his gaze. You watched his eyes brighten with every step you took, his shoulders sagging from the tensed position you’d noticed the second you walked in. 

It was like all your words left you, as you grew acutely aware of the way his hands brushed against yours, the little bit of body heat you could feel from him. 

“I’m glad I had you there to watch my back,” he breathed. His thumb swiped across your knuckles, and you felt that tension in the back of your head slowly start to melt.

“I wasn’t worried,” he breathed. “I had you there to watch my back.”

“Your back took too many hits for me,” you argued, your mind flashing back to the moment he threw you both out the window, how he took each impact on the way down. You reached across, draping an arm over his shoulder to rest along his back, hearing a sharp intake of breath from him. 

“It was worth it,” he hummed, gently pushing you back so you could meet his gaze. “I’d rather take the hit if it meant you didn’t have to.” Your heart squeezed at the earnest look in his eyes.

“Why?”

“You’re incredibly important to me,” he answered, sincere as he met your gaze. This time, your heart felt like it might have actually burst. He seemed to notice, a grin forming on his face as his tone grew lighter. “That, and I have to keep you in top shape if we’re gonna make a team.”

It wasn’t necessarily his words that drew you to the fact, more of a combination of everything. The way he gently kept his hands on you, as if reminding himself that you were real. The way he’d kept you out of harm's way, not just that night, but many more in the past. The way when his gaze held yours, it seemed to soften and grow bright again. It was all those moments, and this one now, when he looked up at you as if you were the brightest treasure in the world.

“A team, hmm?” You played along, the fears and worries melting away as his presence drew you in closer. Vax brightened even more, and you watched his eyes flicker with something new and playful.

“Of course. Who else would have come up with such a…” You watched his ears twitch, his throat bobbing up and down. “..clever idea on the spot like that,” he stated, gaze flickering to your lips. Your cheeks grew warm, the memory of his kiss tingling on your lips again. 

“Psh- it didn’t even work,” you rebuked, clearing your throat. Vax’s grin grew wider.

“I would argue that it did work, just perhaps in a slightly different way.” Your raised brow was replaced with a gasp as Vax wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you into his chest and spinning the two of you around until he was hovering over you, your back flat against the sheets of his cot. His hair fell loose, fanning over you like a curtain and just barely tickling your collarbone as he met your gaze, a sincere grin on his lips and mischief behind his eyes. 

“Vax,” you breathed, reaching to curl your hands around his forearms. He didn’t move from that position, simply watching you for a moment. It mirrored that moment hours ago, before all the blood was shed when you’d held him in front of you, in that breath between admittance and action.

“If you haven’t been able to tell already, I am quite hopelessly in love with you,” he muttered. His gaze flickered between your eyes, your lips, studying your reaction to those fateful words. Your heart, on the other hand, felt like it was exploding through your chest, as you played the sentence over and over in your head, your brain taking a hell of a long time to process it. 

Just as a slight uncertainty pulled at his expression, you reached up to wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him in to meet your lips in a deep kiss. 

You felt his breath catch in the back of his throat, dropping to his elbows and allowing his body weight to fall on you. You reveled in the warmth, feeling it spread throughout your chest as he tilted his head, pulling back just slightly before catching your lips again. Vax’s kisses felt desperate, as he led one of his hands to tangle between the strands of your hair. 

He held you close as he tasted your lips, and it almost felt like he was trying to fuse you together. Breaking from your lips, he hovered over you for a breath, taking in your features before he was kissing you again, and again, and again.

Your hands slid across his shoulders, resting against his chest as he parted from your lips again, brushing his nose against your nose, against your cheek as he trailed his focus down towards your jaw. Vax sighed against your skin, vocalizing the relief the two of you felt, the sudden outpouring of emotion that had been stewing between you for who knows how long.

“Do you think we can finish what we started?” he muttered, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of your jaw and letting his hand trail down to guide one of your legs over his waist. 

And Gods were you eager to agree.

Vax chuckled at the urgency of your legs wrapping around him, pulling him even closer than before. You toyed with one of the many belts across his torso, humming as his lips trailed down the side of your throat. As he reached your collarbone, teasing the skin with his teeth, you managed to unclasp the first buckle, fingers flying to work on the next, and the next, until each strap had fallen loose. 

Seeming to catch the hint, Vax sat up, letting your legs drape across his as he shrugged off his tunic. The pieces of hair that usually remained tied back had fallen across his forehead, framing the sides of his face and scattering across his eyes. It was a beautiful sight to take in, his pupils blown wide, the darkness of his hair and his eyes complimenting the golden hue of his skin. 

It was so different from the put together and suave Vax you knew. There was something unseen that glinted behind his eyes. And you loved it.

You reached forward to let your fingers trace along his surprisingly soft skin. He sighed, melting into your touch as his hands rested on your thighs, tracing upwards and dragging the fabric of your own shirt up as he lowered himself towards you again. He pressed slow, gentle kisses to each exposed inch of skin across your stomach, grumbling low in his throat as your muscles tightened beneath his lips. It felt like you had all the time in the world, and Vax took his time to strip your shirt off, hesitating for a moment to take in the full sight of you.

“Gods you are beautiful,” he breathed, and you felt beautiful. You let out a soft breath of his name, drawing his gaze for a brief moment as he brushed his thumb across the underside of your breast. Again he repeated the action, edging closer and closer to the sensitive flesh of your nipple, until he caught the peak, eliciting a long, admittedly whiny breath from you. Immediately, his head dipped towards your skin, his lips taking place of his hand as he savoured the touch, massaging and flicking his tongue across your nerves. Your hands tangled into his hair, tugging on the strands as you drew his face even closer, heat drawing down and flaring in your core. 

Vax took his time, his free hand drifting along the back of your thigh as you hiked it higher along his waist, a groan catching in his throat at the friction of your core. He rolled his hips against yours once, and you gasped, digging the tips of your fingers into his shoulder. 

“Do that again,” you whispered, meeting his hips with your own. You matched his sigh, your brain slipping into a haze as he ground into you again, the motion sending shots of pleasure into your lower stomach.

And then he slipped his nimble fingers past the band of your pants. 

As two fingers brushed against your clit, you tipped your head back against the sheets. Your lips parted as his continued to savour every inch of your skin, worshipping each dip and curve and scar. Vax shifted to his side, and you lifted your hips, allowing him to shimmy your pants off and toss them to the floor. His hand returned to your core, his thumb tracing your clit as he slid a finger between your folds. You let out a breathy moan, turning to press your lips against his shoulder.

He curled his fingers inside you, massaging that perfect spot and drawing an involuntary buck of your hips. You continued to press merciless kisses and bites against his skin, drawing quiet, clipped moans from him and leaving pinkish marks across his collarbone and throat. Vax continued to massage your clit with his thumb, practically meeting his curled fingers and sending strikes of pleasure up into your chest and down to your toes. 

“Tell me that feels good,” he whispered against your ear, groaning when you answered him with a gravelly voice. 

“Feels so fu-” you cut off with a whine as he spread his fingers to stretch you open. “So fucking good. Keep going,” you pleaded, and he was not one to deny you. He kept up the pace, curling and scissoring his fingers until your back was arching off the bed, and your voice grew higher in pitch. As if he could sense you growing close, he picked up the pace of his fingers, adding one more for good measure. Your eyes screwed shut, and just as your hips lifted from the bed, he slipped his fingers free, fixing you with a teasing smile. “You fucker,” you cussed as your eyes flew open. Vax was quick to soothe you with a harsh kiss, drawing your frustrations away within seconds. As he broke from your lips, sliding his tongue along his shining fingers, your own spark of mischief emerged. 

With a gentle push, he was on his back, looking up at you with hooded eyes and pupils blown wide. His lips were parted, slightly swollen, and he dared to run his tongue between them with a growing grin. Seeing him all shaggy, painted with marks from your own lips and drawing hot, heavy breaths was absolutely delicious. And he knew you liked it. 

He barely had the time to blow a stray chunk of hair from his face before your lips were on his. He wasted no time running his tongue against yours, propping himself up on one elbow and reaching to tangle one hand into your hair. This kiss was sloppy, growing desperate and hot as his tongue fought against yours. You brushed your hand against his clothed length, adding more pressure as you ran your palm down, drawing a long, broken groan from him. You repeated the action, earning more pitchy breaths and moans, until-

Oh my God,

“Vax, I need you inside me,” you nearly whined. He knew what this had been leading to, had actively been working towards it, but still those words had his breath hitching in his throat. He flicked his tongue out to wet his lips, gaze settling on you once more before he scrambled to strip off his pants. 

Before your gaze dropped down, he cupped your jaw with one hand, guiding your lips into another steamy kiss. You whimpered, tongues meeting and teeth brushing against his lower lip as he gingerly pushed you onto your back, draping a leg over until he was hovering over you again. His eyes met yours, a crooked grin on his lips as he ran his length along your slick, before finally letting out a broken “Fuck,” as he entered you.

You groaned at the stretch, feeling every inch of him until his hips were flush with yours. He gave a shallow, experimental thrust, which you eagerly met, sliding your hands to brace against his shoulders. You felt frantic in your movements, grinding against him in an effort to find some friction. To get him to move.

“Love, there’s no need to rush,” he hummed, his lips brushing against your collarbone as he rutted into you. “I want to enjoy you.”

Everything else outside the room simply slipped away. All you could feel was his lips hot on your neck, his fingers digging into your back, and the absolute fullness of him pressing deep into you with each shallow roll of his hips. You panted against his hair, pulling on the strands and drawing low growls from his throat. He voiced his pleasure with a particularly hard snap of his hips, his pace slowly beginning to quicken. 

You eagerly bucked against him, letting one hand fall to trace against his abdomen, across the freshly healed skin of his stomach, and the tightening muscles that drove you wild. He stuttered in his pace, growing distracted at your touch. Muttering obscenities into your ear, his movements grew less calculated, more focused in chasing that release you both so desperately craved.

You arched off the bed, your chest falling flush with his. The added friction of your skin against his, the constant pressure of him hitting that spot deep within you had you frantically clawing at his back, a shout building in the back of your throat. One of Vax’s hands fell from your waist, wringing into the sheet beside you as he gave a harsh buck of his hips, snapping the coil in your lower stomach in two. 

You barrelled over the edge, crying out his name as you pulsed around him. Vax whined, losing himself in your new tightness and riding out his high with a stutter in his hips. When you came down from your high, his arms were shaking, his eyes fluttering open to meet yours.

He looked absolutely wrecked, though you were sure you didn’t look much different.

Slipping out of you, he rolled onto his back, guiding your head to rest on his outstretched arm. Your breathing slowly calmed, and you found his other hand, playing with his fingers. You felt his breathing against your side, felt the warmth beating off his skin. He was there, and he was solid and he was real.

You glanced up at him, the messy hair that stuck to his forehead, the slight sheen of sweat painting his features and the dazed look in his eyes as he took in your presence. His fingers curled against yours, pulling your hand up to place a kiss against your knuckles, and then one more against your temple.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, his voice low and growing hoarse. “Let’s do that again sometime.”

[transmutationisms]

are you familiar with agamben / his ideas on bare life/homo sacer? i found it a compelling extension of a biopolitical analysis but he's a weird conspiratorial antivaxx adj guy now and i worry that the roots of this position run deeper in his analysis than i would like to believe

so i think a perennial spectre haunting a lot of academic analysis of biopolitics is a particular form of individualism that tends away from class analysis and toward right-libertarianism. i've said before wrt foucault that i have this problem, particularly where he tries to envision a political alternative or liberatory project (as opposed to just analysing / problematising the existing situation as he saw it). it's not that he's wrong per se when he talks about the 'massifying' effect of modern national politics and sovereign power. but, if the analysis over-privileges this distinction between individual vs [state / professional guild / institution] and doesn't investigate the relationship between the subjection of the individual and the subjection of the labouring class, then we end up with a politics that tends almost populist at points, and certainly tends liberal because it's unable to conceive of liberation as a project requiring class solidarity and action. this sort of writing is often appealing to western universities and academics for what i think are obvious reasons.

agamben is not someone whose career i have closely followed but what i've observed from a distance is a conception of biopolitics marked by the above issues and therefore pretty limited at the outset in its ability to do more than advance a negative (deconstructive) critique (which is not a bad form of critique by any means but is not, on its own, a political platform or call to action). plus i think, for someone who pays lip service to aristotle as much as he does, agamben is not very attentive to the valuation of human 'flourishing' or well-being or whatever you want to call it—instead the emphasis is almost always on (ironically) a pretty bare definition of liberty, a freedom-from forces of the state or institution or even the social body writ large, conceived as a kind of mob. in this framework (again, more than incidentally libertarian), you can see how things like mandatory vaccination or pandemic 'lockdowns' are prima facie bad. they are repressive, in the sense that they constrain individuals. the guiding axioms in the paradigm foreclose questions about what social living should protect or produce, and what an individual owes to their fellows and can expect in return. the position is that maximising individual freedom of choice is always better, and considerations like, yknow, not killing disabled people are simply not weighed the same.

in general this also comes back down to the point that it's not terribly useful to talk about biopolitics outside the context of a critique of capitalism. i think this critique was sometimes implicit in foucault's writing (& much of the biopolitics writing we have is lecture transcripts!) and is sometimes dropped entirely or avoided in certain academic circles. agamben is of course correct that the reason states 'locked down' when covid appeared was because they were trying to protect their biological capital—their workforces, militaries, and so on. he's correct that states do things like mandate vaccination for the same reason. like, we should be clear-eyed about this and not pretend that capitalist states are doing some kind of humanitarianism in any of their public health endeavours. that's not what those departments exist for and never has been. however, it doesn't follow that every action a capitalist state takes in the name of public health is in itself bad or useless, and if we form our politics around a reflexive oppositional impulse and a lack of class analysis then we end up saying shit like that the problem with vaccine mandates is the vaccines and not the character of the power doing the mandating.

i think this is an important distinction in general but especially germane to discussions of things like medicine. your doctor who exists in a system inextricably bound up with capitalist state power and its biopolitical interest in producing a labour force is not your friend and is not, structurally, protecting your interests. that doesn't mean that medical care is intrinsically bad (i hope it's clear that it is emphatically not) or that doctoring is transhistorically doomed to produce and depend on capitalist bio-exploitation.

i guess this is just a long way of saying i think agamben produced a few interesting analyses of existing institutions and structures of power, but relies on operating assumptions that make him really useless for theorising power in a way attentive to its (class) character. i think that whole milieu is more a politics of anti-sociality than anything else and that it has only limited, local points of overlap with communism (and then only when taken pretty far out of its theoretical context).

[hiswordsarekisses]

“Next time you read through the Bible notice how big of a deal it is to be thankful and not complain. It shows up many times in the Old and New Testament.

I say this as someone who often catches myself complaining and has to intentionally be thankful. But I suspect this is true for most of us.

In Scripture it’s not just an issue of, “Don’t complain and be thankful because you’ll be a happier person and people will like you more.” Though I do think that’s true and actually is affirmed in Scripture.

Still, there is a LOT more. The issue of gratitude versus complaining shows up in God’s judgment of Israel on multiple occasions. It’s part of the general condemnation of mankind in Romans 1. This shows that it is an issue of great consequence and even a sin/righteousness issue.

We often think of gratitude as an unforced attitude that just sort of happens to us. As if it originates in our emotions and we must wait on them to produce it as we are passive participants in being thankful. It would be very disempowering to think that thankfulness works this way. Thankfully (pun intended) this is not the case. While some gratitude rises spontaneously with a thrust of emotion, we are free to simply choose to be thankful at any and all times. This is how the Bible can command us to be thankful, just as it commands us to do all things without complaining.

I still have a long way to go in applying all this to my own life. But I see how important it is and realize that just as it’s a choice to refuse to complain (here I mean complaining in a bad sense because not all complaining is evil) it is a choice to be thankful. And, in Christ, we have more than enough reasons to be thankful no matter what else is going on in our lives.

Thank God for his grace, love, patience, promise of eternal life, sovereign plan to work all things together for good, for the wonderful taste of food, the blessing of friendships, the invention of smiles and laughter, pets, a nice breeze on a hot day, old wise people in our lives, electricity, and every good and perfect gift that we enjoy far too often in the absence of gratitude.”

~Mike Winger

[schraubd]

Israel's Forever War

As the war between Israel and Hamas grinds on in Gaza, we've seen various moments where both Israel and Hamas have been deemed the barrier to a ceasefire. At the moment, the pendulum appears to be swinging Israel's way, as reports grow from multiple parties accusing Israel -- and Netanyahu in particular -- of sabotaging peace talks. Ultimately, Israel's problem is this: once the war ends, it's put up or shut up about the day after plan. And Bibi's conundrum is that he doesn't have a plan for the day after that would result in an equilibrium anyone either in Palestine or in the international community would accept, and he knows it. This is why we get bombastic but vague bleatings about "total victory". Even assuming, for sake of argument, that it would be possible to completely destroy Hamas -- what then? An independent Palestinian state? We know the answer for Bibi is no. Some sort of inferior dependency status? That's a non-starter. Occupation forever? That's just another way of saying the war continues. But those are the choices, and ending the war means making a choice that Israel -- or at least, this government of Israel -- simply does not want to make.  Whenever one questions the possibility of destroying Hamas, one gets dismissive snorts about how we managed to destroy Nazism in Germany, and didn't stop until we achieved "total victory" there. But the end of World War II didn't coincide with ending Germany as a country -- it was always taken for granted that Germany would, within the confines of the new world order, remain a sovereign state (indeed, we dedicated unprecedented resources to rebuilding Germany post bellum in the form of the Marshall Plan -- a commitment that proponents of this analogy seem strangely uninterested in extending). If the Allies' approach towards the Axis powers was that they just never get to exercise sovereign powers again, but remain under perpetual occupation and subjugation ever-outward in time, that's not an end to the war at all -- that's maintaining the war indefinitely. So long as the war continues, the legal, political, and diplomatic framework allows Israel considerably greater freedom of action vis-a-vis Palestine than would be available under any peacetime scenario. When you're at war, you can occupy, you can raid, you can detain, you can violate normal rules of sovereignty. That's what war is, and ending the war means either giving those opportunities up or explicitly endorsing the logic of conquest and/or apartheid. Remaining at war punts the decision down the road, remaining at war indefinitely punts the decision down the road indefinitely. This, I think, is a large part of what motivated the ICJ's decision regarding the unlawfulness of the occupation -- its conclusion being that the occupation had become a delaying mechanism, an attempt to retain the prerogatives of belligerency indefinitely. Bibi's interest in prolonging the war in Gaza now is a concentrated version of the choice Israel has made off-and-on since 1967: a forever war to avoid an undesirable peace. This isn't to pretend that Palestinian factions have been eager partners for peace, stymied only by Israel's intransigence. But it is to say that Israel's interest in blocking Palestinian statehood is fundamentally incompatible with securing a lasting peace, because any durable peace cannot avoid the question of Palestinian independence. Bibi is probably more ideologically opposed to Palestinian statehood and equality than any modern Israel leader, so even if he didn't have a partisan interest in prolonging the war to delay his own electoral reckoning, it should not surprise anyone that his orientation towards the war in Gaza is to keep it going as long as possible. He simply cannot answer the questions posed by its end. via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/KRnY3yi

[hizznbyte]

meeee. i wanna hear about your AU :)

Of course you do heheveh hi!! [You can’t hide on anon I know who you are LOL!!] Uh I’m gonna do a buncha ramblin so bear with me here

My first, more prominent and fleshed out AU would probably be the Luvcat Kingdom AU. Essentially, the AU centers around the eleven main kitties in a kingdom colloquially known as the “Silver State”. All the characters are anthropomorphic so they walk and talk and have jobs n whatnot [I mean, how else do you think they have a monarchy?]. Shenanigans happen. We get to see the lives of the Luvcat Household, each having their own story and secrets to hide. It’s slow and episodic but there’s an overarching narrative behind it.

TT is the sovereign of the Silver State [obviously LOL we believe in Queen TT supremacy here]. Though she does relish in her power, she sometimes gets overwhelmed with taking on the responsibilities of a queen, having to take care of a whole society of cats. She’s relatively short-tempered but doesn’t mean anyone harm [I personally project my autism on to her and think that being queen can sometimes be too overstimulating which is why she’s so quick to lash out when she doesn’t know what to do]. Anyways, TT started keeping to herself more as time went on and no longer made public appearances unless absolutely necessary. She only regularly makes contact with those she works with.

Speaking of which, TT’s royal advisory would be Mr Chairman MoMo! He manages some of the smaller duties TT has, taking care of finance, giving her advice and whatnot. He’s also a bit of a cocky bitch and despite his job, does start beef with TT. He means well of course and is just trying to do his duty, but he’s too much of an old smart ass and it gets on the queen’s nerves. A lot. Anyways, MoMo is really painfully gay.

DD is the head knight of the kingdom. He’s just a big, oblivious boy who is very loyal and does his part. He gets bullied a lot by TT, usually becoming her punching bag -figuratively AND literally [probably because DD has a very loose concept of boundaries and social cues]. TT does feel bad about her treatment of such a loyal subject, but feels like admitting that or apologizing is a sign of weakness so she doesn’t ever tell him that. He is very dedicated to protecting his queen and will do anything for her -even though his a bit of a wimp sometimes. He may or may not be hopelessly infatuated with TT, but his feelings are not reciprocated. Poor Sir DunDun :((

Along with DD, LuLu is also a knight! DD and LuLu are best buddies in this AU, and TT sometimes feels anxious when they’re together because they really are a pair of dumbasses LOL. Anywho, LuLu is mainly in charge of keeping guard of the castle at night while DD is out patrolling. Though he’s a knight by day, when the sun sets… he becomes the notorious Brown-Tailed Bandit! With easy access into the castle, LuLu sneaks around nabbing treats and snacks [especially the super expensive ones]. At first he did it for his own enjoyment -he’s a terrible kleptomaniac and a huge glutton- but then word spread and he started becoming a snack smuggler for a cat named Sylvester [iykyk] who illegally exports the treats out of the kingdom for high prices. LuLu DOES regret his choice, but feels like he’s too far in deep to get out of it. Surprisingly, LuLu and his stubby legs have never been caught or even suspected. Maybe it’s a perk of being the Queen’s favorite[?] knight. Speaking of knights…

General is finally a part of the AU!! I haven’t watched Claire Luvcat in a while so I don’t know much about General’s overall personality, but from what I’ve seen and can guess… in this AU, General is the knight commander. To the younger cats he’s this fierce, stern old guy who doesn’t mess around, but really he just wants to the keep the kingdom safe and cares about subordinates a ton. He sometimes gives advice to the queen and the other knights because of his experience [and is also very put off by MoMo who acts like he’s so old and wise when he’s actually younger than TT and DD]. General probably won’t be a huge part of the AU but I wanted to show em some love.

Then we have mister scientist CoCo!! Actually, CoCo used to be a prince from a foreign kingdom, but ran away so he could pursue a job in his passion for science. No one except General [and maybe TT?] knows this fact because he’s hesitant to share it. He gets all anxious about the idea of becoming ruler of anything, and really just wants to be left alone most of the time while he researches. Unfortunately, CoCo’s research is funded by MoMo and the two have a complicated relationship -but are mostly on good terms though MoMo can be super bothersome. In order to help the kingdom and cats who accepted him into their homes, he learned some medicine and became a doctor!

On that note, let’s move on to LaLa. Similar to CoCo, LaLa is a princess from a distant kingdom. She came to visit the Silver State for something like.. a vacation? Business trip? I guess. Anyways, she was only supposed to stay with TT at the Silver State for a couple weeks but then the boat that was meant to carry her home -along with representatives from her kingdom- capsized so. She’s here temporarily until she can figure out how to get back lol. LaLa gives CoCo flashbacks sometimes. But basically LaLa is your average pretty princess girl. TT is somewhat fond of her for whatever reason. LuLu and LaLa get along really well, and LuLu assured her he’d find a way to get her home safely.

ChuChu is a baker at the kingdom :)) yeah there’s nothing that interesting about here… or is there? [Shhh]. ChuChu wishes to be a princess. Little does she know…

Finally, the cheese family!! [NaNa, ToTo and DoDo]. The three fled their home land to the Silver State due to some sort of civil war, which turned the country to ruin. Seeking safety, they were allowed to live in the Silver State in exchange for work. Despite their difference in class, NaNa and TT are rather fond of each other. ToTo prefers to keep to himself, but along with his brother DoDo, they are besties with LuLu. DoDo and LuLu especially are a rowdy, trouble making pair. Both brothers want to be a knight when they get old enough, though for now DoDo is left following LuLu’s every word [he’s a very loyal right-paw cat!]. LuLu has considered getting the brothers to help him with their heists but is worried about getting them into a dangerous situation, so he tries to keep them far away from that line of work. ToTo is also very close with DD.

Holy shit this post is long asf!! Sorry you probably won’t read allat but if you did well.. I salute you 🫡

..and did I mention there’s more cats in this story? Can’t say who or what rn because well.. this post is long enough but there’s going to be many characters and cats from around the internets. If you have any suggestions for who I should add [looking at you Centimeter!! I hear you!!] I’ll look into it and figure out a way to incorporate them into my story. Lol.

There’s still a ton more I could talk about, so maybe I’ll reblog this post as a continuation? Anyways, man this post was a pain in the ass to write since my phone keeps crashing but!! I finally got to it. Man that felt good. These things are subject to change but I already worked enough on this lore for a dumb AU I’m probably not going to elaborate on so esmekensksjej yeah ❤️

[toastandjamie]

Alright nuance time! As you might have noticed I’m a fan of Mat/Tuon but the thing that makes them so interesting is the fact that they aren’t a perfect couple and the reason I love Tuon is because she’s complicated so that being said- I think it’s really interesting how unbalanced the amount effort in the relationship is. Mat by far puts more effort into making the relationship work and this is because of two reasons, how they view their respective prophecies, and their cultural differences.

Tuon’s prophecy has a lot more specifics in it, having actual signs to look for unlike Mat who received only a title and told they would marry. Tuon’s prophecy encourages her to take a passive role in the development of the relationship because the signs are all actions that Mat commits on his own, stealing and setting her free. So she waits and watches. Mat meanwhile is given no guidelines, he knows he’ll marry her and he can see that unknowingly his head is already in the noose so to speak. Unlike Tuon, despite accepted the inevitability of fate and no longer running away from it Mat still seeks out ways to enforce his own agency within the confines of fate. If his neck is the noose he’ll jump off the ledge instead of being pushed. The outcome is the same but at least he gets to control it. Mat treats his relationship with Tuon similarly, he won’t passively await a loveless marriage instead he takes steps to get to know her, to find the parts of her that he likes, he makes the active choice to love her. Ironically his desire to have agency is what causes their fated marriage.

Once they begin to persue the relationship their cultures come into play. In Seanchen society the Empress is considered infallible, in Tuon’s mind she’s a divine authority in her own right. While she’s willing to consider and listen to the opinions and advice of those she trusts she believes wholeheartedly that she is not just in the right but righteously so. Mat meanwhile has a view on relationships more akin to our own where compromise is necessary to creating a healthy relationship. Andor where Mat grew up is a matriarchy. While the Two Rivers may not acknowledge the Queen as sovereign, women are still the final authority in Emmonds Field, and an expectation of husbands deferring to their wives. Mat is a pragmatist, as a person he’s willing to bend his own morality for the safety and happiness of the people he loves to the detriment of all else including his own physical and mental well being. This means that while Tuon refuses to change she expects Mat to do so, and Mat is willingly to change for the sake of making the relationship work. He’s willing to tolerate things he wouldn’t otherwise because he wants his marriage with Tuon to be happy and he loves her.

The issue is that because they are fated together Mat is willing to do and put up with just about anything to make it work because that’s the only agency he has in relation to their marriage. Where as Tuon views herself as a passive player in her own fate and expects Mat to bend to fit her world view. This creates a dangerously unbalanced dynamic where all the expectation and pressure of keeping the relationship happy is entirely on Mat.

However we also see that there’s the chance for improvement. Mat might be willing to put up with a lot but he still highly values his own independence and sense of self. So if he views Tuon as threatening that, ie. trying to take his hat or threatening his friends/home he fights back viciously against it. While Tuon is immovable in her beliefs in many ways she can be flexible when needed and she understands when a fight isn’t worth it. And of course, she does love Mat in her own way, she shows this by giving him privileges and listening to his wants and needs. Mat is just stubborn enough and Tuon just flexible enough that growth and improvement are possible.

[talkingparrotkee]

Personally, I think there's too much about "Ramonda did this" and "Namor did that," but not enough people realizing how the two characters are just two sides of the same humanity coin. It honestly reeks of media illiteracy and shallow takeaways.

You're not supposed to demonize either of them. What they did was out of their responsibilities as leaders and love for their children. Not only that, but they were at a breaking point after years of torment. They finally snapped after vainly clawing to hold themselves together because they had to be a pillar everyone needed them to be. Everyone around them could fall to their knees in anguish, but not them. They couldn't afford it. Fate was unkind to them, and destiny unjust.

Neither is perfect, but they are human.

That is what makes them relatable, tragic, and compelling characters. While you can find fault in some of their actions, their motives were completely understandable, as is correct.

It's a beautiful tragedy carefully woven by Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole. Consequently, hate seeing surface-level, dumb takes bashing one or the other. It's even worse when these characters get unceremoniously raked across the coals over something as dumb as shipping.

I'm making a case for both Namor and Ramonda for the people in the back.

In the case of Ramonda:

Ramonda is a character who experienced tragedy after tragedy since her debut in the MCU, getting no break for breaking as the sovereign leader of a nation.

She couldn't break when T'Chaka, her husband, died.

She couldn't break when she saw T'Challa, her baby boy fighting to potentially death with a Jabari (what were the odds).

She couldn't break when she discovered her husband kept their nephew a secret and killed his own brother.

She couldn't break when T'Challa supposedly died, being hurled off of Warrior Falls right before her eyes.

She couldn't break when she was run out of her own kingdom by Killmonger being forced to beg the Jabari for refuge.

She couldn't break under her fear as the Jabari closed in on them, having to remain strong, shielding a Shuri.

She couldn't break when she saw her son barely alive, beaten and shrouded in ice.

She couldn't break when her children and therefore the rest of her entire family gotten snapped for five years. She still had to rule and lead "a broken nation through a broken world."

She couldn't break when T'Challa died for real this time from an unknown illness he hid (until it was too late).

She couldn't break seeing Shuri break, wailing for her other half who was ripped away from her.

She couldn't break when feeling the vulturish pressures of other nations trying to destabilize Wakanda and plunder them for their riches, preying on their moment of "weakness."

Shuri, the last and youngest fruit of her tree closest to her bosom, was dangerously dangling over an edge in her immense grief.

This is why Ramonda refused to let her go on field, telling Okoye that "she isn't ready" (the girl was talking about burning the world for crying out loud) and that Namor was dangerous.

No lie was told.

Even so, she hesitantly relented, entrusting Okoye. She also entrusted Shuri and Okoye again when they decided not to fork her over to Namor mid-mission.

What did that get her? A beaten up general and a missing child. It isn't like Ramonda knew Shuri demanded Namor's audience (this was cut from the movie), and her kimoyo beads were not on her for contact.

For all she knew (Namor didn't show her otherwise, let alone build rapport with her), Shuri was in immediate danger. It doesn't matter that we know that Namor wasn't going to hurt her. That's dramatic irony. What matters is, Ramonda didn't know.

There is no wonder as to why Queen Mother snapped.

Was it recklessly instigative to lure out Namor and send a war dog into his home with an "any means necessary" order? Yes. Was it not the best choice to spend precious time getting Nakia and involve her into something she was retired from? Sure. However, you must consider her circumstances. She was in a place of desperation and went to her last resorts.

Again, the first and rightfully lasting impression she got from Namor was that he is dangerous.

The first meeting with this man was him shaking the table, demonstrating his pure audacity by making demands or giving threats ("I have more soldiers than this land has blades of grass"), and being scarily ominous. He breeched their security and was not alone.

Namor had his warriors ambush them at the bridge, despite them (seemingly) retrieving the scientist as he demanded. While it is true they planmed to "break" the "agreement" (I use that term loosely) after meeting Riri, he wouldn't have known that unless he actively spied (doubtful) or just made the assumption of suspicion. This act resulted in Okoye, Wakanda's best warrior and general, frazzled with a taken Princess.

Ramonda didn't know what to expect, but it wouldn't be unreasonable for her to expect the worst in him. Ramonda wasn't going to play Russian roulette with her daughter. This is the one time where she finally broke out, knees buckling from all of the weight, and acted as a mother above all. She also acted in part as a queen, because Shuri is not only the princess, but the apple of Wakanda's eye in many regards. As Shuri told Namor, "Wakanda will not rest" in the darkness of her absence.

What Ramonda knew now when speaking to Namor on the beach (Shuri was safe, Shuri asked to see him, trying to fetch her-breech their waters would be met with an iron fist, blah blah blah) wasn't known then when she made the call (one she couldn't exactly take back here). She couldn't predict a young handmaiden weakly holding Shuri hostage and Nakia having to make the split-second decision to pull the trigger, in far too deep.

The second time she acted as a mother was when saving Riri Williams. Yes, it is true that she could've survived if she didn't swim down for Riri. However, there is a point behind this. It also took her character arc full circle.

In the first movie, Wakanda and its leaders were fine forsaking the lost tribe. They turned their backs and blinded their eyes to the rest of the world. They sacrificed others for themselves. In the second movie, per the choices and changes made by T'Challa, Wakanda and its leaders took a turn for the better. As Letitia Wright said in an interview, Riri was a reflection of T'Challa's choice.

Refusing to have another case of the N'Jadaka, Ramonda, the Queen of Wakanda, broke the cycle. This time, Wakanda sacrificed herself for the lost tribe girl as "if she were one of her own."

In the case of Namor:

Namor is literally just the other side of the same coin. Namor has since lost his immediate family, and at a young age, no less. His father died before he was even born by smallpox (he is the man we see Fen putting jade in the mouth of). His entire village and mother were killed by the same colonial diease before being reborn as Talokanil. He witnessed his mother mourn her homelands and die in her life-long grief. Since he took his first breath, his life wasn't his own. The bracelet Fen was given was a promise of his birthright. He was the first son of the new civilization, destinied to lead it before he could make that decision or understand its weight.

Not only did he have to act as king, but he was viewed as a god. That is so, so much worse when it comes down to expectations or responsibilities.

To add insult to injury, he officially ascended to the throne at such a young age. This all happened during the same day when he:

had to bury his mother

discovered Conquistadors' theft of his ancestral lands he never got to step foot on until then

witnessed slavery

was shot and shouted at in a foreign tongue

was cursed out by a Conquistador priest, interrupting his mother's burial, deeming him a "boy without love" and "son of the devil"

Since then, he didn't have a connection to the surface world. He had no love or trust for it, which only cemented itself as he aged. He spent his life strengthening Talokan, nurturing it, protecting it, trying to experience-revive culture-history deprived from him, and constantly moving it away from the danger of surface man.

Namor's audacity is confirmed partially rooted in the belief that Wakanda should take responsibility for what is and will happen all because they decided to reveal the power of vibranium. It put them all at an immense disadvantage (which is what T'Challa was warned of by Ross in a removed scene). Additionally, Talokan is also more vulnerable than Wakanda and has suffered everything Wakanda feared but never experienced (e.g., colonialization, genocide).

After centuries of moving and preferring to be kept hidden (in other words, he actively chose "peace" and avoiding the problem until he was backed into a corner), the vibranium detector was his last straw. The machine, as said by him, was the sign of the times. They couldn't risk that in any way, hence his extreme actions. There is no disputing that Namor technically was the instigator and a repeated offender at that, but at the same time, you need to look at the context. His hand was forced.

"They came while you spoke to the Queen? We should have never trusted her!" - Namora to Namor in Yucatec-Mayan

Ramonda not only purposefully drawn him out (she tells Nakia that was exactly what she was doing, before giving her the orders) of his home, but sent an "assassin" that took a national threat away while killing two of his "children." One of whom was about Riri's age: a child. She wasn't even a warrior. Namor had to helplessly craddle her as she died. He couldn't do anything as her godking-"father," despite her putting hope and trust in him. That especially makes it more egregious.

If you want to consult the script too, Namor vowed to his mother not to have another Talokanil murdered again. Even if you don't want to take Tenoch's and Ryan's answers in interview questions, it's made amply clear that Namor's attack on Golden City was his form of punishment-retribution, not in his original plans or desires.

From the script,

To the actual cut we had.

Namora is heard stating how much of a risk they were now put in. They have no ensurity Wakanda wouldn't attack them. Shuri has seen their home, equipped with dangerous knowledge. To them, Ramonda-Wakanda has shown capable of killing and going "under the table" while offering a drink above. Let's not even mention how Wakanda has been in contact with other nations and Ramonda threatened to leak their existence.

This realization all happened as Namor was practically having a PTSD trip. We see him hardening, with the same death whistle that played in his flashback, playing then.

Namor snapped.

On the throne, he admits that he was "hypnotized by the panther's tail" that he was blinded by the hope of partnership, an alliance. He endangered all Talokanil and that he seeks to right this wrong. He also says that they will not "move again." At this point, with all of had happened, he-Talokan finally decided to stand up and swing back.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

Address by Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the Independence Day of Ukraine

Dear people!

Ukrainians always pay back their debts. And whoever wished misery upon our land shall find it in their own home. With interest. Whoever seeks to sow evil on our land will reap its fruits on their own territory.

This is not a prophecy, not gloating, not blind revenge; it is a pattern. It is justice. A boomerang for evil. And its launch began not far from the place where I am recording this address. The Sumy region. Mohrytsya. The river of Psel. A few kilometers from our border.

The border between Ukraine and oppression, between life and death. The border between an independent European state and the number one terrorist organization in the world.

913 days ago, Russia unleashed war against us, including through the Sumy region. It violated not only our sovereign borders, but also the limits of cruelty and common sense. It was endlessly striving for one thing: to destroy us. Instead, today we celebrate the 33rd Independence Day of Ukraine. And whatever the enemy was bringing to our land has now returned to their home. And the one who wanted to turn our land into a buffer zone should think about preventing his country from becoming a buffer federation. This is how independence responds. It retaliates for our civilians, who are targeted by guided aerial bombs and Kinzhals, for our parents who have turned gray, for our children who are forced to study underground. For all our people who would prefer never to know the names of these cursed places in their lives: “Savasleika”, “Olenya”, “Engels”. But unfortunately, Ukrainians know them. That is why, our enemy will also know what the Ukrainian-way retaliation is. Worthy, symmetrical, long-ranged. They will know that sooner or later a Ukrainian response will reach any point in the Russian Federation that is a source of danger to the life of our state and our people.

The faded eyes of their chief perceive the whole world as a gray zone. But we will not allow to turn into a gray zone our lands, where the blue and yellow flag rightly belongs. A sick old man from the Red Square, who constantly threatens everyone with the red button, will not dictate any of his red lines to us. Only Ukraine and Ukrainians will determine how to live, what path to take, and what choice to make. Because this is how independence works.

Ukraine astonishes once again. Russia reverts once again to its repertoire. This is how the world media generally portray the events in the Kursk region. They show how Russia treats its citizens, whom it calls “the population.” How Russia “does not abandon” their own. How their soldiers loot their local shops. This is what Putin's Russia looks like in the eyes of the world. And in the same way, the entire world sees how our warriors provide water, food, and medicine to the local people, who say: “It's good that you are here now, not the Kadyrovites.” This is what Ukraine's dignity looks like. Civility. The virtue of our independence.

33 years ago, Ukraine was reborn on the maps of the world, and today Ukraine wins the hearts of the entire world. It inspires with courage. It serves as an example of how not to be afraid of Putin. And it unites the world around its Ukrainian worldview: in the 21st century, terrorists should find their reckoning in The Hague, not comfort in Valday. And no one else in the world will say: “Where is Ukraine?” Because every continent now says: “Ukraine must win”. This fuels our independence. Our Ukraine. It has no lack of foreign regions. We need peace and tranquility on our lands. Along our entire 6,992-kilometer border. On land, at sea, in the air, inside the country – wherever we stand guard for our values.

Just like our warriors do. In all directions of the frontline and the state border, which is symbolized by the border pillars. And our will and struggle are symbolized by our people – our defenders, our pillars. Those on whose shoulders Ukraine stands strong. It stands strong in Kharkiv, in Kupyansk, in Zaporizhzhia region, it stands strong in Kherson region. In Pokrovsk, Toretsk, Chasiv Yar. On the Lyman, Siversk, Kramatorsk, Kurakhove, Vremivka, Huliaipilske, and Orikhiv directions. This is how independence fights. And I want to say to all our warriors today: I wish you a strong one! And thank you, guys! When the need to defend Ukraine arose, you shortly said: plus. Since then, for 913 days in a row, you have been applying a "minus" to the occupiers. Only you know how much effort, sweat, blood and your extremely hard work is really hidden behind the dry statistics of enemy losses. Only you know what it really means to hold a position. What it means to be “pinned down by enemy artillery and aircraft all day long”. What it means to stand firm when “the orcs are pushing.” You have preserved and are preserving our independence.

I thank everyone who helps our warriors and our state, all those who live and work to keep our independence working and living. Our medical workers, our rescuers, our firefighters, power engineers, our volunteers and entrepreneurs, police officers and farmers, railroad workers, teachers and students. All of them. Ukrainians here, Ukrainians abroad, who help, find, send the necessary supplies, tell the world about Ukraine. And everyone who stays with Ukraine in the temporarily occupied territories. All Ukrainians whose strength has no borders, whose will is boundless. All those to whom I am immensely grateful. And today. And for each of the 913 days of this war. For the cause of each of you. For proving that independence is a cause for everyone. And it has many dimensions. Each of which must be gained to secure comprehensive independence. This is economic, this is energy independence. This is the spiritual independence of the Ukrainian people. And Ukrainian Orthodoxy today is taking a step toward liberation from the devils of Moscow. This is also the realization of justice for the awards of an independent Ukraine, which will never again be worn by those who betrayed it. This is the realization of justice for foreign heroes who defend Ukraine on the frontline and deserve Ukrainian honor – our citizenship. These are inevitable processes that have been launched by us today. This is how independence is strengthened.

And there should be a solid border between us and the enemy, and there will be no walls between Ukrainians. Because Ukraine is in each one of us. Independence is in each one of us. And united, we are able to win. It was proven by February 24. It was proven by 2022 and 2023. This year is proving it as well. We have withstood, restrained and repelled the enemy, and now we continue to do so in their swamps.

We know what independence is. How difficult it is to revive it. How difficult it is to defend it. But we know: everything depends on us.

We know what independence looks like. On the morning of February 24, it was in our eyes. Today, independence is in the trenches in all directions. It is in our cities and villages: in each episode when we find the best in ourselves, find Ukraine in ourselves, and fight for it. Independence today has tired eyes that have seen it all. Independence smiles when Ukrainians succeed. Independence is silence when we lose our people. Independence is the oath to never forget the fallen heroes. Independence tastes of smoke and dust on the battlefield and in civilian life. Independence descends into the shelter during an air raid alert to survive and to rise again to tell the enemy again: you will not succeed. You will fail. You will not prevail. And you will be held accountable for everything.

This is how we feel freedom. This is what Ukraine looks like. This is what independence looks like. And this is what it sounds like:

Happy Independence Day, Ukrainians!

Glory to Ukraine!

[esther-dot]

or that she can singlehandedly Elizabeth the first it…

Sansa could do it, if she really wanted, but the historical Elizabeth did not have an easy time with her decision. She had dozens of suitors and was even on the cusp of betrothal a couple of times. Her privy council nearly lost their minds in fear of her dying without an heir. They were so desperate that for a moment they were willing to accept Robert Dudley as a husband, which was a terrible choice for a number of reasons.

My point is, Elizabeth remains, 500 years later still the only (adult) British sovereign who never married. Her personal and historical circumstances were unique, and have never been repeated. She was an outlier, the exception, not the rule.

Sansa knows her duty is to produce an heir, and I doubt George wrote all that motherhood foreshadowing for nothing.

(about this ask)

!!! And the Starks don’t have a great record here. Think about the previous generation. Rickard and his heir die, then that happens to the canon generation with Ned and Robb, and they’ve lost the other boys too...I mean, the heir issue is just not something that can be dismissed. Especially when the North has suffered so and Winterfell has been taken...there's such recent reminders of how precarious it all is. It wouldn't be reasonable for the Northern Lords ignore the issue.

I don't know what D&D were thinking with the Elizabeth I stuff other than, they had just killed off the two other queens, one in a way that would infuriate fans, so it's possible they thought that framing Sansa that way would help counter what they had to know was coming for them? Right after the show ended some of us speculated that we got a scrambled eggs version of events and that Sansa was to be QitN much earlier.

I have a few hangups when it comes to resolving the Northern succession crisis because it isn’t clear to me which path answers all the issues.

Considering Jon's repressed desire for Winterfell, I don't think he'd ever be able to take it, not after Robb's death and while trueborn Starks lived. Some have suggested that the show's version of he's KitN and Sansa is LoW is the compromise, but if we're basing KitN on Robb's Will, I don't see how the Lords accept and push for him to be king regardless, if he's refusing to inherit? That’s what the will was for.

This is where Jonnel/Sansa comes in and I've said before, Jonsa could be the contrast where the marriage where, rather than taking from the girl, it’s actually the way to give her home back to her/rectify a wrong. And I don't want to dismiss the precariousness of the situation and that Jon (at Sansa's urging) might go along with inheriting or being KitN in order to unite the North and prepare for war, but the guilt. And also, that works in the specific scenario, what of the overall issue of girls being passed over? Is Martin merely pointing it out or will he offer a sign of progress ie the Northern Lords opting for Sansa to inherit or be queen? I mean, Jon will have lots of rumors floating around him post rez, not sure that he could be a unifying force? And the idea of a bastard rising up to lead them...idk.

That brings me to the bastard issue! How society looks at bastards is obviously horribly unfair to the kids, so is Martin gonna progress the North on this issue by them rallying behind Jon or will it be Sansa having a child who may or may not be legitimate but is her heir? As in, she’s still married to Tyrion, will the North say fuck it and have Jon and Sansa marry under their own religion or if R+L=J isn’t widely known yet or Jon is controversial in the North, they secretly marry and Sansa “legitimizes” her child later and that progresses the issue?