#I don't know what Kingdom of Sky is but HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

hello! im reasonably new to your account and i just saw that you have an arcana playlist (love the idea of that) and i dont know if you still take suggestions for the playlist, but in case you do, i have a few songs that remind me of characters (aka just Muriel, like literally just him) that might be of use :)

On the Mountain Tall - the Oh Hellos, not only does the name and the general vibe of the song fit him but there are a few lyrics in it like "I know you want me to be afraid, I know you want me to love you" "Up out of the grave of an angry ghost, Firing bricks from broken canon and prose, To build a wall so high it reaches the heavens in the sky" "Still you beat your drums, Raising holy war with every strum, Shouting down the quiet kingdom come, Brushing at your fingers, hoping you'll come around" that honestly just fit very very well

How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead cus its sad as fuck. "I'm not here, This isn't happening, I'm not here, I'm not here, In a little while, I'll be gone, The moment's already passed, Yeah, it's gone", if thats not a man dissociating through traumatic expiriences i dont know what is. The song keeps repeating "im not here", and seeing how Muriel chose to have a curse that makes people forget him, it is very fitting

Trapdoor - Twenty One Pilots, i have had an arcana obsession since like? 2019? when i was still a massive fan of this band, and this song always reminded me of muriel. "Take me out and finish this waste of a life, Everyone one gather around for a show, Watch as this man disappears as we know, Do me a favor and try to ignore, When you watch him fall through a blatant trapdoor, 'Cause nobody know his life (i always thought it was "he's alive")", it gives the vibes of how the people of vesuvia did Not Give A Shit About him. They just thought hed willingly murder so many people, nobody saw the literal chains he was stuck in and thought "hmm maybe hes being forced to do this"

No Suprises - Radiohead, it reminds me of how Muriel pulled away from all society after he fled from the colosseum. It reminds me of how he was so scared and so ashamed to interact with people, how he just wanted some silent and rest after all the horrible things he went though, not just in the colosseum but his entire youth. "You look so tired, unhappy. Bring down the government, They don't, they don't speak for us. I'll take a quiet life, A handshake of carbon monoxide, No alarms and no surprises, No alarms and no surprises, No alarms and no surprises, Silent, Silent", to me the song always feels like it needs to be sung while sobbing.

Sleep - My Chemical Romance, i 100% believe Muriel has so many nightmares, i mean its even shown in his route once. A symptom of ptsd is night terrors, and seeing what the guy has lived through theres no way he goes to sleep normally. I think this song catches the vibe of this pretty well.

PTSD - Joost, literally just a (dutch) song about ptsd. its a massive vibe and cus i hc that Muriel has ptsd i thought it be fitting

Me? Having massive brainrot abt Muriel? perhaps...

i hope this can be useful for your playlist!! (also if youd like i can give more of this, it is very fun to do lol)

@canofpeaches00000 woah, these are all awesome suggestions! I really appreciate how you broke down the lyrics and added context to them too, it doubled my capacity to enjoy them! ^.^

I've added them to the playlist and I'm putting them on the tag, thank you for all the recommendations friend! :D

[almost-correct-quotes]

lyrics that remind me of dion and kane / their plotline <3

if there's no character specified it's either about them together or the plotline in general

it's tumblr, so the colors are messed up but you get what im trying to do its supposed to be aesthetic

Dion: Turn and Go - {Parentheses}

When the night is turning sour Due to the lateness of the hour Doesn't mean it has to end Just turn and go You just need a change of scene Somewhere happy, somewhere green You don't have to be alone Just turn and go

I announce that I am leaving, no one seems to care No one even takes a second glance But I am with the people that I love the most And that's always more fun without a plan

Dion: Lying in the Middle - Spence Hood

Why should I make up my mind Just to change it overnight What a magnificent way to waste my time You know I would rather live my life Rife with riddles Lying in the middle of the Kinsey scale The world’s a buffet and I came to get my fill

Dion: Doing This Again! - Bears in Trees

I hope I'll be resilient I hope to be brave in the face of another family cancer My mother 'cites a rosary downstairs But lord, these blessed words fail me

Love Takes Time - Philip Labes

It takes more than some roses, for roots to intertwine To open up the doors to your interior design Sneaking in the baggage, that we couldn't leave behind

Saint Bernard - Lincoln

When I'm dead, I won't join their ranks 'Cause they are both holy and free (…) Make me love myself, so that I might love you Don't make me a liar, 'cause I swear to God When I said it, it was true

Paul Revere - Noah Kahan

One day, I'm gonna cut it clear Ride like Paul Revere And, when they ask me who I am I'll say, "I'm not from around here"

I'll leave before the road crew's out Before those joggers, looking way too proud And I'll turn up the music and I'll forget Until it ends, that I'm not ready to let go yet

How I Survived Bobby Mackey's Personal Hell - Lincoln

Well, if there’s one thing that I'm sure of It’s that I think too much about shit that doesn’t matter And I don’t think enough about things that make a difference

You left some holes in the plotline I left some holes in your clothes And we can argue semantics over who left who first

Dion: Downhill - Lincoln

I went downhill at such steep incline That my rearview mirror showed me only the sky And I laughed about it all night

And I said “Hey man, isn’t it poetic That the sky is what we leave behind?” Because I was born into the world on a silken cloud And I got bored of the world before I hit the ground

From Eden - Hozier

Idealism sits in prison, chivalry fell on his sword Innocence died screaming, honey, ask me, I should know

There's something broken about this But I might be hoping about this Oh, what a sin

Out of Time - Philip Labes

Tick, tick, tick goes any good thing Forever is a diamond lie We can't stop the clock, so let's just talk Until our heartbeats rhyme Until we're out of time (...) And if you believe that fate brought us together Then you must believe that it tore us apart But I do not believe That we live in a machine I think the ticking that you're hearing is a heart

Kane: Is It Honor That I Want? - Sushi Soucy (it's LITERALLY him. screaming)

I know the guidelines That I've lived by my whole life So well that I could sing them Be a good kid, be a good brother Be a good son, be a good loyal servant to the kingdom

Why am I so confused? I have everything I want Yet it feels like I have nothing left to lose Is the world really falling to pieces? Do we really have to iron out the creases? Have I been told my whole life something that isn't true? Because I really have no idea what to do

I curse the heavens up above Is it really honor that I want Or is it love?

The Title Track - Origami Angel

Sometimes it gets hard to be alive And you know that better than I do Better than I do Sometimes you need somewhere else to go Somewhere that nobody can find you No one will find you

But if you wanna be somewhere you don't have to be alone Or distraught or anything at all Baby, you don't have to be, pack all your things And we'll move to Somewhere City If you want to be someone that you never have to hide Or keep bottled up on the inside Baby, you can set it free, just come with me And I'll show you Somewhere City's waiting for you

Dion: Re-Do - Modern Baseball (i have to put mobo on every single playlist somewhere soz)

I wanna start from the top Maybe like a do-over Replace the voices in my head With blind innocence

I want a complete re-do Maybe change my name Report the losses, grab the claim "It's a shame, it's such a shame"

Kane: Stick Season - Noah Kahan

As you promised me that I was more than all the miles combined You must've had yourself a change of heart like halfway through the drive Because your voice trailed off exactly as you passed my exit sign Kept on drivin' straight and left our future to the right

[imhereformr]

Winx S2 E14 Battle on Planet Eraklyon

Ah yes... This episode... As you can surely tell, I'm very excited for it

I just noticed in the recap that one of the weird dudes from the last episode had chains in his hands when he cornered the fairies... Dude

What the fuck... I do not remember this scene of Musa walking through an argument and calming them. Seems a little odd for the most hotheaded and argumentative of the winx girls to be the one forcing peace

Holy shit Yoshinoya... Yikes

"What if Sky comes to her rescue?" What about Eraklyons soldiers or police force? 🤨

Diaspro screaming over a dog... Good thing she didn't marry Sky with his (disappeared) beloved dog #justiceforLady

"Because of droughts" Flora you nerd. I love you. More of nerdy Flora please.

No, you know what's rude Tune? Talking over someone! Like you're doing right now! "pixie of manners" 🙄🙄

MUSA'S STANDING LIKE RIVEN AGAIN 😍😍😍

There's an emergency. SERIOUSLY DOES ERAKLYON NOT HAVE AN ARMY OR COPS

To organize a concert? ORGANISE? Faragonda dropped a whole ass concert on her? Does she not know how much work goes into that?

"how primitive" Tune is a fucking hypocrite. Now I don't know anything about etiquette, but as a Canadian politeness is built into me and insulting people like that IS FUCKING RUDE TUNE YOU FAKE ASS BITCH. Tune is now on my list alongside Faragonda. I've got beef with Tune.

"I've got a bad feeling about this. Someone down there needs our help" Uh yeah Sky, you were just talking about some emergency remember?

If Diaspro's father is so influential why can't he pay the ransom? Why does the kingdom need to pay for one man's daughter being a fucking brat?

Sky's angry pose 💀💀💀

Wait where did Musa get that paper from? Did I miss something?

HOLDTHEFUCKUP Brandon and Sky traded places because of threats from Yoshinoya but they decide to go fight his goons JUST THE TWO OF THEM and Sky's parents are totally fine with it because it means he might fall in love with Diaspro???? Even though it also means they might end up with their sons head in an unmarked package that says youre next? Who the fuck let these people be parents let alone in charge of an entire kingdom?

"I ain't got time to hurt" Zing is the best of the pixies.

Brandon is two seconds from never having babies

Is it ever explained why Stormy is at Alfea? Or did they just need a reason for her to want revenge in the next episode?

"Hey I'm not afraid of your justice, I'm rich" Diaspro is an icon.

Once again, Bloom could defeat three crazed witches on the magical equivalent of speed, but she can't take these losers in bad costumes? FFS 🤦🏻‍♀️

The people being swapped need to be about the same height and weight. Well isn't that an awfully convenient moment for Bloom to prove what a good person she is.

"but you don't even like her" 😂 😂 😂

"Youre kind of mean for a hero" "Yeah troubled childhood" STOP I'M FUCKING DYING 😭💀💀😭💀💀

How did Bloom break those restraints? Either she's super strong or Diaspro is weak af

"I'm supposed to marry a prince" No Diaspro, you're gay. You want a princess. I don't make the rules.

Shessofuckingcute. I love her so much.

But seriously tho why was Stormy there?

We all know Bloom wouldn't lose 🤦🏻‍♀️

They're not gonna get very far on Earth 😂

Okay I've never watched this episode more than twice cause it was very Bloom and Sky heavy, but honestly it was fucking hilarious 😂 😂

[tsuki-sennin]

The Kingdom of Sky Land welcomes us~! Who is this mysterious rival? And this even more mysterious woman Sora admires? Only now will we discover.

-The king be pacing.

-Absolutely massacred these flowers.

-A truly humiliating assassination.

-Ohhhh, new villain

-I love the way they looked there for a brief second, I wonder what they're like?

-Pu-ri-kyu-aaaaaaaaaaa

-The princess walks!

-"Bless you, my heroes! You've saved our princess, made her smile,"

-Once a couple of scrubs on different paths in life, the Pretty Cure have become national heroes~!

-Owe yourself a little more credit, Mashiron. Soak in the excitement.

-Oh?

-Right, she's just straight up riding a Chocobo.

-"I fucked up, you guys can go home."

-King Skyland

-Oooooooooh, there she is

-I'm assuming she's Captain of the Royal Guard. Must've been some serious shit

-Shalala?

-Azure Guard...

-Holy shit, she's got a fucking lightsaber.

-Er uh, I guess beam katana if you're so inclined.

-Sora's fangirling is absolutely adorable.

-The Hero~!

-...I deadass thought that shopkeeper was slinging the meth from Breaking Bad, but no, those're the Sky Jewels Yoyo used to repair the gate from a few episodes ago.

-Tsubasa?

-Whatcha thinkin' about, lad?

-Oh, I see! The King!

-Well, you're free to pursue whatever gender you'd wish, but not only is he like five times your age, you'll be horrendously unhappy if you skip lu-

-Ohhhhhh, you're

-You're just riding high off the

-Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking, carry on, I'm very off today!

-The royal nanny.

-"You are way too humble, Mashiron."

-Oh yes yes

-I wanna know Shalala better.

-Ooooooh, she's become a rookie.

-Oh and she changed back into her homeland attire, I almost didn't notice.

-Beryberie.

-Wow, okay.

-"Mmmm... alright then. We'll do just that then."

-...I guess we're fighting today.

-She needs only her Skyland Divine Fist.

-Hot damn, this is sick.

-Oooooh!

-Foofd

-"A fool deals only in strength and weakness.""

-Beriebery is outta here.

-Looking sharp, Private Sora.

-A truly cosmic level of fate.

-We meet, we become friends, we become stronger.

-Who be you?

-Ahhhh, yep. There it is. Something to set Beryberie's actions in context.

-Have the courage to think and act on your own.

-SHE SPUN HIM

-...I know I made a few Skyward Sword references throughout this series so far, but holy crap, that is just straight up Link in emo drip.

-Yeah, I get real bad vibes off this man

-C'mon! Oh joy, Diet Narshe.

-Battamonda is his name, it seems.

-Cure Time.

-"Sorry boy, no weaklings allowed~!"

-Off they gooooo!

-Updraft Shining!

-Gauntlet Regained

-Ohhhh, those're antennae.

-No wonder he's called Battamonda then.

-It's important to give someone space.

-Oh, okay! She's feeling better. That's nice.

-I wonder how rigorous the Azure Guard's recruitment and training process is normally?

-Oh Flora! Hello~! Worry not, Sora's living her dream.

-Ohhhhhh that's a fast track to disaster we're on next episode.

[gerudospiriit]

[catch me liveblogging the final battle and shit under the cut tho aljdf]

[I wish I were livestreaming this fight rn but this is the best I got alsjkdfkjaf:

oh boo i have to fight dehydrated Gan--nevermind. how you doing, Gan? 😏 have a nice rest? you probably really should have rehydrated sooner to get used to having you know...a not corpse body by lets gooooooooooo.

plan of attack: wail on him and try to figure out his moveset. so far, it's kind of working 🤣

oh fuck he can do the witch time thing too fuck. but it's good you can dodge out of it.

it's really cool that he's a master of all three types of weapons like link. that's neat and terrifying.

you can't flip out of the flurry rush liek me that means im better than you lol

now it's demise's turn i see

now you brought in reinforcements. BUT MINE ARE BACK TOO ASSHOLE HAAAAAA

glad you're enjoying this as much as me man. this fight is pretty legit fun.

wow those were my pals how dare you. and don't taunt/beckon me like that unless you plan on a different kind of battle somewhere more comfortable ok

wow man was not just glooming my hearts but also stealing my hearts wow. that was pretty tough

oh is he gonna eat it. is this what got spoiled. oh shiiiit

gandragoooooonnn

oh is he just gonna look like calamity ganon ish? laaaame

oh i got eated. shit.

is zelda dragon gonna come save me?

ah nabs is hurting again good. great. her feels.

oh there we go. now we got dragon ganondorf

yeah theres zelda dragon gonna boop his nose. or catch me. preesh

imagine if they all just ate their stones. what a battle man

zelda. zelda plz. catch meeeeee. :'D in all seriousness tho this is a neato fight too like daaaaamn. jumping off dragons and shit? fuck yeh.

so does this mean zelda didn't lose herself? called that one. She's always special girl haha

okay but i really feel like ganondorf is just making the same mistake as jafar here, like esp in kingdom hearts since video game comparison. so far, this fight is so much easier, and part of that is because he can't really touch me.

skyward sword prepared me for these midair fights and sky diving.

oh that blood moon is a nice touch wow

where am i going? his head? jump straight in his mouth, got it. (jk i see the glowing weak point lmao)

rip ganondorf again

another head stab nice

catche meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. thnks

this is how you do a final battle fuck. botw was so lackluster in comparison. THIS is memorable holy shit

A NUKE???

is link gonna go the way of goku at the end of gt? fly away on zelda's back?

rauru???? wait my clothes? where tf

oh we returning zelda back? oh rauru and sonia? wow

idk im gonna miss dragon zelda man. but she's baaaack. i knew it would happen but yaaaay

ey links arm is normal. and aw that's sweet. rauru and sonia leave together

gotta catch zelda now oh shiiit

OMG THE REACH TO MIRROR THE BEGINNING I GOT CHILLS AAAAH

im glad you understand cuz i don't. so did rauru and sonia like...keep her from losing herself? the warm loving embrace thing? or was that just want brought her back. the three of them together? their love and all that?

aklsjdf athat was honestly so good. liek im so glad they did amillion times better with totk than botw. *chef's kiss* im still confused af on a lot of things and might makes some more comprehensive posts about shit later, but this was a solid game outside of causing confusion lore 😭😭

[chungledown-bimothy]

How did the other ones age terribly, if you don't mind me asking?

I only have one tattoo at the moment! It's on my upper left arm and it's just a mountainscape with trees, a crescent moon, the constellation Cassiopeia, and swirling watercolor to make the sky look galaxy-like!

Honestly you're so valid. Also, I know it's never been confirmed bc they don't really talk about it past a passing joke, but I fully believe that Margaret Encino is a trans woman and I love that for her.

Ajdhd that is too much church for one day. I literally can't imagine growing up like that 😅 even going to church for an hour on Sundays (and on Wednesdays bc we went to church before CCD) was sooo boring as a kid. But honestly I never really believed in it 😂

My brother got irritated with me one day when I was 6 (he's 8 years older than me and never particularly liked me) and told me Santa wasn't real. I immediately went to my mom and asked for confirmation, and my mom sucks at lying so she told me the truth. I then immediately asked, "so then is the Easter bunny fake too? And the tooth fairy?" And when my mom answered yes to those, I apparently took a long pause and asked, 'is Jesus real?" 😂😂😂😂 My mom was so out of her depth

Those songs and that album are such good choices!!! FOB songs go hard and are honestly kind of underrated!!

It's honestly not that bad of a schedule! I've been doing it for almost 2 years now, and once you get used to it, it's actually great. Plus, when I take vacation, I get 3 weeks off instead of 2!!

What other bands/artists do you like?? If you have Spotify and don't mind sharing, who was your top artist of the year?

- 🪐

They're both from fandoms I've since completely separated myself from.

One of them is a BTS tattoo (their logo on my inner wrist) I got in 2018, and while I still listen to their music from time to time, I really don't pay any attention to them any more. The fandom as a whole fucking sucks, and it seemed to just be getting worse, so I bailed a couple years ago.

The other is a goddamn Sanders Sides tattoo I got in early 2017. Also not a big piece, and one that's aesthetically cool divorced from its source, so not a big deal there. The tldr on it aging poorly is that Thomas has been stringing along and fucking over his fans for the last few years, and it fucking sucks.

I have not learned from either of these experiences and will soon be getting a kingdom hearts tattoo and a d20 one (once i figure out what the fuck i'm actually gonna get lol)

Holy shit that sounds so beautiful!!

It definitely was a lot of church, but I was so devout, I truly didn't care. I also, as a freshman and sophomore in high school, did an additional scripture study class from 5:30 to 6:30 am every weekday 😅

That's fucking hilarious oh my god. I cannot imagine what my dad would have looked like or said if I'd asked him that lmfao

I'm glad the schedule works for you! 3 weeks definitely sounds great ^_^

My current favorite artist is Sig Figs Collective for sure. They were pretty much all I listened to from this past October to when they had to take their music off Spotify. I also listen to a lot of show tunes and other pop punk (mcr, green day, mayday parade)

I think my top artist last year, though, was, uh. Markiplier. I listened to one of the songs he released for In Space With Markiplier almost 500 times, and there were a few other songs he's done that were also in heavy rotation lol

You?

[dancing-to-architecture]

Wanna say that I've been busy, but really I've just been lazy. (That kingdom just has so many tears!)

Expect a few albums coming in hot.

19 - The Kinks - The Village Green Preservation Society

Initial thoughts: Okay, i know exactly 3 songs by The Kinks. Aaaaaaaand none of them are on this album. All new stuff.

Very cool cover art.

The Village Green Preservation Society-

I used to be MUCH harsher on things like this, but they're gonna catch a little flak for rhyming "society" with "society" and "variety" with "varieties".

Now, I'm not saying it's a sign of impropriety, nor is it a cause for notoriety, but in it's entirety, it reliably, justifiably gives me anxiety.

(Later edit: okay never mind, he just rhymed "vernacular" with "Dracula" and that's goddamn amazing)

All that said, i do want to join the Custard Pie Appreciation Consortium, and i really like what the song is saying: sometimes small towns/communities aren't wholly terrible, new things can absolutely live alongside older traditions, and there's no sense in going blisteringly fast directly into the New just because you can.

Do You Remember Walter?-

Oh man, the first 5 seconds got me hyped and then i remembered this isn't ELO, and ELO likely referenced (or stole) that piano/drum fill combo for Mr. Blue Sky.

So, literally *yesterday*, i could have sworn that i saw a guy that looked JUST like one of my close friends from high school walking into a Walmart in Florida. And it made me wonder for a few minutes about how that guy is doing and how "if you saw me now you wouldn't even know my name".

They put that exact feeling into a song.

People often change, but memories of people can remain. Damn, i hope people remember me kindly, at least.

...but knowing my past? Outlook not hopeful.

I was a real piece of shit before some really good times with very hard drugs showed me EXACTLY who i was (right before they annihilated my ego right in front of me and told me to go play 52-soul pickup).

Picture Book-

Okay i know this one from about a dozen movies and it commercials, usually involving scenes of the Glorious Past and How Much Better Things Used To Be, and that kind of manufactured nostalgia generally turns my stomach.

Also, given that nobody gets pictures processed anymore, this song actually hurts. There aren't any modern picture books unless you have a person in your life who's REALLY into scrapbooking or something.

All of our memories are all stored on two forms of objectively rapidly-decaying memory; one silicon, one electric jelly, and neither are as reliable or durable as processed film.

There will come a day when nobody has actual pictures of anybody because they've all been sitting on someone's phone... which just got factory reset.

A good song, I'm just in a funk about the future of it all.

Johnny Thunder-

Look, Johnny Thunder is clearly a bum and/or drifter and Helena could probably do better.

Last of the Steam-Powered Trains-

Some really solid bluesy guitar work, and who doesn't enjoy a well-placed harmonica?

Also, holy shit do i feel this song, knowing that a lot of my friends have relatively well-paying (air conditioned) computer-toucher jobs while i sweat in this machine shop.

C'est la vie.

I'm the last of the soot and scum brigade, and I guess I'll wear that badge with pride.

Big Sky-

This is an anthem for The Vast. (Magnus Archives fans will relate.)

Big Sky hears ya, Big Sky don't care.

Be like Big Sky.

Sitting by the Riverside-

The sonic equivalent of a beautiful day doing nothing at all, just chilling by the river and getting nicely wine-drunk with someone you love. This one's short but sweet.

Animal Farm-

Fun fact: this song has exactly fuck-all to do with the book of the same name.

Real B-side hours on this one, if I'm being honest. Not terrible, but nothing to really write home about, imo.

Village Green-

There are some aspects of small town life that i almost miss.

Not enough to write a song about it, but i guess that's the overall theme of the album.

I will never say that I'm upset that i left my hometown, to the extent that i feel like i even have one.

Starstruck-

Fitting right after Village Green to have a song about the crazy Big City and how dazzling and disorienting it can all be.

Not very fitting that this one's actually all about "yeah, girl, I'm the shit. Be dazzled by my glorious incandescence."

Phenomenal Cat-

I'm gonna be real: a bit of a waste of the intro lines here, because 'a long long time ago, in the land of idiot boys' is a GREAT opener.

Another "the world isn't what you want, what you want is a simple, peaceful life" song, continuing the theme.

Also, kinda feels like the cat just became a Buddhist?

All of My Friends Were There-

Sounds like one of the hardest parts of dealing with fame is "who is actually really a friend, and who just wants to ride my dick and try to sponge some spillover cash?"

Kinda glad I've never been wealthy enough to have to worry about that, tbh.

Wicked Annabella-

Slick drum intro, love the fuzzy guitars.

The lyrics are a goddamn Grimm fairy tale, though.

This guy's clearly not ready for a big titty goth gf...

Monica-

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Captain Save-a-ho! "No no she loves ME guys, you don't have what WE have."

People Take Pictures of Each Other-

Just reread everything i said about Picture Book again. Same thoughts.

All in all, not a bad album, but it doesn't really feel like The Kinks i know just yet.

Favorite Track: The Village Green Preservation Society. Yeah the first four rhymes are pretty weak but it's a great setup for the themes of the album overall, sets a nice tone of what to expect.

Least Favorite Track: honestly, it's Picture Book, because that song is irrevocably connected with commercials for Kodak or whoever.

[savventeen]

take in the view

pairing: dragonrider!vernon x gn! reader rating: G wc: 0.9k summary: vernon takes reader on a ride on his dragon; it ends up being pretty great warnings: none tags: fantasy au, vernon rides dragons, reader is just along for the ride, confessions, first kiss, also vernon has long hair in this bc i said so a/n: this was originally a beomjun drabble i wrote for the prompt 'things you said when we were on top of the world'

You are ashamed to admit that when the dragon finally takes off, you scream.

And keep screaming.

Don't actually stop screaming until Vernon pats your arms where they're encircled around his middle in a crushing embrace.

"Hey, come on! You're gonna miss the view!"

You stop screaming then, but it still takes you a few moments of deep breathing before you're able to open your eyes. At first, all you see is the deep green of Vernon's tunic. Which makes sense since you've yet to untuck your face from between his shoulder blades.

So you lift your head only to be hit with a wave of dark brown as the roaring wind whips Vernon's hair directly into your face. You splutter, closing your eyes as you dodge the hair and hook your chin over his shoulder, the leather armor warm under your skin.

You hear Vernon whisper your name, using some of his magic so that he doesn't have to shout over the rushing air. "You're safe, I promise. Open your eyes."

So you do. And the sight before you steals your breath away.

There's so much color.

The greens and browns of the coast bleed into the bright reds, oranges, and yellows of fall, like autumn has set the entire kingdom ablaze. And where sand feeds into the ocean... you never knew so many shades of blue could exist together at once. You're so far up that you can't tell if the little blips of white next to the shoreline are the crests of waves or the sails of the Queen's armada.

Your eyes trail toward the horizon and you can't help but gasp. It's like the ocean has been turned to gold, the soon-to-be-setting sun causing the surface of the water to look like it's covered in glittering jewels across the entirety of where the sky meets the sea.

"Holy shit."

Vernon must hear you because he snorts inelegantly, and you can feel the way his shoulders shake with a silent chuckle.

With a powerful flap of the dragon's wings, you're suddenly soaring even higher, and you absolutely don't squeak in fear, you don't.

Vernon is laughing outright now, and you can't help it — you join in. You laugh, start cackling really, adrenaline mixing in with the happiness and spilling out of you like an overzealous waterfall, or maybe more like the enchanted fireworks Seokmin loves so much.

Your chest is suddenly filled to the brim with so much, too much, and all you can think to do is throw your hands in the air and shout your joy to the heavens.

You almost don't hear it, but Vernon must still have his little enchantment going because even over your yelling and the roaring wind, you hear it — a murmur, almost reverent.

"Gods, I think I'd do almost anything to keep you looking this happy."

Your heart stutters in the marathon it's running in your chest. You bring your arms back down and rest your hands on Vernon's shoulders. "Vernon?"

He doesn't say anything, just keeps his attention on holding the dragon's reins.

You chew on your lip before huffing a breath that gets stolen by the wind. You're a stubborn brat on the best of days, and you're not going to let what sounded an awful lot like some kind of confession float away to join the mist of the clouds surrounding you.

Determined, but carefully so, you press yourself against Vernon's back and wrap your arms fully around his shoulders, leaning your head so that you can look at his profile. He's always been beautiful, you know. But with the golden glow of the afternoon sun on his skin and the endless sky behind him, he looks ethereal.

And maybe it's the adrenaline still tingling through your veins, or maybe you simply left your hesitation and cowardice back in the grassy field you'd taken off from, but for quite possibly the first time in your entire life, you feel a little bit invincible.

"Vernon," you murmur, just as reverent as he had been. "You're the most beautiful person I've ever seen, and I think I'd do almost anything to get you to kiss me."

Vernon's eyes go wide, and they go even wider when he turns to look at you and finds you nose to nose. He swallows, glancing down at your lips before looking into your eyes once again, searching. He says you name like a question, one that you're all too ready to answer.

You press your lips to Vernon's and it's like the whole world stops. The wind still roars around you, whipping into your hair and clothes, but that's not what causes goosebumps to erupt over your skin. No, it's the way Vernon sighs into the kiss, the way you can feel all of the tension bleed out of his shoulders, the way he just melts in your arms.

He tastes like honey is the first coherent thought you have, and then you're grinning so wide that it breaks the kiss.

Bumping your nose into his, you say, "Let's fly together forever, okay?"

"Okay." Vernon's answering smile is so soft and warm that you almost want to cry. "We'll fly together forever."

[loadingrat]

⿻ 𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞 → 𝐤. 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠

🏻 ⃟⿻ 𝐠 𝐞 𝐧 𝐫 𝐞  →    angst; retelling; fantasy

🏼 ⃟⿻ 𝐬 𝐮 𝐦 𝐦 𝐚 𝐫 𝐲  →   with the burden of a crown on his head, Hongjoong finds himself forced to get a bride before he turns twenty two, yet he finds himself struck by love with a cursed young woman named Odette, who's body turns to swan at dawn. it all should be as simple as snapping your fingers to break the curse, when all it takes is three little words, yet, when spoken wrongly, they may do more harm then good.

🏽 ⃟⿻ 𝐰 𝐚 𝐫 𝐧 𝐢 𝐧 𝐠 𝐬   →   this awfully written i apologise; based off the ballet, so suicide; dark magic; violence; mention of a curse; the usual swearing; hunting; instant love; drowning; overprotective parents and another shitty ass parent if you ask me; forced marriage; the reader is referred to as "Odette"

🏾 ⃟⿻ 𝐰 𝐨 𝐫 𝐝 𝐬   → + 5.5k

🏿 ⃟⿻ 𝐦 𝐚 𝐬 𝐭 𝐞 𝐫 𝐥 𝐢 𝐬 𝐭 𝐬 →  main masterlist   ⦚   retellings

   Hongjoong always enjoyed watching as the wind bent under the will of his arrows, obeying them and letting the weapons find their way right in the middle of the red target. It brought pride in his chest, and helped him feel more like a boy stuck with a crown on his head than a prince stuck with the future of a kingdom on his back. He loved to see how flour would purr out of the sacks full of the snow like powder that stood in the royal yard, and so did his friends, as they always cheered him on, despite getting their expensive clothes all dirtied up.

   Saying that Kim Hongjoong's life was anything but exiting would've been the understandment of the year, that only if the words wouldn't have reached his mother's ears. However the queen was always aware of anything and everything going on in her kingdom, as if the old woman with her hair like silver had eyes in every corner of the territory. The prince always disliked that in her as he himself was never allowed to even leave the palace without one of his parents following. Of course, he was grateful that the queen and the king were the most understanding royalties he's ever met, and he got to speak to a lot on a daily, however, when it came to actually understanding him, sadly they were left lacking. The prince hated the way he pictured himself in this situation, but he couldn't do much and just accept that he was like a swan trapped in a dove's cage, and it made him feel completely hopeless.

   "You'll try getting out this evening, won't you?" The words slipped prince Wooyoung's lips as if he asked the same thing over and over. The smile on his lips had always faded during previous days, as the answer would've been a sad shake of the head, but the said day it only bloomed as Hongjoong turned his head around, looking at his bow as if it was the most interesting thing he's seen in his lifetime. "Holy shit, he didn't deny it!" Wooyoung spoke, a loud sound like a hyena's laughter ringing from his lungs as he repeatedly slapped his best friend's back. The other prince tried moving away, his abused body protesting with each hit Wooyoung delivered, but deciding that he'd fail anyways, Yeosang resorted to catching the younger's hand and delivering a harsh hit back. "But he did not agree to it either."

   It took only two more hours for the man to find himself sitting at a lavish dinner table, all kind of foods placed before them, yet the anxiety growing inside his heart made it easy for his appetite to stray away. "Hongjoong?" His father's voice was harsh as he demanded the prince to give him his attention. His mother's words followed right after, tone dripping with honey and Hongjoong knew something was in her mind. "The date for your birthday ball is approaching." She stated, and the man couldn't help but try to anticipate what she would've said next. "And we thought that it would be a rather perfect time for you to find a bride."

   The prince sucked in a hard breath, not trusting his voice to speak up his mind as it could've cracked, and he was not a teenager anymore, so he feared the way it could've made him look weak in front of the King. Hongjoong had met many princesses, duchesses, nobilities of all kinds, even country girls with exceptional talents, but none ever intrigued him and he surely wasn't going to choose a bride just yet. Hongjoong liked to believe he was too you for marriage, but his two friends always nagged that if he'll dare pass twenty five by himself, no princess will ever marry him for his heart, but for his crown instead, to which Hongjoong only scoffed as he dispatched another set of arrows. "I don't think anyone's marrying me for my heart now either."

    "So what do you say?" He felt as if his words were stuck in his throat and he was unable to get then out, but even if he would've answered as he truly believed, he knew his pleadings would've fallen on deaf ears. Hongjoong knew this day was going to come sooner or earlier, he just didn't expect it quite yet. "I agree, mother," the prince didn't know what gave him the courage to stretch his words, or to arch his eyebrows upwards, or smile like he did, all the while still looking in his plate. "However i also have a proposal.."

   Truly, Hongjoong doesn't know what came over him that evening, yet it was because of his boldness that he found himself mounting one of the finest mares in the stables. The prince had taken care of the horse since it was barely standing, he himself being only a child, enchanted by the pure white little fur on it. He's called her Zoya, a fitting name for a mount like herself, and despite leaving the palace only a couple of times, alongside of his father or mother, he considered the creature loyal enough to not abandon him when he'll most need her.

   With his bow resting in at his hip, the prince started following a rather small river, which eventually brought him in town and down the valley the palace rested on. Hongjoong wearily adventured himself in the wide forest that spread before him, the darkness of it making him shiver slightly as his mind finally wrapped around all the danger that could've hid around. Wolves, bears, mountain lions, all kind of creatures lurked in the forest, however the silver haired prince advanced nonetheless, clutching his bow tighter as if it could've made him feel secure once more.

   Just as he was about to urge his horse to start running, the sound of rapid wings flapping in the air made his skin crowl and his head shoot back, his eyes snapping rapidly on a flock of birds. Their fathers were as white as you could've imagined and as pure as it could've gotten, their bodies long, majestic and elegant, and Hongjoong couldn't help but let his mouth hang open as he stared at the beautiful swans that took over the sky. Within seconds, the brave prince clutched his bow and aimed skillfully, ready to let his arrow pierce through what he nominated as the prettiest swan, but Hongjoong wasn't as hard hearted as his father believed him to be, his eyes saddening and his chest burning as he asked himself how could he kill such a beautiful creature.

   The prince sighed deeply, putting his bow back and giving the horse a gentle nudge as a sign to follow the flock and Zoya took off obediently, rushing Hongjoong through the woods. He enjoyed the way wind blew through his silver locks, caressing his cheeks harshly and he love the adrenaline that came with riding this fast and thinking about how free one could be, thinking about what he's missed his whole life. Hongjoong knew that where there was a smaller river, there had to be a wider water source near by, and the swans that seemed to start heading down only gave him more reasons to believe he was right. The only problem was that he was not expecting the woods to end so quickly, his horse coming to an abrupt halt as it hooves planted in the mud as harsh as it could.

   He jumped eagerly from his horse and there, right before him and barely at two steps away from where his horse stopped, a grand body of water spread itself so widely that the other side of the lake was barley visible through the thin mist. The water sparkled in the shy sunlight of the evening, the sound of a small cascade barely audible in the back and the prince felt his jaw drop slightly one more time. If his mother would've been with him, she wouldn't even look at the beauty in front of her, but would scold him about how unmannered he looked and how that wasn't suitable for princes like him, not even in a million years, but as he spotted the swans floating happily around, everything about manners felt long forgotten.

   The boy in him had the urgent need to sit down in the slightly damp yet soft grass, eyes wide on the beautiful birds before him, yet the mature side in him wanted to mount back on his horse and move forward. There was so much more to explore and so little time, his mind wrapping around the fact that his father had gave him one single day to ride around the kingdom, with the condition that he'd return the evening before the horologe rang three in the morning. Therefore, the prince clutched on the horse's reins ready to mount, sparing one last glance at the lake, who's water started reflecting the rosy color of the sky.

   Hongjoong sucked in his breath, feeling how air left his lungs as he swore he started imagining things. His head whipped back, the forest remaining the only sight for a while, and he took his time thinking about what came into his sight seconds ago. Not long after, he turned around and came to the horrifying conclusion that he was indeed watching as the small bodies of the swans, that now rested calmly on the shore, morphed and twisted, becoming mere humans. Their build was more than just elegant, bodies long and delicate, nothing short of pure beauty. Each wore long gowns, as white and pure as their dazzling wings were, little silver necklaces with one sapphire gem decorating their necks, yet he quickly took notice of the one swan that stood in the middle of them all, sitted on the old trunk of a tree, her eyes glimming with happiness while a silver tiara rested on the top of her head.

   The prince watched them with amazement, as if they had put him under a thick spell like sirens would do to the poor sailors adventuring in the deep waters. Yet the more he watched, the more he couldn't help but feel like an intruder. The women danced and laughed when younger swans tried to impress them, then ran quickly to hide under an older swan's wing. The innocence of the moment was making his own heart fill with happiness, lips curling upwards gently and eyes turning in crescents as a squeaky giggle rolled off his throat.

   The moment all the laughter stopped and a cutting silence settled in, the prince knew he had done something wrong. He felt the warmth that had built in his chest being stripped away from him, eyes growing wide and startled, just as the swans had became. It didn't take long for Hongjoong to see how every pair of eyes rested on him, making him feel anxious. Should he leave? Or was he supposed to stay now? Either way, the answer would've been to not panic, which he's failed the moment one of the youngest of the creatures approached him, yelling loudly the name of who he supposed was the swan with the tiara.

   "Odette! Odette!" The small girl yelled happily, grabbing the prince's hand and jumping up and down while giggling. "It's prince charming! He's come to save us!" At her words, Hongjoong's cheeks started flaring pink, his heart beating faster as each pair of eyes rested on him, and he completely forgot about his tight grip on the bow in his other hand. The mare let out a loud cry, startled by the poor girl before slamming it's hooves harshly in the ground multiple times. In alert, Hongjoong let go of his bow, grabbing the girl's body in his arms and hurrying further away from the horse, who angrily took off back towards the town.

   "Yuna, dear!" The swan quickly run to the prince, her hands coming to grip Hongjoong's arms, which were still holding tightly onto her. "Are you alright?" His voice sounded unsure as he let the woman gently take her in her own hold, hand placing the younger's head again her chest. When a little laughter came from Yuna's lips, everyone sighed in relief, smiles painted on the swans' lips when the smaller swan jumped back on the grass and began twirling around the royalty as she giggled loudly. "Yuna, where are your manners?" Another swan called out, her lips pulled in a thin line and her eyebrows furrowed, and she most definetly was the oldest of the group, her aura holding a maturity that amazed Hongjoong, despite her youthful features.

   "Don't tense yourself, Yongsun." The youngest girl however rolled her eyes at the authority in Yongsun's voice, her own lips pulled in a pout as she bowed slightly in front of the silver haired man. He gave her a polite smile before bowing right back, sending the women in awe. "Come sit with us." The girl next to him offered, and he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her striking features. She was an unique type of beauty, something he's never seen in anyone before, not even in all the princesses that's come to court him. He loved her voice as well, her tone being like honey to his ears and he couldn't even bring himself to care about the sudden drop of formalities when his orbs found hers.

   "I would hate to make such beautiful ladies uncomfortable with my presence." He acknowledged humbly, felling a shy smile tug at his lips while hearing how the woman, who he assumed was named Odette, let out a wholehearted laugh, her eyes turning to crescents as one of her hands came to hide her mouth. "Bother us? It would be a crime to not enjoy your presence." She assured, nodding her head towards him like encouraging him to take a step forward, and so he did. One step at a time before he found himself sitting in the grass besides a couple of children, who playfully pulled at his clothes and wowed at the fine material.

   "What's your name, son?" The oldest inquired, making Hongjoong's cheeks become pinker again, however this time, his eyes fell on the ground, where his ring decorated fingers gently pulled at the damb grass. "Kim Hongjoong." He spoke softly, not expecting any grand reactions form the group, who only nodded their heads in adoration. "We'll would you look at that, it really is prince charming." Another swan laughed, making Hongjoong himself let out a shy giggle, his eyes involuntary traveling to the swan with a tiara. It felt like hours that he stood there and just watched her, her skin bathing in the golden light of the sunset, and her eyes glimmering with love as she looked at each swan, before her eyes settled on him as well.

   "Do you like to dance?" One of the younger swans looked at him curiously, her small hand coming to grasp at Hongjoong's with excitement as she awaited a reply, and when the prince nodded his head in agreemen, he girl softly tugged him after her, bringing him to his feet. Together, they marveled at the way the forest started lighting up as soon as the sun went under, mushrooms and strange plants glowing in the dark, along with the moss on the trees, it was absolutely beautiful. However Hongjoong didn't have long to observe the landscape, his attention being brought back to the small girl that began dancing with him as the others started singing along, and it didn't take a while for the swans to join in as well, a chorus of laughter spreading trough the rather dormant forest as they all had their fun.

   Yongsun smiled happily as she took Odette's's hand, bringing her closer to the silver haired prince, who bowed deeply and offered his hand, an invitation, the girl concluded as she accepted happily. Perhaps only for tonight, she could forget about her curse, see herself as an actual princess and lose herself in the idea that Hongjoong would be the one to break the curse. However nothing like that happened as they began dancing, a tough wind starting to pull at their bodies, darkness spreading like a plague. The youngest girls found coverage behind the elders, while Hongjoong placed his arms around Odette and brought her closer to his chest, protecting the swan from whatever danger eas awaiting them.

   "Well well.." the sharp voice of a girl that came with the calmness of the weather startled the prince, who felt reluctant to let go of the swan in his arms, yet still let go of her and watched as disgust painted over Odette's features and anger over the others. Just on the shore stood another woman, her gown way shorter and messier as well as dotted with darker shades of black. Her features were just as graceful and as striking as the others, her own features making her look like a devine, but something about her tone made the prince feel sure that she wasn't just as beautiful on the inside.

   "The swan princess found herself a rescuer." She taunted while getting closer, her thumb and pointer wrapping around Odette's chin and bringing her closer. The princess, as the stranger called her, let out a scoff before pulling away, making the black swan laugh as if she was in hysterics. "Hoping you'll turn human again, little one?" She fumed, letting her eyes fall on Hongjoong, who stood stiff and angered, eyes on her like, if he had his arrows, he wouldn't have hesitated to let one of them pierce her heart.

   "It'll never happen, we'll make sure of that, little Odette." The stranger cocked one of her eyebrows while shaking her head and her fingers glazed over the necklace she was proudly wearing. With a last laugh, the black swan took a couple of steps back before her body quickly morphed in the one of a swan, yet her feathers looked disturbed and unhealthy, her body, small, too weak for a creature that was supposed to look as beautiful as a swan.

   "Who was that?" Hongjoong found himself asking, his own eyebrows arched upwards in confusion. His hand found Odette's and gripped it lightly a reassuring smile tugging at the girl's lips as she found comfort in the prince, who was still a stranger. "Odile.. Her father tried casting a curse on the town, however it did not go as planned and it ended up backfiring." She began explaining, choosing carefully her words as she took a glance at his chocolate warm eyes. The prince himself let his gaze meet hers, observant eyes curiously investigating her for a while before he spoke out loud. "Then why are you trapped as swans as well?" Silence washed over the group, the tension growing so thick that Hongjoong could've cut it with a knife. "I didn't say that it didn't work."

   Not much passed before Hongjoong excused himself, getting up and fetching his bow that stood patiently in the grass. He's dropped it earlier when Zoya took off and completely forgot about it, however, in his favor, his loyal mare had found her way back to the lake, thirst driving it back the way it's come. After the prince found himself back on his mount, thanking all of his lucky stars for bringing it back to him, he finally let his eyes fall on the woman with a little crown on her head. He swore he felt his heart beating faster than ever, swirling with the desire to take her with him and keep her to himself, to make her his, and at that moment he knew that there was no one that could ever become his queen, except her.

   "I must head out, however my family is hosting a ball tomorrow, at dusk, in order to find me a bride. It would be a honor to have you as a guest." He spoke softly, taking in the surprise on Odette's face, who only nodded before waving elegantly. With a polite nod from himself, the prince saw himself off as Zoya started galloping as fast as she could towards the palace.

   "You must go." a cold and harsh voice spoke, making the girl's shoulders fall, she put so much hope that perhaps this time, she'll be able to find love by herself, and hearing her father speak like that made her whole world shatter. With a long sigh, the girl turned her head around, in order to hide her glassy eyes, telling herself that it all starts being unfair the moment even her father had turned against her. "I shall not, father." Was all Odile said before she lifted her chin high, eyes becoming sharp as she told herself that it was time to pull free from his strings, yet she had a feeling that it will not be as easy as denying his orders.

    Rothbart, the black swan's father, smiled triumphally, as if the crown had already been placed on his head. He let himself turn around and face his only daughter and with a hushed voiced he whispered. "You'll go.. oh you'll go." Odile wanted to protest, to yell and say something, but the second her father touched her necklace, the poor girl knew it was too late. It took her a quick moment of thinking, preparing herself for what she might see, before she finally turned to the mirror that stood patiently on a wall. It was then that complete sorrow engulfed her heart, failing to find her own reflection. Instead, a familiar face started back at her, Odette's features looking so beautiful and so graceful, yet so ugly to Odile, as she was left to deal with her pain before she could've stopped it. "You do not have a choice."

   "But what should i wear?" Odette sighed, bringing her hands in her lap as she eyed nervously the ground. Her crown was resting on her head, sapphires sparkling in the gentle moonlight. "I cannot show up to a royal ball in this gown.." as much as she loved her dress, it's material softer than silk and whiter than the pearls found in the ocean's depths, she feared it was nothing short of what noblewomen wore to sleep. The more she thought about it, the more Odette found herself trapped between her own thoughts. What if her hair was was not as elegant as the other princesses', what if her little white slippers were to dirty up the expensive carpets around the castle. Worse, despite knowing how to dance, Odette had little knowledge of etiquette, as she's grown up as a simple village girl. She was going to make a fool out of herself and the prince for inviting her.

   "Worry not, Odette." A soft voice came from behind her, but before she's gotten the chance to turn around, a pair of cold hands rested on her bare shoulders, making her gasp at the sudden feeling of chilliness. Shivers traveled up and down on her back, eyes becoming wide in surprise as the speed she turned her head around could've given her a whiplash. Yongsun giggled softly, amused by the fact that she actually spooked the younger swan. "You look beautiful, and your gown is magnificent. Made with soft material like your wings, pulled together by a thread of magic. My dear, you look breathtaking."

   Odette stood a second just looking at her friend, a long sigh leaving her mouth when she understood that Yongsun was right. All she had to do was to have fun, she'd be dancing and talking to people, nothing she hasn't done before, so why was she worrying now? "You should leave, it's getting late." Was all the older woman said as she bent down to kiss the top of her head like a mother would before sending off her child off. A couple of younger swans insisted of going with her, clinging on her gown and her hands before she agreed in defeat. A chorus of laughter and giggles following her the deeper she walked into the forest and the closer she's gotten to the palace.

        Hongjoong stood sitting on the throne, a crown on his head while his parents stood at both of his sides. His rather small body seemed to shrink more and more with every second and with each nod he gave to the young women that would come to bow before him. They were all wearing beautiful gowns, feminine features painted by a thin layer of makeup, jewelries decorating their necks, ears and hair, he had to admit that they were all beautiful, but none of them where Odette. His Odette. He waited patiently for her to make her appearance, eyes running back to the spiral staircase in hopes that he'd spot her, and his observant mother did not take long to notice. "You're waiting for someone." She announced, a hand resting on her son's shoulder in a way of assuring him that it will all be fine.

    Hongjoong nodded, his lips parting slightly as he pondered on his thoughts, however, before he's even gotten thr chance to speak, a familiar face made his heart beat like it never has, and his breath got stuck in his throat. A wave of heat crossed his cheeks, feeling as a strong blush took over his face. From one of the corners of the grand ballroom, he noticed Yeosang smirking his way, Wooyoung whispering something to him before they both snickered.

    "Your highness.." when she arrived in front of him, Hongjoong quickly has gotten up on his feet, refusing to let her bow before him. One of his hands gently taking one of her own as the other traveled to her side in order to bring her body closer to his own with a shy embrace. At the action, a couple of gasps could be heard throughout the room, everyone surprised at the prince's action, yet he did not care, and it could've been the reason why he completely looked past the vile smile that played on the girl's lips. "Odette.. will you dance with me?"

    "We've arrived too late!" One of the little swans warned as she peeked trough the closest window, huffing in defeat at the sight. Odette waisted no time in following her closely, face crumbling in defeat as he watched how her dear Hongjoong waltzed around the room with no one else but Odile. His eyes were so fixed on her that it seemed like she was his whole world, hands gripping her close like she'd parish if he let go, and everyone around them saw it. How in love he was, how much care he put in every step they made together, and that made Odette's stomach churn in pain. Her eyes began watering, heart screaming at her to do something yet her body remained frozen in place.

    "Odette..?" The little girl asked, her tone wobbling as her own eyes began to water as she watched the princess of the swans. The young woman's skin began morphing, little fluff and white feathers growing from her arms and shoulders at a slow peace, like she was to turn in swan once more. With each second she spent looking at her beloved dance with another woman, looking so smitten by her, the little sapphires on the crown she wore began to crack more and more, and panic took over the three children when their own necklaces followed closely and as Hongjoong's voice rang trough their ears.

    "So, Your Highness, would you say that you love me?" Odile questioned as she made eye contact with the prince, who giggled shyly before sighing deeply. He felt caught red-handed and all he could do now was nod his head slightly before speaking softly. "I love you." Yet something didn't feel right, deead filling his heart as he said his words, like a kid that's done something wrong and waited anxiously for his parents to scold him. It was then that he began to fall out of the spell he had been put under, noticing how the woman in front of him did not wear a crown yet a necklace, amber decorating the gem that rested patiently on her neck. The white gown that the swan once wore was not completed jet black, eyes harsh as a voice so cutting he began feeling dizzy.

    "You're not Odette." He stated, stopping from dancing and taking a couple of harsh steps back. The prince's hand flew to his sword, threatening to take it out and use it, yet Odile's smile never faltered. "Even if you harmed me, my mission here had ended." She explained, giggling once more before turning herself in the same swan she morphed in when they first met and before anyone could do anything, she flew past him, soaring trough the open window where four little figures stood at.

    "Odette..?" He asked, feeling his hear break as he noticed how heartbroken she looked, how her skin began turning in feathers and how tears cascaded over her cheeks like they couldn't be stopped. "Odette!" He yelled louder, rushing to jump over the window, yet failing to do so in time before the woman began running back towards the forest. "Hongjoong!" His father warned, yet the prince was far gone, already chasing after the swan with unshed tears blurring his own vision.

    It didn't take long for the two to reach the lake, scratches from little branches decorating their skin as neither had been careful while running, yet that did not matter to them, the heartache burning every bit of ration they had. "I did not know, Odette!" He tried explaining himself, taking a step forward towards the woman, who only took one back, her feet so close to the shore that it made Hongjoong's heart freeze in place. "I thought it was you.."

    Yet what was done was done and both of them knew it, the sapphires finally shuttering as Odette took her crown off, breaking it in two. Without even thinking about the outcome, the swan threw it into the lake, a muffled sob leaving her mouth as she herself took a step closer to the edge. "No! Odette please! I love you!" He shouted, yet it was all in vain as he knew that the curse will get to her before his words will.

    The second he noticed what she intended, the prince rushed to her side, gripping her waist tightly and pressing a soft kiss to her lips, eyes deeply staring in her own like their hearts spoke to each other, and it all felt more than ethereal as both of their bodies hit the water, sinking slowly as they held each other like not even death could do them apart.

   And perhaps it couldn't, as the second the sun began rising, the women that stood next to the lake and mourned the passing of their princess did not turn back to swans, and their gowns turned back to the clothes they once wore when they were running errands around the village. On the other side of the forest, Rothbart felt his powers leave him, a sudden weakness taking over his body as it slowly began turning to ashes. "No!" He yelled like a mantra, yet it was all in vain as ths moment the shy sunlight peeked trough his window, all that remained of him was an amber ring and his daughter, who only stared at the cracked mirror on the wall, ashamed of herself and mad at the world like never before.

    And even years after, deep down, on the bottom of the lake, the two lovers stood embraced, untouched by the time, as if they were simply sleeping. So perhaps, the curse that once plagued the young women became a blessing, as not only has she found peace, but love as well.

[silvermuffins]

Pokemon Legends Arceus: because i sold my soul to nintendo long ago

Truth be told I preordered this game the moment it was available and downloaded it ASAP. And then proceeded to not touch it. ADHD brain. Lack of time in between other things. Part of me screaming that I should finish a game before starting another. The stars weren't right. Couldn't do it. Stars, man. Stars.

But today my lifelong love has returned to me, and today we fight to the death!

i haven't even opened the game yet ftr. but i HAVE closed the one i'd been playing, so i'm ready to go.

leeeet's do this

shiny light and i expect to hear "open your eyes...wake up, Link!"

oh shit, beyond both time and space, gold, is this the collective unconscious

hello god its me margaret

i do not know how much of my appearance i'll be able to change later....as for name. hm. i picked a very unjapanese look, but i do want a japanese name... [much working ont hat later] Eiko

wait this is a fucking isekai?

like god is telling me a world in which pokemon is gonna be strange to me

yooooo EIKO ISN'T FROM POKEMON WORLD

maybe i shouldn't have gone with a japanese name lol too late now

yo it's straight up GOD telling me to catch 'em all this time

YEET

oh fuck there goes my phone

this is now a kingdom hearts opening sequence

awww god took my-- okay dude PLEASE tell me you didn't download any sketchy apps i JUST got this phone

rude

what is that thumping

i FELL OUT OF THE SKY

strange hat man thinks I'M the weird one for falling out of the sky

which tbf i probably am

also tf is that thundery swirly thing in the sky over there are we just gonna fucking ignore that?!

if im not from the pokemon world why does my teeshirt have a luxury ball on it

"a bit of a pickle"

"a bit"

NO SHIT DUDE

i just told you i don't have an acquaintance around here why would you think i have somewhere to stay

NO I AM NOT SURE I WILL SURVIVE

holy shit my guy my dude

expressive protag tho, very nice, that was a very clear look of oh fuck im screwed

the starters just patiently waiting to be acknowledged

"almost as if they knew" yup okay then they knew and there's some destiny bullshit going on

i mean i guess i WAS literally sent by god

siiiigh I know what a pokemon is but Eiko has to get the tutorial

im amazed strange hat man even considered i might not know

currently stalling while i try to pick a starter

Laventon.....okay so the locals don't necessarily have Japanese names we all good

off the starters go again which tbh im surprised they didn't sooner

cant jump cant swim

oh arceus marks my targets ig?

no it's just GIVING MY GODDAMN PHONE BACK

oh sick custom case

god is texting me

this is gonna be the coolest catching tutorial ever

also we're not gonna do a nickname theme it's gonna just be whatever

also thank you game freak for giving cyndaquil its fire back

.....sooooo so far im getting professor useless vibes from laventon, can't wait to ditch him. i got my mission from god, don't need you.

whoa holy shit fifty?

laventon's design is SO weird like what is he even doing

so pokemon can shrink themselves???? ALL of them can? so why can't everything use minimize

....is laventon british? or galarian????? because his speech patterns....

booped oshawott riiight in the snoot

excuse you sir who are you calling old girl

acting awfully avuncular for a dude i met two seconds ago

bla bla pokedex sir i have my mission

BUT THOU MUST rowan's way of but thou musting was vastly superior

he's finally doing something helpful to the kid who just got isekai'd

oh we are FINALLY acknowledging the ominous cloud over the mountain

them's some sideburns

the villagers are, appropriately, confused and curious and gossipy

god has bequeathed me a gps

prelude beach, that's kinda on the nose

as a true jrpg player i am running around talking to everyone before i get on with shit

oh jesus nearly every building seems to be able to be go-inside-able

village guardian shrine has an arceus ring in it....

okay can't enter any buildings yet

my guy's mustache is green but his beard is grey

holy fuck hi lucas

laventon is a foreigner confirmed!

"yeah he's professor useless hang with the cool kids instead"

ooook lucas's name is Rei

somehow laaventon snuck up on him though...

Cyllene. who gave her the right to be so this,

holy shit i have an age

EVERYONE here is sus of me wow

THIS is how we're explining the [POINTS AT OMINOUSLY THUNDERING SWIRLY THING]

just casually discussing space-time rifts over dinner like it's nbd?!

also is it me or are lots of people kinda looking down on the Survey Corps

awww cyllene is a stress eater

we got new villagers out and some relocated bc it's later! and whoa shit nice room

why are there jars of rocks in my room

get this show on the road

thats probably fine

there's so many foreigners here??? so why am i an issue

"almighty Sinnoh" what the fuck

there's actually a shitton of people here

okay i'm ready to Continue

holy shit cyllene your desk

what guidance did i just activate???

also she really is just gonna yeet me out in the wild huh

thankfully laventon is PROBABLY going to "it's dangerous to go alone! take this"

we goin' Cyndaquil!

hang on time for more exploring

who dat

oh shit dude YOU should be the professor

you could call the pokedex....volo's guide to monsters

oh snap we gonna fight

unsure if stranger danger?

eh it's probably okay he seems sparkly

holy shit that battle music is so hype

whoa potions do a LOT

awww this trial is cute

all done. can't wait to be out of the tutorial zone and just be free

explorin'. when can i trust npcs won't say new things?

i sorta like how people are a little meaner than most pokemon games

finally, clean clothes! and, hat get! am now true protag

i completely missed the second floor when i was exploring here earlier...didn't even occur i might be able to go up the other staircase

hello rowan senior,oh fuck dude wants to fight

oh my fuckign god

etjkrtyfnretr

i love this man

let's just get on with things instead of hunting down every scrp of unique diaalogue

this research system already looks SO cool

im gona dress up CUTE

wastes money to change hair just to preview hats then change back bc i didn't like any of 'em

the photo place is interesting

okay! field time!

i don't have a shitton to say right now im just kicking around having fun

rei can you pls just leave me to do my thing, my exploring is very quickly proving to be more efficient than your handholding

i keep trying to use botw controls

he checks on me, has me check if i have tasks to report. there are 41. got a shitton of points for that. caan i cross the bridge yet?

time to go get a star

Diamond Clan.....hmmm

awww him have pika

oh sweetheart you are NOT gonna win

i want this lady to carry me

and then we took a break for food!

[several hours later]

ooh i get mystery gifts now!

volo still Being

i must go my people need me we are leaving it here for now

[yostresswritinggirl]

Somehow the amount of memories I have about my IRL life and about the dreams I got is almost the same. At this point I'm just living my 2nd life except it's just a tangent of various different stories, and the world's shade will always be greyish dark. A lot of times it's also about other people I don't know about as I'm just following where the dream's story is leading me to.

Once around 5 years ago on one part of my dream, I was in a POV of some kingdom's prince. His age was somewhere around but less than 13 years old.

He got stuck and cursed inside a small dirt cave for 2 years when he was trying to find his lost toy ball. The cave's size was less than a meter, with its walls full of big tree roots, and it closed the way out when we (he) tried to get out after we found the ball. The roots closed in on us (him) and tied us there in darkness.

Fast forward said 2 years in the prince's POV (there was only darkness in that 2 years in the dream), the roots that blocked the way out moved and opened the way. The sun was high up in the sky, it was noon. We (He) went out in a slow daze, stopping on the entrance while gripping the side wall. He (we) felt really really hungry, our (his) vision red on the corners.

Suddenly, the King and the Queen, the Prince's parents, came into our (my) peripheral view in a hurried move. They sounded really worried and stricken. Finding him (us) after so long, telling him how they've been searching for him all this time, relieved that they finally found him.

We (He) tuned them out. The feeling of hunger became even more worse and deep. Our (His) vision became pale red.

As him, I can't 100% feel it, but I know his (our) feeling of hunger was unimaginable that time. He (we) have no control of his (our) movements. It was all a slow daze of numbness in his (our) bones and pure inhuman instinct.

We (He) bite down wholly on the King and the Queen, one then the other.

The Prince's first curse, was that he became a monster.

(Now that I'm reciting this I actually vaguely remember just opening my mouth wide and biting down on them. I can't see it since I was in the Prince's POV, but it feels like the form (that he transform into in a second right before biting them) or at least the head part, was a giant wolf head/mouth.)

I remember as we (he) slowly went into blackout, right before we move to bite them- in a slow daze of our (his) movement, and in the numbness of our (his) mind. Thinking "I'm really sorry... I'm really really sorry..." before it just fading into black.

Moments later, the King and the Queen gone, we finally blinked back to light.

Just a few seconds right after that the palace guards found us where we stand and shouted. Panicked, red hazed, we (he) ran. The guards followed suit to chase us (him)

Away from the dirt cave nub by the mountain road where we were, through the forest. Through the village road. (weirdly like any others of my dreams, the village part was like a game obstacle road. The dirt road was wide, long, and straight in the middle, but there were a lot of random obstacles in the way like stones, logs, and just random village people avoiding the way as we (he) ran)

The bright sky ever so slowly dimmed as the sun slowly moved its way. It was at least close to 5 P.M.

At some points as we (he) run through the forest village road, we found a crystal on the ground that was meant to be used as some sort of portal activator. We (He) grabbed it and run again, this time with the goal to find a portal plate ground to activate it. Long part shortened we (he) found it, smash the crystal to the portal plate ground, and went through it. Except I know something was different than it's supposed to be, something was off, but I don't know what it is exactly. Neither does the Prince, and we (us) / he didn't stay for it as the guards were on our tail. The sky was dark behind our (his) back.

...

We (He), The young Prince, went back right where it started.

Right after the beginning. After the 2 years of darkness, when the roots finally opened the way out of the small dirt cave. Time reverted in the most cruelest way.

This time my dream soul was inside him but untied, seeing outside but through his POV.

The same hunger, inhuman daze and numb instinct was back there inside the Prince's mortal form just like the first time. Out of his control, his mind hanging on on his fingertips. The sun was high on the sky, it was noon. Visions pale red.

This story of the dream ended here.

I don't think the 13- year old Prince have his "future" memory with him when he came back. And even if he did, the monster curse he have wouldn't be easy to quell to not eat his parents on sight when they came.

The Prince's second curse would be an endless time loop of killing his parents, running away from the kingdom he loved as the labeled monster drilled on his own mind, all suffering and repeat.

He was only a 13 year old... Why? It made me really sad for him back then, and still do... Actually, at some part of the dream I remembered seeing an old witch with dirty black cape, but I can't tell when exactly except that it's near the cave.

—

So! That's one of my old dreams I had I guess... I hope it can entertain you somehow, Mother and comrades. If you actually read this very long page here to the end, here have a "You're Very Cool" badge and some cookies!! Remember to hydrate! And I hope you have a nice sleep when you do- ly'all and I'm sorry to put this long box of ask in your screen-

Holy crap okay *cleaning eyeglasses* First of all the pronouns hurt my eyes ahahah

But but my goodness that is a very good short grimm's fairytales-like story and I enjoyed every part of it besides the parentheses hahaha short yet consistent and awwww,,, I actually do feel really sad for the prince, I feel like that witch really had something to do with it but dreams do rarely continue. Thank you for sharing it with us anon! Grim as it may it was really entertaining and laid out well

Now let's hope the people who read this won't be alarmed by the gore and shit since the warning is only in the tags,,,

[transvavsquad]

"I sometimes... dream? Is it what's called? Dreaming? But I think it's... wrong. Like... I think I'm just remembering? I don't know, Jeremy. But, anyways. Sometimes I dream of a vast kingdom. Blue skies and lively villages. But in there is a grand castle on one of the hills overlooking a bigger city. Its towers reach to the sky like a prayer. Black and red, accented with gold, banners flow in the wind, contrasting against the harsh stone keep." 1/5

“I dream of a king and his queen, both regal as they look over their people, bustling in the streets. The king always looks at his queen with so much love in his eyes, so much admiration. The queen has the same look for the king. They rule with passion, making sure their kingdom is strong but people are safe and happy.” 2/5“Sadly the queen falls ill. Unknown disease taking hold of the body, slowly corrupting the flesh from inside out. The king becomes frantic, trying to save his dear queen, bargaining priests, healers and mages alike. No one can help. So he slowly falls into madness, as the queen slowly fades away so does his humanity. The queen dies holding king’s hand, revealing a once happy secret to him, the life they created. The queen dies as the sun dips below the horizon, staring the cold night” 3/5“The reveal and the death finally break the king, his mind consumed by grief. Dark times start as people start calling the king Mad, his anger and sadness taking over his mind. The wars start, as the opposing kingdoms exploit the moment of weakness. Of course the new Mad King left no survivors as they interrupt the mourning.” 4/5“After years of the mad reign, the king dies in a battle. His queen’s name on his lips as the night ends and the dawn shines through the bloody battlefield… Jeremy, I think I’m remembering my past life… The time long before this one… I’m remembering my own death” 5/5

HOLY SHIT!!!! HO SHIT