#I really need to figure out how that damned crown works

[mauesartetc]

Redesigning Helluva Beelzebub

Hoo boy, roll up the sleeves for this one.

The Original

In my review of Helluva Boss 108, I mentioned that Beelzebub's character design put me in mind of how some DeviantArt kid's fursona might look. And... Yeah I stand by that statement. The most likely reason I can figure Viv Medrano wanted her to be dog-like was to make a reference to her Die Young music video, which featured an anthro wolf singing a Kesha song (for context, Kesha herself voiced Beelzebub and co-wrote a song for this episode).

But for those who are unaware, Beelzebub's traditional depiction looks nothing like this.

Really the only visual similarities the Helluva version shares with the Infernal Dictionary version are the insect wings, six limbs, and the crown thingy over the head. (At least I think that's a crown-? Kinda hard to tell on both counts.)

Bee's eyes get somewhat more insectoid later in the episode, but that feels like a cop-out. Wow, her eyes and colors changed. Totally a bug demon, right?

They had the same problem in Hazbin Hotel with Katie Killjoy, who's allegedly supposed to be a praying mantis but barely resembles one, even after her transformation.

I understand the desire for fresh takes on old figures, and taking creative liberties so the new interpretation doesn't feel generic. But the changes should at least make sense. By now it's pretty clear Viv couldn't care less about representing Ars Goetia demons faithfully, as demonstrated with Paimon, Andrealphus, and now Beelzebub. You could slap completely different names on these characters and it wouldn't change a thing. I posted this meme a while back but it's never been more relevant:

On top of that, what reason could there possibly be for the design to be this damn complex? Why did she need so many markings on her face? Why did she need so many layers of hair? Why did she need flowing goo for her hair, tail, and body, each requiring dedicated effects animation?

When it comes to a hand-drawn production, less is more. Any superfluous details on a character just make unnecessary work for the animators.

Anyway, here's what Viv has to say about it.

Alright, I'll admit: The lava lamp bit is a little clever. Basically it works as a regular stomach does, but on demonic steroids. But it wouldn't look so much like Viv's making this up as she goes if we'd seen Bee's stomach performing its intended function in the episode. Let her chow down on a giant piece of food (maybe that cotton candy she's been handing out-?) and swallow it, and let Loona (and the audience) see it dissolving in her transparent belly. As a general rule, if it's not shown or explained in the work itself, it's not canon. Like I've said before, Viv: Elaborate on the nuances in the story you're telling, not on social media.

Also, "Her ears are designed after beehives"? Wh...Wha? Ma'am have you ever seen a beehive.

(Hell, even if you told me the ears were inspired by the generic cartoon beehive we're all familiar with, I wouldn't have guessed. There's a difference between being subtle and being vague.)

I can kinda see it in the overall shape, but that's a very specific design inspiration that wasn't clear at all in the design itself. Same with the "animal trainer" thing: I never would have picked up on that if Viv hadn't pointed it out. If a character design doesn't visually convey all the necessary information, it's not a successful design. Show, don't tell. There's a communication breakdown between what Viv's telling us and what Bee's design shows us.

(It's possible she actually meant "Her ears are designed after honeycombs", but even then, each compartment has a specific pentagonal shape that's not coming across at all here.)

I also find it interesting that Bee and Loona have almost the exact same body type. Of course Viv's pretty infamous for samebody syndrome, but it's actually unnerving how similar these two are.

Might this be a reference to Vortex's "type"? Is this foreshadowing a relationship with Loona? Am I overthinking this? Yeah, probably. Viv's demonstrated a clear preference for tall, skinny body types over the years, so it's safer to assume that's the explanation. It's all aesthetics. It ain't that deep. Occam's Razor and all that.

Finally, Bee how the hell does your shirt work.

The Concept

So at this point it seems most logical to lean into the "bee" thing for the redesign, and scrap all the canine elements. As for the blobby hair and tail... yeeeah let's nix those too. We're going for a streamlined version that's easier to animate. And because I ignored the ringmaster look for my redesign of Asmodeus, it only makes sense to do the same for Bee's animal trainer vibe (what little there is) for the sake of consistency. I know this version of Hell has a circus theme with its highest-ranking demons, but there's never been an in-universe explanation for why that is.

Let's look at actual bees, then. A quick peek at Google has informed me that certain insect species have smaller, "simple" eyes (also known as ocelli), in addition to their compound eyes. In bees, this manifests as a triangular grouping of three beady eyes on top of the head.

In her Helluva Boss episode, Bee's full demon form has three eyes, which could be a reference to this triangular arrangement, plus her regular form has two spots on her forehead in addition to the third eye. So it's possible Viv actually did research for something. Pleasantly surprised on that front.

Next, the body. I've noticed that some folks find Bee's skinny body type refreshing, as the sin of gluttony is too often personified with fatness. And that's fair. That's valid. But consider this:

Imagine any Vivziepop character saying that about a chubby person. Imagine the series sending the message that fat people can be sexy too, and that they have worth outside of their appearance, enough for at least one character to consider them girlfriend material. That they're valued and appreciated regardless of this culture's beauty standards (which we know nothing about since the worldbuilding is as thin and flimsy as tissue paper, but whatever). Imagine if this show finally had a fat female character who wasn't relegated to the background. Don't know about y'all, but that would be refreshing to me. And when you take into account all the fat-shaming of a character who isn't even fat, portraying a fat character as attractive would be a nice change of pace for this show.

Now let's talk about clothing. In the episode, Bee's clothes show off a lot of her body, with a cutout crop top and short shorts. We can take a similar approach for the redesign (something that still shows off her chest, belly, and limbs, in keeping with the extroverted "party girl" persona), but that perhaps includes more queenly elements.

The Redesign

Because this is a redesign, many elements were already in place, but I still had to figure out how this character would look as a bee. Here's where the preliminary sketches came in. Lots of trial and error in this process.

Wrestling with this character's face got a lot easier once I realized I could mold it into a pentagonal shape akin to a honeycomb compartment. It took a few tries, but at last, I had a final sketch.

All that was left to do was test out some color combinations.

I tried a few different approaches, but in the end, this is the version I felt worked best.

I used many of the colors from the original, but pushed the orange much harder since orange is the symbolic color of gluttony as a sin. And overall it gives Bee a nice honey-ish look rather than the generic black and yellow we already see on so many bees in cartoons. I thought the colored outlines on her clothing would add a soft, feminine touch, as well.

And just for kicks, here's a quick sketch of her giant form, inspired by the Infernal Dictionary drawing of Beelzebub.

Conclusion

The canon version of this character exists in the form she does for no reason than to stroke her creator's ego. "Hey guys, remember when I animated that Kesha fan video? Remember how cool that was? Wanna see me foist this unnecessarily-complex character design on other animators while I take a victory lap?" I wouldn't mind so much if Viv animated any of this herself, but she didn't. I could almost excuse this if she had no animation experience and didn't know how much work it requires, but she does. The self-aggrandizing entitlement is just off the charts. But a nonsensical design is leagues better than a stolen one, so... brownie points for that, I guess.

[whetstonefires]

Hey you said something about the my hero academia creator being unhinged about sexism, do you mind explaining?

I tried to write like, a thorough explanation of this and it just got longer and longer and longer and I have not touched this series in actual years and yet I've still got all these receipts a;lkjk;lfasd.

So rather than trying to build the whole massive case, here's a pared-down version. It's normal to have sexism in media, and shounen manga especially. Everyone does it. The level and mode and intentionality and so forth all vary, but of course it's there.

What's not normal is to have lots of varied and interesting female characters with discernible inner lives, and on-page discussion of how sexism is systemic and unjust and holds them back in specific ways, and then also deliberately make consistent sexist writing decisions even where they don't arise naturally from the flow of the narrative.

Horikoshi is actively interested in gender and sexism, he's aware of them in a way you rarely see outside of the context of, you know, fighting sexism. He is hung up on the thorny issue of what women are worth and deserve and how power and respect ties into it. He genuinely wants, I think, to have Good Female Characters, and not be (seen as) A Sexist Guy!

But. He doesn't actually want to fight sexism. He displays a lot of woman-oriented anxieties, and one of the many churning paddlewheels in his head seems to be that he knows intellectually that morally sexism is bad, but emotionally he really feels like it ought to probably be at least partly correct.

There are so many things I could cite, and maybe I'll get into some of them later, but the crowning item that highlights how the pattern is 1) at least partly conscious and deliberate and 2) about Horikoshi's own weird hangups rather than simply cynical market play, is Mineta Minoru.

The writer has stated Mineta is his favorite character. Mineta is also designed to be hated--that is, he is a particularly elaborate instantiation of a character archetype normally deployed to soak up audience contempt and (by being gross and shameless and unattractive and 'unthreatening') make it possible to include a range of sexual gratification elements into the narrative that would compromise the main characters' reputations as heroic and deserving, if they were the actors.

Good Guys don't grope girls' tits and run away snickering in triumph, after all. Non-losers don't focus intense effort around successfully stealing someone's panties. Nice Girls don't let themselves be seen half-dressed. And so forth. You need an underwear gremlin for that. So, in anime and manga, longstanding though declining tradition of including such a gremlin, for authorial deniability.

Horikoshi definitely uses him straight for this purpose, looping in Kaminari as needed to make a bit work. And yet he has Feelings about the archetype itself.

The passages dedicated to the vindication of Mineta, then, and the author's statements about him, let us understand that Horikoshi identifies with the figure of the underwear gremlin. He understands the underwear gremlin as a defining exemplar of male sexuality, at least if you are not hot, and finds the attached contempt and hostility to be a dehumanizing attack on all uh.

Incels, basically.

It's not fair to write Mineta off just because he's unattractive and horny (and commits sexual harassment). Doesn't he have a mind? Doesn't he have dreams? Doesn't he have human potential?

So what's going on with Horikoshi and gender, as far as I can figure out, is that he knows damn well that women are people and are treated unjustly by sexist society, but however.

He also understands the institutions of sexism as something protecting him and people like him from life being nebulously yet definitively Worse, and therefore wants to see them upheld.

So you get this really bizarre handling of gender where obviously women's rights good and women cool, women can be Strong, and the compulsory sexualization imposed by the industry isn't them or the author, and so forth.

But also it's very important that in the world he controls, women never win anything important or Count too much, and that jokes at their expense that disrupt the internal logic of their characters are always fair game, that women asked about sexism on TV will promptly get into catfights amongst themselves, and they are understood always in terms of their sexual and romantic interests and value, and sexual assertiveness and failures to perform femininity well enough are used to code them as dangerous and irrational, and that the sexy costumes are requisite and will never be subverted or rebelled against--at most they might be circumnavigated via leaning into cute appeal.

And that Yaoyorozu Momo, who converts her body fat into physical objects, is being frivolous when she wants to use money to buy things instead (rather than as sensibly moderating her Quirk use) and is never encouraged to eat as much as possible at every opportunity to put on weight and even shown being embarrassed by hunger (even though Quirk overuse gives symptoms that suggest she's been stripping the lipids out of her cell walls or nervous system to keep fighting) and always, no matter how many Things she has made, has huge big round boobies.

[lizzaneia-elizalde]

you do historical au right? So how about a Villainess who actually is a regresser but she saw too much hardships in her previous life that this time she's all set on herself (you can add revenge or not if you don't want). A tyrant disguised saw her real self which is extremely kind to general public (she built orphanage, hospital and schools for her people) (she's the heir but got scammed in previous life, so she used all that knowledge to get even more riches with beneficial businesses so she's practically richest aristocrat). She's evil and rude on the looks (because she hates limelight and does all good will anonymously). So yeah. The tyrant is real deal evil and he's obsessed with our Villainess now. Oh dear. What a plight..

Sorry for the request being all over the place, i didn't know how to put it better :(

Yandere! Villain x Regressor! AFAB! Villainess! Reader

Anon, you know how to capture my attention. And the request is comprehensive, don't worry!

Another historical AU for the roster. This time, rather than starting off with the villain, let's start of with the MC/you! (Because most of the time it doesn't really focus on the ML now, does it? Hope you don't mind.)

Yandere! Villain name: Eros

You don't remember how you got here, except for dying by a stupid woman who can't aim for jack shit.

You just got home from a grueling day's work. Always getting ahead of yourself and working yourself to the bone just to please your boss who's a major asshat, and loves when his employees curry favors with him.

It's a dog eats dog world, so you curried favors with him.

You're his favorite employee. Always giving you snacks and an extra day for your vacations. But that meant working harder than what's needed. Overtime, going home late, it drained you. But hey, it's worth it.

Yet, this wouldn't happen, and you would still be living like a young princess if it weren't for the damn mistress your fiance, the crown prince, has.

Elysia, a daughter of the baron, spent the night with the crown prince, Yuno. Earning the affection of the prince since...

Actually, you don't remember how Yuno became infatuated with Elysia.

Is the fuck really that good that Yuno neglected his fiancee?

And you, the daughter of the second Ducal household (who's not related to the royal family, of course) was blinded by rage and betrayal that you made Elysia's life a living hell.

Erm, why not the crown prince's too, then?

Remembering your past life made your head hurt. From the cliche love story down to the way you were treated made you scream to the oblivion.

After all, after Yuno figured out how you treated Elysia, he made your family kick you out. Powerless against the royal family, they had no choice but to exile you.

You got employed by your employer by then, an eccentric man who spoke of other worlds called 'Earth' and is bringing 'modern day capitalism' here. Whatever that means. But hey, he developed these things called 'cellphones' that made him skyrocket with money.

He's a weirdo, but at least he's easy to please.

But the bitch Elysia "accidentally" blasted light magic to your way, killing you instead of an assassin. Great.

But, then, you're only the minor villainess. The main villain was someone named Eros. The other Ducal household and your father's rival.

As young as 16, he already conquered the ducal household he's in and then, 6 years later, he had wealth rivalring that of the royal family's. Heck, maybe even surpassing it.

"Hello? Where's the checks and balances of this world?" That's what you usually ask yourself.

You never saw him outright, since he's always been so busy. But you clearly remembered when you're in and out of a coma back then after you got struck with the magic, a war broke out due to him.

Fortunately, you regressed into a baby still, so you could avoid being engaged to Yuno, and being involved with Elysia.

Growing up again with your mature mind was weird. Unlike last life, you weren't a brat, but a proper, cold, and an unattainable standard of what a noble woman should be. Well, if you exclude the coldness and the bitchy attitude sometimes.

In all honesty, your family loved you dearly. A clear contrast from your last life. You're a role model, perfect in every way. Beautiful, smart, talented, and shows clear interest in politics and business.

The previous life, you were only a mouth to feed with a pretty face and a political pawn to integrate yourself into the royal family.

And as usual, you got engaged to the crown prince, much to your dismay.

Yuno was easy to read. He doesn't like clingy women, and he likes the chase. He's dumb, and only knows how to spend money.

"Ah, he's worthless."

What did you saw in him in the previous life, really?

Since you were unattainable to Yuno, he became attached to you. Wanting to conquer you.

And you always returned his advances with a flick of your fan and covering your face with a glare with your sharp eyes.

You're the thorned Rose of the Kingdom. Beautiful, yet prickly. It brought you to the limelight, but also, not. Due to you being closed off, news of you rarely get out.

So in the free time you had, you always disguised yourself with your dark magic and filled up your own coffers with the help of your knowledge of business last life (from your employer.)

You built hospitals, made schooling accessible... You were basically the saintess rather than Elysia.

Oh, did I mention that Elysia, with light magic, was the saintess, and you with dark magic was the prophesied Villainess? It's complicated.

But right now, with Elysia failing to bed Yuno in his crown prince coronation, due to him being only attached to you, you were free to do what you want while thinking of your next plan.

What you didn't know is that a certain pair of crystal blue eyes followed you.

You walked along the street of the outskirts of the Kingdom, inspecting the newly built school.

You just got out of the ducal household and immediately went here after being confronted by Elysia once more, who "accidentally" stumbled into the chateau and into you and Yuno. Can she get more obvious, really?

You never used your dark magic here in the outskirts since you felt safe in the people's arms. They never judged you, nor used you for your money. They're just glad more and more accessible facilities are being erected by the young lady.

While walking around, you got into the councilor's office who's busy with enrolling the children. He's the chief of the town, and is one of the few people who graduated fully back in the capital.

He graciously accepted the position of being the councilor after you approached him, since you genuinely wanted to help the outskirts.

You saw children happily playing around while the parents lined up, excitedly talking to one another.

When they saw you, they immediately curtsied and said hi.

"My lady! Hello!"

G-greetings my lady..."

"Oh my stars! It's the lady!"

"Look over here, my lady!"

You giggled and decided to mingle with them more, talking about mundane things in life and what other facilities can you put here.

"Okay, so a shopping center, huh? Okay, that's noted. Also, I think a gymnasium would work well also, so that there will be a place where all of you can have meetings, and also have children play."

They all excitedly nodded and bid you goodbye as you went out.

You felt like yourself here in the outskirts.

Maybe you can convince your father to give you this part of the territory, and your brother can manage the main household?

Your thoughts were interrupted by children pulling your skirt to play, cheekily grinning and playfully pushing a ball up to your arms. You grinned and chased them around, roaring loudly like a monster and pretending like you're a dragon.

The giggles and screams of delight of the children filled the lively streets, along the chatter of the townspeople.

"Sir? Are you okay? What are you looking at?"

"..."

Eros' eyes widened, then softened as he saw you, chasing the children around, playing with them and not minding the dirt clinging to your outfit.

He gulped, suddenly feeling his heartrate pick up as he cleared his throat. Red flushed his cheeks, as foreign yet also the familiar feeling of infatuation filled his heart.

The noise that surrounded him faded into the background, and somehow, everything seems so bright and colorful. All he could see is you, and you, and you...

You...

You...

Beautiful, thorned you.

Eros.

The name itself sends shiver down the spine of people.

Of fear? Love? Or arousal?

He's a man of few words, only letting his actions talk to other people.

Such an otherwordly beauty like him garnered unwanted attention since he was a child.

Other than being extremely handsome, he's also very talented with politics and business, also with physical activities like horse riding and hunting.

Due to this, his mother developed a twisted inferiority complex, and also an almost incestious relationship with him.

She always hurled words that hurt his soul and emotions.

Then she'll hug him while saying sorry.

This cycle would continue on and on until he's 16.

It was supposed to be a joyous day, not until his mother forced himself on him.

Disgust, fear, and rage filled his body that time, and all he remembered is awakening his dark magic and consuming his mother.

After that, he was knocked out cold.

When he woke up, he remembered his past life on Earth.

He's a business man of such a high position, CEO.

He clawed out of his way from poverty. Stealing, investing, selling, he did everything just to get out of the clutches of being a plebian.

And, when he struck gold when his stationery business thrived, his genius made it possible for him to talk to investors and convinced them to invest in his work.

God, he's rich.

And once he reached the age of 24, he's a rich man.

Then he died due to being assassinated by his rival.

With now his previous life in his roster, he became a formidable business man. Eccentric even.

By some weird cheat, he developed cellphones.

Something so revolutionary was first met with skepticism, but it boomed in popularity when his friend, the crown prince Yuno, bought and used it.

it was weird, really. Yuno approached him to employ his ex fiancee in his company and take care of her.

Eros, who didn't mind, employed you.

Sweet, lovable you.

It was funny seeing you struggle to curry favor with him. Not used being the one who had to try to get close with him. The way you struggled to hide a frown when he mentioned over time, the way you hide your disdain when he talks about extra work...

God, you're so cute.

He spoiled you in the best he could do. Extra vacation days, snacks, all he could do without being too obvious.

Then you died.

You... Died.

By the hands of his friend, well, ex-friend's mistress.

Elysia.

That damn bitch doesn't know her place.

Then and there, his eccentricity died down, and all he knows is revenge back then.

You were in and out of coma, and seeing you swim between life and death made his heart roar out in pain.

He felt so helpless seeing you pale and vegetative, something that wasn't you.

So, with a soft promise leaving his lips, he waged war in your honor.

He fought blood, sweat, and tears in your name.

All he could think is you.

All he could see is you.

And as he ignored Yuno's plea, he beheaded Elysia.

The damn bitch raised the notion that dark magic users are evil, despite dark magic being only an another element.

She turned the tides on you.

Why should she live?

Yuno also. He betrayed you.

Once the royal family was dead, he brought your comatose body to the throne, and killed himself with you at the throne.

He made you ingest poison, something that doesn't cause pain to your already pained body.

Meanwhile, he killed himself by striking a sword down to his chest, and to his heart. The very same heart that loved you dearly.

Then he woke up,

a child again.

Back in time.

Getting away from the busy bustle of the ball, you got out to the garden and sighed. Letting the cold air bite into your skin.

Dread filled your heart as you realized once more that Elysia was nowhere to be found, and so did Yuno.

Your nerves got to you and you left the scene, overthinking the worse of the worst.

Did Elysia actually bed Yuno successfully?

Albeit just a bit late?

You covered your mouth, shaking dreadfully. The pain of your last life was getting to you once more. Trauma trembling you to the core.

"My Lady? Are you okay?"

A deep voice broke you out of your reverie. Something so silky, smooth, and familiar.

You turned around, your heart pounding as you saw your employer, Eros. He's dressed in noble clothes, gold, black, and blue.

He looks more uptight and strict this time around. What happened? Why does he look like that?

You never connected the dots, since you thought your employer and Eros were two different people.

But this?

Your heart trembled.

"G-greetings, your lordship." You curtsied, fighting back a frown just like how you did with him last life.

"You're still the same as ever."

"What is it?"

"Oh nothing." Eros waved his hand.

This life, Eros was more brutal than the previous life. He exposed his mother, a pedophile who touched him and stole money from the household, letting her get beheaded by a rusty axe in the middle of the colosseum. After that, he joined the interkingdom war, and won it much earlier than before.

He's basically a warlord. A tyrant to his territory who imposed such strict rules that you doubted yourself if this was the same Eros you knew.

You both silently stood in front of each other before he took off his coat and gently draped it on your shoulders.

"It's cold out here, my lady." He whispered. His long eyelashes fluttering as he blinked.

He inhaled your scent, his lips trembling.

He missed you so much.

His precious rose.

He gently brought your hand to his lips, kissing it softly and lingering there, with his eyes screaming obsession.

His grip was strong yet also loving.

It made you blush.

"My Lady, if my friend, Yuno, hurt you, approach me."

Your eyes widened.

"Approach you?"

Eros smiled. His handsome face blinding you momentarily.

"Yes, i'll help you take revenge."

Eros eyes swiftly looked at the balcony up above.

"Like this."

Eros swiftly dipped you and kissed your lips.

God, you tasted so divine upon his lips.

His tongue delved into your mouth, sweeping and tangling with your much more timid ones. He cupped your cheeks, bringing you impossibly closer to him.

His eyes were glaring at Yuno back at the balcony, who was naked on their bottom half with Elysia, shielding you from the scene.

Yuno's eyes widened, and he hastily dressed up, his eyes boring into Eros', and you.

This life, he'll protect you from pain.

He'll protect you from Yuno and Elysia.

He'll burn down the ground for you.

Just say the word.

---------

Hmm, twist upon twists. I love it. HEHEHEHE

[meraki-yao]

RWRB Movie Analysis: The Placement of Alex's Speech

Alright I’m really fucking sick of people complaining about the placement of the speech. (I swear, I write half of these essays out of irritation. But I’m happy while doing it so it all checks out)

Two things.

Regarding Henry’s consent

Use context clues people. Henry says, “Your speech was beautiful. Made me very proud to be your boyfriend.” It’s clear that Henry approves of the speech.

Again, what can be shown explicitly is restricted by the format. The point of Henry’s montages during the speech is to show how trapped and helpless he is in the situation. (for more, I wrote about it here.) The scenes need to keep that atmosphere/feeling of isolation and pain. If let’s say, we have a scene where the prime minister asks Henry about admitting and coming out, it would take away the consistent feeling of Henry’s pain. Cinematically, it won’t work. But that doesn’t mean in universe, it didn’t happen.

Also, Alex fucking loves Henry with every inch of his soul. He’s willing to fight for them, but he’s also willing to be patient for him. After getting his feelings sorted out and knowing with 100% clarity that he’s in love with Henry, he is never, ever going to do something that so obviously would hurt Henry. He would rather get hurt himself than hurt Henry. (Corresponding Book Quote: “Alex wants to go to war for this man, wants to get his hands on everything and everyone that ever hurt him.”) He wouldn’t make the speech without knowing Henry is okay with it. He just wouldn’t, that would straight up be out of character. So the fact that he did, means one way or another, he has Henry’s consent. And Henry later approving the speech in the piano scene, proves that. (It’s completely possible that the script itself meant to explain it this way, but if at any point they might have explicitly discussed coming out, my guess would be the Kensington breakfast scene, Prime, I’m coming for your hard drives—)

Regarding the placement of speech

There are two reasons for this.

One irl reason, is again, the format of the medium, and movie story telling. You want the tension to continuously build, increase and move upwards, then get a big but concrete resolution, and then this part is over. Having the speech as a conclusion after the balcony wave will not feel as well resolved as directly having the speech, then ending this part of the story with the big, big protest and balcony wave.  

But there’s a diegetic/ in universe reason as well.  

A lot of people, especially those who complain that Movie Alex is a himbo (also spite writing an essay on that, WIP, stay tuned), forget that Alex is a budding politician, and in fact, is a damn good one.

He, despite being kind of confused about his sexuality (read this essay for more), figures out Miguel’s flirting is mostly trying to get his statements for his articles, and in a fairly polite and classy way, Alex declines. (The state dinner slip was because he was way too entranced by Henry) He was a speaker at the DNC. His Texas campaign ultimately won Ellen the election.

When is comes to these things, he knows what he’s doing, and he’s good at what he does.

Making the speech before the crown can make a statement, was a strategic move.

Henry told Alex about his grandfather’s stance on this during the Paris date. He also told, well, yelled at Alex about the pressures he has from the crown during the Kensington confrontation. Alex knows the King will disapprove of their relationship and attempt to shove Henry into the closet.

So he has to be the one to control the narrative. He needs people to listen to, and believe in his, or rather, their side of the story.

And here’s a bit about human psychology. When receiving a new piece of information, our first impression and subsequent judgement of said information tends to be persistent. If we are provided with a second piece of contradicting information, we will tend to treat the second piece with much more criticism and suspicion. The mindset would be “prove to me the first one is wrong” instead of “Which one of these is right”.

Therefore, for Alex to get more people on his side, he must speak first.

(I almost imagine this is the reason the White House blocked communication with the palace. That bugged me for a while, until I thought, if the White House doesn’t block communication and receive a demand from the palace, they aren’t really on grounds to refuse it without a diplomatic mess. It’s the equivalent of avoiding talking to someone you don’t want to approach with the excuse “Oh my phone was off sorry”)

Imagine it. If the crown does what the King originally proposed and claims all the emails are fabrications and denies that Henry is gay and in a relationship with Alex, then Alex’s speech will be viewed through tinted glasses of “this is a fabrication, this is a lie” and it will take much more persuading for people to believe in Alex, because their first judgement of the issue, would be the crown’s lie of a narrative.

But by making the speech first, people’s first judgement of the issue, would be Alex’s explanation, of it being an invasion of privacy, and of it being true. Even if the crown denies it, with the first judgement being Alex’s narrative, it would make it much easier to see through the lie, because in people’s head, they already assumed that Alex is telling the truth.

By making the speech first, Alex has won both himself and Henry, the pen to write history.

Making the speech first is in no way Alex disrespecting Henry.

By playing politics and strategy, Alex is protecting Henry in the most familiar way he knows.

[disillusioneddanny]

Phantom's Moving Castle

Dick was pissed. No, he was more than pissed he was abso-fucking-lutely pissed. Angry enough to curse even! He couldn’t believe that this had happened to him, that he had been hit with a curse. Not only had he been hit with a curse, but the curse itself had turned him into the worst thing it possibly could have. 

It turned him old!

He had woken up feeling his body ache and pop in places he didn’t know they could. And when he had managed to hobble to the bathroom he had nearly shat his pants seeing his reflection in the mirror. This wasn’t good. No, this was a disaster, the worst thing that could have ever happened. He had blindly called Zatanna freaking out more than he had ever freaked out before. 

She had come to his apartment in Bludhaven as soon as she could and found Dick crying in bed over the new wrinkles that covered his face. “You’re being ridiculous,” she had said before she recited some spell over him, only for it to not work, causing Dick to cry even harder than before. She frowned and said it again, this time louder and more forceful only for it to start to turn Dick’s wonderful, lustrous black hair to a soft grey color.

A sob wracked through his body as he hugged the pillow tighter to his chest. 

“Do you know who put the curse on you?” Zatanna asked with a sigh as she tried yet another spell only for it to not work. Thankfully this one didn’t age Dick any more than he already had but it had definitely made him cry even more.

“I busted some kind of occultist group last night, it was just some breaking and entering, I doubt they were going to actually successfully summon something,” Dick said with a sniff, wincing at how his voice even sounded different than it had before. “But one of them said something really weird in a language I didn’t recognize but nothing happened so I thought I was fine. And then I woke up this morning and I look like the crypt keeper!” He sobbed, his body shaking with each sob that wracked through his body. 

Zatanna rolled her eyes. She loved this idiot but she had never met someone so stupid in her life. “Look, I know someone who will help you but he’s a little stubborn,” she said carefully. Dick sat up at that, rubbing the tears out of his eyes and trying to not pay attention to the liver spots that now covered the back of his hands. 

“Really? You know someone who can fix me?” He asked, hiccups coming through every other word or so. 

The magician nodded her head and let out a breath. “They call him Phantom. There’s a bit of an issue with him and he’s a bit eccentric, but if anyone could help you figure out what’s wrong it’s him.”

“What’s his issue?” Dick asked, hurrowing his brow in confusion. 

....

Danny cursed as he saw the stupid eyeballs gaining on him and slammed his hand on the button of his control board, the entire castle shaking slightly as the building disappeared from sight and reappeared in a completely different part of the Infinite Realms. 

This was starting to get ridiculous at this point. He was twenty-four years old, he had been running from the stupid Observants and Clockwork for six years now, how could they not get the hint? He didn’t want that ancient’s damned crown. And obviously, the Infinite Realms were surviving just fine without a king so why did he need to take the title?

They had already ruined his life by forcing him to go on the run, couldn’t they just let him rest? To have some time where he could just exist without them finding him? He let out a huff and stalked to the window to see where he was and groaned when he found himself in Old Gotham. 

Now he was going to be stuck with the Lady for a while. He sucked on his teeth for a moment before falling onto one of his giant, fluffy couches and let out a breath.

“I’ll take Lady Gotham over the Observants any day,” he muttered, staring up at the ceiling. “As long as she doesn’t try to get me to go to the living version and try to save her stupid vigilantes I’ll be fine.”

Besides, the Observants hated Old Gotham, they avoided this entire part of the Infinite Realms like the plague and that meant that Danny would at least get a few weeks of time to just breathe. They would get over themselves eventually and come in and bother him and when they did he’d just leave again. 

The realms were infinite for a reason and if he started running out of places here, he’d start dimension-hopping if he had to. He would rather be on the run for the rest of his life than become the King of the Infinite Realms. 

Sure, it was lonely at times, not many people visited him considering he was constantly on the run. But every so often Sam, Tucker, and Jazz would summon him to check in. Or Dani would track him down. There was something about the fact that she was his clone that made it so that she just knew where he was at all times. It was like she had a honing beacon that would always direct her to Danny.

And yeah, Danny missed his life desperately but he couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t give all of himself to the Infinite Realms and become the king. The very idea made his core burn inside of him. He wasn’t meant for that life. All Danny wanted was to protect the people he loved and live as normal a life as possible. 

Hell, he’d prefer being a hero before being the King. Part of him wondered if this was worth it if running away from the Observants and Clockwork and the crown was really worth it. If he stopped running he’d have a life again, he’d be able to just live in peace and even see his family again. But he wouldn’t be happy. He would be beyond miserable having to be the king, he wouldn’t get to just exist and at least while he was on the run he could just exist. 

He could travel wherever he wanted and just enjoy the world around him. He had been in so many different spots of the Infinite Realms that he had never even known existed and he had learned more than he could have ever expected to learn. It wasn’t the life he wanted, but it was better than the life the Observants wanted for him. 

Although, he did have to admit that even with being on the run and by himself, he was enjoying himself. He hadn’t known peace like this whatsoever growing up. And there was something beautiful about just being here, just existing and being alone and enjoying his peace. It was nice to have this one thing for himself, even if he did have to hop from one place to another and hide away from the observants. 

“Phantom,” a familiar voice said, knocking Danny from his reverie and startling him so badly that he fell off of the couch. He let out a huff and sat up on the ground, scowling at the floating face in front of him. 

“Zatanna, to what do I owe the pleasure?” He asked, scowling at the magician who was invading his space. 

He didn’t mind the magician, hell he had helped her out a few times. But that partnership was tricky, especially since Danny was not particularly fond of her boyfriend, John Constantine. Not only that but she was a member of the Justice League and Danny really didn’t need them involved in his shit. They were pushy and annoying and not at all something Danny was interested in. 

He thanked the Ancients every day that his dimension did not have a superhero team, he would have lost his mind if he got roped in with working with them. But Zatanna’s dimension had too many heroes to count and only a few of them were actually interesting and helpful. 

“ It’s good to see you too. Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you?” She asked with a huff and Danny raised an eyebrow as he stood up from the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yes, I know, I know, that’s the entire point of Phantom’s Moving Castle. I need your help.”

“With?” He asked, making a continue motion with his hand. 

“A friend of mine was hit with a curse, you’re the only one I know that could potentially break it,” she said before stepping through her little portal with someone wrapped in a blanket and a hood pulled over their head, covering their face. “Dick, show him.”

“No,” a whiny voice said sadly. 

“He can’t help you if you don’t tell him what’s wrong,” Zatanna said with a sigh. 

“What makes you think I’ll help him anyway?” Danny asked with a scoff. Zatanna just leveled him with a glare. 

“Because you took an oath Danny Phantom of the Infinite Realms. I know you completed your apprenticeship with Frostbite and the yetis that you would heal anyone in need. He’s in need and you’re going to fix him,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared Danny down. 

He let out a huff and stomped toward the person hiding their face and ripped the hood off of his face. “Someone got you with an aging curse,” he said, looking him up and down as the man let out a whine.  He looked the man over once more and huffed out a laugh. This was tricky magic, and this poor guy was screwed. “Sorry, but there’s nothing I can do. He’s the only one who can break the curse.”

“Well, are you going to tell us how?” Zatanna asked as the man sniffled beside her. His face was covered in age spots and wrinkles. 

Danny shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t, that would be cheating,” he said with a secretive smile before he waltzed over to his kitchen, leaving the two in his sitting room as he started up the kettle. 

“Danny!” Zatanna shouted, following him into the room and dragging the aged man along with him. 

Danny sighed and looked her over. “Look, this is tricky magic. I can’t tell you what’s wrong with him or how to fix it, all I can do is tell you that you need to look within yourself.”

“Then let him stay here with you while he figures it out. You could use the company and his family will freak out if they see him like this,” Zatanna said with a sigh. 

“I have to stay here?” The man croaked, looking at Zatanna in horror. 

She narrowed her eyes. “Yes, and you’re not going to complain about it. Neither of you will,” she said evenly. “Danny help him however you can to fix it. Dick, don’t be a dick while you’re here. Danny’s a very powerful being and he’s got enough going on without you causing more issues. I’ll be back in a month to check on you.”

Before Danny or Dick could argue, Zatanna disappeared from the castle, leaving the two alone with one another. 

Dick looked around the kitchen and jumped as the kettle wanted off. Danny moved it from the heat and prepared two mugs for tea. “So, how do you know Zatanna?”

Danny glanced over at the old man as he stared at his reflection in a pot and chuckled, he was going to have a hard time getting past this curse. “She summoned me once trying to get help with a ghost problem about seven years ago. We’ve been in ever since then and I help her when she needs it and she gets me things sometimes,” Danny said with a shrug. “Black tea or green tea?”

“Black,” Dick said, groaning as he sat at the small, round, wooden table in the corner of the kitchen. It was like everything was popping as he did. This was going to be miserable. 

“Milk and sugar?” Danny asked. 

“Yeah,” Dick grumbled. “I’m Dick, by the way.”

“I know, I’m Danny,” he said simply as he let the tea float over to Dick. 

“What are you?”

Danny gave him a small, secretive smile. “I’m a phantom.”

Dick let out a huff and glared down at his tea. “Fine, keep your secrets.” He took a sip of his tea and looked at the being. “So, how am I going to break this curse?”

Danny turned to  Dick and sipped at his tea. “Your curse,” he said blandly. “I can’t tell you how to break it but I can tell you to embrace it,” he said and Dick was ready to bang his head against the table. Why the hell was this guy being so utterly cryptic? “Once you finish your tea I’ll show you to your rooms. Come find me when you’re done,” Danny told him before he took off out of the kitchen and disappeared into the castle, leaving Dick alone with his thoughts. 

Embrace his curse? How the hell could he embrace a curse that made him so utterly ugly?

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[dark-frosted-heart]

I'm His Cherished Doll - Roger Barel

Event bonus story

Things get a bit nsfw toward the end. Jfc that end.

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. Roger is his own warning.

Crown surrounds me, who accidentally took a shrinking drug.

(I need to make a good choice. Who I want to take care of me is-)

Kate: Roger, can you take care of me? (I think being with Roger will be the fastest way to return to normal)

Roger: What a coincidence. I was thinking of sticking to you.

Kate: Huh…

Roger smiles wickedly and grabs me with one hand.

Roger: No way I’m handing an interesting experiment to another guy. Right?

Kate: Right? Wait…

I made the wrong choice?!

Victor: Roger, if you do anything bad to Kate, I, Victor, won’t stay quiet about it!

Roger: Yeah, yeah. I gotcha. Come on, let’s go little lady.

Kate: It’s not like I can go anywhere else with you grabbing me…

Victor: Kate!

Ellis: There they go…

Victor: Wah…I wanted to take care of her. You’re so sneaky Roger.

Harrison: You were pretending to worry about Kate, but really, you just wanted to take care of her.

~~~

Roger sets me down on a desk in his lab.

(Everything looks different than usual)

(Of course they do since I’m tiny now…)

Roger: Hey little lady. Does your skin feel the same as usual?

Roger pokes my cheek with his index finger.

Kate: Oof. H-hold on…

Roger: Hmm, no change here. Then, how about here?

The finger that was touching my cheek starts stroking my neck.

Kate: Ah…

(I just made a weird noise…)

Roger: No change here? You’re still the same sensitive, vocal little lady.

Kate: P-please stop teasing me like that.

I try to remove his finger, but Roger grabs me again.

Frustrated by being in his clutches (literally and figuratively), I flail in his hold.

Kate: Ugh-

Roger: Pfft, haha. Cu~te.

(Honestly, the more you bully someone, the better your smile)

Our interactions are surprisingly the same as usual.

I was anxious because of how my body changed, but with how we’re still acting the same as usual, I feel like things will work out.

(Alright, let’s find out what I can do!)

Kate: Roger, please let me help you with your research. I’ll do my best to return to normal.

Roger: Yeah, of course. Then Kate, you’ll-

Kate: Nn…

(Mm…I…fell asleep? When?)

It’s dark in the basement so I can’t tell for sure, but I’m certain it’s already midnight.

When I was going to help Roger with his research, I apparently fell asleep.

(I have good stamina, but with my body like this, I probably get more tired than usual)

(Huh…?)

At this moment, I realize that I was sleeping on something.

(This is Roger’s vest. Then…)

Roger: …

I look over to see Roger alone at his work table.

Comparing the various test tubes, he pinches his glabella and lets out a deep sigh.

Roger: Ha…

Damn it… Isn’t this it?

(I’ve never seen Roger look so serious before…)

I can’t take my eyes off his side profile.

Even after I became like this, Roger stayed the same.

Roger’s mean, egotistical, and always teases me.

(But this isn’t the same as usual…)

Even if it was my fault, Roger was the one that made the drug I took.

(You were acting like that because you knew I was anxious, weren’t you?)

The more time I spend with Roger, the more I realize just how strong and unwavering he is.

If there’s anyone in the world that can survive on their own, then it’s someone like him.

(Roger’s never needed my support…)

(I know that)

(I know that, but…)

Roger: Hm? Oh, you’re awake, Sleeping Beauty.

Kate: …Yeah. Um, Roger...

Roger: Hm?

Kate: Would you mind lowering your head a bit?

Roger: Sure? No problem, but what’s up?

I approach his bowed head…

(Why do I want to be nice to this person?)

I gently pat his head with my tiny hand.

Kate: Thank you for trying to find a way to get me back to normal. I’d love to return to normal of course, but… But if I can’t, then I’m fine with that too.

Roger: … You’re fine with that, are you. That’s just like our robin.

I’m sure he can see through my bluff.

However, I really wanted to let him know that I’m fine.

(I just wish that I could say it better…)

While I’m sulking over how awkward I was, Roger smiles at me.

Roger: Hey, little lady… If you don’t return to normal, then how about we get married?

Kate: …………huh? M-married?

Roger: I can do research by your side. You can spend your time laughing and  smiling while I’m being mean to you.

Not bad, don’t you think?

I was surprised by his sly grin and how he just said that without hesitation that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Kate: Hehe, I wouldn’t want you to be mean to me for the rest of my life, but maybe that’s okay. 

Roger: Right? Well, I haven’t given up on getting you back to normal either.

Roger sits back in his chair and shuts his eyes.

Roger: I’m gonna nap for a bit. Wake me up in 15 minutes.

Kate: Eh? Then you should lie down properly-

Roger: Zzz…

(He’s already asleep…)

I stare at his face, which looks a little more innocent now that his eyes are closed, and then look down at my hand that had touched his hair earlier.

(He’s selfish, an egoist, and mean, but…)

(Roger’s existence has saved me a couple of times…)

(It’s frustrating but…it’s the absolute truth)

We woke up at the same time to the sound of footsteps from upstairs.

Roger: Mm… Hm? Whoa…Is it morning already?

Kate: Feels…like it?

Roger: I told you to wake me up, but you fell asleep too.

Kate: Sorry. This body tires out easily-

The moment I woke up I noticed some physical discomfort.

Roger: You…

(Huh…?)

Kate: I’m…back to normal? I’m back to normal! Hooray!

I’m so ecstatic that I hug Roger without thinking and I feel his muscular body against mine.

Roger: Did the drug run its course?  No, but a drug that shrinks a person can’t simply-

Kate: It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that I’m back to normal.

Roger: Yeah, you’re right. I’ll figure it out later… At any rate, thank goodness for your good health.

Kate: What a relief. Thanks for being by my side.

Roger: No problem. But I think you’re a little too energetic with the naked cuddling?

Kate: Naked? Ah…

(I’m not wearing anything?!)

It’s only when he pointed it out that I realized I’m not wearing any clothes.

The doll clothes I wore lie abandoned on the floor.

Kate: I’m sorry. I’ll go put something-

Roger: Hey, hold on. What’re you gonna do about “this”?

Roger grabs my hand and brings it to his lower half.

Kate: Eh…Oh, um…Huh?

My cheeks heat up when I feel something firm against my hand.

Kate: Roger…is this…

Roger: When I’m feeling worn out, I just can’t help myself. Besides, it’s like your naked body’s inviting me.

Kate: It’s saying no such thing…

(I need to put something on quickly)

The moment I get up from the chair, Roger pins me down on the work table.

Kate: !

While hovering over me, his rough hand traces my neck.

Like a butterfly specimen, my arms are pinned and I can’t move.

Kate: Ah…Roger…you can’t…

Roger: Oh? Jeez, you should enjoy it, but you’re oddly serious. Then I won’t put it in. That won’t be a problem, right?

Kate: Not putting it in…That’s not the point…

His large hands cover my exposed breasts.

He starts groping my chest.

(Ah…don’t…)

The calluses rub against a sensitive area, sending a tingling sensation through my body.

It’s as if every part of my body’s craving the sweet stimulation. 

Roger: Kate. I haven’t even played with them yet and your nipples are already getting hard. 

Kate: …

Roger: Haha, that’s a nice heartbeat. My ears are picking up everything.

Kate: Don’t listen please!

Roger: Oh? You’re not asking me not to touch you?

Kate: Um…

Roger: Pfft, hahaha. You really are something… You weren’t so bad when you were tiny, but it’s better to talk at the same level.

Kate: …

(Why are you saying that with such a carefree smile?)

(A smile like that)

(...I can’t say no to it)

I wonder how much of this was calculated and how much was his trap.

No matter how much I think about it, I can’t figure it out.

But I can accept his approaching lips-

That I knew for sure.

[bloopitynoot]

Reading SVSSS: Chapter 9

For those who don't know, I am reading SVSSS for the first time and sharing my thoughts!

If you have not read it, there will be spoilers! Consider this a warning.

Also- if you want to follow along, I am aiming to post updates daily. You can find all the posts in the tag bloopitynoot reads SVSSS. You can also check out the intro post for context on my read.

I feel so weird sitting here in the morning reading this, this has been my night-time routine for 8 chapters!

In all honesty the fic I was reading this morning just wasn't it/my brain kept coming back to my boy Shen Qingqiu, so here I am 8am on a Sunday heading into the Borderlands.

My teas are for evening- so this morning, hazelnut coffee!

ah, okay, intro to this chapter. I have been wondering how the afterlife works in this series. I hope we find out more than "the border of human and demons realms" p167

JK lol this is a physical place and not an afterlife p168

oh gosh, this is quite a mess! (Re: the political upheaval within the Cang Qiong Mountain sect as well as vs others) I kind of want to know what the side quest Shang Qinghua went on in the demon realm. p169

Oh baby Luo Binghe keeping Shen Qingqiu's corpse :( p169

okay but he also took Mo Qingfang with him so maybe they were trying to figure out a way to bring Shen Qngqiu back? p170

I would have loved to be privy to the Tea that Lu Liu was about to spill about his theories of Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu ahaha but instead we got a knock on the door interrupting p171

who is this newcomer??? Wait who's the second one?? The anticipation!! pp172-173

wait. "what year is it?" New character or??? p174

I fucking cant. Yes it is Shen Qinqgiu. but also the dramatic flair is too much RE: "faking your death is overdone, I must therefore actually die :)" p174

omg SQQ had a backup body made from the mushrooms! This is so wild. This was definitely Shang Qinghua's side quest for sure. p175

omg I can't stop laughing. What is with MXTX killing the leads and then twinkifying their new bodies. p176

it's been FIVE YEARS?!?!?!?!? p177. Oh damn, bless that he has an abundance of spiritual energy now!

He really told them his name was peerless cucumber- oh my. p178. Can we talk about how they then immediately stated he was a bottom with the Peerless "chrysanthemum, crown, flower.."p178

The hypocrite lol "It is wrong for you to profit from their misfortune" after he literally stole all the clothes on his back and a fancy fan for fun (and cultivating, but let's be real mostly fun). p180

why does everything just come back to SQQ just fantasizing about Luo Binghe's dick? We went from SQQ ranting about demon naming conventions to what he would call Luo Binghe's actual dick LOL p181

HEAVENLY PILLAR-JUN - pls end me XD stooop. p182

Meanwhile we have these demons sweating because they think this man is incredibly powerful and very unstable as SQQ laughs maniacally then slaps himself. p182 I really don't think they are wrong TBH.

oh no! I need to now what Liu Mingyan has been doing in the badlands! p184

but also SQQ assuming that Liu Mingyan is Luo BInghe's wife.

OOOOOO Sha Hualing is back! p185 I like love her as a villain, but hate her as a character. She's in a weird place for me, but I appreciate her LOL

Who the heck is this youth? p186

Jesus christ. the fact that in this moment SQQ hates Sha Hualing's nails- not because there is a kid about to get slice and diced, but because in the novel she uses them to tear up Luo BInghe's back when they fuck. I cannot with this man *face palm* p187

okay we have a name for this young master- Yang Yixuan, and this little baby is Liu Qingge's disciple! p188

learning about how Luo Binghe's cultivation works with his need to basically dual cultivate to level himself out has me officially believing that the system basically allowed SQQ to build the ideal body for Luo Binghe. he definitely has the excess spiritual power LOL p190

This interaction with Sha Hualing and Liu Mingyan tho...I really love Liu Mingyan! Wait- oh no! Not her clawing her face!!! p194

okay she did not get her face clawed

Well, my theory about SQQ building the perfect bod has more merit with the nuns now out of the picture. p197

Holy shit. he actually is strong enough to break through immortal binding cables!! p199

NOW he notices the script change LOL p201 "Shen Qingqiu had certainly never planned to fill in the gap they left behind himself. He had that old feeling of having accidentally picked up the wrong script- it made him vaguely suspicious that the scam of a System was still around"

Dang! he broke the net too! p201

and we have a small appearance by Luo Binghe!!!

Yay! I am so excited i've missed the system, glad it's back. even though it seems kind of broken lol p203

Well "peerless xiangsheng" and "senior peerless" are certainly better than peerless cucumber LOL p205

oh my. Well I mean, he's not entirely wrong is he? Re: Lu Liu's epic tale of the tragic one-sided love between Luo Binghe and Shen Qingqiu. (and this is the Tea I wanted at the beginning of the chapter, I am so happy about it). pp206-207

oh my sweet summer child "Those details aren't the slightest bit reliable, okay? 'The Truth' your sister! Even if I had no girl to fondle for twenty years, no matter how wretched I became, I wouldn't get so desperate that I'd get gay with a guy! Let alone get gay with the male lead!" p212

This Chapter LOL

This was definitely a needed pick up after we had that wretched death. But now I am so curious! I need to know how this turns into their weird but epic love story. When do these two collide??? What happens next???? (do not answer any of these questions LOL no spoilers, but I am very excited to read on).

[blacklegsanjiii]

Robin being group mom for the swapped au siblings is so good… not only is she a motherly figure for the boys who’ve never really had one and for Reiju who only vaguely remembers their mother, but her odd morbidity kind of tempers it for them because they aren’t used to all of the warmth and community the strawhats have built among each other. I imagine whenever they argue they additionally have to kind of fight for who gets to be with Robin first afterwards and that’s a right mess as well, bc they’re all just not that used to spending time with the louder strawhats and all the chaos that ends up with them.

I think they’re probably the worst with Franky— not only is he massive and loud and contrary to most things they’ve been taught, he’s also so very emotional. There’s a 50/50 chance they’ll say anything and he’ll start bawling because he’s sad they’ve missed out on x or y and they don’t really know how to handle it in the least!! It’s overwhelming!

- Wine

Good to hear from you Wine! Yeah the kids definitely don't know what a loving home is supposed to be like and then add on the run away royalty to it and it's just this weird mashed together pattern of showing love and care without really knowing how and then add in a brother who doesn't feel much of anything yet but is starting to learn and it's a mess. Since joining the Strawhats they definitely argue less but they do still happen. I think Niji would start having doubts about Sanji gaining emotions because uh.... he's been a mercenary since like age ten and Robin says part of being human is living with the pain of past actions, but it's not like Sanji had a choice, he was a victim.

Franky is so loud and emotional it probably scares them at first because why is he so free with his emotions. Ichiji is the most wigged out because he was the crown prince and had the pressure of the entire kingdom and his siblings and damn did he try to crush those pesky things but it didn't work. So Ichiji is having lots of issues that he's trying just figure out how to avoid the shipwright at all costs and it's not working and he's suffering and it's a whole thing and he's not having fun. He'll stare wide eyed at Franky who is sobbing because all Ichiji said was that their mom died drinking poison which is why the brothers aren't all like Sanji. Ichiji is so used to the horrible things he's desensitized and so Franky telling him that's horrible as he sobs loudly. Also he's really big kind of like Judge and it's just that trick of ptsd that big man=judge when that's not true but still.

Also I think Reiju, who was most familiar with their mother, looks at Franky and says Sora would have loved him. The tears and wailing are expected but now she's in the air and against a giant metal man who is squeezing her very tightly and yelling about how much that means to him. One time Franky, Niji, and Yonji are talking, as well as some of the other guys from the strawhats and Yonji asks Niji when Judge gave up on them and Niji's confused 'as weapons or making Sanji king? because both of those happened by the time we were eight.' and Franky's crying again and there's questions from all around. Yonji says they do need to work on being more open and Niji tackles him. Robin separates them with a very stern 'Boys.' which makes them all settle down significantly.

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

This isn’t like the usual posts I make but, I played through Monster Prom Second Term’s True Calling ending, and what the fuck!!?? TToTT I’ve read before that the reason for the True Calling ending is to expand upon Miranda’s character, but why like this?? Why make fun of their own writing and ignore all they’ve already worked up to? :(

Miranda is heavily reliant on her servants and refuses pretty much all work, that much is obvious. She has her serfs do everything for her while she does whatever she ever desires on a whim, lost and aimless and without a clear purpose, but… wasn’t it always implied that she’s that way for a reason? That reason being her father spoiling her with gifts and money and royal privileges. Her parents already conditioned her to see torture, murder and genocide as normal things! I always figured that her talking about true love and romance and romanticising not-so-good-or-healthy fairytale tropes was a part of that, that her parents more or less raised her to be the perfect little princess whose only purpose is to be married off to a prince of another kingdom to strengthen ties or as a peace offering or something (or for political reasons overall? It is strange that a princess would find herself in a high school of a foreign land, hmm…). That would explain why she really has no aspirations, besides love! She was raised to be that way and she didn’t just decide to be selfish one day.

So, how come the game comes out of left field and has Miranda’s own sister yell at her for being selfish and vague??? Suddenly it’s her own fault that she's spoiled with serfs who’ll do whatever she says? Hello, who gave her those serfs???? Yeah, maybe her sisters are crown heiresses or high priestesses but clearly they were taught those roles! Those were roles that already existed, waiting to be filled! And now Miranda suddenly is the only one who needs to figure out what to be all alone?

Worst of all I can’t believe they’d insult their own writing and literally call Miranda flat :( I know that’s the fandom perception of her but this is your own damn game!! You know how you wrote her! Did you not keep track of all you wrote!? Maybe Miranda’s twist (“sweet mermaid princess is murderous”) is open and out for all to see but that hardly makes her flat. She loves tradition and finds it very important, she’s super into silverware and napkin-folding, she loves singing and water sports (water polo and gymnastics to name two) and fairy tales and stories and she dreams of romance and even though her family’s immoral and murderous ways have been hammered into her so hard she doesn’t know it’s not normal to torture and kill serfs, she’s still kind and worries for people and their well-being, even if they’re commoners! She’s not very “bright” in many things but in the Revenge ending we see her formulate and execute a blackmail plot without any serfs at all, which does require intelligence. Dare I say, just like how everyone has a twist in their personality, another twist of Miranda’s is that she can be cunning when she needs to be? I just can’t believe that they’d go and agree with the people saying that Miranda is flat and make a WHOLE SECRET ENDING TALKING ABOUT HOW FLAT MIRANDA IS instead of… I don’t fucking know. Making a route where they feel they’re actually giving her more depth? They’re just lampshading the issue! They’re talking about how they made Miranda into a flat character and how sad and awful that is instead of doing anything about it.

And they could’ve explored so much too. A character lacking direction in life is already a really interesting thing to explore. They could’ve surely done something with her basically being a tool for her family and kingdom! Alas… Maybe it’s silly to get so worked up about a video game but I don’t know. The game made me feel things. I love Monster Prom but sometimes it is a love-hate relationship :/

[adudelolwriting]

how to make a flower crown: a step by step guide

Jay's side still hurt. It hurt after days of rest.  It hurt even after driving for several days towards the other side of the country. Jay still struggles with… everything, really. Both he and Tim were. I mean, Jay has spent that last — God, how long? Five years? Six? Running from something , and trying to find his old friends. 

In the end, it was just Tim and Jay, once again. 

There's a hole in his chest, for those he lost. Seth, Sarah, Amy. Jessica. Alex. Brian. (Jay still checks the ToTheArk channel, hoping, praying that Brian would upload something — anything, to prove he's still alive. That the fall didn't kill him.)

It was… it was safe, now. Tim said he "handled Alex". But Jay knows what he meant. He's seen the (since privated) video. Most… Most of the videos had been privated now. A clean state. Jay still had his camera, but its been left in the back of the car, right next to his laptop that currently doesn't have any battery to it.

Driving was peaceful.

Yes, the car was definitely starting to feel cramped, and uncomfortable, but it symbolized freedom. That Jay and Tim were leaving, and they weren't ever coming back. 

As Jay stared out the window, watching trees pass by, Tim pulled onto an exit that led into a small town. "I have a surprise for you," Tim simply said before parking the car. Curious, Jay followed him, bringing only a phone with half charge and no signal. 

"Where are we going?" Jay asked, following Tim. 

"I uh, I've stayed in contact with one of Brian's friends. We don't talk alot, but I mentioned to her that you like being outside and stuff, but we haven't been able to enjoy being outside since the whole Alex and Operator thing," Tim said, continuing forward before walking into a small field. "And she — she lives here, and mentioned there was this field where we could just… I dunno. Relax?"

Tim was watching Jay's face, waiting for his reaction. "This is… God. Thank you." 

Tim's goofy smile goes across his face. "Oh, yeah, it was— it was no big deal, really. Figured it would uh, be nice to not have to be stuck in the car for a while."

Jay sank into the field, picking several dandelions and started to weave them together. "You know how to make flower crowns?"

Jay hummed, continually working the stems through each other with his fingers. "Yeah. Sarah taught me how one day when shooting was slow." A smile spread on Jay's face. "Alex came over to me for a script direction question, or something, and saw me and Sarah picking dandelions. He whined about it, but… it was before everything, y'know? I could tell he was faking it. We finished the third one by the time Sarah was needed again, and she wordlessly placed it on his head."

Sitting down next to Jay, he spoke, "I mustn't have been on set that day."

"No. You were busy, I think." Jay finishes the crown, inspecting his work. "Here," he handed it to Tim, his blue eyes shining in the sun. Tim carefully takes it, before gently placing it on his head.

"Do you wanna know how to make one?"

Tim looked at Jay — he saw Jay's blue eyes sparkling, the sun reflecting off his hair. The crooked smile Jay proudly wore. He saw the person Tim met in college, carefree and happy before all of the tapes and the cameras. 

Tim saw the person who would always stay on set last minute, then having to rush to get to class on time. 

Tim saw the person who annoyed Alex any moment he could.

Tim saw the person who would make jokes and laugh like nothing could go wrong.

Tim saw the real Jay Merrick. 

"Yeah," Tim finally said, sitting onto the soft dirt of the field. "Yeah, I would like to know how to make one."

Jay smiled, and that's when Tim decided: he would do anything to see Jay be happy like this. Neither of them deserved the pain that was given to them. And Tim will sooner be damned to the deepest pits of hell than let this pain ruin their lives again. 

A fond smile fell onto Tim's face as he watched Jay, copying the movements he did with his hands, braiding the flowers together into a crown. A few of the stems got loose, and some of the flowers were flattened, but he was happy with his first ever one. 

Tim placed the crown onto Jay's head. "What?" Tim asked, looking at the other's expression, "There can't be just one king, after all." Jay laughed, head reeling back, and, yeah. Tim could spend the rest of his life like this. 

It was over. God, it was over. 

And Tim was okay with the outcome. 

[chaotic-and-mentally-ill]

So, Ducktales x Cult of the Lamb, am I right?

Ok it's not actually a Ducktales x Cult of the Lamb au, it's more of a weird Mickey and friends Cult of the Lamb au, but it mostly focuses on the duck triplets.

(Huey, Dewey, and Louie)

I, sadly, don't have a whole lot of art for this au yet mostly cause i'm still figuring out how to draw all the characters, so bare with me cause this is gonna be a long text post until I have art I can/am willing to share.

TLDR;

Cult of the Lamb au but make it Ducktales/Mickey and friends because i've been watching Ducktales and recently got back into Cult of the Lamb again. I'll mostly be focusing on Louie for this au sense I have the best grasp on his character as of right now, but others will show up.

Sense Louie is the main focus, Louie with be the one taking on the role of The Lamb for this au, meaning he will bare the crown.

(But that doesn't mean I haven't thought about the "what if" of if Huey or Dewey got it instead.)

Cult of the Duck

So, before I really get to this I need to explain one very important detail:

All the ducks? Yea, they're dead. All expect Louie of course. (or one of the other triplets but we'll get to that later). This, of course, means Donald, Della, Scrooge, his brothers, and frankly and other duck within the series are, well, gone.

Like the lamb, Louie as the last of his kind. There are no other ducks. He has no one to protect him, and no one to protect. He is completely and utterly alone.

So when he's sent to be sacrificed in order to prevent the "prophecy", there was not much he could do. Sure, it was absolutely terrifying! No one wants to be sacrificed, and he was damn well sure that "prophecy" was bogus!

"Come closer, little duckling, for I still need you. I will grant you back your life, in return, I ask for a cult in my name. Do we have a deal?"

But as he looked up to the Bishops, gods amongst the people, those who always knew what was right, those who should not be questioned, as all he could do was bow his head and squeeze his eyes tight, hearing his heart beat agents his ribs as he prayed.

But when no pain had arrived, curiosity got the best of him as he opened his eyes and looked up. It was so bright.

Something beckoned him forward, and he followed. A voice gently assured to him as he made his way forward.

And with new found life, Louie escapes with the help of one of Oswald's children, a previous vessel to The One Who Waits.

And the story continues as per usual from there with one of Oswald's kids taking the place of Ratau (at least until I think of someone better). The first follower to be saved by Louie would be Max, who after this point is pretty darn loyal.

Louie, at first, is pretty upset about having to work and build the cult in the first place. He wasn't used to doing so much hard work, nor did he enjoy it very much. But, it was better then basically every thing else he'd been through, so he'd learn to tolerate it.

After some time of going on crusades (which, frankly, he hates more), he'd get a pretty good flow going between growing the cult and relaxation. He'd upgrade quickly, recruit (or as he'd call it; "Sweet talk") people, and find ways to make it so everyone could care for themselves so he'd have more time to relax.

Occasionally he'd go on crusades, but only if he absolutely needed to. (Food, supplies, gold, stuff like that.) He'd avoid the Bishops as long as he physically could, only caving when he didn't have a choice but to face them.

Sure, it be a heavy learning curve at first (learning to be selfless and what not for the sake of the cult), but eventually he'd be a pretty decent leader. His favorite days are when the whole cult (also known as his "community") would take one big break and not work at all, but he also enjoyed the days where everyone would hand him gold and/or do all the work for him. Because man does he hate having to do hard work. And yes, he's still the greedy, money loving guy we all know and love.

He'd often have Max be the one looking over the "community" when ever he leaves. Max would also probably be the tax collector and such considering he was the first follower and is the most loyal. Him and Max are close.

I can also see Louie marring many people, for tax purposes of course.

But what about the other 2? What would happen if they were given the crown instead?

Well, the sacrifice process may as well go the same. Oswald kid still takes Ratau place, Max still being the first follower and being loyal beyond belief, but that's likely where the similarities would end.

Dewey, being the prideful and adventures guy he is, would absolutely LOVE crusades. Sure, he'd love his cult and would enjoy being around them, but he would be nowhere NEAR where Louie would be in growth in the same time frame. He'd spend far to much time doing crusades and fighting monsters or even the bishops. Tbh I can see him taking out the most amount of bishops in the shortest amount of time out of all his brothers (with Louie taking the longest).

He'd probably come back to a hungry, angry followers because he'd be gone so long thanks to his crusades, which would inevitably lead to a LOT of damage control after. Would he ever learn? Probably not.

That's basically all I got for now, still a lot of stuff to work through and think about, but it's a neat idea that's been plaguing my mind for the past few days.

Huey on the other hand would spend an equal amount of time on crusades and with his cult. He'd most likely have everything under control from the get go. Plus, he now has a healthy way of letting out "The Duke of Messes" via crusades. Occasionally he'd have to preform damage control, especially with any new stubborn followers, but for the most part everyone is happy and capable of functioning orderly with or without him (mostly due to his schedules). Let's be honest, he's just glad people are finally listening to him.

His cult would probably embrace nature to it's finest, tents and all. It would probably be more put together and more advance then Dewey in most regards, but not nearly as advanced as Louie.

In other words: Louie is basically running a really weird town, Huey is running a camp, and Dewey is uh- doing his best.

[lilaccosmic]

Hey guys here is a scenario that The boys are trying to wake you up and this is also the preview for my next fan fiction story so stay tuned!!!

Victor: good morning my lovely cursed boys !!!!!

Victor: how is everyone’s sleep?

Harrison: It sucks sometimes i want to sleep more though

Liam: it was good

Roger: I didn’t get enough sleep last night because of taking care of Liams Wounds

Liam: i am sorry for making u not sleep

Roger: its ok especially i know u will always do that

Elbert: my sleep is usually good

Alfons: would you like to have ur breakfast fast now el

Elbert: yeah but someones missing

Jude: hah who is it now you depressed boy

Ellis: oh yeah we are all here but where is y/n

Victor: oh yeah right where is she!!!

You: oh gosh i am sorry for not coming down this instant i thought you all are still asleep

Roger: it’s ok lil lady looks like you did ur report pretty well ….

William: besides she is pretty when she sleeps like a princess in her desk

Jude: anyways princess shall we have breakfast?

Ellis: we would like to eat with you if its ok

Liam: we are very happy to have you in a table with such a cutie pie like you

Harrison: especially that face of Yours and that sexy figure will make the table very unique and bright

Elbert: especially you are so beautiful that you really suit to be with us isn’t right al

Alfons: yep she does especially that voice when enjoying her meal thats pretty hot

Victor: now now boys we are glad you came here to join us so what do you say would you to join us for breakfast?

You: of course i accept your invitation

Jude: thats the princess we want

Roger:she really does make the table bright

Victor: we love you y/n you are really a bright person that makes us all happy anyways lets have breakfast but looks like you are not yet in your seat yet

Victor: would u like to sit beside me

Harrison: stop she will be sitting with me!

Liam: no she will seat with me

You: uhhh guys…..

Elbert: she will sit with me !!!

Alfons: sorry el but she will be sitting with me she deserves my pleasure

Roger: oh come on she will be sitting with me and she doesn’t deserve ur pleasure ass attitude

William: the king needs a beautiful queen to sit beside him so she will be sitting with me

Jude: Tch even though you are a just the king and the top crown member the princess deserves a Fairy to gaurd her and make her smile i will share my breakfast with her so she will be sitting with me!!! Damn you

Ellis: Jude i am sorry but y/n will literally sit with me i will make sure to make her happy while having her breakfast

Victor: ok thats enough !!! Why won’t we let our beloved fairytale keeper tell us who will she sit with

Preview:

William: If you sit with me i will be sure to pamper you like a true queen

Harrison: if you sit with me i will treat you to go on a date with me and we will read a-lot of my favorite novel from Sherlock Holmes

Liam: if you seat with me i will make sure to invite you everyday to go out with me and treat you with love and i am sure you will like my stage presence

Elbert: come here y/n if you sit with me i can make sure to pamper you and spoil you everyday and i am not gonna let you go

Alfons : if you sit with me i can make sure to make your dreams come true and we will have so much fun doing stuff together and doing what we want

Roger : hey lil lady if you sit with me i will make sure to take care of your health properly and make that cute face smile everyday I might also sometimes invite you to go out with me

Jude: hey there princess if ya sit with me i promise to make you happy and treat you things that you want i can also invite you to be with me at work and i will make sure to pamper you everyday and take really good care of you

Ellis: if you sit with me i will make sure to make you happy always and i will make sure to take care of you and we could go anywhere you want to make u smile

Victor: now now if you sit with me i promise to take care of you and I’ll help you wit your reports and take you out on dates and go anywhere that you wish to go

Now which among this 9 gorgeous villians will you seat with ?!

Taglist:

@judejazza @elbertsbabygirl @archiveikemen @lilaccosmic

[glwstic]

Rec List 4: The Witcher

-  Worth More Than Your Songs by Chaos_Breeds

“Jask, you’re bleeding,” Geralt growled, his free hand starting to pat for injuries, and-

Jaskier relaxed a bit, slumping in relief. “Good morning to you too,” he greeted brightly, ignoring how raspy his voice was. “Damn witchers and their sense of smell. I’m fine, don’t worry, just my hands.”

The room froze.

———

In which Jaskier runs himself ragged, convinced he must prove his value.

Geralt and Yennefer will not stand for it.

Oneshot,  1,676 words

-  Defying the Odds by Chaos_Breeds

Geralt didn’t care to eavesdrop, really, even less than he wanted to hear another bawdy ballad. It was better to keep his eyes on his ale, stay out of trouble, and wait for Jaskier to be finished. “So how much longer do you think he’ll live?” asked the baron, drumming his fingers on the table. “Such clever songs. I hope we’ll hear another few years’ worth before he goes.”

Geralt immediately stilled, the performance fading into the background.

———

In which Geralt learns that traveling bards are one of the most dangerous professions for very good reason. He overhears some nobles betting on how long his bard would survive on the path, and Jaskier’s odds apparently aren’t good.

Geralt will be damned before that happens.

Oneshot,  1,705 words

-  Bard Assassin by Hyrulehearts1123, sageclover61

Collection, 8 works, 88,968 words

>>>  Edge of Nowhere by sageclover61

Jaskier needed no introduction to Geralt of Rivia, not when he knows who this Witcher is on sight. On the other hand, this is his opportunity to make a new and different name for himself, a guise within a disguise, and perhaps fame that'll hide the secrets that he keeps.

Oneshot, 1,361 words

-  why were you digging, what did you bury by ruffboi

"You'll be coming with me," his father said, rather abruptly and with no room for argument.

"I thought no one but the elders and the witch could know where the clearing is," Julian said slowly.

"This is your duty as my son and heir," his father snapped.

"Of course, father," Julian replied. "I'll be ready after supper." He wondered, a chill running down his spine, what this duty actually was.

Oneshot,  1,776 words

-  I Have Heart-Fire and Singing to Give by inexplicifics

Jaskier is invited to come and sing at Oxenfurt - an honor he has never dreamed he would be granted so young. But leaving Kaer Morhen has its perils...and there are those who would very much like to get their hands on the Consort of the Warlord of the North.

5/5 Completed, 23,311 words

-  And I'll go up, up to find us by thequeenofsong

Geralt's thoughts when he goes up the mountain after finding out about the husband hunters coming to Kaer Morhen. Also includes a flashback to the night in Redania after Geralt finds out Jaskier was sent as a sacrifice and Jaskier's confession of love. Inspired by Inexplicfic's Accidental Warlord AU.

Oneshot,  2,909 words

-  No More Monsters by ruffboi

When Geralt leads his army into Tretogor, they expect most of what they find.

What they don't expect is the near-silent, trembling figure they find tucked against the wall in Radovid's rooms after Eskel runs a sword through the bastard's throat.

Oneshot,  1,219 words

-  Dandelion Wedding Crowns by sageclover61

Twenty years after conquering Kaedwen, Redania sought a treaty with the Warlord of the North, and offered with it an arranged marriage.

Geralt, the accidental warlord of the north, would very like human nobles to stop doing monstrous things, like marrying off their children. Needless to say, the marriage won’t last. Now if only he could figure out how to help Jaskier and his sisters, too.

Inspired by Inex's AW AU and Pallidus' As long as the sun and moon are above.

Oneshot, 16,303 words

-  dead man running by peaktotheocean

Jaskier handed her the spare dagger and breathed easy when she took it without question. "Ciri, darling. We're going to get out of this dungeon together. You know how sometimes, humans call things monsters that aren't monsters at all? Rather just, things they don't understand?"

She looked at him with fierce determination in her eyes. "Yes, I do."

Oneshot,  7,512 words

-  Little Lark in Our Hearts by Chaos_Breeds

Based on inexplicifics Warlord!Geralt AU. Jaskier thought he was over what his father had done, when he was sent away as tribute to the White Wolf. During a conversation about sending tribute to another king, Jaskier realizes he very, very much is not okay.

Good thing he’s got a whole pack to help him through it.

———

(In which they get a stark reminder of Jaskier’s circumstances before becoming part of the Witcher’s keep.)

Oneshot, 1,604 words

[intern-seraph]

Aough I've got Malleyuu on the brain again (shocker) and I desperately want to brainrot about a new fic idea but it just ain't coming 😔 You're kind of like, the only Malleyuu author I know (there's def more but my memory is shit agjdhdjdhd) and am brave enough to talk to so:

Thoughts on an Enemies to Lovers Malleyuu fic/au? Any ideas on how it could go? I've been desperately wracking my brain for any fun ideas bcs it sounds like it could be really fun to think abt but it just ain't comin 😔

Every time I try to imagine it though, it has a sort of superhero/supervillain setting so that's something I guess???

Sorry for hopping into ur ask box again. Malleyuu is making me feel not normal to the point of being uncharacteristically social agsjhsjdbdj

-Matcha (twstjam)

do not apologize i very much so enjoy seeing asks!!!!

first thoughts: in an au that follows the canon setting and general plot, i can see it happening in a malleo kinda way if that makes sense? malleus is the kinda guy who immediately jumps to "i should just incinerate them :)" as an immediate solution to people who irritate him enough lol (remember twisted halloween when he was like "LILIA LET ME GO I NEED TO BURN THEM RIGHT NOW"? top ten malleus moments.)

anyways my point here is i can see it as an academic rivals kinda enemies to lovers where yuu carries the brunt of the negative vibes — at least, if this is still a scenario where mal is One Of The Top Five Mages In The World levels of powerful as he is in canon and yuu is still some kind of Relatively Powerless Person. yuu might be trying to compensate for their lack of magical ability by getting the best damn grades possible, and they feel threatened by malleus being... malleus. like, "how come YOU were born with so much magic but I'M incapable of even riding a broom? bitch." and mal has this bad habit of coming off as really smug and condescending even if he's not, so you've got this great clash between someone who's determined to hate the other person who keeps unintentionally feeding into that hate. ofc, he does find their attitude to be pretty annoying sometimes, but mainly he thinks it's rather funny and charming that they've got the guts to be so openly hostile. and they are soooo mad that he isn't taking their declaration of academic war as seriously as they are! who does he think he is?! perhaps in their quest to make him view them as a serious threat, they start spending more time with him, trying to figure out how to get under his skin, and slowly... he starts to grow on them. and he starts taking them more seriously, just not in such a hostile manner.

i could also see it with yuu being the prince/ss/x of another kingdom and they just do not vibe with malleus at first and the feelings? they are sooo mutual. but they have to interact cordially in order to not, like, pit BV and yuu's kingdom against each other. no matter how much malleus can get away with, he definitely would not be able to scrape past a scandal like "crown prince of briar valley murders heir of neighboring kingdom in a fit of rage!" and also his grandma would kick his ass for it probably. bc of their stations, they have to interact relatively regularly, and they are CONSTANTLY butting heads. it's all very artfully hidden behind backhanded compliments and flowery language but they haaaaate each other. but eventually it starts going from "I Hate You" to "I Hate Your Stupid Hot Face" to "I Hate How Much I Wanna Kiss You Right Now" and neither of them wanna admit it bc malleus is prideful and stubborn and yuu is also very stubborn. cue shenanigans.

i'm not super into superhero/villain aus (i just don't think abt them that often lol) but i can totally see that also working! it's just not my thing so i can't think of many ideas for it

[unohanabbygirl]

Your newest story!! Omg!!

Aegon I looking down from Targ heaven with Luke like…ye let’s wrap this up…our involvement in the long night is cancelled.

Rhaenyra and Helaena ending the same way on the spikes. Oh I know Alicent went from visiting her in her chambers every night (unwanted) to sleeping in Rhaenyras chambers long after she was gone.

I understand he needed to get rid of threats but now he won’t have an heir at all. I can’t imagine him taking well to anyone implying Luke can’t give him his heir however. So people are just waiting for him to die. Like the realm will tear itself apart to try rule after him. He really is mad.

Is Anne’s mam really still seeing Alicent as this paragon of the Seven and blaming Luke on aemonds shit?? The call is coming from inside the house sis. Alicent directly fanned the flames of this obsession. Luke was a corpse at the tourney right? Or is that pre-stormsend?

Do you see Lucemond as canon in this fic or is this delulumond in full force?

Thanks so much for sharing with us!!

Aegon I is so fed up after seeing each one of his descendants wiped out while the last man standing has lost his mind to such an extreme degree that he’s violating his other descendants corpse. Visenya is pissed off that Aemond’s gross hands are touching all over her sword and Rhaena is just like “damn, maybe we shouldn’t have come to Westeros.” Meanwhile Luke is sitting in the corner trying to figure out how all this happened? Rhaenyra keeps trying to console him but he’s too busy attempting to string together the events that led to his uncle becoming this damn crazy.

Babes, if Alicent was going to do anything she was going to seek Rhaenyra out nightly. Even though there came a point where Nyra stopped screaming and crying and just went radio silent until hearing the news about her last two babies deaths and deciding there was nothing left to live for. Alicent is so in love and exceptionally delulu just like her son that in her mind, Rhaenyra only jumped out of that window because she knew it would hurt her. Most insane mother-son duo in history me thinks.

The chances of Aemond having an heir are zero at this point. There’s not even a chance that Dany will be born to bring back the dragons because that dude isn’t laying down with anyone but Luke, you hear me? And its not even just because his shattered mind somehow thinks he can simply have a baby with Luke/refuses to cheat on his queen, but that no woman would ever sleep with him knowing what they do. They’d likely off themselves before they could even make it to the sept (very understandable)

Though this won’t stop his council from trying to work out something behind Aemond’s back. It comes to the point where one of his men is like “what if we drug him with an aphrodisiac and try to find a noble lady who’s willing to…you know? Then kill him after the child is born in secret? Twins are common for them so we might have an heir and a spare or a future king and queen.” But the idea is so outrageous with so many plot-holes and chances to go wrong that everyone just slowly begins to accept the war that’ll break out over the crown once Aemond croaks. Only thing they can do is hope they’re long dead once that time comes because the thought of another civil war is so draining.

In a last ditch effort his hand goes digging around with hopes that at least one of the deceased Targ men have a living bastard that they could legitimize but comes up empty handed. All Aegons died tragically, Jace was obviously too busy in Cregan’s company to go out and sire a child, Daemon only had Nettles who they can’t even confirm was his daughter + she’s been missing since the war, Daeron was a nerd who would rather pray at the sept, and Viserys could barely wipe his own ass in his last days let alone find the energy to cheat.

It’s heartbreaking when you think about because literally everyone, including Alicent is just waiting for Aemond to go to sleep and never wake up.

Lol, Anne’s mom is my favorite because she’s somehow more obsessed with Alicent than Alicent was with Rhaenyra which is such a hard thing to accomplish that she kinda deserves a medal?? Her character is simply an embodiment of parasocial relationships and viewing the monarchy as these figures who are above everyone else. Appointed by the gods and all that nonsense. And yes, the tourney was pre Storms end!

Hmmm, personally I see it as a mix of the two. Lucemond had feelings for each other (Aemond more than Luke) but never actually acted on them let alone reached the extent of what rumors suggest. Though certain points like them meeting up before the dinner failure to talk things out did happen but without the ‘making love’ part. However those are just my own thoughts because I intentionally left those details up to the reader.

Thanks babes, I always love hearing from you 🩷

[moonstonedrawsrandomly]

A Lamb and a Worm 7🟢

Leshy and Noelle have been living together for about a month now since Leshy returns from his “scavenge”. They both have picked up a routine.

Since Leshy doesn’t have many servants around him, Noelle is free to roam around his palace. They eat together, work together, and in a sense, sleep together. Leshy and Noelle were still trying to figure out this whole mystery behind Gaia and also Narinder’s energy behind the scenes.

“Mom, it doesn’t seem possible that Narinder got out, is someone else using his crown maybe?”

Leshy said to Noelle’s wings.

“No dear. That can’t be right. As I said, even if he was using someone else’s power, they would be obvious about it. Also, Noelle said that Moses can’t even use Fernilla’s power at 100%. It kill the host and Fernilla would be devastated by his death.”

She said. The two of them had to think.

“So we figured out it was his power, but how do we prove it?”

Noelle said, but then Leshy remembered something.

“Was he looking for a new host? One that can’t be touched by bishops…someone like…Noelle?”

He said. Noelle looked at Leshy confused. Even Gaia couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“Why Noelle? And why not Moses?”

Gaia asked. It sounded like Leshy wasn’t telling them something.

“I- Nevermind. I heard that there was a prophecy after we sealed Narinder. That after his sealing, the lamb of prophecy will come to free him. And…knowing the plight of the lambs right now…there are basically extinct. Minus you and Moses”

Noelle shook her head.

“It’s gotten that bad, huh? Damn”

“Noelle, do not lose faith my dear! When I am released, I will open an investigation into the matter, okay? We’ll find out what happened to your people”

Noelle nodded. Leshy was silent. He dreaded the day they find out what the bishops did to her people. And what Gaia will do when she finds out that it was her own Kin that did it. For the time being, it was getting late so Gaia let the two go for the night. Leshy moves his bed so Noelle could go in but this time, he goes in with her.

“Hey, can we talk?”

He said. Noelle nodded. He sits next to her on the bed. He runs his hands through her soft, cotton candy like hair.

“Um…I don’t want to upset you, but…I feel like if I don’t tell you something, you’ll hate me. And I don’t want you to hate me”

Noelle looked puzzled.

“Why would I hate you? You single handedly saved my life! I cannot be more grateful to you. Please, say what’s on your mind”

She said. He did tell her but he was very vague.

“I…something happened to your peoples that involved the prophecy. I believe some…gods got scared and went on a killing spree…on order to keep Narinder in there…I’m not sure of the other details”

Noelle looked shocked.

“What?!?”

“Yeah, it’s bad. I…don’t know that rest of the details, but you can tell Gaia what I told you, because I don’t think she knows either”

He said. Noelle thanked him.

“Thank you for telling me what you know, your very kind”

She said and she smiled at him. That smile melted his heart, but in embarrassment, he gets up quickly.

“A-alright. Goodbye-I mean good night!”

He said and he vacated the room. Noelle giggles.

“Ah, I remember my first love, it’s a wonderful feeling when they’re clueless!”

Gaia giggled as well. Noelle was flushed red

“Hey! You said you’d give me privacy!”

“I did, but it seems like you two are getting closer so soon. What changed?”

Gaia asked. Noelle blushes.

“I…I don’t know, really. I think…he’s very charming.”

Gaia smiles as she listens to Noelle talk about Leshy. What a wonderful young man he’s turned out to be. And what a woman he’s found.

“Well, I’m glad you two are getting along. Going back to the situation for the time being, we need to get more information. I believe Shamura has a secret library in the back of his own study in his palace. You would need Leshy to get there first, but I don’t think he’d be able to get there, his servants are very watchful of their Bishop”

She said. So Noelle had to tell Leshy that in the morning. Noelle looks up to the ceiling.

“My people…are all gone…”

She thought. She silently weeped as Gaia listened to her small cries.

“I promise you…we will get to the bottom of this…”

She said. Gaia sits in her chair, looking out in the dimension she was trapped in, wondering what the world looked like after she left.

TBC