#I'll show you such wonderful things 'til you're just like me || Amanda Vanderbilt

[royalreef]

(( Speaking of which, I should probably talk some day about the “foster system” that Amanda’s branch of things runs and operates for the Merkingdom.

[royalreef]

(( Anyhow, since I’m getting into it: Amanda is 6′8″ tall, a little less than 14ft long, and she’s 36 years old.

[royalreef]

@candyredmuses​ inquired:  🌼 Mother’s Day - Accepting

      “I have seen where her bones are interred. It is the only parts of her I have seen, in the flesh. Her tomb is truly quite lovely. I would like to show some of my friends, who have never been inside our kingdom, what it is like. There are a great number of enclaves, even, for new Sk'rsre'k converts to rest and wait out their trances without bothering those who otherwise wish to make pilgrimages to her resting place. Her bones are magnificently gilded. My own tomb, awaiting me, is but a short distance further down.

       ..... Amanda does not like me down there, in the Royal Catacombs. In a manner, I can understand. They are her dominion to care for and maintain, after all, and when I come to try and speak to the Queen, I am trespassing upon her territory.

       But her strictness in escorting me out is... bar none. She takes great pleasure in it, I think, knowing what I want, threatening me with my own misbehavior, forcibly dragging me out by my fins while I scream... But I still do try. Even if I am caught, I still have to try, do I not?”

[royalreef]

(( My bones feel slightly nicer, so megaquick Amanda warmup sketch.

[royalreef]

(( IT’S FLAT FUCK FRIDAY!

[royalreef]

(( Fun fact for those awake at 3 AM:

Amanda is pretty soft as far as merfolk go, being decently inactive and not focused much on working out or strength-building, and lives about the same lifestyle as Miranda does ----- and Amanda could singlehandedly snap someone’s spine over her knee.

Merfolk scary.

[royalreef]

(( Did the handwriting meme for the other fish as well, because you know I can’t stop thinking about them:

Amanda:

Laudanda:

The King:

[royalreef]

@cleaverbilt​ inquired:  laughs like the evil littol clown i am. Boss Battle + Reverse Boss Battle for Laud and Amanda. Boss Battle Music - Accepting

VS. STARLESS GOD-QUEEN

> Honestly, it’s surprising how many people came to love her, being what she is. But they got in too deep, and couldn’t get out by the time she showed her true face. Tear that veil of sweetness from her smile, and make sure everyone remembers the vermin underneath.

VS. INSUFFERABLE BRAT

> This has been too long coming. This weed has grown and spread its filthy seed for far too much time, and now you come to prune your garden.

VS. THE GLACIER

> You stand diametrically opposed to each other. To fight for control over the same thing, but with wholly separate reasonings. No time like the present for Round Two.

VS. GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT

> She never learned.

[royalreef]

(( Wait since I have all the living Vanderbilts iconed.

[royalreef]

WHAT KIND OF VILLAIN ARE YOU?

RIGHTEOUSLY EVIL

you've been hurt. what you're doing is wrong. there is no doubt. but it's what you need to do. you were not going to roll over and let it just happen. so you did what you had to. and you will continue doing what you had to. when you die, its with fury in your eyes. your opponent says you're stubborn, having kept this up for this long. you laugh, and spit in their face. you curse them until your very last breath.

CALMLY EVIL

you chose your path fully aware of what it entails. you're the suave villain, unflappable, smooth as silk. you're capable of cruelty without breaking your facade, and live with the consequences without hesitation. when you die, you're surprised. through all of your planning and posturing, you had forgotten that you too were mortal. but even as life slips through your fingers, you manage that smile. that same smile.

CHAOTICALLY EVIL

you do what you want, when you want, and without regard for the law. you keep yourself out of jail by keeping everyone around you off-balance. no one knows what you want, truly, or what you plan to do with all this power you've accumulated. your crimes range from "harmless" pranks to murder. anything for a good laugh, huh? you refuse to let anyone kill you, so you plan out your own disappearance. its a great spectacle - tickets are $10 dollars per person. some people speculate that you've died, but most know the truth. they all saw you escape through the back door.

[royalreef]

Anonymous inquired:  What do you think of your sisters, Miranda?

      A pause. Down she glances, staring at her hands, curled in her lap. Her digits flex, flashing claws back and forth in the light in such a slow, languid motion that she can truly concentrate on how they move, how their edges bare before she curls them against her palms again.

                                        Deliberate. She’ll need it, to answer this.

      “Bellanda is... The second-youngest. We were born only a few years apart from each other, about five off - it’s rare, for royals to be born so close together. And thus, we were raised together, to better keep an eye on two young pups full of mischief. She is... The closest to me, for that reason. I do not know what I would do without her, really, where I would be if she were not there to steady me and fret. Certainly I consider her the better half of us two, maybe not in terms of the throne, but... That she should feel right, where something lays missing inside of me.

      Don’t ask me to explain my thoughts on Amanda. I won’t. I refuse to speak on such a topic - only that she keeps her dominion well and strong and that’s all anyone ever has to consider.

      ........... And as for Laudanda... I think she hates me. Average, amongst us low royals, I assure! - .... But I feel like when she looks at me, it is with the simmering fury of a glacier. I don’t want to disappoint her. I don’t want to make that mistake. I just want her to be proud of me, and to stop glaring at me as if I know why she is so furious.”

[royalreef]

(( So I’ve updated the about with Amanda’s and Laudanda’s information! I’m going to see about making Laudanda’s icons now, but here’s the added information:

Rules:

3. Communication PLEASE be aware, before you roleplay with Amanda or Laudanda, that these two characters ARE ABUSIVE. They are villains of the worst degree, and have little qualms with using those same tricks on your muse or anyone else they speak to. You are not supposed to like them, though they will try to make other muses like them, if they can. Be aware of this before interacting with them. If you plan on interacting with either of them, please talk to me OOC first, to make sure you know what you are getting into.

About Amanda:

Warning: Any and all roleplays with Amanda will feature the topics of cults, emotional abuse, verbal abuse, torture, manipulation, gaslighting, and religion.

Amanda Vanderbilt is the second eldest Vanderbilt princess, born to the Queen and King. Although she was born as a heir to the throne, she came to forfeit that claim and instead pursued control over the Merkingdom's main religion - Sk'rsre'k, in the common Mer tongue, but loosely referred to as Depthism while on the land, to stop landfolk from butchering the word. Due to how young she was when she made this decision, some have wondered if Amanda was forced to take the title, but with how comfortable she is as their High Priestess, these thoughts are usually dismissed.

Her title means that Amanda is the most beloved of her sisters by the common merfolk, and is often seen accompanied by a large collection of her most loyal followers. While on land, she does have to sacrifice their company for the genetically-modified fish that are the serfs, being procedure - but while in the water, her followers serve her every whim with utmost devotion. They adore her, and look up to her with an undying love in their eyes, attending to her every whim and need. They would do anything for her. All that love means they're all the more terrified of doing wrong against her.

It can be easy to see why the populace loves Amanda so. She's far more open and loving than the other sisters, publically showing affection and emotion, and seems more normal than the others. There is a warmth to her presence, a willingness to help and take others under her wings, and to truly make others feel special for all that she does for them.

But don't let that fool you. Amanda Vanderbilt is still a Vanderbilt.

About Laudanda:

Warning: Any and all roleplays with Laudanda will feature the topics of emotional abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, torture, manipulation, and corruption.

Laudanda is the eldest Vanderbilt princess, firstborn to the Queen and King. Being the oldest, Laudanda has trained the longest to be heir to the throne, discredited from that title twice. First, by the birth of Amanda, who was going to be trained as heir after her, but Laudanda soon became Crown Princess again when Amanda decided to focus on the religious. Second by Bellanda's arrival, permamently forcing her out of the title, cemented by Miranda's birth and passing on of the title to her.

Since giving up the title, Laudanda has since come to control the trade, borders, ambassadors, and general relations of the Merkingdom. It is her duty to oversee what areas get what supplies, and to make sure other nations feel friendly towards the kingdom. For that reason, she is stern and proper, wielding the law and the terms of agreements like a knife. Or, more accurantely, an ankus, as is her chosen weapon.

Laudanda is not easy to get along with. Even in comparison to the other Vanderbilts, Laudanda is a frozen tundra, giving up absolutely nothing and showing nothing, all in favor of the single-minded pursuit of her goals. What those goals are, it's hard for anyone to tell, as Laudanda adores manipulation just as much as the other sisters - but she will let no one come between her and what she wants. Superficially, she has the closest resemblance to Vera in personality, but even with Vera... There is heart to be found. For Laudanda, she only sees people as either meek fools to do her bidding, or obstacles in her way that she must break, by whatever means possible.

Some have wondered if Laudanda hates the two youngest sisters, especially Bellanda, for the decoration at the end of her bullhook. But that's not quite true. Laudanda doesn't have it out for Bellanda, she's just... finishing what was started many, many years ago.

As for Miranda... It's only her duty.

[royalreef]

anonymous inquired:  Moodboard + miranda 🃏 ( 🃏 - Betrayal ) ℌ𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔣𝔦𝔠 𝔐𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔬𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 - Accepting

Accompanying Song: Echos - Saints

Your revelations don't look nothing like the pictures You read between the lines and don't stick to the scriptures You only follow rules if others follow with you That doesn't sound too holy, only playing victim

[royalreef]

(( Here’s the heights of all the current Vanderbilts, just for fun:

Laudanda's Height: 6'10" Amanda's Height: 6'8" Bellanda's Height: 5'7" Miranda's Height: 4'10" The King's Height: 7'2"

[royalreef]

ℭ𝔬𝔩𝔡 𝔚𝔞𝔱𝔢𝔯

(( The king’s four daughters are sometimes called ‘ The Four Deaths ’ by the populace - usually evoked when one has already run afoul of one of them.

While the King himself is regarded as the most powerful in the Merkingdom, his overview is broad. He may rule over all he sees, yes, but it is highly unreasonable for him to manage all those parts himself - the same going for any other past rulers. And, with his unusually high number of children, it was inevitable that those from such a prestigious family would end up assorted into the highest commands of a few of the Mekringdom’s pillars of duty.

For the kingdom, which means in a sizable slice of their daily activities, they are liable to fall under the domain of one of the sisters. With their emblems being evocative of their power and prestige, they’re often incorporated into those duties. Exported shipments often are signed off with Laudanda’s crest, heroes are blessed with Amanda’s crest, military officers carry Bellanda’s crest, and so on. 

And, of course, they are all connected to the same beast - the Vanderbilt family line.

Hence why they are called The Four Deaths - that, even if you escape one, you are likely to end up in the claws of another, and they are just as likely to squabble over your corpse like any other scavengers.

The population does see more of Miranda than the other three sisters, however, despite never seeing her crest stamped onto means of duty that often. She is the inheriting sister, as the youngest, and so her face is the most common in the public eye, though her duties are not. After all, she will be their next queen, and so it is better to know her already.

But, in terms of actual use, most merfolk will act under claims of Laudanda, Amanda, and Bellanda in their day-to-day life. While they’re still unlikely to have ever met the princesses, they know their associated symbols and crests and titles well and are advised to keep up-to-date on the princesses’ current treaties and relations - unless one thing boils over into another and more than just one person has to die.

Of course, they’re well aware the High Temple easily gets along with trade routes and diplomacies, so those delivering supplies to religious causes have little to worry about, which can’t always be said for those tasked with military supplies. The armed forces are remarkably tense with that same temple, which often leads to many an unfortunate discussion when it comes to honoring those with pride and distinction, but those same knights can be relieved when they see Miranda’s crest, as what Miranda does and Bellanda’s forces have perhaps the easiest relations. But a trade overseer who sees that same crest must tread lightly, and it’s thankful Miranda’s crest shows up in only a few cases when dealing with religious tasks, because every time it must be perfected down to the most minute detail or risk something boiling over.

It is highly deadly anyhow, to evoke Amanda’s or Laudanda’s ire in your tasks, and while most of what Miranda does remains unknown, one can judge the same for how the serfs who serve her are treated when they mess up. But, it is said that if you should choose one death - arrive within Bellanda’s Council of War, for you’ll find your highest chance of mercy there.

You still might not live, but you will be spared the worst of the suffering.

[royalreef]

@superbeaucoupdevisages​ || 𝔚𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔦𝔡𝔩𝔢 𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔯𝔬𝔯𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔡𝔢𝔭𝔱𝔥𝔰 𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔡

Yoav - Adore Adore

This is the song that the caged bird sings, Curled up like a cat at the corner of everything Don't feel bad even if you could, 'Cuz if you did not do it, Someone else just would It's easy Believe Me I'll show you such wonderful things I'll show you such wonderful things 'til you're just like me