#I'm a seer fr

[grindeldorefanatic]

My Kazakhstan joke is even more valid now that Leigh has confirmed 'Kaz' is short for something

[streets-in-paradise]

Loving in the Shadows

Troy (2004) Reader insert fanfiction / Achilles x Mycenaean Princess! Reader - Part 24

Word Count 14 K

Warnings: Stalk(ish) behavior, unwanted posessive thoughts driven by anger. Possibly bad geography (I needed it for plot reasons).

Summary: During the absense of men, the women waiting in Ithaca find themselves fearing the presence of a mysterious shape that had apparently managed to abduct the visitant princess.

Playing with the two halfs of himself to keep the locals unsuspectfull, Achilles has secretly returned for his loved one in an improvised visit of uncertain motives driven by longing and a partial awareness of the difficult context she faces as he deals with his feelings regarding it.

Tags: @yerevasunclair @mysticaldeanvoidhorse @spideyanakin @spideyanakin-interacts @awakenedevildays @alaysha-of-middle-earth @zoegarfield @helie-brain

Awakening late in a palace temporally led by women, the young girl discussed with her handmaid the events of the previous night. The tale ended with the details of her talk with the seer. Despite she couldn't be as honest and precise as she would have liked to be, Polydamas was still convinced that her dream had been divine Intervention.

 The maternal aura mixed with marriage related symbology made him suspect it was the work of Hera, but the princess wasn't convinced of that. The approach of the divinity was too humble for the queen of the gods, who would have never accepted to take the form of a deceased mortal that once was a cheater queen. On top of that, it would be expected from Hera to simply deliver strict commands meant to be obeyed instead of testing the suitability for marriage of some mortal girl. 

It didn't make sense, but it wasn't his fault. She wasn't honest with him, or otherwise she would have seen herself forced to tell the great friend of Hector about her feelings for Achilles. He was a seer, but also a rival of her interests who wished to watch her rule Troy. 

Ereny was her best friend and longest term confident, together they could create their own conclusions. 

" isn't it obvious? ... You have survived your first encounter with your mother in law!" Was the girl's conclusion. " Cheer yourself, my friend.  Maybe you won her blessing. " 

The princess stopped searching on her things to decide the dress she wanted to wear that day in order to turn back and face her. 

" The Nereid Thetis ... Do you think it could be her? I suspected it, but I thought it was giving myself too much importance. She is his mother, she wouldn't visit me unless ... " 

The dress she had picked fell on the floor, a sudden surprise made her drop it. 

" ... Unless her son is thinking of making it official" Her friend finished the sentence for her. " Maybe Achilles is one of those men who secretly consult their mothers for everything. Wouldn't that be sweet? He is the most feared greek warrior, but he just has to know what she thinks before taking any big steps ... And maybe he has been telling her all wonderful things about you! He wants her to love you like a daughter because he is so in love with you ... " 

" Or maybe she has heard me talk about him, I have prayed near the sea quite a few times. " The lady corrected. " I don't want to have high hopes yet. " 

Ereny picked the clothes and handed those to her.

" I bet he misses you as much as you miss him. " She sweetly comforted her. " The borrowed clothes you sleep on need washing. " 

The lady chuckled and threw the garment on the bed. 

" I'm very careful ... Of all the times I had it on, only once I was naked underneath. "

The servant girl wheezed and it took her an instant to recover. 

" Behave like a wife washing his clothes. Why wait until being back when it's safer to do it here? " 

She had a great point, in the domains of her relatives she couldn't be seen washing men's clothing that didn't belong to her father and they had a perfect excuse to do the task without delayments.

" Alright, I'm going to offer Polydamas fresh clothes as payment for his services before he could suggest making me go on a date with Hector ... That should be enough to disguise it, trojans wear a lot of blue. "

It was a beautiful day, ideal to spend time outside. With the sun shining so tenderly clothes would dry perfectly and they would have plenty of time for relaxing activities. Penelope had the kindness of offering her a group of her own maids to accompany them and the princess allowed Ereny to select them by herself among her freshly made friendships in the palace. 

Lucky for her, Polydamas was among the trojans that remained in Ithaca while the princes were gone. His insistence regarding her must have upsetted Hector or perhaps he chose to stay because of not being well rested after she woke him up in the middle of the night. The offer for payment surprised him, but he didn't refuse and handed the handmaid the clothes he preferred to get washed. With their baskets full and in a great mood, the girls left the palace searching for the rivershore.

Only then the princess realized that she missed the chance to make connections with noble girls of the area. Meeting the trojans had completely distracted her from that goal and she have been spending more time dealing with problems that didn't concern her than actively helping herself. Perceiving the practical effects of her rank in her interactions with the servants made her realize her mistake. While Ereny moved with complete naturality around them, the maids of Penelope would distance themselves from her. Although understandable, their attitude was making her feel out of place. She was almost like a mere observant of the work they were doing for her.

She missed the disruptiveness of Melantho, that little girl wouldn't doubt in coming to her as a friend careless for sounding improper. Favorite of the queen, she was a slave girl with the mindset of princess somewhat stuck in between the two worlds through her privileged position. Her absolute lack of humility was concerning and could reach annoying límits, but at least she was fun to be around.

The silent humility of the eldests was a boring extreme, guessing that it wouldn't be like that for all the royals they served but the specifical weight of her crown was the cause of the awkwardness. Mycenaeans were guests to handle with caution, even if she had proven to be nicer than the king. Her personal choice of doing the walk to the river instead of requesting for a charriot that the slaves would have to follow on foot already showed she was a grounded woman. However, the bits of her personality they knew weren't enough to make her fully approachable in that particular context.

Waiting for the clothes to dry was going to take forever, not because of the weather but due to the odd interpersonal climate. Despite she insisted on washing the men's clothing by herself, leaving them space to work on some of her dresses, the girls hanged everything all by themselves on the rope they had securely tied from its extremes to two threes. Doing so, they noticed some oddities worthy of being questioned that Ereny couldn't explain.

" Do you happen to know by chance why has Polydamas handed us the clothes of two different men, if your debt is exclusively with him ? " She shamelessly asked her, taking the initative for the group hoping the princess will know how to cover her tracks better than what she could cover for her. " The girls may be a bit shy, but notice details."

Noticing that she wasn't angry when presented with such singular question relaxed them out of their initial fright and at least one of them dared to speak up.

" The seer is not broad shouldered. " Cora pointed out. " Well, he is, but not enough for that. "

The connotations in the comment expressed more than the simple meaning of the words.

" Not at least to nicely fit in that. " Lena added, testing waters with more mischievousness. " I don't doubt the trojans must be formidable warriors, but only Prince Hector has a matching physique."

It was the worst possible guess, but unfortunately a very sensical claim despite being far from the truth.

" Don't slander our new friends, trojans are fascinating." Ereny corrected, trying to deviate the speculation. " They have this weird accent, i think Hesione must have lost a bit of it with the years. It's very thick in some of them and they minspronounce my name but it sounds so fancy. "

The princess chuckled at the observation and followed her.

" Sounds more like Eirini . "

" It's fabulous! " She agreed. " I love it, wish i could keep it."

" I have been told by the man himself that I mispronounce his a little bit sometimes. " The lady confessed. " Specially when I'm angry or just want to piss him off, the continental greek accent makes it a bit stronger. More like Hek-tor, Hektor .... but he said i have a musical tone, so i think he likes it. "

Some of the ithacan maids giggled, slowly loosing the shyness.

" Is that what you want to believe? Fine, I don't mind. " The princess simply replicated. " I have nothing to prove, rumours only increase my fame. Penelope says that if people choose to assume the prince wants me, that will attract good prospects in the country even if it's just to assure the mycenaean throne stays greek."

" You won't find someone better, such man doesn't exist at least in this country. " Lena teased her." I know every greek prince, they all come here sooner or later, and they are all rubbish compared to Hector. If you don't want to marry him … Who are you waiting for, princess? A god to come down and impregnate you? "

It was such a well crafted joke that she couldn't get angry.

" It's hard to tell, I just don't think he is the one. "

An autentical disbelief reigned among them, so great that it compensated for their initial shyness.

" What's left for you to consider?" Clio asked, with surprising honesty. " Your highness, he is the perfect husband! Hector is handsome, brave and strong, but soft tempered when he has to … "

" … Incredibly rich, of a good family and you have already dominated his only brother. " Someone else followed. " He is also the miracle of a man that, having a recognizable advantage as a warrior, still chooses to behave like a polítician when the chance is given to him."

They had made an interesting point. It wouldn't work as intended, but she wanted to admit it was a good one.

" He has the power to get whatever he wants, but chooses not to. " The mycenaean recalled, with certain wonder. " If you put it in that perspective … I have never meet a man like him, that's for sure."

The girls got a bit excited for the wrong reasons and their approbal began to flow inmediately.

" Just for that?" Alaia interrupted, curious judging in her wondering tone. "If you grant us the pleasure, Hector would be one mycenaean king I would gladly kneel for. "

" … The most beautifull brown eyes I have ever seen. " Lena admitted, deep admiration slipping away in her slightly inconected words. " Imagine waking up every morning to find him staring back at you. "

The comment became a startpoint for a full conversation collectively constructing ideas for hours. Sitting in a round where the princess remained as center, the servants were doing their best to tempt her through their own romantic ideals. Unattachable for them, but a believed posibility for her.

Excited girls that didn't turst in her negatory, they believed to be helping her case.

" Horseback ridding through the trojan landscape! " Clio imagined out loud for her. " I bet that would be fantastic. "

" Or watching sunsets on the beach. " Cora corrected her. "That would be so romantic! I have heard their shores are magnificent. "

" Forget the shores! … Princess, think of the wedding night! " Lena shamelessly remarked, making many of the rest giggle. " I can't imagine a better way to spend it than giving yourself to him. Prince Hector respects slave girls, in all his time here he hasn't seeked to sleep with any of us. He must be of the rare kind of man that reserves all his passion for the wife. I bet he would love you like no mycenaean queen has ever been loved. "

A choir of complicit chuckling followed, but she remained unaffected.

" Regarding Hector I have only one curiosity and it is that I want to see his loose hair. "

The strange claim caused a bit of dissapointment, but all the questioning glances were begging her to explain it further.

" He is always wearing that wonderfullly crafted hairstyle, you never see him looking casual. It shows that he can't relax, he can't breathe. The ties are allways there, even if battle gets those a bit loose. "

Her eyes deviated from the group, staring in direction to the river before she would deliver her self reinforced conclussion.

" I don't want to marry him, I don't want to bed him. I just want to untie his hair. Metaphorically, I want to see how a carefree Hector would be like and nothing would change from that. Just two good friends sharing understandment of the represive nature within their roles in a world that constantly pushes them against themselves. "

Teasing stares followed her, proving the audience remained skeptical.

" Don't worry, my friend. I believe you. " Ereny rescued her while standing up to go check the drying of the clothes. " I know how you act when you have a crush, nothing like this. The mycenaean lioness turns into a kitten for the one she fancies. "

The accuracy of her words made her chuckle, since her servant was the only one there who had a precise idea of how to spot her feelings for a man.

" Take it from me, girls. If she still has the energy and focus for clever comebacks, he hasn't impressed her enough. "

And with that being said, Ereny patted her on the shoulder as she passed by. Little did she know that the cheerfull spirits were soon to fade.

An horrifying discovering surprised her as she intended to fullfill the task, the two companions she had on that had ran for the fear of it.

Behind the extended clothes, lurking between some trees, they believed to have seen a misterious masculine figure stalking all of them.

Panick took over and only the lady had remained calm.

" Maybe it's the god who came down to impregnate me. " She sarcastically teased the servants. " Any wanderer coming down from the hills can cross our path, we can't control it. "

" But it could be a satyr attracted by the sound of girls laughing carelessly. " Ereny theorized out loud. "… maybe hoping to get one away from the group. A dark cloak kept the face hidden and i didn't look down, but i don't want to risk it. "

Normally, the princess would have remained skeptical. However, the amount of strange events pilling up made her reconsider it.

" Fine, let me see by myself if the clothes have already dried, or you will have to carry the extra weight if there are still wet. "

Things got considerably worse once she raised up to finish the checking and ended up discovering an actual proof of their tale.

The garments of Achilles were gone and whoever scared the servant girls was the only possible thief.

" Man, satyr or olimpian god, he will have to get back what he stole. " The lady concluded, her fury beating the chances for developing panick. " I'm not leaving without it and, ríght now, I don't care what any of you have to say against that."

Silence reigned among the scared ithacans, warning her that she wouldn't count with any help from them.

" Fair enough, I'll get it back by myself. "

Her loyal servant intended to follow her, not only out of brave will to share the danger but because she knew what she meant. Those clothes were the reminder of her distant lover and the promise of seeing him again to return the borrowed item. Recklessness was an unusual attitude on her lady, allways measuring the costs before venturing into anything, but in that moment she was willing to risk herself for that simbolical meaning.

The princess was already running in the described direction and her friend felt powerless to make her stop.

" PLEASE, GET BACK!"

" I have to do this. " The lady explained herself. " Stay with the girls, Eny. If something happens to me, I want you to tell Achilles and Agamemnon to join forces in vengeance on my name. "

The joke wasn't nearly as funny as she thought she was making it sound in order to tranquilize her.

" I'm SERIOUS! " Ereny insisted. " Don't do this, he will understand. "

" We are on Ithaca, nothing ever happens here! " The lady replicated. " Why do you think Odysseus goes to create chaos in other kingdoms? He rules a happy, quiet island were he gets bored. "

A cracking sound got her wary, suspecting it could be the footsteps of the nameless shape she was chasing. She followed it on a rush, smirking with triumphal satisfaction.

The atmosphere got thetric enough as she advanced, increasing the sensation of being watched in a game of cat and mouse where she wasn't sure of really being the chaser. Thinking the shadow couldn't be far, but was yet nowhere to be seen made her feel uneased.

" Show yourself!" The princess demmanded in a slowly shaky tone. " It's me who you want, I feel it. You stole something I care about, you knew I would follow you for it."

She swallowed hard, then concluded.

" That belongs to the man I love. If you hurt me, you will have to face him. He fears no one, men or gods equally … and I trust no one to avenge me like I trust in his rage."

Inmediately afterwards she was looking arround in search for any sort of reaction to her threat. Nothing happened, and just when she was starting to accept the posibility of being alone, the misterious stranger emerged from behind with an overpowering grip.

The young mycenaean tried to scream, but a hand pressed against her mouth had silenced her.

Her eyes went wide when she recognized the metalic wristband of the kidnapper.

" Got you. " He taunted her, whispering close to her ear. " Miss me, princess? I couldn't wait any longer to be with you."

That husky voice, she would recognize anywhere. Part of her wondered if it was trully happening or a supernatural being had assumed the shape of Achilles for her. Both posibilities seemed equally unrealistic, but she had no way to explain it.

His hand stopped the pressure to keep her mouth shut, tracing her lips with his fingertips instead. Within the same action she felt him sniffing the scent of her hair and as he captured it, his exploring touch began travelling down to caress her neck.

" My love … " She purred, ecstatic like in a trance. " Is this some sort of illusion? Last night i dreamed of being in your arms. "

Her confession didn't seen to surprise him as much as it should.

" Was it a good dream? "

Telling him about it would have pushed the topic of comitement too soon, since in her dream she was about to get betrothed to him. Despite she remembered very well her conversation with Penelope and intended to follow her advice, she simply couldn't admit to him ríght there that she dreamed of being his wife.

Even less she could question him regarding the divine inspiration she suspected it had. If it was trully a visit of his mother, he may not know it or wouldn't admit it.

" A very good one. " She vaguely told him, with sweet excitement. " My mom was there, I remembered of her face! And she was approving our relationship! It was like if you were plotting to convince father of something ... "

Achilles turned her over so she could watch the dark hood of his cloak fall back, revealing his face.

" That sounds wonderfull. "

They remained in silence for an instant, just gazing into each other's eyes. He dedicated her his most charming smile and she returned the gesture.

Her beauty grew with each reunion, his imagínation was never enough to capture it completely. Time and separation had increased his desire, but that wasn't affecting his perception. He did find her even more breathtaking than the last time he saw her.

Achilles would never understand the country's obsession with Helen, when her lovely niece was ríght beside her. She was an underrated gem, and if other men would ever discover it, they were too late already because she was his.

The sweet confussion in her eyes made him melt. His lovely princess was looking at him as if she still wondered if he was real. He would have gladly provided a proof she wouldn't easily forgot, but she searched for it herself.

The mycenaean pushed him against a tree, taking her turn of trapping him with her body as she crashed her lips against his. The passionate kiss released all her longing, her hunger almost knocked him over. Such intensity was surprising coming from her, even for him.

Her ferocity was protective, as if she feared she could loose him at any moment. He sensed it, but tried to limit himself on just enjoying of it.

Blessed he would be of being kissed like that on every welcome back from war, he couldn't wait to have that.

She took his breath away, metaphorically and literally.

" It's me, i'm here. " He calmed her once he recovered. " I'm feeling we have learned a lot from each other. Your strategic mindset to twist rules brought me here, listening has taught me of your tricks … Did I teach you to kiss like that? "

She gave him a few more pecks on the lips as inmediate response.

" I must have learned with you, there is no one else who had ever given me mind blowing kisses like yours … among other things I never did with anyone else. "

He smirked to her subtle provocation.

" Do you think I haven't thought of loving you? Context is very tempting, here we don't have to worry about your father discovering us. "

Her glance adquired a glimpse of pretended innocence, acting as she didn't mean to hint that.

Achilles grabbed her hips to emphasize his point and keep her still, struggling to not ruin the moment.

" You said I couldn't follow you to Ithaca because he would suspect of us, but nobody knows I have arrived. "

Proud of himself as always, he revealed his clever twist on their problem thinking it would impress her.

" Who would believe it? Mighty Achilles, harvester of death, doing a secret appearance just for me? " She teased him, evidently flatered. " Some say you can't go anywhere without causing a scandall because you can't stand being unnoticed. Staying hidden, keeping a lower profile, is almost like torture to you. "

" Not a worst one than being without you for so long. " He simply confessed, making her heart race. " And in this way my presence will not outshine you … I heard men had started fighting over you. "

The specifical tease didn't sound like a jealous reproach, but she was worried for the transgiversed information he may had get from the people.

" Has your own fame never taught you that you must not believe everything you hear? A lot has happened, but new suitors aren't part of that despite how badly Odysseus wants it. He tricked me and i'm dealing with the consecuencies, but good things are coming out from that."

" I'll deal with that treacherous bastard later. " Achilles promised to himself out loud. " Can't say I'm not proud of you for cultivating your fame, I love that. I want the world to see how wonderfull you are, to overhear fools believing they have a chance with you … but they are saying the princes of Troy have came to dispute who will marry you. "

" I'm attending a diplomatical meeting, Ithaca is representing the greek islands regarding some commercial tensions with Troy. " She attempted to explain him what he already knew. " Odysseus has deceived my father and me, he kept hidden his real political and personal reasons. "

She removed his hands from her body to hold both with hers.

"I have nothing to do with that, I won't allow it. "

" Neither will I … and you are coming with me. "

Tables turned once more as he picked her up and started walking in an unknown direction.

" Are you insane? We can't just leave like this!!" She sensically protested. " This counts as an act of kidnap, even if i'm not resisting it. "

His childhish side emerged, refusing to admit jealousy but acting under its influence.

" Then those maids can go cry for Hector to save you." He mocked her in return, proving to have heard at least part of the conversation she had earlier with the servants of Penelope. " I'm glad to know Ereny is still loyal to me, scaring her wasn't my intention. I was aiming for the others."

" Turn back and apologise yourself. " She intentionally suggested. " You will make her suffer if i dissapear. "

" Don't worry, we won't leave without her. " Achilles tranquilized her. " … She is my gift for Eudorus. "

Being in his arms again in such unexpected way was like a dream come true, but that didn't make the situation less frustrating.

" STOP!!! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!! WHO DO YOU THINK FATHER IS GOING TO BLAME IF I GO MISSING? "

" Your dear friends the trojans will be alright, they have a plausible excuse to get away. "

" Agamemnon will call it a complot under the complicity of Odysseus. He would seek to destroy Ithaca and Troy alike! … He has once attacked Phtia for way less."

Achilles stopped in his tracks, but still refused to release her.

" I didn't tell you about that for you to use it against me. "

" I had to find out through Hector that you were born a prince, your father was friends with his." She quickly replicated. " You clearly haven't told me everything. "

" So you have been talking about me. " He teased her, deviating the topic. " That's sweet, you take our deal very seriously. "

" Why didn't you tell me that, Achilles?? " She insisted. " Were you afraid it would have given me vain hopes? "

The snarky reproach hitted him, but not as the callout she intended it to be.

" I feared you would have rejected me." Achilles confessed, not with ease to talk about such intimate fear. " … I don't care about that damn throne, I want you, but you could have believed otherwise. Experience has made you cautious, you have been hearing for so long about the traitor that seduced the queen. I didn't want you to see me as that man, to push me away thinking I'm with you because I want to get back the crown that Agamemnon stole from my father. He can keep it, I rather steal you from him to make amends."

Concious as she was of how things had once trully played out, the mere comparison felt disgustingly wrong to her.

" You are nothing like Aegisthus, i'm perfectly aware of that. " She conforted him. " You would have killed that despicable man if you would have meet him because that's how you are. Protective, ferocious … And i'm proud of you, proud of loving you."

" Yet we are loving in the shadows … and i'm growing sick of it." He admitted, then concluded. " I want the world to know you are mine. "

She caressed his cheek, then softly lifted his chin and gave him a peck on the lips.

" And you know how I wish to be forever yours! But trojans don't deserve to be blamed, neither ithacans pay for the trickery of their king going wrong. "

The warning didn't matter to him, used as he was to shred blood to get what he wanted, but he understood it was a limit she wanted to avoid. Still, that wasn't enough to stop him from resuming the march in the direction he had previously settled.

" People will keep dying anyways, you know it." He corrected her. " Where did this sudden strike of righteousness came from? Perhaps an active concience is what you get for spending too much time with Hector."

She didn't fall for the provocation, but teased its intentionality instead.

" He has the habit of accidentally inspiring people into doing the right thing. That's exactly why your friend has picked him for me behind my back."

Temporarily careless for the protests and attempts of persuation, Achilles kept advancing with his precious load in arms. Unlike she kept stating, kidnapping her ríght then wasn't his inmediate intention. Still, that didn't mean he wasn't going to steal her away for a while and he had yet to decide what was he going to do with her.

Impulsiveness brought him to the shores of Odysseus' kingdom. He needed to see her and they were not going to have a better chance for safe encounters any soon. The father wasn't there to get in his way, and his soldiers were easy to fool. His mother had brought him the news of the trojan presence, but he didn't mind about that untill circunstancies changed his mind.

He was taking her deep into the wild. There he had improvised a temporal hideout in the deepness of a cavern that looked like a tent of war camp in peacefull times. Once they arrived, he placed her on top of some extended furs on the ground while briefly admiring her understandable cluelessness. Vulnerability was bringing back some of the innocence that he stole and she looked lovely.

So dreamy that it was simply impossible not to kiss her before any glimpse of explanation would start to flow.

" Odysseus showed me this place, we stayed here when bad weather ruined our hunting. " He said ríght afterwards. " Not good enough for a princess, but is the best I found to secure some privacy."

She was looking at him attentively, reflecting great curiosity.

" How did you find me? You couldn't possibly know I was going to be outside washing clothes. "

Achilles took off his upper garments as if he considered to change back into the freshly dried ones she provided.

" Thanks for cleaning it, … but I do wonder why you had to. "

Some more sweetly delightfull shame got painted on her face.

" I wore those to sleep many times, hoping to dream of you. " She simply stated. " Don't try to distract me, you know what I mean. Eny thinks I have been visited by your mother last night. "

" She wants me to settle down, but she never says it. " Was his vague reply. " Seeing me get commited to a stable relationship has made her very happy. "

She attempted to hide her excitement with her typical jokes.

" I think my father would die on the spot after hearing about us."

He sat close to her while following the joke.

" One more reason to do it as fast as we can. "

She gave him a reprobatory look while also stiffling some chuckles and he exposed his back to her in a playfull way.

" Mind giving my sore muscles some attention? Besides from carrying you all the way here so you won't escape me, I had a few adventures on my way to you. "

The sample of her post battle cares he received in Mycenae had clearly stiked with him.

" If we would have stayed like i told you, the girls would have reached me scented oils to work on your skin. " She commented, tracing patterns on his shoulder with her fingertips. " Here i have nothing i could use to give you a proper massage. "

" Don't be so sure of that, I have something you will like. " He purred in response, pointing in the contrary direction . " Over there, in that vessel. "

The princess followed his instructions and found a small amphora containing perfumed oil of a foreign fragance.

" Where did you get this? "

" During my adventure. " He innocently recalled. " I had to take a bath afterwards so you wouldn't see me all messed up. "

He felt her pressing soft pecks on the back of his neck as fast as she returned to his side.

" Not like I haven't noticed how you enjoy of your warrior freshly arrived from the fight, but I thought my special girl deserves more of my effort in looking good for her. "

He almost had her exactly where he wanted her and she seemed so happy about that.

" You are effortlessly handsome, but I appreciate. " His princess thanked, before starting whispering close to his ear. " Now lay on your stomach and start telling me all about that while I fix you up. "

The occurence surprised him even more.

" Is that how you want to do it? "

Achilles smirked as he obbeyed her command, very satisfied with the outcome of his mischief that was about to get even better.

In order to perform the task, she got on top of him and straddled him with her legs.

The hero groaned at the sensation and she started rubbing his shoulders, slowly working all the way down to his back.

" I think I dreamed of this before. " He seductively confessed. " Only your hands were on my chest … and you were completely naked. "

She chuckled and pressed a bit harsher.

" Is that all you think about? How dissapointing. "

Achilles grunted in response to the touch and words and she kept laughing.

" You know that's not true. " He sweetly corrected her. " … But you also must be aware that being without that for so long has its hardships. "

She caressed the sides of his abdomen before keeping the focus on his back.

" I don't know, I have been without it my whole life. "

The innocent sounding comment was a total tease.

" Don't taunt me. You are barely a maiden and I'm unused to abstinences of any kind. "

She reclined enough to place a few kisses.

" I know, the sacrifice you are making Is more than what any woman could ask from you. No other man would have done such promise to me. "

She dared to take her confession a bit further.

" It does make me feel special when I think about it, you know ? « Achilles refuses to have any other woman on his bed because of me » Who am I to get such honor? "

" The one I love. " He sweetly answered. " … I bet you wish you could brag. "

The hero closed his eyes, allowing her to relax him with her so longed touch.

" So, aren't you going to brag about your feats? " The girl reminded him. " How was the journey? "

" I took a secretive route, so I expected dangers stumbling with bandits. " Her beloved began his tale. " My intention was not to leave trails, but things got complicated. "

She reapplied on him more of the absorbed oil to make the caressing more effective.

" How much? Did those fools hoped they could capture you and sell you as a slave because they didn't know who you were? "

His princess sounded like an excited little girl awaiting for the details of some epic story and he feared the reality would dissapoint her.

" They enraged me and i lost patience. " The myrmidon admitted. " Contrabandists, very eager to get rid of the evidence of their lootings in asian shores because the trojans were too close. I gave them a chance thinking I could get something nice for you, but part of their sale strategy was telling me that the princes were not going to interfere because they were too bussy with the pretty princess brought from the continent for them. "

She stopped the massage out of sudden, spontaneous reaction to realizing of the terrible coincidence.

" … You didn't kill them, ríght? "

Achilles noticed the change in her attitude with subtle concern.

" I let them talk, they were worried that the outcome would let them out of business. " He continued, forcing himself to adopt a cassual tone. " Those men were completely sure that the heir Prince of Troy would want to take that girl for himself, because only a few of them had seen her and they kindly described her to me with lascivious adjectives. That, I didn't mind. I had a few I could think about, but what I couldn't tolerate were their metaphores for the fear of commercial and political penetration of trojans in greek land. "

Time to fool arround was over, so she released him to clean her hands and lay down beside him.

" My love, you already know I don't have interest in that route. "

He refused to look at her for a instant, keeping himself still in the previous position.

" I didn't care, hearing them suggesting it made me loose judgement … My mother warned me about insulting the goddess of marriage and in their mocks I felt the threat of punishment. "

The princess touched his arm to get his attention back at her.

" Do you really think Hera could make Hector want to marry me just to curse you?" She stopped his trail of thinking. "Only unless she would want me in an unhappy marriage with a man nice enough to not be cheated on free of guilt. My bloodline is stained, two generations of cheater queens preceed me and everyone wonders who is going to be the next one. "

Achilles rolled over to face her and embraced her by the waist.

" No one will take you away from me. "

She smiled and snuggled against him.

" Trust me, he won't. I got him on our side. " She reasured him, then sniffed the scent of his skin. " You smell nice. We are going to need more of that. "

His criptic answer came on the form of a dubious mock.

" Sorry, love. I believe they will be unavailable for a while. "

She looked up in shock.

" Are you telling me you did kill them over those stupid comments? "

The ask left him feeling helpless, and very surprised of her reaction.

" I wanted to fight only two, but all the rest would have joined in aid of them. " The warrior defended himself. " They were despicable anyways, not a big loose you should take sorrow in. "

Her initial excitement transformed into frustration, but he could not find the reason for her to be upset.

" I didn't think you would care … Is there something I missed? "

" They were the lead Hector has been chazing since he got here and I intended to help him track, now we have nothing. " She confessed, with resignation. " We were close to discovering a thread of the network that has been threatening the Route of Copper, what could have been greater for the bilateral relationships than a stupid marriage."

He started to play with her hair before she could began to loose her temper.

" Don't worry, I bet some must have escaped. " He sweetly tried to comfort her. " I couldn't have killed everyone, could I? If the prince is smart enough without you, he would find them. And if he isn't, we will get rid of him. "

His calm tone only upsetted her more.

" I have goals of my own too, Achilles. I'm working hard settling political bridges. "

He would never display any sort of open jealousy, but what he had to point out was a logical concern from his perspective.

" I can't believe you are being so naive. What do you think is going to happen afterwards? They will demmand a wedding to close the deal, they allways do. "

" The would love to, but it won't work because in Hector's eyes i'm no different from a diplomat. " She insisted. " He doesn't have the slightest regard for my womanhood! I won his respects in the way a prince does in the council, not a princess in the feast, and that's hard to understand for many. "

For a brief moment he had a half smile of approval.

" I admire you as a strategist and as a woman … I love all of you. "

Her temper got slightly softened, but she had found a practical use for the advice she had received earlier and she was going to try it.

Behaving like a wife could sometimes mean to call him out.

" Could you then respect my work even when it doesn't serve you? I have enough of that in home and I know that's not what we want for us. "

She caressed his cheek to soften the blow.

" I won't blame you for what happened, there was no way for you to tell those men were of any importance … but I will, if from now on you try something on purpose. "

Achilles gave her his most innocent smile.

" I won't bother him, I promise. "

She tried to cheer him up pointing out her findings in his field.

" … Aren't you curious for other sorts of information I got for you? When I tell him about what you can do, he believes i'm exagerating, and he is the best warrior among the trojans. My father will never be able to replace you with him, no matter how badly he may want it. Hector thinks that your feats are impossible, the fantastical descriptions of a girl who doesn't understand how fighting works. "

She gave him a peck on the lips ríght before the conclussion.

" You are the best fíghter in the world, no man alive compares to you and your legend will outshine his. "

Achilles seemed lethargic to the good news.

" That won't matter if I end up under his command, and wanting his wife as if I needed her like the air I breathe. "

Even after all the lovefull words and sweet moments they shared, he still had the hability to surprise her like the first time.

" I know how important it is to you, but if peace with the trojans comes on the price of letting you go, then I don't want it. " The blond demigod concluded. " I will fight as many combats as it would be enough to keep you by my side. "

She leaned her head against his shoulder while giving him her sweetest look.

" You won't need that: Hector wants to go back home to his princess and this time I feel no amount of political pressure would be enough for him to accept sacrificing himself. "

" He clearly doesn't know of how persistent Agamemnon can be. " The myrmidon pointed out, speaking from his experience. " When I was a lad I despised the idea of fighting for him, yet here I am. "

It made her chuckle, probably remembering similar examples in her own past.

" For once, we will have a victory of mine to celebrate. Think about that" She recalled, changing the angle of the topic. " If i help Ithaca to get a good deal with the trojans, that would prove my father I'm not useless and Hesione will see i'm not failing her cause. For me, that's the equivalent to when you make entire armies surrender showing off your talent in the art of giving death. "

The description got his attention and he didn't let it pass.

" The muses would have a lot to say in your definition of art."

" Giving a good death takes skill, precision, and even kindness. " She cutted him off. " You are not a fighter known for leaving your enemies agonizing, or their corpses disfigured in grotesque scenes. In war, you kill to win, and that makes you the most lethal. While others paint messages on the bodies of the defeated like begginers, you mastered the most effective fíghting tecniques to reach the highest numbers in the shortests spans. Being killed by you is an honor, this balance between brutality and care is an art you have perfected like no one. "

She was once more about to trap him in his own words.

" I too love all of you: the fighter and the man. "

" Arguing with you is very frustrating, so I think I will grant you the win again. " Achilles concluded while caressing the side of her hip. " I will not try to force an encounter that could possibly ruin your mission just to brag, even tho I would love to present myself in front of that trojan prince and prove I'm the best. "

The sincere claims could not be not followed by some teasing.

" I shall let him enjoy of what he will never have " The warrior said, in a lower tone that sounded almost like whispers. " Although I have to admit I'm dissapointed of him. Part of me hoped you would have to break Hector's heart with your love for me. "

She followed his game, trying to figure out if the jokes trully masqueraded some jealousy.

" Seriously? It didn't sound like that to me a while ago, when you confessed you killed some men for doing vulgar metaphores about Troy dominating Greece that had me on the bed of Hector. "

" That's wasn't jealousy, I was sending a message to every mortal and inmortal considering standing in my way. " He defended himself. " I always knew Odysseus wouldn't support me inmediately, but now he acts as if he is trying to shield you from me. That means I'm running out of political allies, but I hope my old friend will get the message and change his mind. "

It sounded insane, but it made perfect sense to her and she was amazed. As a warrior, the only source of political pressure Achilles had was the sword, so in that improvised massacre he was subtly telling Odysseus to stop his scheme because he wanted her for wife.

" Don't play with me! I'm a silly girl in love that would hold on to the slightest hope, and you couldn't have figured out what you want so clearly this fast. "

Achilles had only to answer her with the simple discovery he had arrived to in his homeland.

" I can't stand returning from war and not find you there … Something is missing, for the first time ever I came back home and didn't feel fulfilled. "

The short moment of autentical vulnerability led to a sweet request. He couldn't keep talking, not at least without exposing himself too far, so he encouraged her to share instead.

" Tell me about your victories. I want to know everything."

While she understood the need to temporally close the topic, his demeanour reminded her of an encouraging detail. He valued his capacity to keep himself unpredictable knowing her as a perceptive behavioral reader. If he would ever seek to propose, he would want to do it in the most surprising cricunstancies. Signals showing he wasn't against the idea were given to her, but Achilles would only confess clearly a desire of making her his wife at the precise moment he would pick to make it real.

Not too soon to keep her in a frustrating waiting, neither too late when some suitor could get the upper hand.

In a matter of instants the dynamic of their encounter changed completely as he prepared to become a listener of her tales. Initially, she intended to emphasize the points of her political labour that were benefitial to both. For so, she started telling of the long whiles trojans would stay after dinner hearing her share his stories presented as harmless entertainment. In the response of the new public there was a profile being shaped that they needed to discuss, given how she was already working on a design that would better respond the objectives he settled. However, the warrior insisted on how he wanted her to speak of herself and the trojan reaction to meeting her.

Getting in details about the pointless pursuiment attempt of Paris happening at their time of meeting was a waste of time, so she only narrated the warning phrank on Odysseus' welcome knowing that would make him laugh. After that, she confidently admitted to have charmed the crew while keeping a friendly and respectfull approach of its leader.

All her anecdotes gave him the impression of hearing she was like fish under water arround the people of Hector. Everything Mycenae kept banned for her, they encouraged. From them she was receiving the kind of admiration she deserved, judged as herself and not as an extention of her father with nothing remarkable to present.

It was her big moment obtaining good fame on her own and even when he was very proud, his heart secretly broke a bit hearing her. Insisting on keeping her for himself sounded like a harmfull whim when Troy was offering her everything she ever wanted before meeting him. The prince didn't love her, but his city wanted her, and among them she had a chance to shine the way she deserved.

Her feelings for him were as strong as allways, but Achilles started fearing their love could be an obstacle in her own road to greatness. How could he, of all men, ask her to leave her ambitions behind to follow him? Him, crownless prince of a wild kingdom fighting his way into history. How could she still pick him over the chance of being the mighty queen she was born to be?

And yet, there was no glimpse of doubt in her choice of the path to pursue. When speaking of her businesses with Troy, it was always implied she was helping to clear the way for negociations others would have develop further. Falling víctim of the process escaped her thoughts, always keeping the hope of creating alliances that would make of those people their friends.

The invincible warrior could tell by the phrasing that his princess kept him in her dreams of all kinds. She was thinking of xenia bonding visits to the city where the two greatest heros in the world could befriend each other. Of meeting Hector's wife as the woman who already belonged to the rumored demigod and strategically befriending the couple meant to become the next royal marriage of Troy.

There was no thought escenario where he wasn't the man of her life, where they wouldn't be together sharing triumphs.

Before sunset would ruin their chances to move anywhere else, he had to accede in taking her back to a populated area and he did under the promise of sneaking to see her later as soon as possible. What he trully craved was to get at least one more night before safely deliver her back to the palace, but such prolongated absense would raise questions that she wouldn't be able to answer. If escaping with her wasn't a viable option, then he had to start serously thinking what was he going to do.

Returning to his homeland alone knowing what had been going on wasn't even considered. He could always show up to receive the hospitality of his friend, pretend his presence was a coincidence and claiming himself the author of the slaughter to frighten the trojans a right amount without ruining the political labour that have been made. It seemed a good idea, untill he considered he wouldn't stand the enviroment of the palace without succumbing to a possesive breakdown.

Having to endure constant irruptions of unaware people claiming she was the perfect match for Hector, teasing from his friends and other forms of harmless insistence while pretending to be an outsider neutral in the matter would make him loose his mind. He would recklessly throw away the secrecy out of pure rage, just to shut their mouths, kissing her roughly or pulling her to his lap. Any resemblance of self control would abandon him and he would end up ruining everything by sneaking into her room to take her like a desperate madman, spilling her virginal blood over foreign sheets with no honor.

Following her like a ghost untill the danger would pass and they could get at least a few quiet days to be together before her inevitable return to Mycenae was the best option. Untill he would get what he needed to make the impossible plead to Agamemnon, that was still better than seeing her so close to his vigilance.

However, that didnt mean he was going to let her go completely clean. Once they finished discussing the serious matters, speeches were replaced by a passionate silence. Achilles took his time to taste her with all his senses untill getting drunk of her to temporally saciate his own longing. The smell of her hair, the softness of her skin, the taste of her kisses and the sight of her beauty all combined to calm the beast inside of him. His extended teasing was followed by some carefully crafted marks he purposedly left on the side of her neck. Her loose hair would be enough to cover the evidence in case of trouble, but it was his peculiar way of self expression.

Achilles was self confident to the point of arrogance, no man was capable of making him feel threatened. Nevertheless, the situation was an increasing source of jealousy. He hated having to hide his love for her while hearing that the prince was receiving her on a silver plate and yet dared to reject her. If at least Hector showed signs of wanting her, he could just come out from the shadows and face him to compete for her like heroes were meant to. It would be a legendary contest that would put to shame the one once developed for Helen's hand. Something bards could sing about, but the trojan had no interest in competing against him.

Not even for the glory or his spot of stardom would the son of Priam react the way greeks expected from him. He simply didn't care despite the comparisons between them must have reached him too. He never intended to get in his way, not even to prove himself the best. For that, he was leaving him without reasons to justify his feelings of unease whenever it was being implied he could wed his princess. Could he be blamed for gossips working in functionality with the political needs? Even if an arrangement would be made later between the kings behind his back, the man did nothing wrong.

Precisely because he couldn't simply blame him and fight his way out of the problem, the righteouness of Hector made the situation very frustrating. Achilles felt jealous of his position as a prince finding such easy public and possibly familiar approval, but not entirely of him. He secretly wished for the gossipers to discover her marks with no possible explanations linking those to the Prince of Troy, even risking the sort of questioning that could raise.

His anger was with the world surrounding them, and his circunstantial powerlessness to let them all know that girl was his in a context where he couldn't just conquer her by the sword.

They pretended to part ways in public, but he still kept watching her movements from afar to make sure she would arrive safe. The citadel was not that far from the place in which he acted as he was leaving her, so her walk should have been an easy one. For most, it was, untill a small escort of magnificently dressed warriors intercepted her.

Trojans, he could tell by the foreign aspect of their armors. One of them, a lad of smaller frame, rushed to hug her enthusiastically. Achilles had no idea of what they were talking about, but the young man seemed very happy to see her.

Out of sudden, her route changed as that stranger guided her somewhere else with all the other men behind them. The myrmidon had no option but following them out of protectiveness, even despite she seemed trustfull of them.

The way in which the warriors obbeyed him implied that man had some sort of power over them, but he didn't look like he could be their leader. Guiding them inside a tavern, he made them look like security escort.

The warrior in disguise entered subtly after them and picked a solitary table with a good spot to watch his encounter with the lady. A closer viewpoint revealed the delicate features of a face never touched by war blatantly contrasting with the military uniform. A wearing for appearances, since he wasn't even carrying any visible weapons.

That had to be Paris, he thought, the useless little brother of Hector. His attention was completely focused on the princess, keeping a body language that invited closeness without being necesarily flirty, yet still touching her more than he was used to see. She didn't seem to mind, chuckling from time to time to his comments. The relaxed scene was of two friends sharing the latest news outside the límitations of the palace, nothing that should annoy him, but he simply disliked him.

Focused as he was, Achilles didn't realize he was staring too intensely at them as he cassually drank the wine brought for him. While the dark cloak offered some coverage, it also gave him a mysterious feeling that fed curiosity on the trojan once becoming aware.

She tried to stop her contextual companion from approaching, but he finally stood up and confidently walked towards the watcher.

In his perspective, the flamboyant attitude of the presumpted prince was hilarious. Achilles had the impression of being in front a peacock showing off his feathers, a man whose self determination was focused on keeping a royal appearance reflecting a nobility that was performative. It was a sad attempt to compensate for his lack of trully noble qualities, a spectacle.

" I must ask … Which one of us have you been looking with such intense interest? The lady, or me? " The trojan whispered with discretion, taking the empty seat in front of him without asking. " … I would understand if it was me. I have the blood of Ganymedes, so that's an expected price to pay for my flawless face. "

The eyes of Achilles were turbulent water burning with anger.

" Don't make me punch you, that girl looks stronger than you. " He warned at the provocation. " … Is she with you? "

The brunet smirked with complicity, quickly overcoming the fright.

" Wish she was, but we are just friends. " He confessed. " Are you not from here? That's not a mere merchant's daughter, she is the princess of Mycenae … "

Achilles simulated a mild surprise and sipped from his drink before replying.

" Mycenae? I pay my taxes to them, so maybe I have the ríght to a little peek. "

" I suppose that's true, but I have been looking for free. " The young man added, feeling at ease. " Courtesy of King Odysseus, since i'm staying in his palace."

The bragging inspired in the hero a way to give back some of the effort his princess was putting into the shaping of his legend.

" Lucky of you. I have never seen beauty like hers, and I have been in Sparta. " He cassually commented. " Trust me, the saids about their queen are a magnified fame. Menelaus exposes his wife everywhere, but Agamemnon doesn't let his daughter leave his palace often … Now I see why. "

His criptic phrasing intrigued the prince, but he reacted quick on trying to dissapoint him.

" Her shine is gelid, like the gold the Atreide hoards. " Paris warned through metaphoric language that Achilles found useless. " Never before I have been rejected so coldly and I doubt you could succeed from the ashes of my failure. "

The prince gave him a path on the shoulder, as if he seeked to comfort him.

" She is far away from your reach, don't expect much from a lady who has remained careless in front of the most beautifull man in Troy. "

Achilles gave him a taunting skeptical glance , then charmingly smiled for her as she arrived among them.

" I'm not sure of what you are doing, but I beg you to end it now. " She kindly scolded Paris, indirectly extending the warning to Achilles as well. " Stop fooling arround, we should be in the palace. "

Paris took the warning too lightly.

" We don't have to, I'm trying to escape from Hector. " He reminded her. " He has lost his mind when we arrived back only to find out that you were missing. Penelope is dealing with him because Odysseus requested us to stay out of the matter, and he has valid reasons. Something out of our understanding has infested this lands, all travellers must beware. "

The grim warning clearly incluided the man of the dark cloack and piercing blue eyes, but he seemed as careless for danger as Paris was of responsability.

" I shall not get intimidated by the colorfull tales of a pretty boy prince. "

" You should, some speak of an angry god claiming lives. " The trojan insisted. " We found an entire pirate crew slaughtered in one of the neighbor islands, no initial sight of survivors untill we did an extended search. "

The princess, still standing i'm front of the middle of table and in between them, managed to notice a strange change on his voice. For the first time since she meet him, the youngest son of Priam was speaking in a dark tone, as if he shared an horror tale.

" A wounded criminal embraced my brother's knees begging for protection of the very same people he was escaping from in the first place. He claimed the massacre was done by just one man, and King Odysseus mysteriously supports this theory … Some of my men, and so do I, believe no mortal could have done it. How could a single warrior attack with the ferocity of an army? "

It took a great effort for Achilles to turn his pridefull smirk into a fake expression of intrigue. His pride was raising to the sky hearing trojans could be mistaking him for a god.

Unstopable cockiness elevated his provocations.

" If I was a god coming down here, I would do it only to put some demigods in her. "

He glanced in her direction bitting his bottom lip, and she skillfully pretended to be disgusted.

" Unforgivable! What kind of man would do such vulgar claims for a woman that could easily get him beheaded? "

The glimpses of masculine complicity in the behavior of the trojan temporally faded as he protectively pulled his friend to his side. That action secretly granted him a bit of respect from the warrior, who expected him to drag her away.

Yet, the prince got a better idea than simply leaving the place to avoid the discomfort.

" In fact, we can properly judge that. "

She realized that he spoke of submitting him to the Judgement, but she couldn't do that to him the way she wouldn't hesitate with any other man. He was the onlyone whose answer she didn't want to know, partially because she was almost sure of knowing it. The riddle weaponized as test to know the priorities of a man between the most common masculine ambitions could reveal that Achilles would choose war over her.

It would prove Odysseus ríght about him, even despite that wouldn't be enough to completely break her heart. She knew him as a warrior, never expecting he would have to change for her. However, not wanting to get in the middle of his dreams with eternal glory wasn't the same as being ignorant of what those implied. If she would get told in the face that there will be something else always above her that would hurt her, even if she wouldn't mean to feel hurt. Aware from childhood that her father would allways pick his thirst for power over her, she didn't want to find herself repeating the cycle with the man she fell for.

" Paris, it's a game to play in feasts. Helen and I conceived it to cheat noblemen into revealing their truest ambitions so other girls of nobility would stay warned. " She recalled, trying to stop her friend while pretending she wasn't invested in the matter. " It looses its purpose being used like a simple game for the tavern, wasting it on vulgar men. I don't need to know the answer of this nameless errant traveller. "

Over time with her, Achilles learned to recognize patterns of her lies. Exagerating her royal demeanour was one.

" Don't need or don't want?" He teased her. " Are you afraid this vulgar man may surprise you? "

She kept the arrogance as an acting, but also as a shield for her fears.

" I already know what you will answer, so it would be a waste of time. "

Catching glimpses of the strange tension going on in front of him, Paris decided for them.

" I'm up to waste time, so let's play! "

Achilles finished the rest of his wine in one long take and raised up in acceptance of the challenge. The three went to the table that the royals shared, but the feeling of surveilance coming from the foreigner didn't allow the greek lovers any secretive exchange.

By indication of Paris, the princess sat in the chair placed at the center and each man took an extreme of the space. Then, the trojan prince assumed the role of narrator, commanding the mycenaean to play the voices of the goddesses describing their gifts. Hera, offering a throne of limitless power; Athena presenting her bliss to triumph in all battles. The myrmidon noticed how the girl changed manners, phrasing and voice tone matching her mental image of each deity.

For an instant, he found it increíbly cute. Even tho he never thought much about it before, he couldn't help imagining her acting like that for her children at storytelling time. Their children, if he would get to be with her.

Distraction out of the sweet thought happened when she represented Aphrodite seductively claiming she would give him the love of the most beautifull woman in the world. Exactly as beautifull as she herself was.

He chuckled to himself, aware of what she meant with that.

" Would I get to choose who that woman is, or would Aphrodite pick her for me? As a judge of beauty, I should be able to extend this faculty on mortals. "

Impressed by the clever move, Paris banged the table with his fist in frustration.

" That's not how it works! It was never said you could choose! "

The princess tried hard not to laugh to stay in character.

" Silence, mortal! The bargain is still on going. "

Eyes settled on the warrior once more, she put on her most charming expression for him while twirling strands of her hair.

" So, who do you think that woman would be? "

He smiled, resisting the impulse of chuckling a bit for her exagerated flirty mannerisms in the impersonation.

" The princess of Mycenae, only her I would take. "

Sticking the the role, she pretended dissapointment.

" Well, it's not of my concern if you would rather go for a lesser prize. " She mocked herself, in fake annoyance. " Fine, she would be yours as long as you choose me. "

Paris was mad with himself because that flirtatious twist didn't occured to him before.

" Who would you choose? " He asked directly. " That's what the riddle is about, and remember that the justification matters as much as the choice itself.

Achilles stared at the side in contemplative silence, carefully calculating his response. Guesing the purpose that the creators had given it, the game was pretty revealing on itself. Clever masterwork from the women of the Atreides, but he had the advantage of knowing them quite well.

" It's alright, you can say Athena and I won't get mad. " The princess interrupted his thinking. " I see it in the bright of your eyes, you appear to me as a man who craves glory above anything and wouldn't give it away for a wife. "

The conclussion confused Paris, who was thinking the opposite based ln the lustfull commentary that the stranger had made about her.

" Would Athena make me the next Achilles? " The cloaked man asked in a provocative tone. " Or Hera turn me into Agamemnon? Do the ones that choose Aphrodite get in the same box as Menelaus, who gave up his ríght to question his brother for the pretty wife he got him? The problem you present is too simplistic. Did it never occured to you that one man could want two gifts exactly as badly? "

The question raised an alarm in her.

" Life forces us to choose, so the rule is taking only one. "

" I want it all. " Achilles cutted her off with passionate arrogance. " Except for the throne, at least. Tell Athena and Aphrodite that I find them both equally beautifull because endless victory in battle leaves you empty if you loose love as a result of it once you already found it. No amount of wine and lust unions with beautifull concubines obtained in war would fill that void. "

The answer broke the rules, but he was staying true to himself and his rule breaker nature. She shouldn't have expected otherwise, but the well thought and heartfelt argumentation remembered her once more of exactly how she fell for him.

On the opposite perspective, Paris started to perceive there was something greater hidding in the strange appearance of that mysterious man who didn't even bothered in telling him his name.

His thoughts were deep, and he didn't speak like the brute he appeared to be moments before. The youngest son of Priam felt a weird fright believing he was coming out to them, and specially to her, as someone or something else.

" Who are you?" He interrupted them before she could comment anything on the given answer, visibly amazed. " I feel as if my eyes have been tricked by a spell all along just of listening to your reasoning. "

Achilles suddenly remembered of his existence.

" Carefull, Prince of Troy. Chasing reflections keeps deceiving you." He mocked him. " Now, if you excuse me, I would like to answer further to the lady with another riddle. "

Inmediately afterwards, his attention was fully back with her.

" Imagine you are commanded in a divine mission to judge who is the strongest of the gods. " Achilles started twisting the format of her game into a new reverse version where the judge would be a woman. " Three gods come down as contestants for the title and, given that you are a mortal, they compete bribing you with gifts. "

She chuckled and rolled her eyes, believing his try was pointless.

" That makes no sense, everyone knows Zeus is the strongest of the gods. "

" That's precisely why he shows up first to defend his title. " The warrior corrected her. " He tells you that if you choose him, you would get the chance to be the mother of a new bloodline, the most magnificent royal house the world has ever seen. Given that your family already has ancestry in him, this doesn't imply he would make you the children. He would find for you a perfect king, and together you would raise blessed princes for a new powerfull kingdom. This would make you a legendary queen, remembered by your glorious descendants shaping the world. "

She smirked, getting a precise idea of where he was going with that option.

Hector, her politically choosen perfect king.

" Next comes Apollo, offering the gift of prophecy. Highest power a woman can have over men. " Achilles continued, not missing her reaction. " Unlike the crown of Queen, this is one you can weild on your own. Kings, warriors and heroes would come to you consulting their fates; asking you what they should do with their lives. You would get to live free from men, but influencing their choices as a virgin oracle. "

His way to make each gift sound tempting was excellent, and she couldn't deny it showed great understandment of certain feminine sensibilities.

" Last, but not least, Ares appears knowing his typical gifts don't appeal to many women. "

Pretending that the hood of the cloak was starting to annoy him, Achilles tossed it behind to expose his face before continuing.

" Because of this, the god of war gives you an instant to admire him in all his glory before announcing he would find for you the mortal who resembles him the most. A blood thirsty beast, irascible and whimsical, but passionate for you as he is for Aphrodite. "

Emotional investment made him break character, explaining himself deeper than what was contextually necesary.

" … A man that would give it all to you, warrior that would make of you his inspiration to fight. When he will be at your side, you will be fill of affections and the treasures of his conquests. Without a throne, you would still be a Queen, because he would make the men he commands see you as one. When he would be away leading them, he would lay alone in his tent on long nights thinking about you. His every victory will be glory that will raise you up among the women of lesser husbands. Yours will be the strongest, most manly out there, yet he would never forget his softness with you. "

It made her blush furiously at the speed of a sweet embarasement impossible to hide.

Achilles saw his mission accomplished, but provoked her even more.

" What do you say now, princess ? Whose offer would you take? "

She appeared to be speechless, but her answer began with a simple critic.

" Well done, but you failed to acknowledge that an essential part of the Judgement implies the options you reject would later become your punishments. " She tecnically corrected him. " There are two levels of reasoning to consider in your answer: what would you wish to obtain from your choice and how would you rather your doom to be seiled."

Her cleverness would never stop amazing him.

" What a wicked sense of fun you have … "

" I come from the House of Atreus. " Was her simple reply. " I have seen how a royal house born under the bliss of Zeus can corrupt itself on human action, so i'm not really invested in that. Despite it's true that oracles are the only women of true power, they have no one to look after. More powerfull and free than Queens, but their lifestyle is even more isolating. Being courted by a warrior, on the other hand, seems the merriest and less determinating out of the three fates."

Her efforts to make the theorization feel autentically rational, as if she would be playing with a stranger that had just challenged her, were flawless.

" Now, at the next level, we have the punishments. If Apollo gives me the prophecy, Zeus could easily take away my capacity for persuasion and my gift would be useless. If I take his gift instead, Ares could feed the flames of war before the perfect kingdom promised to me would get its chance to raise and my perfect king would despise me for that. The offer of the god of war would make me loose my position of royal, and walk into an uncertain fate, but I would be doing it following a man of intense feelings who wants me at his side above any other. "

The lady made a brief pause, merely to tease her hero.

" … I would definitely pick Ares and his short-tempered, hot blooded warrior husband. "

Before the trojan prince could cheer victory and mock her claiming she had picked the equivalent of the same path he took, the course of events took a twist he found unexplainable.

Suddenly, the stranger raised from his seat and headed towards her. Without any explanations beyond the overwhelming force of his glance, he took her hand and pressed one harsh kiss on her knuckles ríght before leaving.

Passionate twist of a respectfull gesture, so intense that it perfectly replaced a full mouth kiss. Her lips parted slightly within the action, as if she would have instinctively responded like that could have been about to happen.

A miracle has been performed in front of his eyes: caught in her own game, the cold minded princess of the mycenaeans was left burning from inside out. For as much as he wanted to mock her about it, Paris was still trying to understand what had just happened.

By the time they were back at the palace, he had enough to present a working theory to his brother.

" Worry no more, Paris has saved the day! Ahhh, i love how that sounds, so comforting. Turns out I got the answer to all riddles! " He arrogantly claimed as he approached him. " She got lost and I found her safe, you can follow me ríght now to see her if you wish. It was definitely an accident, but I believe hers and ours are connected. "

Hector sighed with relief, yet remained cautious of the observation.

" What are you talking about? "

" Ares took down our enemies from one strike to show he is stronger than you because he wants to have her first, and the wedding rumours may have angered him. " His brother informed. " … I think the god of war is flirting with our beautifull friend. "

[elisacaleisa]

People say I am a big brain. Idk about any of those things but to that I say: have one more again. This one is weaker but you get it, same thing as the ones before

Jax's Personality Swap AU (4)

Pipeline: Elliott > Morgan > Vega > Regulus > Caelum > Camelopardalis > Hush > Elliott

Elliott > Morgan

Hopeless Seer

- ok but childhood friend seer cooks

- Morgan is a deeply caring person

- Seer Obscura gets a nickname: Dreamer

- "dreamer... I've been calling you that for ten years. maybe more, heh."

- the softest boy ever, he is a walking teddy bear

- "I've realized... we will never reach the future, but we will always live in the present. it's the time, that changes. the time changes us"

- slow burn perhaps? But...

- "dreamer... i... I'm sorry, it's just... You're so warm and... i wish to hold you. please."

- he is alone in this world. it's just you, that keeps him alive. he doesn't have hope for this planet, but you are his world.

- he sleeps, eats, walks on the path, that was established for him since he was born. But you... You became his future...

- he craves you as a lover, but is afraid to lose you as a friend

----

Morgan > Vega

Melancholic Demon

- sigh trademark

- "... what do you want, warden? Cant you see im grieving for my pet?"

- you ask many questions, but barely get any answers around of him

- he only talks to you out of everyone

- "why? heh. Dumb question, warden."

- you still ask anyway. he laughs. full of pain

- "did you kill my pet, warden?"

- what? What is he talking about? And why would you do that...

- vega turns his back to you. Until you confess, he says

- he has been in here for a long time. maybe it was someone from the past and he can't live in the present.

- he wants his pet back. he wants noone else but them. but you dont know who that was...

----

Vega > Regulus

Raging Fallen Daemon

- he is pretty pissed i imagine

- "if i can't have you, no-one can."

- OH HE KIDNAPS YOU

- he is angry, upset, but never alone. Now that he found you.

- everyone is looking for you two

- "precious, don't leave"

- you try to resist, but he is in your head now

- and you dont. You listen. You are now his company. He never stops holding your hand.

(jax note: this specific swap might be edited or completely reworked later)

----

Regulus > Caelum

Self-claimed Prince Daemon

- Was Polaris' greatest student, perhaps that got into his brain a bit,,

- this is a headcanon fun bit of what if Regulus wasnt fallen and was Leo constellation, so enjoy!

- he is all huffy and puffy at first

- "hey! Wake up! You do not sleep on Caelum like that!" owie! Did he just hit you by a pillow??

- "you are awake. Good. Now up! We have so much to do!" god what is this flying pipsqueak?

- "pipsqueak?! I beg your pardon?? I am Caelum, an empathy daemon and now, you are my charge! Simple to understand, now chop chop! Clean your face and ugh... Please, wear some clean clothes, looks like you didnt change for three days. We have to fix that! Coooomeeeee ooooonnnnn!!" okay he is pulling you from the bed. You cant win here freelancer

- he sounds like a spoiled brat and he maybe is, but slowly by time, you get to know him more and see that he is just a little guy with a job and heart on the right place. His methods can be dramatic, but he means well

- he says that you are ready for D.A.M.N., that the hidden talent in you is more than just your powers.

- "i think Gavin will help us here. He is a bit stupid, but he always gives me cookies!" blunt much, Caelum?

----

Caelum > Cam

Bubbly Serenity Daemon

- always so curious about human culture, both old and modern

- he especially likes bubbles

- "wow, how fascinating... this is truly wonderful!" he loves colors too

- "e-ehm, pardon my, uh... excitement. My name is C-Cam-Cam-Camelopardalis and i am your today's... wait, no, that doesn't make sense... does it?"

- he is a very polite, kind guy. he tries to always help, he just had a problem put words to the correct order (me fr)

- he loves walking outside in the sun. He is like a cat - he likes sunbathing and is kinda afraid of water (hmmm)

- he is a very tall guy, always hits himself in the head, god bless,,,

- he just stands out by how pretty and tall he is

- he writes little notes about his clients, mostly positive ones with stars and hearts! Perhaps mostly about you

- the walls of his office are full of fun stuff, like globe, astrology maps of constellations, dreamcatchers, oil paintings, etc.

- "i... i cant believe i found a friend between humans... thank you."

----

Cam > Hush

Soothing Entity

- you dont know who he is, what he is, but he is following you for days like a lost cat. Something about you is... attracting him. He wants to be near you.

- he is always sitting in your window, watching, but never daring to take a step inside

- "what are you doing?" he finally asks, after days of just watching you.

- "you're always here. And im always waiting" but for what? You ask

- "i dont know, doctor." and he goes to rest.

- you believe thats not true and you might be right. He seems to be hiding.

- there are demons around your place, around Dahlia. It drives you insane. You feel afraid. What are even those guys doing here? You did nothing wrong, right?

- and with hush, it got worse...

- "please, dont be afraid of me, doctor. I'm here for you. Please, doctor."

(jax note: this one might be changed too)

----

Hush > Elliott

Unknown Dreamwalker

- you didnt have to do any of this. You could've just leave him there, you could've had a normal life. Normal in rubbish and loneliness, but...

- just look at him. He is not normal. He is a fucking... superhero?? Supervillain??

- "sunshine..." oh yeah and that dumb nickname. Better than a nightmare, but... why does he looks at you that way??

- "I'm grateful." yeah yeah

- apparently, those guys are from some department he escaped. He was always an orphan, somehow sneaked into a normal orphanage and got adopted, but a mess happened and now... You dont understand any of it

(jax note: i just didnt have more ideas but take it as Elliott being mysterious /j)

[shadowqueenjude]

elucien, feylin, neris headcanons that sound canon to you

OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS QUESTION!!!

Feylin: They were absolutely meant to be mates and endgame, idc what SJM says. She. Literally. Had. Tamlin. Claim. Her. On. Calanmai. When he was at his most feral. It's the same claiming shit she used in TOG!!! Plus Rhys had the perfect set up as villain before she retconned everything.

Feyre would struggle with coping with all the pressure of being a High Lord's consort, and although she loves Tamlin, part of the conflict in her character would involve resenting Tamlin for putting such pressure on her, particularly after UTM, and this brings her closer to Lucien, who acts as the mediator in most of their arguments (let's be fr he's the smartest of the trio).

Animals generally hate Feyre, and she wonders if the animals can somehow sense that she used to be a huntress. Extra annoyance happens because Tamlin is basically a Disney princess, all the baby animals crawl onto him and sleep on him. Of course, Feyre finds it super cute that Tamlin falls asleep with ducklings nestling in his hair. Who wouldn't? Neris: Eris's dogs are naughty af with him, but they loooove Nesta (more than Eris) and they obey her always. Eris is a little irritated at first, but then he's happy because he knows Nesta has had very little love in her life and he's glad that the dogs love her as much as he does. Also, Nesta and Eris get dragons because I said so.

Eris would make Nesta High Lady so fast, and I'm talking a REAL High Lady, not the bullshit Feyre is. Nesta is absolutely the dom in their relationship, we know Eris loves it.

Eris and Nesta are that hot mean couple everyone despises, yet they want to be them so bad (and fuck them too). Eris teaches Nesta how to use her magic, and Nesta's flames complement his; he can tolerate a lot of her power used on him because his own flame protects him.

Elucien: Elain is an absolute horn dog for Lucien. She avoids him because every time he walks into the room, she gets unbelievably horny. Especially because he almost always comes and serves cunt. Killing across a battlefield to get to her? 200/10 sexy. Discussing politics like a knowledgable man? Sooooo hot. Gifting her lovely pearls and gardening gloves, gifts very specific to her tastes??? Unbelievably sexy. How is he so hot and perfect? Elain NEEDS to jump his bones, she gets visions of them fucking all the time.

Elain is a healer, and her and Lucien together will heal Spring. Bonus points if Elain also has earth magic. A seer with healer and earth magic? Mystical witch frrrr.

Elain and Lucien will defeat Koschei, Beron will die in the next book, and the first Elucien babies will be pegasi. Elain and Lucien have twins, one boy and one girl.

[the-heartlines]

I’m going to binge your fics tonight. Is there any ones you’re super duper proud of that I should start with?

this is the sweetest ask ever! and oh me oh my am i ever proud of a lot of them :)))

one love, two mouths (rhaegon stuck in a blizzard the other with sober aegon and rhaenyra who abandoned him 5 years prior until their father's death brings them together after aegon goes to rehab to get clean...let's just say they deal with their issues together 😉😉😉) it's 13K and my fave fic i've written

suffocator (aegon fucks prisoner of war rhaenyra in front of her son's heads on pikes...and there is a brilliant twist in the end if i do say so myself) is my fave dd:dne fic i've written. i'm even thinking about writing a sequel to it 👁️🫦👁️!

hypnos (dd:dne—rhaegon au where stalker aegon kidnaps nyra) has a special place in my heart because it was the first true dd:dne fic i've ever written

cherry wine (dd:dne—sapphic rhaegon—rhaenyra gives her little sister wine and scissors her on her and daemon's kitchen counter top 😏)

dragon seer; seared by sunlight (helaemond) might be the most poetic and beautiful fic i've ever written. helaena decides to take her autonomy back and pay her little brother a divine visit.

golden and glorious dragonfire (dd:dne—rhaenyra survives sunfyre's fiery wrath and aegon becomes completely obsessed with her, threatening to maim/kill aegon the younger if she doesn't comply!)

naked and clean and bloodless again...and mine (dd:dne with somno—my first helaemond fic i ever wrote inspired by cesare x lucrezia'a final scene and line aemond drugs helaena and murders aegon next to her sleeping for then noncons her next to her husband's corpse covered in blood!)

who is the lamb? who is the knife? (dd:dne—rhaegon with older brother aegon and daemyra, ritualistic hunting au where rhaenyra comes of age and will be hunted to see who claims her as their sweet delicious spoils) very big brained of me i must say! i need to start chapter 2 aka the start of the hunt

my werewolf fics: the second son's curse (maegor x rhaena and helaemond—helaena finds a journal with accounts of the second son and his niece and decides to pull the same stint with another second son ;)...major flowers in the attic vibes with maegor x rhaena in this one!) and this flesh has needs (sapphic jacegan—cregan hunts her fair maiden under the light of the blood moon, seeking and smelling her blood, with a need to claim her as HERS.) these are my two most underrated fics in my opinion. and two im MOST proud of!

slivers of silver has my fave ships of hotd everrrr (sequel to one love, two mouths—rhaegon x helaemond with aegon fucking rhaenyra as she eats out hel while hel gives aemond a blowjob!)

tethered by bloodties (dd:dne—aemondhaera—aemond marries his niece jaehaera...helaemond crumbs as always and there is a sweet surprise twist that i was aching to reveal in the tags but i don't want to spoil!)

i'm your only saving grace in this colossal black (dubcon rhaenicent—queen rhaenyra gives her prisoner stepmother a bath and some other things hehe aka alicent in her queen in chains era)

devour her whole (dd:dne—uncle cregan with his niece jace—he corners her in the bathroom and finds out she's on her period...he's a nasty piece of work!)

WHEW this was a LOT but i'm proud of how far i've come as a writer fr fr! hopefully this helps!!!

[3collecurei]

Homestucktober 2023 (1-5)

1) Patron Troll

Seer gang rise up ✊🏽 (I'd done two classpect tests since 2012 and both times I was a Seer, my aspect just changed from Void to Doom which isn't a good sign lol...although the one I just tried from 4chan is telling me I'm a Page of Void now...I mean I'll take it because it's an aspect I've gotten before but I'm not really trying to be Jake or Tavros out here they both got so screwed over lol)

Anyway if she were my actual patron in a game session I'd be fucking terrified because of what she puts John and Dave through but also probably laughing my ass off at her antics and impressed by her intense sensing ability despite the blindness

2) Favorite Beta Kid

Dave Strider is much needed comedic relief in such a tragic tale and his ramblings are often as deeply philosophical as they are deeply ridiculous. I don't even have the right words to describe all this character has done for me. I'm in love with the Time aspect even though it's probably the last aspect I'd be assigned to because I think Time players have to deal with the multiplicity of the self the most out of everyone (except maybe Space players), and what a fucking difficult thing that must be. I will always wonder how he managed to spend IIRC weeks in the game whereas for everyone else it was just 24 hours (and of course Davesprite spending IIRC four months trying to fix his doomed session...my heart)

3) Favorite Beta Troll

(IIRC the beta trolls are technically the dancestors but I just call the original 12 the betas sometimes because they deal with the beta kids and we meet them first. Anyway)

Again I don't have words enough to describe what Karkat has done for me. Karkat rounding up and trying to lead eleven other insane motherfuckers and losing his cool often but almost always asserting, in his way, that it's because he deeply cares. You really see this in Act 6 Post Murderstuck when we find him in Openbound and he's obviously dealing with the weight of having failed at leadership so hard that over half of his teammates are dead. It probably took him a while of raging at how long the meteor trip would be (and upset Sollux didn't stay after "dying" in front of him again) before the sadness set in, but if there's one thing Karkat isn't, it's afraid of emotion. Also the PCG, CCG, FCG conversations remain some of my favorites in the entire canon, especially the one where FCG berates CCG for "wanting [Terezi] in every quadrant like a desperate fool." If there's one thing I can relate to about Karkat it's that I will also always read past me for filth even if it's hard. I use it as a form of self pruning and improvement and eventually I think FCG gets that too.

4) Favorite Alpha Kid

It was Dirk for a long time until maybe the last year or two, but I realized after re-reading the Epilogues that relating to him as much as I do is probably really bad lol, but Roxy was always a close second. Obsessed with the fact that the wild alcoholic, who one might think would be the worst team member because of that, instead sobers up and fully embodies John's role as the "friendleader" which is why I think they end up getting along so well. Despite the obstacles Roxy is full of love for their friends, and with friends like the people who they end up becoming in the Epilogues, you gotta hand it to them for their persistence. Considering that they were in a Void session their positivity throughout was pretty amazing to me, also shout out to them for fully embracing Calliope's skull appearance and finding them beautiful anyway. Alien love wins

5) Favorite Alpha Troll

Okay but can we talk about the fact that she ends up alive??? As a huge stan of hers since we started seeing her I was fucking living my best life lol I can't hate it whatsoever even though it was at John's expense 😭 Meenah's one of the most determined characters in the entire thing fr, she really said "fuck being dead for millions of years after isolating myself on the moon to avoid responsibility, now I want all the responsibility, all of it." Fully meets Karkat again in Candy and is like "lemme reverse what HIC did and use my ancient Queen powers to benefit the mutant," imo an incredible foil to her future self even though they're very much the same troll and speak pretty much exactly the same. Fish puns are hysterical to me most of the time, her unwavering dedication to the shtick 4x as hard as Feferi did it and editing/improving ones she doesn't like in the middle of her sentences 😂 I cosplayed as her at AX 2013 and had a blast, except for that Cronus cosplayer who tried to hit on me in character, I had no idea what to do lmao

[daz4i]

OKAY I'M DONE!!!!!!

this isn't every single character bc some i have a very shaky grasp on so i just skipped them

for some. i had a funny/angsty idea for an aspect and then went with it (for example: kouyou with light). there might be a better option but i like this one

i mostly used one blog for reference bc it has very convenient lists, but i tried to cross check with others as well jic

if you disagree with my takes that's perfectly fine 👍 i will admit i'm no expert on classpects lol and i encourage you to make your own post of this sort, if you'd like :)

if you wanna make art/fics/anything else inspired by any of these...... please tag me in it.......👀👉👈

that being said. here's my list of bsd classpects:

armed detective agency:

atsushi: page of breath

dazai: seer of void 

ranpo: heir of light

yosano: witch of life

kunikida: mage of time

kyouka: knight of space

kenji: sylph of hope

tanizaki: prince of mind

mafia:

akutagawa: maid of doom

chuuya: heir of blood

mori: rogue of life

kouyou: bard of light

higuchi: mage of heart

kajii: witch of mind

q: page of hope

odasaku: knight of space

decay of angels:

fyodor: bard of mind

nikolai: rogue of breath

sigma: page of blood

bram: mage of life

fukuchi: heir of time

chosen guild members bc i'm too lazy for everyone and idk enough about them:

francis: sylph of blood

poe: mage of mind

lucy: maid of space

hunting dogs:

tachihara: mage of blood

teruko: prince of life

jouno: sylph of rage

tecchou: heir of hope

others:

ango: maid of void

aya: witch of time

mushitarou: rogue of heart

bro the ada is the only one who has a chance of surviving this session fr

also if you're already here have some things that made me feel like i galaxy brained big time:

already posted abt it but, kyouka and odasaku being the same classpect (i knew i want them both to be space bc i thought it fit them and their vibe and patience. but then knight ended up being the best class option too. so)

jouno and tecchou being opposing aspects

^in turn, tecchou being the same aspect as kenji

kunikida and aya being the same aspect, and aya ending up a class that's considered "the same but stronger and more chaotic" than kunikida's

mori being a life player :) he's a doctor after all :)))) (tbh his personality fits a thief way more, but thieves are selfish while rogues work for the benefit of others. and i think that's a core thing about him. so!)

i had the doa trio's classpects locked and loaded in my brain for months now. i actually only made this list so i have an excuse to talk about them. i will not budge on these choices

ok that's it. if you wanna i can elaborate on specific choices but i'm way too lazy to explain every single one lol

[secondtolastfr]

AYE AYE I GOT QUESTIONS FOR YOUR LORE o7

what’s your favourite location in your lore (as big or small as you want) and what’s the story behind it (in-universe, out of universe, anything goes)?

if you shook up the magic system, in what way did you change it? if you didn’t, what’s a plotpoint that hinges on magic being used in a specific way?

also! your favourite dragon. Tell Me About Their Lore

OKAY THAT’S WHAT I GOT SO FAR FEEL FREE TO ELABORATE EVEN ON TANGENTS i love reading essayposts

AAAAA thank you so much for asking, I'm so excited to share!!

Favorite Location - The Cemetery of Restless Sleep In my lore this is basically the afterlife. There are two guardian deities: Dia, the Shepherd who finds lost souls and takes them to the Cemetery, and Zheng, the Exorcist who cleanses them of their torment. (Dia is the Skydancer and Zheng is the Wildclaw)

In-lore, these two were placed in charge of a museum full of stolen artifacts. Wryze (the first one) is a curator and researcher; Wynn (the second one) is an archaeologist. They were assigned the museum with the task of returning the artifacts to the places they were taken from, but they quickly realize that some of the artifacts contain curses, spirits, and souls.

This is how they meet Dia and Zheng, who ask them to find all the artifacts and release the spirits from their chains.

Magic System I kept the basic elemental magic that FR gives us, but I also added my own magic system. Basically, a person's magic manifests in a different part of the body, and that influences how they use the magic. There are five manifestations:

Blood - Magic in movement. Breath - Magic in transformation. Bone - Magic in fortification. Brain - Magic in comprehension. Break - Magic in sacrifice.

The first four are natural. Break is something that is achieved. A person changes themselves irreversibly and irreparably, and they exchange their first magic for Break. It's not always a bad thing, but because of the cost needed, it's highly taboo.

There are also four different classifications of magic users. Their profession is usually connected to their magic type.

Alchemists - Artificers, healers, etc. Usually Brain or Breath. Artist - Bards, painters, writers, dancers. Typically Breath or Blood. Oracle - Seers and speakers, usually Brain. Hunter - Soldiers, assassins, etc. Bone or Blood.

There are exceptions, like my girl Maelstrom who is a Blood Oracle, or Catcher and Ether who are Bone Medics:

Break users can do anything. Hyde started off as a Brain Alchemist and achieved Break in a scientific accident.

Ghosts and Gods operate on their own mysterious magic system, and there's a sylvan court of Veilspun that do their own thing, but these other magic systems aren't well known or documented.

Favorite Dragon: Eden

This was so hard a favorite, so I had to just pick one, haha. This is Eden, the adopted daughter of Maelstrom and Hyde. She's a gardener, but she's also the manifestation of the World-Consuming Flames. Basically she's prophesied to end the world.

Maelstrom is the one who saw the prophesy, and is struggling to come to terms with it. Hyde is convinced that Eden can fight the prophesy, or possibly even delay the end of the world for a few thousand more years. Maelstrom insists that fighting the prophesy will only bring it to fruition. (I love writing these two. I describe their dynamic as "never married, but definitely divorced" lmao.)

Eden also meets Twoface, the God of Infinite Eyes and Voices, and Hangman, the God of Eternal Chains and Threads. They ultimately convince her to end the world, so that it may rise from its own ashes and start anew.

Thank you so much for the questions! That was so much, but I hope you find it interesting.

[queewp]

I don't think you need to worry about the seers... They're apparently sleeping lol

That's is... huh, look at em go, they are sleeping loll

But omg, I was actually terrified at first, I'm fr surprised I'm doing so well-

[neverchecking]

Surprise~ I'm not dead!

With all these reverse adoptions, at least they all have some good mentors and models for when they become parents themselves. Several people have one (1) fear and that is the day when both Aaliyah and Tia learn how to do The Look. Not just their normal *Do. Not.* look but The Look.

(I like to think that Revali has no idea how he got adopted but one minute Teba is treating him with the respect deserving of a mighty Warrior/Champion, the next he's being dragged back to the house while Teba mutters about how he's getting too skinny and Saki will pluck him if Revali loses any more weight.)

There's just something about Dorephan specifically that I personally love. (He won't lie tho. Champ is definitely his fav and none of them can really begrudge the guy. I like to think that sometimes he and Champ go on like fun bonding fishing trips once Dorephan retires. But he still loves all his children, biological and feral Hylian/Sheikah, equally.)

(Muzu definately needs a vacation and his favourite is Tia only because she doesn't explicitly cause chaos every time she visits)

Speaking of parenting and pregnancy, you just know Sage is showing off those bitemarks. Those are Badges of Honor. His proof that Aaliyah chose him to be the father of her child. He is showing them off at every opportunity. Champ gets bitten once, but that was more of an attempt to actively bite his hand from poking her.

Champ is a bit bitter about Aaliyah being the favourite, but it's more Aaliyah is her favourite friend and he's happy Tia finally has someone that she doesn't have to be Queen or Seer or Mature Friend around. (He's still Tia's Link though and that's enough for him.) BUt he still won't listen to Tia's R-rated pining. Nothing is worth that mental image.

Also there is a word that describes what I was thinking about the actions of Tia's suitors and I finally remembered it. PROPRIETY! The Rules of PROPRIETY.

But yeah, the moment Tia gets her hands on those contraceptives, she's throwing those out of the window alongside some of her restraint. When she gets really frustrated (or a bit too tipsy), she's teaching Aaliyah a few things about being a goddess damn menace to society. Flirting, smooth lines, stealing scarves, casual touches, compliments, kisses. If there's a single thought in any of those boys heads by the time Tia's done, she considers it a failure.

She says as much to Aaliyah who just suffered through watching her steal First's scarf coyly with a promise to return it after her chat with the Sheikah and only if she get a kiss out of it.

Poor Cal interrupts one of those Tea Times and immediately leaves, blushing furiously. He had no idea Tia was interested in tying people up and had no idea Aaliyah was telling her about how flexible people could be. He cannot make eye contact with her at all. (Although what he did hear about Tia mentioning something about honey that sounded promising and maybe Aaliyah would like to try it?)

Surprise I'm not dead either!

Fr fr, yet they still end up feral assholes. everyone is counting down the DAYS until they announce a baby. That is a very valid fear to have bc...look at them yk? They can do it on the rare occasion but when they can do it consistently and constantly? When they master the "Mom Look"? It's all over for everyone.

(Revali has whiplash over what happened with how fast it went down. Like, they're at target practice one day and the next Teba is scolding him over not wearing the proper gear. Saki sends him with an extra lunch for Revali. And the next family dinner, Tulin is hauling his new uncle/older brother into the hut and plopping him down to the feral gremlins who just hit him with the "You too?")

I love Dorephan sm so I get it. (Everyone knows champ is the favorite non-bio kid and they just accept this. At this point, every race has a favorite. The Zora love champ, the Rito love Aaliyah, the Gerudo love Tia and the Gorons love Sage. fbifbi Dorephan and Champ go on all sorts of silly little adventures bc Champ gives him that ability to just...get that spark of life back, yk? He loves them all equally but he likes that funky one a lil more.)

(Muzu has grey scales bc the other three love taking the piss with him fr fr)

Sage wears every mark he gets from Aaliyah like it's a medal. Something that I've been playing with for a while is the fact that Sage has some bad self-doubt. Damn near crippling. Bc like, with the events of BotW and then TotK, I just know he's got some issues. So having someone who picks him over everyone, over and over and over again? He's doing everything to prove he is worthy of that choice. Those are his connection to her when she's not there. He's happy to be bitten because that means she's showing off who he belongs to and that he belongs to someone.

Champ has no such regards. He poked her again right after. That started a WWE match right then and there.

There's definitely a difference there bc while Champ is her person, Aaliyah is her best friend. Champ is still her knight to some degree so with other eyes there, they have to hold a bit of professionalism. But with Aaliyah she is held back by no rules. She knows when to step up and hold her own as a responsible adult. So Tia doesn't have to do it for her. (Above all else, he is her person. Something different. With a different role for him) He absolutely refuses to be there. He's so glad Aaliyah knows enough about fighting to be the guard there, bc he is not doing that to himself for all the rupees in the world.

that is a very good word and I totally agree

Aaliyah is both amused and also shocked bc where did this come from??? She's torn between laughing and using this for blackmail and crying bc ??? Aaliyah knows a few things okay. she fucks (Or she did at some point *cough ceres cough*). By the time Aaliyah returns to the castle with Tia, she's dropping her on Twilight and finding recluse in Sage's chest. If she takes a few tings Tia taught her that's no ones business but her own.

First is grinning like a madman and Aaliyah is counting his hours. If he wants to live, she won't be there to see the return of the scarf.

bfobf Cal doesn't interrupt, Champ sets him up. He's left a mess. Bc holy wow he did not need to know how Tia liked it. Although, he's a little more interested in how Aaliyah talks about what she likes <33 He's avoiding her eyes the entire time though.

(He's tryna slyly ask Sage if it's possible and Sage is standing there like 'tf you talking about?')

[thetrashbois]

PINNED UPDATED FINALLY

Hey! I'm Spooky! I'm 25 years old, and use she/they pronouns.

I've had this blog for a very long time but it's been very on and off being used, And yet I keep coming back 👉👉

This blog is my vibing place for my self shipping! This can go anywhere from just reblogging my blorbos, to me actually making stuff! Mainly art and writing!

This blog is 18+ only. No minors. I like to keep all my content for this on one blog so that includes more sinful content. Though it will be tagged accordingly if you don't wanna see it! (Tags at bottom!)

I tend to switch around a lot to different fandoms and interests. It's rare I'll stop liking a fandom or character though. I have many Blorbos and the number only grows uwu

I have a lot of mental health stuff going and self shipping is a big coping mechanism for me. ✌️

I'm a system! I don't really plan to talk about it much on this blog, but on the off chance it comes up I'll say it ™️

I have two amazing partners, @calamari-minecraft-corner and @angelover44 . ❤️

My main is @spooookyqueen, I follow from there!

I'm not gonna do a full DNI this time cause I don't have the braincells, and people don't always respect them anyway, but I will set a few ground rules.

Obviously any basic DNI stuff would apply.

I wanna keep discourse of any kind off here for the most part, it stresses me out and if im gonna talk about that sort of thing it would be on my main and not my self shipping blog.

For the most part everyone is welcome here, just don't be an ass or just straight up make me or anyone uncomfortable.

I do on occasion post darker topics here, especially given I like a lot of evil or fake characters. I don't not support anything of the sort irl. This obviously does not include the obvious no-nos.

Anything with dark content will be tagged accordingly. If anyone needs me to add more tags I will gladly do so. And if I forget, please don't hesitate to let me know. (Just don't be rude about it)

I can't promise any form of logic for when I post and what I post. My ADHD makes me a bit all over sometimes so there's no schedule or anything. Sometimes I might not post for a long time, it's really just up to what I see, feel up to.

Asks are always open! Just don't be rude or disrespectful is all I ask. I am just vibing here after all.

I'm not above blocking if y'all can't behave though.

I have many silly aus and such. Sometimes crossovers. What one with a small brain might call "cringe"

Jokes on your cringe culture is dead though and I killed it 💜

FR tho, Were all just having fun here 👉👉

Also sorry for any spelling/grammar issues on here or on any other post of mine, I struggle a lot sometimes with my ADHD since my brain tends to be faster than my hands. And if I don't type quick enough I tend to lose my thoughts

Main Tags I use below, Will add F/O Tags as I go ✌️

General Tags

#Cala my beloved Posts involving @calamari-minecraft-corner

#Katlyn my beloved Posts involved @angelover44

#Suggestive Not quite going into sexual territory but the implication is there

#Sinful Mature content, namely the sexual sort

#My Memes

#My Edits

#My Art

#My Writing

Blorbo Tags

#Wesker or #Albert Wesker Albert Wesker from the Resident Evil franchise & Dead By Daylight

#Eddie or #Eddie Gluskin Eddie Gluskin from Outlast: Whistleblower

#Darkiplier Darkiplier from Markiplier's Ego Videos (Or as I call them the Markiplier Cinematic Universe)

#Damien or #Mayor Damien Damien from Markiplier's Ego Videos (Or as I call them the Markiplier Cinematic Universe)

#Celine or #Seer Celine Celine from Markiplier's Ego Videos (Or as I call them the Markiplier Cinematic Universe)

#Astarion or #Astarion Ancunín Astarion from Baldur's Gate 3

#Gale or #Gale Dekarios Gale Dekarios from Baldur's Gate 3

#Raphael Raphael from Baldur's Gate 3

#Miguel or #Miguel O'Hara Miguel from the Spider-Verse Movies

#Spot, #The Spot, or #Johnathon Ohnn Johnathon Ohnn/The Spot from the Spider-Verse Movies

#Vox Vox From Hazbin Hotel

#Lucifer or #Lucifer Morningstar Lucifer from Hazbin Hotel

Will add more as I go, anyway, thanks for reading ✌️

[rwbyazre]

how would you rank dr watts faction from your least favorite to favorite members?

Obviously Watts is at the top, he's one of my favourites in the whole Salem faction overall and he easily gets top spot in this ranking too.

2# would be Carmine.

I love her design, I loved writing her personality and her character, especially her motivations in why she's working for someone like Merlot. She was undermined and underpaid in Atlas, even as a Huntress, and was suffocated in that environment so she left and became a trafficker. She's driven by money and I like that.

Carmine knows what she wants fr.

3# would be Merlot.

He's great, and I liked his potential in Grimm Eclipse, which is why I kept him for AZRE. Yeah, he could've been merged with Watts, but I like that there's so many pieces in Salem's arsenal. It makes it feel more lived in and expansive rather than just five council members and no one else.

But Merlot specifically is interesting in his views on Grimm and how unique that is. Others show interest like Watts with the Seer Grimm, but no one goes as far as Merlot and I think it just opens a lot of different storylines to go with.

4# would be Teumessian.

She doesn't have much going for her, which is why she's pretty low, but I think her friendship with Carmine is sweet and her design is really cute to me. She also isn't completely heartless, despite the fact that, no matter what she thinks, she will go through with evil acts for herself and the group.

When the trafficker group gets more in the sequel, I'll have more of an opinion on her.

5# and last would be Bertilak.

I don't... dislike him, but I'm not overtly fond of him either. He's just there, kinda like a boring Banesaw in his fighting and personality, and the longer I look at him, the more I just don't like his design.

A few things are positive, don't get me wrong. I do like that there's some form of a personality with his code and loyalty, even to people that he admits he doesn't trust or even particuarly like, but it's minimal and not enough to make me overly care.

[rosenecklaces]

Elain and Azriel for the ask game

Hii bestie tsm for the ask 💓

- For elain

First impression: she was just like me fr LMAO No but in all seriousness, I don't know if sjm intended to write a typical young girl with no job that just isn't fan of doing stuff but... that's me? I have getting better tho but when I started acotar almost two years ago I don't particularly hated her because I am just as lazy and kind of "in the clouds" ( tho we don't know if she and nesta took care of the house/cleaning so there's that)

Impression now: Azriel better square the fuck up or I make her my wife. I love the gradually little glimpses of who she is that we had been given, I am delighted by her grow and who she had become since the first book to acosf. I am glad I didn't gave up to read the rest of the series because GOD I needed an unapologetically soft and kind character that isn't a pushover and actually haves narrative relevance, is surprising to find (for me) esp. in a fantasy book series

Favorite moment: All? Lol genuinely practically all she does and says I'm like "yes queen get into it". But if I have to choose 100% the killing of hybern and "don't you touch my sister", the headache powder scene and the "come find me when you wish to begin" it was hot as hell + omg "and that makes him entitled of my attention?" The way I GASPED I was clapping and screaming like crazy I swear, also when she confronted lucien and called him out for his betrayal and left him GAGGED god I was smiling like crazy

Idea for a story: I'm into creepy shit and I think seer elain have potential for some spooky and gothic kind of stuff. "mother nature" elain is also an idea I'm interested in. Would love if she haves some weird extra connection to the cauldron/the mother too

Unpopular opinion: OH fuck I have a lot of those but gonna try keep it basic= She wouldn't have kids on her own but she would adopt, I see she+ az are more of the adopting side. She's morr chubby than her sisters and her arm are way stronger that you would think (this woman is a gardener full time c'mon) and I feel, in her mind, she is way more "rude" and the only think stopping her from insulting someone in their face is her self control and education, she is big lover of nature and animals but insects is a no no for her ( especially when they eat her flowers!) She likes parties and knowing new people but her social battery can get drained easily

Favorite relationship: Tamlain :)... could you imagine LOL, obviously elriel they are my 4 lifers. I also like some morlain and vasslain and casslain on the side,nice and cute. I like the archeron sisters messiness and their moments, little but good for my heart

Favorite headcanon: she's bi but tbh half the characters i like I see them as bi sowrry. I like the dusk theory a lot and I'll forever be a believer of it. I think her seer powers are just the tip of the iceberg and she actually haves mind powers (Jean Grey type of powerful) and I think she knows of her charms/how people views her and use it as an advantage she definetely could kill a person and get away with it ( gaslight gatekeep girlboss 💅)

- Azriel

F.I : 100% tought he was gonna be the typical "mysterious bad boy that doesn't give a shit and is cold as ice" I was so ready to ignore his ass, then he started to talk and do some stuff in his first pages and I was like "hmm, maybe your just like me fr.." and OH. MY .GOD I was RIGHT

I.N: He couldn't get over his crush of allegedly 500+ years? he didn't like to lost his breath in meaningless convos? he loves knifes and daggers and doesn't like to be touched by sweaty people? he hides his emotions because God forbid people realize you can FEEL? he's honest but also polite? his touch starved? like-, the online fandom tricked me... he isn't some sexy mysterious god he's just me but more baddass and a hot emo 🤷🏽‍♀️. He's everything to me now, he's like a brother to me he's my lost twin he's an emotional represed emo too weak for a woman's touch and I love him so much if sjm ruins him if someone speak ill of him if anything (more) bad happens to him I'm going to kill everyone in this room and then myself — I'm very normal about him yes.

F.M: as with elain love them all. In my top there's his moments with the archeron sisters, defending feyre and understanding nesta, the seeing and befriending elain slowly. The "im getting her back" whole scene, fucking hell that was awesome. carrying elain while injured and gotta ad the putting the necklace in elain, man's hands where SHAKING love that for him. Bonus the "I don't know what your talking about" to rhys when he knew damn well he catched him in the act, "what if the cauldron was wrong"+ knowing he would win in the BR, Slayyyyyyyyyyyy king

IFAS: hmm, gonna go with him finding his his step bros and killing them for what they did 🤷🏽‍♀️ give me vengeful azriel the bastards deserves it. As with elain, him as a high lord of dusk could be so nice. I also wish SJM didn't had ruined his+ rhys and cass relationship with the illyrians, she did awful making him hate his own people it could had been interesting exploring his illyrian blood more

Unpopular opinion: OH BOYYY AHAH. I don't believe he's a crazy sex casanova that had lovers left and right 24/7, just don't see him this much sex drived as cass/rhys, I do think he has various lovers but the number is exaggerated/no one really knows if those where different people or a same group he trust on. I REFUSE, you heard me, REFUSE to believe he has decades pining for Mor, that was 100% exaggerated and the way he felt for elain so naturally and kinda quick makes me think he has not being that crushing in mor for a good while (he also knew she likes women there's no way the spymaster couldn't know, of course he wouldn't tell anyone something so private of mor). He's older than cass and a little bit older than rhysand/same age (he gives me oldest daughter syndrome is all). For me shadowsinger is some kind of person that can literally heard and feel stuff others can't, I do think he can heard messages from the wind/any elements with vibration (like a BAT :) ) of course the shadows are a plus to detect stuff and protection but shadowsinger seems like a more highly sensorial power of a fae. He's an introvert and hate loudlyness ( sensible to big noises) except if is a family gathering

FAV.R: ELAINNN, elriel 4lifers friendship and romance and sluttyness in one package mwahh Delicious. I also like his dinamic with Cass and Rhys (AS BROTHERS AND BESTIES don't get it twisted), I kind of have a crackship of him and Varian yah, he seems like his type for some reason. I also think azriel could had a crush on Helion (well who wouldn't is the real question) and yeah bi azriel all the way idc

FAV.H: His shadows being from Hel and maybe he's connected to it so that's why they came to him ( maybe koschei knows and sees him as worth having by his side?). I like to think he is indeed into poetry, his mom likes it a lot and he picked it up from her, which gets me in the next point that is about him being a fae nerd lol, I feel he would had read a lot about bodies functions and anatomy for his torturer job, a lot about the other courts and stations, temperatures all that stuff, survival stuff for rough missions, how to cook without much resources, rosehall must be a place with a big garden so I love thinking he even gave elain advice when they talked about her plans, overall this guy reads a lot and loves to do so but mostly about practical stuff/poems and philosophy ( he's a workaholic but that's canon I think). I see him as more slim in body than cassian and rhys, kind of a little waist & big shoulders like rhysand but his arm and legs are more thick (since training) also larger, he's taller than Cass. I'm an azriel with big nose and curly emo haircut truther all the way. He doesn't know how to sing and haves a BIG sweet tooth

[lofi-hearts]

Every single time i see a post i want to reblog i check who it's from. And i swear every single time you reblogged it, like seriously are you stalking me?

Just kidding <3

But fr tho

Idk maybe I'm just that good.

Or someone you follow likes my posts and it's "based on your likes"

Or my posts are my equivalent of haruspicy. Idk I'm barely a seer.

[gmanwhore]

FR: how do you know i'm a girl???????? nah i am pulling your leg!! i know you and the blondie are privy to all the knowledges of my timeline

Yeah we are like. The knowers. Call me a Seer of Light the way I.

[its-stupidhours]

now i’m having brainrot (/pos) about fir and smantsprite^2 interacting and fir accidentally connecting to him through seer bullshittery and getting flashes of those memories of them together in other realities, and then they both just sit together in the quiet and go “huh” about this mutual tragedy that they can only sit on the edge of and never quite directly experience. maybe it would be like inheriting someone else’s grief, but only as an aftertaste. it’s melancholy in a strangely peaceful sort of way to think they could have been happy together, if things were different. but they aren’t different. they’re stuck with what they’ve got, and in that moment, both of them are content with knowing the other shares the knowledge of what could have been.

meanwhile, new universe tanner is like doing flips off a roof and yelling in the groupchat for someone to help him figure out how to alchemize a shrink gun so he can get wicked small like antman

(i was just curious one day if there was HaS fic. and now you infected me with smir. how dare you /lh)

noooo don't say that you're gonna make me wanna write shit /j/j rkvsjsv

(also yes YESSS join the dark side hehehehe) (Fr tho I think I kinda did that to myself too? bc like I wanted Smant fics so so bad but I felt weird writing smallcrow at the time (now that they're on speaking terms again I just might do a lil something... but who knows I digress) so I was like "ok who from the HaS gang has alright chemistry with him" so then smir was born and then I kept writing fics and by the second or third one I was like. oh no. I'm starting to do this unironically now aren't I dkgdjssg)