#IMPRESS YOUR SOVEREIGN!

[gloriousmonsters]

listened to most of The Art of War while hanging clothes at my job earlier and I'm going to just distill down the real advice for y'all without the twenty thousand similes and metaphors and such

Wars are expensive have them really fast

Don't kill your soldiers they need food and stuff

But sometimes put your soldiers into inescapable life or death situations because that's how you really get them to be workin' hard instead of hardly workin', y'know

Have more guys than the enemy and be smarter. The best way to win a war is to have every single favorable condition for winning a war. Hope that helps

DO NOT fight in a salt marsh

If your boss gives you a stupid order, don't follow that order

Be 15 min early to the battlefield

Attack the enemy's weak points. But also they might be faking weaknesses so don't attack if they seem weak. But attack their weak points. But also-

For the love of god don't let anyone read omens

[fashion-from-the-past]

Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, Comtesse Greffulhe (1860–1952) made this dress famous by posing in it for the photographer Nadar in 1896. The museum also possesses the photographs made at the time, in which the elegant countess opted for being photographed in back view so as to highlight the slimness of her waist: this close-fitting 'princess line' dress – there were no seams at waist level – and the sinuous lines of the lily plants accentuate the impression of tallness and slenderness.

One of the leading figures on the Paris social scene – not only for her rank and sovereign elegance, but also for her culture and intelligence – Comtesse Greffulhe was a significant source of inspiration for Marcel Proust, who used her as the model for the Duchesse de Guermantes in Remembrance of Things Past. She was also the cousin of Robert de Montesquiou, who drew on her for some of his poems, including a sonnet whose closing line Beau lis qui regardez avec vos pistils noirs ('Beautiful lilies gazing with your black pistils') doubtless refers to this dress. The bertha collar, whose original form was altered, certainly during its owner's lifetime, could be turned up to form bat's wings; a bat being Montesquiou's emblematic animal, making this a true dress-poem.

[tragedyofdevotion]

disregard

Yandere Neuvillette x reader

Mentions of torture and blackmailing

Implied nsfw, not explicit

I hate you.

I wish you died.

These are the words you swallow up everyday as you wake up and see him looking gently at you.

You ignored him and his damned lovesick gaze in favor of the more important task to do: to get out of bed.

Despite the impression he gave as a respectable gentleman, he was never restrained during his nightly routine with you, always leaving you bruised and tired and legs too weak to stand properly. After all, a dragon will remain a beast, an animal, no matter what kind of titles as he accumulated in living among humans, pretending among humans.

The Iudex, a beloved Chief Justice of the Fountaine, a symbol of Fairness.

Under his watch, no instances that might go against the ideal of the country is allowed.

But even before you personally knew him in this way, you could not understand the trust people had on him.

If he truly valued justice, will he allow the trials to be used as entertainment for the public as if it was some kind of theatrics?

Would your best friend's father be wrong accused and meet untimely death?

Would the true culprits behind your father's death be running amock while your best friend is trying the most that she could to prove her father's innocence?

No, they wouldn't.... if Neuvillette truly valued justice and tried to find the truth behind the incident like the blonde traveler who finally uncovered the real culprits of the incident.

You hated Neuvillette for pretending something he most certainly wasn't, a human with humanly emotions.

So, you were never a fan of his.

However, back then, you weren't fully aware of how much of injustice he was willing to commit to secure his lover treasure.

As you pull back the bed sheets and tried to get up, he offered to help you, like a lover facade he is dead set on continuing.

But you ignored him, and got up on your own wobbling and shaky.

Your body was littered by his artworks of kiss marks, bite marks and hand prints. But he admire them on you as if you are the goddess of beauty herself.

"Good morning, my love."

He said his voice sweet and sugary unlike the tone he made when declaring your lover guilty for a murder you were sure he never committed.

In exchange for securing your boyfriend a safe and peaceful life in meropide fortress, you had to jump into the jaws of the awaiting beast. (So, the rumors that the Index was good friends with the Duke were true. Or at least, they were close enough to be partners in crime in making your life miserable.)

You again ignored his voice and put on your dress to cover up your body from his disgusting gaze and walked into the bathroom.

You wonder if your best friend is still trying to find you. The poor girl has just lose her two most trusted subordinates. You want nothing more than to run to her and hug her tight to say that you are okay, you are fine, you are not going to leave her.

You felt arms around your waist, hugging you from behind. The person, predictably, was none other than your husband.

You pushed away his hand and continued washing your face.

In the mirror, you could see Neuvillette looking at your reflection with puppy eyes begging for an ounce of affection.

Oh, just how much you want to poke out those eyes with a knife.

But you refrained from actually doing it because

1. He is the Hydro Sovereign whose strength rival that of Archons so your attack would probably be ineffective.

2. If you so much as point anything sharp in his general direction, your boyfriend has to face the tortures that would make grown adults to faint just by hearing it.

(You once tried to attack Neuvillette using the power of your Anemo Vision but not only did it not work, the Duke made you watch your boyfriend being tortured in front of you.)

After freshing yourself up, you ate the breakfast as silently as the morning before.

If there was one good thing about Neuvillette, he has to go out for the whole day.

So, if only you endured the most agitating breakfast of him staring at you as you eat, you will have the monster out of the house.

"I will be going out. I will try to be home as soon as I can."

You opted out his voice and laid back down on your bed and pull up covers to get some sleep to compensate for the loss of it last night.

You heard him going out of the room to go to the court for whatever trials awaiting him.

It rains in Fountaine today, too.

[abbyfmc]

Yandere King! vs Yandere Emperor! x Empress! Reader Headcanons:

Warning: Mention of murder, kidnapping, harassment, possible abortion attempts, abuse, etc. Yanderes are NOT good couples in real life, and they should not follow these types of illegal practices either. This is only for 18+.

If you met the emperor first, it was probably when he was a prince and you were a princess.

If you met the king first, a similar case could have occurred where it was before inheriting the throne.

While the king is sovereign of simply a kingdom, the emperor is sovereign and full governor of an empire that may be made up of several towns or kingdoms.

On the one hand, the yandere king would only have you as his wife and queen; while the emperor, although he has you as his empress (and therefore, his main wife) would have to be in charge of ruling the imperial harem and fighting against probably palace intrigues.

The yandere king tries to impress you in every way possible because he KNOWS that the emperor is far superior to him in both status and economic, political, social and military power.

What they both have in common is that they DO NOT take no for an answer.

Are you in love with someone else?, both the emperor and the king will pursue they and do everything possible to make they disappear.

If your parents had plans to marry you to the yandere king, the emperor could meet with them and try to convince them that he, having a higher status, is a better choice for you.

If your parents had plans to marry you to the emperor, then the yandere king would do everything he could to make or force your parents to change their minds.

If you marry the king: 10.1 -While the king will be happy to have you, the emperor is devising a plan to invade that kingdom, take ownership of it (if he has not done so before) and in the process kidnap you and take you to his imperial palace. 10.2 -The king, on the other hand, will do his best to keep you out of the sight of the yandere emperor. 10.3 -Once the Yandere Emperor manages to invade the Yandere King's kingdom, he will capture him while he will kidnap you in his palace and force you to be his as he always wanted.

If you marry the emperor: 11.1 -You would be his empress, consort, concubine or even his noble lady. 11.2 -You would have your own mini palace. 11.3 -If you are an empress (which is most likely), you would be highly respected by everyone. 11.4 -During your coronation, the yandere king will have watched you from a distance. He would see how beautiful you were, but with the pain that you were not marrying him, but his enemy. 11.5 -The yandere emperor would take you on a trip to all the towns, kingdoms and tribes that he has in his power. 11.6 -The yandere king upon seeing you would be obliged to greet you like --Greetings to your majesty-- for the yandere emperor, and for you it would be :--Greetings to your highness the empress-- followed by kneeling before you as a way of reverence.

If you get pregnant, regardless of the biological father, the opposing yandere will not like it at all and could very well make you "accidentally" abort. The opposing yandere would even be able to forcibly make you pregnant.

Yes, they would probably be capable of ab#sing you, since they think that only they can be the parents of your children.

In the case of the yandere emperor, if the king dares to curse you for not being his and even try to force himself on you, the emperor could punish him by capturing him, taking away his kingdom and possessions as well as cutting or burning his tongue.

If this is the case of the yandere king, he could declare war on the emperor in your honor, and if he ends up losing, he would flee with you to any unknown place.

Divorce is not an option.

Trying to escape either.

If they know that you love someone else, both of you would be able to kill that someone in any case.

If a yandere found out that you received gifts from the opposing yandere or someone else that they didn't authorize, they would make you throw it away or throw it away themselves.

They would both appreciate any kind of gifts you give them.

A kind smile from you and affectionate words will be enough to make them smile and blush.

They would both protect and care for you. They would also appreciate any kind of care you give them, whether they are sick or not.

[maple-the-awesome]

The Chain Meets You, His Partner || 2/3

Part 1 || Part 3

Pairing: Hyrule, Sky, Wind x GN! Reader

Requested by @temporarilyablog: i see requests are open still so im coming to you with a thought i had recently:how about a Link from the Chain interacting with the reader, another Link's s/o from their original adventures, when *their* Link isn't around. i can see some teasing another Link with the reader that they've only known through little stories here and here, or others grilling the reader relentlessly because another Link was so shy about their relationship and partner, and wants to know how that Link is like around someone he allows himself to relax.its kinda like when the Chain met Malon for the first time and interacted with her for stories about old man Timeand as always stay awesome, i love your writing!

Zelda Masterlist 💙Fandom Masterlist

Concerningly delighted or eerily eager - the Chain can’t quite agree on which descriptor best described their teammate the best once he realized they had all landed in his Hyrule. Bubbling with excitement ever since while maintaining a pace some of the other boys have to jog after, Link doesn’t waste breath saying where he’s leading them, although that giddy smile upon his face - as much as he tries to hide it - is plenty for the wiser heroes to get the hint…

Hyrule's time is 'rough around the edges', to put it easily, not that it can't be expected considering all the stories he's rather casually told the others about regarding both his world and adventures. Even the Kingdom's Castle - usually a centerpiece to the land - is beaten down and, in most aspects, less...impressive compared to what most of the heroes are accustomed to seeing, although for a simple traveler like Hyrule, it still holds quite a bit of significance.

"I just want to speak to the Sovereign before we move on - to let them know why I've been away," He rambles his explanation to the Chain, his outward emotions suddenly undergoing yet another change. His once untroubled smile becomes wary, his hands unstill as he fidgets with his sleeves. That prior excitement he had held when first suggesting they even go to the Castle has now turned into what the other heroes misjudge to be poorly hidden nerves, "I don't want them to be left assuming I'm dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Makes sense," Warrior nods, keeping a careful eye on Hyrule's behavior. Being a captain in charge of so many, he can spot a shift in confidence from a mile away, "You have been gone for a while."

"We're not going to be - I don't know - arrested on the spot or anything, right?" Legend asks, his focus more on the guards who maintain obvious glaring suspicions towards the group despite allowing them inside once confirming their famed hero's identity. 

"Why would we be arrested?"

"You mentioned how much of a hardass your Sovereign can be," The Vet clarifies with a casual shrug, "And a paranoid one, too, if these guards leave anything to the imagination. Leaders like that don't usually need much reason to throw someone in a dungeon. Nine random heroes showing up while claiming to be from different timelines, all chasing some shadow lizard through magic portals? We'll sound insane."

Hyrule frowns and maybe even takes some offense to Legend's observations which is why his rebuttal is so swift, "They -...They aren't like that! The previous King died suddenly. They were forced to take on the throne without much notice and at a young age, too! After everything Ganon put this kingdom through - Of course they're going to be paranoid, but they're reasonable and fair. There's nothing to worry about. Besides, we don't have to mention the exact reasoning for our meeting. I just...I would just like to see them while I can…"

The red on Hyrule's cheeks would've no doubt been noticed if not for the Chain's collective attention being stolen elsewhere, focused upon a pair of large doors that open into the Castle's throne room. Inside, a series of guards line the walls and at the opposite end sits the very subject of their conversation.

Your expression is stern and cold as you sit upon your claim dressed in expensive, colorful garments fitting for a proper monarch of your time. The golden crown upon your head shimmers in torch light, yet its glow is quickly outshined by your eyes which go wide with delight once you recognize your hero amongst this crowd of ragtag travelers. 

"Link…!" In an instant, you rise, your smile as grand as your divine beauty. Whether you gracefully walk or float down the stairs, there would be no visual difference. What is true is that you meet Hyrule at the bottom of those four measly steps, welcoming him with a strong embrace he's eager to return.

"...Your Majesty..." He doesn't realize just how quiet his voice is, whispered beside your ear as he forgets about the world while in your arms again. Oh, how he's missed this feeling!

The Chain is left in awe - No, it would be more accurate to say they're completely dumbfounded. Hyrule has always spoken favorably about the Royal Family of his time, tying especially pleasant compliments to the kingdom’s head. As stern as he admits you can appear, only good things have been attached to your name from your wise leadership to the love you hold towards your people, however not once - not a single murmur or breath - had ever dared mention your very apparent fondness for each other which certainly goes beyond the ordinary relationship of a monarch and their realm’s savior.

Even after your embrace, it's obvious that you hold nothing except the greatest of affections towards your hero. You look at him as if he's the sun that gives your kingdom life; the courage that keeps you going despite such challenging times. Hyrule's, of course, no better when it comes to you. It's not until now that his friend's realize they're previous mistake in assuming he was afraid to see you. No, that wasn't fear before, it was shyness. The thought of you had him feeling both delighted and sheepish. Now that he's here, though, his grin is uncontrollable. 

"Your Majesty, I'd like to meet the friends I've been traveling with -"

"- A Sovereign?! You're dating the freaking Sovereign and you didn't think to mention that small detail earlier?!" Legend suddenly shouts, demolishing the silence that had befallen the Chain.

He can’t help it! He feels utterly scammed! Hyrule had told everyone a great deal about his kingdom’s Sovereign, yet had only confessed to his predecessor during a late night heart-to-heart that he holds deep feelings towards a mysterious someone back home; someone he fears telling of his secret endearment. Not once - Not a single damn time - had he so much as let on that they’re the same person!

Legend isn’t sure what strikes his nerves more: the fact that Hyrule would be dumb enough not to add the important context that it’s royalty he’s in love with or that he’s dense enough to somehow believe you don’t love him back despite it being clear you’re totally whipped for him! Is he blind? Completely and utterly dull in the brain?!

Poor Hyrule's whole face explodes in red after Legend's outburst, and his condition is made no better when the others add in their own comments to this already awkward situation.

"Now it makes sense why you wanted to come here so badly," Wild nods in understanding, having previously been confused as to why Hyrule would care to go out of his way to let the royal family know of his whereabouts if he had no ties to them.

"To think our humble traveler could land a monarch. I mean, good for you and all," Warrior crosses his arms with a smirk, hoping to mask his slight jealousy.

The Traveler is left stammering for a response, finding himself suddenly overwhelmed.

"‘Dating’? Well, this is certainly news to me," You frown with a hand placed delicately above your heart. Turning to your hero, you can only look betrayed, "Link, I would've hoped you'd tell me. I could've cleared more of my schedule to be with you in that case."

"E-EH?!"

"And all those suitors the advisors have been arranging - I’ll have to tell them to abandon their efforts! Excellent, seeing as I didn’t truly care for their match-making attempts,” You huff, not giving Hyrule anytime to explain himself as you get right to business, waving your maid over to make a note, “But that should free up a considerable amount of my time…Will you and your friends be staying long? I can have the kitchen staff whip up a nice feast for later if you do.”

“Um -”

“- Can we?! My feet are aching!” Wind whines, practically deflating on the spot. The only thing holding him up is Warrior who scowls at his poor manners and forces him to stand upright.

Time is quick to step in front of the group and bow, hoping you dismiss their lack of grace, “If you don’t mind, Your Majesty. We wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Not at all. It isn't often that we receive guests. I’ll have word sent to the kitchen right away. In the meantime, Lady Impa here can show you to a room where you may rest,” You finish writing on the paper she holds, allowing her to take both the paper and quill before once again giving your full attention to the travelers, “I have a meeting with the Zora Queen in precisely ten minutes, but following that the rest of my afternoon should be clear.”

You then face Hyrule, smirking at his flustered state, “Once that meeting is over, my time is yours, Link, if you wish to fill me in on your recent endeavors. I must say, I’m particularly interested in learning just how long we’ve supposedly been dating for.”

“...R - Right…Of course…” The poor boy squeaks, unable to process many thoughts beyond the feeling of his face overheating when you press a quick kiss to his cheek before leaving the room with your guards. Even the weight of Legend’s arm over his shoulder is barely enough to break him from his trance when the past hero leans in with a smug whisper:

“You’re welcome, buddy.”

From the moment he first stepped through that last portal, Sky has been radiating with pure glee. Anyone could understand why. He’s finally returned to Skyloft, a place he’s been missing so dearly ever since the start of this adventure months ago. Of course, home isn’t the only thing he’s been dying to be apart from.

Most of the other Links have long taken notice to Sky’s heartache which has been poorly hidden behind dreary melodies played on his harp and heaps of carved projects to distract from lonesome silence; somebody’s been on his mind, their absences from his life slowly driving him insane despite his efforts to remain focused.

That said, it’s no wonder that Sky is excited to be home again, moving at a hasty pace some assumed he’d be incapable of. Even the jolly greetings and curious questions from locals don’t slow him down much, his steps swift in bringing him to the doorstep of a brightly colored home no different from the many others that surround it, but it’s still special for what it holds inside.

There’s a short internal debate to be seen on Sky’s face - one where he hesitates to open the door because wouldn’t that be rude to simply invite himself into someone else’s house unannounced? Then again, it’s not like proper manners have ever stopped him before, and they won’t start today. He decides to impatiently let himself in. Forgiveness can be sought after later.

Every ache of his travel-worn body and each gloomy thought surrounding his collective adventures melt away like magic by the mere sight of you. You must’ve just been about to leave - that or you recently arrived home, because you’re still in your knight’s uniform, caught mid-adjusting your belt when you look up at the man standing in your doorway.

Surprised for sure, yet it’s also a welcomed feeling when you rush to meet your lover half-way. There’s no words for the amount of joy you feel in holding him tight, possibly even shedding a few tears as he decorates your face in dozens of butterfly kisses, one for each second he’s thought of you while apart.

It takes some time and a loud clearing of someone’s throat for the Hero of Sky to remember his companions who all wait awkwardly around the doorway. Even when snapped out of his trance, he’s still grinning ear-to-ear like a lovestruck fool, his arm unmoving from where it remains wrapped around your waist as he introduces you.

Needless to say, it’s nice to finally be able to put a face to the name sighed so often. You’re sociable and polite, yet if that sword upon your back is any indication, you must be a strong fighter to have secured yourself a position amongst the knights of Skyloft.

To the Chain’s luck, it turns out you had just arrived home which grants them plenty of time to bend your ear. They have lots of questions, their curiosity only being natural since your place on the timeline is so different from their own. They ask about your life in the clouds, job as a knight, and most importantly, your relationship with Sky who’s thrilled to expand upon such a wonderful topic himself by sharing his own honored memories.

“‘seems our Skylofian here is truly whipped,” Twilight chuckles at the end of Sky’s latest story, although truthfully he’s starting to have trouble hiding his boredom. 

At this point, Sky’s been rambling about his affections towards you for well over an hour, sparing no detail from your first meeting as children to practically each and every date you’ve shared since becoming more than friends. As happy as the boys are for him - truly, they are - they do have their limits for how much lovey-dovey they can take in one day. Legend in particular looks like he’s seconds away from banging his head against the table.

“I am~” Sky exhales lovingly while staring at you with hearts in his eyes. You find his attention endearing and give his hand a squeeze as it sits intertwined with yours on your lap.

“So, when’s the wedding?” Time queries, half-teasing and half-genuine.

“Oh, I don’t know…” You scratch the back of your head bashfully, but when your attention falls back to Sky, you find him still staring at you, this time with a pout no different from a baby remlit’s. Rolling your eyes, you lean into him with a dramatized sigh, “He’d have to ask me first, but I’m hoping being around you eight will give him the courage to do so soon. We’re only getting older, after all.”

“Why drag your feet? You’re clearly in love.”

“You’ve got a willin’ partner right here. No need to hesitate.”

“You know, we’ve passed a few merchants who sell rings during our journey.”

“Yeah, cheaply made ones. If you want something fancy, Castle Town is the place to go.”

“Not too fancy. A simple yet well-thought out gesture can go a long way.”

“A strong protection spell wouldn’t hurt, though.”

“I know a Gerudo who handcrafts the most beautiful jewelry. If we end up in my Hyrule, I could introduce you.”

“Oh, or Tetra’s crew has a TON of jewelry! Maybe you can find a nice ring in their stash?”

Sky laughs awkwardly as the other heroes suddenly bombard him with their ‘helpful’ suggestions, chattering away as they begin putting together the pieces for a proper proposal. When he glances your way, you’re not-so-subtly hiding your amused smile behind your hand, clearly looking forward to whatever plan they end up holding him to later. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait long to find out.

Wind’s destination isn’t too far from the last portal opened which is good because the others have a hard time keeping up with the younger boy who effortlessly dashes across the deep sand-covered beach, heading directly to one of the few huts on this small island they’ve found themselves on.

He doesn’t wait for his companions to catch up. He might not have even noticed they fell behind. His focus is primarily on reaching home, practically overboiling with excitement at the prospect of seeing his family again. It’s always a relief for his dear grandmother to see him safe, shedding many tears as she hugs her grandson with a grip unthought of for a little old woman. 

Wind’s grandmother has a list of questions she asks at the speed of light which must not be unusual seeing as he answers each just as skillfully, telling her where he’s been, who he’s been with, and confirming that yes, he’s well fed. Of course, it’s only natural that the same questions are also asked of each and every hero who steps through her front door, after all, curiosity is second only to her naturally nurturing spirit. Who cares how old some of them are? No matter the age, they’re no different than her grandson in her eyes!

A sudden shrill of jubilation scares the group half to death mere milliseconds before a small girl comes racing through the front door, leaping into her older brother’s arms with similar cries about how much she’s missed him. She’s followed by another adult who’s much calmer in their approach, yet nevertheless gleefully smiling as they eagerly accept their turn in hugging the teen while welcoming him home.

You attend to Wind tenderly, quickly pulling away from the hug to check over his face and account for any new scars. Your hand then lingers on his cheek as you sigh at his smiled reassurances, looking down upon him with an amount of love and care not too far off from how his own grandmother had.

It’s only after ensuring his well-being that you address his traveling companions. You’re barely fazed by the large group when you introduce yourself, having become accustomed to Wind’s strange ability to make friends with almost anyone during his adventures. They seem to be a bunch of respectable young men, anyway, judging on their politeness, and as you tell them, friends of Wind’s are always welcomed.

After introductions - which are short seeing as most in this room share the same name - Wind’s grandmother suggests a tour be given to your visitors. Being such a small community on a more lonesome edge of the map, newcomers are rare, so Wind and Aryall immediately leap at the chance to show their new friends around the island that they love. Who would you be to deny their adorable puppy-dog eyes?

Realistically, there isn’t that much to see aside from a few landmarks, interesting locals, and a population of chubby pigs, however if there’s any benefit to being surrounded by an ocean, it’s that there’s lots of good places to swim and seeing as most of the Links are long overdue for some quality time spent as normal teenagers, they’re happy for the break. 

Most of the boys partake in jumping from the rocks to see who can create the biggest splash, although Legend and Sky favor staying on land to help Aryall build a sandcastle for her seagull friends. You, meanwhile, relax in the sun, keeping a careful eye on all activities which has simply become second nature to you at this point. While Wind may be a fourteen-year-old who has sailed across the entire ocean, you don’t think you’ll ever stop worrying for his safety.

“Those kids seem rather fond of you.”

You glance up to the oldest Link of the group - you believe you heard the other’s refer to him as ‘Time’ - as he invites himself to sit next to you in the sand. Despite several pleas for the other boys, he had turned down their attempts at getting him in the water. Maybe for the best, since they’re now starting to toss each other off the rocks.

“I would hope so. I’ve known them both since before they could walk.”

“I take it you’re their guardian?”

Humming at his observation, you turn back to watch the younger kids and teens, “...People on our island have always kept an eye out for each other, but…Well, when Link and Aryall’s parents passed, I guess you could say I felt extra inclined to help. 

“I don’t have any family of my own here and there’s only so much their poor grandma can do at her age. Unfortunately, keeping up with two lively kids can be a struggle for her, so I’ve done what I can to remove some of that stress from her shoulders. With no kids of my own, I have the time and quite frankly, I enjoy the opportunity to feel…-”

“- To feel like a parent?”

“...Yeah…” You frown, pulling your knees to your chest with a sigh, “Of course, I don’t go around calling myself that. I wouldn’t want to overstep any boundaries, you know? Especially not for Link. Aryall - She was so young when they lost their parents, so I think it’s always been easier for her to see me as fitting the role, but Link…He was five. He still remembers them, so I doubt he’ll ever exactly see me as any kind of replacement.” 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Time objects kindly, following your gaze out to where Wind fights to wiggle himself out of Warrior’s grip. Seconds before he can be pushed off the rock, Wild and Twilight come up behind the two, shoving Warrior overboard just as Wind slips away, “I suppose I can’t speak directly for him, but I can say he refers to you as his parent quite frequently around us.”

“...Does he?” You blink in surprise. Wind’s never said anything in particular that would make you think he sees you in that light, but now that you think about it, when you first met Tetra, she referred to you as Wind’s parent, too. Did she say it out of mistaken observation like you assumed then or because Wind told her?

“From the sounds of it, you’ve made quite the impact on his life, one he admires greatly.”

You once again look back to the group, catching Wind’s eyes. He perks up, immediately waving as he shouts for you ‘Watch this!’ before running and leaping into the water with a giant cannonball and nearly on top of Warrior’s head much to the older boy’s annoyance. Once resurfacing, he searches for your attention and beams when he finds your proud smile reflecting back at him.

You’re thankful that he becomes distracted by the other boys jumping in, because as soon as he looks away, you can feel yourself becoming teary eyed. Perhaps you’ve been overthinking things this entire time. You were so focused on giving him space and not forcing a relationship that you failed to pick up on the little signs that he’s already accepted you. Wind has always been close to you, never shying away from hugs after his adventures while always seeking both your attention and approval; something he only does with his family.

[boundinparchment]

Cry Like Rain

Neuvillette carries a heavy burden; you remind your husband he isn’t alone.

Gender neutral reader • Comfort • Drabble • Special thanks to the mutuals on this one 🫶 • Reblogs are greatly appreciated and encouraged.

On AO3 here (must have account to view)

It was instinct now, to reach up and catch the first drop before the tear grew too big.

Your husband, for all his fronts and stoic demeanor, felt everything from the water slowly swallowing the nation. A burden of his Hydro affinity as the land’s Sovereign. One so heavy that you were never under any impressions you could ever truly comprehend it in quite the same way.

The people of Fontaine experienced the rain. Just a change of weather.

For you, it was the way he grew quiet. Absorbed his feelings via osmosis, as if they were nothing more than molecules passing through. His eyes were distant and his touch was distracted, his mind long gone on trying to make sense of how the way justice was enacted was just.

How was any of this sustainable?

Gently, you cradled Neuvillette’s face in your hands, your thumbs wiping away more stray tears. Anyone who claimed his stoicism was apathy had no idea how truly in-tune their Chief Justice was to the world around him. You waited until his silver eyes fell on you and recognition passed over his features.

“I’m—“

Your lips brushed the tip of his nose.

“Do not apologize to me, mon amour,” you whispered. “What you do every day is the hardest work of all.”

One hand left his cheek to stroke his hair and smooth a blue horn gently. Neuvillette complied when you gently turned his head and kissed the tips of his ears. You heard a low rumble from his chest as you moved on to his forehead, his temples, his cheeks.

“You do so much for Fontaine, so magnanimously. Everyone, including me, is so grateful for you.”

Rain pelted the windows of your bedroom harder for a moment before he faced you again you kissed him, fully. The din tapered off as the last few droplets fell outside.

“And I will tell you as much every time you need to hear it, Neuvi.”

For the first time that might, the fog lifted, and your husband smiled softly.

“Thank you, mon couer.”

[pursuitseternal]

“Rescue Me:” Risk, nsfw Romance, and sub!Ascended Astarion update for “The Rogue You Were”

Ascended Astarion x F!Reader | E | 4.2K rescue and nsfw reward

Summary: just a harmless hunt turns dangerous, an old threat from your Tadpole days resurfaces. Once your love has you rescued, you reward him handsomely for the effort.

CW: Canon-typical violence, bloodshed, Vampire Bride powers homebrew, protective Astarion, soft sub/dom dynamics, Sub!AA, outdoor sex, praise kink

My bloody Valentine for @marimosalad , @myfavouritelunatic

Ao3 Link | Astarion Fic Masterlist

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

The world is a wash of colors, a bouquet of scents, now that you step into it with all your vampiric powers. The forests around the city are colored as the trees begin to turn, reds like his eyes and golds like the treasure you’ve amassed as sovereigns. And your limbs are alive as you bolt under those trees. Reithwith is far behind you, the forests and wilds ahead. The only thing faster in the world rushes at your side

Astarion. Hair whipping wildly in the wind, eyes narrowed as he runs. Mouth grinning like a fool so wide, his pointy fangs peek from his lip.

You feel the same too. Alive. Powerful. The rush of speed and thrum of your vampiric vigor, it intoxicates you. Powerful. Like nothing can touch you.

“Bet I find and kill a bigger animal than you, my love…” you taunt right into his mind.

“Oh my dear, I’d like to see you try…” he pants with open mouth as he purrs back into your thoughts. “Nothing so delicious out here in these woods than me, my pet.”

“True…” you flash him an image of your razor-like fangs biting him all over… his neck, his thigh… that sweet, filled out swell of his own ass cheek, your hand fondling his balls from behind…

He nearly stumbles over the roots of some great oak at that. Regaining his sure footing just in time. “Tempting… but I’ll enjoy my spoils so much more by winning this little hunt you suggested, darling.” He slows a bit until you’ve caught up, until your shoulders bump as you keep in stride through the forest undergrowth. Even as it’s dying.

You toss your head, hair streaming from your face as you flash him your own fanged smile. “To the winner goes the spoils, then….” You give a giddy laugh before darting into the forest away from him and out of his sight….

It’s only after you’ve fallen a stag, feasting on its warm blood, that you realize someone stands behind you. Before plain lances throught the back of your head.

Before the world goes dark.

The forest has grown dark by the time you open your eyes, your head swims. Whatever they smacked you with, it left no lingering damage, not with your vampiric powers. Not when you have his blood in your veins. Slowly the world comes into focus, and you know you’re not alone. Three large male Drows stand guard over you, their armor thick and their eyes intense.

“Oh good, you’re awake.”

That voice. A female crosses towards you, her own armor dark like night, her red eyes shining as she scans you, bound with your legs together under you, your arms behind your back. The chains around your wrists and ankles sting, but it’s her gaze that makes you disgusted and slightly nervous. Those eyes flash between your mouth and your neck.

She wants your bite. And your blood.

“Araj…” you growl.

“I’m glad I made such an impression on you and your lord that I haven’t been forgotten.” She looks down at you, closing in on where you’re bound. Every urge in your body hums to life, you strain at your bonds, but they burn your skin the more you struggle.

“You know, he will kill you when he finds you,” you hiss, “Lord Astarion wouldn’t deign to drink from you, but he will enjoy spilling your every last drop.”

Araj laughs as she crouches next to you, “I should hope he tries, little consort. I cannot wait to study your blood. You little spawn, how does it feel when he compels you?” She runs a finger up the side of your neck, you pant as she touches you, you flinch. She is repulsive, her finger on your skin an insult to Astarion’s greatest creation. She strokes where your own two bite mark scars dip your flesh. “Does he drink from you nightly? Make you do all sorts of exotic and rigorous things, that Vampire Ascendant?”

Fangs bared, you hiss in her face. “You dare to touch what is his…” your mind spins, suddenly flooded with a surge of power. A warmth races down your spine and into your limbs. It makes you bold. It makes you laugh. “He is coming, you vermin. And he does not like having his things taken….”

Araj gives a nod to her soldiers, they draw their blades and fan out into the dark. She laughs, cackles more like. “Oh, imagine if I captured the Ascendant and his consort… if I had their blood to play with… their teeth to satisfy my dreams and curiosity…. You should have killed me when you had the chance instead of leaving me unconscious.”

Your voice shifts in your throat, you can feel him whisper in your mind. “Your hero is coming. I’ll be there soon, my lady….” You take a sigh of relief, feeling his haste, drinking in the wave of his rage as if it can nourish you.

And then, you speak, his voice in your mouth, his silken tones on your tongue. “I’m rather glad I did leave you… it will be far more satisfying to end you slowly now for what you have done… darling….”

Araj freezes at the sound of his voice. Eyes wide and frightened as she watches his power possess you. His power caresses your body, giving you a lasting sense of comfort. And you give the Drow a wicked smile. “We are going to love punishing you.”

The dark glade you’re in is suddenly filled with the sounds of bones crunching and blood spattering on the ground. One body… two… three bodies hit the dirt with a crunch. And Araj draws a little dagger. You laugh, your own sweet tones on your tongue again. “Oh yes, little prey, pull out your claws. Won’t stop you….”

“…from being devoured….” That low, velvety male voice caresses up your spine, his footsteps landing behind you.

Your hero, your lovey villain. Your master and mate. He touches the top of your head briefly, assuring you of his protection and presence.

Astarion’s hands pull your bonds apart. That roguish dexterity never leaving his beautiful fingers, the silver chains coming apart like butter in his grip. And even as you hear the little hiss of its power burning his skin, he gives no hint of pain.

Flinging the chains aside, he lifts you to your feet, steadying you, as if you weigh nothing to him.

The Drow’s eyes are wide, the red of her irises shaking up and down in her fear. Astarion growls, his twin daggers pulled from behind his back swiftly. You have seen it countless times. A chilling laugh comes from his mouth. “You really should have brought an army if you planned to touch what is mine… if you planned to take what is precious to me.”

“How else was I…” she tries to back away, stepping with a sickening crunch on the bones of one of her guards.

“What… darling? Fulfill your twisted little fantasy? Or find a way to sate your death wish?” he chuckles, his daggers twirling so beautifully, so gracefully in his long and bloodied fingers. “It took me all but a moment to rip all three to shreds… and you,” he points his dagger at her quivering form, head held high and shoulders squared, bloodied mouth ginning wide in the moonlight. “You’ll I’ll take my time with, darling. For what you tried to rob me of, my Consort, my Bride, there is no punishment fit enough for your crime, if I am any judge.” Another roll of dark laughter. “Which I was once, but now…” he closes in on Araj, feline and fast, “I’m your executioner.”

You watch, your stomach turning sour at the smell of her fetid blood. He’s so graceful, the way his body moves as he fights, not really a fight. It’s a dance, his movements fatal and swift, his little noises of effort punctuating the silent forest.

You draw closer, until he drops his blades into the mat of leaves on the forest floor. She’s still twitching on the ground, Araj, lover of all things sanguine, laying in a pool of her own life’s blood.

It’s more than enough vengeance for now. His arms sweep you up, taking you from the carnage.

Taking you to safety.

A clearing bathed in the moonlight… not unlike your first time. If only you knew the road ahead of you that night and all the pleasures and love that awaited.

You still smell fetid blood in your nose, you still feel the burn of silver round your wrist and ankles.

He sets you gingerly on the ground, his eyes looking everywhere but your face. His heart pounds so heavily, you can hear it as if it is your own. His touch pulses with it in his fingers, his hands turning over the burn marks on your pale skin. Hetugs where your sleeves and trousers have been torn to expose you, to make room for the silver chains to corrode into your flesh. “That bitch… I hope she does slowly, I hope she’s still in agony for what she did to you,” he spits, words hissing between his clenched teeth.

“Never,” he proclaims so loudly it hurts your ears. Suddenly both palms press into your face, making you turn to meet his glowing crimson eyes. He’s livid, silver brows furrowed deep, thick lips somewhere between a frown and a snarl. “Never again, I’m never letting you out of my sight again, darling. Where you go, I go. I will always be watching you everywhere you go. And never again will you stray from my side, do you hear me? Don’t you dare….” The ferocious snarl, the fearsome timbre of his voice, snaps in an instant.

His face presses against you, nose to nose, his forehead hot and damp with sweat where it crams against yours, his cheeks beginning to stain with wet. “Don’t… I can’t… I can’t lose you again.” He sobs, his tongue licking his lips from the salty strains of tears. “I’m not strong enough for that.”

His arms wrap around your head, pulling you into his blood spattered and embroidered jacket. His favorite one, with the golden stitched peacocks on a sea of cream silk. But it wasn’t cream any longer. You hiss as your hands and wrists brush his body. Instantly he recoils, concern etched across his handsome features. That mask of indifference he wears so often as Ascendant has vanished. And all you see staring at you in the dark woods, huddled on the ground, is the man who loves you, who stops at nothing to rescue you.

He pretends his cheeks aren’t wet, pretends that aquiline nose of his isn’t almost running. He brings your wrists to his mouth, kissing over the burn marks as if his lips could heal you.

As if his love could heal you alone.

You shiver in pain. The wounds are still fresh and raw with blisters. He instantly starts to work the buttons of that jacket, his pale skin exposed to the night as he wraps it around your shaking shoulders.

His heat saturates the fabric, his eyes and hands busy as he snugs it tightly around your frame. But behind his eyes, inside his thoughts he only hears that beat of how he needs to save you.

Just as you have always saved him.

Fangs pierce his own naked wrist, his blood, warm and tingling, drips with a hiss on your burned skin, blisters fading and raw skin knitting back together the second it connects with his powerful essence. Quickly, he moves to your ankles, making sure every little bit of your injuries is bathed in his blood.

Feeling returns to your extremities. You wriggle them, and Astarion leans closer, bringing his wrist to your lips, letting it whet your hunger.

Your stomach turns at the taste, instantly needing more in your belly, instantly losing all sense of pain. Or fear. Or loneliness. Not now that his power flows from his veins to yours. And you release your lips after a few swallows. Just enough to steady your head.

He’s shushing you softly, muttering to himself, “Never agains, never…”

“Astarion,” you breathe, “you are strong.”

“No,” he shakes his head, bringing you against his warm chest, “I can’t be if it comes to losing you….” His breath is ragged in his lungs, heart racing still from his rescue.

And fear.

“Then we are strong enough together, my love,” you force his face in your hand, turning it, making him, compelling him, to meet your gaze. “I knew you’d come,” you whisper, feeling him lean a little harder into your touch. “You fearsome Vampire Ascendant, if I need to be confident enough for both of us, then let me do that for you.”

He gives a wet laugh, “My consort, my queen, my right hand….”

“The hand that helps pull you up even when I’m the cause of your fall,” you give a tender smile in return.

He gives you a smile that resembles more of his rakish smirk, if still a bit tragic and a bit forced. “Maybe there’s something that hand of yours could pull… if you’re offering.”

Your hand strays down the soft skin of his chest… his stomach. “I wouldn’t want to spoil you, but you do so love when your acts of heroism are compensated, I recall….”

“Rewarded, my little love,” he tries to chuckle. Still weak, his body showing more of the despair that still blisters inside him that his words will allow to describe. “Why don’t you reward me,” he looks down on you with those big, wet crimson eyes, “haven’t I been so good to you?”

“Of course,” you whisper, pressing your hand in the valley of his chest, making him flatten out on the forest floor.

Not unlike days of old.

“You’re always so good to me, won’t you let me be good to you in return?” you slink your way over his body, spreading your thighs so straddle those hips of his.

“I have earned it, haven’t I?” He preens beneath you, just a small spark of that arrogance and seduction coming back. His hands haven’t left your body, pawing at your hips, running up your back.

As if he will never let you go, never let himself lose you again.

You shrug the weight of his jacket from your shoulders and pull the edges of your long tunic over your head, torn and dirty as it is, you breathe a sigh of relief. The dark of his pupils consume that ring of red around them, eyes dilating to see your breasts, a sight just for him. Instantly his hands reach for them, one in each palm, cradled in his touch, so soft and so perfectly. You long to taste him, to get the sour tang of fear and bile that still lingers in your mind, despite even the taste of his ascendant blood on your tongue.

His lips shake as they meet your own, almost unwilling to believe he gets to do this again. Disbelieving he’s managed to save you, to decimate your enemies with you so deep in their clutches.

He basks in the way your body clings to him, like he does every chance he has to sit curled in the sun. A little smile on his lips, even as they dance and devour yours. His touch reverently ghosts up your belly, tantalizingly light on your skin, tucking into the waistband of your trousers to try to slink them down.

But you smile into his kiss, brushing his hands away like gnats. “My love…” you rasp, “did you ask to try to remove those?”

“No,” he growls in reply, hands instantly slinking back up your body, brushing against your swaying breasts to cradle the back of your neck.

“Mmmm, that’s better,” you moan slightly into his mouth. Hands splayed on his chest, you raise yourself back up, feeling the heat and pressure of his growing erection beneath your body. A slight wriggle of your hips makes his mouth hang slack. “Let me just ride you, my love. Let me make you feel that I’m here with you.”

He groans at that. Hands planting firmly back on your hips, you slowly grind on that length, feeling it hardening under you. But you tutt your tongue, sliding down his thighs. “Can’t have you hard down your leg, can we?”

He shakes his head, “By the hells no,” he hisses as you reach in to adjust him. He groans as you take his shaft in your grip, a few gentle pumps aren’t enough for him over that steely hard erection. You sweep your thumb over that weeping slit, just enough to make the bead of precum slick your fingers before you let go, keeping his cock inside the waistband of his breeches.

Tongue running over one fang, he watches as you lick your fingers clean, as you slide your body back over to grind on his aching hardness. “Aren’t I worthy of a little more reward for my heroics?” He tries to sound demanding, but with each buck of your hips that rubs the heat and fabric where you join, he only grows more desperate.

“Good things come to Ascendant Lords who wait, my love,” you purr, slowing the way your hips gyrate over his just to prove your point. Fingernails claw into your hip bones, scoring and tearing your skin. His head digs back into the ground, the rustle of leaves beneath him a staccato to the way his breath pours out in a long pant. “Tch,” you lean down to capture that mouth that twists in agony. “Easy my love,” you whisper as his lips try to consume your own cold breath. His hands press on your shoulders, the back of your neck, holding you steady as he thrusts up into that warming crease between your thighs. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Damned right, you’re not,” he growls, a tenacity in his tone and ferocity in the way his fingers cling into your mussy hair. “And you’re mine…”

You shake free of his hold, sliding to slip off your trousers, the night air making every hair on your body prickle. Your nipples firm up harder than pebbles, even as your nerves burn to take his heat within you, for him to thrust his pulsing cock inside, to fill you with the friction you crave more to survive than blood.

But instead you settle back, your folds wet and pressing into the suede of his breeches. “Your reward is rather cruel, little love,” he hisses, nearly whining, even as his voice rumbles in his chest. “May I touch my spoils?” he whispers.

A wicked, gaping smirk on your lips and your head throw back as you demonstrate. “Like this, my lord?” You still on his prodding cock, lifting your hips just enough for his darkened eyes to watch your fingers slip loudly into your drenched folds. Your stroke, you circle and curl, whatever movements make the most sounds. Astarion’s hands slowly creep from your hips lower… lower… daring silently as he encroaches closer where you now ride your own touch.

You smile, closing your eyes, giving him a little nod, a little gift of your permission as his thumb slips inside where your fingers already play. His cock presses into you as his fingers slide over your clit. That bulge throbs through the now soaked spanse of suede, a satisfied smirk on his face as his touch catches you just right.

As your thighs grip him hard, as your own hand goes still inside your entrance, leaving you with just that merciful stroke of his thumb on your clit as he steals your breath. As the warmth of pleasure blooms from your belly. As you buck and writhe all the harder, all the more erratic until your vision swims.

Boneless, shivering, you’re pulled down to his mouth, fingers gently throttling you as you stil gasp for air from your climax.

It feels… so good. Saved. Rescued. Claimed. Good to be his.

His kiss is all tongue and fangs, those little growls and huffs he makes when he feeds on you filling your mouth as he caresses you. His hands slink into the new open space he’s made, fingers snapping his laces open. Finally almost freeing himself.

But you laugh, sinking your own fang into his lip to make him gasp and freeze in pain. “Naughty,” you breathe before sucking on that seeping blood. “You know better than that… you know to ask first, my love.” You chastise him, making him shudder under your lips. “But since you were so wonderful being my hero, saving your lady love, I’ll forgive you…” you raise up, feeling his hands tugging fiercely, not even finishing all the straps to release that aching erection.

“To the victor…” he raps, guiding your body to sink quickly on his shaft… He pants in delight as you squeeze around him at last, “go the spoils.” His chest rises and falls, pale skin catching in the moonlight, his sweat glistening. But you can’t tear away from his mouth. Not with how he works his lips on yours, his tongue tangling in time with every little thrust you make.

One of his arms presses you closer to join where he fucks up into you, where you soak his skin and slap hard against him. But that other, that other arm winds behind your shoulders, hand clawed into the base of your neck, keeping your breath as his breath, your tongue twisted with his. But it’s not enough… not hard enough or fast enough, even as you feel his breathing grow ragged.

You sit up, launching off his chest with two hands braced. He whines, whines to have you break from his clutches. A single finger crooking, you beckon him up to you. A rustle of leaves, the scent of damp, nighttime earth in your nose, and he obeys to sit up too. Eager, biting his fangs into his bottom lip. Hips rolling, back arched in deepest pleasure, you feel his tongue lapping up, a single damp streak between your breasts. Those dexterous hands grip into your skin, those powerful arms that snapped your enemies in half are wrapped tenderly around your waist.

He growls against your neck, too hesitant to bite. Warm lips wrap around your ear, the loud suck, the squelch of his tongue sends ice cold shivers of pleasure right down your spine. One more time, a loud suck, the clack of his fangs together in your ear, and you shatter, another wave of orgasm ripping you in two. Wetness squirts down your thighs, his cock is so slick inside you from your arousal, even as thick and hot as he has grown approaching his own release.

Even as your walls clutch and undulate through his thrusts into you that never relent.

His back is wet, dead leaves clinging to his shoulders as you hold him, trying to keep your balance against the flexing muscles of his back. Your rogue, your hero, he takes advantage of your breathless submission as you float down from orgasm to clutch you even harder. His voice grates in his throat, thick with desire and breathless from exertion. “May I…”

“What do you wish?” you murmur, slack in his arms as he thrusts with desperation, your body barely able to ride him much longer.

“I want…” he pants, “to fill you. For you to seep with me, to make you…” he groans as you shudder at that dark, deep tone in his voice, “make you full of my seed and scent. So I’ll always be able to find you, darling…”

“Yes,” you hiss somewhere in the middle of his words. A shuddering whine in his throat, and you feel every muscle tighten like a bow string. Rolling you to your back, he presses your legs into your body, the heat of your folds now open to the night air. Hips snap hard, reckless and with abandon. He fucks into you at his pleasure, at his mercy. His eyes don’t seem to blink as he stares into your own face. Dirt smudges his cheek, but it’s that haze in his eyes, that way his mouth twists in beautiful bliss that makes your own body hum to be used.

Pressing you, folding you bent and spread for him, he cages you into the earth this time. A smirk, wide and toothy, pants down from above you, those dark crimson eyes flutter shut as he bucks and shudders. One loud pant that sticks in his throat and your walls grow warm, coated as he does fill you, cum and arousal leaking into the dirt. Not for the first time.

Not for the last.

Breath heavy, skin damp, he hugs you into him, the echo of his beating heart in your own chest hard enough to almost be your own.

“Never again, my love, my consort,” he whispers, more to himself than for your ears. “I’ll spend the rest of our lives rescuing you… as you rescued me.”

With one last kiss, he softens over you, almost sleepy in his breath, and you wipe the mud from his cheek.

That roguish mud from his ascended skin. And nestled as he is, he smiles against your breast as you do.

[krinsbez]

BattleTech WorldBuilding Thought

So, I get why the BT devs have skimped out on giving the Great Houses all the pageantry and regalia and other nonsense that RL monarchs have, but I don't see why we can't make stuff up. But as a n00b I'm not confident of doing so myself.

I'm just gonna make some suggestions of things we can do, and see if any of y'all have ideas?

-So, traditionally, the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth's throne is flanked by a pair of Griffin BattleMechs. I think they ought to have names. What would be best?

-Crown jewels. Nobody seems to have them, at all. the least we can do is come up with names for their main crowns (because monarchs often have several of those), although we have no descriptions of any of them, so we'd have to make that up ourselves, also.

-I believe the Kurita's Dragon Throne is the only named throne. We can do better (also, the Dragon Throne was the throne of the Emperors of CHINA, not Japan, but the Kuritas getting that detail wrong feels in-character)

-Again, to my knowledge, only the Steiners and Kuritas have their own mottoes, that being "Indomitable Will" and "Honor the Dragon", respectivaly

-To my knowledge, only the Davions have their own Coat of Arms, separate from that of the nation itself, which I don't know enough about heraldry to properly describe in heraldic language, but looks like this:

What would you give the other Houses?

-To my knowledge, the Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation is the only one of the Successor Lords that has a Style of any kind, that being "Celestial Wisdom", which sounds impressive until you realize that the short version of King Charles' official royal style (IE, not including his lesser titles, knightly honors, military rank, etc.), specifically in the UK (because he is also King of the Commonwealth realms), is "Charles the Third, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith". The full version (again, purely royal UK titles) is "the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, our Sovereign Lord, Charles III, now, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, and Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter". This is in addition to being Addressed or referred as "Your/His Majesty"" (which depending on circumstances may be modified to "Your/His Gracious Majesty", "Your/His Most Excellent Majesty", or "Your/His Britannic Majesty")

Anyways, all the Successor Lords ought to have styles that are at least as grandiose as this, I think? Suggestions?

I have spent way longer on this than I expected, sorry.

[always-andromeda]

𝐍𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓

𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐱 𝐅𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 ⭐︎ 3,416

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 ⭐︎ so. here we are. I have been bewitched by this gorgeous golden himbo. absolutely do not come for me on my knowledge of Marvel canon and me talking as if I know everything about the Sovereign because I don't <3 we're just winging this thing based on the little research I did. thank you to my wonderful best friend, Storm (@quietsounds) for helping me with brainstorming different ideas for this thing!!

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 ⭐︎ smut (we know the drill, minors, please do not interact), light mentions of mommy kink, free use kink, praise kink, temperature play, descriptions of p in v sex, oral, and handjobs, little bits of fluff but mostly pure filth, nothing else I can think of!!

𝐀 = 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 (𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐱)

He means well, but he's definitely a little clueless about the whole aftercare of business. Mostly because he himself doesn't need too much of it himself. He can go a few rounds and barely even break a sweat so he'd almost expect you to bounce back just as quickly as he can.

Not to worry though, he's pretty quick and eager to learn. The more attuned he becomes to what you need, the quicker he is to offer it as soon as you're both done. Need to be cleaned off? He's up as quick as a flash and wetting a washcloth. Need to be held? His arms are ready. Need to be talked down? He's fantastic at checking in and making sure that you're feeling okay.

𝐁 = 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 (𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫’𝐬)

Adam isn't all that interested in the aesthetics of his appearance. Though I think he does slowly become aware of how attractively he was created. But if he absolutely had to choose...he'd say his hands. He's quite relieved that the High Evolutionary decided that hands were the ideal tools for him to wreak destruction with. However, with him being a very tactile sort of lover, he gets to use them in many other scenarios. From scissoring you open with his fingers to caressing your cheek with his thumb, he's glad he has them to show you just how passionately he feels.

On the flip side, any sort of softness you have, Adam loves it. Especially your stomach. He'd love to just wrap himself around you and lay his head on your tummy while your fingers card through his hair. Maybe it's a dash of mommy issues, but he's obsessed with sinking into your plush skin and really feeling the warmth of blood rushing beneath it.

𝐂 = 𝐂𝐮𝐦 (𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐦, 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲)

The Sovereign have no need for sexual reproduction so he's not exactly the most familiar with cum? Therefore, any sort of fluids you produce? Automatically the most fascinating thing to him. He'd stare at his own fingers, holding them up to the light and admiring how you cover them. This man can do a range of impressive things but you better believe he's entirely captivated by something as minute as the way you cum.

𝐃 = 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 (𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲, 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐬)

He gets...weirdly needy. It makes him kind of possessive and paranoid. Though he knows firsthand that you can take care of yourself perfectly fine, he makes it his personal mission to be trailing behind you almost all the time.

And to Adam, it's a complete secret just how obsessed he is with you. He thinks he's the master of keeping his cool and being the most normal boyfriend of all time. Never mind the fact that he's immediately at your side asking, "Is this guy bothering you?" the second he catches someone he doesn't know talking to you. He almost can't help it. He's never known affection like this and it's incredibly intense for him.

Throw him a bone. And by throw him a bone, I mean drive him absolutely insane and tell him that you're his during sex. Watch his chest puff up with pride and his stomach tense up as he ruts into you harder. Whenever you can affirm that you truly want him, he can't express enough how wild it drives him.

𝐄 = 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲? 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠?)

Considering he's still pretty fresh from his cocoon, this guy has no experience whatsoever. It’s all completely brand new for him. So he definitely has a great deal of curiosity about basically everything. Be prepared for him to tilt his head in wonder and furrow his brow in confusion over almost everything you teach him.

𝐅 = 𝐅𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠)

This man is so strong that he'd have no trouble picking you up like a bag of potatoes and doing whatever he wanted with you. And sometimes he does. But he likes it more when you show him your power too.

He'd really like it if you took control, straddled his muscular thighs, and let him feel just how badly you wanted him. He'd be looking up at you through those piercing eyes, head tilted back and anticipating your lips on his neck. Then, when he's had enough of you warming him up, he'll put his hands on your hips and drag you along his cock at an almost punishing pace. That's when it becomes obvious the kind of strength he has working for him.

𝐆 = 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐲 (𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬? 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

He's very serious about sex at first. Mostly because it's an act that he's so unfamiliar with and he knows how special it is to humans. He doesn't want to risk screwing it up, especially since he's got superhuman abilities on his side.

The first few times, you can tell he's holding something back. All these new sensations blow his mind but he won't let them really hit him because he's afraid of going a little too far. He remembers all too well how he injured you the first time he flew into Knowhere looking for Rocket and he isn't looking to do anything like that ever again.

So it takes a little while to break down his walls and really let loose. It would be the little things that would eventually make him crumble. You kissing his nose during the calm before the eventual storm, making him scrunch his nose and squint in confusion. You rubbing his arms comfortingly, sending shivers up his spine and easing his nerves.

"You humans and your strange ways of showing affection," he'd mumble as you turned him to jelly. It takes a little while to soften his serious demeanor, but it's completely possible.

𝐇 = 𝐇𝐚𝐢𝐫 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲? 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬? 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

The High Evolutionary absolutely seems like the kind of guy who would view almost any sort of body hair as unsightly, so I wouldn't put it past him to design Adam to be almost completely hairless aside from what's on his head. So do what you will with that information.

𝐈 = 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐜𝐲 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭)

Romance doesn't come very easily to Adam. He's not smooth and doesn't exactly exude charisma. The not thing he does have on his side is how down bad he is for you. And the way it comes out in the moment...sure, that could count as romance.

Sometimes it takes the form of him giving you little kisses on every bit of skin he can see. Or it's him when he first buries himself in you, groaning, "I wish I could stay here forever..." before he begins to thrust. It's also him raking his fingers over your flesh as he takes you from behind, trying to anchor himself to any part of you that he possibly can. Neediness is how he expresses romance.

𝐉 = 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟 (𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧)

When he gets turned on, he's honestly not quite sure what to do about it. Power courses through his veins almost all the time and it's difficult for him to differentiate that from arousal. So the majority of the time he's humping his pillow; chasing a release that he hardly even knows where it'll lead him. Luckily, where it leads him is somewhere beautiful.

𝐊 = 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐤 (𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬)

Adam definitely has a bit of a thing for a little free use. Blame his unrelenting appetite. Or the fact that he's obsessed with you. Either way, he can work himself up at the drop of a hat and before you know it, he's nipping at your neck and murmuring in your ear that he'd love to touch you. And, god, when he's like that he is very convincing. That's the best kind of power he can imagine having; making you fold with just a few of his words.

Also, praise kink. All the way. We all know this guy just wants to do his best for you. This is present in all aspects of your relationship but goodness gracious is it glaringly obvious when it comes to sex. No matter how much he loses himself in the feeling of you, he will still be asking if he's doing alright. And besides, knowing that you do like it only sends him further down the rabbit hole.

Maybe a bit of a mommy kink. Not enough so that he'll be a completely whiny sub. But just enough that his stiff demeanor would definitely falter a little when you start to take care of him. Bury his face in your chest and take his cock in your soft hand and...oh...he wouldn't mind that. Not at all. Not even a little bit.

𝐋 = 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨)

From the beginning, location isn't exactly the biggest concern for Adam. He has no concept of normal human boundaries and the risks associated with voyeurism. So very little stops him from initiating things almost anywhere. It's not like he wants to get caught or gets off on it exactly? He just has very little shame in that department. And he's a needy, horny little fiend.

Which leads to countless quickies on the ship that you hope and pray that Rocket will never find out about because he'd probably never let either of you on a mission again if he knew just how many times Adam's had you softly moaning into his hand against the wall of the ship. 

𝐌 = 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐧, 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠)

Adam is very reactionary. So something as simple as a small kiss can get the wheels turning in his mind. He's so inexperienced that it's hard for him to not get completely worked up at the smallest bit of affection. Your softness is something that also goes a long way for him. If he catches you taking care of Blurp or one of the children, it sets off this strange little spark in his mind. And it's strange because he can't quite understand how in this moment, he can feel your humanity just radiating from you. And it only makes him want you more.

𝐍 = 𝐍𝐨 (𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨, 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐬)

He has a massive aversion to causing you pain. Whether that be him accidentally holding you a little too hard or even just a bit of overstimulation, he's not into it. And considering it's so easy for him to go over that line, he's usually a little on edge. With the amount of self control he's exercising and the way he pays attention to your responses, he's constantly prepared to apologize for anything.

𝐎 = 𝐎𝐫𝐚𝐥 (𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

This man is a giver all the way. If he could drown in your cunt, he'd be the happiest living being in the galaxy. He unabashedly buries his face into your mound with the flat of his tongue. It's sloppy and it's loud and you can tell he's having the time of his life. He definitely needs to be taught how to actually be good at eating pussy, but he is always incredibly eager about it.

Anytime you go down on him, he's very polite despite the fact that you can tell how badly he's crumbling inside. He tries his absolute best to keep his thighs still since he doesn't want to risk you gagging or choking (because we all know that he's pretty decently sized). He'd be holding your hair back or brushing it off of your face out of pure respect. You may be on your knees, but he'd do whatever he could to communicate that you're the one with the majority of the control over the situation.

𝐏 = 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞 (𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡? 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥? 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

Adam is a superpowered being. And a fairly new one, at that. He hardly knows his own strength. So there are many times where he'll exert that force a little bit more than he probably should. It's not on purpose, of course not. He'd never want to hurt you. He just gets...enthusiastic.

One minute he's looking at you. Your eyelids fluttering, mouth open, and your whole body bending to his movements. That image is intoxicating to him. It makes him lose control for a few seconds, his fingers will dig into your thighs a little harder. He puts more power into his thrusts, just to make you convulse even more. In those moments before you finish, he's so lost in soaking all of it up, using it to fuel his own climax.

Just know that as soon as Adam comes down from it all and notices the little marks on your thighs, he's immediately filled with remorse. He wraps his arms around your legs and rests his head against your plush thighs. His breath is warm as he breathes on them softly between small kisses and hoarsely whispered apologies. 

𝐐 = 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐞 (𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

I see him quite liking quickies, actually. Not that he doesn't love having one of those long, multi-round sessions. It's just that the urge hits him often and he's not the kind of guy who's eager to wait for release. Besides, it fills him with pride that even just five minutes with him before a mission can have you walking funny. The Guardians would tease you about you being off your game. Adam would stand there with folded arms and a wide smile, holding back a snort and knowing full well that regardless of the teasing from the others, you don't regret your little moments with him whatsoever.

𝐑 = 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤 (𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭? 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬? 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

He's pretty open to experimentation. He's inexperienced and he's also just a curious guy by nature. There would be a lot of questions and a lot of him trying to work out the logistics of activities beforehand to make sure that both of you feels safe. But for the most part, he's honored and open if you want to explore new territories with him.

𝐒 = 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫? 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭?)

Oh boy. This man doesn't quit. And sometimes that's both a blessing and a curse. If you're on the same wavelength as him, we're talking hours of pleasure with multiple positions until he's got you so fucked dumb that you're seeing stars. If you let him know beforehand that you're only up for one or two rounds, he'll understand it, of course he will.

But that only encourages him to make his one round as good as he can possibly get it. It's one of the few occasions where he prefers edging both himself and you. Finally, he'll slow things down just a bit. His touches are more intentional and a little less selfish. He doesn't enjoy being mean, but there is a little cruelty in how he'll build you up and up and up, only to take his hand or his mouth or cock away, letting you plummet to the ground just so he can do it all over again. Then he'll whisper reassurances that he'll give you what you want, you just have to be patient with him. By the end of it, he'll have you shuddering and nearly as exhausted as when you go four or five rounds.

𝐓 = 𝐓𝐨𝐲𝐬 (𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐲𝐬? 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦? 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬?)

He himself doesn't use toys, but he takes a great interest in yours. The day he comes across your vibrator and asks you what it is, he takes it as a challenge. After all, he can manipulate energy. Something tells me that before too long he'd be able to figure out how to do the same thing with just his hands, rendering your toys obsolete.

𝐔 = 𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞)

Not really the biggest fan of teasing, both taking and dealing it. He just doesn't see much of a point in putting off the real action. He's not waiting. Life is too short to wait when you really want something. And if you want him, he'll give himself to you. 

In fact, it's the only time he'll really get whiny at all. Sure, he's all for you going at whatever pace you find comfortable, but god, he's so spoiled and can't take the teasing. Especially since by the time you get to teasing he's probably been aching for something more for quite a bit already. It's no matter though, Adam would make sure he gets his way by kissing you hard and fast, trying to communicate as best as he can that he needs you now, not later.

𝐕 = 𝐕𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐞𝐭𝐜.)

Oh, Adam is vocal alright. He has almost no concept of shame or subtlety so he'll let out those grunts and groans with little hesitance. He'll grit his teeth and bite his lip, but that does little to suppress how much he enjoys every feeling running through him, both emotional and physical.

𝐖 = 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐝 (𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫)

Here's the deal, Adam can manipulate energy. Usually this would be beneficial in fighting off enemies with the Guardians, sure. But I'm sure once he gets a better hang of his strength, he could find a way to use them for your benefit.

This manifests not only in him creating vibrational waves just for your pleasure but also bits of temperature play here and there. It's almost a point of pride when he can warm you up and get you squirming with a simple touch. It's never enough to properly do damage, just enough to get you on the track that he wants you on.

𝐗 = 𝐗-𝐫𝐚𝐲 (𝐥𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬)

We all know that this man is packing. We're talking seven inches of straight up gold heat. This man is armed and possibly dangerous since he's kind of clueless on how to use it at first. It definitely takes a lot of adjusting to fit him and it takes a while for his technique to catch up with the equipment he's got. But make no mistake, while the High Evolutionary created some awful things in his lifetime, this specific part of Adam is not one of them.

𝐘 = 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞?)

Oh, it is so stupidly high. Sometimes his behavior is akin to a horny teenage boy with how needy he gets for some sort of contact. He can learn to control himself over time, of course, but that doesn't defeat the fact that occasionally...he is an absolute fiend who needs you like he needs air.

𝐙 = 𝐙𝐳𝐳 (𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬)

The Sovereign are so evolved that if Adam does need sleep, he doesn't need much. But still, he's not the type to get tired when you do. So if you say you're done, then he's usually down to tuck in for the night.

He used to be kind of awkward about the sleeping part, actually. Was he supposed to stay there? Just...looking at you while you slept? Was that weird? He could never really figure out what was and wasn't weird and he sure as hell wasn't going to wake you up to ask. The one thing he knew for sure was that you wouldn't want him to leave. He was able to grasp that having sex with you and then leaving in the middle of the night was probably the worst thing he could do.

So he stays as quiet as he can. Then he holds you close to his chest. And eventually, when he's sure that you're fast asleep, he'll hum some tunes. He's quite fond of seventies rock music and it shines through in his choices of lullabies. It's a mix of Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Eagles, Foreigner, and whatever else he's picked up from his time consuming human culture. At that point, with you steadily breathing and him holding you in his arms, he doesn't feel quite as weird or alien anymore. It makes him feel...good. Like he can be good.

[queer-geordie-nerd]

Confused on some of your posts, do you not think what’s happening to Palestinians is bad?

Of course it's bad - urban warfare is a terrible thing and innocent civilians dying is always a tremendous tragedy and obviously something that should be avoided wherever possible. I'm extremely confused as to what on earth in any of my posts gave you the impression that you've gotten - other than I haven't gleefully jumped into antisemitic blood libel and conspiracy theories or called for the wholesale destruction of a sovereign nation and its people and pretended that this was anything other than a completely unhinged and immoral stance to take.

I'm having real trouble taking this ask in good faith because if you've actually read my posts, there's literally nothing confusing about my stance.

[mt-oe]

𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙—𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙯𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

Hey dears!

I've been getting addicted with playing Valorant recently and thought it would be fun to try and make some hcs for Mizu <3

Clove's release is so exciting and I'm so happy non-binary people are given some representation in games. They're so much fun and their ult mechanic is such a game-changer.

Please tell me if you'd like me to make more of these or if I should make some for other games too (as long as I know them well enough).

Anywho, let's go!

Enjoy! Mwa mwa :*

warnings: not proofread, the use of "clutch or gay", she/her for mizu

mizu has a crush on you :3

✦ Her fave maps are Icebox and Bind. Whenever you play comp with her and these maps roll up, you're internally fucking hollering. You're thanking every possible deity there is, dancing in your seat, kissing your monitor.

She's such a god in these maps. Every good agent for every role, every lineup, and even some pro play shit strats, she memorized it.

She loves Icebox for how easy it was to clear angles and how easy it was to formulate AND predict strategies. The map was pretty straightforward and no bullshit. Perfect for her.

Bind for the outplay potentials. Teleporters + Yoru TP/Omen TP and Ult? There's no telling where she may be. Will she plant in A? Will she plant in B? Maybe she's already flanking? Who knows?

✦ Mizu doesn't buy skins but she DOES have some. They're gifts from you and her friends! An oni phantom, neptune spectre, and sovereign marshal from Akemi; An arcane sheriff from Taigen because they're probably taking their shit-talking to League too; and a reaver vandal, reaver karambit, and the oni katana from you.

She doesn't really give a shit about skins, but ever since she was gifted one, she started appreciating them. You'll see her using the inspect animation once in a while if she picks up a skin she's never seen before.

If it's just a chill comp game or she's playing solo queue, she'll use the oni katana. If she's playing with you and/or wants to show off, she'll use the reaver karambit. Of course you have to go with the sexy one when trying to impress.

✦ Doesn't shit talk heavily, but shit talks in a way that'll piss you off.

"Ooooh shit someone's mad," you laughed over the voice-comms, watching as the enemy Reyna started spewing all sorts of insults at your team. It was mostly targeted at Mizu, who was also playing Reyna, and was top-fragging. Soon after that fiasco, you'd see Mizu type "." in all chat every time she killed the enemy Reyna, got a clutch, and even an ace. Everyone was snickering at her antics, finding it funny how Mizu was shitting on them while the enemy was clearly progressively getting even more tilted.

On the other hand, if Taigen was there and Mizu failed to clutch the round, he'd be laughing loudly over the voice chat, making fun of her over and over. He'd even type "GG [insert Mizu's current agent]. Aimlabs is free" in team chat, which was so fucking embarrassing. The moment Mizu catches Taigen lacking, she'll be having a hayday in the team chat, spamming "GG [insert Taigen's current agent], Aimlabs is free" over and over which effectively pisses Taigen off.

✦ Along with the previous one, if someone ever decided to trashtalk you, she's going absolutely feral. She still wouldn't be spewing nonsense, but you'll notice her becoming more aggressive.

"Didn't you just use your ult?" You asked her, spectating as she used another Reyna ult which you swore she just used two rounds ago. "I just feel like playing a little better today," she replies. But then goes to strafe like a fucking bitch, doing a poppin' swing once or thrice, making the enemy struggle before killing the enemy and t-bagging them aggressively.

You raised an eyebrow at her antics but still laughed at it. "You sure you're not here for blood?" you joked. "Yeah.." she said while spamming your trashtalker's KD status in all-chat.

✦ There's no doubt about how well she plays with different agents, but her worst agent to use would be Gekko. Something about Dizzy's trajectory and letting Wingman plant and defuse felt off to her. Maybe it was because she was used to having control over the speed of her flashes and being able to fake defuse.

✦ Actually responds to "clutch or gay" jokes.

If a random teammate or anyone in your friend group (mainly Taigen) decides to use that joke on her during a clutch situation, it doesn't matter if it's a 1v1, a 1v5, a 1v5 + Sage res + Clove ult. She's winning. She's fucking winning.

You watched in anticipation as Mizu, using Omen, went through attacker spawn in Breeze. It was a 1v4, having picked one off when she picked up the spike. For a moment, you thought of something before typing "clutch or gay" in team chat. It worked for your other friends and randos, why not try it?

The moment she read that chat from you, you could immediately see Omen throwing his weapons off of the map. The noise of the agent's footsteps prompting the enemy to shoot him. "Bro what the fuck are you doing?" Taigen groans, annoyance heavy in his voice. Mizu doesn't respond in voice chat, but you hear her typing. After a while, a chat pops up.

(Whisper) From mizu: did you see that?

(Whisper) To mizu: mhm. why'd u do that :c

(Whisper) From mizu: you said clutch or gay

(Whisper) From mizu: i didn't clutch.

But she only ever does this to you.

✦ Actually plays fill but everyone in your friend group decided to place her as a duelist. She's going to treat every agent like a damn duelist anyway. Why place her somewhere else? You get site early and fast + She gets higher RR from combat score. It's a win-win. Plus, she loves secretly showing off to you. She relishes the "woah where'd you learn to satchel like that?", the "nice kill!" when she wins in an Iso 1v1, and the way you bought her an op upon her request when she used Jett as if you automatically trusted her.

[caesarsaladinn]

Today in “Sal, what the fuck are you talking about?”: the middle Byzantine period.

The period from the mid-ninth century to the late 11th was defined by a resurgence in the empire’s fortunes, as the Abbasid Caliphate weakened and the bloody stalemate on the eastern border yielded to conquest, plunder, and expansion into regions that the empire hadn’t controlled for centuries. Domestic politics responded predictably to this influx of land, wealth, and prestige: the generals who led these conquests became immensely rich, respected, and in some cases powerful enough to make themselves emperor. Byzantium had never had a true hereditary aristocracy—when you died, your titles generally died with you—but these guys came pretty close, as a few dozen intermarried clans came to dominate both military and civilian politics for generations.

Making military leadership into a family business generally went well, as future commanders could begin learning the trade from a young age, instructed by the most experienced leaders in the empire. The downside was that their egos grew along with their conquests, and when they felt they weren’t being treated with the honor due to such a distinguished family, they had all the resources they needed to launch a rebellion against the throne. This happened again, and again, and again, and again; it’s no coincidence that this was the period when surnames became common among the wealthy.

In the palace, this era was defined by the so-called Macedonian Dynasty, a string of emperors and usurpers founded by Basil, a peasant from—you guessed it—the military district of Macedonia. Basil took the throne by becoming the emperor’s confidant and most trusted servant, before quite literally stabbing him in the back.

The next two centuries saw an alternating series of Basil’s descendants and usurpers take the throne, with coups and rebellions too numerous to list here. Basil’s heirs had a tendency to die while their sons were still minors (or to leave no sons at all), leaving a mad scramble for a new man to marry or kill his way into the imperial family. This was also the heyday of the court eunuch, as aristocrats looked for servants who would serve their family without trying to displace them in favor of their own sons; of course, plenty of eunuch did displace emperors in favor of their own friends and family, or else overshadowed them so completely as to become the functional ruler themselves.

Culturally, this period was quintessentially Byzantine. Emperors were very concerned with soft power, so they poured money into anything that would make them seem like the holy sovereign they considered themselves to be—histories, encyclopedias, churches, monasteries, public games, bejeweled reliquaries, and the like. Foreign ambassadors were feted with gold and silk in front of a throne that could rise from the floor until the emperor was looking down at the from the heavens. My favorite piece of writing from this era is the Book of Ceremonies, which spends hundreds of pages detailing the protocol for every imaginable public event, from the order of seating at imperial feasts to the proper weight of cargo loaded onto an army packhorse; it shows how the emperors tried to synthesize the importance of orderly, standardized, professional administration with the need to appear wise, just, and all-powerful to their subjects. It also shows how unbelievably wealthy the government was—very few states, at any point in history, had the time and resources and literal tons of gold to spend on court ceremonies that intricate and impressive!

I’ll spare you the list of emperors, their personalities, and the various schemes and subordinates that put them on the throne; that’s a whole separate post. Suffice to say that I think this is one of the most interesting eras of history, and I encourage everyone to learn more about it.

[yanderambling]

concept: Forest Cryptid!Yandere(gn) x Recluse!Reader(gn)

words: ~ 2.3k

CW: 18+, yandere behavior, arson, attempts on reader's life (brief and ineffective), goddamn long, barely proofed

Sverre has lived in this forest for centuries, the benevolent and undisputed sovereign of the vast woodland and all its inhabitants, and it’s been well over 200 years since a human last disturbed their grounds.

Then you showed up. And you just went and made yourself at home.

It was admittedly impressive, the speed with which you set up all your living facilities- Sverre only found you a day before you’d finish construction in earnest, and they’re diligent about their (admittedly vast) territory.

They immediately set about counter measures, none too keen on sharing their land with a member of such a notoriously violent and greedy species. However, past experience has taught that they must take care not to reveal themself. If you see them and make it out, you’ll come back with a mob. But, if they kill you, a mob will come searching for you anyway.

They’ve learned it’s safest to sabotage from the shadows, to remain subtle and unseen, a silent tormentor of darkness.

So they set your house on fire.

Or, what they thought was your house. It turned out to be your cooking shed.

They’d just barely made it to the treeline when you came rushing out of the other building with some kind of long snake, pointing it at the flames and forcing it to spit water until they extinguished.

Huh.

They didn't count on that.

But it was just a minor miscalculation, they’re rusty is all.

So they regroup and try again the next day, seeing as you were already on alert that night, but they actually go for your living space this time.

Which turned out to be a bigger mistake, because apparently you keep that snake and several buckets right next to it- and you're a bit of a night owl. The wood had barely even ignited before you'd doused it, and Sverre was lucky not to be spotted as they dashed across the small clearing you'd made your home.

In their third attempt, they decide to bypass the possibility of a snake entirely and just smash the building down with you inside.

They blame their enthusiasm about the brilliant idea for them not noticing the snare trap until it cinched around their leg.

Sverre barely has time to yelp and struggle against the wire before your thundering voice makes them freeze.

“You!”

They snap their head around to face you, a reflexive snarl ripping from their throat as they see you stalking toward them with an axe in hand.

"Don't give me that." Something in your tone makes Sverre instantly go silent as you stop in front of them; your unwavering confidence in the face of their rage is certainly disconcerting. "You're the fucker that's been torching my place, aren't you?"

Your voice is low, almost a growl, and it sends a peculiar shiver through Sverre's body. They give you a quizzical look, properly baffled by your lack of reaction to their inhuman form.

It doesn't seem like you actually wanted an answer, because you carry on almost immediately. "The fuck's your problem?"

Sverre steels themself as they look down at you. You're a good couple yards away, too far for them to reach. Their eye catches on the moonlight reflecting off your axe, and they can't help but notice how steady your grip is.

Why are you so sure of yourself? Other would be shaking out of their skin at the mere sight of them! Your unprecedented fortitude is making them less sure of themself by the second.

"What the hell are you, even?"

Okay, rude. Fair, but rude. They just narrow their eyes at you.

You hold their gaze easily, your sharp eyes reflecting nothing but self-assuredness and righteous indignation- they're sort of entrancing, so intense it almost hurts for Sverre to keep your stare.

They only last a few seconds before their eyes flit away almost reflexively. You huff a laugh.

"Alright, you know what? Whatever." You take a couple steps closer, Sverre cowers back without noticing. "Look, I'm a nice person. I'm gonna tell you this, and I'm only gonna tell it to you once, so listen good."

Despite the snarl that curls their lip, Sverre feels all their senses zero in on you upon your command.

"I don't know what your setup was before, but I'm here now, and I'm gonna keep being here until I decide not to be. It's a big forest, and I'm not hurting anybody, so I think you can learn to share. That said, if I see you near my home again-"

You swing the axe high over you head. Sverre flinches as you bring it down... on the thick wire of the snare, severing it with ease.

"I'm not gonna start with a conversation. Got it?"

Sverre can only stare down at you in shock as they feel the tension around their leg dissipate.

Are you... letting them go?

"Now, get!" Sverre startles and scrambles backward before they can even process your words. You wave the axe a bit and shout again, causing them to turn and dart as far away as you could possibly want them.

They don't stop until they're well on the other side of the forest and panting with exertion.

...What the hell was that?

None of the humans they've come across have ever been like this. None of them have ever dared to come so close to them, let alone speak in such a belittling manner. Honestly, who the hell do you think you are? Don't you know how powerful they are? Don't you know they could tear you to shreds in seconds? (But then why didn't they? They don't know!)

To be fair, your little speech wasn't entirely incorrect; you aren't causing any notable damage to the forest, which already sets you apart from nearly every human they've encountered before.

Yes, there's definitely more to you than Sverre originally thought. They decide you require further study.

In the following days, they take to following you everywhere you go. And they collect some fascinating data.

They learn that you're clever, that you find new routes through harsh terrain to access resources, that you can make a wide variety of tools for harvesting plants and accessing water. They learn that you're strong, that you can carry logs and boulders through the forest with ease, that your muscles move so tantalizingly under your glistening skin. They learn that you're kind, conscientious of the world around you in a way few living things are. They learn that you're absolutely enrapturing when you bathe yourself in the stream. They learn that you look so peaceful in sleep that it makes them want to curl around you and succumb to unnecessary slumber just to feel you like this.

They spend all their time watching you, taking in every action and shift with hungry eyes, obsessively recalling your sharp voice berating them again and again.

You're unlike anything they've ever seen. You're exceptional, capable, fierce, captivating, glorious-

They simply must take such an extraordinary creature as their mate.

When you wake up to a dead deer on your doorstep one morning, you don't exactly get that message.

You see a torn up, bloody corpse and assume it's a threat from that strange creature you encountered the night before. Loathe as you are to waste meat, you'd rather not be poisoned, so you drag the deer far away from your home or any water sources and bury it with a whispered blessing (Sverre would come to admire your high regard for the sanctity of life. You understand the way of the world, everything is consumed by something else eventually, but that does nothing to diminish the respect you hold for all living things- every life taken for the continuation of another deserves to be honored. They think it's beautiful, but at this moment...).

Sverre is highly offended.

But, they realize that you must still be upset about the fires and murder attempts and what all, so you likely need them to prove their dedication and earn your forgiveness before you accept their affections.

That’s just fine, it’ll make it all the sweeter when you do.

At least, that’s what they have to tell themself to get through each day. After just (ha, “just”) four of them, it’s starting to feel hopeless.

You’ve rejected every gift they’ve offered- another two deer (which you dragged to a different hemisphere of the forest), a bunch of rabbits in case you don’t like venison (you almost preferred lugging the deer over disposing of those five fuzzy corpses), bundles of vegetation and fruits in case you don’t like meat (you’ve been foraging all your food so far, to be fair, but that just makes you extra suspicious of these strange plants you haven’t seen around before), they even offered you the strongest wood to rebuild your cooking shed (you assumed it must be flimsy or rotten inside or cursed)- and you still shout and threaten them whenever you catch them lingering near your home.

It’s just not fair.

They’ve toiled tirelessly to show both their remorse and their dedication; they defend your dwelling places from wayward predators, they keep guard over you every second of the day (and night), they bring you only the highest quality offerings to keep you comfortable and safe.

They’ve more than proven they’ll be a suitable mate, but you haven’t given an inch.

They try to satiate themself with what scraps they can obtain; stealing your clothes to line their nest with your intoxicating musk, running their tongue over the handles of your tools where they can still taste your skin oils clinging to the wood, sneaking into your home when you're out and laying in your bed, soaking in your scent and reveling in the feeling of being so close to something that was close to you- but it’s not enough.

It’s never gonna be enough.

They need to try harder. If you won’t accept their offers of gifts, they’ll just have to take away the choice. They’ll just have to do something about it.

It only makes sense that they would fix what they broke. It didn't occur to them that they don't actually know how to mend a cooking shed until about the third nail in their hand.

It also didn't occur to them that construction is a noisy process until you came barreling out of your house in an obvious state of disarray.

"Hey! The fuck did I tell you?"

Sverre rips their hand away from the building, bringing a large piece of wood with it. They're just tearing out the nail and throwing the board to the ground as you skid to a stop before them.

Your gaze alone is enough to make their legs lock. They can't even consider escape, they just cower down and await your punishment.

But it doesn't come.

They risk a glance up, only to see you staring down at them with those enthralling, calculating eyes.

They can't break the stare, even though they now desperately want to. They feel their heart clench when you do so with a (downright musical) laugh and a slap to your forehead.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

Sverre idly admires how the moonlight reflects off your skin, wondering if it's the last sight they'll see.

You lift you hand just enough to meet their eye again.

"Were you trying to fix it?"

They duck their head in shame.

This was a stupid idea. Maybe they aren't a suitable mate after all; all they can seem to do is mess up and upset you. They'd rather your axe to their head.

Another laugh, Sverre really wishes they were in a position to appreciate that lovely sound. "Jesus, is that what this has all been about? An apology?"

...Close enough. It's not like it'll matter in a few seconds. The only answer they give is a quick glance your way before training their eyes on the ground once more.

You let out a long breath. "Okay... okay. Damn. I wasted a lot of deer, huh?"

Sverre can feel tension gripping every muscle in their body as they await your response to this revelation. They can only imagine how they must look, an apex predator prostrated before a mere human for reasons nearly beyond their comprehension. They wish you didn't hold so much power over them, that your neutral tone didn't make panic further stir in their gut.

"Oh, don't you look just pitiful?"

Sverre feels a fission of pleasure shoot down their spine at your deprecating tone.

"Alright, get up. Here's what's gonna happen: you're gonna bring me another deer tomorrow, I'm gonna fix up somewhere to cook it, and then we'll see about calling us even. Sound good?"

Sverre can hardly believe their ears. Good! So good! More than good!

Their enthusiasm is enough to propel them to a standing position so they're looming over you once more (such an oddly unnatural feeling...), and you don't even flinch at the sudden motion.

They just stare at you for a few seconds, desperate to commit this image, this moment, to memory. They can feel a pleased purr starting to build in their throat, a sound they haven't made in years.

Maybe it's longer than a few seconds, because you seem to get impatient again before waving them off, though much less angrily than usual.

"Go on, I'm beat. And I still gotta fix this mess tomorrow."

Sverre obediently sweeps away into the wood, happy to ignore the extra work they've created for you in favor of focusing on their new chores.

They stay up all night collecting a feast for the two of you to enjoy together, helplessly fantasizing about the perfect domesticity of your future matehood now that you've accepted their advances. They'll show you what a good mate they can be, how well they can provide for you, how happy they can make you.

They'll win you over if it's the last thing they do.

You go to sleep still wishing you hadn't thrown out all those deer.

thanks so much for reading! feel free to send a request <3

check my pinned post ~

[semisolidmind]

What if Reader fell in love with another demon (like one living on the mountain or one that has come to talk with the kings).

And would this change anything if this love is a mutual love or not a mutual love ?

(mutual attraction or no, any other suitors of reader aren't gonna last very long once the monkey demons learn about them)

if its a visiting demon sovereign, then i guess the boys are down an ally. no biggie, they never liked that guy anyways. if reader asks where he went, the fellas can just say they caught him stealing from the royal treasury or something.

for the ffm citizen hypothetical, it's probably a particularly sweet farmer (cough @lavenderskye29 's xi-wang cough).

perhaps this citizen doesn't feel like it's fair that their queen is forced into her role. they've had the chance to talk with her, become friends with her...they've begun to understand why their leaders are so enamored with her. they want to help reader, even if just a little.

the warlords initially don't think much of the new "friend" reader mentions occasionally at evening meals or grooming sessions. she's a friendly human and she loves getting to know new people; she makes new friends on the mountain all the time. nothing to worry about.

it's only when macaque catches wind of this potential homewrecker talking about their plans to help reader escape (conveniently out loud) that he decides to have a little talk with them. for now, mac will save his brother the headache of worrying about this and deal with it himself (that, and he's sure that wukong would just outright kill the guy if he knew).

he catches the farmer in the peach groves, harvesting the season's latest crop. they startle and freeze when macaque's voice echoes from the shadows of the fruit trees, seemingly from all around them.

"So, couldn't help but overhear you talking about your little plan a minute ago. That takes guts; I'm almost impressed. Honestly, where do you get the audacity?"

the farmer grows more and more nervous as the grove grows dark, the sun drowned out by the six-eared demons' dark aura.

"Not to mention you're hitting waaaay above your pay grade. You honestly think someone like her would settle for someone like you?"

the shadows laugh cruelly, and macaque shifts the darkness closer to his anxiously shivering victim.

"You do realize she's married, right? And not to just anyone, farm boy. She's married to a king– your king...and to me."

the dark-furred demon kicked off from the tree he was leaning on, emerging from the shadows. his eyes burned like amethyst stars from underneath his angrily-knit brows, fangs grit in a threatening smile. his tail lashed angrily behind him as he tried to keep his temper in check. macaque paced toward the farmer slowly, stopping once he was right in front of them.

"She's really precious to us, y'know? So if you don't want to lose something precious to you, say, your limbs or your life...you'll stay away from her. This is your only warning, by the way. Happy harvest, tough guy."

macaque steps out of the farmer's space, giving a two finger salute as he sinks into the shadows at his feet. the farmer flinches away as the shadows fade back into the light of day, their fur standing on end.

they–they might need to be more careful about what they say from now on.

[naboman]

(Un)Broken

Synopis: In which Chifuyu reunites with the one he shattered countless school years ago, seeking redemption, but perhaps it's just too late to apologize." Pairing: Chifuyu Matsuno + Fem!Reader. Genders: Angst, Drama and Tragedy, Farce. Content Warnings: mentions of tryte of suicides, bullying and autodepressed.

Prologue: Broken Bones

[Start]

[Next]

"Broken"; Adjective, masculine Definitions: Made into pieces; fragmented, fractured. Examples: Me and you.

'Ah, yes... You remember? You put gum in my hair in sixth grade. After everyone started laughing at me, you thought you were the sovereign of the class; did you find it funny? Was it funny to see me running desperately to the bathroom to hide from the shrill laughter?

Freak.

Yes... Then I became your little pet, right? Because of you, my shoes are fraying. You threw them into the school pool and then hurled them from the rooftop. And why? Because I filled your notebooks with glue. And then you had to redo the homework all over again.

Now it wasn't so funny, was it?'

The few off-beat seconds seemed to last hours in Chifuyu's mind, who could do nothing as the girl passed a few meters ahead. The cold weather seemed to distort her image, who constantly let out sighs in the cold winter air. Even after three years, he could still recognize her. However, after the wearying misfortunes of the past, her striking and bright eyes seemed to have lost their shine over the years. As if her world had become grayer, darker.

He imagined she was living in a "faded coloring." Where the walls of her mind had gone from vivid and cheerful colors to cold and icy tones. The walls of her memories were peeled and trampled like the old paint that falls from the walls and crumbles, commonly without any value.

And amidst all those students, who quickly passed through the crowd in haste, Matsuno did not take another step. [Name] Tsubaki seemed so close, yet at the same time, so distant and alone. He wanted to go up to her and say some words of regret, which had been stuck in the boy's throat for a long time. But he couldn't. Why couldn't he? It was so simple.

As he wandered in his bitter thoughts, some intuition from the randomness of the mind made her turn her head to face the one who was devouring her with his eyes. That's when he saw. On the side of her cheek, there were some band-aids, and her right arm - hidden inside the coat thrown over her shoulders - was covered by a white cast. Broken. Who did that? And why did she seem not to care?

Indifferently, she glanced at him sideways, the blond wondered how many curses she had cast on him in that brief moment of eye contact. And whether she cast any curse or not, she wasn’t wrong, she had every right to hate him to the depths of her being.

And as quickly as she looked, she looked away. For some reason, he got the impression that as she walked, her steps only increased in speed and the rhythm of her light strides through the crowd. Soon, disappearing among the masses of uniforms.

Leaving him desolate with his thoughts, those that he had buried a long time ago in the back of his mind. In that dark and lonely corner, where the image of the girl drenched in dirty water with disinfectant was still vividly memorable, unfortunately memorable.

"Huh? " the thoughtful blond murmured, lifting his gaze to face Takemichi who was standing in front of him.

As he leaned his own weight on the stairs leading to the temple. It hardly mattered to him whether he was dirtying the Toman uniform or not.

"What the hell happened to you? You look all depressed " Hanagaki ventured to ask, needing to clear his doubt or he would lose sleep over it tonight.

And he didn't wish to make a call to Chifuyu in the middle of the night.

"Oh, that... " he murmured, glancing away, trying to dodge the question "nothing happened. Just remembered some embarrassing stuff ".

Takemichi made a point of sitting next to Chifuyu, soon giving the downcast boy a sympathetic smile.

"You can talk ".

Surprised, Matsuno thought over the offer. Soon, he agreed. After all, he had nothing to lose.

"Well... There's someone..." he searched for words to soften the subject, but everything seemed too confusing.

"Ah, I see. You've got a crush on someone!"

"No! Not at all! " he denied, stammering. But somehow Takemichi's deduction helped to lessen his nervousness "it's just that... Let's say you have the opportunity to apologize to the person you bullied, what would you say?"

"That was very specific " he commented, a bit shocked by the statement "and well... I don't know. I've never bullied anyone, i think".

"I kind of expected that... " he admitted, sighing in frustration, but now feeling less burdened.

It was like diving into a sea of regrets and for the first time feeling your lungs being refilled with fresh air. It was liberating.

"Well, continuing... " he cleared his throat, bringing the attention back to himself "this person came back to school, after three years. We had never seen each other again, nor had I had the opportunity to apologize. And also, I don't know how to do it."

Constantly, Takemichi watched the boy with blond locks tighten his fingers repeatedly; restless. Drawing in air forcefully, trying to sound uninterrupted and unshakable, when in fact he was just gathering strength to finish the story. But he was afraid. Afraid of judgment and what Takemichi would say when he finished pouring his heart out.

Then, Takemichi delivered a slap on the back of his friend's neck. The one who let out a grunt of pain, since he was caught off guard at such a vulnerable moment. Dragging his hand to his neck.

"What the fuck, what was that!? "

"Don't worry " Takemichi said, standing back up, extending his hand in a comforting gesture "if you're as sorry as you seem, then that person will surely understand."

"Takemichi... " he murmured in surprise, massaging the affected area.

"You're human. Everyone's an asshole sometimes " he considered.

"When did you become like this? "

"I don't know. Saw it in a comic."

Behind the wall, both blonds watched her water the school garden's flowers, while the watering can poured water on the dry flowers, [Name] watched the birds flapping their wings flying far away. Startled by the rustling of the tree leaves.

Chifuyu was not surprised. The girl had always had an affection for botany. And it reminded him of when he buried her cardigan in the soil of the small garden at the back of school.

Which didn't help much with what little determination he had left inside.

He shook his head, pushing away the thoughts. He didn't expect to see her working with a broken arm, although that effort wasn't enough to tire her or affect her recovery.

"Is it her? " Takemichi dispelled the pessimistic thoughts from the guy with just the tone of voice with which he spoke those words.

Matsuno looked in the direction of his crouched friend, hidden behind the wall, who couldn't take his eyes off the girl. She, who cared little about the environment around her, not even realizing the presence of the two.

"Yeah... " he answered in the same low voice.

"And what are you waiting for? Go there! " he encouraged, seeing a reluctant grimace forming on the other's face.

He didn't feel like giving in at the crucial moment of the situation. But he was apprehensive. His eyes glowed with determination, but this confident and resolute look hid fear. A suppressed feeling of being ignored or having his apologies denied – rightfully so, of course.

He peeled his legs off the ground and began to walk towards the girl, who was now crouched trimming the flowers and tossing the small branches into the basket. Slowly, he approached with his hands in his pockets, as if he were getting close to a skittish cat.

And when [Name] noticed the presence of the blond, she rolled her eyes, looking at him standing at the entrance of the garden. She couldn't avoid the surprise in her gaze, but shortly after, she stood up and put away the gardening tools.

Chifuyu felt a lump forming in his throat.

As he was about to start the dialogue, he was interrupted by [Name]'s velvety voice.

"Do you want something? "

He hadn't heard her voice in a long time, so much so that he couldn't even remember the tone and how her words used to be light and kind.

"Ah, yes... No! i mean no! " he declined, searching for words "are you about to leave?"

"Yes, I have a violin test today " she lied, holding the backpack between her free arm and turning to leave. She didn't plan to prolong the conversation more than necessary.

But before the young woman could take a final step towards the ring of plants - a.k.a. the entrance to the garden - she felt a hand on her shoulder, not with brutality, but rather a touch filled with patience and gentleness. However, it wasn't enough to prevent the shock. [Name] felt so much fear that she didn't even bother hiding the trembling of her hands.

Anxious. The feeling of uncertainty.

"Please, wait " he pleaded, softly "I'm sorry."

If she were in a favorable position, she would certainly raise an eyebrow. Unfortunately, as she was not in a position to do so, she simply waited for him to continue.

"Just know that I regret it. A lot! I wouldn't even be able to see you every day without saying this first."

She stayed silent, thinking about what she had just heard. The usual calmness that surrounded [Name]'s face didn't vanish for a second.

"And is this just for you to feel good about yourself? " she dared to poke where it hurt.

Although she was terrified, it was the only opportunity to be honest and let go of the docile demeanor she had adopted for Matsuno over the years.

"Don't feel bad, it's been a long time " she said, brushing her fingers on the basket handle, releasing the anxiety "it's not like you or I care. I don't want to be your friend or anything, just... leave me alone. " she added, swallowing hard, while he patiently waited for her to finish speaking "So... Please! Don't look for me anymore!"

She mumbled the last words. Summoning courage from where she didn't have it, she quickly moved away from the boy.

And as soon as she finished speaking, she dropped the basket and ran away in a hurry, without any direction. She just wanted to distance herself from Chifuyu as much as possible.

He failed.

[revryebread]

Everything Is Interstitial: Games inside of Games inside of Games

Interstitial is a game that takes characters and rips them from the cloth of where they come from and quilts them into one world. “Everything is Interstitial” is an extension of that: what if you could do that with mechanics and games?

I have teamed up with 5 designers to bring their games to Interstitial. When you turn the page from one to the other, you will stop being in Interstitial and start being in one of their games. They'll still be playbooks for Interstitial, but you will have the power to get into the gears and change the fabric of how you interact with the base system.

The best way I can put this is like in Dead Cells when you pick up the Hollow Knight needle and suddenly you can incorporate elements of Hollow Knight’s movement and gameplay into the game. I want that for Interstitial. (You can jump on people's heads and swing down, adding parrying and the weird bounce from the HK to a game that does not naturally have it!)

TAKUMA OKADA

Takuma is someone I have known in the TTRPG scene for what feels like ages, and their work has always been deeply impressive to me. They're a creator who has a way of stringing words together that could never come to me, and whenever they release something it feels like it changes the way I think. 

You may know them from Stewpot, Alone Among The Stars, and Old Home!

CARO ASERCION

Caro Asercion is someone I could work with every day and not get tired of it. When I read a game by them, it feels like momentum instead of action–their games let you be the movement of the gears, instead of the thing that is forcing them to turn. It feels second nature, and it makes things happen like magic in front of you.

You may know them from i'm sorry, did you say street magic?, Exquisite Biome, and The Long Shift!

TYLER CRUMRINE

Tyler has an absolutely incredible eye for resolution mechanics, and more importantly has a writing that lets me know cleanly and clearly how those mechanics work work cleanly and clearly. I come out of reading those rules like I've always known how to play. The Possible World RPG series is something I carry around with me when I'm traveling,  and whenever I show them to people they are amazed and impressed. 

You may know them from Beak, Feather, & Bone, Hounds, and Grandpa's Farm!

BRANDON LEON-GAMBETTA

I remember one of my first times ever being on Discord, sitting in the One Shot community, and turning to my wife and going "Oh woah, there's someone in here who actually makes TTRPGs!". That game was Pasión de las Pasiones, and that person was Brandon! I have been following his work forever, and between the experimentation that comes from his podcast or the genre work he's doing in his games, it's always incredible.

You may know him from Pasión de las Pasione, Stop Hack & Roll, and RadCrawl!

BRIAR SOVEREIGN

There is a wealth of big robot games out there in the wild, and to make yours stand out is a feat of strength. Briar's knack for amazing design both in layout and mechanics has made their work resonate clear above everything else. They are an absolute joy to know, and to work with them will be a highlight of my life.

These designers are each going to take one of their games and port it into Interstitial as a playbook, layout and all. This'll give players new mechanics to play around with, and hopefully ways to break everything. All of these designers are incredible at what they do–-- and they're bringing what they do to Interstitial. As long as we can hit that goal!!