#One can focus on “Never” and the other focuses on “Queen” and it's the secondary one that is her lasting legacy

[backjustforberena]

We don't talk enough about Rhaenys's visual transformation and the symbolism behind it.

[ariel-seagull-wings]

@thealmightyemprex

"Fox TV and Marvel Comics decided. By summer of 1993, the show had been a runaway No. 1 hit for six months and we had completed writing the second season of scripts, bringing the total stories to 26. At that point, Fox committed to three more seasons (39 more episodes), and I, executive Sidney Iwanter, producer Scott Thomas, and director Larry Houston visited Marvel’s New York offices to brainstorm and discuss various characters and bits of storyline we would all like to see in the next 39 half-hours.

“Phoenix” and “Dark Phoenix” were at the top of Marvel’s list.

The only direct adaptation we had made so far was “Days of Future Past,” which we had suggested, and it and the two Phoenixes were the only direct adaptations we ever committed to. Every other story used bits and pieces from the books, but these were the “big three.” 

Primarily we focused on Jean Grey (who was going through the Phoenix transformation) and on those people who cared most about her. Secondarily, we focused on Xavier, whose connection to Lilandra brought the worlds beyond Earth into our stories for the first time.

When we looked at the many subplots in the books, we trimmed them away or bolstered them, depending on how they helped support these two central through-lines.

We were excited to do it because we had felt that we had underused her in the first two seasons and this gave us a chance to give her more screen time. Second, by now we had established that she was a kind of emotional center for the team–someone who could talk honestly with any of the others, who understood them–so we knew she would sustain a good story focus for our team of X-Men.

As a “children’s show for Saturday morning TV,” we were always aware of the tight limits we had on sex and violence–limits far tighter than the comics had.

Luckily, since we were focused on Jean/Phoenix and Xavier and Lilandra, adjusting secondary characters wasn’t a big worry for us. Also, we believe we got the intensity of Jean’s Black-Queen sensuality across in her dialogue and in Catherine Disher’s performance. Jean-as-Phoenix is so much bigger, more dramatic, in animation than Jean-as-Black-Queen that we never felt the loss.

First, we knew from the beginning we couldn’t have Dark Phoenix destroy an inhabited planet, so we worked with that disappointing limitation from day one. We hope we got across how deadly she could be. Second, we very much believe that killing Jean off would have been the proper heroic sacrifice for the story.

We didn’t for two reasons. First, we needed her for the remaining 20 stories–a problem in all comics and serialized TV.

And second, we’d had a convincing seeming-death in “Phoenix,” which was then revealed to not be Jean’s end after all. We didn’t want to repeat that.

We thought up the shared sacrifice of the rest of the team (10% of their lives–a handy cheat) as a way around it.

I wish I knew (and that they had asked us to help). Animated TV comics-adaptations and live-action feature comics-adaptations are similar but not the same.

The great TV critic Brian Lowry thinks animation suits super-hero-comics adaptations better than live action–something about suspension of disbelief. Mutants with super-powers are hard enough–then in these cases you add space aliens. You can get lost in the spectacle.

I believe that the recent Spider-Man animated feature was better than any of the live-action movies, most of which I enjoyed a great deal. When in doubt, keep the story simple and trust in the characters to propel the story (the movie Logan is a good example).

She asserted herself. As writer Mark Edens and I laid out the first, then the second season of stories, we kept coming back to needing to use her in scenes, often to reveal depths of other characters.

She was an emotional center, trusted, a glue that helped keep the disparate team together. Luckily, she was a true legacy character, so no one ever felt we were being intrusive by featuring her."

(Eric Lewald)

[greatqueenanna]

Sorry for being salty, maybe I'm just disappointed a little(I used to be a Frozen fan), but the more I think the more I start to see the men of Frozen useless.

Your analyses on Hans also helped me to realize this. Anna and Elsa really need neither Kristoff nor Hans. The second you try to use them, to fit them in the possible plot of Frozen III the more you realize that it is all just turns out in an tiresome attempt to find them a place beside one of the sisters, to find them a job to do, to find them a decent role in a story of the sisters and magic and it's hard to do. It feels like it's just a duty and an effort. The latest Frozen book about the polar festival showed that it's easier to get Kristoff wounded and out of the plot for the most of the time than to find him an occupation and a place. After Frozen II Hans and Kristoff became even less than a sidekick–if you delete them it won't affect Frozen II or Frozen III in the slightest. I don't know, maybe it's a good thing like sisters before misters, but I'm cringing as I'm imagining as the directors are trying to fit Kristoff or Hans in a narrow plot box right now.

No hard feelings. You're allowed to feel whatever you want.

Well, first things first. Hans is a villain. He doesn't really count as one of the men of Frozen. And yes, if they want to bring him back, it has to benefit the main protagonists in some way because...they're the main protagonists. Unless you were doing some kind of spin-off, Hans would never have development outside Anna or Elsa.

When it comes to Kristoff, there are a few things we need to take into consideration, some things you're already alluded to, before we talk about what he could be doing in the next installment.

Kristoff is a secondary character. The film team has made it very clear that the main focus of the Frozen franchise is Anna and Elsa - even when the film focuses more on one sister, the other sister will always have major importance over any other characters. Kristoff's story will always have a secondary importance in whatever film and typically will involve his relationship with Anna in one way or another. That was always his purpose since the first film.

When it comes to novels, novelists hired by Disney are typically restricted in what they can write about. If they are always pushing Kristoff away, it's probably because the film team is still trying to figure something out with his character. They don't want a novelist giving him a backstory or a personality trait that they have to retcon or end up paying them for because it was their original idea. It's one of the reasons why a lot of novel stories and characters are not referenced in the films.

With this being said, there are plenty of stories available for Kristoff. Kristoff's past, his birth parents, The Ice Harvestor Sámi tribe, his views on becoming king, his views on Arendelle, etc. Something like his past and parents would be better suited for a t.v series or short film, but something like his views on being King could easily fit into F3 alongside a main plot.

For example, if Anna has to prove herself as Queen, or has a difficult task she needs to face, Kristoff stepping up and supporting her could easily lead to development on his part - starting out as him being nervous as to what is expected of him when he marries Anna. Thus, here the main focus is still Anna, but Kristoff is still developing on the side. Throw in a song or duet with Anna and you're good to go.

Also, it's good to note that the film team loves Kristoff and are good friends with his voice actor Jonothan Groff. They are such good friends, that Groff actually had the power to push for a personality change for Kristoff in the first Frozen film, much like Kristen Bell did for Anna - which continued into F2.

In fact, in F2, Anna and Kristoff's stories were one of the first things they knew exactly what to do with and were the easiest to develop for them. They even had to downplay Kristoff's story a bit because it was getting in the way of the main plot. This shows that it's actually very easy for the writers to write about both Kristoff and Anna. You can be sure that the first characters they are thinking about right now are Anna and Kristoff.

What they actually tend to struggle with is Elsa's story. And no, it's not because they hate Elsa or anything like that (because I know there are a lot of salty Elsa fans that love to say this). It's because she's a much more difficult character to write and she means a lot to many people for different reasons, so it's tough and stressful to get her story right without upsetting fans in the process. Anna and Kristoff are easier because they are more straightforward.

[impeccablebackside]

kinda like the thought of giving the queens a bit more "casual" cuddling during sex. like i imagine plato just giving his vicky some soft scraching behind her ears while he's also inside of her. the doubled pleasure causes her eyes to roll back, and she starts to purr. it'll also make them feel safe and even more comfortable with their partners. cuddling sometimes is just everything. but simultaneously with fucking? ...hell yipedi-yeah!

Thank you so much for this ask anon. While I have never really talked about it beyond one post, cuddling during sex is something that I think would be a really great thing (to put it lightly). That sort of sensation / sensual play holds a lot of good promise and is incredibly underrated. Anything that can elicit shivers of joy is wonderful.

I love the idea of some good ear attention or scalp / neck massage type secondary stimulation to go alongside the primary stimulation of being fucked. I am not sure if you know (but I am thinking that you do given the wording of your ask - so thanks again anon), but scalp massages or gentle scratching end up being very relaxing yet stimulating. It would cause Vic to be almost zoned out and in on each bit of attention she is gettting from her mans. Relaxed, but focused on all the pleasure, riding out the bliss in the most arresting of ways. Separately, the differing types of attention are welcomed, and together they combine and elevate the other. It would definitely border on being overwhelming once the waves of her orgasm start hitting her, with much more force than other situations would typically produce. The eyes rolling back is literally what I picture in my mind anon. We share similar thoughts it seems.

Even on the flip side, I am also all for delicate stimulation when a tom is jerking it or getting fucked. I know I would absolutely freaking melt with any form of butterfly kiss or gentle touch regardless of situation. I have a soft spot for super personal and intimate things like that. If I am in a 'vulnerable' position, I would likely shoot off and quiver at such light, but compelling attention. It would be so revelatory. I think Plato would be in the same boat. It is not the amount of non-sexual stimulation, but rather simply the meaningful attention he would get from Vic. Any sort of focus on him by the white queen gets him weak to begin with. I think him jerking himself while Vic sits behind or beside him, giving him sweet kisses and whispering in his ear is a semi-frequent occurrence to some degree. I even wrote a very short post about it. Even in other fics, I have dropped in mentions of neck or ear nibbling, headpats / caressing, or ear rubbing. While they are never a big focus at all, they all contribute a bit to making the character feel even more special.

Even just as part of aftercare, cuddling and sensual touches are so perfect between Vic and Plato. Both of them are quite spent after they are finished fucking one another's brains out and serving their souls some good pleasure. Vic takes time to clean herself to return to the prim and proper queen she embodies, making sure her fur is back in order. Plato usually sits quietly contemplating after, mostly because his mind is still levelling off from what he experienced. However, he always helps to clean her off once he floats back down to earth, and spends extra time cleaning her headfur because he cannot help kissing her over and over again.

Whether it be pre- or post- sex, they both absolutely love the quiet time spent cuddling with one another. It fills both of them with an euphoria that they cannot get any other way. After the short time when they are both idle catching their breaths, Vic turns to watch Plato, who is always looking at her with a smitten love blazed across his face. Being appreciated by someone else in such a close physical relationship makes Vic feel so special and safe. Particularly, Plato giving her head pats and rubbing her face makes her melt, and all the stress she holds is beautifully unwound. Attention to her ears and the fur under eyes comforts Vic, and she gets always gets sleepy. Sweet, affectionate kisses between the two of them alongside this elevate the aura of love. Curled up together with her man is her favourite place to be, and after sex they drift off wholly content and wrapped in the warmth of each others arms. It really is a beautiful thing.

You are definitely correct anon, cuddling and embracing is oftentimes everything, regardless of if it involves sex or not. Very little is as rewarding as simply belonging to someone else. Knowing that you belong so wholeheartedly to the positive essence and energy of another, no matter the context, is part of what inspires my idea of romanticism. To be truly in love is to possess that level of interconnectedness where you are not whole without someone else. To bridge the physical contact between two people and become one, sharing in the warmth and embrace of another is superb. To conflate the emotions and desire of two people into a miasmic haze of love (and lust) is truly a premise of immense joy. The closeness, specifically the innate intimacy where two people can connect in such powerful way, seems like it would be the ultimate end-goal. Potentially more than any sort of sexual satisfaction.

[drenosa]

The Arc Household is, frankly speaking, a godsdamned legend. Their children are the talk amongst the students of every school in Remnant.

Because whether it be a primary school, secondary school or any kind of higher education, if an Arc child saw fit to enroll there, things... happened.

Curriculums improved, teachers got their acts together, facilities were upgraded. Healthcare of both the mental and the physical was practically guaranteed and professionals in both fields began to covet placements at any schools an Arc had set foot in. As a result, student grades flew through the roof, followed by skyrocketing graduation rates.

All of this can be traced back, of course. First outlandish claims, then intriguing rumours all leading to some inventive storytelling filled with facts both wild and mundane.

That tracing would eventually lead to just one man, envied yet pitied, cursed yet blessed. That is the summation of what people think of one Jaune Arc, father of thirtyeight(38!) children.

With him are his three wives, veritable paragons in their fields.

Pyrrha Nikos, Goddess of Victory, Matriarch, Mother to nine fierce and bold daughters. She instilled each of them with a drive for the physical pursuits in life, to have a zeal for the skills that elevated her the top of martial world.

Of these daughters, the first and third set of triplets are blessed with their mother's eyes. Bright orbs of green.

Ruby Rose, The Flowering Gunsmith, another Matriarch and Mother to nine kind and energetic daughters. She encouraged her daughters to hold a love for freedom of spirit and to find the wonders in the mechanical.

Amongst her darlings, who she rates even higher than her first love Crescent Rose, her second triplets have inherited her mysterious silvers.

Weiss Schnee, The Queen of Dust, Third Matriarch and Mother to nine bright and focused daughters. She wishes for her daughters to cultivate their minds, and to find a strength of mind and personality unmatched.

One would think her pale blues would be hard to spot, yet it quickly becomes obvious that's not the case. This particular hue is easily spotted among her first set of triplets.

Together, they form a something of a tetrarchy within the Arc household. Imperious, yet benevolent rulers and educators. Parents, in the truest sense of the word.

When Jaune is away, these three women rule the roost. A rule guided by the love not just for their man, but also for each other.

For they are four souls, bound together in blessed matrimony.

Of course, these three are not the only women of note. Beside them there are four other women that need to be mentioned if one is talking about any of the Arc progeny.

Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao-Long, A Shadow and A Sun, both soothing in their own right. They are each mother to three. One triplet, with feline ears and eyes of both amber and blue. The other, with hair as wild as their mother, eyes bright purple.

Cinder Fall, The Mysterious Flame, A fire that nuturers rather than destroys and a Mother to four. These four are particular in their own right, mixing but never matching in hair types and eyecolour.

Amber Autumn, Fated Mother, She who made the impossible possible. For her child was unlike all the daughters that came before. Unlike all that striking blonde hair that had become an inescapable sight around the streets of Vale and later beyond.

Mother to a Son. Brown haired and hazel eyed like his mother. This boy has become the focal point of the Arc Horde. A fulcrum of destiny.

This boy is now fourteen years of age. A teenager who has experienced life as the youngest child, and only son, among a household numbering well over three dozen people of the female persuasion.

But all that is of no import. Not as of yet anyway. For it is the oldest daughters that are the focus this time around. Young women who only just reached their age of majority, and with that comes the biggest dread fathers across Remnant could face.

Their daughters... Dating...

Any student possessing even the slightest bit of intelligence knows the following:

An Arc Daughter is, objectively speaking, Beautiful.

An Arc Daughter is, objectively speaking, Intelligent.

An Arc Daughter is, objectively speaking, Desirable.

An Arc Daughter is, objectively speaking, Unattainable.

That last one might be surprising to some. It wouldn't make any sense, right? A young woman, independent, self-reliant, influential in manners of both Brain and Brawn. The type of woman that is bound to have plenty of potential suitors.

But an Arc woman isn't just any type of woman. They are Arcs. They are the daughters of one Jaune Arc. And people know the following:

Jaune Arc is the absolute epitome of an overly doting father.

Jaune Arc is the absolute epitome of an overprotective father.

Jaune Arc is the absolute epitome of an overdramatic father.

To some, this is a ridiculous combination of parental traits for someone to have. To Jaune Arc it means that he is the only thing that stands as a fortress, a bulwark and a citadel against seeing his babygirls growing up.

But Jaune Arc is not alone in this. He's got a whole host of father figures in his retinue. Father figures of power, of influence. They will aid him in this endeavour. By hook or by crook, his daughters will remain his babygirls.

His first targets: The two boys and one girl who each futilely wish- nay, foolishly aspire- to date someone from Weiss' oldest triplets:

Bianca, Eira and Chione.

The Sequel!

(A/N - Let's see what we can do with this!)

It had been 14 years since his one and only son had been born. The auspicious day heralded in a new era for the Arc clan. The baby making had ceased. The combined might of the mothers of his children deciding it was time to focus on raising and educating their brood over just expanding it.

But the hints were still there, Everyone was still hale and hearty... and once his oldest started moving out on their own... they may start the process over again. But however that was beside the point. His 9 oldest had decided with some urging from their mothers and aunts and grandmothers to bring home their boyfriends or girlfriends... to meet the family.

While Jaune knew that his children would never let ANYONE hurt or disrespect any member of the family, as the father... he had an age old duty to fulfill, but due to the sheer size of the undertaking he called in assistance. So there seated on three couches in the massive living room, sat the 9 would be paramours.

Across from them the father of their love interests. Before Jaune his 14 year old son, with his shoulder length dark brown hair put up in twin-tails, while wearing baby blue tights, a pink sundress and black flats. stood. Jaune knew after this... meeting... he was going to have to talk to his brood again about playing dress up with their brother.

Flanking Jaune was his reinforcements for this task. The grandfathers and grand uncle of the family. To his left stood Qrow and Taiyang. To his right Ozpin and Jaune's father. Behind him using his imposing size stood Ghira.

But there was one other, that even the assembled group of men was a little shocked at seeing. Standing behind the collected young men and women seeking approval to continue their relationships, was one Jacques Schnee, flanked by a squad of SDC security drones. One for each of his granddaughters and half-granddaughters.

Jaune's mind remembered something about Willow enlisting Salem's help in putting Jacques straight, and for several years the man had been banned from family outings. But then sunlight broke through those dark clouds, and the Schnee Patriarch proved his "worth" b y not only restructuring the SDC, but also himself.

Jaune: So... *Jaune's support as smirked... sinisterly* ...you want to date my daughters...

[solinarimoon]

Fields of Wildflowers chapter 9

Fields of Wildflowers

Chapter 9

A Sihtric x OC story

AN: This is my first attempt at writing smut!  Please let me know how you like it! If you want to read the previous chapters for this story, you can find them here. Or you can read my other works here.

Warnings: This chapter contains sexual content and is not for individuals under 18 years old.

Word Count: 3895ish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“May I join you, Finan?”

Cwen paused to see the Irishman's reaction.  He sat, elbows on knees and face in hands along a bench outside the new Queen of Mercia’s chambers.  

Startled at her words, he sat up abruptly.

“Cwen, of course.” 

Seeing who it was interrupting his thoughts, Finan resumed his slumped and dejected posture.

Cwen’s feet made soft echoes as she padded across the floor to take a seat next to him.

The hallway was thick with heat from the summer air.  Dust moats swirled in the sun’s rays that filtered in from the adjacent window.

Cwen leaned back against the wall and took in the sight of her companion.

“Something weighs on your mind?”

Finan ran his hands over his face and sat up to match Cwen’s posture.

“Other than the current illegal occupation of the city by a jilted rival king?”

“Yes, other than that.”

“Well, you might say something weighs on my mind, yes.”

Taking a breath and staring down at his hands, Finan spun one of his rings. Cwen waited several minutes for him to continue.

“I thought this would be a chance for Uhtred to find another path.  Another destiny for him to fall behind,” Finan leaned forward once more to rest his elbows on his knees.

“When we failed to win Bebbanburg, when we lost Beocca, it broke him. And we lost everything.  Starting over here, in Mercia would have been a fresh beginning for him. For all of us. A place to finally find some peace.”

“Are you so sure that is out of reach now?”  Cwen had not had time to process the turn of events with Uhtred abdicating the throne to Aethelflaed.  Not as Finan had it would seem.  What would this mean for any future with Sihtric.

To have only begun to explore the depths of their feelings then possibly have that torn away from her had not crossed Cwen’s mind until that instant. Suddenly, she felt as if a snake had coiled itself inside her ribs, slowly constricting her heart. 

“Are you thinking about Sihtric now?”

“Yes.” 

Finan did not pry her to speak further of her relationship with his brother in arms. Instead he returned his attention to twisting his rings and ruminating on his own concerns. 

Cwen’s mind raced as she thought about losing Sihtric and the comfort and companionship she had found in him.  Without ever even realizing it, she had begun to place him into her future.  Seeing herself years down the road, it was Sihtric she saw at her side.  But now those images seemed hazy.  As if they had lost their focus with this new information.  If Sihtric were to leave Mercia with Uhtred, where would that leave room for her in his life.

Finan shifted his posture on the bench. It brought Cwen out of her own thoughts to glance at her friend.  Cwen pushed the distressing images to the back of her mind and focused her attention on Finan.  The man looked miserable.

“Have you talked with her?”

Finan’s hand stilled but his eyes remained downcast. 

“To Eadith?” She pushed. 

Cwen watched as Finan raised his head to gaze out the window and take a breath. It was small but his head gently swept from side to side. 

“I know that there is so much yet for Sihtric and myself to understand and discuss with one another. But I can say for my part, I do not regret allowing him to know my heart. We have not discussed it but I plan to now.  Knowing that our futures are uncertain I must speak with him.  But I am sure he does know I care for him.”

“You both would need to be blind to not see it.”

“Well I could say the same to you and Eadith both.”

Finan turned his head to meet Cwen’s face still remaining hunched over upon himself. 

“There is mutual affection between you both. And I do not know her plans for the future but I do feel you should speak with her. But who am I to give you advice?” Cwen finished crossing her arms over herself and turning her eyes to meet the window once more. 

“I would say you are a friend, Cwen. And one who we have all come to value a great deal.”

Cwen shot her eyes towards the Irishman and quirked a skeptical smile. 

“Do you not believe me?” Finan said with a light chuckle. 

“No, I do. It is just hard to accept when I have guarded myself for so long. Even before Eardwulf, I did not easily allow people into my life. Ever since losing my mother as a young girl. Even with Aethelflaed, I’ve kept her at an arm's distance you could say.  She is a few years older than I am and I love and respect her. And I have no doubt she cares about my friendship as well. But I could never bring myself to confide in her about Eardwulf. About what he would do to me. I told Sihtric I did not want to speak it aloud and make it true. But I also did not want to allow myself to let someone else in so close. It may sound strange,”

“It does not sound strange to me. We all deal with our grief and our turmoil differently. I doubt I would ever have formed such a bond with Uhtred or the others if Uhtred had not endured slavery alongside me. So I understand guarding yourself.”

The pair sat in companionable silence for several moments more. The sound of rustling coming from the door to Aethelflaed’s room caused Finan to stand. When the door did not open, he sat back down and leaned against the wall with his legs outstretched. 

“In case you’re afraid of speaking about your feelings with Sihtric, can I offer some advice since you’ve given me yours?”

“Even though it was unasked for?” Cwen replied with a wry smile. 

“Aye, even though it was.”

“Please continue, Finan?”

Cwen met Finan’s eyes as he turned to face her. 

“Trust him, Cwen.  He will not hurt you.  I have never, in all my years knowing the man, never seen him as I see him with you.”

Pausing to process Finan’s words, Cwen spoke softly, “what do you mean Finan?”

“I mean the man can not keep his eyes from you. It started at Saltwic. At least that’s when I noticed it. But he could not help himself for staring at you. I don’t think you noticed,”

“I did,” Cwen replied meekly. 

“Well whatever is between the two of ya, he is fiercely devoted to you and your protection. He is a loyal man and a strong warrior.  But I suspect you could bring him to his knees if you wanted to.  He isn’t a man of many words like myself.”

“Oh, you cheeky Irishman,” Cwen interrupted while lightly smacking his arm. 

Chucking, Finan continued, “But I know him well. And I know he would do anything to protect you, lady. To keep ya happy. To see you are never hurt again.”

“I trust him, Finan. Like I have never trusted anyone before. And we’ve barely even spoken of our feelings with one another. I want to say that this is just silly girlish fancy. To think so much of a thing without time spent exploring it more. But time has not allowed us that luxury. And even without that luxury, I know it in my heart. I can trust Sihtric to be gentle with my love.”

“Your love, Cwen? Is it love for you both then?”

“I have not spoken the words. But in my heart I know, for myself it is.”

“Aye. I have seen love before. So I can say by comparison, it is love.”

“Thank you, Finan. I did not come here to speak of these things but I am happy we have.”

“Me too.”

After a moment's pause, Cwen chuckled. 

“I expect you to let me know once you’ve spoken with Eadith.”

“Och, you won’t let this go will you?”

At that moment, Stiorra rounded the corner and stopped to stare at them. 

“What is it?”

“Get the Lady Aethelflaed. You all must see what is happening.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cwen stood atop the ramparts next to Aethelflaed and Finan.

Uhtred and Osferth were approaching the gates from the main road followed closely by Sihtric bringing up the rear on a secondary path.  They all had scores of men following in their midst.  

They had raised the Mercian fyrd to bring support to the new Queen of Mercia.

“Lady Aethelflaed, your fyrd is here to support you,” called Uhtred.

While the lady spoke to her countrymen, Cwen’s eyes found Sihtric’s.

Her lips parted into a bright smile which Sihtric returned.

Leaning in to whisper in her ear, Finan said, “I told you I saw it.  And you’ve proved me right.”

Cwen gave no response.  She was too preoccupied watching Sihtric as he and the others made their way back inside the burg’s walls.  Aethelflaed had been able to appeal to King Edward’s rational mind and prove they could and should be allies once more.

Quickly, Cwen made her way down the stairs and across the yard to the stables.

After her words with Finan, Cwen knew she must make time to speak with Sihtric alone.  There was so much to discuss and so much that should not be left unsaid.

As she rounded the corner, her breath caught in her throat as her eyes found him.

He had not dismounted his horse, but instead appeared to be coaxing the grey mare and running his hand down her neck. He had not noticed Cwen’s presence yet.  She took a moment to just watch him.  The line of his jaw and the strength of his arms.  His strong gentle hands stroked the animal, speaking quiet words to still it’s hoofs.  Cwen imagined those hands on her own body, stroking, caressing.

The heat in her body ignited once more. She felt a swelling between her thighs and a pull low in her core.

Sihtric brought his eyes up from his horse and found hers.  Slowly, he brought the animal to her side and his eyes bore down on her.  Neither of them were smiling now.  Their faces both instead betrayed a deeper desire. Sihtric licked his lips which caused Cwen’s own to part as she released a sigh.

“Come with me,” Sihtric commanded as he guided the horse over to a hay bale.

Cwen stepped onto the bale and immediately felt his strong arm wrap around her waist to bring her onto his saddle.  

She rode in front of him, feeling the strength of his grip as he kept his hand securely on her waist.  Her waist twisted to place her back against him with both legs still placed to one side.  She could feel the heat from his breath on her neck and it sent rivers of pleasure down her spine.

Struggling to find her voice, Cwen managed to ask, “Where are we going?”

“Away from the world for a while.”

Cwen brought her finger to interlace with those gripping her hip.  Slowly, as they rode through the gates and past the camps set up outside the walls, Cwen moved his hand to settle on her torso. She felt his fingers grip and squeeze her and she desperately wanted to shift his hand lower on her body.  To feel his touch caressing her sex.  

Instead she arched her back against him and felt his lips ghost along the curve of her neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They did not make it far.  Distantly, Cwen could still hear the sounds from the camp.  But they were far enough to evade prying eyes.

Sihtric brought his horse into a copse of trees.  The ground was softly covered with moss and a warm breeze drifted through the branches.

As smooth as a cat, Sihtric dismounted from the horse, somehow never breaking his hold on her.

When he moved to ease Cwen from the saddle, he kept his body close.  Cwen slid along him as he controlled her down off the mare.

Keeping his arms wrapped around her, Sihtric slowly lowered her until her lips met his as he guided her down until her feet met solid ground.

Cwen’s hands gripped his shoulders tight and she fisted her fingers into his shirt.

She felt his hands hungrily move to wrap her waist and take grip of her neck.

Their mouths opened, tongues daring to explore.  

Cwen could feel Sihtric’s excitement against her stomach. Thinking of his arousal brought forth even more desire in Cwen and she released a mewling sigh against his lips.

Hearing her sound, Sihtric released her mouth and brought his lips to nip and suck along her collarbone causing Cwen to release even more quavering breaths of pleasure.

“Sihtric,” she breathed, speaking his name like a prayer.  The swelling between her legs was leaving her throbbing.  She felt her body writhing under his touch and was shocked to know how much she wanted more of him.

“Sihtric, please.”

Sihtric moved to pull back, “I am  sorry Cwen. I know I told you I would move slowly,” but Cwen cut him off by capturing his lips once more with hers. 

This time it was slow. Full of meaning. 

When she broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. 

“I know what I said. But I also know things have changed.  Before it seemed we would have time and now,” Cwen paused, bringing her hands to rest behind his neck.  “Will Uhtred stay here now?  Will you stay, Sihtric?” 

Sihtric brought his head back to better meet Cwen’s eyes.

“I can not say, Cwen.  But as much as it pains me, it is likely we will leave and return to Coccham or venture somewhere else.”

Cwen broke his stare to rest her head against his chest.  Her hands moved to grip his waist and pull him close.

“I will return to you whenever I am able. We don’t know what our future will be but I know I want you in it.  However I can have you, Cwen.  If you will wait for me.”

Sihtric’s hands drew long slow lines along her spine.

Cwen took a moment to breathe in his scent and calm her beating heart.  He smelled of open fields and horses and damp woods.  Natural and soothing. Steeling herself, she tilted her head back to stare up at him.

“I do not want to wait to be with you, Sihtric. I want you for my future as well,” her eyes shone as she saw the desire mirrored in his face.

“But take me now, Sihtric.  Here and now while I know you are mine.”

She barely had time to finish her words before she felt the heat of his lips crash into hers once more. His body flush against hers and their hands grasped at one another as if scared they would disappear. With chests heaving, Cwen broke apart and turned her back to him.

Sihtric’s hands never left her body and his lips left bruising marks running along her neck.

Slowly, Cwen stepped away from him and brought her hands up to undo the laces of her dress.

She felt him reach out to help her lift it over her head leaving her clad only in her thin, cream colored shift.  Cwen’s breath stuttered as she slowly lowered the sleeves from her shoulders, feeling gooseflesh appear on her skin despite the steamy summer night air.  The sun had almost completely set, leaving gentle streaks filtering in through the trees.

Free from her arms, she allowed the shift to slide down her hips to pool at her feet.

She heard Sihtric take a sharp inhale of breath then felt as his feet moved towards her and his hands grasped onto her bare hips.  Slowly, Cwen turned her body to meet him.

His eyes hungrily took in her nakedness and Cwen watched as he licked his lips.

Cwen shivered as his hands left her to remove his jerkin and leather.  Once unencumbered, he wrapped her in his arms once more and took her mouth with his.  

Cwen had never been naked in front of a man before and found the thrill of it and of Sihtric’s hands on her bare flesh made her nipples harden and her core become slick with desire.

“Touch me, Sihtric,” she whispered against his lips.

Sihtric took his mouth from her and locked his eyes on to her own.

Cwen left out a small gasp of pleasure as she felt his rough fingers slowly slip between her folds and find the wetness of her desire.

At feeling her excitement, Sihtric could not contain the hungry growl that escaped his lips and he felt his member twitch.

Slowly he began to work his fingers across her, massaging and exploring.  

When he finally slipped a finger inside of her, Cwen’s legs quivered and she felt herself lean into his hand so he could more fully cup her sex.

Another moan of pleasure escaped her lips as he entered a second finger and rocked his hand back and forth across her bundle.

“Lie down, Cwen.” Sihtric spoke low and commanding.

Gently, Cwen lowered herself to the ground while SIhtric's fingers continued their exploration, half holding her from falling and half teasing her with pleasure.  His free hand supported her lower back.

Once she lay beneath him, breathing husky and low, he removed himself and stood.

Cwen’s eyes watched him as he lifted his own shirt over his head, tossing it to lay with her own forgotten garments.

Next, he undid the laces of his breaches and slid them off himself, releasing his erection.

He stood, his nakedness matching hers and stared down at her.

Cwen swallowed the saliva poling in her throat as she took in the sight of him.  Lean muscles from years of training and fighting, littered with scars from battles and survival.  She watched as he stroked himself before kneeling down to settle between her legs.  He leaned his hard body to support himself on his elbows above her, meeting her eye.

“You must tell me, Cwen.  I would do nothing that you feel unready for.”

Cwen could feel her body begging to feel him, begging for release. Her next words shocked her, having never wanted or spoken of something so lurid.

“Take me Sihtric. I want you inside of me.  Teach me what being with a man is supposed to be like.”

Sihtric brought one hand up to stroke her face and she leaned into his touch.  His member was hot and swollen against her thigh.

“You will never need to know that pain again, lady.”

And he kissed her.  He kissed her with a tenderness and an honesty that brought tears welling into Cwen’s eyes.

She felt him reach down to guide himself to her entrance and he met her eyes questioning once more. In answer, Cwen raised her hips to meet him and he pushed himself between her lips and into her core.  

Cwen’s back arched and Sihtric watched her body react to him as he brought himself fully inside her.  Slowly, he began a rhythm of thrusts, shallow at first, allowing her body to adjust to him, then deeper and deeper.

Cwen felt her walls quaking as he stretched her.  As she allowed herself to relax and enjoy the fullness of him, she brought her knees up to wrap around the tight muscles of his ass.

Feeling her move in time with him, Sihtric gripped her hip, leveraging more pressure on her bundle of nerves between them.

Cwen felt his lips along her neck once more and the sensation was nearly enough to push her over the edge.

Sensing her nearing her release, Sihtric pulled his chest up so he could watch the stunning woman beneath him.

“Look at me,” Sihtric commanded, gentle but firm.

She met his eyes, their bodys still pulsating together to an ancient, primal rhythm.  Her mouth was agape, cheeks flushed, and hair sticking to her forehead from a fine sheen of sweat.

“Come for me, Cwen.”

And she did.  Her release rippled through her as Sihtric continued to hold her gaze.  His thrusts meeting her body and sending waves of ecstasy to every fiber of her being.  Cwen gripped onto the sculpted sinnews of his lower back as she arched and pulled him even deeper inside of her.

Watching her come undone beneath him was the single most eroitc and beautiful thing Sihtric had ever seen.

When he could tell she had reached the end of her high, he slipped his arm beneath her and shifted his knees to bring her up and on top of his lap. 

Sitting face to face, she kissed him deep and slow.  Regaining her senses, she began riding him, feeling his own climax building as he watched her.

He brought his hand up to stroke her chest as she arched her neck back to allow him full access.

Cwen continued to ride his length, his thrusts to meet her becoming more frantic and frenzied.

When he reached his peak, Sihtric wrapped his strong arms around her waist and held onto her as her fingers pulled at his hair bringing his mouth to meet hers.

When he was finished he fell back onto the mossy earth, bringing Cwen with him to lay nestled underneath the crook of his arm. Both of them breathing heavily and chests heaving.

“You are the most breathtaking creature I’ve ever seen, lady.”

Cwen raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

“I want you to know I did not plan to bring you out here with this in mind.  I only wanted time alone spent with you, but when I saw the look on your face in the stables,”  he paused to tilt her chin up so he could capture her mouth once more.  Murmuring against it he continued, “I could not help myself. I am drawn to you like a moth is to a flame.”

“I know what you mean, Sihtric.  And you do not need to explain yourself.  I wanted this and you did everything to make sure I was alright with it.  No one has ever looked at me, made me feel the way I do when I am with you.  I have never let a man know me so intimately.  And I am glad to share that with you.”

“You are my future, Cwen.  No matter where I travel, my road will lead me to you.  I can not lose you now.”

“You have me, Sihtric.  All of me now and all of my future,” she mused while cupping his cheek and placing a gentle kiss along his mouth.

They lay entwined together until the sun had set and the wind began to blow cooler through the branches. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

I don't think people are giving lavinia enough love so allow me to start: could someone write a fic where mc gets hurt by someone and lavinia just sort of...snaps? Afterwards she comforts mc making sure she's alright? Thank you in advance!

You had never seen so much rage in Lavinia’s face, not even when she had discovered someone had trampled with the spell on her heart. You squint, dazed, mind too numb to remember what was wrong but still alert enough to recognize her expression.

There was something unhinged about it now, nothing but a murderous avalanche, and for a second you feel something spark within you at the sight. Your body is already moving, automatically seeking to match Lavinia’s rage with pure stubbornness, before your mind finally registers the fact that her ire isn’t directed at you at all.

“Oh,” you mumble, logic trying to pierce through the fog ruling your mind. “Why—”

Lavinia’s saying something. No, she’s screaming it, body heaving with the force of it, and you wonder why you can’t hear her until the raging wind that you had been somehow ignoring until now hits you with its full, frigid force, and what the hell is happening why is Lavinia so mad why is your side hurting so damn much—

“Rebecca!”

You fall into someone’s arms. It takes a second for you to recognize Nora, her expression marred by sheer terror, eyes wide and trembling like a crumbling autumn leaf under the first snow of winter.

She holds you absentmindedly, focused on something behind you before your yelp of pain draws her attention, magic already swirling at her fingertips as she murmurs something under her breath.

“You’re going to be okay, I swear,” she says — her hands are quivering. Maybe it’s from the cold. You hope it’s from the cold, and not something else, someone else.

“Lavinia, why is — what happened?”

“You got attacked by someone and—” she freezes for a split second when she sees the yellow glow on her hands before frowning, her earlier fear melting away by her usual laser-sharp focus. “No wonder you’re so out of it! The blade she used was cursed!”

“Oh, yey, another curse.”

“This is going to sting.”

“What? Wait, what are you going—?”

Nora is always prepared, it seems. Your gaze locks on the potion she’s suddenly holding, worried by its grey color, but Nora has already turned it over before you can express your concerns. For a second it feels as if someone has injected atmosphere-cold into your veins, and your mouth opens in a soundless scream before everything suddenly becomes clearer.

Right, right, you had been in the forest with Lavinia, trying to get through her — for the third time this week, by the way, because the Ice Queen was determined to avoid you and was being frustratingly successful in doing so — when there had been this flash of red and blinding pain. Nora must have been close by… collecting herbs, maybe?

You grit your teeth, forcing yourself to ignore the pain coating your side, and turn your head at the right time to see Lavinia slamming another woman onto the floor as if she were nothing but a broken doll, specks of snow thrown into the wind by the impact. At some point during the fight, Lavinia had turned the forest clearing into an ice ring, adding a whole blizzard on top. The snow swirled around her like angry, tiny knives, and you had no doubt the other woman hadn’t stood a chance.

A small shiver ran down your spine, not of fear, but of the pure awe, rushing into your soul like spring water.

“This is all I can manage. My magic is limited here,” Lavinia had explained not too long ago, blue eyes twinkling soft and distant like moonlight, and you wonder how much she is really capable of if this is all she can work with right now. What would she be able to do in her world? What could she do with the sheer force of winter at her beck and call?

You can’t help but marvel over the thought, at how your body feels light and small when you contemplate it.

But then her eyes snap in your direction, two tiny pinpricks of pure rage, her gaze carrying the power and danger of a natural disaster. There’s a small flicker of a season change — of a thaw — when she sees you’re okay, but it disappears when she focuses on the person beside you. Time seems to slow down.

For a second you think the situation is going to escalate horribly. For a second you think the blonde might have mistaken Nora’s help for another attack, and by the way Lavinia’s hand twitches that’s her first impression, but she remains frozen on her spot like a faraway, pale star. She’s still half-crunched over her opponent’s unconscious body.

Slowly — very, very slowly, as if fate threatened to cut her string as soon as she made a sudden movement — Nora edges away from you. “I— I’ll just… go.”

Lavinia’s shoulders lose their tension as if hit by summer’s heat. She nods, stiffly. “Thank you.”

Nora spares a look at you, laying on frost-coated grass and propelled by your elbows like a bad model from some cheap magazine, and seems relieved you’re no longer in danger, disappearing a second later.

Lavinia is next to you immediately, frowning at the gash there. It isn’t bleeding, even though you both know it should. The Ice Queen leans forward ever so slightly, her touch feather-soft, and you’re struck by how different she is now. A moment ago, she had been a merciless avalanche, a Wendigo wreaking havoc, but now the genuine softness and worry in her eyes make you want to melt. You can’t help but lean into her, letting her act as your anchor.

She pauses when you flinch at her gentle touch near your wound. She frowns.

“She used a Velbetro infusion? But that would mean you were—”

You catch the way her eyes flicker towards the discarded weapon that had injured you, a dark shadow falling over expression. You guess what she’s going to say. Your hand cups her cheek, applying just enough pressure to make her look at you again, and the sweet surprise that thaws any dark thoughts she was about to have makes your skin buzz with energy.

“Slowly amassing an impressive collection of curses? You bet I am.”

She blinks, taken aback, the twitch at the corner of her lips indicating she found your snark reassuring. “Might want to dial it back a little, then, chaos girl. Good thing the Velbetro neutralized this one.” She focuses on your side, again. “How’s the sting?”

Truth be told, with her so close — too close — the pain had taken a secondary priority. Now that she reminded you of it, the pain crawled back with a vengeance. Once again, Lavinia remains an anchor as your hand tightens on her arm, nails digging into her skin. To her credit, the blonde doesn’t even blink.

“That bad?” She asks, tone surprisingly kind. “Let’s wait a moment, then. We need to go back to your house and dress the wound before the effect disappears though. You’ll start bleeding then — and badly.”

“Yey, yet another thing to look forward to.”

“…I’m sorry I didn’t notice sooner. I would have been able to prevent—”

“It’s fine.”

“It should have been obvious, though. Of course she’d take the chance to hunt me down when my magic is weak, and of course she’d target you—”

“Your magic isn’t weak at all, you totally schooled her!”

“Only because she was too distracted gloating. I—”

“I’m fine, Lavinia. C’mon, help me get to my house.”

Her eyes are faraway portals of grief, but she nods anyway, falling quiet as she helps you up with extreme care. The way back is silent, fast. You hadn’t been too far from your house to begin with. Lavinia loops an arm around your waist and presses you to her, expression stony and neutral, but you’re still eternally grateful to her.

[chriscdcase95]

LIS + Vampyr: Fanfic worldbuilding and update.

Unlife is Strange related post. Edit: As of August 2023, with several changes to the story, this post is a little out of date. On the upside, I get to do another update!

It's been a while since I talked that much it exclusively. While I’m gonna put more work into Love’s Sacrifices, I thought “Why the Hell not ?” Especially since the current story is a far cry from what I originally planned.

As my readers know Unlife is Strange is a crossover between Life is Strange, Vampyr and Until Dawn. I already talked about ideas for the Until Dawn side of things, should I write a solo story, but I never talked at length over the Vampyr and Life is Strange stuff in a while. 

The story is going on temporary hiatus, due to the upcoming True Colors. This mostly has to do with Steph's presence, and me having to rework the later half of the story; Steph was going be a more active character in the later chapters, and Ambergrich was gonna be one of the main ships - but I really want to take True Colors into account and see what’s gonna change. And it would give me time to finish up the chapters that are already half written.

 In the meantime, I thought I'd share a little world + character building. Most of what I share is already put in the story thus far, so it’s not like I'm not spoiling much. 

 1. I have gone back and forth on whether or not to tie Unlife is Strange and Love's Sacrifices together. I ultimately decided they wouldn't be directly connected, but I do entertain the idea that the two are part of a multiverse and that they are each others "parallel". Not even directly, but more of a "Weird that it happened twice" sort of way. 

See here for details. 

 2. Multiple mythological figures existed as vampires as per Vampyr lore. In Unlife is Strange,  Myrddin's champions include figures such as Cú Chulainn and Beowulf; examples of the Red Queen's champions include Queen Medb and Morgause. While Myrddin usually takes male champions - and his mother takes females - there is a rare occasion they will accept an "heir" of the opposite gender in the event of their champions premature death. 

Examples for the Red Queen include Mordred, who also serves as one of the secondary antagonist of the story (who I am having a blast writing). Female examples serving Myrddin, Ashbury previously took up William Marshall's sword when he disappeared from the world. In the present day, Ashbury also leads her own Escalon club, because she is the stories girl boss. 

As for roots the in mythology, The Red Queen was the partial basis behind the myth of Morgana Le Fey. Also to differentiate the Red Queen from the goddess Morrigan, I use an interpretation I’ve been told that the Morrigan was a title that three goddesses shared. On the flip side, Myrddin was also known as "Merlin" in Arthur's time, and in Cú Chulainn's time, was called (and the basis behind) the Celtic god Lugh.

3.  As anyone who reads the story can guess, the protagonist would is a vampirized Rachel Amber. I picked her as I decided that out of any LiS character to become a vampiric champion, Rachel made the most sense to be, behind Chloe.

Unlife’s portrayal of Rachel is largely based off of my headcanons of her, based in part of an analysis of her and Chloe’s relationship I wrote back in 2019. Rachel is someone who, simply put, has issues. I play up the chameleon aspect of her character, in that she takes on at least two personas to cover up her resurrection.

One of these is “Vivian Manning”, who she poses as in her “public life” in LA, wherein she makes a name for herself as an obscure but successful YA novelist. There is a story arc that focuses on Rachel’s unlife in LA leading up to the present day; honestly one of the reasons I’m taking a while to write the chapters is due to Arc Fatigue and wanting to focus more on the present day arcs.

All in all, Rachel can be a toxic person, as per canon, but I use this to write her as more of an Anti Hero. She’s not without her virtues or morals; she has complicated feelings regarding Chloe and her other partners; feels general compassion to those she attaches herself to; and she has a Mama Bear streak we will be seeing more of; she isn’t exactly sure of her place as the Red Queen’s champion. She’s also not without her vices; she might not go out of her way to kill innocent people, but she will make a mess when she does fight/kill others. She still has a party girl/drug and drinking habit and takes advantage of the fact they can’t kill her. She’s also shameless about her sexuality - in fact, there are times where she borders onto nymphomania.

The best way I can describe what Rachel will be like in forthcoming chapters is the love child of Tree Gelbman (Happy Death Day) and Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body).

4. Among the crossovers I already include, I also write tie-ins to what I call the Rockstarverse (Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead) and Remedyverse (Alan Wake and Control). Nothing to significant, mostly just cameos and Easter Eggs. 

In this world, the fictional cities from GTA are swapped out for their real world counterparts (Los Santos - Los Angeles, Liberty City - New York, etc), but characters and events remain otherwise the same. Control at least has plot relevance with the FBC being involved in ongoing investigations. I even have a small gag where GTA and RDR myths are under the FBC's watch. 

I'm also considering a few animated titles for future crossovers or follow ups; even have a cameo for a certain character in mind for the current story. Just mixing things up a little. I just haven't put as much thought into these ones as the others, other than The Owl House and Amphibia.

 I just haven't thought of a plot for that yet. 

 5.  I said it before, but it bares repeating. Some chapters I dub Route A and Route B. These take longer to write as Route A takes place in a "Sacrifice Arcadia Bay/Parting Ways" timeline; Route B follows "Sacrifice Chloe/Redemption". 

Regardless, following both ends of the first Life is Strange, the events of Arcadia Bay were investigated by the FBC. An investigation that went on until late 2015, and will be covered in two upcoming chapters. In Route A chapters, I made a list of characters who I decided survive the Storm. 

What this segways too is that I am also writing two versions of Chloe Price. In Route A, who I dub Mama!Chloe is a parent with Max and has become a more stable individual over time, due to being in an out of therapy, and largely changing herself for her son, Bill. This may a spoiler, but Route B will be featuring Vampire!Chloe, who is a different character due to different circumstances. 

Let me put it this way. Mama!Chloe = Eda Clawthrone; Vampire!Chloe = Catra.

 6.  Mary Reid has an ongoing, significant role in Unlife, and like the Red Queen, will be expanded on a more than the game does. 

My main reason for bringing Mary back to life in this story was because I felt she was under-utilized in Vampyr proper. Here Mary and her relationship with Jonathan is one of the primary focuses on their arcs. As my introduction chapter for Mary shows, she ends up enslaved to the Red Queen and her followers; at their creates and helps groom potential champions. She's a dark counterpart to how I wrote Rachel, in that to write them both as self indulgent, outgoing and carefree girls, and are shameless about their sexuality. Matter of fact, Mary is part of the reason the Red Queen had her eyes on Rachel. They get along famously.

Mary and Jonathan's relationship as siblings is pretty on and off over the course of the 20th, and in the present day, they are pretty distant. Not helping is that Mary does go back and forth to serving the Red Queen and being "free".  There are still unfinished chapters I’m working on that explore their history and dynamic over the years; I’ll be finishing them up during the hiatus.

 7.  Vampires are capable of sexual reproduction, it's just requires a lot of "work". Damphir pregnancies more often than not result in miscarriages or stillbirths. Even if one is born, it's rare they live to adulthood. Their blood however is lucrative as it allows vampires to survive in the daylight. An example of a damphir in this story is Mordred; one of the reasons he's held in such a regard is not only is he a damphir who lived to adulthood, but he has lived for nine centuries at the time of the story. 

Hereditary vampires are a little different. At birth, they are effectively human, and their vampire traits really don't kick in until their pubescent years. Even then, they have to drink human blood to become a full vampire. If not, they remain effectively human, only they live longer than normal, and age slower. A hereditary vampire in their 90's would appear no older than their early 60's.

 8. Count Dracula exists in this "verse". We know little of him, but where humans take him lightly, vampires dread him. There’s a Running Gag where someone would jokingly bring him up, and those who know of him would warn not to invoke his name.

 9. An OC character of mine for the present day is Bill Caulfield Price, who is Max and Chloe's son. He'll exist in both Route A and Route B, the explanation for the latter is that Chloe was an organ donor, and Max got a hold to her ovums.

 In either timeline, Bill is the golden child of his clan, honorary to otherwise. There's not much to talk about him other than he's baby, and much like pretty how I write Bella Conrad in Loves Sacrifices, just gender swapped. In Route A, he's largely responsible for Chloe getting her act together, and she's an absolute Mama Bear towards him; in Route B, Max is mostly a single parent, reliant on friends and family to help raise him. His two favorite aunts are Kate and Dana (something they are very competitive about). 

One thing that stands out about Bill is his own set of powers; e is a seer of sorts, and dreams of the past, present and truth. Especially if it is of someone he's connected to. They mostly involving King Arthur and Mordred, but he also has dreams of Chloe and Max, mostly seeing the events of the first game, BTS, and Farewell from their perspective. He even dreams of Rachel, despite having no apparent connection to her or even knowing who she is. 

There's also a downside to his "power", as it makes him a target of the supernatural; vampires, evil spirits, you name it ? Drawn to him like moths to a flame. It’s usually the wicked ones who are attracted to him.

[thekisforkeats]

TMA Changeling AU Courts

The TMA Changeling AU Courts and their Monarchs (along with a few others we might recognize):

The London freehold is a Seasonal one; those freeholds that held to other systems wound up subsumed as Jonah Magnus merged the myriad London freeholds into one. There are smatterings of holdouts, but it's the four Seasons that hold sway in London--and, up until recently, a surprisingly strong contingent of Dusk Courtiers.

Elias Bouchard/Jonah Magnus and Peter Lukas, the Autumn and Winter Kings respectively, hold most of the power in London between them. Agnes Montague has been Summer Queen for a long time, but she mostly keeps to her own business and focuses on protecting the freehold from physical and outside threats. And Spring, well... Spring's been in upheaval, and it's only recently that Nikola Orsinov came out on top as undisputed bearer of the Antler Crown.

More details below the cut.

The Autumn Court has a great deal of power in London, which naturally means Fear is a dominant emotion for Glamour-gathering. Those few Changelings of an academic or mystical bent who don't wind up in Autumn usually wind up attached to it in some manner anyhow.

Elias Bouchard is the current Autumn King, and has held the Ashen Crown since 1996. His predecessor was James Wright, but of course that doesn't matter; it is an open secret in London that both men, and several more before, are actually aliases of Jonah Magnus, who has held the Autumn Crown of his freehold since at least 1867. The Telluric Fairest is also a Mirrorskin, however, and swaps his identity every few decades, mostly to keep up mortal appearances. It's considered polite in Court society to refer to him by whatever name he's currently under and act as though his predecessors were indeed different men, but sometimes someone will call him "Magnus" out of spite.

Jonah Magnus was a Legate of the Black Apple, and thus, so is Elias Bouchard. This is understood to be part of how he's kept the freehold safe--he makes bargains with the Others, he keeps tabs on Loyalists and privateers. He was a Legate long before he was Autumn King, and he is very, very good at his position.

Much of the Ashen Court works at or is attached to the Magnus Institute in some way; Elias likes to keep a close eye on his Courtiers. There are exceptions, of course, and holdouts, but given that the Magnus Institute pledge has a generous dollop of Glamour harvest involved, it's hard to resist the pull. That Glamour harvest comes from the collection of statements, of course, and while much of the Glamour is channeled into the Panopticon, there's always enough kept aside for those who work at the Institute.

For most of the Institute's history, the position of Archivist was the London freehold's main addition to the typical Autumn Court positions (as outlined in Lords of Summer). In the mid-1970s, however, Gertrude Robinson abruptly abandoned her ties to Autumn and took up the Mantle of the Dusk Court. This severely hampered the flow of Glamour to the Ivory Tower, and forced James Wright to find alternate sources of Glamour, which led directly to his ending the six decade balance in merging the northern and southern freeholds into the present-day London freehold. This fact shifted power away from Magnus, however, a fact that has never ceased to rankle him.

Now that the position of Archivist is firmly back in Autumn hands through Jonathan Sims, the balance of power has begun to subtly shift back. Only time will tell where it will settle.

---

Winter is firmly under the control of the Lukas family, although it wasn't always this way up north. The fact is, however, that anyone who wants to Make It in the Winter Court has to kowtow to the Lukases in one way or another. There are those on the edges, gathering power and influence, planning to take Lukas down, but that's another post.

Peter Lukas is the current bearer of the Onyx Crown, and has been since about 2000. He's an Elemental through-and-through, Airtouched/Waterborn; he uses Contracts of Smoke to disappear regularly, and can be hard to actually meet in-person if you're not Winter Court yourself. He dislikes most interaction, and when dealing with those outside Winter prefers to make pledges based around wagers rather than anything more cooperative.

Peter only spends about four months of the year in London--the two weeks before the Winter Solstice, the season he wears the Crown, and the two weeks after. He spends the rest of the year on his ship, the Tundra, which is actually a big Glamour-harvesting setup. Find people dripping with Sorrow, bring them out to sea and isolate them, drain them for all the melancholy they can get. He rarely kills people, though some do slip into the fog. But it's all in pursuit of the greater good of the Lost, as Lukas puts it.

The Winter King is ruthless, even moreso than any family member before him. Peter will not hesitate to sacrifice a Courtier in pursuit of the safety of the freehold. He has no Entitlement--that would require a willingness to dedicate himself to something other than Winter, and Sorrow. He is, however, a student of the Contracts of the Sorrow-Frozen Heart, and knowing levels of said Contracts is necessary to make it very far in the Winter Court.

Peter is smart enough to know that people need an outlet, however, and so he sees to it that Winter celebrates all the usual festivals and follows long-held traditions. He also has a dedicated member of his Court that runs Radio Free Fae, and he gives them a surprising amount of latitude in what goes on-air. This makes London's RFF station a true delight to listen to, for the content is curated enough to be coherent but with enough freedom to be truly informative and entertaining. The DJs even have a regular naming pattern, each named for a different station of the London Underground (aside from those who channel DJ Otzal, of course).

For the past five years, the London RFF has been run by Martin Blackwood, who DJs under the name of Kensington--which he is quick to point out means Kensington Olympia, one of the least-used stations on the Underground network. He seems to find this funny. Most people do not know that Martin is Kensington, nor do they know that Kensington runs all of RFF, but people have noticed that the quality's gone up in the past five years.

Martin is also Peter's man on the inside at the Magnus Institute, planted there years ago as a "liaison" and recently, at Peter's request, foisted upon the Archivist's motley, to be one of his assistants. Peter's plans go deeper than mere diplomacy, but he's playing his cards close to his chest as he usually does.

---

Spring has undergone some major upheavals in the past few years. The former Queen, Jane Prentiss, had slowly been losing Clarity for years despite the best efforts of those around her and the Blackbird Bishops. Three years ago she lost the Antler Crown to a complete newcomer, Nikola Orsinov. The loss of her position contributed to her Clarity finally slipping away entirely, and after an incident in which she dropped the Mask in a hospital and killed seven people, she was declared a danger to the freehold and cast out of the Court entirely.

Nikola is a Fairest, Dancer and Manikin, and when she came into power she began to reform the Spring Court, which had been in disarray for years due to Prentiss' mismanagement. She is an Elder of the Barony of the Lesser Ones, and has strong connections to the hobs and the Goblin Market. She re-oriented the Court to a strong focus on entertainment and commerce to gather Desire. They still offer healing services, but there's a lot less focus on courtly romance and free love and a lot more focus on what might be politely termed "capitalistic media."

With Orsinov came a whole flood of other Spring changelings, bolstering the previously lagging Court. She also brought along hobs and ensorcelled humans, all part of her rather large "Circus" motley, and it can be hard to guess just what any given member of the Circus is.

Nikola has plans that involve her Court becoming more powerful in London, and she does not trust Elias very far. Under her direction, the Spring Courtiers that had been connected to Autumn in any way have found their way out of pledges and obligations with one major exception: Sasha James, who has been part of a motley at the Magnus Institute for years and has recently gone down to the Archives with the rest of the motley. Whether this is at the behest of the Spring Queen or in spite of her wishes is hard to say; it may even be that Sasha is just unimportant enough to escape Nikola's notice.

But there is the persistent rumor that Nikola's entire purpose in coming to London was to take down Jonah Magnus and his Ivory Tower once and for all.

---

Summer has never been the strongest of the London Courts. It doesn't help that summer in London is, in terms of the weather, relatively mild, even sometimes cloudy or rainy. But for the past fifty years, the London freehold has had a strong Summer Queen and been a largely unsung backbone of the freehold. Elias Bouchard may spy the threats in the Hedge from the Panopticon, but it's Summer that forms the hunting parties to take down those threats.

Agnes Montague was not supposed to be a Changeling. Her mother was a cultist who wanted to bring forth a True Fae born on Earth, one who could tear down the Hedge and bring all the Others to the world. She conceived the child with Pedicle Velvet and gave birth in the Hedge, in a ritual that burned her pregnant body away so only the baby remained. Agnes was born an Elemental Fireheart, raised by the cult, and it was only as she grew older and more powerful that her secondary kith of Flamesiren appeared.

If Agnes has ever been to Arcadia, she does not speak of the visit; it's entirely possible that she never has. When the cult felt the need to give her further connection to the "real" world they moved her to the house of a privateer at Hill Top Road in Oxford, but that only resulted in the house burning down. The cult's control broke when Agnes was in her 20's due to magic that the Archivist Gertrude Robinson performed; it's never been clear exactly what happened, but it led to Agnes coming to London with the remnants of the cult in tow.

Agnes was crowned Summer Queen after besting the former King in single combat on her arrival in London. She is not much of a physical fighter, but her knowledge and control of Contracts is immensely powerful. While rumors insist that she is one of the Lost Pantheon, in truth she joined the Legion of the Iron Wall long ago, and it is with a Legionnaire's knowledge that she defens the freehold.

Agnes is as ruthless in her way as Peter Lukas, but with a core of compassion that can be glimpsed in rare moments. She struggles with her Clarity, and keeps close ties to the Blackbird Bishops as well as spending time on simple, mundane things. (That is, rumors say, why she continues to have an unorthodox relationship with a mortal, Jack Barnabas.)

Summer is the season of Wrath, and typically responsible for the physical defense of the freehold, and the Queen takes that responsibility very seriously. It was she who declared Jane Prentiss cast out from the Freehold, and she long ago set up ties with the police and various emergency departments in London.

Not all "Section 31" officers on the London police force are Changelings--it seems, from what little anyone outside the force knows, that there are officers from pretty much every supernatural groups. Which means werewolf police, vampire police... the mind boggles. Nonetheless, many Summer Changelings with anger problems find a home on the force, and goading mortal officers into police brutality is a great way to gather Glamour, right? Never mind the "collateral damage."

Then there's the Tolltaker Knighthood, the which isn't directly tied to the police force despite their current Knight Banneret, Alice "Daisy" Tonner, being a police detective. The London Tolltakers have a reputation for being deeply ruthless, as the only arbiter of what is a "just" bounty is Daisy herself, and Daisy is deeply ruthless. It's well-known that they rarely take bounties merely to hunt someone down and return them unharmed; Daisy seems to think that beneath her order. Roughing someone up is more likely, and killing? Well. If you can convince Daisy they're a threat to the freehold she'll gladly take up the bounty. She hands them out fairly freely to the other Tolltaker Knights, but she keeps the biggest threats for herself.

---

And then there's Dusk.

There was a time in London when the Dawn Court had more power than Dusk, but it's been so long that many Lost joke that it'd be too cloudy to see the dawn in London anyway. Some people attribute Dusk's power to Gertrude Robinson, the Darkling Antiquarian whose strange alliance with Agnes Montague and usurping of the position of Archivist from Jonah Magnus gave her Court far more power than it typically has in any freehold.

The truth is much darker, as befits the Court of Dooms.

There is something rotten in the core of the London freehold. Many of the Lost know this on some level, although few even think it to themselves, let alone say it aloud. Those who do think about the problem are liable to blame it on Peter Lukas. He has formed the Winter Court into a place where there is little hope or light, no warmth to keep the chill outside at bay. There is no longer the usual flow of fresh from the Hedge Changelings, desperate to just stay safe, to Winter as a waystop on the way to another Court; those who cannot dedicate themselves wholly to Winter find no welcome among Lukas' Court. He has supressed Fetch-hunters such as the Duchy of Truth and Loss, prefering to force new Changelings to give up their old lives entirely, and this has affected the entire freehold. He is barely present in the city for most of the year, which leaves the Winter Court's usual duties of secrecy and security to others such as Autumn and Summer, throwing off the seasonal balance.

And all of this is true, so far as it goes. Winter should, in the best version of the Court, be a place of both ruthlessness and compassion, with some who embrace Sorrow wholly and some who keep it at bay with blankets and a warm fire and good cheer.

But the Dusk Courtiers of London knew that the problem goes deeper than this. Get rid of Peter Lukas, form Winter into something more balanced, and you would still have a rot at the center of the freehold, because Winter is not at the center of the London freehold. Lukas is a symptom, not the disease.

Jonah Magnus is the problem.

Gertrude Robinson knew this, even if she did not know precisely what Magnus was doing. She saw the signs, the way the whole of the freehold bent itself to the Autumn King, the way the freehold population somehow stayed generally the same over time despite the growth of the city itself. Autumn claimed to be keeping the freehold "safe," and the Hedge usually was safe, but how many newly emerged from the Hedge found their way to the Magnus Institute to give a bewildered statement about Arcadia and then disappeared? How many Lost who lurked on the edges of their Court decided to "move" with no forwarding address?

Gertrude knew, because Gertrude was the one in charge of the system Jonah Magnus was using to perpetuate his own power. And if that had been the only problem--if it had merely been that Magnus had struck some horrible bargain to feed the "weak" of the freehold to the Others to keep the rest of them safe--then she might have merely tried to take the Autumn Crown from him.

What Gertrude found, however, was not mere evidence of Jonah Magnus being a Loyalist (which she did), nor horrible bargains with privateers and True Fae to keep the London freehold safe (which exist). What she found was the outlines of a plan to use the Archives for some horrible purpose that, she believed, would bring about the end of the world as they knew it. And so she left Autumn and became Dusk, and the Crown came to her shortly after.

Exactly what she knew is hard to say. Her notes are missing, her once-powerful Court has been scattered to the winds. Gerry Delano, long the Dusk Queen's right hand, disappeared in America a year before her death. Adelard Dekker went missing in Germany a year before that, on one of his many missions to gather information about what he claimed was a push from inside Arcadia to invade Earth. The others of the Umbral Court who have not switched allegiances have gone underground or moved away.

One could think that perhaps this is merely the usual swing of power between Dawn and Dusk, but there are no Dawn Courtiers in London at all anymore. There is no hope of a better day, no glimmering light on the horizon promising change and renewal. There is only the deepening shadows, and the ever-more-persistent feeling of paranoia spreading through the freehold like a disease.

But, then, it is precisely these conditions that leads to a revival of the Dusk Court. Surely someone will read the signs, take up the call, fight the looming disaster. And there is one member of the London freehold that knows Contracts of Entropy, who knew Adelard Dekker, who chose Winter over Dusk in a desperate bid for normality over being any kind of "Chosen One."

But Martin Blackwood is working in the Archives now, and the stench of the rot will be impossible to ignore for very long.

[scioneeris]

Would it be possible to get a breakdown of Gheyo ranks? And what they mean?

Sure!😄

This is actually from the 2019 rank glossary I did for the dragel’s handbook, so the formatting is a little wonky, but it drills down to the little ranks, etc.

GHEYO SUITE

The fighters within a Circle, often considered the weapon. Their primary function is the immediate physical safety of their Bonded and Circle reputation. They are physical beings that prefer a more hands-on approach to everything and tend to run close to instinct. They have a secondary ranking system among their ranks, within a Circle, which is referred to as their Suite. Gheyos have their own dueling events within Nevarah, every five years.

There are two types of Gheyo--One, those who are born into the rank by way of having two Gheyo parents. Two, those who are forced into the rank by way of extreme physical, emotional and mental distress, usually a life-threatening situation resulting in a near-death.

GHEYO RANKS

ACE

In the event that the Alpha is absent or unable to make decisions for the Circle's well-being, the Beta and Gheyo ACE will handle this. A Gheyo ACE is the only dragel rank that can shift to an Alpha-rank. They will typically handle the overall defense and protection of their Circle, delegating certain tasks down the lines of their rank. The Gheyo ACE is the only rank that can level-up to an Alpha ranking.

ACE = Advanced Combat Expert. Every ACE is trained in a specific style or class of magic, martial arts or titled weapon. Every ACE has two passwords. One for their Submissive and one for the Alpha. Due to their rank and nature, they can settle social disputes through a simple duel with the opposing Circle or accept physical retribution on behalf of the entire Circle. An ACE is courted by the Submissive, but will only accept if they feel the Circle is worthy of their protection or strength. There are multiple types of ACES, but most of them tend to be complementary to their respective King or Joker counterpart.

KING

The second-in-command Gheyo for an ACE. Usually complementary to their Queen or Beta. The King handles the more specific details of the Gheyo suite, as opposed to the ACE's overall viewpoint. They are more focused on the individual Gheyo and their performance, than whether everything is working together smoothly. They have a tendency to specialize in three or four weapons--or a titled weapon of some sort. A King is the only rank that can accept reward or punishment in the ACE's place or on their behalf. A King can act independently of their respective Circle, without fear of full Suite or Circle retribution. The King relies on the Queen for their own personal needs, rather than the ACE.

QUEEN

One rank down from the Gheyo King, a Queen is finely attuned to their respective King and usually able to break through their blood or battlelust moods. They usually specialize in the opposite type of weapon or fighting style than their King. Most Queens have a tendency to be spoiled or pampered by their respective King and will usually be the flashiest Gheyo out of a full suite. It is their duty to look after the Prince and Princess. They will handle all matters of discipline and minor authority shifts that do not require the weight of an ACE or King. The Gheyo Queens are known for having their own secret court.

PRINCE

One rank below the Gheyo Queen, a Prince is the first Gheyo to respond to the Queen. They are only specialized in a single fighting style or magic. All Gheyo Prince's have long stamina and stealth skills. They are often the shadow to the Gheyo Queen, working behind the scenes to keep a suite organized and running according to the ACE or King. They will usually be closer to the Gheyo Queen and more open to their suggestions and opinions. A Gheyo Prince thrives beneath a well-balanced Queen and will try to protect the Princess, when the Queen is guarded.

PRINCESS

One rank below the Gheyo Prince, a Princess is the staunch supporter of a Gheyo Prince, defending them against all upper or lower ranks. They will usually focus on their own well-being in relation to the Prince and can fill-in for a Gheyo Queen, when necessary. A Gheyo Princess uses multiple magic styles and spellwork to differentiate themselves. They tend to be long-range warriors and rarely engage in close-quarters. They are usually casting, maintaining and shattering wards, barriers or portals. A Gheyo Princess will take her concerns to her Prince first and then to the King, if not addressed. The Princess it the only lower rank that can step in on behalf of all ranks below the King.

KNIGHT

One of the three lower Gheyo ranks, a Knight is usually a Gheyo that has been formally trained, but shows no particular inclination towards an upper rank. They tend to listen to the ACE without question or the Gheyo King. All magic and skillsets are at a slightly elevated level in relation to a Squire or Page. Knights are usually given guarding positions in a full suite, until they show a specific talent or skill to rank up.

SQUIRE

The second rank in the three lower Gheyo ranks, a Squire is partially through formal training and in the process of being sorted into an upper rank. They will listen to their Training ACE or a King/Queen authority figure. They usually show some sort of magical aptitude.

PAGE

A Gheyo-In-Training with no rank and the lowest of the three lower Gheyo ranks. They are usually the youngest age-group and are trained by shadowing the rank they show the most affinity for. They will usually be chosen as a Squire and placed under a Training ACE as their training progresses. A Page is never in a Bonded Circle.

JOKER

The wildcard in a Gheyo Suite with a tendency towards a berserker behavior. The Joker is the only rank capable of going head-to-head with the Alpha and the ACE, without repercussion. They are usually exceptionally strong in magic and wield a titled blade. Jokers can get along with each other, but rarely with any other Gheyo ranks. They will occasionally answer to a specific bonded, uncaring of rank, especially if they are soulbonded. Most Jokers are bonded solely to the Alpha or the Submissive. Exceptions will depend on the individual relationships, such as friends-to-lovers or before Joker ranking is assigned. Joker is the only Gheyo rank achieved through significant emotional, physical and magical distress. It is a forceful evolution of a Gheyo into a near-feral form.

Does that help? 😊

[kingdomtual]

Okay I just finished watching Imitation and I’m gonna give a review, idk why but I have a lot of feelings LOL gonna write this without giving away big plot points so no spoilers for you if you wanna know if you want to watch it or not (probably everyone already has but whatever I’m usually late to the show)

Things I liked about it:

- Imitation was a really interesting drama because it didn’t focus on all the fun stuff of the idol world like a lot of idol dramas do. It’s main focus ends up being more on the struggles idols have to deal with, mainly pertaining to the dating issue but instead of putting it fully on the labels for keeping their artists from dating it also focused on how sasaengs think, talk, and react about their idols dating which I thought was a nice touch because that SURE IS REAL LIFE. (unfortunately they kinda drop that plot point as it goes on, but whatever) 

- It also had plot points pertaining to mistreatment of idols by the industry and their labels, which was another thing that I liked about it. It’s a tough world, and it should be more mainstream that we know about and find ways to help idols as they’re dealing with all of this. Idk it’s just something that should be talked about more, so I’m glad they did. 

- The cast was beyond fantastic. I think that’s honestly what made the show for me. Obviously the casting director knew the draw would be having actual idols in their show, but even those who were just actors were absolutely fantastic and did a great job in each of their roles. Dojin and Hyuk were obviously my favorites, but I think they’re everyone’s favorites LOL their acting chemistry was spot on and it really felt like they had been bffs for years.

- LA RI MA. Queen, icon. Absolutely in love with her tbh. What I really loved about her is that she started off being a rival for Ryeok to Ma Ha, and I thought to myself, ‘Great. She’s gonna end up being a flat character.’ but I think she ended up having the most character growth in the entire story, besides maybe Ryeok. The way she is so confident, knows her worth, and takes care of those around her makes her such an enjoyable character to watch. Every scene she’s in she totally steals, I love her LOL 

- The last two episodes definitely make the entire show worth watching. They’re really full of heart, you get so excited, and watching them perform is really cool. I won’t give away any of the ending, but it is worth it!

Things I didn’t like:

There are a few things that made me feel ‘meh’ about the show. It kinda felt like there were a lot of plot points that dragged on a bit too much for me. This is totally a personal opinion so like obviously you might feel different! Cool.

- So, the idea that the story starts out with a love triangle didn’t appeal to me at all LOL I hate that trope, but even after that ends it starts going through the whole ‘we’re idols that have to date in secret’ and all that angst that comes with that and I have to admit there were a few mid series episodes that had me so bored because it felt like I’d already seen this to some degree before. I ended up mostly enjoying whatever subplots were going on instead of the main plot. It’s not that I didn’t like their romance, but sometimes it was just SO uncomfortable because they were uncomfortable LOL idk, romance plots are not usually my jam, but there are enough other elements to make the show enjoyable for me.

- Struggles would come up and then immediately not be an issue by the next episode. I know this is only a 12 episode drama (which I think is a shame, I think if it had been 16-20 episodes then it actually would have fared so much better but alas) but I feel like...I mean if a massive contract issue comes up and can be resolved with a quick call or an article being written, then it wasn’t an issue...and yet the fact that two idols are having angst over dating can be drawn out over the course of 4 episodes just didn’t make sense to me LOL like you’d think the dating issue would have been resolved faster than a contract issue? idk maybe it’s just me. 

- Eunjo’s plot, which is essentially a subplot until the end of the show, is far more interesting than most of what goes on LOL I almost would have liked to have that mystery be woven more thoroughly through the show instead of it being sprinkled in occasionally and then BOOM at the end it all comes together. I just think it might have had more impact.

- GROUP DYNAMICS. Bruh! This is what I really wanted okay? LOL I mean obviously the focus is mostly on Ryeok and Ma Ha but god I would have loved having more scenes with group dynamics and seeing how they actually all get along instead of making the other members all side characters until the very end when we see that they actually all care about each other. I didn’t even know Jaewoo was the leader of SHAX until the end of the show, man LOL like it would have been nice to see more from him, and all of the others, especially since Jaewoo was essentially a snitch to the their label owner for so long and ending up having so much guilt over it, but we never saw that until the last episode. 

I also think I would have preferred to have seen more of the past SHAX with Eunjo, because Ryeok was apparently his bff and yet we don’t really get to see any of that, you know? We just hear about it. This show does a lot of telling instead of showing and I do think that’s because of the episode limit, but it’s just a shame. I think the ending would have been more impactful if we’d gotten to see them altogether more at the beginning.

- If you’ve decided to watch Imitation solely for Seonghwa and San, I’d advise against it LOL they have like two lines per episode they’re in (which isn’t all of them, Sparkling is barely in the show aside from Yoojin(Yunho)) and basically they don’t get to say or do much of anything until the end LOL I get that Sparkling is a secondary character group, basically, but it would have been nice to have seen more dynamics from them, too. I think Seonghwa and San could have honestly been like Dojin and Hyuk, the comedy duo of SHAX, but they just didn’t have the time or whatever, I suppose. Like I don’t even know Seonghwa’s character’s name LOL the only reason I know San’s character’s name is Minsu is because they said it once at the second to the last episode. LOL so, just a warning. But you atinys will be fed by seeing much Yunho and Jongho, I promise.

 I also would have loved to have seen more group dynamics from Sparkling, as I said, because until the 11th episode, I think, I don’t even see them really being like, “guys! I love you all, let’s stick together until the end!” which really confused me bc my dude Hyun Oh was literally causing property damage and giving them a problematic image but apparently they were good with that LOL idk idk

- The whole sasaeng issue gets dropped right before the ending and I thought that was rather strange since up until that point sasaengs had been one of the main roadblocks for the romance plot and they had been rather vile and annoying LOL unfortunately the show often had to skip over or completely drop or quickly resolve a lot of the large ongoing issues in order to come to a conclusive end and I thought that was a bit sad but I do understand why. Can only do so much with 12 episodes.

Overall opinion:

I really enjoyed it. I know I have some critically things to say, but as a writer I just kept seeing plot holes and had to talk about them briefly LOL (or not briefly because idk how to be brief) I think that the tone of the story was good, and that what they were trying to convey through this story was also good. I think it does give an idealistic image of idols freeing themselves from the oppressive evil labels and living the way they want, because unfortunately that’s not always a viable option, however it did remind me of Hyuna and Dawn’s story in a way and that warmed my heart! Love conquers all, my dude, we love to see it.

I would honestly love to watch more idol dramas like Imitation that star idols and therefore we get some sick performances and awesome music and it tells an interesting and somewhat realistic story! I think it’s something anyone can enjoy, even if for me it did get a little long in the middle with all the romance stuff LOL the ending was totally worth it for me, I think it’ll be worth it for you!

[mystic-kitten-writer]

Headcanon: uhm how the gaang treats yue or how they see yue shshhs

OKAY, so I decided to focus on the girls first because I went off (but are we really surprised? This is me we’re talking about). 

I focused on how they met Yue, what made them click, and how they treat/view. Consider this headcanon for Limerence as it is developing, not as an end-all-be-all.

If you want one of the boys (Aang, Sokka, Zuko) let me know cause I’ll post it ASAP rather than dwindling around~

Katara

“Yue?” Katara would perk, before smiling, “She’s more than just a friend; she’s family, a sister.”

Katara, Aang and Sokka are the first ones to met Yue after she saves Aang. Immediate reaction - grateful.

Secondary reaction - worry. Katara’s blue eyes settled over Yue, and saw how frail she looked. Her clothes dirty and torn, hair a birds nest; she was skin and bones. Katara’s ‘must-take-care’ instincts blaring.

The same day they met, they bonded;

Yue was sitting in the river under the starry night as Katara helped wash her hair. She couldn’t help but notice the tiny scratches and bruises that littered Yue’s skin, superficial. But she could imagine how they stung.

“Why don’t you heal yourself, Yue? You’re a Waterbender.” Katara asked with her brows pinched, confused to see all of Yue’s injuries. But Yue let out an awkward giggle, shyly sinking further into the water, “I-I’m a terrible healer.”

“I can teach you if you want.” Katara perked, happy to show off her skills to teach another.

But she quickly noted Yue’s expression in the reflection of the water. Her eyes heavy, lip trembling. It was an expression filled with deep pain and sadness, and without another word, Katara found herself embracing Yue from behind.

From that point on, Katara took on the big sister role despite being the younger one by a few months.

Katara sometimes stares at Yue and has to smile, happy to be by her side and watch Yue grow. She wasn’t the girl crying in the river anymore; she was the impending Queen of a Nation.

She always stands up for Yue and encourages her to put her foot down whenever someone disrespects her. Even Katara’s frustrated at how nice Yue is.

Very protective, and will lowkey judge the people Yue is around. She knows Yue is a bit naive and doesn’t want someone to take advantage #SorrynotsorryZuko. 

A bit disappointed that Yue never Waterbended with her, despite asking her multiple times to train. She finally found another Waterbender, someone who was by her side full-time, and it proved fruitless.

The one time they did battle, Katara was about to go easy. She quickly realized never to doubt Yue’s fighting skills…but her healing could use some work.

Guilty for thinking Yue was a Firebender at first.

Was lowkey jealous at Yue’s and Aang’s relationship and how quickly they hit it off before realizing it is just Yue’s personality

Often bond in the hot springs with a nice face and hair mask, fantasizing about their future and wedding plans.

Katara’s go-to person to vent and shop with.

Will cook meals for Yue because Yue cannot cook to survive. Katara’s still baffled at how Yue managed to burn boiling water. Like seriously, how?

Often heals Yue’s bruises and scratches because she’s way too clumsy. Also stopped asking questions as to how she even gets hurt. A papercut from a teddy bear?

“Yue’s biggest strength is also her weakness, her heart.” Katara would softly speak, twirling her braid in her hands, “But that’s why we’re here. To make sure she’s okay and that she doesn’t live off sweets because that girl has a sugar addiction.”

Toph

“She’s alright, I guess… kinda whiny, always needing attention, we call her Princess for a reason- but…” Toph would start before stepping forward. She would cross her arms before whispering, “She’s an amazing baker and gives the best hugs. BUT YOU DIDN’T HEAR THAT FROM ME.”

Toph and Suki met Yue a few days after the others, and the first thing she noticed was how damn light Yue was on her feet, another Airbender?

Yue was quick to greet Toph, voice chirpy and filled with life, and for a moment, Toph thought Yue was going to be an absolute chatterbox. Talking her ears off until they bled. Imagine her surprise how quiet Yue got after their greeting, standing off to the side as the others spoke.

Toph would study her movements, how she twirled her fingers, pulse racing…

Their moment of connection would come days after, Toph feeling the ground underneath her vibrate, just a touch. It was enough to wake her up from her slumber, feet embedded on the ground and searching for those light footsteps. Toph would begrudgingly follow, thinking it was Aang taking a late-night stroll before they suddenly stopped.

“The stars… they’re beautiful tonight. Want to experience them with me?” Yue would hum, taking Toph off guard.

“I’m blind-”

“You of all people should know there is more than one way to experience the world.”

Toph would snort, kicking the dirt under her feet, “Oh yeah? Explain colour to me.”

Toph could feel Yue walked towards her, bending over, a distinct pulling sound-making light, before standing upright. Yue’s hands gently reached for Toph’s, letting something dewy in nature fall into her palms.

“Green… it’s the grass and leaves, soft and tickles your toes. Filled with life. It’s not my favourite colour; I enjoy red much more. Red is the colour of the blaring sun against your skin. Like a festering burn, pulsing with strong vibrations.”

Yue’s wasn’t that bad after all.

Abnormally tolerate to Yue’s need for physical affection. Timed ‘hugs’ are a norm (don’t want to let Yue know how much Toph loves them, or else she’ll never hear the end of it).

Careful about her tone with Yue. Rarely raising it like how she would with Sokka or Katara because Toph could feel how Yue’s heart would race.

One of the few people Toph would willingly let touch her feet and pamper.

Toph listens to Yue’s rants about fashion or makeup because there was something about hearing her heart skip - she dares say it, it was cute.

Toph went from feeling indifferent to Yue to finding an odd sense of comfort in her presence. An Aang 2.0, but a lot more sensitive and a way better baker.

Views Yue as a best friend and typically calls her Princess because she is one.

Taught her that being feminine in nature doesn’t equal weak. You can be fabulous and kick ass.

Will unconsciously take a big sniff around Yue. She smells good, like baked goods.

“She may be a crybaby…but she has a good heart.”

Suki

“She’s too cute!” Suki would laugh, smiling fondly at all the memories that seemingly flashed through her mind. “Yue is like a kitten. She’s cute and shy, but she has that curious spirit inside. A mischievousness that you’ll never expect to see.”

Suki met Yue at the same time as Toph, but because Sokka introduced Yue to her with much glee, Suki immediately opened up.

Funny enough, unlike the rest who shared a bonding moment via a direct personal experience, Suki realized she loved Yue when seeing how she spent time with Sokka.

Suki was lounging on the sandy beaches in the Earth Nation, enjoying the sun kissing her skin with the waves crashing in the distance. Sokka proclaimed that he was a sandcastle master, and Suki watched with lowered sunglasses how Sokka and Yue spent precisely two hours building a monstrously of a sandcastle.

Seeing Yue and Sokka bickering and having fun like siblings struck a chord with Suki. She was going to love anyone who can make her boyfriend that happy.

Suki dusted herself off from the sand, coming behind Yue and placing her hands on her shoulders, “Want to come shopping tomorrow with me downtown?”

“Me?” Yue would gasp, her eyes wide.

Suki would smile, eagerly shaking her head, and she saw that happiness spread over Yue’s face, “I would love to!”

Girls night is a tradition between them, getting tipsy- drunk on wine and spoiling Yue with dresses.

Guilty of being the ‘devil on her shoulder.’ Suki can’t help it; she loves Yue’s eagerness to try new things and learn, but her shyness always got the better of her, and that’s where Suki comes in.

Half of their conversations go from sweet to sexual in under ten seconds.

Besides Aang and Sokka, Suki’s the closest to Yue, they’re practically sisters.

Like Katara loves hyping Yue and encouraging her to stand up for herself and seek happiness. Suki knows Yue always puts herself second; that’s why she pampers Yue whenever she can.

Love teasing Yue with Toph. It’s just too easy.

“She’s a girl’s best friend, the best shoulder to cry on, and the easiest to tease.” 

[imaginedhaven]

Rules of Engagement: Chapter Ten

Link to Masterpost

This is the point in my outline where the story really starts to pick up. We’ve almost definitely reached the halfway point in terms of points I want to hit, and we’ll see if that corresponds to being halfway through actually writing as well lol.

But without further ado...

~*~*~

Aelin let out a dramatic sigh as she studied Captain Westfall’s face. “I don’t suppose there’s any convincing you that I simply have one of those faces, is there?”

“I saw you with my own eyes, Your Highness. There is not.”

“Very well,” Aelin replied. She leaned forward, inviting Captain Westfall closer into the room. “I do hope that what I’m about you can stay between us. It could be messy, and I don’t wish to implicate Dorian in any of this.”

“That’s why I came,” he said. “My duty in all of this is to protect the crown prince, and I need to know he’s not under threat from your… antics.”

“He’s not,” she declared. “It’s all rather embarrassing, actually. I fear one of my own countrymen has relocated to Rifthold and is beginning to cause trouble for you. He is an assassin and a trainer of assassins, loyal to no crown but that which is stamped on the coin he makes, and I fear he has overstepped his bounds. You may not be familiar with the name Arobynn Hamel, if your duties are mostly limited to the palace.”

Captain Westfall’s eyes narrowed. “It’s not a name with which I am familiar, no,” he admitted.

“My intelligence suggests that he owns a substantial interest in the Vaults,” Aelin revealed. “By making an appearance there under an assumed name, I hoped to attract his attention so that I could deal with him quietly, before he becomes a problem for Adarlan.”

“Is there a reason that I should believe you?” he asked.

Aelin grinned. “Of course, I wouldn’t expect you to believe me without evidence,” she purred as she reached for one of her bags and pulled out a few papers. “Here you will find copies of directives in his own hand that my agents in Orynth intercepted, as well as correspondence concerning his interest in the Vaults.” Of course, the agent had been Aelin herself, but Captain Westfall didn’t need to know how personal this was for her.

The captain reached for the papers, but Aelin held them up with a teasing grin. “Before I give these to you, I would like your word that this remains as quiet as possible. If Arobynn learns that there is a larger investigation I fear we’ll lose his trail. I’ve already lost him once.”

Aelin hid a wince at that last revelation. That was too much, too personal, and of course the captain noticed the slip immediately. “What is a crown princess doing trailing an assassin herself? Surely you have others to handle that.”

“Precious few I can trust, after an incident two years ago,” she replied, and she breathed an internal sigh of relief when he seemed to accept this. “When Prince Dorian invited me down to Rifthold to affirm our courtship, it was a perfect opportunity to finish this sorry business as well.”

Captain Westfall sighed. “If this investigation of yours endangers Dorian at all, it will gain the full attention of the guard. Until then, this information will be for my eyes only. That’s the best I can promise.”

“I understand, Captain Westfall, and I appreciate your discretion,” she smiled as she handed the papers over to him. He glanced at a few of them before tucking them away—to be more thoroughly examined later, she was certain. “If you have any questions, I am happy to share with you what I know. After all, my hope is that we deal with him quickly and quietly, before word can get out about what he’s been doing here.”

“If what you say is true, then it would appear that our interests are aligned in this matter,” the captain replied. “I’ll return in a few hours to escort you all to the evening meal.”

Without a further word, Captain Westfall let himself out of her rooms as quickly and quietly as he had let himself in.

A few minutes later her door opened again, and this time it was Rowan. “Is the captain going to be a problem?” he asked.

“If I said yes, would you help me deal with him?” She wouldn’t ask him to, of course, but she had to admit she was curious as to his response.

“In a heartbeat,” he replied, and she felt a thrill of surprise at his lack of hesitation. “I do feel I must advise it could cause political complications, however.”

Aelin smiled. “Luckily for politics, I think he’s on our side. He may even help us, though that remains to be seen. His focus was on making certain Dorian isn’t any part of it, and I intend that as well.”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed and his head tilted slightly as his gaze caught on her hand. “Speaking of the prince,” he said, “I may not be overly familiar with human courting customs. However, don’t rings usually come after the marriage?”

Aelin blinked, and then looked down at the plain gold band that was still around her thumb. “Oh. Yes, at least in Terrasen. Dorian said that in Adarlan there’s usually a gift given at the beginning, but he didn’t specify it had to be a ring. He said he chose this because it belonged to my ancestors.”

Rowan seemed unimpressed by this, but didn’t voice any further concerns. Instead, he stood. “For now, we’ll have to assume your new guard friend won’t actively assist us. I’ll circle the palace before the evening meal, and attempt to learn the patterns of castle security. There should be a weak point we can use to sneak out as needed.”

“And if there is, I trust you to find it,” she smiled. “And what of your days? I apologize, but I didn’t consider what you would do once you actually got here.”

Rowan’s eyes grew bright and his lips curled into a grin. “Oh, princess,” he drawled, “did you truly believe you could escape your training simply because you’re in another country?”

Before she could say a word in response he had already left, and she could swear she heard the sound of laughter as the door closed behind him.

~*~*~

Rowan’s amusement faded as he returned to his own room and saw a piece of paper sitting on his desk. The guardsman who had visited Aelin had come to him first and given it to him, saying it had arrived shortly before they did. The letter was unsigned, but the pulling sensation in his chest and the tingling at the base of his neck told him exactly who it was from and what it contained.

A quick glance at the dark seal confirmed his suspicions, and he wondered for a moment exactly how long he could delay reading the letter before the oath he had sworn deemed him to be in defiance of his queen. In the end, though, he decided it wouldn’t be worth it to test the limits of the blood oath on something such as delaying reading a letter.

A quick flick of one of his smaller knives broke the seal, revealing a short and unsigned note.

I have read the signs in response to your reports. Doranelle does not approve of the potential match between Aelin Galathynius and Dorian Havilliard. Do what you can to subtly discourage the continuation of this courtship, and notify me immediately if they decide to proceed despite my disapproval.

Rowan sighed, letting the note fall to the surface of the desk as he considered his options. The tug of the blood oath meant that he couldn’t ignore it altogether, but the command for subtlety granted him some leeway in how he chose to proceed.

It made sense to Rowan that Maeve would disapprove of the potential match. Aelin had a powerful fire gift, though he had done his best to downplay the full extent of her powers in his reports and instead focused on her lack of control. While he was uncertain if Maeve knew the gifts of the Havilliard prince, he knew it was entirely possible that she had foreseen something in their future that would indicate the extent of his raw magic. It was equally likely that she was basing her decision off of the knowledge that magic ran in the Havilliard line as strongly as it did in the Galathynius line. Without directly asking, it was impossible to know, and Rowan had absolutely no intention of asking.

Truth be told, Rowan wasn’t certain he approved of the match either, though he had no valid reason to feel one way or another about it. Perhaps it was the carranam bond that was so freshly forged between them that was causing him to feel so unsettled, or perhaps it was simply that no matter what he did he could still taste the wildfire of her blood. Whatever the reason, he had felt ice flood his veins when he had seen that flash of gold on her finger.

Rowan sighed. Even if their courtship failed for whatever reason, he still needed to deal with whatever this uncertainty was, and quickly. He would not be permitted to stay in Terrasen or in Adarlan indefinitely, and once he had deemed her training complete it was incredibly likely that he would never see her again. Likewise, he would not be able to get around the oath indefinitely by prolonging her training needlessly. Maeve would only send another of her blood-sworn to get a secondary report, and he would be punished all the worse for his defiance.

Gods knew he was already courting enough danger as it was.

Despite the dangerous game he found himself playing, he couldn’t bring himself to regret his decisions. The fire that burned in Aelin so brightly commanded loyalty and admiration from those close to her, and despite his best efforts he had found himself no exception. She was a bright spark compared to the sea of darkness in which he’d found himself adrift, and without him noticing a part of him had latched onto that brightness and didn’t want to let it go. She would be a great queen one day, with or without a consort at her side, and her brilliance only served to highlight the darkness of the queen he currently served.

It really was quite a mess in which he’d found himself, and he found himself longing for the insight of his companions and fellow blood-sworn. Fenrys and Connall would have been unlikely to have much insight; Fenrys had made his disdain of their situation well-known and would be in favor of any form of rebellion, while Connall was more soft-spoken and a better listener than advisor. Vaughan was similar to Connall in that regard, and unlikely to say much of anything. Lorcan…

Rowan snorted out a quiet laugh. Lorcan would have nothing but disdain for him and his current situation. He loved their queen and had spent centuries devoted to her, and would have little tolerance for what Rowan was doing to work around his oath.

Truly, the only one who might have insight worth considering was Gavriel, and Rowan was determined not to bring him into this mess. Matters were complicated enough already.

He had known immediately, of course, that Aedion was Gavriel’s son. Their scents were too similar to leave any doubt, but even without that Aedion’s parentage was evident in his features and in the strength of his heart. The corner of Rowan’s lips twitched into a brief smile; truly, only someone with Gavriel’s immense patience and devotion would have been able to remain by Aelin’s side for as long as Aedion had without questioning her once. What was less clear, though, was whether Gavriel had hidden him away or whether he was completely unaware he even had a son. Either was equally likely; his companion had never once mentioned a child, and it would’ve been incredibly dangerous for him to father one knowingly given his oath.

Whatever the story was, the only safe plan was to carefully avoid saying anything to either father or son, and to leave it out of his reports entirely and pray to whatever god chose to listen that Maeve didn’t ask him anything about Aelin’s cousin. That also meant not asking Gavriel for advice even if he thought there was a possibility his letter wouldn’t be intercepted. No, he was truly on his own.

With a sigh, Rowan carefully lit a candle and burned the note. Then he shifted and flew out of his window to observe the palace walls. Better to focus on the short term, since there was nothing he could do today that would solve his larger problems.

~*~*~

Lysandra let herself into Aelin’s room an hour before the evening meal was to be served, laughing when she saw the stack of books her friend had on her desk in addition to the one she was currently reading. “I see the prince wasted no time in trying to impress you,” she teased.

Aelin smiled and set her book aside. “These were waiting for me already when Dorian led us here. How’s Evangeline settling in?”

Lysandra smiled back, warmth coursing through her. “She’s sleeping right now. Still overwhelmed, I think. Aedion’s watching her.”

Though he had had no real reason to do so, Aedion had fully embraced caring for the young girl just as quickly as he had declared his intentions toward Lysandra herself. Although it had unnerved her when they had first met, she had come to admire his ability to love so fiercely so quickly. It was simply a part of who he was, just as her own need for independence as well as the uncertainty that had demanded he prove his intentions were a part of her.

Aelin’s smile softened. “You know, growing up with him I never thought I’d see my cousin in any kind of parental role. Not through any fault of his own, but he was always so dedicated to the crown and to being a soldier.” Dedicated to Aelin herself, although her friend did the courtesy of not saying as much. “I have to admit it suits him.”

“It truly does,” Lysandra agreed.

“So does this mean you’ve decided to accept him?”

The shifter laughed. “Oh, no, you don’t get to know before he does. I promised him that ages ago. Besides, you’re far more interesting right now than we are.”

“Oh?”

“You and Rowan seem to be close now, after that trip,” she grinned.

Aelin glanced down at her hands where they rested in her lap. “Well, I suppose we couldn’t try to kill each other forever,” she replied. “That would be boring, and I loathe boredom.”

“There’s a great deal of ground between not trying to kill each other and sneaking out together.” Lysandra watched as Aelin’s eyes widened briefly before she regained her composure. Her friend’s tells were subtle, but Lysandra was a master of reading people’s expressions. Her life and livelihood had depended on that skill for so long, after all. Now that skill allowed her to know Aelin was hiding something. “I know you didn’t want to tell Aedion, but…”

Aelin took a breath, carefully not looking at her. “I had some unfinished business,” she said simply.

Lysandra frowned. That was a look she hadn’t seen on Aelin since… “Oh, gods, this is about Sam.”

Aelin went perfectly still where she was sitting, and Lysandra immediately knew she was right. “But that was all in Orynth,” the shifter protested. “What could be happening here that you think is related?”

She watched as Aelin bit her lip thoughtfully, obviously trying to decide how much to share. “Sam wasn’t from Orynth, as you know,” she began. “His former employer is here in Rifthold, as is the person I believe gave the order for his death.”

Lysandra sighed. “I know you won’t tell me what’s going on,” she admitted. “Ever since you brought me into the palace, we haven’t talked about it at all, and I understand why. But does Rowan know what you’re leading him into?”

It wasn’t a lie, even though she could admit it upset her that her friend felt she couldn’t talk to anyone about this. Gods knew she had a difficult time talking about her own life those last few months on Orynth’s streets, and Aelin had gone through so much more.

As Lysandra watched, Aelin finally met her gaze. “Rowan knows everything,” she said simply.

Lysandra could feel her face transform into a shocked expression as her body went numb. “Everything?” she asked, voice sounding faint and distant to her own ears.

Aelin nodded. “I was… out, gathering evidence, and he found me. I explained everything.”

If Lysandra had come into this room with questions about the bond between Aelin and Rowan, that statement alone confirmed most of her suspicions. The only reason Lysandra herself knew about Sam was that she had met the two of them at the same time. For Aelin to have told this Fae warrior about her deceased lover, there must have been more than either of them were willing to admit. “And he didn’t drag you back to the palace and drop you in front of Aedion?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

Aelin shook her head, smiling. “He offered to assist me in my investigations, and in bringing justice to the one responsible.”

“That’s what changed,” the shifter realized. “Isn’t it? That’s what made the two of you stop fighting as much as you did.”

“It is. We… reached an understanding.” Aelin glanced away again, a certain sign that she was still keeping secrets, but it appeared that rather than hiding her own secrets she was keeping Rowan’s safe.

Lysandra decided to allow it, but she had to warn her friend nonetheless. “You’ll have to tell Aedion eventually, you know. He’s worried for you.”

“I don’t want to lose his respect or his trust,” Aelin replied. “If he… if anyone found out about Sam, about what we were planning…”

Lysandra cut her off. “He loves you, Aelin. He’s your family. If anyone would understand, I would think it’d be him.” Even as she said the words, though, she realized that was precisely why Aelin felt as though she couldn’t tell him. Telling Rowan, as upsetting as it must have been, would’ve had fewer possible consequences than revealing something so important to someone who had always been so close.

To her credit, Aelin just smiled and shook her head before changing the subject entirely. “If I’m not mistaken, we have an evening meal to prepare for,” she grinned.

And so the two friends both moved to the closet of Aelin’s room, Lysandra choosing to let it go for now. She couldn’t help but wonder, though, how long this tenuous peace could last if Aelin opted to maintain her silence.

~*~*~

The next few weeks passed with only minor incidents, for which Rowan was grateful. His mornings were spent training Aelin further in her magic, focusing primarily on control while performing smaller tasks as he and Aelin both agreed that it would be disadvantageous to display the fullest extents of her power. They had found a small courtyard on their first morning in the palace and quickly learned to secure it, ensuring that no one could go near them and risk injury. If that also meant the court was on edge about the princess spending so much time alone with a currently-unmated Fae male, well, that only furthered his queen’s command to disrupt the potential of her union with Prince Dorian.

In the afternoons he worked on his reports to his queen, carefully selecting his words so that he was concealing as much as possible while still adhering to his oath as Aelin did whatever it was she normally did with the Havilliard prince. He also rested as much as he could, since his mornings were devoted to training Aelin and his nights…

Every night he and Aelin snuck out of the palace gates and into the slums of Rifthold, each time selecting a different location. Sometimes she brawled with cutthroats, others she bought and sold information like she was born to do it. Once, they had returned to the Vaults and started a barfight that left the entire building trashed and the safe in the office cracked open. As far as he was aware, the owners had decided they would be unable to recover their losses and simply closed down.

She had done all of that to catch the eye of the most dangerous man in Rifthold, and soon they would know whether their efforts had been worthwhile.

Rowan groaned at the sound of someone pounding on his door, hand scrubbing at his face as he stood. Despite his best efforts, he had slept terribly that night, and the noise only served to set him further on edge. He finally opened the door and dodged the fist that had been about to pound on it once more, completely unsurprised to find Aedion there.

The younger male’s eyes were wild and his hair a tangled mess, clear signs of his evident distress. “Is she with you?” he demanded.

Rowan simply shook his head, watching as Aedion’s face fell.

The warrior began to pace. “She’s not in her rooms. No one in the guard can find her, though I did ask their captain to be discreet and it’s possible they haven’t had a chance to look everywhere—”

Rowan decided to give him what little mercy he could. “I know where she is,” he revealed.

“Then you can take me to her, right?”

“No. She asked that I give her twenty-four hours before I send anyone looking.”

“What?” Confusion emanated from Aedion as he froze in his tracks.

Rowan sighed. “Fair warning, you’re not going to like it if I tell you.”

“I don’t care,” he insisted. “Tell me everything.”

“I can’t. Most of it is Aelin’s secret to keep, and not mine to tell.”

“Then tell me what you can!” Aedion demanded, grabbing Rowan’s shirt before realizing what he had done and backing off as Rowan snarled.

With another sigh, Rowan began to speak. “You’ll want to fetch the guard captain before we begin. I’m only saying this once.”

~*~*~

Aelin awoke in a cold and dark room, with no windows and multiple locks on the door. When she moved to inspect them, she stopped short when her wrists didn’t move with the rest of her. She was chained or otherwise bound, then, she realized as she fought the urge to panic.

Her boots had been taken away and she was left in a thin shirt and trousers, every knife she’d had on her presumably gone as well. As a test, she reached inward for her magic, wincing when she only found embers instead of the wildfire that usually lived within her. Iron, then. She was bound in iron.

As she continued to take stock of her situation she was relieved to find she was mostly unharmed. Her head still ached from the initial blow when she had been taken, and her shoulders and wrists were screaming at her current position, but there was nothing beyond what she had expected.

Aelin allowed herself a small smirk as she carefully rotated her wrists as much as she was able. It seemed phase one of her plan had gone off without a hitch.

Footsteps sounded outside her door, audible even to her currently-human ears. She had only seconds to decide how she was going to present herself, then. She carefully shifted back in the chair on which she was seated, grinning to herself as the chains slackened slightly, and crossed her unbound legs.

The door opened and Aelin closed her eyes briefly to allow herself a moment to adjust to the sudden light of a torch without flinching. When she opened them she saw a man closing the door behind himself. Either the locks were on the other side of the door or he wasn’t foolish enough to bar the way should he require assistance, for he ignored them completely.

The man wore expensive, though unadorned, clothing that was loose enough to allow him to move unrestricted. The material of his dark grey shirt was fine enough that it draped along muscled arms, all the way down to elegant hands. He had clearly carefully planned his outfit just as she would have, for the color perfectly offset the long auburn hair he had tied back. When he turned, silver eyes gleamed above high cheekbones in the light of the torch he carried.

“Celaena Sardothien,” he murmured, voice a low purr that barely held any trace of his former country of Terrasen. “What a pleasure to finally meet you at long last. Or perhaps I should call you Aelin, Your Highness?”

It was a calculated move, intended to unsettle her, but she had already expected that he would guess who she was once he looked closely enough. Instead, she flashed him an inviting smile and relaxed further into her chair. “Hello, Arobynn,” she drawled.

~*~*~

Tagging:

@ireallyshouldsleeprn @queen-of-glass @fangirlprincess09 @sassys-world @morganofthewildfire @superspiritfestival @perseusannabeth @sis-it-dont-add-up @jlinez @julemmaes @emilyoftheshadows

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

hey, i've seen you mentioning in your beginner guides that it's easier to focus on a single character, and i was wondering if you could help me out with some recs? i'm interested in Nimue (or Vivienne? the Lady of the Lake? I never know what to call her) and her relationships with Merlin and Arthur. classical works, essays, and retellings/contemporary books are all welcome, i'm not picky. of course, you're not obligated to answer this. thanks for reading and your amazing blog.

It was definitely easier for me, because my list of books was much less overwhelming and I could absorb general arthurian knowledge before divining into the other characters.

Of course! I usually don’t read essays, so I can’t help there (Also, I have to add that I usually don’t read Merlin specific books and many of those might have Nimue with a prominent role!), but this is what I know that revolves around the lady of the lake or where she has a prominent role. I used both Nimue and Lady of the Lake, and I tend to call and conflate with Nimue the character who becomes Merlin’s lover, and with lady of the lake the character who gives Arthur the sword:

Some (main) old texts where Nimue and the lady of the lake appears

Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthur The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (Howard Pyles) The Vulgate and the Post Vulgate (but they are harder to find for cheap) Vita Merlini (Geoffrey of Monmouth) has a pseudo-lady of the lake character

(you can find the downloads of these texts in the list of everything here)

Books (lady of the lake or Nimue as protagonists) * = my favorites

The Book of Mordred (Velde)* (the story of Mordred told by three female characters’ POV, one of them is Nimue) Here Lies Arthur (Reeves)* (the lady of the lake is the main character) Avalon High (Meg Cabot)* (modern high school) Mrs. Pendragon + Mists of Manhattan (M. Lang) (a modern days story mostly focused on Guinevere but with Nimue too) Out of Avalon (Roberson) (This is a collection of short stories revolving around Avalon, so many of them are about Nimue or the lady of the lake) The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) (the whole book is focused on Avalon and has both a Nimue-like character and the lady of the lake) Cursed (Thomas Wheeler)

Books (lady of the lake or Nimue as secondary but well written characters) * = my favorites

Idylls of the Queen* (Phyllis Ann Karr) (kay and Mordred-focused, but Nimue appears and is a great character, also this is my favorite arthurian book) Queen of Camelot (McKenzie) (a Guinevere focused trilogy, with Nimue as a well characterized secondary character) Morgana* (Michel Rio) (in French/Spanish/Italian, Vivian is a secondary character and Morgana’s lover) Merlin Trilogy (James Mallory) (this is the novelization of Merlin 1998) Merlin Trilogy* (Mary Stewart) (Nimue appears as a secondary character and Merlin’s love) Believe (Victoria Alexander) (a trashy romance with Galahad, Nimue is a secondary character alongside Merlin) Warlord Chronicles* (Bernard Cornwell)

Play script or poetries

Mordred a Tragedy (the lady of the lake is one of Mordred’s allies) Idylls of the King (Tennyson)

Movies

Merlin 1993 (also known as October 32nd, this is about a modern days lady of the lake who finds her destiny) A Knight in Camelot 1998 (technically, the protagonist is hinted to be a Nimue-like character) Merlin and the War of Dragons (Nimue and Vivian both play a prominent role in this movie, and they are the best part of the movie) Merlin and the Sword (many characters in this movie! Among the stories, there is the story of Nimue and Merlin and their love)

Tv Shows

The Boy Merlin (the last episode has an interesting lady of the lake appearance) Merlin 1998 miniseries (Nimue is one of the main characters, and the lady of the lake also appears) Mists of Avalon miniseries (the lady of the lake is one of the main characters) Kaamelott (in various episode the lady of the lake appears as a secondary character) Camelot 2011 (VIvian appears in the show, but has not had any lady of the lake roles, sadly enough, and the show never had a second season) Cursed Netflix (the protagonist is the lady of the lake)

Musicals and opera

Isaac Albeniz’s Merlin opera Spamalot (but she is a bit different)

[aion-rsa]

Why You Should Watch Young Royals

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This article contains some spoilers for Young Royals. 

WIth an overabundance of teenage-oriented romance shows on television at the moment, it can be hard to conjure up a reason to watch yet another one. Every streaming service seems to have something in the genre to fit a need, whether that be a gay protagonist, a female hero, or an ensemble cast. It’s very difficult to stand out amongst the crowd because there are very few places left untapped in exploring adolescent life styles. 

Enter Young Royals, a Swedish-produced LGTBQ romance drama that was released on Netflix at the beginning of July. When Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) is sent to boarding school by the Queen after getting in some trouble at a nightclub, he feels out of his element and overwhelmed with expectations. His only reprieve from the rigidity of this environment comes when he meets Simon (Omar Rudberg), a kind and charismatic child of an immigrant mother. 

Prince Wilhelm and Simon’s burgeoning relationship eventually turns into one of the most evocative and explorative love stories in contemporary queer TV. A keen understanding from the writers and actors of what can make a show like this stand out amongst a repetitive crowd of competitors is what will hopefully lead to enough viewership for many more seasons. Here are some more reasons you should watch Young Royals.

The Teenagers Actually Look and Behave Like Teenagers

Far too often the young people in coming-of-age entertainment vehicles look, act, and feel a little too mature for actual teens to relate to on any sort of deeper level. The actors who are casted infamously have birth dates well before the people they are portraying on-screen (Darren Barnet, who plays 16 year old Paxton Hall-Yoshida on Mindy Kaling’s hit series Never Have I Ever, is a whopping 13 years older than his character!) Not only does this force an unrealistic standard of beauty on the viewers to live up to, it also breaks up the immersive quality that truly great TV possesses to transport us to different worlds that connect to our own.

Edvin Ryding is 18 and Omar Rudberg is 22. With faces spotted with pimples and makeup sparsely used to mask other superficial blemishes on the actors, the people in this show seem like they could show up at any secondary school in your neighborhood and fit right in. This provides an authenticity to the storytelling that you simply don’t get with the majority of teen romance media. Perhaps the reason for such realism is because European filmmakers strive for higher artistic standards when filming, shunning the degrading expectations of sexiness and maturity that directors in the United States have grown obsessed with. Whatever the reasoning behind it is, the show’s casting is a breath of fresh air. 

The Story Skips the Often-Redundant Coming Out Journey

I want to start by getting one thing very clear: the coming out journey is one of the most important tropes used in LGBTQ movies and television; I wrote a whole essay on how Love, Victor’s exquisite and heartfelt depiction of this plot point helped me come out of the closet in my own life. When done properly, this storyline can be both inspirational and important to the young queer community. The problem is that far too often the coming out process is the only focus, and all of the other dynamics of gay teenage life get shelved and under-examined. 

Young Royals gives you a negligible amount of hand-holding when it comes to spelling out the sexuality of the two protagonists: Simon mentions in one conversation with his dad that he is gay, and Wilhelm’s own musings are so focused on the former that we know immediately how smitten he is with his charming classmate. There is a little bit of internal denial from Wilhelm when he tells Simon he “isn’t like that” after they share an awkward first kiss, but we know he’s kidding neither us nor his lover. 

The intense romantic energy is so new, raw, and real that there is no need for anybody to come out; it’s obvious that these two are gay as hell for each other and that discovery is absolutely beautiful. As mentioned, though, Wilhelm is a part of a royal family and publicly coming out as a celebrity is a whole different topic that the show sets up nicely for in a possible second season.

Sexual Expression is Explored on an Emotional Level

The show is rated TV-MA, but it can’t possibly be for nudity or graphic sexual expression. The passion between Wilhelm and Simon is certainly physical to an extent, but the little things, the tiny moments of young love are so much more meaningful than watching two actors maul one another like wild animals or porn stars. Short kisses in the forest, holding hands while watching a movie, and dropping off a quick breakfast in class are all amongst the enviable acts of emotional desire that are displayed from the characters. 

TV shows rarely understand what actual love looks like in the real world. It isn’t always 12 hours spent in the bedroom or excessive PDA in front of classmates and family. It’s what two people feel about each other that words can’t possibly describe. It’s an emotion that bonds a couple into one. Wilhelm tells Simon when professing his love midway through the season that nothing in his life feels real except for how he feels about him (a line improvised by Edvin Ryding). That’s so much more than a one-night stand or a cheap hookup and it’s something every other teen rom-com should learn from and aspire to emulate.    

A Delicate Discussion on Classism in Relationships 

A melancholy sticking point in the relationship between Wilhelm and Simon is their difference in social class. Wilhelm is the second-in-line to the throne of Sweden while Simon is the poor son of an immigrant mother who cannot afford to live on campus at the boarding school the characters attend. When the two boys are together, money and celebrity status become irrelevant. It’s an absolutely beautiful give and take where both kids get to learn how attraction has nothing to do with societal expectations and pressures, but keeping a relationship definitely does. 

When their love affair gets leaked in a sex tape á la Kim Kardashian, Wilhelm is expected to hide his sexuality and his desire for someone low on the social ladder. The way both young men work together to figure out a common ground solution is simultaneously touching and heartbreaking, as homophobia within the Swedish Kingdom makes the love forbidden and creates the main tension in the finale’s climax. Classism is such an underutilized topic in romance stories and Young Royals does a great job finding that fine line between forcing the issue and exploring it thoroughly. 

A Small, Strong Cast

Many shows that follow a romance struggle to give equal screen time to both parties. It can be tempting to flesh out the main protagonist more fully than divide attention among both characters. If you add in supporting roles around the couple it can get really flimsy in the hands of a shoddy screenwriting team. 

This show only has three true supporting roles: August, Sara, and Felice. This leaves plenty of material for both Wilhelm and Simon to be equals in spite of the central focus being on Wille. When you get to see the POV of each person independent of the other, it becomes a much richer experience and you are more easily able to sympathize with both young men instead of taking sides during a conflict. Their personal lives, especially their unique family dynamics help inform the audience about the romance. By the end of the six episodes, you feel like Wilhelm and Simon are amongst your own social circle because you know them intimately. That just doesn’t happen with most coming-of-age series. 

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All six episodes of Young Royals season 1 are available to stream on Netflix now.

The post Why You Should Watch Young Royals appeared first on Den of Geek.

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[project-rebirth]

Top 6 Kinoverse ships

This is quite an unexpected post from here don’t you think? Well don’t worry, you’re not the only one to think so.

Usually, at least for me, Ships have always been a secondary priority on this blog so I never really put as much focus on them as some others normally would, however, I feel as though they are important enough in their own right, especially when some of the more interesting storylines of certain characters have been built up as a result of the ships that are currently here, or are in deveopment, which makes one better appreciate them overall.

Today, we’re going to be taking a look at  6 of the ships I am fond of, or have been more prominent than some others. Some ships may not have the characters officially together yet, but will lean heavily towards that direction as their story progresses.

6. Rosalia x Bowen ( @tetsuwan-atom​ )

One of the earliest ships to be made in the Kinoverse, we have a powerful sorceress who can travel to most any place in the Multi-Universe and a guy who pretty much does the same thing for a science based organization. Since Raildex is the main setting for the Kinoverse, I like the fact that we have two people on the opposite ends of the spectrum, (that being Magic and Science) get along so well. Truly, these two embody the phrase, “When Sicence and Magic Cross Paths, a Story is Born!”

Admittedly, my musing for Rose has been low as of late, hence why she doesn’t make that many appearances as much as she used to, and I’m still trying to figure out her own backstory and whatnot, but when she does appear, I truly enjoy the interactions she has with Bowen, and mostly how he reveres her like she’s a queen lol. And who can blame him? She’s got the looks, she has the charisma, (something I wanted to explore a bit in  the “Genesis Timeline” but I digress), and she also has a Childish side to her, which comes in the forms of the pranks she pulls on others, mainly Kamijou for some reason. Overall, I hope that there are more interactions between them in the future that is to come! These two are dimension hoppers and lovers, so there’s plenty of things to do as far as spin off stories are concerned!

5. Shido x Sayo ( @crystalmelodies​ )

This one is another favorite of mine, solely because of how Shido is basically attached to her. When I think about it, Shido has had the most dramatic changes in his character thus far, from being Aogami Pierce 2.0 to becoming someone more rigid, Shido has finally found someone that he genuinely cares for and will do anything to protect, he went through great lengths to save Sayo when she was fated to disappear as an angel and ever since then he’s become protective of her. In some occasions, whenever Sayo is gone for an extended period of time, he goes into worried dad mode/edgy mode and looks all over for her, only to feel totally silly when she returns and is fine, which i hilarious and kind of sad when looking at it more deeply.

Sayo is basically the only person in his life that he has at the moment, and there in lies a fear of, “what if she vanishes again” and that fear of losing her in one way or another is always in the back of his head. It’s also why he’s gone off the deep end as of late with something else that’s influencing him (but we will see how that goes if that becomes a future arc). Overall, their interactions are very wholesome when they do happen and its nice to see both of then happy together. Now we just need Shido to get snapped out of his dark lord phase so we can have more happy moments with theeeemmmmmm!

4. Touma x Lucia (crystalmelodies)

Another ship I am interested in seeing, even though the two have not gotten together, let alone confessed to each other, is Kamijou Touma & Nanami Lucia.

Here we have Kamijou Touma, the guy who has met an untold number of girls in his adventures from all walks of life, as per the “Kami-Yan disease” that his classmates call it, with a girl who seems as ordinary as they come, though in reality that isn’t the case. So what’s noteworthy about this particular pairing?

Well, a few reasons, but mainly its the fact that at first glance, Lucia is an ordinary girl that lives in a quiet seaside town devoid of crazy technology, and Espers that the metropolis known as Academy City has, so I’m quite fond of the idea of “An Average High School Boy You can Find  Anywhere” being paired with a person that’s “An Average Girl You can Find Anywhere” that the two seem to represent. Not only that, but they both get along quite well and there has been hints, at least on Kamijou’s end that he has somewhat of an interest in her.

From Kamijou’s point of view, she differs from the other girls that he is antiquated with in the fact that she’s one of the very few people that doesn’t appear to react Violently whenever he gets thrown into a misfortune event. She also differs from the others in the fact that she is a “regular person” whereas the other girls have been everything from Espers, to Magicians, to Saints (Superhuman Magicians), and even Gods themselves, so the fact that he has met someone who not only tolerates his misfortune, but appears to be so far removed from the crazy sides of the world that he’s been constantly thrown into.

of course, we know that Lucia is not an ordinary human; she’s a Mermaid, a Princess, and a Magical Girl? It would be interesting to see how Kamijou reacts to finding out that not only is she all of these, but her circle of friends are as well and related. Overall, even if he found out about that, he wouldn’t see her any differently than he already does - because he would still see her as his friend, even if she were a Goddess. If she was in trouble or sad, he would definitely come running to her side.

On a side note, in the Genesis Timeline, he also showed interest in her Mermaid Persona, something that is also true for the Rebirth Timeline, so it will also be interesting to see how he reacts to finding out that Human Lucia and Mermaid Lucia are the same entity. For the time being though, this will be somewhat of a slow burner as Kamijou plans to wake her up from her coma as well as deal with his internal issues regarding his self worth, the identity crisis he has as a result of the destruction of his memories from Index OT 1, and the PTSD he has from being killed by Othinus to damn near infinity. These two will certainly be in for quite a ride as time goes on.

3. Zarama/Zelreich x Artemis ( @averageisms​ )

When Zarama was conceived as the primary Antagonist for the second half of the Genesis Timeline, he was originally going to be this power hungry tyrant that saw the universes and everyone within it as his servants, however, as I began to develop him further and better develop his motives, he eventually became a complex character that could be a villain that you can both hate and somewhat sympathize, given the back story that I had originally given him and what he was trying to do overall throughout Genesis Order. He was one of the characters I least expected to become shipped with someone, yet here we are, with it becoming among the top 3 ships I have.

There’s something about this particular pairing that has me coming back to it every time. It’s interesting to see how this powerful being who is so far removed from humanity, has taken an interest in the most human/average person you can find out there, which makes this reminiscent of something you would see in a Disney film or some supernatural drama. In the old timeline, Zarama’s  attachment to Artemis mostly comes from the fact that he has been around beings who were so far removed from humanity for eons upon eons, that meeting someone who was normal was a breath of fresh air for him - someone who was uncorrupted by the supernatural and just wanted to have someone to come back home to.

In the rebirth timeline, Zarama is decidedly different as a character overall, as while he is not really a god like he was before, but rather a curious immortal that travels the Multi-Universe to study abstract concepts like The Essence and Bio-Energy as well as various magics. His attachment to her stems from the fact that for ages, he has wanted a companion that would remain at his side, as he knows the pain of isolation that his immortality brings and he feels a similar loneliness inside of her for different reasons. Yet he’s made an oath that he would never abandon her in the same way others have abandoned her.

This iteration of Zarama hasn’t gone down the dark path that his Genesis Timeline counterpart went through and doesn’t have some grand plan to save all of creation. He’s instead more focused on his research as well as just being with Artemis, as he sees her as the one his heart has been seeking for a very long time. Overall, I enjoy the interactions they both have and I can’t wait to see how this pairing further develops.

2. Makoto x Grete ( crystalmelodies )

At number 2, we have one of the more newer pairings in the form of Makoto and Grete.

This one is interesting because of how far we were willing to see Makoto go in order to ensure her happiness and safety. Ever since he saw that vision of her during the first week of their meeting, an attatchment has been formed between them, with Makoto wanting give her the happiness that had been stolen from her. Even though he was a bit caught off guard when she practically confessed to him, Makoto’s feelings for Grete wasnt fully realized until he was taken away to Academy City, where he came to realize that he had indeed developed some sort of feelings for her.

Although it wasn’t written, during Makoto’s final moments in Academy City, we would have seen him face off against Kamijou Touma and how he was willing to become a reprehensible person in order to ensure his future with Grete, which would have been interesting given how Grete is practically similar in that regard. Kamijou would have given him the question of if Grete would really be proud of the things he was doing in her name, asking that would she really be content with smiling by his side, knowing that he had hurt people along the way, which causes his resolve to waver a bit. Makoto would then go onto say that as long as MINUS has their hooks on them, then he had no choice but to be a villain. What would have transpired next would be Kamijou declaring that he will save Makoto from this darkness and return him to Grete’s side, and he would do so by destroying the Illusions that he was holding onto.

After that grueling fist fight, Kamijou would carry Makoto over to Academy City’s warehouse district where he would have Rosalia and her maid take him out the city and return him to the life he was take whisked away from, giving him a new found hope and resolve to being at Grete’s side. Now Makoto has to deal with the aftermath of his disappearance, and that means he will be staying by her side even more and to make sure that he never suddenly vanishes from her life like that again.

I really like this pairing, and I hope to see this develop more and see where it goes, because the story behind it, from his Makoto’s Precognition Ability, to his defeat and salvation at the hands of Kamijou Touma, and the possibility that Makoto and Grete may be long lost childhood friends, as it has been hinted at at least twice before!

1. Accelerator x Violent Violet ( @xbloodsoakedx​ )

I think we know by now this was obvious. After all, it is the most popular pairing in the Kinoverse so far, and the most active.

Initially, I wasn't that crazy about it due to a myriad of factors, both in-universe and out of universe that had my mind not in the right place, however as time grew I grew to appreciate this pairing and the wildness that comes with it. Accelerator was one of the muses who I least expected to get paired with someone due to his personality, but surprisingly, he and Violet complement each other quite well. You have two of the strongest people in the verse who have gone through some similar things in their past, mainly how they were experimented on to become the powerhouses that they are now today.

Although Accelerator isn’t keen on showing affection most of the time, he definitely cares about her and came to realize just how much she has changed his life, similar to Last Order. He sees her as more than just a lover, he sees her as part of his “family” whether or not he would openly admit such. We see this in how he reacts to Violet vanishing for a week during the Shura Arc and how determined he becomes to save her from the darkness that she was pulled into. You also have the fact that this came after Last Order had been kidnapped herself, so Accelerator at this point is tired of people targeting everyone that was close to him, a development we will see as the story moves forward with his desire of wanting to protect that family of his, be it Last Order, Violet, the two older women who are his “guardians” Worst, and the MISAKA Network Clones.

Something that’s also noticeable in Accelerators casual interactions with Violet is how he can be such a tsundere, in that Violet likes to cuddle and kiss him, yet despite looking displeased, he lets her  do what she wants, similar to how he lets Last Order pester him. I think Violet and Last Order are the only ones who can get away with calling Accelerator a Tsundere lol

Ultimately, It’s thanks to this connection she has formed with Accelerator that she has blended into the city of bizarre science so well. Last Order was not initially fond of Violet, believing her to be a bad influence on Accelerator but that quickly changed and is now attached to her as she is to Accelerator, while Worst, Yoshikowa and Yomikowa were genuinely welcoming of her presence for differing reasons, but all can agree that they can tease Accelerator about Violet whenever the moment arises.

In the Genesis Timeline, Violet became a celebrity of sorts in Academy City, and you can expect the same thing to happen in the Rebirth Timeline, with many people taking an interest in her for varying reasons. Overall, this is certainly a pairing you want to keep your eyes on as the story progresses.

That also reminds me, two of the Three heroes are now in relation ships. Hamazura Shiage is with Takitsubo Rikou and Accelerator is with Violet, leaving Touma to have to contend with being single yet also having the world’s largest harem while being totally unaware of it. This can change though...once he wakes up a certain mermaid lol

And there you have it. 6 ships I enjoy in the Kinoverse. There may be others that I missed or neglected to include, but these are the main ones that have been on my mind when it comes to this topic. Will there be more? Possibly in the future, but for now, this is it!