#Shepherdton

[shepherds-of-haven]

Just read the whole Shepherdton AU and I was so INVESTED. You need to write a period drama someday.

Ah, thanks for that blast from the past and for the compliment, the Shepherdton-verse was so much fun to write!!! I love AUs... I'd spend my life writing Shepherds and Shepherds-related AUs if I could! 😂

[emeraldgreaves]

🖊 for that fanfic ask game (I can’t tell if that’s the right pen emoji my eyes are so bad fkrkrje) please! 👀

gljgdgdlhg hi lena 💕 💕 💕 thank you for the ask!

🖊 Post a snippet from a current WIP.

The Antiqua family was considered odd among the London set for three primary reasons: their uniformly red hair, their preference for books and riding over the elegant parties of the ton, and the unusual distinction of four unwed daughters of marriageable age. Idalia, Isodel, Lydda, and Gwynyth had all been ‘on the marriage market’ for several years, each debuting at court when they turned twenty-one--yet all four of them remained noticeably unattached, preferring the company of each other to any of the young socialites roving the balls in search of a wife. The viscount and his wife had regularly commented that each of their daughters was a blessing, and hoped they would wed happily, blandly daring any of the gossipping mamas to argue with the notion that any child, boy or girl, deserved anything less than to be loved.

Of course, the ease with which the Antiquas brushed aside convention owed a great deal to the existence of their youngest and only son. By the time Liefred was born, Navar and Theria had the household well under control, save perhaps for explosions of temper--he had been almost completely free to explore whatever interests caught his eye. Much like the rest of his family, he inherited a passion for reading, a penchant for history, and a love of country rides at their sunlit estate at Stroud. Unlike his sisters, however, he had the ability to pursue his studies through university and travel abroad, save for the somewhat unfortunate necessity of returning to Albion every spring for the court season.

in case it wasn’t clear i have been Thinking about the @shepherds-of-haven bridgerton au LMAO the antiqua sisters are my favorite characters even though we never meet them ingame

ask meme: send me an emoji and i’ll talk about fic stuff!

[bumbis]

follow da twitter even tho im not on there a lot twitter.com/shepherdtones

[shepherds-of-haven]

Firstly I love the amount of thought & care you put into the game and the blog! All your answers are so fun, I love the things you’ve written for AUs (they’re so detailed and fitting!) For the Bridgerton AU how would MC fit into things? How might the romances develop? Thank you for such a lovely game!!

Ah, thank you so much for your very kind words!! Sometimes I take so long to answer asks because they turn into whole essays or novelettes, but I'm glad they tend to be worth the wait! 😂💖

And good question! Remember that war I mentioned in the other post? I imagine that season 2 opens after the end of the war and a bunch of celebratory balls as the two nations finally reach a truce... and MC is either the prince/princess/royal heir or emissary/diplomat of the other country, sent to the Queen's court as a display of goodwill and to ensure that peace talks go smoothly. The Queen starts to scheme about finding MC a love match during the social season as a way of keeping them close and ensuring some influence and assured future closeness with their sovereign nature. Initially she has designs on MC and her son, but MC and the son do not get along, so she sets her sights on secretly nudging along a match between MC and another prominent noble, like a Shepherdton, Naveen, etc. From there, you can really imagine the scenario based on the RO of your choice!

For Blade, the Queen tells him he has to court MC, or she's going to make him marry some random or join the military because he's dragged his feet long enough and everyone's gotten too impatient for a Shepherdton marriage. They both decide to fake date to appease the Queen and buy some time, or do the whole marriage of convenience thing for their own reasons, but actually fall in love!

For Trouble, they have a meet-cute as strangers, like they bump into each other on a bridge or while out in the town, and Trouble's desperately trying to find them again but never got their name, and then he meets them again, and they're Blade's new fiancee LMAO

For Tallys, they meet at a women's rights assembly, where MC is in disguise and trying to spur political progress in this foreign country because they find it all very backwards, but their movements can't be tied to their real identity because they would be accused of sowing sedition in a country they just reached a truce with. Tallys and MC both fall in love with each other, but initially both give each other fake names and identities to avoid bringing scandal upon their households... and then they meet each other at the first ball of the season and figure out they've been completely lied to, and it's a tale of deception, betrayal, attraction, and maybe even a little espionage!

For Shery, she gets over her infatuation with Prihine from season 1 after realizing that she just liked Prihine because Prihine was the first person outside of her friend group to pay her attention and actively seek out her involvement and insight in her quest to find Lady Whistledown. In season 2, she's tasked by the Queen with digging up juicy gossip or secrets about MC as a way of gaining leverage over her, but watching MC from afar causes her to fall in love with them, but she's overly cautious about approaching them because of her recent experiences with Prihine! It becomes a secret admirer romance where she writes an anonymous letter to MC to warn them of the Queen's plans, but to her surprise, MC sends a letter back asking for her advice, and they get to know each other and fall in love through secret letters under pen names!

For Riel, he is tasked by the Queen to show MC around town and especially teach him about how various business dealings and trade and economy things work, and finds himself driven to distraction by MC instead. What are these feelings?? He tries to remain professional, but how can he talk about trade treaties when MC's flirting with him and wearing the most distracting cologne 😩 He gets quite irritated and flustered by this disruption in his routine!

For Chase, he sets his sights on MC himself as just another prize for him to conquer, like "the foreign prince/princess is off-limits and out of your league, don't even think about seducing them because it could have disastrous consequences/they're intended for the Autarch's son" and he's like "challenge accepted" 😎 Except they see his rakish sleazy intentions from a mile away and HATE HIM lol so it becomes this pretty hostile dynamic where Chase is trying his hardest to flirt and charm and MC is NOT HAVING IT and he's just like completely baffled but also intrigued because ✨ they're not like anyone he's ever met before ✨ classic rivals/enemies to lovers!

For Red, guess where he did a year of studying abroad GLRJGRLJ he definitely had a secret fling with MC in their home country and then departed back home years ago, never expecting to see them again... (this was before the war) When they turn up in his court on this side of the sea, the awkward ex feelings abound!! Worse is when the Queen realizes that they already know each other and forces Red into becoming MC's official envoy/escort around town... worse still is when the Queen tasks him with trying to facilitate a suitable match for MC without them realizing it, not aware that they've already... matched in the past 😅😅 the absolute worst part is that neither of them can talk about the awkwardness to anyone else because revealing that they've been together in the past would be a scandal that would ruin both families!

For Ayla, the Queen decides to make her an official... let's say knight or whatever as a way of solving her and Briony's financial problems from season 1 so that Briony doesn't have to marry someone she doesn't want to in order for them to survive. As a knight, the Queen assigns her to act as the bodyguard for MC to protect them any would-be assassins or rebels, but also to report back to the Queen on any of MC's activities or secrets if need be. Sexual tension and class differences ensue as Ayla shadows MC's steps as their personal bodyguard, even having to sleep in the same room as them... for their protection 😳

For Briony, she's selected to guide MC around town as the previous season's diamond and for her easygoing, chatty demeanor. However, during a horseback ride in the countryside that they snuck away for (what could go wrong?? they rode all the time in their home countries!), they actually get kidnapped by rebels! After being captured, they manage to escape together, but are unable to return home because they were transported hundreds of miles away and don't know who to trust, realizing that the palace and the nobility have been infiltrated by spies and seditionists who would love to see MC dead to ignite another war. They both have to go on the run in disguise, and the perilous journey (along with being alone together 24/7) causes them to fall in love!

For Lavinet, she's selected to host MC in her estate, since the Queen believes it would be better for MC to mingle with the ton rather than being cooped up in the palace for the duration of his visit. And then they were roommates... The close-quarters and constant running into each other while out for moonlit walks in their night-clothes and meeting in the shadows of the rose garden definitely ramps up the tension... but there's only one problem: Lavinet's father hates MC's country due to the war and would never allow the marriage to take place, so to be dutiful to her family, Lavinet pretends she's not attracted to MC (she definitely is!) and tries to find a husband of her own! Drama

For Halek, MC gets engaged to Naolin sight unseen (the Princes are distantly related to the royal family, so this benefits the Queen) and Halek falls in love with them while he's already engaged to Moonsilk LGJRGLR THE MESSINESS

I hope you enjoyed! I was really going to just leave it at the first paragraph but then I just started to throwing tropes left and right 😂

[shepherds-of-haven]

Hi Lena!! Happy April! I also binged s2 (and while I have my Thoughts, it still fulfilled my lil regency meter) and now I want to know... Shepherds as regancy tropes? Or the context of the show even? (Shery as a Whistledown could you imagine? Using that persona as a way to connect with another woman too bc haha im GAY) and also how do we tame a rake like Chase? (you already know i'm seeing him related to Lavinet and Prihine bc i CANT unsee it and also just made myself miserable seeing them as kate and edwina 😅😅😅)

Hi Renè, happy April to you as well!!! 🌷 Yes, I definitely had my thoughts on season 2 as well, but they also fed us well with tropes I guiltily love, so I got my fill regardless gfldjgdflg 😩 And ooh, I love this question! I’m just going to go with a loose Bridgerton AU if that sounds good! Except instead of being biological, alphabetically-named siblings, a lot of the “orphan” characters were adopted by the... S-Shepherd...ton... family... ...

Let’s just go with it!

In our imagining, the heirs and order of succession in the Shepherdton family (lmao) aren’t determined by age, since most of the characters are grouped closely together in age and are only separated by a matter of days/weeks/months, but by order of adoption. Also, there’s a Queen (probably just a somewhat nicer version of the Autarch) and probably war brewing on the horizon, but it’s a fringe concern for most people of the ton for now, but it partially explains why everyone is so ravenous for Whistledown gossip: it distracts from the troubles brewing in the distant future!

So it goes:

Shepherdton family: one of the oldest and most prestigious families of the ton. Their rank equates that of a Marquis, and the Autarch looks upon them with favor. As a result, the social season is always rife with scheming mamas who want to marry their heirs into the Shepherdton family, though all Shepherdton scions have remained stubbornly unattached and single. 

Blade: the first Shepherdton son. He takes his duties and responsibilities as “firstborn” extremely seriously and is known to his siblings for being extremely strict and no-nonsense, which makes them tease and irritate him all the more. While he takes matters of propriety, honor, and upholding social protocols and manners very seriously in order to preserve the family reputation, he still comes off as curt, intimidating, and a man of few words to people outside of his family. In short, he knows the proper protocols and has memorized them, so one could never say he was impolite or discourteous, but his gestures usually lack warmth and come off as stiff or obligatory. While aware that he will someday have to marry as part of his duties as firstborn son, he’s so far successfully avoided any form of social intimacy outside of friendship and will usually decline to dance with anyone at balls for fear of leading them on in regard to his intentions. He is a talented fencer and tactician and is being eyed by the Autarch for future military service as a high-ranking officer if he doesn’t have the excuse of marrying and starting a family soon, putting him in a precarious and stressful position.

Trouble: the second Shepherdton son. The rebel of the family. An enthusiastic horseman and talented boxer, he tends to be the apple of many a hopeful suitor’s eye during the social season, lacking the brooding intimidation of Blade and the rakish, scandalous reputation of Chase. He is perfectly at ease in company, brave, honest, kind-hearted, generous, and handsome, able to win the trust of friends and the hearts of admirers with a mere smile and a handshake... but he remains completely oblivious to his effect on others and has no idea that he’s sought-after amidst the ton. While a little unconventional or even sloppy in his mannerisms (loosening his tie at balls, rolling up his shirtsleeves, smoking on the balcony), his general likable demeanor earns enough goodwill that most people tolerate this behavior or even find it charmingly endearing. However, his eccentricities and careless attitude about the social machinations of the ton have a darker side: Blade and Tallys are constantly chasing after him and covering up evidence of his gambling, drinking, and brawling habits during the secret hours of the night. He tends to hang out in rougher social clubs, in the company of boxers and streetfighters, and generally consorts with the blue-collar working class far too much for an heir of his status. It’s only a matter of time before Lady Whistledown exposes this information and sends the Shepherdton family into a tailspin of scandal, leading to him and Blade butting heads time and time again. 

Chase: the third Shepherdton son. A rake with a capital R. While Trouble has his rough-housing habits, Chase is an incorrigible skirtchaser, artist, and libertine. Under the guise of attending “art school” and attending “artist” parties, he can usually be found in bohemian clubs (often regarded as hotbeds of sin) or luxury gambling clubs, rubbing elbows and making friends with liberal-minded hedonists who advocate for free love, physical pleasure, and everything in between. While by far the most charming, charismatic, and socially-perceptive Shepherdton, his reputation as a rake ensures that no mama will ever encourage a match with Chase--though he’s never outright ostracized and usually gets to flatter them a little anyway. Regardless, nothing stops him from being able to talk himself into closets, gazebos, or even beds with willing partners during parties and balls. After catching a con artist named Kato at a gambling den and preventing him from making off with his friends’ money, Chase is beginning to learn the addictive thrills of running cons, picking pockets, and pulling the wool over ignorant nobles’ eyes, but so far has only flirted with the danger. He is contemplating helping Kato with a scheme where he (Chase) paints fraudulent art pieces and replaces the real ones with his perfect replicas, without anyone ever knowing, starting with the households of the people he likes the least among high society. His sister Tallys theorizes that Chase’s destructive behavior began after an ill-fated romance with an opera singer named Saya broke his heart, and he’s been numbing himself from the pain ever since. 

Tallys: the only Shepherdton daughter, and the fourth scion to be adopted. While she is grateful to have been placed with such a wealthy and privileged family, she secretly feels isolated from her more humble childhood roots, her culture, and her sensibilities, and she dislikes the frivolous concerns of the social season and the nobility. Incisive, witty, and clear-eyed, Tallys longs for freedom and independence, always striving to find privacy from the prying eyes of the ton. She deliberately makes herself as prickly and unsociable as she can without seeming uncivil so that people will leave her alone. She is happiest when taking long rides or walks in the countryside, despite the impropriety of traveling around without a chaperone, and resents the idea that women don’t share equal rights or freedom with men, often fearlessly voicing these objections at unsuitable or awkward times. While she usually dutifully helps Blade wrangle their two unruly brothers into line, she has begun secretly attending women’s rights assemblies under the influence of an apothecary she often converses with--another secret that would damage the family’s reputation if Lady Whistledown knew about it. She is good friends with Shery Acquell, their childhood friend and neighbor. 

Caine: the youngest Shepherdton heir. At 12, he is not yet out in society and is largely shielded from the dramas and turbulences of the social season, instead being left to happily play with his dog and his friends.

Acquell family: a more modest family with mercantile origins, they gained land and became a titled family as part of an initiative by the Autarch to expand the gentry. As a result of their “newness” as well as the timid wallflower demeanor of their only daughter, they are often overlooked or given the cut by more established families. The Acquell parents are often scheming to elevate their social status and wealth, despite the protests of their quiet daughter, who would be content not to draw attention to herself. 

Shery: a neighbor of the Shepherdtons, she’s often thought as “invisible” due to her shyness and her lack of skill in the areas of socializing, dance, or athleticism. Initially a good friend of the more determined Tallys, she comes off as absent-minded, dreamy, and more concerned with her tea and romance books than she is about finding herself a love match or bemoaning her position in life. However, she is secretly the writer of the Lady Whistledown scandal sheet, using her wallflower status to seamlessly eavesdrop and report on various gossip around the ton. While this pursuit starts off as a way to assert herself and her opinions and gain control over her own life, especially with her overbearing parents, the endeavor begins to spiral out of control. Shery becomes engrossed in a friendship (and budding crush) on the headstrong Prihine Naveen, a newcomer staying with her cousins who becomes determined to unmask Lady Whistledown as a way to prove herself and gain social clout among the ton. She recruits Shery to her cause without putting together that Shery herself is the gossip writer, and the hunt for the elusive Whistledown brings them closer together. 

Naveen family: an extremely established family equating to the rank of Duke, the Naveens are second only to the Shepherdtons in terms of prestige--and outstrip them in terms of wealth. Unlike the Shepherdtons, the Naveens flawlessly set the standard in the ton in all ways, including fashion, trends, hobbies, social events, and love matches. Everyone aspires to be like the Naveens, but despite their power and status, they are generally amicable and pleasant to all.

Lavinet: the eldest Naveen scion, she is considered an icon among the nobility and is a favorite of the Queen’s. Ambitious, perceptive, sleek, and well-bred, Lavinet sports impeccable manners, sharp intellect, diverse talents, and a polished cunning when it comes to playing the social game of the aristocracy. Despite receiving dozens of proposals every “bargaining season,” she has remained the ton’s most elusive debutante. Rumor has it that she refuses to settle for anyone less than the Crown Prince, the eldest son of the Autarch, and that she has ambitions to become the Autarch’s advisor later in her career. Before the appearance of Lady Whistledown, she was always the first person to go to when it came to hearing about the latest gossip, scandals, or events happening around the ton, and she was always prevailed upon to use her social standing to engineer matches, parties, reconciliations, and sometimes even the downfalls of rivals. After Lady Whistledown’s appearance, Lavinet finds her position of power and authority being threatened, and her resulting annoyance becomes a growing bone of contention between herself and the anonymous gossip columnist, who seems to enjoy hassling her. She has two other sisters, both well-meaning but a bit silly, and her closest confidantes include Lady Clara and her betrothed, Lord Pendric.

Prihine: a cousin of the Naveens hailing from a minor branch of the family from the countryside, she’s sent to London to make her official debut during the social season and find a love match. However, her brash, blunt, and sometimes spoiled attitude as well as her country origins highlight her as an outcast, and despite her cousin’s best efforts, Prihine fails to be named diamond of the season by the Queen. Embittered and slighted, she hovers on the outskirts of the proceedings for quite a while before deciding that uncovering the identity of Lady Whistledown will be her ticket to gaining the recognition and admiration that she deserves. She outwardly comes off as jealous and angry about her cousin, exaggerating the ways that Lavinet neglects her as a way of acting sullen and being dramatic. She makes a new friend in Shery Acquell, one of the few people meek enough to go along with Prihine’s bullying demands, and a genuine friendship develops between them. However, a misunderstanding develops when Shery (as Lady Whistledown) increases her campaign against Lavinet as a way of helping Prihine gain the upper hand over her cousin. This ramps up into an irrevocable scandal that severely damages Lavinet’s reputation, and Prihine, upset by her cousin’s struggles, swears revenge on Lady Whistledown. When Shery notes that Lady Whistledown may have only been trying to help Prihine, who seemed to truly hate her cousin, the ensuing argument causes Prihine to realize that Lady Whistledown has been Shery all along.  

Syndran family: a mercantile family who became part of the titled gentry alongside the Acquells, the Syndrans are ruthless industrialists who have made their fortunes in the Americas, becoming wealthier than almost all of the families in the ton. Despite their vast wealth, however, many dislike the parents for their obvious ruthless and cutthroat ways, while reluctantly associating with them because they find their money and connections useful. 

Riel: the only scion of the Syndran family, Riel is just as cunning and ruthless as his parents, and even more determined to make the nobility bow down and acknowledge his family’s superiority. He despises pleasantries and meaningless gossip, finding them to be a waste of time, and typically avoids balls and dances in favor of keeping to his rooms to delve into books, paperwork, or business contracts. He makes an appearance now and then at the opera and at exclusive social clubs, where other young nobles will approach him with investment opportunities and business proposals. Other than that, he is aggressively reclusive and has no interest in finding a love match, preferring to make his mark through his deeds rather than through marriage. He discerns the true identity of Lady Whistledown almost instantly, but cares so little about the social games of the season that he doesn’t bother divulging this knowledge to anyone. Shery eventually approaches him for help in repairing the situation with the Naveens. 

Prince family: another prestigious and celebrated family holding the rank of Duke. They are distantly related to the royal family and are also distant cousins to the Shepherdtons.

Halek: the firstborn son. As firstborn heir, he has a duty to marry and carry on the family name and bloodline, and has been engaged in a betrothal with a wealthy young lady since he was a teenager. However, he greatly resents this arrangement; but because an engagement cannot be broken by him without ruining the reputation of the young lady involved, he has decided to seem so unpleasant and irredeemable that she will decide to break the engagement off herself, simultaneously freeing him and letting her escape with her reputation unscathed. So far, this plan has not worked, and his fiancee remains doggedly attached to him, despite his best efforts. He generally sleeps around, partakes in various drugs, attends as many scandalous and libertine meetings as he can, and generally attempts to wreak havoc to make him seem as unappealing of a match as possible. He has the odd penchant for falling asleep in random places during parties and is an unrepentant dawdler, preferring to lounge in the sun and get day-drunk at picnics than to keep up appearances. However, his family and fiancee continue to look the other way in order to preserve order, harmony, and their family reputation. He secretly harbors desires to open up his own social club and bar. He and Blade are particularly close friends, both due to their statuses as cousins as well as their shared positions as firstborn sons. He sometimes slyly sets up situations where Blade or Naolin are left to escort his fiancee while he disappears in the hopes that she’ll find them to be a more desirable match, to no avail.  

Naolin: the secondborn son, and Halek’s twin. Dutiful, courteous, and the picture of the perfect gentleman, he is an extremely popular bachelor (especially among the mamas), but according to an ancient family tradition, cannot be married before the scion of the household, Halek. He enjoys hunting, riding, and raising carrier pigeons. He is constantly exasperated by his brother’s antics and is used to running damage control for their family.  

Antiqua family: a middle-ranking family with the title of Lord, the Antiquas are generally known as warm and genial people who would prefer to read their books than host grand parties. They are an extremely tight-knit family who are generally seen everywhere together. Despite their lukewarm interest in social events, they are generally well-liked and never thought to be scandalous or ill-reputed people--they are simply known and accepted to be academic-minded. 

Red: the youngest and only son of five, he is a cheerful, genial young man with impeccable manners, a talent for emotional perception, and a sincere warmth to his demeanor. He is talented at many things, from athletics to music to ancient languages, and is generally considered a charmer, a favorite of mamas and potential suitors alike. However, he is extremely focused on his university studies and is rarely interested in discussing the gossip of the social season, preferring instead to talk about his various travels or learn about diverse subjects from other intellectuals. He has a bad habit of flattering people so thoughtlessly and politely that many become convinced that a marriage proposal is impending, only for him to remain utterly clueless. Although an excellent dancer, he sometimes wanders off during parties to examine the local flora or to observe the stars. He is a good friend of Riel and Shery’s and initially encourages her to pursue Prihine. His academic nature and interest in writing leads Prihine to begin to suspect that he is Lady Whistledown, causing Shery to publish a false rumor that Red’s father bribed his way into his prestigious university in order to absolve him. This launches Red into an identity crisis, even though no one else really cares about the rumor. Riel finally snaps him out of it, and they go into business together at the end of the season. 

Stormbreaker family: a pair of sisters from a faraway land, they are both the adopted children of noble parents who absconded from London many years ago due to the disapproval surrounding their engagement. After the death of their adopted parents, the sisters have arrived back in the city in order to reclaim their lost family fortune. However, raised in another culture entirely, they find the social season utterly perplexing and are completely alien to the ways of the nobility. Raised in a country where women shoot, ride, smoke, drink, and fight regularly, without knowing how to dance or even curtsy, the two sisters are regarded as curiosities and spectacles among the ton.

Ayla: the older sister, she is considered something of a spinster as well as a fearsome guardian, as she is quite fierce and overprotective of her younger sister. Having had to work various jobs in order to ensure their survival, she is hardened, blunt, and impatient with the social niceties of the ton, refusing to wear their dresses or dance with their aristocrats to avoid being made a fool. She has no issue with swearing, spitting, or even threatening to fight people who look at her the wrong way, and no bachelor or bachelorette has met her exacting standards for her sister so far. She has no interest in finding a match for herself and only wants to claim the family inheritance, marry Briony off so that she’s provided for, and depart back for their homeland, where she can live a life of independence and freedom. Incredibly, her rough demeanor has charmed a few rather than offended them, making the pair of sisters an object of fascination rather than scorn... for now. 

Briony: the younger sister, she feels the weight of having to find a love match in a foreign country far more acutely than her sister does, becoming extremely self-conscious about their obvious lack of knowledge, manners, or fashionable clothes. By her own request, she is quickly taken under Lavinet’s wing, another reason for Prihine’s resentment--because, under Lavinet’s tutelage and with Briony’s bright and winsome personality, she quickly delights the Queen and is named the new diamond of the season. Despite her bubbly demeanor and willingness to adopt the culture and habits of the ton, however, she is just as strong and capable of a fighter as her sister, having trained under the same masters. Their skills with a rifle, riding, and hand-to-hand combat have made the sisters objects of both fear and desire across the town. However, a secret about their heritage and background is eventually discovered by Lady Whistledown, shaking the very foundation of their new home. 

[shepherds-of-haven]

The thought of Trouble+MC in the Bridgerton AU has me dying for so many reasons.

Blade, being the "'your room is four doors down to the left' then proceeds to make a right" fiancee; having absolutely no interest in the MC especially if they were male. MC giving the Regency equivalent of "k thx bye", matching their fiancee's deadpan expression.

Trouble, of all people, basically falling in love at first sight, only to never do anything about it because he's dense enough to believe Blade and MC truly love each other or something equally inane.

Tallys and Blade both go grey early thinking about Trouble as royalty/husband-of-a-diplomat and the scandals he'd cause when they learn of the feelings that he and MC share.

Chase dropping blatant hints to Trouble that things might work out. Ends up needing to excuse himself to die of laughter as his brother misses the point by the length of the Atlantic. Every. Single. Time.

The rest of the main cast, who all just know, refuse to say anything because of the unvocalized threats that Blade and Tallys pass them but are generally supportive.

The rest of polite society, who all just know, refuse to even gossip about it because of the unvocalized threats the main cast pass them. Also because this particular scandal just doesn't seem to go anywhere.

MC being shy/innocuous in whatever flirting they do, never to penetrate the density that is the black hole of Trouble's head.

The pining and antics are ripe and fresh.

Agreed, in a Trouble x MC!verse Blade would be just so Avoidant and disinterested in MC, so he'd be somewhat relieved to figure out that Trouble has feelings for them and he can finagle his way out of that situation, but he'd also be panicking inwardly because his brother as someone connected to the royal family in any capacity? Especially that of another country, who they only recently ended the war with? Disaster. Blade just had to pick his ass up outside of an underground fighting club like two weeks ago and Trouble just started being able to go out in public again because his black eye is finally fading. Blade may be able to find a way to get out of marrying MC but that doesn't change his level of Stress

And the angst. The Regency-era awkward flirting. The pining stares across the ballroom when the other one isn't looking. Blade invites Trouble along to be a third-wheel with them to the opera and conveniently doesn't show up, leaving Trouble and MC to sit right next to each other in the shadows of a private box, so aware of how close the other one is and the brush of their sleeves and the scent of their clothes that they never even register the first act. Picking up MC's glove for them at a ball and their hands linger just for an instant before they pull away and pretend like nothing happened! Oh but it can never happen because they're engaged to Blade and surely they're in love with him because who wouldn't be, he's the perfect Shepherdton scion and Trouble is just a lowly second son 😩 Everybody involved in the story is just filled with loathing for him because he's being so obtuse and can't see MC making eyes right back at him. He's having the worst time of his life agonizing about how he'll never be happy again because he can never be with MC and the main cast is just looking at him like 😒 "you fucking idiot. die."

[shepherds-of-haven]

OBSESSED with Shepherdton, which means I've been thinking of how to work my evil lil MC(s) into it... but i don't like researching real history so... Blest history question times instead!! Specifically for the Southern countries/Islands... Which country is most likely to have a town of women building weapons ala Princess Mononoke? (Elinden? Four factions!? What's going on with Kresh?) The truce dependent marriage makes me want to have a bit of War-tension 😄 Also are the races of SHoH in this (minus mage for obvious reasons) or is real world equivalent stuff? I'm wondering for cultural reasons bc Banquets need FOOD and I still want to write snippets about all the food on patreon lol also are the Sesz Isles mountainous? Bc of the Khav? ALSO thank you for the anthony to chase parallels bc i love a man who says he doesn't want to be in love and then Does It Anyway (dramatically too) 🥰🥰🥰

I love it! I'm imagining the Shepherdton!verse as taking place in a different geography than either Blest or Europe, so the Southern isles don't really exist as such (but neither do Spain or France??), so you can really make anything you want up! I kind of picture it like this:

With Ayla and Briony coming from the Ibarran Alliance, Croelle being an emissary from the Jeritzan Theocracy, and MC coming from either Hypolita or Damar, take your pick! (Or you can invent a country of your choosing off the map, too.) And "London" is based in the Kingdom of Albion: you can also call it Gladstone City if you want, depends on how AU you want to get with it or how closely you want to stick to Bridgerton! I'm borrowing heavily from other AUs/stories I've cobbled together in the past lol.

So Shepherdton!verse is not really drawing much from the cultures we know in our Blest! To answer your question, though, Kresh would probably be your best bet for a Southern Isle that has a Princess Mononoke-style town! Elinden would also be a good choice, but Kresh is rather wild and untamed, while Elinden is heavily contested and explored by different factions, so Kresh gives you more freedom to invent your own thing if you want!

I go back and forth on whether or not magic/Diminished stuff is present in this world! Initially it was not and it was more heavily following the rules of Bridgerton, so no Mages or Ket or Diminished or Norms; but sometimes when I'm playing around, I like a world where magic is a thing, it's just not a thing in Albion, but is really commonplace over in Ibarra and those other nations. It's like not common for London natives to have magic, but it's also not so out-of-the-ordinary that it's like a huge deal, if that makes any sense? Kind of like 19th-century Europeans being like "damn I heard some guy named Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone and they're like using that over in America" "oh really? that's crazy" or "oh wow I didn't realize tea is brewed totally differently in India and China, isn't that interesting?" rather than like "oh my god magic???" ...If that makes any sense? It's kind of just like a thing they do "over there" in those foreign cultures and is interesting for like parlor tricks at parties and stuff, and is just seen as a cultural difference or quirk, but it's not like a really huge deal otherwise. Viewed about the same as finding out that women in Ibarra are allowed to ride and shoot, magic is also just another "thing" they do over there that isn't really done in Albion.

And then sometimes I branch off of that and I'm like "okay but what if magic is a bigger deal and like all noble families covet marriages that might produce Mage children, but only women can practice it" or something wild like that, just to make the whole arranged marriage thing even crazier and more dramatic... and there's like whole marriage markets where bachelorettes are pursued not for their accomplishments in dancing or their beauty, but for their demonstrated power and talent in magic LOL

ANYWAY as you can see, I'm just going hog-wild with it hahaha, but I don't have any strict rules about how this world works, I just go with whatever strikes my fancy and produces the Maximum Drama for the situation at hand right now!! In terms of culture, I'm imagining Albion as kind of gaslamp-y Regency England, Ordelay as a mix of Wales and France, Ibarra as a pretty hot forested country with a wild exotic mix of Mage, Elf, and Ket cultures, Damar as being more Northern Blest and kind of strict and austere and leaning more towards Ket and Hunter sensibilities, Hypolita as more Southern Crescent/Conte/Sesz Isles vibes with heavy Mage and Elf influence, and the Jeritzan Theocracy as more rocky and mountainous and kind of a mix between Lindell and like Vim and the Waste, somewhere thereabouts!

I'm really just throwing everything into a pot and making things up as I go along lol so honestly feel free to discard any of this!!! The Sesz Isles are somewhat mountainous and green (think Hawaii), though most of their cities are on the coasts, and a lot of them are also just tropical beachy or flat rainforest as well!

Anthony owns my life right now so of course I had to make the Rake parallel between him and Chase! 😭 And both would be so dramatic about it!