#a loyal wife and no friend of mine are also up there.

[flowerslut]

hi! me again, freshly back from north star. first of all, respectfully, how dare you make me feel this many emotions after midnight oh my god. the way you write visions both here and in roots is my absolute favorite from any fic author i’ve read. also also i have such a violent soft spot for maria that’s entirely your fault.

“—soft spot for maria—“

got another one

[darkmodepls]

Selfish Heterodynes

And why that's a good thing for their people

One thing that is commonly known about Sparks is that they have extremely self centered worldviews and motivations.

Sparks find it very hard to care about other people, and when they do, they often treat them more as an object or a pet than as a sapient being.

It's the main reason why non-sparks are so afraid of them. If you are just another object, what's stopping the Spark from using you for spare parts.

So. What is it about Heterodyne selfishness that makes their people so fanatically loyal

to start with, Heterodynes are selfish about their people because they are people.

Any time Agatha is introduced to a new group of people, she goes out of her way to learn their likes, dislikes, and histories. While there is a Doyalist explanation for this (the audience needs the exposition) I believe the Watsonian explanation is that this is part of being a Heterodyne.

Heterodynes that grew up in Mechanicsburg probably knew the names and life histories of more than half the town. They would drink with their men and participate in festivals. *Even if part of the festivities included being chased by an angry mob.*

Because they care about the person, they care about their personality and goals. To damage a mind is almost sacrilegious to a Heterodyne.

One of the defining traits of Heterodynes is that they are vehemently against brainwashing and mind control. While part of it is the fact that such methods undermine any genuine loyalty, It could also stem from the way such things interfere with who the victim is as a person.

Think about how Agatha's horror over Dr. Vapnoople differed from that of other Sparks. They were mainly concerned with how it kept Dimitri from expressing his Spark, while Agatha was upset by what it did to his personality.

Heterodynes make space for their people to achieve their goals.

As small as Mechanicsburg is, it's divided up into a variety of districts where all sorts of industries take place. From medicine, to constructs, to engineering, and trade, if a citizen wants to work in a certain field, the town can accommodate them.

Additionally, the people have no fear showing their work to the Masters. The moment Agatha started Heterodyning, she had a crowd of people clamoring to offer her their skills and talents. There wasn't a any hesitation to brag about this skill or that talent or offer these services to their Master.

Why would there be? it was probably a very common sight to see a crowd of townsfolk proudly share their latest creations with the Masters, and the Heterodynes probably took great delight in their people's ingenuity.

Because the People, their Personality, and their Skill belong to the Heterodyne, any Outsider trying to harm a citizen is trying to Steal from the Heterodyne.

to the Heterodynes it's never just a servant or just a gaurd, or just a farmer. They know that the servant was named Molly and had 2 nieces and preferred cake to pudding. They know that Grant had been a Jaeger for 200 years and had been best friends with their grandfather's sister's husband. They knew the Farmer Mac was a minor spark who had been secretly crossbreeding orange petunias as a gift for their wife.

Every loss is personal, so that makes it vital that they protect their people with everything they have.

The core of my idea can be summarized with this Discworld quote:

"All witches are selfish, the Queen had said. But Tiffany’s Third Thoughts said: Then turn selfishness into a weapon! Make all things yours! Make other lives and dreams and hopes yours! Protect them! Save them! Bring them into the sheepfold! Walk the gale for them! Keep away the wolf! My dreams! My brother! My family! My land! My world! How dare you try to take these things, because they are mine!I have a duty!"

Terry Pratchett, The Wee Free Men (Discworld, #30; Tiffany Aching, #1)

All that a Mechanicsburger is belongs to their Heterodyne, and the Heterodynes will protect them from all threats the way a dragon guards its horde.

[icedragonlizard]

My headcanons for the Kirby cast's favorite people

Please remember that this is purely my headcanons.

Kirby: He has a lot of love in his heart for all of his friends, but if he had to pick two favorites, they'd be Bandee and Gooey. Those are the two that hang out with him more than anyone else does, and also the two most loyal ones to him, which means an absolute ton to him.

King Dedede: Besties with Meta Knight. His other favorite people are all of his waddle dees (including Bandee), as well as Kirby.

Meta Knight: Besties with Dedede. His other favorite people are all of his Halberd crewmates, as well as Kirby and Bandee.

Bandana Waddle Dee: Kirby and Dedede are his absolute best friends. After them, his next favorite people are Meta Knight, Gooey and Elfilin. Elfilin grew on him so fast after Forgotten Land.

Rick: His girlfriend, Pick. His other favorite people are the other animal friends, Gooey and Kirby.

Kine: His wife, Mine. His other favorite people are the other animal friends, Gooey and Kirby.

Coo: Rick, Kine, Pick, Mine and Pitch's mom are his closest friends. His other favorite people after that are Kirby, Gooey and the remaining animal friends.

Nago: His girlfriend, Shiro. His other favorite people are the other animal friends, Gooey and Kirby.

ChuChu: Nyupun is her absolute best friend. Her next closest friends after that are Pitch, Gooey, Ribbon and Kirby.

Pitch: His mom. He's a mama's boy. His next favorite people aka his closest friends are ChuChu, Nyupun, Gooey, Kirby and Bandee.

Gooey: Kirby and the animal friends are his absolute favorite people. Other particularly close friends of his include Bandee and Marx.

Marx: Besties with Magolor. After that, his next favorite people are the mage sisters as he loves how chaotic they are, with Francisca being his favorite out of them. He also has a soft spot for Gooey.

Adeleine: Besties with Ribbon. Her other favorite people are Kirby, Bandee, Dedede, Shadow Kirby, Dark Meta Knight and Daroach, the latter three of which commonly join her in fun art sessions which she enjoys a lot.

Ribbon: Besties with Adeleine. Her next favorite people right behind Adeleine are Queen Ripple and Kirby, with Queen Ripple being a mother figure to her and Ribbon still looks up to Kirby so much. Her other closest friends include ChuChu, Shadow Kirby and Elfilin.

Dark Meta Knight: Besties with Shadow Kirby, and his second best friend is Daroach. He's grown to have so much liking for those two. He's grateful to have them.

Shadow Kirby: Besties with Dark Meta Knight. His second favorite person is Kirby as he thanks him so much for helping him get better at using copy abilities, and then his next favorites after that would be Daroach, Adeleine and Ribbon as he appreciates them a lot for being Dark Meta Knight's friends.

Daroach: His fellow squeak squad members without a doubt. He treasures them, as they mean everything to him. His favorite people outside of his squad are Dark Meta Knight and Shadow Kirby, as he thinks they're both super cool.

Magolor: Besties with Marx. His next closest friends after that are Taranza, Susie and Kirby. Magolor considers his inner circle to be of himself, Marx, Taranza and Susie, and likes to call this group the "Magogang".

Taranza: Truthfully, Sectonia will always be his favorite person ever. But that doesn't mean he doesn't also have other favorites after that, because he does. His best alive friend is Susie, with his next closest friends after that being Magolor and Zan Partizanne.

Susie: Taranza and Francisca are her absolute best friends. She really loves them. Honestly, she way prefers them over her dad. She still has care for her dad, but there's also resentment as he's sincerely made her feel hurt, and it's at the point she just loves her besties way more than him. Shout out to Magolor as he is Susie's third closest friend, but Taranza and Francisca are by far her two favorite people.

Francisca: Her family, with Flamberge being her favorite person ever. For people outside of her family, her favorites are Susie and Marx. Especially the former, as Francisca has quite a soft spot for Susie.

Flamberge: Her family, with Francisca being her favorite person ever. For people outside of her family, she generally considers her favorites to be Magolor, Marx, Susie and Taranza.

Zan Partizanne: Her family. She loves Hyness, Francisca and Flamberge equal amounts, although Francisca and Flamberge have suspected many times that she loves Hyness more than them but that's not actually true. For people outside of her family, her favorites are Taranza and Kirby.

Hyness: His daughters. He loves all three of them an equal amount. They're his everything and he really feels like he owes them after what happened. For people outside of his family, Kirby would be his favorite person in that regard as he has unbridled amounts of gratitude for the pink puff for saving him and his daughters at the end of HiAD.

Elfilin: Kirby and Bandee are his best friends. They're everything to him after the Forgotten Land adventure. His other closest friendships are with Clawroline, Dedede, Gooey and Ribbon.

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

Quarterfinals, Match 1

Balloon and Suitcase (Suitloon) from Inanimate Insanity vs. John Doe and Arthur Lester (Jarthur) from Malevolent!

Propaganda for Suitloon:

I think of them as queerplatonic, because theyre incredibly close and are pretty much each other's support systems. Balloon is Aromantic (technically canon? one of the creators said he was so im rlly hoping it is canon) so this is NOT a romantic ship. They dont have any romantic interactions, but you can spin every scene how you want. I just think they're in a QPR and are heavily supportive and understanding to each other. (Since like. half the people in the show fucking hate Balloon, and not many people seem to like to let Suitcase speak for herself)

Propaganda for Jarthur:

The inherent intimacy of having a guy (John) inside your (Arthur) head who you don't know the history or goals of but still bond over the atrocities you go through in your shared body. And sometimes he's an arsehole but you know that he wants the best for you and it's so much more than any other relationship they could have and in the end they always have eachother and I'm jealous of a sad British man and the voice in his head. They're friends and each others world and everything and I want what they have. OH DID I MENTION THAT ARTHUR IS FUCKINF BLIND AND JOHN IS HIS ONLY ACCESS TO SIGHT? IT'S BEAUTIFUL. Like John always takes such care to describe their surroundings (no seriously he starts waxing poetic). I mean yh he withholds it sometimes but every door has its issues. Anyways yh I love them and they deserve the world.

They are extremely close, both literally and figuratively. John is inside of Arthur's head, and they often fight in ways that have been referred to by the fans as 'divorce moments' but they still very clearly care about and love each other, in a way that is explicitely non-romantic. Their love is desperate and aching and they're not just friends, but they are definitely not dating, and a LOT of the fandom interprets them as queerplatonic.

Oh, the special kind of affection and friendship that can only bloom between a 1930s private detective and the eldritch entity that ends up possessing his eyes and left arm. 95% of this show is Arthur (the detective) bickering with John (the eldritch entity) like an old married couple, and falling in and out of trust with each other. Despite that they are both fiercely loyal to the other and by the point the podcast is at now they seem to trust each other implicitly - Arthur has to rely on John to guide him since John can see out of the eyes of their body and Arthur can't, but when they fall into an abandoned mine and are reunited (long story) they immediately fall back into that old, trusting rhythm. They share a body and their initial goal in the podcast is to be separated, but by the point we're at now they're not too fussed about it. They're making plans to go out to dinner and the movies. Also, Arthur is aro-coded - there's a big emotional arc that involves him accepting the fact that he never had romantic feelings for his wife, even during the birth of their child or her death, and how that doesn't make him a bad person or diminish the love he felt for that child.

They have fought gods together. Also they're positive plural representation. What is there not to love????

[slashmagpie]

“Here’s what happened, okay. We were on a date with Clebert—”

“It’s not a date.”

“—and, and Etho walks by and she, she looks at him, she’s like whoa.”

“She just catcalls him, like woohoo!”

“Woo!”

“I’m out, yeah!”

“You got it wrong, me and Etho are besties! We’re not—we’re not—it’s not romantic.”

They’re not sure why it feels so important. 

It’s not that Cleo has ever really—well, that’s not quite—they’ve never argued about it before, is the thing. Like—with Bdubs. With Bdubs, right, people had—they’d assumed. It’s what people do. Even Scott, and Scott is—Scott is Scott. He knows about these sorts of things. And even he…

“Bdubs is your ride or die, Jimmy’s mine, he’s my husband, and he’s with them, so I’m kind of—but I don’t ever want to fight you.”

“If Bdubs betrays me—if our husbands die, yeah?”

Husband. Because that was the word Scott had been using, for Jimmy, and Bdubs had been Cleo’s Jimmy, in a way, so it had—it had made sense. Use the same words for the same thing. And then—being married is kind of a funny bit, isn’t it? So later, when Bdubs and Impulse had been lying to them—

“Bdubs, I know we’re divorced and you’re with Impulse now, but did you really think you could lie to me?”

And whilst Cleo’s not sure they put too much stock in Ren’s claims as to what he’d caught Bdubs and Impulse doing in the woods, they know that whatever those two had going on wasn’t quite the same. They’d said it was, but they hadn’t really meant it. Not really. Marriage—marriage is a funny bit, really, is all it is. 

After all, last season, with Etho—being divorced is also a funny bit. 

“I’m not calling you wife.”

“You can call me Cleo!”

He still doesn’t call them wife. Still calls them Cleo. Calls them bestie, now, too, ironic grin beneath his mask. Etho’s not too big on PDA, either, which is—nice. Not that Cleo doesn’t like it, it’s just—

“It’s platonic,” they insist to Tango, to Skizz, and see their eyes sparkle. They don’t get it. They don’t get it, and it makes Cleo’s skin crawl, because—

Cleo’s loyal, is the thing. When they say ride or die, when they say allies, when they say husband or soulmate or my boys—they mean it. If you’re theirs, you’re theirs, and that means everything. 

But it doesn’t mean—

Romance is a funny bit. It’s a like a costume, really. Pull it on, pull it off, kiss and hold hands and sleep in the same bed and say your vows for the fun of it. Then shrug it off at the end of the day and go back to being friends. There’s no—they don’t feel any of those sappy things, really. It’s not them. Sure, Cleo loves people, loves their friends, but not—like that. They don’t want anything to do with any of that. The aesthetic of it, the performance of it, the drama of it? They’ll take it. But they’ll leave the rest. The mushy, goopy, complicated feelings soup part of it—that’s not theirs. Other people can deal with that. Cleo will be off dealing with better things.

It’s—it’s like being a woman, really, in that Cleo doesn’t really mind that people see them that way—plays into it, really, loves the aesthetic, has fun with the performance—but they don’t really feel it. And they don’t mind that other people don’t exactly understand—

Until they step too close, say something Cleo really doesn’t like the sound of, and then they’re snapping, “I’m not a woman,” with such force it makes the perpetrator flinch.

It’s the same thing, this, Tango and Skizz stepping too close to their toes, getting in their personal space, and it bubbles up out of them before they can stop it. It’s platonic. We’re platonic. And the fact that other people aren’t seeing that—

It itches. Prickles. Stifles. Hugs their bones like an ill-fitting coat.

It’s one thing to wear a costume, to put on a show—but Cleo will not be stuffed into a suit without their permission and put up on a stage to read a script they never had any intention of performing. 

“We’re just besties, we’re not in a romantic relationship,” they tell Tango. He blinks at them, and they can see that the words don’t quite go in—

It itches.

Maybe if Cleo makes being besties the new bit, the itch will stop bothering them quite so much.

[quotidian-oblivion]

For the Merlin asks

8, 11, 13!

Heyoo!!!

8. One off character you wish had a bigger part.

11. Random Knights Headcanon.

13. Random Servant Headcanon.

~

8:

Freya. She's not exactly one-off but I so so desperately wish she played a bigger part.

Because, c'mon. SHE'S THE DAMN LADY OF THE LAKE.

Magic beautiful water cat woman who guards the gates to death.

She deserves more than just being a mysterious hand who held and caught a sword. And Merlin deserved to have a secret water wife (i also love Freylin <33). Just think of the many possibilities and plots that could have happened. Just- just imagine. This is why i'm depressed.

11:

I told this to @tireddruid in conversation once and put it in one of my fics too, but I believe that after the Lamia incident, Gwaine woke up in the middle of the night after being recovered from what the Lamia did to him and then realized what he had done to Merlin. So he immediately went to Merlin's hut in the village they were staying in and just. starting crying. Silently and hard, beside Merlin's bed, full of remorse because damn it Gwaine's whole concept was that nobility came from the heart, not by blood. And what he did under the Lamia's spell wasn't noble at all.

Besides that, Merlin was his friend. The first person who took him to his home - gave up his own bed - to look after him while he was heavily drunk and barely capable of standing without support and didn't resent or rob him after that. Merlin was kind, caring, loyal and never - never - deserving of that kind of treatment or close to it. He was his first friend. He was why he became a knight. He was why Gwaine risked his neck to protect a noble and a royal. He was why Gwaine enteres the lands of hell. He was why Gwaine jumped into a battle against an undead army. Simply because Merlin asked. Simply because Merlin cared for him without cost when no one else did and wanted him to stay.

Who would want to lose a treasure of a friend like that?

Merlin then woke up 30 minutes later to find the crying mess of a knight and immediately knew that whatever doubts he had been having about the knights since the Lamia was untrue and Gwaine (and later the others too) would never willingly hold him in that regard. They fortunately didn't harm him too much, and it would take a while for Merlin to not flinch every time any of the knights made sudden movements towards him, but he would recover. And he would remember, just why he decided to befriend them.

13:

Agh. I thought about this one. And I don't particularly think much about characters beyond the main ones unless they relate to a plot of mine.

But one thing I assumed (but the show never confirmed) is that Merlin is quite popular among the servants.

I mean, does anyone remember Tyr Stewart? The guy evil!Gwen killed? He was outright threatened with death and his mother too, the poor man was traumatized and scared and anxious. Yet, he opened up to Merlin after some coaxing.

I don't think just anyone would open up to a random stranger, even in a higher power with the potential to end your life (cuz Merlin is tge manservant to the king), and trust them with information regarding yours and your loved one's lives. But he did with Merlin.

And this just proves to me that Merlin is in fact quite popular and friendly with the servants and patients and other commoners. The cook hates him, hey, but none of the other servants snitched on him when he snagged a pastry or dumpling or two. Especially not after Merlin sneaked them a piece ;)

~

Thank you so much for the asksssssss! I had loads of fun thinking them up :D

[shannonsketches]

Thinking about Restorative Justice AUs this morning and I'm gonna copy/paste from the friendchat

part one:

Like yes okay I did listen to the apology song from book of life recently and after a moot posted something about the producer interview where zelda might’ve dismantled the monarchy after seeing how kingdoms are formed but didn’t have time in the game and I had feelings about it but imagine an TotK au in which the sages wanted to make gan human again because the circumstances of his corruption were also rooted in evil and the power of friendship means sovereign states full of love or something whatever you get me but like, they do the thing where they’re working on reigning gan in by seeing him (tm) and when it starts to work sagebody rauru is like ‘what are you doing he’s a monster No restorative justice (/personal grudge bc yknow he killed his wife)’ and light arrows him which makes him get monstrous again and goes after rauru and the kids have to figure out how to stop two stupid dogs from ripping each other and the whole world apart again

part two: (Re: That ^⁠ )

because I got hit with Apology Song from Book of Life AND I Know Who You Are from Moana -- Restorative Justice AU in which Riju is the one that can reach him because she knows what it's like to be a kid in a position she didn't ask for (in fact the exact same one he was born into) who is doing her best and she knows how angry and scared he must've been because she is also angry and scared and she knows he must be loyal to the darkness now because he felt betrayed and forgotten by his people but they still remember who he was before and she knows he used to be a hero and she knows he just wanted to keep his people safe and she can forgive him if he can forgive her but his enemies are her friends now and his people are okay they're okay and he doesn't need this power anymore his people are safe his war is over and he can come home to rest (die, finally)

and what if rauru light arrows him but hits riju (she's okay) and gan gets beasty and fights rauru and zelda splits them up and chains gan and rauru is like 'good chained like the beast you are' and goes to kill him and finds out he is also trapped by Zelda's light magic and she's like 'no this is fucking over goddammit i've seen how a kingdom is made and all of this is wrong i'm dissolving hyrule' and rauru's like '>:0 princess zelda-' and she's like 'QUEEN ZELDA. I AM THE DAUGHTER OF HYLIA'S LIGHT AND YOU WILL HEAR ME' and she banishes him back to the sacred realm so he can see his wife and be at peace whether he likes it or not and she destroys the malice/gloom on Gan and fixes Riju's injury with one like big untapped power boom she's been trying to reach this entire series and Gan can just sit with Riju and get to see her, this strong young Gerudo who is so brave and loves her people so much, and he can just idk crumble into sand and be part of his desert again

there was a Whole Movie in my head this morning

Bonus:

So Riju gets the closure of knowing she did destroy the evil that killed her mother and also gets to see and know and bury a legendary gerudo king and help his soul find the peace he clearly couldn't get on his own and Zelda gets the closure of knowing the cycle has ended and her power was ultimately used for good and Link gets the closure of just getting to hug all of his friends after a supernatural war

now he can go be babygirl to his boyfriend and his boyfriend's wife

and zelda can go be a hippie communist like her great great great great great x100 grandmother before her

and Baby Teba whose name escapes me can go be a great archer and Yonobo can go back to doing mining and capitalism

inevitably pissing off a dragon in the depths who will come out and eat them all

[hiraethwa]

Ave :((( SELF SHIP HOURS!!! >:)

I would like Aveio or Avetoshi for

Pre-relationship: 3 and 7

In Love: 1

Domestic: 1 and 9

Please <33333

-love bug 🍪

self ship ask game question vaults i | ii

you have me shaking in my shoes between tobio and toshi but i’m gonna be a loyal wife and go with aveio 🫶🏻

✨ pre relationship

3. Did you ramble to friends/family about each other? What did you say?

babe. have you seen my man? i don’t think i would survive if i don’t ramble to somebody about it (daisy is the somebody) i would just be gushing about how pretty tobio is, how sweet he is and the things he’d do while being a little flustered. 🥹

to my knowledge, tobio doesn’t really ramble to his friends or family about me, but that’s just because they would never let him hear the end of it. (thus he keeps all the AAAAAs and the EEEEEs inside, and also why he’s always blushing)

7. Were you two obvious about being in love? Did your friends try to tell you?

i think so. while we don’t really do pda, keeping to subtle touches, knees touching under the restaurant table, light hand on my waist guiding me whenever we walk together, i think that the look in our eyes are a dead giveaway >.< @daisy-room would always tell us that we’re so sickeningly in love and give me shit about it 💔

✨ in love

1. How do you hold hands? Who initiates it?

actually… surprisingly, tobio is the one who initiates hand holding in public most of the time. i don’t often do it out of consideration for what he’s comfortable with, so he’s the one who grabs my hand when he wants to 🥰

the way we hold hands is the standard handholding, no fingers intertwined. ofc tobio’s hand is on top of mine… you know why 😭

✨ domestic

1. Groceries! Do you go together? What does a grocery trip look like?

yes! tobio would have a list and all, and i generally like to rawdog it, looking up like three recipes on different tabs on my phone while shopping and keeping a mental list of other things. it doesn’t work out that well for me most of the time getting sidetracked and all, so he’s now in charge of our grocery lists 😬

9. What does your bedroom look like? Who decorated it? What’s in it?

i like to think it has cute aesthetics 🥰 there’s some art pieces on the walls, and we each have our own bedside table that we can fill with our own things. i’m in charge of decoration, of course.

[definegodliness]

Swinging

Short story (1282 words).

I was having breakfast at Bob's Intercontinental Swinging Club, as I tend to do, each Saturday morning. They've got great home-made sandwiches. Horrendous coffee, though.

I suspect Donna, Bob's wife, reheats the leftover coffee from the day before, to then add some fresh brew, that is so criminally strong it'll have a spoon standing upright in your mug, to mask the taste. Any taste.

Still, Bob's is the only place I know where you can still smoke indoors, so what do I care. I was just about to start my second sandwich, when I saw Bob waft through the streaks and plumes of nicotine blue, approaching my window side table.

"Hey, Bob."

He sat down at my table. Bob never has to ask. I offered him a cigarette, which he denied. And from his front-side pocket he fetched a small box of cigarellos. He lit one with a match, inhaled deeply, and, then, let out a big, tear-inducing column of a sigh. He was evidently feeling heavy, so I tried to lighten the mood:

"Damn, Biff — I call him Biff because Bob looks like Old Man Biff from the Back to the Future movies — what do they put in those; asphalt and conifer?"

This caused a faint smile, before he took another pensive draw.

"So, eh, how's business?", I leaned forward over the table, interested, and immediately drew back due to my elbows sticking to yesterday's beer.

"Not great, McFly, not great."

"Yeah, I noticed customer amounts dwindling. What is up with that?", I lifted my sandwich off the plate, "Can't be these, Donna still aces them."

"No, no. People still love those. And you can smoke indoors. The cafeteria's fine, but I just can't seem to get people excited for swinging anymore."

"Ludicrous. I can't think of anything more exciting."

I closed my eyes and thought of yesterday's Friday Swinging Night, letting a grin curl my mouth. I don't know if I spoke or whispered.

"It's just so… satisfying."

For sure, though, I then once more leaned forward over the table, overcoming its stickiness for the sake of importance. And, solemnly, I added:

"Come on, Biff, I'm sure it's just a temporary slump. I've been coming here for years and years. Swinging is timeless. I know it's different, now, then when Pops started in the 60's, but when you took over, the club went intercontinental. That's a great feat. Besides, I mean, I'm half this club's age, but you and Donna picked me up, and pulled me into swinging. I'm sure we can do this for the next generation."

"Frankly, Mark — wait, no McFly? — I think that's the problem."

"¿Que?"

"Guys, like you… you are the problem."

I spat out my coffee.

"Awful, isn't it?

"Yes", I muttered, wiping my mouth with my palm, to then swiftly and frantically brush the coffee grounds from my teeth with my index finger.

"But I am also shocked! How can you say such a thing? I'm your most loyal customer. AND your friend."

"You're also very conservative."

"That's not true. I was the first to laud you for omitting Family Swings. I am definitely not for everything staying the same."

"Yeah, but that's just because they made you queasy…"

I pulled an ugly face, thinking of Family Swings. Horrible occasions. I didn't need to say a thing. Bob was right.

And so he continued:

"… So don't act like you're all progressive. You always go for the same. Hey, the older they get, the more you love 'em."

"What can I say? I like mine vintage. They feel better. Move better."

I leaned backwards and crossed my arms.

"They make better noises, too. Heck, they make sound, Bob! Do you know how unsatisfying silence is?"

Bob frowned, and shook his head. Clearly unimpressed by my arguments. So I continued my passionate plea:

"I mean, come on, you know I'm loud. Don't you know how awkward I feels when I'm alone at that? I need them to be louder than me!"

Bob just took another draw of his cigarello and blew out a deep sigh of disappointment.

"They don't make noise, because you never play with them."

He put out his cigarello as a statement.

"Don't you remember how you were when you first came here? Like a kid in a candy store. You tried them all. Loved them all. Here you can't even remember how silent Jessica was, until you were all over her. Now, she's the loudest of them all."

"Yeah, that's why she feels mine. That's why I keep returning", I weaselled, unwisely.

"That is so against swinging culture."

"All right, all right. I take that back. I just like my 90's baby a lot. But you know I also love my 80's baby Stella, and Tiffany…

Bob interrupted me.

"That's exactly my point! You only go for the older ones. The one's that've been here for years!"

I, however, was already too far gone. Lost in recalling Fridays. Thinking about my favourites: 60's baby's, 50's, 40's, 30's… 20's! Listing all their names. Until I, in my excitement, named that one name who should not be named.

By me, that is.

"Huberta! Oh, Huberta. Sure, she's wobbly and creaks a little, but…"

Bob slammed the table.

"You know you're no longer allowed near Huberta!"

"Ah, come on. Why not? Still not?"

"You broke her."

"Nothing a little titanium couldn't fix..."

He threw his hands in the air, anguished at this statement.

"I'm not having this." Then, louder, and to the kitchen: "Donna! I'm not having this! Can't talk to the kid."

"Just tryyy it."

He grunted.

"All right, listen. I see you sneaking around Huberta while you know she's off limits. Off. Limits. And you know what? All those names you just listed. Off limits. All. Off. Limits."

Bob waved his finger at me, the jolly fellow had never scolded anyone like this. Let alone myself. It was only now I understood he was really, really pissed. So, I did the only thing I could do. I apologized. Shut my mouth. And listened.

And, luckily, after I said sorry, Bob calmed a bit.

"Look, it's always the same with you. I appreciate your patronage and dedication to the club, but you use those poor things up. You have at them, and at them, and at them, until you break them. I know it's all out of your limitless swinging enthusiasm, but you are giving the club a bad name. Really, you are, Mark. In fact, we've come known as: not safe."

I sat silently, guiltily, trying to stir the spoon in my coffee.

"Am I banned now?"

"Nah, McFly, I wouldn't ban you. But I'm begging ya, just try the new ones. Play with them. See, Hailey for instance, she's our newest addition; been here for over a week, and I've never seen you even look at her."

Bob stood up and patted my shoulder.

"Do me a favour, will ya? Just try her. I'm sure you'll have lots of fun. You'll be coming back for more just like you did with Jessica."

"Hailey, eh?" I nodded.

And, so, I slumped to Bob's Intercontinental Swing Club's latest model, Hailey 2023. Silently muttering to myself. She was perfect. Far too perfect for me. But I hopped onto her, strapped myself to her — what a bullshit safety feature — and took a couple of steps backward. Shoes tipping over soft rubber tiles, another safety precaution. I rolled my eyes, thinking:

'It's a goddamn swing.'

I craved the element of danger the older models give me, and as I let Hailey 2023 launch me, steadily, and silently; back, and forth, smoothly, I uttered a reluctant:

"Whee."

---

30-8-2023, M.A. Tempels ©

[nat-seal-well]

I’m in bed now because tomorrow I go in at 3 in the morning and I’m tired. But because I’m in bed, it means I can finally talk about an AU that won’t leave me alone :D

(And yeah, I know I already have 2 I’m working on. Tbh I don’t know if I’ll ever actually do anything with this third one, but it’s fun to think about and rotate around in my head like a Costco rotisserie chicken.)

I watched a movie the other day that was frankly, disappointing, but one of the few things I liked about it was that the love interest-person made dresses. He was a dick and his wife deserved way better (even though she poisoned him to put him in his place and I said “fuck yeah, do it again”), but I thought the whole dress-making thing was really cool. And then, because my mind works the way it does and it always likes to play with AUs, I said, “Hm, what if?”

This is also partially fueled by a very beloved book of mine. Some of my favorite parts in it are when the main character and her sisters are getting ready for a ball and getting sized and fitted for fancy dresses. Idk something about it just really appealed to me. Maybe I like pretty things too much. (To be completely honest, I know I do. It’s why I keep buying jewelry when I don’t actually like to wear any most of the time.)

I don’t have a clear plot for this AU like I do for the other two. Really it’s just a couple of scenes that are vaguely connected. Here’s what I’m thinking:

It would be set in, like, the 18th century or something bc let’s be honest everyone likes that.

Dressmaker!Marin who spends their days lost in their work in some tiny, little local shop that doesn’t get much recognition despite having a handful of very loyal customers.

They’re doing their usual thing when someone walks in and makes the bell above the door ring. This is a surprise, because they aren’t expecting anyone today. They don’t have any fitting appointments and while walk-ins are welcome, the shop doesn’t really get any.

So they put their work aside and make their way up to the front of the shop to greet whoever it is. And, of course, who else could it be but a certain very tall, and very pretty Nat?

(With a disgruntled Ava in tow. She does not want to be there.)

They make their introductions. Nat does most of the speaking, and talks about how she and her very dear friend aren’t from here—they’re visiting on prolonged business, she says. (Agency business, but Marin doesn’t know that.) It was very sudden and neither of them had time to pack properly, and she knows this is very short timing, but they’re going to be in town for a while, and would Marin possibly be kind and generous enough spend part of their day having them measured so they can place a few orders?

Ava says under her breath, “I don’t need new clothes.” To which Nat replies, too quietly for Marin to hear, “Your last dress is currently covered in werewolf blood. It’s either a new wardrobe, or you walk around for everyone to see in your shift.”

(Ava does not want to do that. She reluctantly agrees.)

Marin, of course, is more than willing to help. Partially because they’re eager for new customers, and partially because they find Nat very attractive and when they say yes, she smiles at them and it makes their heart jump. And their face feel warm. How strange.

Naturally, they move on to the actual measuring. Ava intimidates them and it goes smoothly, if more quiet than a usual appointment. They discovered quickly that she isn’t one for small talk. When it’s over and done with, it’s almost a relief.

With Nat, it’s a very different story. Nat makes conversation and is very insightful. She has a nice, soft laugh and makes them feel at ease, and has plenty of compliments to offer after seeing the dresses in display in the shop window. It’s safe to say that Marin is a very flustered mess, even though they’re enjoying her company. A lot.

There’s one moment where she has to get close with the measuring tape. Marin doesn’t notice at first until they realize they can smell the perfume she’s wearing, and then they look up—and wow, she is very tall, Marin has to tilt their head back to look her in the eye, and when did she get so close? They feel jumpy and take a step back, and try to play it off. If Nat almost trips over one of her sentences for some strange reason, Marin doesn’t notice.

Ava notices, though. Because of course she does.

The rest of the afternoon goes relatively smooth, even if Marin does make it a point to avoid making eye contact in order to keep their cool. Ava says she doesn’t care about the details of her garments, as long as they leave plenty of space for her to move around in like she needs. Nat isn’t picky either, though she does have a few things in mind. Marin says that they think she would look good in green.

They thank her, they pay for Marin for their time, and leave. And that’s that. That should be that.

Naturally, it isn’t. Not when Nat walks through the door again a few days later, but not to talk business. Instead, she says, it’s just… to see them. Just because she was “in the area” and thought she’d drop by. (Spoilers: she’s lying.)

One thing leads to another. Nat comes by more and more frequently, and Marin can’t help it when they wind up falling. Hard.

I just have this image in mind of them having quiet, private conversations in an empty shop as Marin works on sewing and beading and measuring fabric, while Nat sits on the other side of the work table and sips on cups of tea. It is soft and intimate and Marin finds they look forward to coming in more and more every day.

Naturally, when their work is done, there would be a scene where Marin is helping Nat into one of the dresses they made for her. Maybe they’re standing back to see it on her in its entirely, looking over their work to search for what can be improved, but oh no—the only thing they can actually focus on is now good Nat looks.

There’s a pause as Marin stands there and tries to get it together to think of something to say. They fail miserably. But why is Nat staring at them like that?

They clear their throat and open their mouth to offer an alteration they could make—a remark about it being just a little too long, or the sleeves extending just a bit too far, or something for them to fix so that Nat can keep visiting for just a little bit longer—but they never get to finish their thought. Because that’s when Nat takes a step forward and places her gloved hands very gently on either side of Marin’s face, and leans down to pull them into a kiss.

(It occurs to Marin later that she never actually looked herself over in the mirror once. Nat was too busy watching them.)

[web-novel-polls]

Web Novel Women Tournament 

[Please be kind and respectful in the notes. Anti-Propaganda is NOT allowed.]

Lin Wanyue from Female General and Eldest Princess

“In this life of mine, I’m so glad that I could have you as my wife…”  - Lin Wanyue to Li Xian, Wiki

Submission: She's a lesbian general. Joined the army as her (deceased) twin brother to get revenge after her entire village was murdered. Rose through the ranks to become the legendary Flying General. Fell in love with a princess. Married her. Adopted her dead best friend's daughter. Faked her own death. The list goes on.

Mu Nihuang from Langya Bang / Langya List / Nirvana in Fire

Submission: 

Mu Nihuang was born into a military household. Both parents died in battle when she was still a teen, and she rode to war at the head of their armies and won the victory herself. She has been the general defending the same border ever since, and also raised her much younger brother for the role.  She is one of the best ten fighters in the world. Her brother and all her men look up to her. Even the emperor, famous for his paranoia, respects and adores her. By nature she is straightforward, loyal and unapologetic. But she is also extremely intelligent and knows when to be underhanded and tricky should the need arise. She still believes in her ex-fiancee, declared a traitor twelve years ago, but is practical enough to not be loud about it. She knows people well, and is the first person to figure out the main character's true identity. 

[a-moonlit-flower]

Character Profile: Shuri

The Basics –––

Age: 31

Race: Auri Xaela

Gender: Female

Server: Balmung, Crystal/Adamantoise, Aether

Physical Appearance –––

Hair: white

Eyes: Heterochromatic. Right eye is silver, left is blue

Height: 4′9"

Build: curvy, toned due to her training as a dancer

Distinguishing Marks: Scars from her battles as a Warrior of Light

Common Accessories: None.

Personal –––

Profession: Stay-at-home wife and mother, retired WoL, occasional weaver

Hobbies: dancing, weaving

Languages: Common, Xaelic

Residence: Goblet

Birthplace: The Azim Steppe

Religion: Nhaama and Azim

Patron Deity: Nhaama

Fears: Losing her loved ones

Traits –––

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

Additional information –––

Smoking Habit: None

Drugs: None

Alcohol: Occasionally, but never in front of the children

RP Hooks (this is more WoLverse heavy)–––

Polycule. Shuri’s marriage is open, so she and Estinien have romantic partners within their relationship. They formed their own little village to raise the kids. They are very open about this, so that no one misunderstands the dynamic of her family or relationships and how it's working.

Daughter of Nhaama. She is devoted to her faith as a Xaela and is loathed to have her faith and traditions disrespected. As there isn't much Xaela lore, a lot of it has been headcanoned by me.

Wife, Mother, Friend. Shuri is a wife, a mother, and a loyal friend. If her friends ask something of her, she is there in an instant. She also is a bit maternal to her friends and very protective of them.

Can't Take the Steppe Out of the Lady: As Shuri was not born in Eorzea, she still does have an accent due to being born at the Steppe (personal headcanon of mine). She fled to Eorzea when her tribe's village was decimated by Garleans as a child and did what she could to survive.

Mun Notes---

Straight up due to my job, my scheduling is a little whack. I am fine with using mobile ways to RP, i.e docs, discord, whichever is preferred.

I am typically fine with RPing any scenario as it progresses, including those that hold dark themes. My hard Hell No's are anything that noncon that are introduced without any sort of discussion. Had that happen before and I will absolutely not go through it again.

My DMs on tumblr are currently for blogs that follow this one just so I don't get weird spam (you know the ones).

[marinerainbow]

So... I've finally listened to the whole soundtrack of 'Six: the Musical'. And I want to post more of my work here.

So, taking inspiration from @slashingdisneypasta drabble set, here are imagines of the six wives, but with Disney Villains and different Y/N's.

TW warning: If you know anything about the musical or the history, you probably already know the warnings in this. Death, jealousy, infidelity, sexual references, attempted murder, actual murder, and trauma. You have been warned.

Claude Frollo - No Way

(I'm not entirely sure if this is historically accurate, I tried to find more information but couldn't. But we're here to have fun, we aren't in history class, so I'm ignoring it.)

You must agree that, baby, in all the time I've been by your side

I've never lost control, no matter how many times I knew you lied

Have my golden rule gotta keep my cool, yeah, baby

Frollo wasn't a priest, no matter how much he liked to carry himself as one. As such, he, just like everyone else, had to get married. And you, Y/N, had the 'honor' of becoming his spouse years ago.

On the outside, you two seemed to be an unstoppable pair: the cruel judge, and his cold, unassuming wife. But that couldn't have been more wrong.

No one has the curse of knowing this awful man like you do. Not even Quasimodo, the poor boy who you wish you could grant his dreams, knows of all the atrocities this man thinks up in his narrow-veiwed mind. The gypsies that are hunted down by him know too much, but at least they can voice their own protests.

You, however, must suffer in silence. All for God's will to have the wife subservient to her husband. Frollo loved to throw that one in your face constantly. Even though you read and quote the same damn scriptures he does.

I've put up with your sh- like every single day

But now it's time to shh and listen to what I have to say

Your only friend and ally in all this is the archdeacon. He, like you, is all too aware of Frollo's sins. But, just like you, there is little to nothing he can do about it. All he can do, is tell you when your husband is back on his shit again.

And you, even though you desperately want to knock that old fool off of his pedestal, know you can't. He is the judge, and you are just married to him. He is the one with all the power here, and all you can do is stay humble and loyal, like any good wife should do.

That was, until you heard of a certain woman who caught his eye.

You must think that I'm crazy, you wanna replace me

baby there's n-n-n-n-n-n-no way

If you think for a moment I'd grant you annulment

Just hold up, there's n-n-n-n-n-n-no way

Even though you two haven't shared a bed in years- yes literal years, you still know that look in your husband's eye when he wants something. And you knew that he didn't want to burn Esmerelda at the stake.

Or maybe he did, since of course he would blame her for his sinful desires. Of course it's not his fault that he not only wants to sleep with the Romanian woman, but wanted to sleep with someone who wasn't wearing his ring.

There were many times, you admit, that you should have tried to intervene. Quasimodo and his mother were one of them. But you were so used to just focusing on your own safety and appearance that you had never gotten involved in his affairs. But the night you overheard Frollo, practically screaming into his fireplace, "Let her be mine, and mine alone!" was when you finally had enough.

You got me down on my knees, please tell me what you think I've done wrong

Been humble, been loyal, I've tried to swallow my pride all along

If you can just explain a single thing I've done to cause you pain, I'll go

All the years you held your tongue, all the years of built up rage had spilled out of your mouth that night like a broken dam. If Frollo was the burning fire, you were the raging storm.

Not only was he going to pursue- if you could call it that- another woman while you have been nothing but loyal to him, but he also carries himself to be even greater than your own cathedral. How he constantly blamed everyone else. Why? Why did he see himself as entitled to all this? What did he ever do that made him above God's will? What did you ever do to him that made him think he could just do what he pleased while you swallowed your own pride?

But fine. If he can give you one reason, just one, where he has the right to drag an innocent woman down with him, and even go so far as to blame God for his own desires, then you'll let him continue his buisness like normal, and you will wait for him at home like you always do.

No? You've got nothing to say?

I'm not going away

You made me a wife, so I'll be queen 'til the end of my life

Of course, you're not surprised when he just gives you the same speech about how everyone was at fault but himself. So, in his own language, he had no reason.

He promises he'll deal with you later, before heading out to go find Esmerelda. Being sure to lock you in the same room so you couldn't warn anybody. And of course, no matter how loud you screamed or pounding on the door, no one came to help you.

You got the front row seat to watching the dancers' trial. You got to watch in horror as Notre Dam threatened to be burnt to the ground, and feel proud of the deformed boy finally standing up to his 'master'. And, hours later, when your good friend the archdeacon finally finds you, you can barely contain the relieved smile on your lips when he informs you of your new status as the corrupt judges widow.

Gaston - Don't Lose Ur Head

(This one gets a double warning since it's a bit... uh... Well... This song made my inner bitch unleash. So this imagine is going to get extra spicy (I'm shocked but also kind of proud of myself, ngl))

He wanted me, obviously, messaging me like everyday

Couldn't be better, then he sent me a letter and who am I kidding

I was prêt-à-manger

When you moved into the little French town, it didn't take long for all the villagers to notice you. Especially the boys. You were the next most beautiful girl in town after some other gal named Belle, so obviously they wanted you. Though quite frankly, you found them all boring, or gross. Haven't these people heard of dentures??

You were starting to lose hope of finding a night of fun in this town... Until you saw him. The one and only hero of this quiet little town, Gaston. You saw him, and you knew that he was going to be this villages saving grace for you.

And you knew damn well he wanted you too. Gaston isn't exactly the kind of guy to hold back.

Ooh, sent a reply

Ooh, just saying hi

Ooh, you're a nice guy

I'll think about it, maybe, X.O baby~

His ego was annoying, yes. How he just expected you to fall in his arms made you roll your eyes, even if you did want him to shove you onto the nearest surface and hike up your skirt. But hey, why not use it as an opportunity to play a game of cat and mouse? After all, he is a hunter; surely, he could recognize a good chase.

Just like any hunter worth his salt, he followed the tracks you left for him, finding all the signs you were close by, but just out of his sight where he had to keep trudging through to find you... Just before you'd slip away. What? Did he really think the new girl was going to make this easy for him?

It's only when you let him come closer, let him stroll into your home like he owns the damn place muttering about how you've "Finally learnt your place~", do you let him touch you... All night... Many times... And a lot of broken furniture.

Needless to say, Gaston decided that you were too good to just be a one and done lay. He was going to come back for you, and you knew it.

I didn't know I would move in with his misses

What? Get a life!

You're living with his wife?

Like, what was I meant to do?

Unfortunately though, this definitely caught the whole towns attention, especially all the ladies. And, in a small town, gossip and rumors spread like wildfire.

Suddenly, you heard people talking about you behind your back. Did they seriously think you were deaf!? And now, you hear that some people are jealous- both of Gaston and you, while others were confused. Wasn't Gaston seeing Belle? Were you some sort of mistress?

Oh, hell no! You don't want to be part of some threesome. You don't want to be the other woman. And after talking to this Belle, you know she has no interest either, in both an open relationship and Gaston himself.

Well, now that Belle filled you in on what was really going on- she's such a sweet gal. Maybe you should invite her over after you buy new furniture- you had no qualms with finding Gaston, in the middle of town, and ripping him a whole new one in front of everyone. And all he could do was stare at you dumbfounded as you did the one thing people in this town should have done a long time ago. It was either Belle- and she wasn't an option since she wanted no part in this- or you. And you weren't going to settle for half.

Uh-Oh! Here we go, your comic went viral

I didn't really mean it but rumours spiral

Wow, Anne Y/N, way to make the country hate you

Mate, what was I meant to do?

And now, everyone thinks you're the bitch. You can see it in their eyes. But you don't care. All you do is huff and turn on your heel to head home. You don't even notice the plotting look in the hunters eyes.

A few days later, Gaston actually comes knocking on your door, dressed in his finest, and asking you to marry him? Is he serious? Glancing out your window, you see nearly the whole town gathered in your front lawn with a band, cake, and pure white decor, complete with some crying bridesmaids.

... Yup. He was serious. Looks like that talking to you gave him really made him finally realize he couldn't have Belle. But you didn't expect to just get married straight away! Though you have to admit, the idea does have some merit. Maybe this town will stop talking about you if they know you two are officially an item.

That and, as much as he is a jackass, he's still one of the best lays you've ever had. You'd never have a dull night again.

So, ignoring the feeling in your gut that this was a bad idea, you go put on your best dress, lock arms with Gaston, and mentally prepare yourself for the wedding day you didn't think you'd have.

Henry's Gaston's out every night on the town

Just sleeping around, like what the hell?

If that's how it's gonna be, maybe I'll flirt with a guy or three

Just to make him jell!

Oh, you knew there was something going on between Gaston and those blonde triplets!

In hindsight, you probably should have realized that marrying Gaston would have a load of problems for yourself... But that doesn't make you any less pissed. Especially since he's still harassing Belle! In front of you! And when confronted, all he claims is that, obviously, why wouldn't he want the two most lovely girls in town?

Obviously, that leaves Belle disgusted even more, and you infuriated. You didn't give up your freedom just for him to keep acting like he owned you and your new friend. You were far too angry to even consider that maybe flirting with some of the guys at the bar in front of your husband wasn't the greatest idea on your part... What!? What were you meant to do!?

And, of course, that just leads to you being tossed into your own home and getting into your first lovers quarrel.

Henry finds out and he goes mental

He screams and shouts, like so judgemental

You damned witch! Mate, just shut up!

I wouldn't be such a bi- if you could get it up

Oh yeah. You said that. And he was not happy. Not. At. All.

The man you call your husband screams and shouts, his temper tantrum able to make the whole house shake from his sheer size alone. You don't back down though, and when he realizes this, all he does is storm back out. No doubt to his tavern. You don't follow though, you choose to just stay at home and take your own frustrations out on one of your pillows.

By the next morning though, the whole village has heard Gaston's exaggerated side of the story. And of course, everyone blames you. After all, Gaston was the hero! How could you betray his trust like this?? No one even considers the fact- or just doesn't care- that he's just as, if not more, guilty as you.

Great. Your life is ruined. All because you wanted to get a head.

Maleficent - Heart of Stone

(I know there are probably other villains who would fit this one better, but Mal is one of my favorites and I love the idea of her getting mad at herself for falling in love so I'm treating myself)

You came my way, and I knew a storm could come too. You'd lift me high, or let me fall

But I took your hand, promised I'd withstand any blaze you blew my way

'Cause something inside, it solidified, and I knew I'd always stay

You were a... Strange mortal, definitely. You were kind and curious, yes, but you had always been drawn to the darker side of the world. It made you the outcast in your village, but you didn't care. It wasn't like you were casting hexes on others, you were just enjoying your interests.

And when you ran into the mistress of all evil herself while on a trek in the forest, you weren't afraid of her. Even when she tried to scare you off, all you did was keep your cool and smile, too intrigued to go away.

You didn't know it then, but it reminded her of herself, centuries ago, before she became the dark fairy she is today. That was enough to let her spare you and just walk the other way instead, her irritation coming back when you just followed her, continuing to ask questions and just being a general nuisance. It got to the point that she just chose to teleport back to her castle, leaving you behind.

You can build me up, you can tear me down

You can try but I'm unbreakable

You can do your best, but I'll stand the test

You'll find that I'm unshakeable

This continued for so long. You were determined to get through Maleficient and her hard shell, and would constantly look for her in the forest. No matter what, you kept strong-willed, even when she would try to test your patience with her trickery and wickedness.

Fortunately, somehow, you won her heart. Even Maleficient was confused and honestly quite furious that you managed to break through her. Her. She wasn't a sweet little fairy who wanted nothing more than to love and be loved, and she could very easily break you... But she didn't.

When the fire's burnt, when the wind has blown

When the water's dried, you'll still find stone

My heart of stone

It wasn't long before Maleficent 'brought' you from your village to live with her. It'd be more accurate to say she whisked you away, but you don't mind. You didn't want to stay in the village anyway.

It was definitely an odd time of adjustment for her. She was used to only having Diablo for company- unless you count her army of goblins and imps- and she was perfectly fine with that. But now, she has to find a way to actually take care of her little mortal.

No matter what though, Maleficient kept you 'hidden away' so to speak. You weren't imprisoned, obviously, but she just preferred to keep her life with you separate from the rest. At least for now, while she was still getting the hang of this 'love' thing.

You were fine with that, even if you did want to know more about her magic and schemes. You're just happy to have won over your dark beloved. It was like a dream come true for you; living in a magical place, with the most beautiful and dangerous woman by your side... Though you had to admit, there was one more wish you had.

You say we're perfect, a perfect family

You hold us close, for the world to see

And when I say you're the only one I've ever loved, I mean those words truthfully

Eventually, when you told her you wanted a child, she was skeptical. She's already pushing herself with a lover, but a family? Especially a mortal family who will just pass while she lives on? Absolutely not. Not in her castle. You may be her lover, but she's still the queen of this castle.

But, she does love you. You're the only person she actually wants to see happy. It took a long time, but you were able to get her to see the appeal of starting a family. After all, if you can sneak your way into this fairy's heart, anything is possible.

But you are absolutely not letting her kidnap a child and replacing it with a changeling. You want kids, but you didn't want to rip them away from their own family. She knows a thing or two about magic. Surely there's some way you two could have your own child? Maleficent at first scoffed at the notion; she's never heard of anything like that, and she's an expert in this sort of thing. But fine, she'll investigate, just so she can rub it in your face how right she is.

Her smug aura practically vanishes, and is replaced with your own, when she finds out that yes! There is indeed a spell that allows you two to have a baby together magically... "Alright, Y/N, wipe that smile off of your face, we have a youngling to create. Come on."

Soon I'll have to go

I'll never see him grow

But I hope my son will know he'll never be alone

She insisted though that you would be the child's vessel until it was ready to be born. Or, to translate, you'll be the one pregnant. What? Did you really expect her to take this job?

You are nervous about it, though, especially as the due date nears. You just can't shake this terrible feeling. Though Maleficient always quells your worries. She's a master of her craft, no spell has yet to have failed on her. Yes, this is new to her too, but what could go wrong? All you are doing is carrying a magical child inside you for nine or so months.

All the times she's brushed your worries aside, all the times she's dismissed your 'visions', Maleficent comes to regret all of it, when on the day of your child's birth, your heart beat comes to a stop.

'Cause like a river runs dry and leaves it's scars behind

I'll be by your side

'Cause my love is set in stone

She did all she could, using whatever enchantment she knew to bring your soul back to your body as your son wailed in a basket for one of his mothers. Even she was almost worked into tears when she finally realized she had lost you for good. And she had no one to blame but herself.

Maleficent though, doesn't mourn for long. She has a new life to care for, the last bit of you there is in this world. There's no time for her heart to crumble. And so, the dark fairy takes on the task of raising your child alone.

Jafar - Get Down

(For the sake of argument, let's just say Jafar won in the universe of this imagine)

Sittin' here all alone, on a throne

In a palace that I happen to own

When the sorcerer finally took his rightful place on the throne, his first act of business was to get rid of Jasmine and the former sultan permanently. To ensure no one could take away what he worked so hard to gain. And he kept Razoul, along with some new, more competent soldiers, to ensure that street rat wouldn't be able to take one step into the palace if he somehow survived the Arctic.

In every sense of the word, Jafar had won. And now, he could get started on shaping Agrabah as he deemed fit. But, first things first, he needed a wife. And he knew exactly who had in mind.

Bring me some pheasant keep it on the bone

Fill my goblet up to the brim

Sippin' on mead and I spill it on my dress with the gold lace trim

Not very prim and proper, can't make me stop

Y/N. The queen of a kingdom far away. Jafar had seen your portrait years ago during his travels, and had heard so much about you. You were considered the most beautiful in your land, and had riches and power beyond anyones wildest imagination. And of course, the ambitious sorcerer wanted you for himself.

He had tried to convince the Sultan to form an alliance with you, claiming it was for the benefit of the whole kingdom, but really, it was just for his own lustful gain. But that old fool decided his toys were more important, and the former vizier had been left fantazing about the queen, swearing to himself once he was the ruler, Y/N would be his first act of buisness.

Well, no better time then the present, yes?

I wanna go hunting, any takers?

I'm not fake 'cause I've got acres and acres, paid for with my own riches

Where my hounds at? Release the bitches

Woof

And so, you received a letter, detailing an invitation to Agrabah from the new Sultan, making it clear he was looking for his own Sultana and wanted you. You yourself had heard of the kingdom, but never held enough interest to venture out there, especially when you heard of the childish king. But now, this Jafar is enough to pique your interest. How he somehow gained the throne without having to marry or be of royal blood was definitely impressive. Not to mention he wasn't exactly bad looking in the picture he sent.

After some discussion with your royal advisor, you decided to at least check it out. If you chose to marry him, great. If not, at least you get a good vacation. So you sent a reply to him, promising to be there within a weeks time.

Head back for a round of croquet, yeah

'Cause I'm a player

And tomorrow, I'll hit replay

Jafar had been quite pleased. It seems like everything was falling in place for him. Of course, he made sure to prepare for your arrival, making sure the servants set up your lavish chambers perfectly and even going out of his way to buy ingredients for dishes from your own kingdom. He was going to make sure you at least agreed to an alliance.

Neither of you once thought that this could have been too good to be true. And you could tell he thought this exactly when he first set eyes on you in the flesh.

You, you said that I tricked ya

'Cause I, I didn't look like my profile picture?

Too, too bad I don't agree, so I'm gonna hang it up for everyone to see

And you can't stop me 'cause

"... Quite humorous. Now, where is the real Queen?" Was the very first words that came out of his mouth when he saw you. And your servants already knew where this was going.

Oh no he did not just say that to you!

Even though you kept your royal air and dignity about you, the cold look in your eyes told everyone that you were not taking this insult lightly. You were gifted with a silver tongue yourself; you always knew how to cut into someone deep, and you were not afraid of a man who could shoot sparks from his silly little staff.

I'm the queen of the castle!

Get down, you dirty rascal!

Of course, Jafar didn't like what you said about him, even if it was the truth. The servants of both royals were terrified as they watched them practically try to murder the other with their glares, hoping not to get caught in the crossfire.

However, he too knew how to keep his cool when it was necessary. He's had to have done it for years under his former employment. The last thing he needed right now was to start a war all because little Y/N lost her own cool. Yes, he could easily win it with his powers, but his main objective was to form a treaty with you, not lose what could benefit his own kingdom greatly.

So, he manages to stop himself from summoning his powers. Though he makes it clear that marriage was no longer on the table at this point. You traveled this far though, so he'll generously let you and your entourage stay to refresh yourselves, and he'll still discuss business with you, but there would be no pleasure.

which, at this rate, was perfectly fine with you.

Let me explain

I'm a Wienerschnitzel, not an English flower

No one tells me I need a rich man

Doin' my thing in my palace in Richmond!

It's not that you were insecure. You knew you were beautiful. You knew that you were the one in charge. It was how this man invited you into his home and had the gall to say that to you. This man who had to claw his way to the throne felt like he had the right to insult you? You weren't going to let that go.

Fortunately, for him, though, he was able to convince you to at least consider an allegiance. You didn't like his attitude at all, but the idea did seem to have potential. Besides, you didn't want to risk some deranged magician trying to take over your kingdom.

So, you agreed to be his ally, and then set off for home after fine tuning the agreement, making sure he wouldn't be able to take advantage of any loopholes.

You were still an unmarried woman by the end of the day, but hey, you like it that way anyway.

Evil Queen Grimhilda - All You Wanna Do

I think we can all agree, I'm the ten amongst these threes

And ever since I was a child, I made the boys go wild

I was young, it's true, but even then I knew

The only thing you wanna do is...

You always seemed to lure in the wrong kind of attention. You were 'gifted' with beauty, as your own mother put it, and as such, you had countless suitors over the years.

Though none of them treated you right. None of them cared for the woman behind the pretty face. They all seemed to think they had a right to your body, whether they'd try to force themselves on you or try to buy your affections.

And, unfortunately, you had to learn it the hard way.

Made me a lady in waiting

Hurled me and my family up in the world

Gave me duties in court, and he she swears it's true, that without me, he she doesn't know what he'd she'd do

It was shortly after the Kings mysterious passing did you meet the new Queen. She was looking for a new handmaid, and your family insisted you apply, despite the fact that it was clear that Grimhilda wasn't exactly pure of heart.

Miraculously, she doesn't get envious of your beauty and chooses to hire you instead of the countless other women who applied. She kept you close by her side, you helped her in every way she needed and then some. You didn't question her, unlike the majority of her court, and you did exactly as she asked you to.

It was mostly because you didn't want to put a target on your back, but still.

You were a hard worker, and it definitely didn't hurt that you were quite beautiful- not as beautiful as her, obviously, and that just made it even better to the queen.

You say I'm what you need

All you want, we both agree

This is the place for me

I'm finally where I'm meant to be

Even though you had been reluctant at first, you now knew you made the right choice. Yes, you had questioned your morality many times, but this was the best place you could be; on the good graces of the evil Queen, and on your own. You didn't have to worry about anyone trying to hurt you here.

Then he she starts saying all this stuff

He She cares so much, he she calls me love

He She says we have this connection

I guess it's not so different...

Though of course, tranquility can't last forever. You realized this when Grimhilda had called you to her throne room and gave you an offer you couldn't really refuse.

She truly was a snake. She knew how to lure you in with the promises of love and care. Something you imagine she must have done with the previous king.

Still though, even if you didn't want her, she wanted you. And when the evil Queen says it's you, than it's you.

You two were eloped shortly after. No wedding, though. Two women marrying would have caused an uproar. So in the publics eye, you were still her handmaid. No one knew of the way the Queen held you close at night, or how you would get down on your knees for her, "As any spouse of mine should."

With Henry Hilda, it isn't easy

His her temper's short, and his her mates are sleazy

Except for this one courtier

He's a really nice guy, just so sincere

It didn't take long though for this relationship to wear you out. Grimhilda was still as cold as ice, and the people she conducts business with aren't exactly the most upstanding of people. Just because you became her consort, didn't mean that she was going to suddenly become selfless and compassionate. You knew it, but... Still.

You did find one friend, though. The Queen's own huntsman, in fact. You had seen him before, you don't quite know how long he's been under Grimhilda's 'employment'. But one evening, while your wife was in her laboratory, you decided to make conversation with him. And that was the beginning of your first genuine friendship.

This guy finally

Is what I want, the friend I need

Just mates, no chemistry, I get him and he gets me

And there's nothing more to it

He just cares so much, he's devoted

You two practically became two peas in a pod. Whenever you two weren't carrying out her evil deeds or entertaining her, you both could be found together, chatting away about your previous and current lives in the halls or gardens. He even taught you how to use a dagger so you could defend yourself if need be.

Now, this is what you needed. All you ever wanted was just a nice friend you could lean on. You didn't need a marriage, you didn't need a lover, you just needed someone who truly cared.

But then... When the two of you are alone...

He says we have a connection...

No... No no no no! Why!? He knew you were married, it didn't matter if it was ultimately loveless! He knew your troubles with men before! Why would he even say this!?

I thought this time was different!

Why did I think he'd be different?

But it's never, ever different!

The huntsman seemed to realize his mistake when he saw the tears fill your eyes. He tries to comfort you, even when you tried pushing you away. Even after what he said, the two of you were still friends, and he reassures you he would go if you really wanted him to.

You should have ordered him to leave. You should have stormed away. You should have done anything else. But when you saw the true care in his eyes, and how he was willing to set his own desires aside for you, all you could do is break down and cry in his arms. Both because you still had your friend, and the fact that regardless of the choice you'd make, your relationship was going to change forever.

How tragic it was that the Queen just so happened to walk down that very hall, as you and the huntsman embraced each other. Now you got to witness first hand her wrath and jealousy as she ordered her guards to drag you two away.

Playtime's over...

Playtime's over...

Playtime's over!

You and the Huntsman were executed. Grimhilda was never one to show mercy. The Huntsman was simply beheaded, but you had your heart carved out of your chest and given to the Queen. The only way she could have your heart to herself.

Hades - I don't need Your Love

(I'll admit, i had a lot of trouble with this one. I'm still not sure of how this came out, but I didn't know how else to write this)

You know I love you, boy, in every single way

Though I love you, boy, I'll miss you every day

You were a brilliant woman of your time. You were a writer, a philosopher, bringing light to the great myths of the very gods. Of course, many were true, as shown with the mortal son of Zeus, but others were exaggerated or simply not true. You treasured the life you had built for yourself, and you couldn't even imagine exchanging it for anything more or less.

Anyone like you would have grabbed the gods' attention. You had caused an uproar in Olympus, so much so that even the Underworld heard about you, especially one God in particular.

It wasn't long before Hades had heard about you and decided to look into this new mortal. Usually, it didn't take much to make the other gods angry, so he wasn't expecting much.

And even though this feels so right

I'm holding back the tears tonight

Though he found himself both intrigued and entertained by you. Finally, someone who didn't just blindly worship the other gods! And you didn't even feel afraid of incurring the wrath of the gods. You were also pretty cute, that was a plus.

And then, that's when he gets an idea. It wasn't exactly a secret he was mocked on Olympus for many things, one of them was that he still didn't have a spouse. He mostly ignored them about that particular jab. How could he take offense from people whose relationships were already fifty shades of fucked? Still though, he can already see the smug looks on their faces being wiped away after seeing him stride in the room with the very mortal who made the others question them.

Honestly, he just wanted them to shut up about his personal life, and he thought this was the best way to accomplish that. Especially after the whole 'unleashing the titans' fiasco, this was another, more subtle, way to get back at them.

That I don't need your love, no, no

I don't need your love, no, no

You were certainly surprised to see the God of death at your door. At first, you thought maybe he was offended by what you had been writing, but he surprised you even more when he... Asked you out? He even worded it like a business deal, too, and flirting with you a bit, though you're not sure if he was being genuine or just trying to charm you into accepting his deal.

Honestly, you wanted to decline. You weren't stupid, you could tell this was just Hades wanting to annoy the other gods. Everyone knew well enough by now that you didn't want to get on a deities bad side, and you were already pushing your luck. You knew this, he had to know this too, and you were certain if you accepted just this one date, your whole life wouldn't be the same.

You wanted to reject him. You really did... Until he sweetened the deal. He would ensure your safety and even help you with your writing - apparently, he genuinely liked your literature - if you did this for him.

How could you deny that? Safety to continue doing what you love, in exchange for being part of some scheme to tick the rest of the gods off?

So I sent that letter to my love

Got married to the king

Became the one who survived

So, writing away your old life, you agree to Hades' deal.

And, as you predicted, one date became a second date. And then a third... And a fourth... It got to the point that you would expect to see Hades at least once a week.

Obviously, this attracted all kinds of attention. Both from your neighbors and the other gods. You're pretty certain that all those thunderstorms conveniently over your house weren't exactly coincidence. And your fellow mortals would try asking you about you and your, supposed, lover. What was he like? Did he bribe or kidnap you? Were you carrying his child yet? That question you supposed you couldn't blame them considering Zeus' reputation. And, the one you heard most of all, when would you two get married?

You were no longer you. You were now known as the death gods lover. As any artist would know, no matter what kind of art they pursued, fading away was possibly one of the worst fates you could have.

There's was more to you than just being a deity's consort. There was more to you than your newfound status. Why was it that people recognized it before, but now they seemed to have forgotten it?

I've told you about my life; the final wife

But why should that story be the one I have to sing about?

That's not my story!

There's so much more!

Still though, you didn't throw yourself a pity party and let it stop you from creating and bringing the same light you always had before. You were now more determined than ever to reclaim the voice you had lost. And now that you had all the resources and security you needed thanks to Hades, your works were now better than ever.

It actually impressed him, even though he knew he had inadvertently caused this for you. Hades didn't think you were trying to outshine him at all, he was just reminded why he became attracted to you initially.

You were once more surprised that he became your biggest supporter outside of your initial agreement. He would brag about you to all the other gods, but not for his own gain, because he was proud of you. And if someone saw you and just referred to you as 'his consort' while he was around, Hades would immediately step in with, "Oh yeah, she's an absolute ball of fire, but have you read her scriptures? Trust me, Athena wishes she could be as good as her."

And you had started to actually genuinely like Hades. He had a pretty good sense of humor, was actually easy to get along with outside of his temper, and you could see the appeal in the guy. You had even spoken up against the other gods whenever you'd hear them talking about your date. That didn't win you any points with Olympus, but it's not like you cared what they thought of you anyway.

You didn't see it coming, but your relationship had started to turn more into just a show. You two had started to genuinely care about each other. It may not have been true love just yet, but you two were definitely good friends. You supported each other, even if you didn't entirely agree with everything he did, and that was all you two needed.

During your last visit in the underworld, when you were passing the hall while being escorted by Pain and Panic, you could have sworn you heard the three fates looking into yours and Hades' lives together... What was that they said about him proposing in a few years?

[queerplatonicshipshowdown]

Round 2, Match 3

John Doe and Arthur Lester (Jarthur) from Malevolent vs. Kotetsu T. Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr. (Taibani) from Tiger and Bunny!

Propaganda for John and Arthur:

The inherent intimacy of having a guy (John) inside your (Arthur) head who you don't know the history or goals of but still bond over the atrocities you go through in your shared body. And sometimes he's an arsehole but you know that he wants the best for you and it's so much more than any other relationship they could have and in the end they always have eachother and I'm jealous of a sad British man and the voice in his head. They're friends and each others world and everything and I want what they have. OH DID I MENTION THAT ARTHUR IS FUCKINF BLIND AND JOHN IS HIS ONLY ACCESS TO SIGHT? IT'S BEAUTIFUL. Like John always takes such care to describe their surroundings (no seriously he starts waxing poetic). I mean yh he withholds it sometimes but every door has its issues. Anyways yh I love them and they deserve the world.

They are extremely close, both literally and figuratively. John is inside of Arthur's head, and they often fight in ways that have been referred to by the fans as 'divorce moments' but they still very clearly care about and love each other, in a way that is explicitely non-romantic. Their love is desperate and aching and they're not just friends, but they are definitely not dating, and a LOT of the fandom interprets them as queerplatonic.

Oh, the special kind of affection and friendship that can only bloom between a 1930s private detective and the eldritch entity that ends up possessing his eyes and left arm. 95% of this show is Arthur (the detective) bickering with John (the eldritch entity) like an old married couple, and falling in and out of trust with each other. Despite that they are both fiercely loyal to the other and by the point the podcast is at now they seem to trust each other implicitly - Arthur has to rely on John to guide him since John can see out of the eyes of their body and Arthur can't, but when they fall into an abandoned mine and are reunited (long story) they immediately fall back into that old, trusting rhythm. They share a body and their initial goal in the podcast is to be separated, but by the point we're at now they're not too fussed about it. They're making plans to go out to dinner and the movies. Also, Arthur is aro-coded - there's a big emotional arc that involves him accepting the fact that he never had romantic feelings for his wife, even during the birth of their child or her death, and how that doesn't make him a bad person or diminish the love he felt for that child.

Propaganda for Taibani:

The creators said that their relationship could be read as either platonic or romantic so why not queerplatonic

[hisgrief]

CHARACTER SHEET — repost , do not reblog .

FULL NAME.  gary james turner.

NICKNAME.  gaz. 

PRONOUNS.  he/him.

SIZE.  6ft4.

AGE.  41.

ZODIAC.  aries sun. gemini rising. cancer moon.

SPOKEN LANGUAGES.  english.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS.

HAIR.  naturally dark. usually cropped short. tends to curl once allowed to grow out. hairline beginning to recede. occasionally bleached.

EYES.   hazel green. expressive. hooded. prone to a thousand-yard stare. crinkle at their corners when he smiles. he's often described as having puppy-dog eyes.

BODY TYPE.  slim and lanky. broad in the shoulders and narrow in the hips. long limbs. large hands and feet. looks like a greyhound trapped in a human's body.

VOICE.   warm and kind. thickly accented. lowers when he's comforting someone. he has a particular tone when speaking to the animals in his life. example:

DOMINANT HAND.  ambidextrous.

POSTURE.  not the best. tends to slouch to make himself seem smaller and less intimidating.

SCARS.   so many. a couple are products of his upbringing, such as the cut through his left eyebrow and the lack of straightness to his nose. all the others were earned during the attack that killed his wife claire and turned him into a werewolf. he was torn to shreds and had a chunk of flesh removed from his right shoulder. most scar coverage focuses on his upper body, with his legs mostly undamaged. his back took the brunt of the attack, turning it into a mess of ugly scar tissue.

BIRTHMARKS.  covered in a smattering of moles across the entirety of his body. his favourites are the two on his right inner thigh, which he calls his 'vampire bite.'

MOST NOTABLE FEATURES.   his accent. his height. his tattoos. the thickness of his eyebrows and the warmth of his eyes. how quick he is to smile with his entire being. his loud, unrestrained belly laugh. SCENT.  cigarettes. whiskey. warm masculinity. light freshness. he tends to stick to lighter colognes and uses them sparingly due to his sensitivity to smell.

CHILDHOOD.

PLACE OF BIRTH.   preston, england, in the royal preston hospital.

HOMETOWN.   small mining town in lancashire, england, which he prefers not to name. he just says he's from lancashire.

SIBLINGS.  none.

PARENTS. his mother, angela turner, is alive and still lives in lancashire. his father, clive turner, is deceased.

ADULT LIFE.

OCCUPATION.   tattoo artist and owner of INK INK, NUDGE NUDGE.

CURRENT RESIDENCE.   verse dependent, but generally lives in the apartment above his tattoo shop, which is situated in LA.

CLOSE FRIENDS.   anyone and everyone who'll take him. he's particularly fond of frenchie, written by @gingerspiice.

FINANCIAL STATUS.   comfortably middle class. makes good money from INK INK, NUDGE NUDGE and operates an online store where he sells the carvings and furniture he makes.

DRIVER'S LICENSE.   yes, but he generally prefers to walk.

CRIMINAL RECORD.  clean. somehow. he avoids cops like the plague and tries not to get on their bad side. he has first-hand knowledge of what they're capable of.

VICES.   alcohol. cigarettes. marijuana.

SEX AND ROMANCE.

SEXUAL ORIENTATION.  bisexual.

PREFERRED SEXUAL ROLE.   versatile.

TURN OFFS.   cruelty. bullies. overt aggression. people who lack passion. fun sponges.

TURN ONS.   a sense of humour. kindness to animals and the vulnerable. passion. hard workers. people who keep him on his toes but also help ground him.

LOVE LANGUAGE.   acts of service. physical touch.

RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES.  loyal. tendency to get swept up in the heat of a new romance. will adore his partner with every fibre of his being. romantic. chivalrous. will cook candle-lit dinners just for the hell of it. his partner's biggest fan and ally. a little inexperienced and naive due to spending almost all of his adult life in a monogamous relationship. will be slow to accept a new partner into his life due to the traumatic loss of his wife, but is well aware that she would want him to move on.

MISC.

CHARACTER'S THEME TUNE.   oceans of slumber - the banished heart.

HOBBIES TO PASS THE TIME.   sketching and drawing, wood-carving, camping trips, bushcraft, fishing, building and revitalising furniture, playing the acoustic guitar, playing the jaw harp and the harmonica, reading, coming up with bad dad jokes, cooking.

LEFT OR RIGHT BRAINED.   right-brained.

SELF-CONFIDENCE LEVEL.   he'd consider it fairly high. he doesn't think he's the best-looking bloke, but he knows he makes up for that with his inherent charm. his confidence has however been pretty severely knocked in the aftermath of the attack.

[hello-nichya-here]

Do you think Alicent and Rhaenyra could have remained friends if Alicent had been honest about pursuing Viserys, Rhaenyra had not had bastards, and the whole conflict with Aemond stealing a dragon and then losing his eye had not happened?

No, because while all of these things damaged their relationship, the real reason for the lack of trust between them, the real reason why, no matter how many times made up they ALWAYS ended up at each other's throats again, is the simple fact that Alicent gave Viserys male heirs, that would be threats against Rhaenyra no matter what - and Alicent was going to prioritize the safety/future of her children over Rhaenyra's.

Just look at the scene of Alicent warning Aegon that he could easily end up in mortal danger if he challenges Rhaenyra's claim to the throne, and when he then says that he will just not do that and everything will be fine - to which Alicent correctly points out that he IS the challenge, just for existing.

Can Alicent REALLY trust Rhaenyra not harm Aegon (and Aemond) or his descendents to make sure she's the only option of ruler? Can she trust DAEMON not to do it to benefit himself and his wife? Can she trust Rhaenyra and Daemon's children, grandchildren and so on not to harm her family later down the line?

Can Rhaenyra trust Alicent will not scheme to put her own son on the throne when her father, Otto, who is clearly an ambitious man and that Alicent obeys blindly, found a way to make her queen, became hand of the king himself, and had Rhaenyra followed so he could get dirt on her that could make Viserys decide not to have her as his heir after all? Can she trust her siblings, especially the one that had the potential to be KING, won't conspire against her? Can she trust their children and grandchildren won't conspire against her descendents - especially against the bastards she had with Harwin, which would be seen as lesser than their siblings, cousins, nephews, etc?

Hell, considering Alicent was once so disguted with Aegon she straight up said "You're no son of mine", yet still looked at Rhaenys and went "You would have totally been a good ruler, but you're a woman, so that could never happen because women are just not meant to rule anything. Please help me guide my fuck up of a son, something neither of us will ever get any credit for, because that's just our role as women - to support the guys no matter how bad they are" it's pretty clear that even if Aegon wasn't her son, it wouldn't take much to convince her that Rhaenyra's brother should be king because that's just how their society works.

Girl saw Viserys use all of his final strength to support Rhaenyra (after over a decade of favoring her), and yet still convinced herself he wanted his SON to inherit, just because he was saying weird, vague shit about "Aegon's dream to unite the realm must come true" while so high on painkillers that called her "Rhaenyra", which Alicent heard very clearly. She also doesn't ask Aegon about said dream to "unite the realm", which sounds wildly out of character for a guy spends his days black out drunk and RAN to avoid becoming king because he did not have ANY interest in the privileges or duties it came with, just because the vague stuff she heard confirmed her bias of "The son is always the correct choice over the daughter just because he's a man".

There's only two ways these two could have ever solved their issues and House Targaryen would stay united after Alicent's marriage to Viserys:

1 - Aegon and Rhaenyra get married + all her kids are his.

Can't have a dispute when their heirs are the same, even if people would disagree on who is the real ruler and who is just the consort.

This one would require a few changes to characters though: Aegon could NOT be a drunk loser, and Rhaenyra could NOT be too proud to accept that the only way she gets to be queen and not be questioned is if she marries him AND she can't be sleeping around, and the only way she'll stay loyal is if she actually falls for Aegon.

2 - Alicent and Viserys only have daughters.

Like I said, Alicent genuinely believes that men ALWAYS being seen as superior to women is just the way things are - but if Rhaenyra is the king's eldest child, has no brothers, is married to Daemon (aka the only real rival she has in this scenario) and was even NAMED heir by Viserys, then her right to the throne is unquestionable by the laws of Westeros.

She won't be paranoid/rightfully concerned that Rhaenyra/someone who benefits from Rhaenyra being queen will kill her children because, as her younger sisters, they pose no threat to her, as trying to make any of them queen in her place is UNDENIABLY treason - both in the eyes of others, and in Alicent's own mind, meaning not only would she not try anything, she'd 100% snitch on anyone who did.

There'd still be some tension in this scenario, at least until Viserys was officially too sick to continue having kids, and possibly more if Rhaenyra still has bastards with Harwin before marrying Daemon, and when Otto inevitably keeps trying to make one his descendents marry Rhaenyra's heir, but overall I think it'd be far less hostile AND everything would eventually calm down (after all, even in the show, after all that happened, Alicent and Rhaenyra reconciled one final time before Viserys died AND were not too eager to immediately try murdering each other until Aemond fucked up and killed Lucerys).

If Alicent and Rhaenyra's friendship is to survive, then Rhae's dispute with Aegon cannot exist in the first place/needs to be solved without either of them truly losing. Anything else is just delaying or speeding up the inevitable.