#amity my queen

[bi-dykes]

These duos have my heart 🩷💜

Pink and purple gang where you at <3

[theglamorousferal]

Jazz Fenton is the first person born liminal enough for a proto-core since the fall of a previous dimension.

She was also born with the hyperfocus and scientific mind of both her parents and so, after realizing this, she began documenting her findings.

After she took the title of Queen Regent and pulled the entire town into the Ghost Zone, effectively cutting the GIW off from the dimension entirely, the research took on a new meaning. It turns out that any child born in the town limits since the formation of the portal was liminal enough to form a proto-core. Any child born after was sure to show signs of liminality at younger and younger ages.

Her research becomes a guide to the entire town of Amity Park as their exposure to ectoplasm slowly turns them more and more liminal.

After everyone settled and rebuilt, she had time to explore her newfound power. Taking the Ring and the Crown had led to her proto-core forming an aspect. At first she believes she had light, or perhaps fire. Until the town started to notice they were getting more and more depressed.

After testing, they find everyone who is a liminal human is suffering from vitamin d deficiencies.

After consulting with her mentor Pandora, she finds she has a sun core. She is able to have a localized sun over Amity as it is her Haunt. This ends up extending out to the rest of the Realms and now it's warm in the general vicinity of the Keep and Amity.

Plant-loving ghosts post up their haunts nearby.

Dhul-Ahman's Domain moves closer as well.

That's some stories for another time though.

[witch128chick]

I just know that Amelia (beta Amity) dances around in her room to 2000s songs and she knows she's cringey but she's at home in her room so she doesn't really give a shit

She LOVES Britney Spears btw

[alexthebordercollie]

The Shadow of the Nightmare Queen

Chapter 1: Protégé

“Why are we here?” Amity’s voice echoed off the walls of the vaulted castle corridor. They were walking through a hall of the castle she had never seen before. The forbidden wing. The one blocked off by magic shields and wooden boards. Amity was no stranger to wandering the castle. She was a student, the queen's favorite student. She spent many long hours learning every nook and cranny of the queen’s estate. So much so that it had become a second home. But this hall? She had never set hoof in this hall. Never dreamed of peaking past the walls Queen Helia put up to protect whatever was inside.

Amity’s voice sounded childlike in the grand space. She felt small. Watching the moonlight paint stripes across the wall as it poured in from the windows. Shadows casting bars across portraits of a princess long lost to time. Amity knew her face. She’d seen it many times before. It haunted her fillyhood as it did the childhood of so many others.

Queen Epiales. Lady nightmare. The mother of shadows.

Her visage was haunting. A rich indigo mane of starlight cascaded down her shoulders. Adorned in lapis lazuli, diamond, and sparkling silver. Every portrait seemed to ache for the moonlight. Her pale yellow eyes glowed in the soft light. Following Amity as she walked.

Amity heard her hooves patter like a child against the marble floors as she hurried to her mentor’s side. Her majesty Helia. Mother of daylight, of summer, of peace. Amity looked to her queen for comfort and reassurance in the eerie night. 

“My queen?” Amity asked again.

Helia didn’t turn to look back. Something felt wrong. She was normally so warm, so loving. Helia had become a second mother to Amity over her years of study. She always felt so safe and protected under her wings. Now? Now Helia looked tired. Her shoulders hung as she walked. Her brilliant plumage dragged along the ground behind her. Vibrant shades of orange, red, and violet all washed out in the darkness.

“There’s something I must show you my dearest student.” Helia replied softly. Her voice distant as she stared aimlessly forward. Her gaze lost in some distant space Amity couldn’t see. “Someone you need to see. Someone important. Someone lost…” She whispered.

“Someone… lost?” Amity asked. “Did you lose something? Queen Helia… are you lost?” Something felt so deeply wrong. Helia was here, but not. Amity felt cold and alone in this cursed place.

They came to a large set of double doors at the end of the corridor. The door was old and worn. It didn’t look like anything else in the castle. It’s chipping paint depicted the silhouettes of two centaurs who held a heart out between them. A mix of dingey old yellow and dark raspberry on weathered oak. 

Helia didn’t answer Amity’s questions. Merely summoned a key in her hand. Silver and ornate with a polished lapis lazuli in the hilt. “I need you to stay.” She instructed Amity as she pressed the key to the lock on the door.

Amity steeled her nerves. Squaring her shoulders in a firm salute, or at least as firm as she could manage. Her legs still trembling as fear gripped her like a cold chill. Something so cool and tangible she could feel it spilling out through the crack under the doors. 

“I won’t leave your side, my lady.” She replied confidently. Determined to serve her queen how ever she was needed. 

The lock clicked open with a low clattering sound that rattled the halls. The doors rattling on their hinges as whatever was inside fought against the old worn oak. Amity took a step back but halted in place. Refusing to move. Refusing to run. Locking her hooves to the floor. Her queen needed her. She wasn’t going to move. 

“Your highness?” Amity pleaded softly. Hoping for some explanation from her mentor. Something to reassure her that whatever was behind that door was something she could face. That whatever ancient force was raging against the castle would still bow to the sun. That it wouldn’t swallow Amity up in its darkness.

When the doors finally burst open a wave of icy wind cut through Amity like a knife. She raised her arms to shield herself from the mist that poured out into the hall. Looking back to Queen Helia for comfort.

Helia stood resigned. Her features gaunt. Her eyes shadowed as she looked up at the figure which emerged from the aching darkness she’d unleashed. Amity followed her gaze and felt her blood freeze in her veins. There she was. Queen Epiales. The queen of the night stepped forth from the shadows. A towering behemoth to behold. At once beautiful and terrifying. Draped in starlight and prepared for battle. Her silver armor shimmering in the moonlight, almost blinding. Piercing yellow light narrowed in on Amity through the cloud of inky blackness that dripped from her eyes.

“So this is the fool you’ve brought me?” The glittering shadow spoke in a low echo that Amity could feel reverberating through her soul.

Amity looked back to Queen Helia in a panic. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she desperately tried to fight back the fear and betrayal. What was this? Was she some sacrifice? “Queen Helia please!” She cried out.

Helia only stared up at the shadow woman. Her eyes colorless and hollow. “I brought her to save you.” She replied softly.

Queen Epiales snatched up Helia by her throat. Lifting her limp body off the ground like a rag doll. Helia didn’t try to fight back. Only held Epiales arm as the nightmare queen slowly squeezed the life from her.

Amity stumbled back in horror as she watched her mentor’s color drain from her body. The shadows stretching out from the yawning black hole that was that wretched door. The key falling to the ground and Helia’s hands fell to her side. Inky blackness coiling up her body like tendrils dragging her down into nothingness.

“Queen Helia!” Amity screamed. Sobbing and shaking as she watched the protector of her kingdom vanish into the call-consuming night. 

Epiales narrowed her eyes once more on Amity. Her shadows stretching out down the corridor and swallowing up everything in their path. 

“Run.”

Epiales words were soft. Cold. It was an order.

Amity obeyed. Turning heel and sprinting down the hall as fast as her legs could carry her. Screaming out into the night for help. For Helia, for her mother, for anyone to hear her cries. Desperate to warn the world of the coming darkness. Falling into the void as the ground was eaten out from under her.

“She’s back! The nightmare queen!”

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“Amity? Amity? Wake up!” 

Amity bolted upright in her bed and smacked her horn against the frame of the bed above her. The shiver of pain slithering down her horn and into her skull. 

“Ow!” She snapped and rubbed her aching forehead. Amity slowly blinked her eyes open as the pain pulled her back to reality. She was awake. Awake and alive and safe. The furrowed brow of her familiar Samson greeted her.

“Are you ok?” Samson asked.

Amity looked around her dorm. Everything looked normal. The familiar violet wallpaper and faintly orange carpets greeted her. Warm sunlight streamed in through the stained glass window. Samson’s bed, still pressed against the opposite wall, was empty but made. No sign of Amity’s dorm mate Ainsley, she must have woken early. Amity and Ainsely each had desks that sat side by side under the window. An abstract portrait of Helia looking down on them as they worked. Amity’s desk was still a mess of papers and books she’d been pouring over for weeks.

“I’m fine.” Amity groaned as pressed the heel of her palm into her temple. She reached under her pillow for the charm she’d made the night before. The wooden frame with its griffin fur twine had cracked in half. The patterned net at its center now a tangled mess. “So much for The Griffon Fisher’s charm.” She sighed. 

She pushed aside the open book still resting on her lap and traded it out for a leather journal on her nightstand. A book of old folk tales. The story of Queen Epiales. A collection of myths and legends, of curses and superstitions. Of warding spells to protect from her wickedness. 

Amity’s latest journal had been assigned to loging her dreams. She started scribbling down every new detail she could remember from last night before the nightmare faded from memory. She had been having these nightmares for some time now. She’d tried every trick in the books to be rid of them but nothing was working. She couldn’t shake the dark queen's image from her mind.

“You really need to stop reading those old stories,” Samson warned. Scooping up the book of folk tales and leaning back on his haunches. He was a short and squat little dragon. Fat and green. “The nightmares are getting worse.” He observed as he ferried to book off to it’s proper place on Amity’s bookshelf. “If you just ignore them I’m sure they’ll go away, but you keep focusing all your energy on it.” Every the worrier. He never could just trust Amity to know what was good for her.

Amity shook her head and tapped her journal aggressively with her quill. Punctuating her final thoughts. “It’s just because I haven’t found the right spell yet. Once I do they’ll be gone for good.” She insisted resolutely. Pushing herself out of bed. She sprung up to pull her uniform from the wardrobe and slipped behind the privacy screen to change out of her nightgown.

Samson didn’t seem so convinced. Cocking his head to one side. “Are you sure you aren’t just having nightmares because you keep reading scary stories?” He asked.

Amity poked her head back out from behind the screen to narrow her eyes at Samson. Her sweater vest rolled halfway down her chest. “I’m not some little filly.” She protested. “Do you really think I get so worked up over some old mare’s tales?”

Samson grimaced and shrugged. “Well… you do tend to get kind of… carried away.” He replied reluctantly.

Amity snorted irritably before returning to tucking her shirt into her skirt. “I’m not getting carried away Samson this is important. These dreams are hurting my studies. Exams are coming up soon. Do you have any idea how disappointed Queen Helia would be if her best student was caught slipping so close to finals?”

“I’m sure if you just told her you were having trouble sleeping she would understand,” Samson reasoned. He knelt down by his bed to pull a wrapped package out from underneath. “Besides finals aren’t for another three months. I don’t think most people would call that soon .”

“Most people aren’t the personal protégé’s of Our Majesty the Queen.” Amity protested. “I’m already falling behind on my study routine. All it takes is a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks turn into a couple of months, and then the next thing you know it’s finals and you still don’t know the difference between an Amythist Divining Lense and an Ametrine Focusing Prism.” 

“Whatever you say.” Samson sighed as Amity pulled her hair from her robes.

Amity stepped out from behind the privacy screen and scurried over to her desk to write up a letter to Helia. Hastily jotting down a summary of her dream. Not too hastily might you. Well, maybe too hastily. She scrapped the first draft and started over when the letter sounded too unprofessional. Samson’s gruff throat clearing pulled her away from her task. 

Amity looked back at him. Holding the letter in her hands that she was just about to seal.

“We’re going to be late for breakfast.” Samson scolded.

Amity looked down at the colorful box in Samson’s claws then back up to his face. “Oh, right. Did I forget something?” She asked.

“Ainsely’s birthday?” Samson replied. His brow raised in bewilderment. He showed her the box for emphasis. “Don’t tell me you forgot.” He scolded. “Her party’s this weekend. Chara has been collecting up all the gifts to hide from her until then. You did get her a gift didn’t you?”

“Oh, uh…” Amity looked back at her cluttered desk. Trying to remember if she’d even thought of something before the night terrors had distracted her. The latest in a long line of obsessive curiosities Amity often bounced between. She shuffled around for a bit and stamped her letter with a wax seal before tossing it into the small ceramic burner on her desk. Sending it to her mentor in the process.

“Amity!” Samson snapped. 

“Oh, I got her something alright.” Amity lied. Forcing a smile and waving off Samson’s concern. “I just have to find it that’s all. It’s around here somewhere.”

Samson narrowed his brow suspiciously. “Riiight… Well come on, let’s get going. Dia promised to keep Ainsely busy today so we could finish planning. You should find that gift soon before Ainsely does.” He warned her.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Samson knew Amity was lying and they both well knew it. Amity hatched him when she was just a filly. They’d been together for years and he could always read her like an open book. He waddled through the academy halls in the top half of a school uniform. They didn’t sell skirts that properly fit his fat tail which dragged on the ground behind him. Not that it mattered. He was a dragon so exposing himself was hardly a concern. Most wild dragons didn’t wear anything at all.

That said he still stood out among the many other students walking along with birds or snakes or cats or toads. Every student had to hatch their own familiar as part of the entrance exam for first years. Magic eggs which hatched whatever creature best suited the student. Somehow a stray dragon egg had found its way into the schools inventory and been mixed up with the exam eggs. Amity was never supposed to find herself in possession of a baby dragon but when she passed her exam the school wasn’t sure what else to do but to send her home with the stout little hatchling.

It took the staff weeks to arrange a meeting to discuss the mix up but by that point, the school year was about to start and Samson had already imprinted on Amity and her family. It was Helia who decided to let Amity keep him until the school figured out where he came from, though they never did. To this day Samson was a mystery, though not one he himself seemed particularly concerned about solving. 

Amity wasn’t one to complain. It was because of Samson that Queen Helia took her on as her personal protégé. An honored position only one student every generation got to hold. Samson was Amity’s lucky star and she would always appreciate him for that if nothing else.

“Hi, Samson.”

“Morning Winnie, how’s Snowball doing?” Samson chirped as another student passed them with their rabbit familiar.

“She’s fine, just a little cold.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“Samson my stallion!” Another student cheered enthusiastically. “What lucky filly’s getting a gift from the hottest stud on campus?” 

Samson playful shrugged off the rugged mare’s teasing. “That’s classified information, Agnes.” He taunted back.

Amity barely paid any of the other students any mind. Her nose stuck in her journal while they walked the halls. Samson may have been a social butterfly but Amity had more important things on her mind than making friends. These dreams were more than just a nuisance. They were trying to tell her something important. Warn her. Amity was sure of it. 

Samson didn’t seem to give nightmares much credence but Samson was never very educated. Not for lack of opportunity. Nothing was stopping him from taking advantage of the school's resources. He attended all of Amity’s classes with her. That said no one was making him do assignments or grading his performance and he seemed to prefer it that way.

“Ow, watch where you’re going!” Another student snapped when Amity mindlessly walked into them.

“Oops, sorry.” Amity replied sheepishly. Holding her journal to her chest.

“Sorry, Ericka. Amity’s been really sucked into her latest project.” Samson apologized as he held the cafeteria open for the other student. Amity didn’t even know that girl’s name off the top of her head. She wasn’t sure how Samson always seemed to remember so many.

Amity waved as the girl huffed and walked on ahead of them before looking back at her notes. Her latest attempt to interrogate her dreams more closely had failed. She hoped The Griffon Fisher’s charm would catch her dream so she could examine it in one of the crystal balls, but no luck. Whatever these nightmares were they were too strong for the net. Too strong for most of her attempts to contain them. 

“Alright, so I’m thinking maybe after class we could pick up some lavender to try a smoke cleansing.” Amity half explained to Samson, half thought out loud.

“And maybe pick up a gift for Ainsely while we’re at it?” Samson questioned.

Amity looked up from her journal red-faced.” Oh, uh, yeah.” She replied awkwardly. Tucking her journal into her saddle bag. Samson crossed his arms as he watched her walk through the door he’d been holding for several seconds.

“Hey Amity, Samson, there you are!” Lemoine cheered when they entered the cafeteria. Jumping up from her table to wave to them.

The cafeteria was a large room with a vaulted ceiling, rich carpets that you would get in quite a lot of trouble for staining. Dotted with round tables with white tablecloths. Lemoine was breaking multiple rules of etiquette with her bombastic temperament but the staff weren’t paying much mind at the moment. Ismene was quick to pull her back down into her chair. “Quite you’ll get us in trouble she scolded.”

Chara smiled brightly as Amity and Samson approached. Bouncing up and down in her seat. “I can’t wait to see your gifts. Ainsley’s going to freak when she sees what I got her.”

“I brought mine.” Samson boasted as he placed his gift on the table. “But somebody seems to have lost theirs.” He snarked.

“Amity!” Chara scolded. “The party’s in three days.” 

“I know, I know.” Amity dismissed as she took her seat. 

Samson pulled himself up into one of the dining chairs and picked up the menu on the table to order breakfast for the two of them.

“You didn’t forget did you?” Ismene challenged. Plucking a bite off her plate for the spider monkey on her shoulder. Ginger accepted the large strawberry and nibbled it eagerly.

“I didn’t forget, why does everyone assume I forgot.?” Amity protested.

Lemoine tapped her finger curiously to her lips. “Maybe cause you forgot Chara’s birthday party, and Ismene’s before that, and Dai’s and-” 

Chara cut Lemoine off with a hand to her mouth. “What Lemoine means to say is, you don’t always have the best memory for these sorts of things.” Chara admitted. 

The table went awkwardly quiet for a moment. Chara rubbed the glass bubble she kept around her neck. Her familiar piranha Chompers swam little circles inside. Lemoine scooped up her little rat Chester when Samson’s order materialized on the table. Making space and keeping him out of the food. Samson took the lids off their plates and passed Amity her food.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure she doesn’t forget.” Samson reassured.

Amity cleared her throat looking for a distraction. She looked up at the teacher’s table at the opposite end of the cafeteria. It was on an elevated platform with a large projector screen behind them. She caught the headmaster standing up to tap her cup. Her horn glowing as she amplified the sound of silver on glass to echo through the room and get everyone’s attention.

“Oh, shh, morning announcements.” Amity hushed as she pointed her classmates towards the stage.

“Good morning students of Her Majesty Queen Helia.” The headmistress greeted as she did every morning.

“Good morning to Queen Helia and our esteemed Headmistress Altai.” The student body replied in unison. Words that had been burned into Amity’s brain through her years of attendance. She’s made it past her mandatory schooling and was two years into her bachelorette’s degree in Collective Alogan Magic Studies. Once she got her degree she planned to further specialize in a specific field of magic though she still had yet to decide what she wanted to get her masters in. There were so many different magical studies out there. It felt nearly impossible to choose just one.

There wasn’t much of a consequence to the morning announcement, though Amity couldn’t help the prideful grin on her face when she saw her name at the top of the student leaderboard. Every morning they showed lists of the highest-performing GPA’s by year of study. Every year since the first grade Amity had seen her name at the top of her class.

There was of course the usual affairs as well. A warning about overdue library returns and a discussion of the familiar salon. Someone was hogging the pet shampoo. Nothing that concerned Amity. Samson didn’t use shampoo and did a fine job bathing himself.

It was only when the headmistress announced the final call for the annual student exchange program that Amity’s attention was captured.

“As you all know exchange students begin their six-week exchange study next Monday. Anyone who would like to apply for the program but has yet to still has until the end of the week but the window is closing fast.” Headmistress Altai warned.

It wasn’t her warning that caught Amity’s attention. She knew about the exchange program. The option was available every year for people who were above their mandatory school. The option to spend some time studying at one of the schools across the empire that Helia’s academy had partnered with. It was framed as a way for students to familiarize themselves with other cultures and styles of magic, though the program wasn’t very popular.

Why would it be? Helia’s academy was the most robust, well-funded, and elite magical academy in the empire. Trading schools, even if just for a few weeks, would be a downgrade. Of course, this also allowed students from other schools to come and study here for a few weeks. For those students, the program was an amazing opportunity. A chance to have access to resources they could only dream of. Amity supposed the program was good for that at least. Not that someone could do much with only six weeks of access to the school's faculties. 

No all of that was mundanity at this point. The program was nothing of note. What was of note was an image that flashed on the projector screen. One of the schools on the exchange list that so far no one had signed up for. It was a new addition to the list. One Amity had never seen before. Old Oak University. A small rickety-looking school in a small town to the south. All wood and only two stories. The roof coated in a thick layer of flowering moss and lichen. Amity almost felt her heart stop when she saw the shipped painting on the school's doors.

Two centaurs, holding a heart out between them. A mix of dingey old yellow and dark raspberry on weathered oak. 

“I’ll go!” Amity blurted out. Jumping up to raise her hand when the headmistress made the final call for Old Oak University.

The entire cafeteria all turned in their seats. All eyes were on Amity. The school’s start student, Helia’s apprentice, volunteering to study at a nothing school in a nowhere town.

“Oh?” The headmistress replied curiously. Looking down at Amity from her table. A spotlight shown on her to identify the student who volunteered. “Amity?” Headmistress Altai smiled wide to mask her surprise. “Our best and brightest. How wonderful. Who better to represent the capitol so far from home? I’m sure you’ll have lots to offer and lots to learn. I hear their ecological practices are some of the best in the nation. We look forward to seeing what new knowledge you bring home with you.” She praised sweetly.

Amity gave an awkward bow. Rushed and flustered. Flipping her hair in her face for a moment only to blow it out of the way as she righted herself again. “I’ll do my best Headmistress.” She replied.

The headmistress smiled and added Amity's name to the list before carrying on with the announcements. Amity shrug back down in her seat once the spotlight was off her and felt all her classmate's eyes boring holes into her. The whole table filled with astonished and confused faces.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

“I can't believe you're bailing on Ainsley's party at the last minute!” Samson huffed as he dragged the last of their bags up onto the platform.

“You don't understand Samson. I finally have a lead on these nightmares. There's something to them I just know it.” Amity insisted as she shifted through her notes. He had a book on Queen Epiales open on the bench beside her and her journal in her lap. “The town we're going to be studying is named after the forest it borders. The Garden of Eris. Rumor has it that's were the monsters of old used to be banished. Back before the thousand-year peace. No one knows where Epiales was laid to rest but what if she was banished to the garden too?” Amity speculated.

“You mean the town where you'll be studying.” Samson corrected as he plopped down on top of their stage of suitcases. “You don't really believe in monsters, do you? Why does it matter where Queen Epiales is buried? She's dead anyway.”

Amity examined her notes again. “I'm not so sure she is. There are so many myths about her return. Some say it'll happen during the next eclipse, or when the stars are aligned.”

“Those are just stories though.” Samson argued. “If any of them were true Queen Helia would know about it. I'm sure would have already plans just in case.”

“There you are. Thank Harmonia we made it in time!” Amity's mother huffed as she trotted up to them on the platform.

Earl pulled Amity out of her studies by yanking her under his arm and ruffling her mane. “Look at you, finally leaving that dusty old school.” He teased.

“Uhg, Earl stop!” Amity whined as she pulled away. Flustered, she hurried to pack her notes up in her saddle bag before her brother made a mess of them.

“Relax Amy I'm proud of you.” Earl reassured. “I think a bit of traveling will do you some good.”

“I just wish you hadn't sprung it on us so soon!” Their mother huffed. “Oh and we dropped off that gift for your friend by the way.” 

“Thanks mom.” Samson replied graciously.

“Anything for my precious foals.” Their mother cooed. Affectionately rubbing Samson's scaley head.

“And I brought snacks for the trip.” Their father interjected. Hovering a couple bags of homemade treats into Samson and Amity's laps.

“Sweet, rice krispies. Thanks dad.” Samson enthused once he checked the contents of his bag. 

Amity looked at the dried rice and marshmallow bars with their rainbow sprinkles and groaned. “Uhg, I'm not a filly anymore dad.” She whined.

“Oh, I know that.” Her father defended meekly. “But you're never too old for a taste of home.”

Amity sighed and took a begrudging bite of her rice krispy bar when she noticed the crowd at the train station begin to part. Folks were shrinking to the sidelines and whispering excitedly among each other. 

Amity recognized the wave of bodies. Heads bowing in sequence as the queen approached. She dropped her treat in the bag and hopped up to dust off her skirt before the queen even came into view. Bowing low and holding her skirt out. She watched the familiar warm light inch down the concrete till it touched her hoofs.

“Queen Helia.” Amity breathed. Despite being the queen’s protégé Amity wasn't sure she would ever get used to her presence. 

“Glad to see I haven't missed you.” Helia greeted warmly. “I couldn't let my favorite student leave town without seeing her off.” There was a faint playfulness to her voice. Motherly and kind.

Amity raised her head to take in her queen’s visage. Her sunburnt orange mane was pulled back behind a vibrant gold crown that circled her horn. A beautiful warm plumage of peacock feathers hovered just above the ground as she walked like a regal trail. Her gaze when she looked down on Amity was gentle and loving. The faint laugh lines and crow's feet on her face a testament both to her wisdom and her good nature. She stood tall, flanked on either side by personal guards.

“I didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye your highness.” Amity apologized.

Helia politely covered her lips as she chuckled. “Oh Amity, how many times do I have to tell you? Helia is plenty.” She teased.

“Right, right. Sorry Queen Helia.” Amity apologized as she straightened up and self-consciously adjusted her robe.

“My queen it is an absolute delight to see you as always.” Amity’s mother cooed. Placing her hands proudly on her daughter’s shoulder.

Earl saluted the queen. “My lady.” He greeted playfully.

“Earl Halflinger.” Helia nodded respectfully. “Come to see your sister off. How dutiful.” She praised sweetly. “You have a date tonight don’t you?” She asked. “Do be sure not to leave my grand niece waiting.”

Earl blushed a deep crimson and smiled shyly. “Wouldn’t dream of it, your highness.” He replied. Still holding his square-shouldered salute. 

“At ease soldier.” Helia laughed watching him sweat.

Earl dropped the salute and sighed with relief.

Amity wrung her hands together. Working up to courage to pull the queen aside to speak with her privately. “Uhm, e-excuse me. Queen Helia?” She asked meekly.

Helia looked back at Amity and blinked curiously. “Is there something you need?” She asked. Noticing Amity’s anxious fidgeting.

Amity combed her fingers through her hair. “I was wondering if you’ve received my recent letters.” She asked.

“Amity’s been really stressed out about a recent research project.” Samson blurted out between graceless bites of rice crispy. “She was hoping to ask you a few questions about Queen Epiales.”

Amity heard the curious and uncertain murmurs of the onlooking strangers. Of course, they would be eavesdropping. It wasn’t every day they had a chance to see the Queen in person. Though the population of the Canterbury weren’t total strangers to seeing the queen any onlooker would still be eager to pry into her personal affairs if given the chance.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I collected your letters but just haven’t had the time to read.” Helia apologized. Draping a hand over her heart. She took a step closer and extended her wing. Wrapping her grand feathers around Amity and pulling her in closer. Shielding her from the crowds as they stepped aside.

Helia projected a shield around them from her horn which blocked out the noise of the busy train station. Allowing her and Amity to speak freely without being overheard. “Samson says you have questions about Queen Epiales?” Helia asked. Her tone still sweet as it ever was. Like milk and honey from her lips. Still, there was some faint sadness in her eyes that Amity hadn’t seen before.

“Uhm, yes actually.” Amity cleared her throat. Trying not to dwell too heavily on the uncanny sorrow in her mentor's eyes. It was new and yet felt strangely familiar. Like the faintest glimmer of the hollow woman from her dreams. “I know it sounds silly but I’ve been having these nightmares lately-”

“Nightmares?” Helia interrupted curiously. Her brief sober tone quickly vanished as she giggled and was consumed once again by her usual good cheer. “Oh dear, you don’t really think The Nightmare Queen is behind them do you?” She teased. 

“But, but-” Amity stammered. Anxiously looked for some explanation to justify her fears. “Epiales is in every one of them. Every night for weeks.” She admitted. “It has to mean something.”

“Oh Amity.” 

That voice. Amity’s heart sank. She could tell by Helia’s voice that she wasn't going to be taken seriously. 

Helia touched the wrist of her wing to Amity’s chin and tilted her head up to face her. “I’m so sorry to hear you’ve been so distressed lately. I should have read your letters sooner.” Helia cooed softly. “I know nightmares can be frightening but they're only dreams my dear. You work too hard. You're stressed and overwhelmed my dear that's all.” Helia assured.

Amity felt hurt and small. Helia's reassurance should have been a comfort but it wasn't. “B-but the door-” Amity stammered out. Trying to put her worries to words. “I, I saw a door in my dreams and the same design on the front door of Old Oak University-”

“Shhh…” Helia soothed. Brushing Amity’s hair from her face. “The door is painted with Gardenville’s town flag. You’ve probably seen the design before on a map and forgot. Amity dear you’re a wonderful student but you need to step away from those old books.”

Amity looked down at her hooves. Tugging the strap of her saddle bag. “I just want to understand…” She replied weakly.

Helia lifted her chin to face her again. “I know you do. I know how curious and dedicated you are.” Amity’s mentor praised. “But there’s so much more for you to learn that you’ll never find in books. Maybe your dreams mean something, maybe they don’t, but you aren’t going to find your answers in books.” Helia warned.

Amity looked up at her and furrowed her brow. “But you have answers don’t you? Queen Epiales really is gone?”

Helia sighed softly through her nose. Looking down at Amity as though she were considering something. “I’ll make you a deal.” She offered. “You’ll commit to your exchange studies.” She prefaces. “And try to make some friends in Gardenville.” 

Amity screwed up her face. “What do friends have to do with any of this?” She questioned.

“You trust me don’t you?” Helia asked.

“Of course I trust you!” Amity rushed to correct. Afraid she might have offended her queen with her lack of faith.

Helia chuckled and leaned down to tap her horn against Amity’s. “Try and have fun for me. Make new friends. Look for new things to learn outside of the library.” She encouraged. Helia pulled back with a warm smile on her face. “Then when you can back you can ask me anything you want to know.”

“I’ll do my best, Your Majesty.” Amity replied softly. Attempting to sound more confident than she felt.

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

The train ride across country was long and tiring. Despite Helia’s warnings Amity couldn’t keep herself from flipping through her dream journal. Combing the books she brought with her. Still convinced something was wicked was coming. There was something about the way Helia had hesitated when she asked that left her wondering if her mentor knew what was going on. Perhaps she knew and was trying to keep Amity safe by dissuading her from asking too many questions.

Maybe she would be safer in this rural town to the south. Far away from the queen and her affairs. Far away from the mysterious wing of the castle that in her dreams had been adorned with Queen Epiales’s image. Samson tried to settle her nerves with small talk but Amity wasn’t keen on listening. Occasionally strangers would board the train at other stops and gawk at the dragon seated beside her. Amity was used to it by now. Dragons were a rare sight in Aloga. When they finally arrived at the train station the mare sent to collect them was just as astonished. 

“Oh dear Harmonia!” The mayor of the small town gasped when Samson stepped off the train behind Amity with their bags. “I-is that a dragon?!” She stammered. Taking a step back to clutch her pearls.

“He’s my assistant.” Amity explained dismissively as she put her journal away. She’d gotten tired over the years of having to introduce or explain Samson to people.

“How do you do Ma’am.” Samson greeted sweetly. Offering a clawed hand out to the older woman.

The older mare hesitantly reached out a hand to take Samson’s in the tips of her cloven fingers. “Mayor M'Bayar.” The woman introduced herself. She coughed and cleared her throat to get Amity’s attention. Attempting to distract from her discomfort around Samson. “This is our first year joining Helia’s exchange program. We were positively smitten to hear Queen Helia’s personal protégé would be attending our humble school.” She cooed.

The older mare held her hand out for Amity to shake. Amity looked at it for a moment and raised an eyebrow before granting her the same grace she’d granted to Samson. “I trust your facilities are up to standard.” Amity replied dryly as she shook the mayor’s hand in her fingertips. 

“Oh of course.” Mayor M’Brayar replied sheepishly. She recoiled her hand after the awkward shake to fluff her cloudy white perm. “I know it’s not as fancy as you must be used to but I do hope you enjoy your stay here.” She preened.

Mayor M’Brayar was a centaur who looked to be about in her sixties. The lack of a ring around her neck meant she was likely unmarried. A woman devoted to her job no doubt. She wore a smart though most suit in a very dull beige only a few shades lighter than her skin. A ring of cheap pearls around her neck. She wore a set of iron horseshoes. Looking at the dirt road that wound from the train station Amity realized she’d likely have to do a lot of walking in this nowhere town. Perhaps it would be best she invested in some new horseshoes herself.

“We’ll see.” Amity replied dryly. She gestured with her horn down the dirt path. “Well, you’re our guide, lead the way then.”

“Oh yes, right this way.” Mayor M’Brayar chuckled nervously. Trotting along down the steps of the brick platform and along the dirt path. 

Amity levitated a few of their bags with her magic to carry along behind her as they walked. Leaving Samson with the lighter load. 

⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆

Samson did his best to be friendly and talkative as the mayor led them through town and showed them the sights. Amity was less impressed. Acutely aware of the startled and at times horrified stares of onlookers watching a young dragon pass them by. The town was more lively than Amity had expected but still small. Once they made it into the town proper dirt paths gave way to cobblestone roads. Locals pulled carts behind them to the town's marketplace. Shops were marked more with symbols than with names. The buildings were old and in many places overgrown with greenery. 

“And this here is the town square.” Mayor M’Brayar introduced. Waving about the space with her hands in an attempt to show off the town’s meager infrastructure as if it were something of note. “That there is the town hall. If you two need anything while you’re here don’t be a stranger.” The mayor chirped.

Samson looked up at the statue in the town's enter. A figure sat on an open lotus that poured water from its petals into the fountain pool around it. “Is that Queen Gia?” Samson asked politely.

“Oh, yes, yes it is.” Mayor M’Brayar replied with a smile. Still uncomfortable with Samson’s presence but the longer the tour had gone on the more at ease she had grown. With Samson regularly asking polite questions and praising the town's beauty in contrast to Amity’s indifference, it was no surprise the mayor had grown more fond of him. Despite whatever preconceived notions she had about dragons Samson’s friendly enthusiasm had to be reassuring. 

“As you know the southern province used to be the territory of Queen Gia. Harmonia rest her soul. In the wake of her passing so many centuries ago our town erected this statue in her honor. As an agrarian community, we have a long history of cherishing our queen. Her statue is kept in pristine condition and we keep a temple in her honor at the top of that hill just to the west.” 

The mayor pointed to a tall hill that overlooked the rest of the town. Squinting against the glare of the setting sun Amity could just make out Gia’s temple. Amity has seen plenty of temples in her day. Growing up in the capitol that had temples for all the daughters of Harmonia. Grand spectacular temples kept by devoted nuns. This town’s temple was hardly impressive by comparison. 

“She’s beautiful.” Samson praised. Stepping closer to observe the statue in the town’s center. He smiled back at the mayor. “We’ll be sure to leave her an offering at the temple when we have the time.”

“I’m sure she’ll be very pleased.” The mayor replied sweetly. She ushered Amity and Samson along. “Come now, the school is this way.” She directed.

Sure enough, the university was only a short trot from the town square. It looked just like the picture Amity saw on the projector. Modest, two-story, wide and stout. The roof overgrown with moss and lichen. Flowers and vines dripping down from the awnings. The front door looked just like it had in Amity’s dream. She’s seen the town's flag waving in front of town hall with the same symbol but seeing it painted on the door was another thing entirely. It sent an odd chill through her seeing the fading and chipped paint on the old oak door.

“Here she is.” The mayor beamed as she led Amity and Samson up to the door. “It’s late so classes have ended for the day but you’ll meet the teachers as they come and go.” She unlocked the school’s door with a key from a cluttered key ring she kept on her hip. “Library and classrooms are downstairs, dorms and student accommodations are upstairs. We don’t currently have any students living in the dorm besides you two so you’ll be responsible for locking up at the end of the day.” The mayor told them.

Amity swallowed a thick knot in her throat. Frozen in place as she watched the door slowly creek open. Some part of her half expected the monster from her dreams to step out of the school's shadows. Instead, the mayor simply swung the creepy double doors open with a smile and gestured to the front room inside. 

“Amity?” Samson prodded gently when he noticed Amity’s reluctance to move.

Amity shook her head as if broken from a trance and followed the mayor inside. “Yes, of course.” She replied stiffly. Accepting the key the mayor took off her ring to offer her and tucking it into her pocket.

The front room contained a set of stairs leading up to the dorms. Hallways branched off on either side. In the center was a bulletin board that contained a class schedule and a couple of flyers for local events. 

“Classrooms are that way, library is that way.” The mayor gestures from the left hall to the right. “There’s 4 dorm rooms. You two can pick whichever ones you like it’s co-ed.” She explained.

Amity nodded. “Thank you.” She dropped the suitcases she’d been carrying with her magic and led the thunk to the floor. The fatigue of her long trip and the subsequent town tour sinking in. “I don’t think we’ll need any help settling in.” She told the mayor. Not turning to look at her. Too busy inspecting the details of the wood panled walls and carved spandrels.

“Thank you for the tour Mayor M’Brayar.” Samson gushed. “Your town is lovely.”

“Aw, aren’t you a sweetheart?” The mayor cooed. She sighed and made her way back to the door. “Well, I’m sure you two must be exhausted. I’ll just leave you be then. Sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite, may Helia bless your dreams tonight.” She chimed as she left. Shutting the heavy wooden doors behind her.

Amity stood frozen in the foyer. She’s heard that jingling poem plenty of times before. She grew up hearing it from her father when he tucker her in at night. Strangely she didn’t find any comfort in it now. Samson came over and placed a clawed hand on her shoulder.

“It’s been a long day. It’s our first night sleeping so far from home.” Samson observed.

Amity looked back at him and he offered her a gentle smile. “I know they have extra dorms, but Is it ok if I sleep in your room with you tonight?” He asked softly.

Amity could tell he was offering for her sake more than his. He knew she was anxious in a new place so far from home. Still struggling with chronic nightmares.

“Yeah, I think I’d like that.” Amity replied softly. “Thanks Samson.” 

[starsfic]

Refugees

Summary: The kingdom of Bright Moon receives two visitors.

For @crossover-ships-brainrot's Crossover Week!

Day 1 SFW- Amity Blight/Adora, Secret Relationship, Royalty, “I didn’t know where else to go.”

Serving under Queen Angella was a much different experience than serving under Queen Odalia.

It was a nice different, Darius had to say. Bright Moon’s queen actually liked her subjects and didn’t just see them as a source of funds like the Blight queen did. He felt safe here. Yes, occasionally he felt homesick and Princess Glimmer could cause chaos, but that was life. Glimmer was almost a perfect replacement for the Blight twins.

Not for the youngest Blight girl, standing in the throne room with a blonde girl’s arm protectively wrapped around her shoulders. “My apologies, your Majesty,” the blonde said. “I didn’t know where else to go. The Blight kingdom was no longer safe for me and my partner.”

Angella had been staring at the blonde with a look of surprise. She closed her mouth and took a deep breath. “Adora, when you first came under my roof, I promised you that you would always be safe here. No matter how long it’s been, you are always safe.” Her eyes drifted towards the princess. “However, I have to ask why Princess Amity was no longer safe in her home.”

Amity reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. “I have a letter explaining everything that I am supposed to give to you and Advisor Deamonne.” She held it up. Angella glanced at him and Darius stepped forward, taking the letter. “It’s a pleasure to see you, Advisor.”

“It is a pleasure to see you as well, Princess.” Darius had saw an excellent queen in her when he had worked in the Blight kingdom. It might’ve been too hasty a call, since she had been fourteen at the time, but Darius could still see that talent and energy in her. He glanced down at the letter and raised a brow. “This is Alador’s seal.”

“Yes,” the princess nodded. “He’s the one who arranged this.”

“Still,” Angella spoke up, her cool voice a breaker in the “nice” conversation. “I would like to hear your version of the story.”

Amity and Adora exchanged looks and the princess nodded. The blonde took a deep breath. “My mother caught us having a secret relationship.” The words sounded professional, but Darius’s eye caught how her hands were trembling. Before Amity gave her hand a squeeze, at least. “The queen preferred us to have a professional relationship, considering how I am her daughter’s guard.” A few brows raised but Adora continued on. “King Alador feared bloodshed, so he and Prince Edric and Princess Emira smuggled us out of the kingdom.” She took a deep breath. “He hoped you would shelter at least the princess.”

Angella nodded and glanced at Darius. “By bloodshed, was he fearing an incident similar to Luz Noceda?”

Amity’s breath hitched and Darius found himself biting his lip.

Luz Noceda was a symbol of rebellion in the Blight Kingdom. She had been the adopted daughter of a rebel leader, using her position as the niece of Amity’s teacher to neak inside the palace to get information about the royal family. Along the way, however, she and the princess, both fourteen, had fallen in love.

Luz Noceda had been the first put to death when the rebels were captured.

(Rumors said that Odalia made Amity watch.)

“Yes.” Amity spoke up. Despite the great emotional pain she must’ve been feeling, she nodded. “He did.”

Angella nodded. “I see.” Her great wings spread as she stood. “We will send an official declaration when the sun rises, but Amity Blight, you are officially a ward of Bright Moon.”

Adora smiled, pulling Amity close and kissing her brow.

“Thank you, your Majesty.”

[missallanea-a]

@arcencielreve : ❛ can’t sleep? ❜ (Raven @ Amity)

"Something like that, yeah." 

Tearing her gaze away from the window, Amity turns to face Raven with a half-hearted smile. It was silly, to feel like this : it wasn't as if this was the farthest she'd ever been from home or anything crazy like that. It wasn't even necessarily that she missed home. This place was just... so different from what she was used to.

"Don't get me wrong, this whole school exchange program has been... eye-opening." ( to put it mildly ) "It's just... I guess I've been thinking about how this place reminds me of home. Like, how my mom has this whole life planned out for me, and... I'm not sure any of it is really what I want to do."

Not to mention, being a witch in a school full of princesses lead to some... misunderstandings. Most of which she's certain Raven would understand. "Also some girl today asked if I've ever made a magic potion to curse someone, and when I told her that's a whole different school track, she looked at me like I grew a second head."

an assortment of dialogue prompts

[doodleferp]

True to my word, Aren is not the only fankid I have up my sleeve. Tonight, I bring you a half-breed hellion from the depths of Wrath.

If you had asked Madds about where she thought she’d end up in life, becoming the wife of an Icon was not what she’d have said — much less becoming a parent. In spite of her own reservations, her husband was adamant that they make themselves an heir…though he was at least considerate enough to give her time to open up to her fate. After an uncomfortable pregnancy in a sweltering palace, her daughter was yoinked into the world and let out a scream that made a servant drop on the spot and impress the hell out of her baby daddy.

Now in her preteens, Amity is just as loud and proud as her father. While she’s not quite fluent in caps lock yet, she’s slowly getting there with time. She has trouble making friends outside the Ring, though, and meetings with her mother’s family always come with someone getting bit, scratched, punched, etc. And quite honestly, the young princess feels torn. She wants to make her mother happy and find her own healthy boundaries, but at the same time, she's worried that dialing it back means she'll be failing her father. It doesn't help that her entire future is banking on her output of rage.

She just needs a hug. And therapy. And a very durable force field between her and her therapist for their own protection.

Amity's father belongs to the lovely @eldritch-spouse -- and his masterlist can be found here. Amity herself is not canon to the TCE lore in any way.

[lilmcttens]

@hello--willow

[kakashi-fangirl-ita-blog]

*GASPS* The Golden Guard?? He's a lot... scrawnier than I imagined

cit. Amity Blight

[aliverse]

Gonna start The Owl House all over again despite just finishing it so that I can think more about my oc :)))

[yuu-should-probably-not]

DpxDc- Mythology is vastly different then the truth

When sealing Pariah Dark again in the coffin Danny didn't realize that the Infinite Realms decided that it made the two equals in power since Danny didn't shatter Pariah's core.

The observants basically declare since they are now equal in power Pariah is to be released, which in turn makes Pariah head directly to Danny who was hanging out with Sam and Tucker.

Danny gets kidnapped in broad daylight making all of Team Phantom panic as he is taken to Pariah's haunt.

Being dragged into the Infinite Realms Danny starts demanding answers before they start fighting through Clockwork's tower making Pariah and Phantom travel through ancient times.

Clockwork appears in front of the two ghosts enraged, with all the damage Pariah took from Danny all that it took was one strike from Clockwork to make him return to his core. Clockwork then turned to Danny before swallowing Pariah's core.

"Daniel this is as far as I can hold him off but be warned, since Pariah is king of basically the Underworld, you being in the same power scale will be seen either as another king or a queen. In ghostly terms you two are married."

Danny, rightfully horrified tries to return to his time only to see the world is very different, Amity Park doesn't exist, in its place is a place called Central City, the ghosts from the realms were seen as gods/titans with different names: Clockwork was Kronos, Undergrowth was Demeter, Vortex was Zeus, Ghostwriter was Athena, Skulker was Artemis, Technus was Hephaestus,ect.

But Danny kept searching for his family in this new timeline until he found Diana, Ellie's counterpart, freezing in horror as his clone/daughter/sister/cousin Diana calls him "Auntie Persephone"

I'm not good at writing my thoughts but since dc isn't consistent with the actual mythology I decided to mash Clockwork is Kronos au, Ghost Queen Danny au, and Diana is Dani au. Probably not going to finish this so... 🤷

[theglamorousferal]

DPxDC is a fandom in and of itself now. I think we've established that.

It's probably the only fandom I am so avidly a reader of such wildly different things.

I ship Danny with two of the Batboys and also their dad.

I can't think of a ship as good as Jazz/Jason for either of those two characters.

I am obsessed with the demon twins aus where Danny is Damian's twin. I'm obsessed also with my personal thought that it's Sam that's Damian's twin.

I am obsessed with Amity Parkers showing up and just chaos happening.

The Fenton children getting adopted by any number of different villains or heroes. (But especially the villains).

I am here for reincarnation aus, whether it be Danny reincarnated as a batboy, a formerly inviable clone, Thomas Wayne. More Sam Reincarnated as Harley and Ivy's daughter, Martha Wayne, an avatar for the Green. More Pharaoh Tucker, reincarnated as a modern techno-wizard.

Queen Regent Jazz. Queen Regent Maddie. Queen consort Jack. High Prince Danny. Princess Ellie. Prince Dante. Duke Vlad? Plant Queen Sam. Pharaoh Tucker. Ghost Royalty Amity Parkers.

I'm here for Jazz raising de-aged Danny, perhaps also with Ellie and Dante. I'm here for Danny raising de-aged Ellie and Dante. I'm here for de-aged anything really, the thought of being able to re-live childhood marginally better with the knowledge of myself I have now that is just too compelling for me.

I'm here for Danny being an immortal ancient being that the JLD call in during hopeless situations or situation involving direct citizens of his domain. I'm here for him pretending to be an ancient being when summoned.

I'm here for unknowable eldritch Danny. Unknowable eldritch Amity Parkers in general.

I'm here for Just Some Guy ^TM Danny. He has shit luck and is found everywhere by all the vigilantes of whichever city we've dropped him in. He is also an impossibly powerful person who could easily KO the JLA's heavy hitters in minutes.

I just can't get enough of any sort of anything in this crossover. Just everything I can get my grubby little hands on I am here for.

[meanqueens]

The Real Alicent Hightower

(or, a compilation of every passage in George R. R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood” pertaining to her character)

(unless i missed something, in which case please let me know and i can update this post!)

disclaimer: my goal was not to include every time her name was mentioned, but rather to highlight everything that could be indicative of her actual character (i.e. things that she did or were done to/said about her). for full contexts and details regarding other characters, i highly recommend reading F&B yourself.

Heirs of the Dragon—A Question of Succession

“Ser Otto brought his wife and children to court with him, and served King Jaehaerys faithfully for the years remaining to him. As the Old King’s strength and wits began to fail, he was oft confined to his bed. Ser Otto’s precocious fifteen-year-old daughter, Alicent, became his constant companion, fetching His Grace his meals, reading to him, helping him to bathe and dress himself. The Old King sometimes mistook her for one of his daughters, calling her by their names; near the end, he grew certain she was his daughter Saera, returned to him from beyond the narrow sea. In the year 103 AC King Jaehaerys I Targaryen died in his bed as Lady Alicent was reading to him from Septon Barth’s Unnatural History.” “Another woman had caught his eye. He announced his intention to wed Lady Alicent of House Hightower, the clever and lovely eighteen-year-old daughter of the King’s Hand, the girl who had read to King Jaehaerys as he lay dying. The Hightowers of Oldtown were an ancient and noble family, of impeccable lineage; there could be no possible objection to the king’s choice of bride. Even so, there were those who murmured that the Hand had risen above himself, that he had brought his daughter to court with this in mind. A few even cast doubt on Lady Alicent’s virtue, suggesting she had welcomed King Viserys into her bed even before Queen Aemma’s death. (These calumnies were never proved, though Mushroom repeats them in his Testimony and goes so far as to claim that reading was not the only service Lady Alicent performed for the Old King in his bedchamber.)”

“When King Viserys took Alicent Hightower to wife in 106 AC, House Velaryon was notable for its absence. Princess Rhaenyra poured for her stepmother at the feast, and Queen Alicent kissed her and named her “daughter.” The princess was amongst the women who disrobed the king and delivered him to the bedchamber of his bride.” "...mummers and singers heralded the birth of each new Targaryen princeling. Queen Alicent had soon proved to be as fertile as she was pretty. In 107 AC, she bore the king a healthy son, naming him Aegon, after the Conqueror. Two years later, she produced a daughter for the king, Helaena; in 110 AC, she bore him a second son, Aemond, who was said to be half the size of his elder brother, but twice as fierce." "“Ser Criston protects the princess from her enemies, but who protects the princess from Ser Criston?” Queen Alicent asked one day at court. The amity between Her Grace and her stepdaughter had proved short-lived, for both Rhaenyra and Alicent aspired to be the first lady of the realm…and though the queen had given the king not one but two male heirs, Viserys had done nothing to change the order of succession." "Still, questions persisted, not the least from Queen Alicent herself. Loudest amongst her supporters was her father, Ser Otto Hightower, Hand of the King." "Even after Ser Otto had returned to Oldtown, a “queen’s party” still existed at court; a group of powerful lords friendly to Queen Alicent and supportive of the rights of her sons. Against them was pitted the “party of the princess.” King Viserys loved both his wife and daughter, and hated conflict and contention. He strove all his days to keep the peace between his women, and to please both with gifts and gold and honors."

"In 111 AC, a great tourney was held at King’s Landing on the fifth anniversary of the king’s marriage to Queen Alicent. At the opening feast, the queen wore a green gown, whilst the princess dressed dramatically in Targaryen red and black. Note was taken, and thereafter it became the custom to refer to “greens” and “blacks” when talking of the queen’s party and the party of the princess, respectively. In the tourney itself, the blacks had much the better of it when Ser Criston Cole, wearing Princess Rhaenyra’s favor, unhorsed all of the queen’s champions, including two of her cousins and her youngest brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower."

"Though [Daemon] treated Queen Alicent with all the courtesy due her station, there was no warmth between them, and men said that the prince was notably cool toward her children, especially his nephews, Aegon and Aemond, whose birth had pushed him still lower in the order of succession."

"...entertained [Rhaenyra] by making mock of the greens at court, the “lickspittles” fawning over Queen Alicent and her children."

"Others assert that it was at Queen Alicent’s urging that Viserys sent Daemon away."

"Queen Alicent had her own candidate: her eldest son, Prince Aegon, Rhaenyra’s half-brother. But Aegon was a boy, the princess ten years his elder. Moreover, the two half-siblings had never gotten on well. “All the more reason to bind them together in marriage,” the queen argued. Viserys did not agree. “The boy is Alicent’s own blood,” he told Lord Strong. “She wants him on the throne.”"

"(The princess always took care to refer to Queen Alicent’s sons as half-brothers, never as brothers.)"

"Denied Rhaenyra’s favor, Criston Cole turned to Queen Alicent instead. Wearing her token, the young Lord Commander of the Kingsguard defeated all challengers, fighting in a black fury."

"King Viserys was most wroth as well; a joyous celebration had become the occasion of grief and recrimination. It was said that Queen Alicent did not share his displeasure, however; soon after, she asked that Ser Criston Cole be made her personal protector. The coolness between the king’s wife and the king’s daughter was plain for all to see; even envoys from the Free Cities made note of it in letters sent back to Pentos, Braavos, and Old Volantis."

"The court was still rejoicing over the birth of the princess’s child when her stepmother, Queen Alicent, also went into labor, delivering Viserys his third son, Daeron…whose coloring, unlike that of Jace, testified to his dragon blood. By royal command, the infants Jacaerys Velaryon and Daeron Targaryen shared a wet nurse until weaned. It was Said that the king hoped to prevent any enmity between the two boys by raising them as milk brothers. If so, his hopes proved to be sadly forlorn."

"...King Viserys was delighted with him when the child was presented at court. These feelings were not shared by his queen. “Do keep trying,” Queen Alicent told Ser Laenor, according to Mushroom, “soon or late, you may get one who looks like you.” And the rivalry between the greens and blacks grew deeper, finally reaching the point where the queen and the princess could scarce suffer each other’s presence. Thereafter Queen Alicent kept to the Red Keep, whilst the princess spent her days on Dragonstone..."

"According to Mushroom, this only served to deepen her resentment of her stepmother, Queen Alicent, who remained slender and graceful at half again her age. The sins of the fathers are oft visited on the sons, wise men have said; and so it is for the sins of mothers as well. The enmity between Queen Alicent and Princess Rhaenyra was passed on to their sons, and the queen’s three boys, the Princes Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron, grew to be bitter rivals of their Velaryon nephews, resentful of them for having stolen what they regarded as their birthright: the Iron Throne itself."

"His father and mother would never allow him to go near Vhagar, Aemond knew, much less try to ride her. So he made certain they did not know..."

"...these courtesies did not appease their vengeful mothers. Queen Alicent demanded that one of Lucerys Velaryon’s eyes should be put out, for the eye he had cost Aemond. Princess Rhaenyra would have none of that, but insisted that Prince Aemond should be questioned “sharply”..."

"His Grace further commanded his wife and daughter to kiss and exchange vows of love and affection. But their false smiles and empty words deceived no one but the king."

"King Viserys further decreed that Queen Alicent and her sons would return with him to court, whilst Princess Rhaenyra confined herself to Dragonstone with her sons."

"...bringing the princess and her sons back to King’s Landing, where more conflict with the queen and her own brood would have been inevitable."

"In King’s Landing, however, Queen Alicent grew most wroth when she learned the babe had been named Aegon, taking that for a slight against her own son Aegon…which, according to The Testimony of Mushroom, it most certainly was."

"The princess and the queen were both commanded to attend, with all their children. In a show of amity, each woman wore the other’s color and many declarations of love were made, to the king’s great pleasure. Prince Daemon raised a cup to Ser Otto Hightower and thanked him for his leal service as Hand. Ser Otto in turn spoke of the prince’s courage, whilst Alicent’s children and Rhaenyra’s greeted one another with kisses and broke bread together at table. Or so the court chronicles record."

"Queen Alicent, however, insisted that the princess and her maester had mutilated His Grace unnecessarily. Had they not “meddled,” she claimed, Grand Maester Mellos would surely have saved the king’s fingers as well as his life. She urged the appointment of one Maester Alfador, presently in service at the Hightower. Viserys, beset from both sides, chose neither, reminding both the princess and the queen that the choice was not his to make."

The Dying of the Dragons—The Blacks and the Greens

"The servant ran to inform Queen Alicent, whose apartments were on the floor below the king’s. Septon Eustace, writing on these events some years later, points out that the manservant delivered his dire tidings directly to the queen, and her alone, without raising a general alarum. Eustace does not believe this was wholly fortuitous; the king’s death had been anticipated for some time, he argues, and Queen Alicent and her party, the so-called greens, had taken care to instruct all of Viserys’s guards and servants in what to do when the day came. (The dwarf Mushroom suggests a more sinister scenario, whereby Queen Alicent hurried King Viserys on his way with a pinch of poison in his hippocras. It must be noted that Mushroom was not in King’s Landing the night the king died, but rather on Dragonstone, in service with Princess Rhaenyra.) Queen Alicent went at once to the king’s bedchamber, accompanied by Ser Criston Cole, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Once they had confirmed that Viserys was dead, Her Grace ordered his room sealed and placed under guard. The serving man who had found the king’s body was taken into custody, to make certain he did not spread the tale. Ser Criston returned to White Sword Tower and sent his brothers of the Kingsguard to summon the members of the king’s small council. It was the hour of the owl."

"The council convened in the queen’s apartments within Maegor’s Holdfast."

"Gathering in the queen’s chambers as the body of her lord husband grew cold above were Queen Alicent herself..."

"“Mayhaps Her Grace the queen would care to write the message, so as to soften these sad tidings with some words of condolence?”"

"“King,” insisted Queen Alicent. “The Iron Throne by rights must pass to His Grace’s eldest trueborn son.”"

"“My own head will be the first cut off, I do not doubt, but your queen, my daughter, will soon follow.” Queen Alicent echoed him. “Nor will they spare my children,” she declared. “Aegon and his brothers are the king’s trueborn sons, with a better claim to the throne than her brood of bastards. Daemon will find some pretext to put them all to death. Even Helaena and her little ones. One of these Strongs put out Aemond’s eye, never forget. He was a boy, aye, but the boy is the father to the man, and bastards are monstrous by nature.”"

"“Mayhaps the whore will die in childbirth,” Queen Alicent is reported to have said (according to Mushroom)."

"And so each of the conspirators slashed their palms and clasped hands with one another, swearing brotherhood. Queen Alicent alone amongst them was excused from the oath, on account of her womanhood. Dawn was breaking over the city before Queen Alicent dispatched the Kingsguard to bring her sons Aegon and Aemond to the council. (Prince Daeron, the youngest and gentlest of her children, was in Oldtown, serving as Lord Hightower’s squire.)"

"Ravens flew, but not to Dragonstone. They went instead to Oldtown, to Casterly Rock, to Riverrun, to Highgarden, and to many other lords and knights whom Queen Alicent had cause to think might be sympathetic to her son."

"“Then we must see that [Borros Baratheon] leads [the lesser storm lords] to our king,” Queen Alicent declared. Whereupon she sent for her second son."

"...Queen Alicent knew they could delay no longer. Prince Aegon had grown weary of secrecy. “Am I a king or no?” he demanded of his mother. “If I am king, then crown me.”"

"His mother, Queen Alicent, beloved of the smallfolk, placed her own crown upon the head of her daughter, Helaena, Aegon’s wife and sister. After kissing her cheeks, the mother knelt before the daughter, bowed her head, and said, “My Queen.”"

"...Queen Alicent had ordered Viserys’s crown locked away..."

"The princess shrieked curses all through her labor, calling down the wrath of the gods upon her half-brothers and their mother, the queen, and detailing the torments she would inflict upon them before she would let them die."

"[Rhaenyra's] first act as queen was to declare Ser Otto Hightower and Queen Alicent traitors and rebels."

"But when the two queens—his mother, Queen Alicent, and his wife, Queen Helaena— spoke in favor of Orwyle’s proposal, the truculent king gave way reluctantly. So Grand Maester Orwyle was dispatched across Blackwater Bay under a peace banner..."

The Dying of the Dragons—A Son for a Son

"Queen Alicent went pale when she heard what [Aemond] had done, crying, “Mother have mercy on us all.”"

"Unbeknownst to King Aegon, the Hand, or the Queen Dowager, [Daemon] had allies at court as well, even on the green council…"

"Instead they slipped into [Otto's] daughter’s chambers, one floor below. Queen Alicent had taken up residence there after the death of King Viserys, when her son Aegon moved into Maegor’s Holdfast with his own queen. Once inside, Cheese bound and gagged the Dowager Queen whilst Blood strangled her bedmaid. Then they settled down to wait, for they knew it was the custom of Queen Helaena to bring her children to see their grandmother every evening before bed."

"As they entered the apartments, Helaena was holding his little hand and calling out her mother’s name."

"Queen Alicent had commanded Larys Clubfoot to learn [Blood's] true name, so that she might bathe in the blood of his wife and children, but our sources do not say if this occurred."

"The king had no recourse but to take the boy from [Helaena] and give him over to their mother, the Dowager Queen Alicent, to raise as if he were her own."

The Dying of the Dragons—The Red Dragon and the Gold

"Though his mother, the Dowager Queen Alicent, spoke up in Ser Otto’s defense, His Grace turned a deaf ear to her pleading."

"...thousands left King’s Landing afterward, until the Dowager Queen Alicent ordered the city gates closed and barred."

"None was allowed to disturb [Aegon II's] rest, save his mother the Queen Dowager and his Hand, Ser Criston Cole."

"The Queen Dowager favored caution as well, urging her son to wait until his brother the king and his dragon, Sunfyre the Golden, were healed, so they might join the attack."

"...it fell to his mother, the Queen Dowager, to see to the city’s defenses. Queen Alicent rose to the challenge, closing the gates of castle and city, sending the gold cloaks to the walls, and dispatching riders on swift horses to find Prince Aemond and fetch him back. As well, she commanded Grand Maester Orwyle to send ravens to “all our leal lords,” summoning them to the defense of their true king."

"Queen Alicent’s riders got no farther than the gates, where more gold cloaks took them into custody. Unbeknownst to Her Grace, the seven captains commanding the gates, chosen for their loyalty to King Aegon, had been imprisoned or murdered the moment Caraxes appeared in the sky above the Red Keep..."

"Upon seeing that resistance was hopeless, the Dowager Queen Alicent emerged from Maegor’s Holdfast with her father, Ser Otto Hightower..."

"...Queen Alicent attempted to treat with her stepdaughter. “Let us together summon a great council, as the Old King did in days of old,” said the Dowager Queen, “and lay the matter of succession before the lords of the realm.” But Queen Rhaenyra rejected the proposal with scorn. “Do you mistake me for Mushroom?” she asked. “We both know how this council would rule.” Then she bade her stepmother choose: yield or burn. Bowing her head in defeat, Queen Alicent surrendered the keys to the castle and ordered her knights and men-at-arms to lay down their swords. “The city is yours, Princess,” she is reported to have said, “but you will not hold it long. The rats play when the cat is gone, but my son Aemond will return with fire and blood.”"

"Not even the Dowager Queen seemed to know where [Aegon II, Jaehaera, Maelor, Willis Fell, Rickard Thorne] had gone..."

The Dying of the Dragons—Rhaenyra Triumphant

"Queen Alicent was fettered at wrist and ankle with golden chains, though her stepdaughter spared her life “for the sake of our father, who loved you once.” Her own father was less fortunate."

"The Sea Snake proposed to let the Faith take charge of Dowager Queen Alicent and Queen Helaena, so that they might spend the remainder of their lives in prayer and contemplation."

"Words of these plans soon reached the ears of the Dowager Queen, filling her with terror. Fearing for her sons, Queen Alicent went to the Iron Throne upon her knees, to plead for peace. This time the Queen in Chains put forth the notion that the realm might be divided; Rhaenyra would keep King’s Landing and the crownlands, the North, the Vale of Arryn, all the lands watered by the Trident, and the isles. To Aegon II would go the stormlands, the westerlands, and the Reach, to be ruled from Oldtown. Rhaenyra rejected her stepmother’s proposal with scorn. “Your sons might have had places of honor at my court if they had kept faith,” Her Grace declared, “but they sought to rob me of my birthright, and the blood of my sweet sons is on their hands.” “Bastard blood, shed at war,” Alicent replied. “My son’s sons were innocent boys, cruelly murdered. How many more must die to slake your thirst for vengeance?” The Dowager Queen’s words only fanned the fire of Rhaenyra’s wroth. “I will hear no more lies,” she warned. “Speak again of bastardy, and I will have your tongue out.” Or so the tale is told by Septon Eustace. Munkun says the same in his True Telling. Here again Mushroom differs. The dwarf would have us believe that Rhaenyra ordered her stepmother’s tongue torn out at once, rather than merely threatening this. It was only a word from Lady Misery that stayed her hand, the fool insists; the White Worm proposed another, crueler punishment. King Aegon’s wife and mother were taken in chains to a certain brothel, and there sold to any man who wished to have his pleasure of them. The price was high; a golden dragon for Queen Alicent, three dragons for Queen Helaena, who was younger and more beautiful. Yet Mushroom says there were many in the city who thought that cheap for carnal knowledge of a queen. “Let them remain there until they are with child,” Lady Misery is purported to have said. “They speak of bastards so freely, let them each have one for their very own.”"

"...word of battle and betrayal at Tumbleton had reached King’s Landing. It is said the Dowager Queen Alicent laughed when she heard. “All they have sowed, now shall they reap,” she promised."

The Dying of the Dragons—Rhaenyra Overthrown

"If Rhaenyra were intent on murder, surely it would have been the Dowager Queen Alicent flung down onto the spikes."

"When Dowager Queen Alicent was informed of her daughter’s passing, she rent her garments and pronounced a dire curse upon her rival."

"Both were on hand the next day to bear witness as Ser Perkin’s gangling squire Trystane mounted the Iron Throne. So too was the Queen Dowager, Alicent of House Hightower."

The Dying of the Dragons—The Short, Sad Reign of Aegon II

"And so the Clubfoot was dispatched across the river under a flag of truce, accompanied by Grand Maester Orwyle and the Dowager Queen Alicent."

"There Queen Alicent received the glad news that her grandaughter Jaehaera, the only surviving child of her son Aegon and daughter Helaena, had been delivered safely to Storm’s End by Ser Willis Fell of the Kingsguard. The Dowager Queen wept tears of joy. Betrayals and betrothals followed, until an accord was reached between Lord Borros, Lord Larys, and Queen Alicent, with Grand Maester Orwyle as witness."

"Queen Alicent agreed that her son King Aegon would make Lady Cassandra, Lord Borros’s eldest daughter, his new queen."

"“[Corlys Velaryon] is traitor thrice over,” Queen Alicent said. “Rhaenyra could never have taken King’s Landing but for him. His Grace my son will not have forgotten. I want him dead.”"

"...the golden dragon banner of King Aegon II raised in their stead. Queen Alicent herself emerged from the Red Keep to bid [Borros Baratheon] welcome, with Ser Perkin the Flea beside her."

"Queen Alicent proclaimed a curfew, making it unlawful to be on the city streets after dark."

"Behind the walls of the Red Keep, the Dowager Queen Alicent and Lord Larys Strong had offered the Sea Snake his freedom, a full pardon for his treasons, and a place on the king’s small council if he would bend his knee to Aegon II as his king and deliver them the swords and sails of Driftmark."

"Queen Alicent was outraged by Lord Velaryon’s “arrogance,” Munkun tells us, especially his demand that Queen Rhaenyra’s Aegon be named as heir to her own Aegon. She had suffered the loss of two of her three sons and her only daughter during the Dance, and could not bear the thought that any of her rival’s sons should live. Angrily, Her Grace reminded Lord Corlys that she had twice proposed terms of peace to Rhaenyra, only to have her overtures rejected with scorn. It fell to Lord Larys the Clubfoot to pour oil on the troubled waters, calming the queen with a quiet reminder of all they had discussed in Lord Baratheon’s tent, and persuading her to consent to the Sea Snake’s proposals. The next day Lord Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, knelt before Queen Alicent as she sat upon the lower steps of the Iron Throne, as proxy for her son, and there pledged the king his loyalty and that of his house. Before the eyes of gods and men, the Queen Dowager granted him and his a royal pardon, and restored him to his old place on the small council, as admiral and master of ships."

"Urged on by his mother, the Queen Dowager Alicent, Aegon II was determined to exact vengeance upon those who had betrayed and deposed him."

"If the rebels could flaunt a dragon and the loyalists could not, Queen Alicent pointed out, smallfolk might see their foes as more legitimate."

"Queen Alicent had reluctantly agreed to the betrothal of her granddaughter to Rhaenyra’s son, but she had done so without the king’s consent. Aegon II had other ideas."

"When Queen Alicent demured, wondering aloud how Lord Corlys could possibly be won back after all that had been said that day, Lord Strong replied, “That task you may leave to me, Your Grace. His lordship will listen to me, I daresay.”"

"His mother entertained no such hope. “You fed [Aegon III's] mother to your dragon,” she reminded her son. “The boy saw it all.” The king turned to her desperately. “What would you have me do?” “You have hostages,” the Queen Dowager replied. “Cut off one of the boy’s ears and send it to Lord Tully. Warn them he will lose another part for every mile they advance.”"

"Queen Alicent was arrested on the serpentine steps as she made her way back to her chambers. Her captors wore the seahorse of House Velaryon upon their doublets, and though they slew the two men guarding her, they did no harm to the Dowager Queen herself, nor to her ladies. The Queen in Chains was chained again and taken to the dungeons, there to await the pleasure of the new king. By then the last of her sons was already dead."

Aftermath—The Hour of the Wolf

"Within the Red Keep, the Lads found the dead king’s body laid out upon a bier beneath the Iron Throne, with his mother, Queen Alicent, weeping beside it."

"The realm’s new rulers found themselves divided on the question of what to do with the Dowager Queen Alicent, but elsewise all seemed in accord, and good fellowship reigned…for the best part of a fortnight."

"...men placed wagers on how long the Clubfoot, the Sea Snake, the Flea, and the Dowager Queen would keep their heads."

"The men who had seized the Queen Dowager upon the serpentine steps had worn the seahorse badge of House Velaryon..."

"Queen Alicent’s captors had slain her guards and were thus condemned to death..."

Under the Regents—The Hooded Hand

"And the more observant made note of another absence. The Dowager Queen was nowhere to be seen, though as Jaehaera’s grandmother, Alicent Hightower ought to have been present."

"A more immediate problem was posed by the Dowager Queen, who refused to reconcile herself to the new king. The murder of the last of her sons had turned Alicent’s heart into a stone. None of the regents wished to see her put to death, some from compassion, others for fear that such an execution might rekindle the flames of war. Yet she could not be allowed to take part in the life of the court as before. She was too apt to rain down curses on the king, or snatch a dagger from some unwary guardsman. Alicent could not even be trusted in the company of the little queen; when last allowed to share a meal with Her Grace, she had told Jaehaera to cut her husband’s throat whilst he was sleeping, which set the child to screaming. Ser Tyland felt he had no choice but to confine the Queen Dowager to her own apartments in Maegor’s Holdfast; a gentle imprisonment, but imprisonment nonetheless."

"One death may have been a mercy. The Dowager Queen Alicent of House Hightower, second wife of King Viserys I and mother to his sons, Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron, and his daughter Helaena, died on the same night as Lord Westerling, after confessing her sins to her septa. She had outlived all of her children and spent the last year of her life confined to her apartments, with no company but her septa, the serving girls who brought her food, and the guards outside her door. Books were given her, and needles and thread, but her guards said Alicent spent more time weeping than reading or sewing. One day she ripped all her clothing into pieces. By the end of the year she had taken to talking to herself, and had come to have a deep aversion to the color green. In her last days the Queen Dowager seemed to become more lucid. “I want to see my sons again,” she told her septa, “and Helaena, my sweet girl, oh…and King Jaehaerys. I will read to him, as I did when I was little. He used to say I had a lovely voice.” (Strangely, in her final hours Queen Alicent spoke often of the Old King, but never of her husband, King Viserys.) The Stranger came for her on a rainy night, at the hour of the wolf."

[phoenixlionme]

Lumity.

ULTIMATE YURI-OFF: Round one, part one

A modern titan takes on a worthy predecessor, but only one pointy-eared GF can carry on..

[rey-129-fan]

Gotham-Amity Co-op AU Part 3

Part 1 | Previous | Next

“Hola beauties, and welcome back to Fashionable History, I’m Paulina,”

“And I’m Star, and on this channel, we teach you how to be at the height of fashion, no matter what time period you find yourself in.”

“Now for our long-time viewers who missed our community posts, you might be wondering about the change in location.  Well, we are moving up in the world.  That’s right, fam, we are officially-

“College girlies!” The two shouted into the camera.

“Ah, such a big step,” ‘Star’ sighed.

“Indeed it is.  And to celebrate, let us dress up like we’re going to meet the queen of fashion herself: Marie Antoinette!”

***

“So you would think it would be hard to demonstrate Amity Park’s weirdness while no longer living there, but you would be wrong,” a black man said into the camera while walking down a hallway, his glasses fallen ever so slightly down his nose.  There were voices in the background progressively getting louder.  “You see, Danny’s mentor popped by this morning, and apparently, he decided that the perfect way to tutor Danny and piss off his bosses at the same time was to allow a bunch of college kids to summon a historical figure of their choosing to discuss their area of expertise.  Once a week.

“Jazz got to go first.”

The black man stopped in a doorway.  Much clearer in the background was a woman’s even voice.  “And Jazz, being the future psychologist that she is, picked the most sex-obsessed man in history.”

The camera flipped to show a young red-head sitting across an older man with a white beard in a blue three piece suit.  In the background was a younger man, his blue eyes glazed over as he sat there sipping from his mug, his head of black hair bobbing as he fought to stay awake.  Really, it wouldn’t gather a second glance, except for the tiny detail that the older man’s skin was as green as a sunburnt person’s was red.

“-indeed homosexuality is not an illness, and in fact the only link between it and mental health has been observed to be caused by familial and community reactions.”

“That is good to hear.  Indeed, many people throughout history were homosexual, and a lot of them did not show any other signs of mental illnesses.”

“It is.  However, with the recent pushes for public acceptance of those not heterosexual, many have come forward with sexual orientations beyond just hetero and homosexuality, including those that are attracted to both men and women at the same time, as well as those who experience no sexual attraction or are completely repulsed by the idea of anything sexual.”

The camera flipped back to the first man.  “She is explaining how psychology has developed in the last 100 years without trying to rip apart Freud’s work.

“This isn’t even the first time something like this has happened.  Occasionally, we’d get guest speakers that would turn out to be some famous author or pioneer in their field.  It’s how our English teacher got his copy of the Tempest signed by the original author.  I think this might be the first one that won’t end in a raid by government idiots in white, though.

“So yeah, we occasionally get to talk to dead celebrities and don’t bat an eye at it.  Amity Park is very weird.”

***

“Danny!  You left your cups in the sink again!”

“How can you tell it’s mine?”

“They’re glowing green and you’re the only one that drinks ectoplasm!  Now take care of them before you bring the food to life again!”

“Fine…”

The camera pans over to a goth woman giving the camera a flat look.  On screen, there’s some text that reads: ‘When your boyfriend forgets to clean off his dishes after his mildly radioactive smoothies.’

***

“Urgh!” Just die you stupid, lazy skeleton!”

“How long is this attack going to be!”

“I don’t care, because when it’s finally my turn, I am going to stab the dust out of this depressed sack of bones!”

On screen was a couch, and on that couch sat 3 young adults, two women and one man.  One of the women was Valarie Gray, US National Taekwondo Silver Medalist, was jabbing her thumb down on the d-pad of her controller, lips pulled back in a snarl.  The other was Samantha Manson, more known for the TikTok channel Our Strange Lives.  The man was a muscular blond.  All three were focusing on the screen, their eyes emitting faint light and Valarie’s teeth seemed to be getting sharper.

Quietly a blond woman walked on screen, a backpack slung over her shoulder.  The woman was Star Strong from Fashionable History.

“You guys are still streaming?”

“This boss is stupid difficult and Manson and Gray are the only ones willing to play.”

“What happened to the guys?”

“Fowley, Wes, Singh all had work.  Fenton got to the first boss and then lost it because ‘Goat Mom just wanted to protect us’ before getting a call from his lil sis asking for help.  Kwan is working on a lab with a guy from his chem class, and Kyle passed out a couple hours ago.”

“Stop dodging!”

“Wanna play?”

“Can’t.  Going to the library to study for a calc exam I have coming up.  See you guys later.”

“Later.”

“FUC-”

***

“And so, with this polaroid image, we have evidence to prove that-”

“Hey, Wes, do you have something I can use for a collage?  Oh sweet, thanks bro!”

“What?  No!  Kyle!  Get back with that! That was the proof I was going to use to prove the existence of Yetis!”

“Oh damn.  This is some nice creature work!  Danny, your friend has an incredible costume, man!”

“Thanks, Kyle!  I’ll pass it on!”

***

Tim paused the video right as Wesley Weston stood to chase his older brother.

There.

The red-head’s eyes had a slight glow to them.  Tim clicked over to the other images he had gathered of the Amity Park teens, all with their eyes glowing or other signs of something inhuman.

Tim had been introduced to this group by Stephanie when she found a martial arts demonstration Gray did that involved breaking multiple boards, all several feet above her head.  Stephanie had meant it as a ‘check out his cool person doing what we’re doing,’ but Tim noticed something.  All the boards were being held by seemingly the same person- or at least people dressed very similarly.  And not in a way where they’re sitting on a ledge above Gray and are switching out the board each time she broke one.  More that there were multiple companies of the same white glove all holding a board and all floating several feet above where they should have been.  That was already a little weird, but it could’ve been some special effects or just a uniform.

No, what caught Tim’s attention was the quick glimpse of the face of one of the board holders.  It was youthful- late teens- but with paper white hair that showed no signs of bleaching.  Now these features would have been a thing to cement the mysterious person in Tim’s mind.  But it wasn’t that.

No, what got Tim to do some digging to find out about a previously unknown supposed hero from a small town that has been blacked-out by the US government, was his eyes.

His calm, glowing Lazarus green eyes.

***

So we finally get a taste for the shenanigans our liminals are up to. Sam, Tucker, and Danny all share a TikTok where they show off how weird the other two are and how weird their town is. Wes is trying to prove cryptids exist, which Kyle ruins. Dash has a gaming stream that most often Kwan joins in on, and Paulina and Star do dress history. Oh, and Valarie is a national taekwondo because karate has only been an event for one Olympic games, but taekwondo has been an event since 2000 and Val seems more like a kicker than a thrower. Plus, I actually took taekwondo when I was younger.

We do get another Bat showing up at the end. There is absolutely no plot, however, so who knows where this is going. Certainly not me!

I'm still looking for names (please, I need them). As for majors:

Jazz-Psych (obviously)

Kyle- Liberal Arts (I wanna put him in accounting, but Liberal Arts works for now)

Tuck- Comp Sci

Danny- Poly Sci, minor in Astronomy

Sam- Double Poly Sci and Environmental Science

Val- Criminal Justice

Dash- Undecided (both me and him)

Kwan- Pre-Med for now, though he wants to do Child Development/Education

Paulina- Fashion Marketing

Star- Sports Science

Mikey- Music

Wes- Journalism

[unadulteratedsoulsweets]

A DC X DP IDEA #22

Back in my day.

Imagine dis…

Alfred is a whole mystery to the Batfam that whenever he pulls out his shotgun we are in awe at this kickass badass British butler, on the other hand, we are always in the shadows of his past endeavors. We all knew he was a S.A.S. Armed Services, fighting in 15 different operations between ages 18 and 20. A skilled medical and front liner soldier who was decorated. He later joined MI5, as well as the secret forces of the Queen and later being knighted by Her Majesty.

He is silent as he comes by, he can out Batman the Batman despite Bruce learning from the greatest assassin of all time. He is calm, too calm for any situation to the point your subconscious asks if he had seen something wilder, more insane to consider an alien attack, a mutant crocodile attack every Tuesday is considered somewhat tame, or even the rise of global or universal threats that Alfred seemed to brush it off.

So, who is he?

…

Alfred Pennyworth had always been a mysterious figure. He had dedicated his life to serving the Wayne family and their caped crusader alter-egos as Bruce Wayne's loyal butler and the revered keeper of Wayne Manor. But Alfred had held a secret for decades, one that would finally come to light most unexpectedly.

Alfred was a teenager called Danny Fenton long before he donned the perfect suit and tie. He lived in the small town of Amity Park, which was riddled with secrets of its own. Danny was not your typical adolescent; he had a strange encounter with a ghostly gateway that had bestowed upon him unusual and otherworldly skills. He had protected Amity Park from vengeful ghosts and spectral threats thanks to his power to shift into a phantom hero known as Danny Phantom.

Danny had just recently been crowned as the crowned prince of the Infinite Realm a week after he had defeated the tyrant Pariah Dark who had attempted to rip off a space in the fabric of in-between just to suck in his little quaint town. It was determined by both the ancient and the Observants that it was better for him to finish his mortal life before he dawns on the crown, as he was still growing, he was still considered a baby ghost younger than Young Blood as his death was still recent.

But slowly the thoughts that he had kept behind his head are coming back to him. Jazz his beloved sister as well as the one who had raised her despite being a child herself who had no idea of raising a child, may analyze her all she wants but she could never sympathize nor connect with his inner thoughts of being one of the halfas. He died, he never really had the time to process it because he had to face the Lunch Lady just a few days after the accident. 

His friends, now looking at them closely, have seen that they both have some sort of guilt in their eyes. They both have seen him die amid the electrician, he can’t help but feel some sort of longing at the cemetery the north of Amity Park, he is too alive to have a grave yet too dead to be alive.

He thought he was getting there, changing the views of the people. To show the world that his kind is sentient but the people kept whispering. Shadows cast long by the looming specters sent chills down their spines. Every eerie wail or flicker of a ghostly presence filled them with dread. Their eyes widened in terror as the ethereal figures materialized before them. A hushed silence fell over the town when ghostly battles raged in the skies. Parents warned their children to stay indoors when the ghost alarms rang. Fearful whispers of the "Ghost Boy" circulated, both a hero and a phantom menace. 

The ghostly encounters left scars of fear etched in the minds of Amity Park's residents.

In the end, he was forced to leave his home dimension, why? It’s because the GIW have become more vicious more brutal at their hunting, With the sacrifice of both his friends and family they have shoved him into the portal, never to be seen again.

…

All bloodied and still injured he had landed in a period in the early 1900. He thought that he may have accidentally traveled back in time but when he saw too many conflicting events that he had learned during his high school days that didn’t happen during this time led him to believe that he had traveled a different dimension. Small ripples in the water created a tsunami of change in what he previously known as the past, when he was still in the streets gathering information, he had noticed that he landed in the middle of London during the early 1900s. Good enough that child labor laws are still not a thing so he can work with practically anyone without questions asked. The bad news is that his supposed great-grandfather's version in this dimension had already died, according to his family tree history during his science project in 4th grade his great-grandfather went to London to earn a few bucks before traveling back to America where he would meet his supposed great grandmother and have children. Since he died before he even went back to America the Nightgale-Fenton line died with him.

Luckily a barren couple took pity on him and took him in, since Danny can’t no longer bear his original last name, he embraced the new name from this nice couple who had taken him in. Danny may have felt guilty at the prospect or even the idea of replacing his family but he can’t help but think of it as a new beginning of his life. No one to hunt down his ghostly half, No GIW, and No fruit loop trying to turn him into his heir.

Alfred Pennyworth

During this time he did a lot of odd jobs, cleaning the inside of a chimney, mining, selling newspapers… etc. Sure, it was hard work and he can’t help but look at the children far younger than him taking in jobs far more dangerous just so they can shave something to eat. He can’t help but feel too blessed when he was back in his timeline. Warn food to eat under a sturdy roof to keep out the elements as well as education. Things that were too mundane, too common, that he now feels like a luxury. 

Over time he developed an accent as well as new mannerisms and vocabulary. 

So, when war broke out on the horizon his core ached at the notion of protection thus signed up in the military. 

Sure, he became the most feared soldier in the fields due to his using some of his ghostly abilities subtly. His enemies who stand in front of him call him The Vengeful Orphan, due to his avenging every soldier who seems to die at the hands of their enemies. 

Between the ages of 18 and 20, he served in the S.A.S. Armed Services, engaging in 15 different actions. A decorated medical specialist and front-line soldier. He then joined MI5, as well as the Queen's secret forces, and was knighted by Her Majesty.

…

As time passes by the ages, slowly but surely. He had already outlived his adoptive parents and friends of his. He still held the authority of being the officially crowned prince of the Infinite Realms. He had already explored the world experiencing the culture and history of this world.

At this time, he had already recovered enough ectoplasm to turn back to his ghostly prime and create a portal to the Infinite Realms. But something in him nagged, his core kept trying to tell him something when he was about to take a step inside the portal, but he didn’t seem to know why. His years as Phantom and Alfred Pennyworth taught him to listen to his guts, and it saved him multiple times, without looking back he stayed in this dimension until his mortal life perished.

It seemed that he didn’t have to find it for too long as he was approached by none other than Thomas Wayne with the preposition to be Wayne’s butler.

So, when little Bruce Wayne was born he couldn’t help but feel a little fond of the tyke. He reminded Bruce of himself when he was just a simple young boy before everything. When the fated, night came he tried to shield Bruce from everything, to have him resemble a somewhat normal life. 

That night he tucked in a teary-eyed Bruce into bed who had just witnessed his parent’s murder. He faced the ghosts of both Martha and Thomas who had been with the young master since the incident a few hours ago and tearfully promised the two ghostly couple that he would take care of Bruce. Both couples seemed to be in shock at their butler who had seen them but felt relief that their boy was in safe hands.

…

When his ward Bruce Wayne turned into a crime-fighting vigilante, he can’t help but softly snort at his outfit. Sure, he admits he had a worse outfit when he started as Phantom when he was just a young lad but he is willing to take anything other than a furry suit that fights crime at night. He has no right to criticize either since his alter ego is just him with an inverted color without a mask yet people seem to make no connection between him and Phantom, in his defense he is a young teen whereas Bruce is in his 20s. He just raised an eyebrow at his outfit and Bruce immediately changed the design to be a bit more sophisticated than just a Halloween costume of a bat.

…

So when Bruce starts to bring in orphans he can’t help but smile fondly as the manor is slowly filled with such joy from each child that seems to find a home in the large manor. He can't help but reminisce if this could have been his life if Vlad had learned to forgive Jack or if his parents and Amity Park just accepted him if the GIW didn’t exist. He thought one day when he was drinking tea with Jason, Jason who died and came back different, never broken. His grandchild who experienced his death in a slow yet painful way died and came back later. He knew there was something different with his grave but he chalked it up in being his ghostly sense sensing the ectoplasm around Gotham. He just wished he checked the grave even though it holds so much sentimental value to the dead. 

Don’t get him wrong the moment Jason came back to enact his revenge on B he was already aware something was in Gotham he just didn’t know at the time that it was Jason. He is more than happy to kill the Joker as he had taken mortal lives when he was serving the army but Bruce might notice and he still held fear at the idea of Dan.

After the entire revelation between his son and grandchild, he just welcomed back Jason into the manor as if nothing was wrong with the boy and prepared his favorite dish and snacks in the library whenever he visited.

…

Now it had been a long way since he entered this dimension, now the long table at the manor is filled with guests and children alike. His grandchildren are full of life despite what had life thrown at them. Dick was the first one to arrive and started, Barbara followed, Jason who took off the wheel, Tim with his brilliant mind with his worrying caffeine intake, Stephanie who fought with his father, Cassandra who started just to atone for the sin of killing her father yet became loyal and caring young lady and Damian who started to learn what humanity is like. Sure others had been emotionally adopted but all of them all have places in the manor.

…

His grandchildren as well as his pseudo son kept throwing him curious glances every time, He managed to seemingly appear behind them to notify them of dinner. He can also feel the envy of walking silently from the assassin-trained children. He can feel Bruce’s stare whenever he raises an eyebrow at some classified cases that are supposedly secured. He can hear their whispers as they exclaim to one another that he supposedly knew everything, of course, he knew everything the manor became his new haunt after a few years.

…

He already raised an eyebrow at the simultaneous alarm from every vigilante at the dinner table but imagine his surprise when he joined in looking over the Bat computer as Oracle barked out orders and instructions, as a familiar opponent showed itself.

A green glowing monster is wreaking havoc throughout Gotham it came from Central City and marched its way here to Gotham which became even more powerful due to the ectoplasm in the air. There is already notable damage from both cities as the rest of the heroes seem to work together to evacuate and stop the creature. The JLD attacks seem to have some effect but it was useless due to its minions that kept them occupied. Oracle is so focused on the situation and doesn’t notify their pseudo grandfather to disappear from behind her.

…

The entire JL is starting to feel hopeless as the green creature seems to raze Gotham as if the stone road is made out of water. Every magician and heavy hitter have been called but no one was able to put damage to the creature.

When all hopes seemed lost, they all heard a loud bang from a shotgun.

Alfred Pennyworth is standing on top of a rubble of concrete and metal, the butler of Batman, the pseudo father, and grandfather of the entire bat clan, also known as Agent A. Carrying his signature shotgun and a thermos that seems to strap to his hip like a belt. 

He kept firing round after round from his trusty old shotgun and pausing for a second to reload. He glanced at the heroes around and seemed to raise an eyebrow at the absolute massacre that he had just done to the creature’s minions.

As he paused to take another reload, he paused at movement and looked at the space in front of him and waited. The creature appeared roaring out in fury but seemed to pause the moment it laid eyes on Alfred. The creature seems to shake with uncertainty and fear. Every vigilante and hero present could see its eyes growing wide from shock and fear as well the cold sweat as Alfred raised an eyebrow at the creature as he slowly walked towards the creature with annoyance with every step.

Some heroes who had enhanced hearing could hear Alfred muttering about, back in his day blob ghosts were these cute and harmless things but now some up-start wannabe newly formed one seems to think he is all hot shot. 

He proceeds to scold the creature as if he had just caught one of his grandchildren sneaking their hands on the cookie jar and proceeds to take out the thermos and effectively catch the creature. As if the one responsible for the mess never existed in the first place.

Now the bat clan has rules when they are in the manor or the presence of Alfred and one of those rules is that there will be no swearing when he is around, but there is one word that seems to resound from each hero's mind.

What the fuck just happened?!?!

…

Now as you know I started to post less, now it is both from writer’s block and class being in the way.

PS: If someone out there wanted to continue or make a fic about this you are free to do so, don’t forget to tag me though.