#and most of what she taught him was how to fight and how to garden

[razzle-zazzle]

another fun fact about my dumb little ninjastuck au is that, bc she was raised by kai/the occasional sympathetic ignacian, nya knows very little about troll culture. colton, who had a lusus and some influence from his ancestor, takes it upon himself to teach nya all the things she missed (jay also tries to do this to varying levels of success. they are both idiots <3).

this results in colton crushing pale on nya btw <>

[willowedspirits]

Hollow Knight Linked Universe AU! I've finally finished it!

If you don't know much about Hollow Knight, a lot of the technicalities might not make sense, and I would encourage you to look into the game. Or you could just enjoy the chain as bugs and see them off on their buggy adventures!

I've made this AU trying to keep as close as I can to Hollow Knight's story, but some creative liberties were of course taken.

My main idea is that the infection is the equivalent to Dark Link's (who does exist in this) infected monsters and it's up to them to try and slow/stop the infection. My first thought was to have the infection start to spread outside of Hallownest, and the chain needs to go and stop it, but I'm still going back and forth on it.

I'm still open to changing concepts if I find something that works better, but after literal months of working on this on and off I'm happy with how this has turned out!

Rambling about character details below!

Small note: I've set this AU at roughly the start of the infection, when Radiance was starting to take over Hallownest.

Time

Is not from Hallownest. He traveled to Hallownest from a distant land, where he met Malon and settled down with her.

He encountered Radiance upon entering Hallownest, but was protected by a god that had already laid claim to him, Fierce Deity, who protects him from the Radiance's infection.

He and Malon live in the Howling Cliffs.

His wing and antenna injury are from Radiance when she tried to infect him.

He is not able to fly because of the injury, and now fights with a heavy nail.

His wings used to be green, but after encountering the Fierce Deity, they slowly started to change in color until they were blue.

I'm not sure if I would do anything with the eyes on his wings, I was trying to make a connection to Majora in that, but I'm still debating whether to add it.

Twilight

Is a part of the Traitor Mantis tribe that lives in the Queen's Garden.

He met a Sibling (Midna) that escaped from the Abyss. They gave him the ability to harness Void.

Still working on the detail for how exactly they give him this ability, but my rough idea is that perhaps both of them were attacked by and infected villager, and they saved him by giving up their Void essence.

He's grown up wanting to be infected by the Radiance. He was taught the Radiance was a god that gave bugs great strength, but after seeing what the infection really does, he starts to have second thoughts.

The cloak he is wearing is new. The one he wore before was damaged. I'm still debating on when exactly he gets it, but I think it's something he makes after he leaves the traitor village.

Warriors

He is the head knight of the Hive and oversees whoever enters their territory.

His scarf is a gift from the princess of the Hive given to him when he leaves to join the group.

Since he is a bee, he is connected to the Hive via the hivemind. He uses this to check in on his home whenever he can.

This also makes it very dangerous if he gets infected, since it would quickly spread to the other bee's.

I kept his nail the same as Hive Knight's, but it's open to change.

Four

(I'm still very iffy on Four's story concept, but here's what I have so far)

Lives in Green Path.

He has a passion for weapon smithing, and planned on moving to the capital of Hallownest (City of Tears).

But he accidently stumbled on a weak Unn, and agreed to help protect her while she recovered.

When she did recover, she blessed him with a power that allows him to split into 4 parts of himself using his SOUL.

He can split while in the physical world, but will always be split while in the Dream realm. This also makes it difficult for Radiance to infect him.

Wind

Lives in the Kingdom's Edge and works as a guide across the acid lakes. Most of the travelers are those who are seeking to fight in the Colosseum of Fools.

This is how he found the Colosseum, and regularly attends (but not participate in) some of the fights, which is how he meets Tetra.

He is just learning to fly, but is picking it up really fast.

I wanted to keep the lobster apart of his design... But there are no lobsters in Hollow Knight... Then I remembered this was an AU and I can do what I want with it. So lets just pretend that Lobsters are seen as these awesome ancient beings that he wishes to see one day.

Wild

He was a guardian of the Beast's Den before he became infected, leaving the Den to reside somewhere in Deep Nest.

He is cured by the Dream Nail when the group meets him, and the last to join.

His shell is cracked and damaged because of the infection. The cracks have healed over time, but will never go away.

He has trouble with his memory due to being infected for so long before being cured. He is slowly regaining his memory, but there are still a lot of pieces missing.

His infection spread through to his arm, but is hidden under his cloak.

He uses his nails almost as throwing needles.

Legend

Is a shop owner in Hallownest's capital. He sells all kinds of items from all across Hallownest, small things he's found that could be valuable.

He's managed to make his way into the upper class of the capital due to his shop. His cloak is a modified version of the upper-class wardrobe. He dyed and added the hood himself.

Has a great sense of exploration, and has been all over Hallownest, but still has some places he needs to check off.

His jewelry are all gifts from Ravio.

My original concept for his design was to give him 4 arms. I was thinking of the Collector when designing him, and thought it fit. But after working on finalizing the design, I wasn't sure if I wanted to keep it. I still love the concept though.

Hyrule

(Again, I don't have a clear story concept for him but I have some notes)

Lives in the Ancient Basin.

Has learned how to use SOUL, and is in hiding from the residents of the Soul Sanctum because of it.

He has access to spells and is able to heal himself using SOUL.

I originally gave him a cloak, but couldn't decide if he looked better with or without it. So he does have it, but only sometimes.

Sky

Is the wielder of the Dream Nail, which can be used to cure infected bugs by purging the Radiance from their dream's.

Has wanted to learn to fight with a nail since he was little, and would practice his skills.

He learned about the Dream Nail after some of the moth tribe became infected. He left shortly after he learned this infection was spreading through Hallownest, with the goal of stopping it.

He isn't the only one that can use the Dream Nail, but is the one dubbed the "owner" of it.

And that's what I've got!

I didn't go much into Dark Link here, but would be happy to show some concepts I have for him as well if anybody is curious. I'm making him almost like a living version of the Radiance's infection, and is able to spread it from bug to bug without needing to access their dreams. This is mainly why I'm torn on having them leave Hallownest. If Dark Link could spread the infection to farther lands, or to keep him inside Hallownest and just spread it faster there.

I thought that using the Dream Nail was a good equivalent to the Master Sword here, so I just mashed them together, and a lot of the motivations for the chain trying to stop the infection is "I'm seeing this awful thing happen to these bugs that I don't want to see happen to others," with some small variations here and there.

I've been working on this for so long, I just want to share by bug boys. I would love to gush and ramble about them some more. I have stuff I want to do with this AU.

[tsuvvy]

Oh Sister of Mine - Chapter 5

Poison Constriction

Cassandra explores her feelings of having a new little sibling while the others work to get information on where the seemingly invisible father might be. Instead, they find someone heavily involved in this situation and discover a disgusting truth.

Warning: Talk of a controlling serum being put into y/ns blood, mentions of bruising and blood, the poison serum has been an idea cultivating in my mind for awhile, pls just let it cook 😥

Word Count: 3.4k

“Miss Cassandra,” Said woman turned around, seeing Alfred with a tray of little sandwiches. No doubt for you. “While I have you here, Master Bruce asked to see you. He is paying the garden a visit, he asked that if I should see you I should invite you for him.”

“Oh..” Cassandra’s lips parted in a small surprise. Bruce wanted to see her? Why? “Okay, thank you Alfred.” She gave the man a soft thankful smile.

Alfred returned the smile with a gentle one of his own. But before he could walk away, Cassandra spoke up.

“He didn’t say why, did he?” She asked abruptly.

“I am afraid not,” His soft smile turned a bit apologetic.

“Alright, that’s fine. Don’t worry about it. Thank you again.” Alfred gave her a nod before walking away.

Cassandra stayed where she was for a moment, watching as Alfred walked down the hall with the tray still in hand. She might have needed a moment to build up the courage to go speak to Bruce, or maybe she needed to come up with what she would say to the man. Either way, her nerves were aflame before and while she made her way to the garden where Alfred said Bruce was.

She spotted him on a bench. He was calmly sitting still, almost mistakable for a statue.

Bruce looked at Cassandra, an uncharacteristic subtle smile reaching his lips at the sight of her. It was odd, even if it was common. Bruce saved that smile for only those he cared for deeply. His adoptive children and Alfred getting it most often. Though it was still rare, especially for someone like Jason who made it his own part time job annoying and angering the man. Dying and coming back to life sure didn’t change that habit, if anything it made it worse.

“Cass,” Bruce called out, pulling her out of her thoughts, “Sit.” He didn’t need to gesture to the empty spot next to him.

Cassandra listened. She moved to sit next to the man.

The two sat in silence for a while; silently watching over the flowers and listening to the soft wind and how it would shake the branches of the trees.

“How are you feeling?” Bruce asked abruptly. Cassandra looked at him, staying silent for a second.

“I’m okay..” Her voice was soft as she looked to the ground.

Bruce nodded slightly at her comment. “But that isn’t true, is it?” He looked down at her, his subtle smile gone now. It was never a luxury anyone close to him could ever witness for a very long time. You had to savor it for the small amount of time it was there.

Cassandra didn’t say anything to his comment. He already knew her lies were just that, lies.

“How are you feeling about everything?” He asked instead.

Cassandra thought about his question for a second. “I don’t really know how to feel.”

“Understandable.” Bruce responded.

The two sat in silence for a little while.

“Y/n,” She looked up at him, and he looked back, confusion written subtly on his stoic face, “Their name.” Cassandra clarified. She saw his eyes widen slightly, “Their name is Y/n.”

“When did they tell you this?” He asked.

“They got out of the room, they picked the lock when Damian wasn’t there,” She told him while turning back to look out at the flowers and delicately crafted and cut bushes. “They weren’t looking for a fight, pretty much all we did was.. Talk,” She shrugged her shoulders lightly, “They asked why I’d left David, and…” She paused.

Bruce gave her a second before pressing her to continue, “and?”

“And they.. I told them they were safe. They didn’t know what it meant. So I. I taught them what the word safe means. And they told me their name.

Bruce nodded his head lightly, turning to look at the flowers and bushes himself.

“That's a start, they’re starting to trust you and Damian a bit, however surprising it may be.” Bruce said. He lifted up a hand and gently placed it on Cassandra’s head. “You did good, Cassandra.”

Her eyes widened at the contact and the praise. In a sense, she was still a lot like you. No matter how long she’s been with Bruce and the Batfamily, she might not ever get truly used to being in a healthy environment. Not fully, anyway.

“Bruce…” Her voice was soft. He didn’t do anything to tell her he acknowledged his name slipping from her lips, but she knew he was listening. “I don’t..” She hesitated, “I don’t know how to be a big sister..”

Silence overtook the two, apart from the gentle wind rustling the nature around them.

“It’s not something you can just know, Cassandra.” He told her. Cassandra didn’t respond to that.

A silence once again overtook the two.

“There's this feeling in my gut, like a weed growing in it.” Cassandra abruptly spoke through the silence.

“What do you mean?” Bruce asked.

“What do you mean you haven’t seen him for a year!?” Jason yelled.

“Red Hood calm down!” Kate yelled at him.

The two were at Ace Chemicals in their vigilante suits. They hadn’t expected to find someone that has been involved with David in the past.

“I mean exactly that!” The guy yelled, a desperation in his voice as the Red Hood shook him by the collar of his shirt. After his statement, the vigilante dropped him and he fell to the ground.

The man rubbed his neck, trying to soothe the pain of how his shirt was so tightly held.

“Do you know what happened to him?” Kate, or Batwoman, asked him.

“No, he just straight up vanished,” the guy said.

Batwoman looked to Red Hood who had taken a few steps back.

“Mind if we look around?” Batwoman looked back at the man.

“N-No! Go ahead!” He quickly answered, almost fearful of what either vigilante might do to him if he said he did actually mind.

“Great,” Batwoman answered, “Glad you don’t.” She commented, an amused smirk on her face as she moved past him.

She started looking around; not that she had anywhere to specifically start.

And for the first about 14 minutes, nothing was found by either vigilante.

“This place has nothing,” Jason said, making sure to keep the man he was once interrogating in his view.

“It’s gotta have something,” Batwoman sighed, looking behind a few tubs of chemicals. She hadn’t met you yet. All she knew about you was pretty much the extent of what everyone else minus Cass knew.

Red Hood crossed his arms, huffing in annoyance as he looked at a few jars on some random desk. They looked poisonous. Probably gas too. One wiff would probably kill you.

“I’m gonna check further in,” Batwoman said, coming back out from behind the tubs of chemicals she had found nothing out of the ordinary behind. “Stay with him,” She told Red Hood.

“Yeah, alright,” He said.

Batwoman began walking into a back area of Ace Chemicals. There was a door into one room and then stairs leading upward to a few more rooms that were all next to each other.

She decided to go into the room on the bottom first.

Batwoman cautiously turned the rusty old knob, keeping her guard up. Ace Chemicals is known for criminal activity, I mean, it’s quite literally the birth place of Harley Quinn. It’s where Joker had pushed her into that vatt of chemicals all those years ago. You had to expect anything in this place.

“Ugh,” Batwoman cringed, bringing a hand to her nose, “Jeez, it smells like three month old eggs in here.”

She stepped into the room, keeping a hand over her nose as she began to look around.

There was really nothing to note in the room. It was obviously some type of hang out area no one had been in in probably years. A lounging couch that stank of rat poop and an assortment of other things that were just rotting under the cusions. Then there was a counter with a sink. One that had piles of dirty dishes in it. She had found a few rats licking off the plates; she didn’t bother them, but she did cringe. Then the fridge. She didn’t even want to open the thing. She could already tell that’s where the smell was coming from. And sure enough, inside the fridge was a variety of disgusting, old, moldy, and rotted food inside.

“Don’t think Kelsey is gonna want this muffin anymore,” Batwoman commented, looking at the container with a chocolate chip muffin inside and branded with the name Kelsey on the lid of the container. It was all moldy and gross.

“Blegh,” Batwoman gagged, closing the fridge with her foot.

She looked in the old wooden cabinets, behind and under the tables. Everywhere she looked, nothing but rats and their feces and disgusting bugs were found.

“Well that was a waste,” She grumbled as she walked out of that room, closing the door behind her. Now it was time to look in the two rooms upstairs.

Batwoman walked up the stairs, deciding to go to the first room. She read the plate next to the door that read, ‘lab room.’

“This should be fun,” She sighed, opening the door and cautiously peeking in and looking around. From first glance, there didn’t look to be anything in here of note. “This better not be a waste of time,” She grumbled as she stepped in.

“Alright, I brought a new kind of food this time.” Damian said as he entered the room.

You hadn't turned to look at him from where you sat kneeled on the floor, your head resting on your arms that rested on the window sill.

Damian didn't move, you knew he didn't. There weren't any footsteps coming farther into the room.

“What are you doing?” He asked, and you finally heard him start walking, and soon you heard something being placed on the nightstand.

“Out.” You said, finally turning to look at the boy and raising one of your hands to tap on the window. He was standing staring at you near your nightstand, his hands in his pockets.

“Outside?” He questioned as he finally started moving throughout the room closer to you.

You had turned back to look out the window once more once he was standing at your side.

Damian's gaze rested downward on you. You looked so calm staring out the windows. Though your blank face looked as if you were displeased, he knew you weren't. He was the same way with his own blank face.

“What that?” He was pulled out of his thoughts by your voice. He looked at what you were looking out the window at.

Your pointer finger which rested against the window pointed towards two creatures in the air, gracefully maneuvering through the gentle breeze.

“Birds,” Damian said bluntly. “They’re birds.”

You looked up at the boy, “Bi..” You paused, unsure of if you were going to say it correctly or not.

“Birds.” He said one more time. “They’re flying.”

“Bird.” You finally attempted.

“Mhm,” he nodded.

You looked out the window once more. Watching the birds fly through the air. “Want that.” You said.

“Want that?” Damian repeated in the form of a question.

You nodded, “Want that.” You pointed to the bird.

Damian wasn’t quite sure if you meant you wanted a bird or if you wanted what the birds had. Freedom.

“Bird is…” You paused, watching the bird in awe.

“Pretty?” Damian questioned after a few seconds of silence. You nodded.

“Yeah..” He agreed softly, looking away from you and out the window at the birds again. “They are.”

“Dami.” His eyes widened a bit and he looked down at you again. Dami? Dami..? You were looking up at him, your face a blank one like his.

“Yeah..?” He managed to ask.

You pointed to the free spot on the floor next to you. “Sit.” You told him. Not in a commanding way like most would hear from your tone. He knew you didn’t mean it like that.

He listened and sat down on the floor next to you.

For you to actually invite him to sit next to you, and so close, was honestly a big step. He noticed you’d opened up a bit quickly with him, but he assumed it was because of the age difference between the two of you. There wasn’t really a big one.

“Dad..” You said softly. He looked to you, waiting to see where you would go with this, “You hate him.” It was more of a statement than a question. You didn’t look at him. You had rested your chin back down on your arms that rested on the window sill.

Damian stayed quiet, keeping his gaze on you for a moment before letting it drop down to the surface of the window sill and then out the window. “Yeah.” He answered. Though he knew you already knew that. “I do.”

A quiet fell over the room. The two of you staring out the window.

“He scares me…” You admitted.

He looked at you. Your expression, still blank, had grown a bit more solemn. Like a little puppy that had just been yelled at or hit for just trying to get love or have a bit of fun. It broke him to see you like this. So young and yet already so broken and wounded.

“Ugh,” Batwoman groaned as she walked out of the room she had just been looking in. “Theres nothing in this disgusting dump..” She grumbled, looking down at all of the chemical pits and barrels that Ace Chemicals held. “I doubt there’s anything actually here all these chemicals haven’t hidden.” She sighed, now making her way down the stares and back the way she came.

“Oh, don’t give me that crap!” Red Hood exclaimed. Batwoman started walking a bit faster, hoping to get there before he would probably kill the guy the two found.

“Please, please,” The man cried desperately, “The guy is going to kill me!”

Batwoman was met with a familiar scene. Red Hood holding the man in the air the collar of his shirt. But this time, the man’s face was bloodied. Blood ran down from his nose, he had a busted lip that was bleeding, and an array of cuts on his face.

“Red Hood!” Batwoman yelled, “What the hell are you doing!?”

“Tell me!” Red Hood yelled, shaking the man within the air. Tears were bubbling in the guy’s eyes.

“He.. He’ll kill me!” The man repeated. Red Hood scoffed.

“And if you don’t tell me what the hell you know, I’ll kill you!” He told the man, his red helmet growing an eary and angry sense to it.

“Fine! Fine!” The man screamed, his legs flailing around in the air, “Please, I’ll tell you! Just put me down!”

“Red Hood put him down!” Batwoman demanded.

Jason dropped the man, letting him fall to floor with a thud.

“Well,” Red Hood demanded himself, looking down at the man on the floor, “Go on!”

The man winced at his commanding and angry tone, “The guy you’re looking for. Cain or whatever.” His voice was shaking in fear, and he was looking down at the floor in shame. Of himself, or maybe something else. “He came here a few months ago after his disappearance. Vanished for about 3 months, came to me. He had some..” He sounded unsure. “He was asking for some weird stuff,” he shrugged his shoulders lightly, “Said he needed it for some project, I didn’t ask what. But he did have this weird sense of pride to him. One he never usually had.”

“Can you get to the damn point!” Red Hood demanded.

“Hey,” Batwoman said sternly, “Let him speak.”

The man recieved a nod from Batwoman, telling him to go on. “Cain wanted some type of like.. Serum. Said it needed to enhance and quicken the development of metahuman abilities. Then he had a thought to make another serum that would make someone more…” The man paused and sighed loudly, “Hell, I’ll just say it. More easily manipulable.”

Batwoman and Red Hood stood silent for a moment. Batwoman’s lips parted as she took in the information, and her eyes widened behind her domino mask. The two vigilante’s exchanged a glance.

“Hey,” Batwoman started, looking towards the man.

“Y-Yeah?” He looked back, a bit nervous of what might happen to him.

“Do you have any samples or spares of that?” She asked.

The man sat for a second.

“Well!” Jason exclaimed, making the man jump.

“Yes! Yes, I do!” The man scrambled to his feet, walking to a station a little ways away behind some tubs of chemicals with the two vigilantes close behind him.

“Damnit..” The man muttered as he scrounged around in the desk, throwing papers and gadgets sloppily in his hunt for the serum. “Here!” He announced, pulling out a green liquid serum in a small tube. He handed it to Batwoman.

“Not a lot, huh.” She commented, swishing the liquid around in the enclosed tube.

“Sorry,” He apologized, his expression growing a bit solemn, “I tried to save at least a bit, but. The recipe was tricky.” He began to scrounge through the desk once more before pulling out a paper with sloppy handwriting on it. “The ingredients were hard and illegal to get, then the only perfected batch he took immediately. It was hard to even steal that tiny bit out of it.” He handed the paper to Batwoman as well. “That’s the recipe for it.”

“Alright.” She nodded, turning on her heel and beginning to walk away with Red Hood next to her.

Batwoman stopped however, turning to look at the man and Red Hood went ahead, “C’mon (nickname).” She said, gesturing her head for him to follow and speaking like it was the obvious that he come along.

“Huh..?” His brows furrowed.

“Hurry it up!” Batwoman called. “You have vital information about this stupid serum and we can’t have you getting caught by the wrong people.” The man was startled into pace. He began to catch up with the vigilantes, still confused and quite bewildered by what the hell is happening.

“Damn, this just keeps getting messier and messier..” TIm groaned, running a hand along his face and moving it up to run through his hair. He was tired, anyone could tell at a glance. “Alright, give it here.” He spoke, putting a hand out to take the serum from Batwoman. “Who’s the straggler?” He asked as he got up and walked towards a machine.

“Hm,” Batwoman turned to look over her shoulder at the man.

“Um.. My name is Sullivan Bishop.” He answered her unsaid question.

“He’s got connections with Cain. Helped him make the serum.” She said as she crossed her arms, watching Tim carefully pour the bit of serum into a compartment of the machine and clicking a few buttons. Soon, it started up and started analyzing the liquid.

“Do you know what he used the serum for?” Sullivan asked. Everyone was silent. Sullivan visibly curled in on himself in defeat. He was terrified. He was in the batcave, surely not going to be let out anytime soon. And he was so lost. He had no clue what was happening. He’d never wanted to get involved with Cain to begin with. He knew he was shady, knew that Cain would get him in trouble. But this? This serum that was testing positive for countless things on the Batcomputer. This serum that could be considered a poison.

This was beyond anything shady he’d heard or expected from Cain. Whatever he used this serum for was downright psychotic.

Tim stared up at the computer, honestly at a loss for words.

“What the hell did you use?” Tim’s voice was breathless. But the look he gave to Sullivan sent chills down the man’s spine. “Toluene, lead..” His voice trailed off. “No wonder the kid was so set in killing Cassandra. This serum makes it so she can’t think for herself.”

“What the hell..” Red Hood’s voice trailed off.

“We can only imagine how long this was being administered into her blood stream.” Tim finished.

“I..” Sullivan’s eyes bubbled with tears, his voice breaking. “I didn’t know.. I… I didn’t know what he would use it for. I… Please I. I didn’t know..” He was rambling.

“You didn’t know?” Jason questioned, his tone growing angry and threatening.

“N.. No. No I didn’t I promise!!” Sullivan’s waorks were jumblings up as they tumbled from his mouth in fear of what Red Hood might do.

“Red Hood!” Batwoman stopped him from walking toward the shaking man with a hand on his chest, “Take a walk.” She made eye contact with him through his helmet when she ordered him.

<- Chapter 4 Chapter 6 ->

@redh00dsbf @02006 @shikanosn @rainnyydaysworld @notsaelty

[burningcheese-merchant]

A Headcanon for Nutmeg Tiger Cookie

While placing Nutmeg Tiger in all the different work spaces to see how she reacts to them, I noticed that the only things she actually enjoys doing are:

Waving

Watering

It is therefore reasonable to assume that, contrary to her harsh nature, she actually really likes talking to people... and, perhaps secretly, enjoys gardening.

HEADCANON TIME:

Nutmeg Tiger never indulges in these hidden passions of hers, because she believes - or rather, she was taught to believe - that they are a waste of time. Talking is cheap and pointless; gardening is pathetic, pure and simple. Gardening is the worse one of the two, really. Why waste even a fraction of your time and effort on something so fragile and weak? Something that can't be useful? That can't fight?

(Deep down, NT is afraid of admitting she likes these things because she doesn't want to be perceived as soft, especially by her master... especially for the gardening thing, because she knows Burning Spice would likely go out of his way to destroy any plant she cares for, either as a form of punishment or just because.)

Now, I've already predicted that the Wild Spices will turn against BS and join Golden Cheese after she awakens and defeats him, because they respect power above all else and she will be the most powerful one at that point (and also she's liberated them from BS's tyranny, but whatevs). Going with this, and with the idea that some spices go back to the GC Kingdom alongside GC herself: NT remains apprehensive for a really long time after all is said and done, just because she's had it drilled into her skull for so long that GC is/was the enemy, and she's just not as easily swayed as the others.

But... GC is actually kind to her, despite everything that happened. She tries to engage her in conversation (which NT rebuffs for a while, until she eventually gives in, because GC and her subjects are very stubborn outgoing and seem to want to bring her out of her shell... and it's... nice to actually be able to sit and chat with people for once...), she invites her to parties, she invites her to meals. It almost seems as though GC is trying a little extra hard to accommodate and befriend NT specifically.

NT does not fully buy into any of this for a long time. While she secretly does appreciate these gestures (and even now, she remembers when GC called BS out for ignoring NT when she was badly injured), it's just not enough. Her shell is too hard to crack.

...Until one day, GC comes by and asks for a favor. She brings NT to her palace garden (always figured she had one haha), full of lilies and lotuses and exotic cacti, and many other desert plants. GC says that she noticed how NT seems to relax more around plants (she actually noticed that???), and thought that, perhaps, it might be good to give her something important - something non-violent but still productive - to do in the kingdom.

NT agrees to help look after the garden, albeit begrudgingly... on the surface, anyway. Only on the surface. Because with GC doing this for her, with GC actually being attentive enough to know her subjects' likes and wants, with GC actively working to help NT achieve hers even in spite of what transpired between them in the past... With GC giving her something NT considers invaluable, granting her secret wish, and thus embodying this virtue of Abundance she so champions...

...She finally understands why Golden Cheese is so loved by so many.

[maodear]

HyuLuka Deep Analysis

“ ʙᴜᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɪꜱ ᴍɪɴᴇ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ? “

🔭💫🌌

Okay here we are. Hyuluka. Probably the most Doomed of the doomed ships in alnst.

TW: obsession & death? //maybe more?

If you haven’t read the comics or finished watching alien stage. This will have spoilers

This is just my personal deep thought, and of course not anything I amuse is right or official. Though most things I state here is from the official comics and artbook. Feel free to share your own thoughts also!

Apologies if there is grammar mistakes!

None of the art I show are mine, and go respectfully to the owner.

“ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀʏɪɴɢ? “

🔭💫🌌

Like I stated. HyuLuka is doomed. Like DOOMED! I have no idea how they can survive together. Both Hyuna can Luka are completely different personalities. The complete opposite. I would love to learn how they met

Okay so let’s go back to Anakt Garden. Hyuna,Luka and Hyun-woo seemed like great friends. Seemingly always together, maybe sometimes Hyun-woo and Luka would get jealous of each other //when the other hangs out with Hyuna

What I got from there trio, is that Luka and Hyun-woo love Hyuna. Hyun-woo being Hyunas brother and Luka.. well being obsessed with Hyuna. In the comics when Luka would hang out with Hyuna, Hyun-woo would always try and get Hyunas attention. And I would believe Luka would do the same. Which causes the fights between Luka and Hyun-woo

Luka and Hyun-woo would get into a fight, and Hyuna would usually break up the fights.

//shown in an official art

But from what I noticed, Hyuna would be with Luka a lot of times, and Luka would say rather an odd line. “Isn’t your live mine, though?” In which Hyuna would always brush off not noticing.

Luka had an obsession with Hyuna since he was younger. I do believe Luka saw Hyun-woo as a friend in his own way. But clearly didn’t care much about him.

“ᴍʏ ꜱᴀᴠɪᴏʀ. ᴍʏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ᴘɪꜰᴛꜰᴜʟ ꜱᴏᴜʟ…”

During Hyuna’s All-in video, shows a scene. Of what it looks to be Hyun-woo’s head bashed into a rock while Luka being injured. Clearly smiling/giggling. But somewhat trembling

In what I think happened is, either Hyun-woo or Luka started a fight between one another. I would guess it would be because of Hyuna. Remember when I said Hyuna would usually stop the fights? My guess is Hyuna didn’t stop the fight right on time. Though something interest me. Hyun-woo clearly is shown having other wounds but. Luka didn’t have no blood on his hands or clothes. But had an injury on his head. Possibly Hyun-woo started the fight, since I would believe Luka won’t due to his physical strength.

Nothing thing is, Luka was trembling also, and remember Luka was taught to overcome the fear of death. Or fear in general. So even if Luka was terrified, he had to smile still. But he was still trembling

Of course this doesn’t matter because, Luka kills Hyun-woo. Even if Hyun-woo was the one who started the fight, Luka still killed Hyuna’s brother. That impacts Hyuna a lot. Who can blame her? She saw her brothers head bashed into a rock while Luka was smiling on the ground

And that isn’t even the only reason why this simp is doomed. Luka himself is very much not in a good sense of mind. Heperu fucks his mind. Literally triggered him even at a young age.

Lukas take on love is, to own the other person fully. Like I said, Luka claims that Hyuna is his. Even when he was younger he claims this. Even after killing her brother, he claims that she is always his.

I believe Luka doesn’t understand the concept of love. definitely not in a normal way. His love is obsession in a way. Claiming that Hyuna’s life is his.

ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɢᴏᴅ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ

To add on this, in my own opinion. Ruler of my heart even sounds mocking. Luka wrote this song for Hyuna. Mixed with Obsession and Mocking. Yes Luka does love Hyuna and would do anything for her. But people forget that Luka’s love for Hyuna isn’t normal. It’s Obsession. Luka is mentally and physically ill. If I’m honest, Luka would imitate Hyun-woo in my honest opinion.

When someone is obsessed with a person to a not normal level, they can do the cruelest things to the person. Because that’s their way of seeing love. If Luka believes Hyuna is his, then he would want to manipulate her.

You're the perfect subject

With the whole world in your sad eyes

 I can just say, for me this line is the most interesting line. The “Subject” placing makes me wonder. Does Luka really care that Hyun-woo died? Atleast now in present time. Because Luka knows how Hyuna reacted to him dying. Since Hyuna was THERE. But this line “in your sad eyes” Luka can already know that Hyuna is still uneasy around him.

Overall I will always stand by the fact that, Ruler of my heart, is a mixed of Lukas concept of love and yet ever so mocking to Hyuna. It’s hate to notice when you first read, but rereading shows it. Yet also mixed with such sweet but sickening lines. “You are forever beautiful”

ᴡᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴏɴᴇ ʟɪꜰᴇ, ꜱᴏ ɪ'ᴍ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ᴍɪɴᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ !

When Hyuna covers, Ruler of my heart. It’s so bitter and empty. The highest note is when she says “Make me your god. I can give you everything!” Hyuna is sick of Luka. Hyuna doesn’t forgive Luka, in fact she’s terrified //and maybe a mix of confusion?/of him. She hates him for killing her brother, for being so cruel. But yet, she still cares for him ever so slightly. Even if she hates it. Because once.. they were all friends. A group of friends. They were kids, yet look what happened.

Hyuna’s weak point isn’t just Hyun-woo but is also Luka. She despises him. Yet some part of her still cares. I think mostly Hyuna is confused of why Luka would do that. I don’t think she realizes how important she is too Luka. How Luka is obsessed with her. And her only.

ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴀʟᴡᴀʏꜱ ᴄᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ʏᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀɴ ᴀɴꜱᴡᴇʀ.

I would really love to see Hyuna and Luka go against each other. Which they probably will. If Mizi&Sua + Ivan&Till. Now it’s Hyuna&Luka.

As much as I want to say Hyuna would probably win. It’s also confusing too. Since Luka is not easy opponent. He learns the deepest scars of his opponents. And since he knows Hyuna’s. He can easily mess with her. But Hyuna can also. Hyuna is equally as smart or even more smart. Maybe Hyuna can get Luka to panic on stage. Since Luka is always having his heart rate controlled, if Hyuna messes with him. He can panic. Not to mention Luka has low self esteem. But covers it up and makes himself look better. Hyuna is better than Luka of everything other than appearance. So that’s why this would be very intriguing.

ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʏᴏᴜ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ.

This is my take of Hyuluka. And of course my opinions and thoughts. Thank you for reading ♥️

[mcgrillzdumpinc]

I'll likely make a more in depth post once I've read through all the translated light novels but

Hello Apothecary Diaries fans I am in volume 8 and would like to reassure you about the choking scene from volume 5

Spoilers under the cut!

Okay so there's a scene at the end of volume 5 (the manga is not there yet) that many have interpreted as sexual assault. For the sake of those sensitive to such topics, I'm going to give a light on spoilers version of the scene and then an in depth analysis. Personally, I do not view the scene as sexual assault, but it is very forceful and carries A LOT of very sad subtext. You'll understand what I'm getting at in the more depth part.

So, the general gist of the choking scene.

MaoMao and Jinshi are in the garden to escape a banquet. They talk for a bit about a very scary incident that occurred that day (thankfully nobody was killed) and share casual conversation. Then Jinshi brings up that they're at this banquet to find him a wife. I won't spoil the specifics, but fyi MaoMao has been wearing an accessory this whole time that loudly announces (to everyone except herself, of course) that She's The Favorite™. Despite how obvious Jinshi has been with his intentions, including holding her hand and combing his other fingers through her hair while mentioning the whole wife thing, MaoMao evades him while thinking "I'm not capable of love". So, she tries to dodge him by offering up another woman. This is what causes Jinshi to snap and choke her, as well as hold one of her arms behind her back to stop her from fighting back.

He doesn't kill her. As far as damage to her throat, the text doesn't indicate any. He then leans his weight on her. MaoMao then remembers how she was taught sex techniques against her will be the Verdigris House women & decides to use those techniques against Jinshi. She then promptly leaves and Jinshi feels like the most pathetic man in world.

The two don't interact beyond official matters until towards the end of volume 6. Jinshi brings more rare medicine in lieu of an apology. The two talk around the wife situation again and MaoMao gets tickled. It isn't until volume 7 that they have an actual conversation breakthrough.

That's my light on spoilers version of the events. Now I'll give a more in depth version, that's honestly a good chunk of my own meta-analysis around the events of volume 5.

Honestly, volume 5 is full of really interesting scenes regarding Jinshi and MaoMao. This is the first volume after Jinshi has been forced back into Imperial Brother status, yet the first thing I noticed that actually changed between JinMao is how MaoMao takes initiative with him now. As soon as she learns an insect plague might be on the horizon, she dives into unprompted research and delivers her findings to Jinshi. She's no longer working at the palace or for Jinshi, but she still takes on the extra burden. She also takes initiative to get Jinshi some extra sleep (though she misinterprets his desire to not sleep alone). And later in the novel, when they're in the paper makers' village, MaoMao acts so cute when reapplying Jinshi's burn scar makeup. I'll let screenshots talk for me.

Like man. She's so cute. And I wonder, if these two didn't have to deal with social standing and imperial drama, would we get way more of them just being cute and companionable? If MaoMao wasn't an unwitting member of the Who Wants To Be An Imperial Princess race, would her feelings for Jinshi have grown without so much pushing and urgency on his end?

But I digress. I think a lot of volume 5, especially once they reach their travel destination, is MaoMao trying her best to keep her blinders on even though she is in the thick of imperial drama. She's especially desperate with regards to the blazingly obvious fact that a certain someone of very high status is in love with her. I think the end of chapter 6 does a very good job of driving home one of the major reasons why MaoMao is reluctant to trust Jinshi's feelings.

To add fuel onto this unfortunate fire is that MaoMao, as an unmarried courtesan's daughter, was attacked as an infant by her mother, sought after by fucking Lakan of all people, ignored while crying as a baby, and forcibly taught sex (to the point of tears!). She also had to cover for Luomen's own eccentricities, specifically ensuring they had enough money to feed themselves. MaoMao, to put it shortly, has been taught not to believe she can attain anything beyond her very simple life of being a lowly apothecary.

And then here's Jinshi who, as a prince, has been forced to grow up fast & have all his favorite things taken away from him. I think MaoMao is the first time he ever wanted a person. He is, for lack of a better word, obsessed with her. I think a lot of his pushiness & tendency to be clingy with her is him desperately trying to make sure he doesn't lose her. If he makes her his wife, then, well, she can't leave.

And I think the choking scene is him finally at his breaking point. At this point, he has lavished her with gifts, been very forward sexually with her twice, and given her a new hairpin that is essentially this story's version of a promise ring. It's MaoMao's repression/reluctance vs. Jinshi's desperation and so far she's winning.

But then she pushes him past his breaking point and he takes physical action against her. MaoMao responds by performing an unspecified sexual act on him.

So why don't I personally take this scene as sexual assault?

Mainly because I think the people actually guilty of sexual assault her are the Verdigris House women who forced MaoMao to learn sex.

As far as I understand it, whether MaoMao can actually say no to Jinshi is left up to interpretation. If we're talking on social status terms, she can't say no. But if you look at Jinshi's overall treatment of her, both before and after this scene, I very much think MaoMao can say no and instead chooses to defuse the situation.

Because what isn't for interpretation, however, is MaoMao's abysmal impression of what love and sex can actually be for her. So she defuses a situation by using sex, something she herself doesn't like, and doesn't allow Jinshi to reciprocate, which leaves him feeling terrible, too.

I want to be clear. I do think Jinshi is in the wrong for physically attacking MaoMao. But the sexual portion of the scene, at least to me, falls squarely on the shoulders of MaoMao's fucked up backstory.

Anyway, I think I've typed for long enough. I am using the official translations of the light novel for this analysis, so if any fans have access to alternate translations or WN only knowledge that throw my analysis in the trash bin, please let me know (fyi puedo leer el español).

[curryfury13]

KHOC WEEK 2024 Day 2 - Past

Second day of @khoc-week already! The prompt is diving into Hinata's past and hoo boy do I have a lot to talk about!

--Spoilers Spoilers!--

Hinata is the daughter of Ansem the Wise and grew up on Radiant Garden. Her mother and grandmother always had ideas of grandeur for her. She was, after all, technically a princess and the first born.

But that lifestyle and pressure never suited Hinata well. She often shirked her responsibilities of being the 'perfect princess' and instead snuck out to be with her best friends, Lea and Isa. The three of them went everywhere together and explored every inch of Radiant Garden. Hinata would get them into the castle occasionally, but after a few mishaps inside, they were banned. Well, Lea and Isa were banned. Hinata was allowed under her father's supervision, which unfortunately wasn't very often.

As the three friends got older, they began getting more and more interested in the apprentices at the castle. Hinata was familiar with most of them, even friends with a few. She spent more time in the castle library, proving she wouldn't cause a ruckus. There, she discovered books filled with old war stories and detailed diagrams of various weapons. They absolutely enthralled her, and for the first time in her life, she became passionate about something.

It didn't take long for her to rope Lea and Isa into her obsession and they attempted making their own versions of the weapons from the books. They each were drawn to different, unique weapons and sparred often, pretending they were characters from the old war stories. Hinata's father eventually took notice and wished for Hinata to be trained properly.

Fortunately, a new apprentice had recently appeared. A young man named Xehanort. He seemed to have his own abilities with fighting and Ansem appointed him as Hinata's, Lea's, and Isa's teacher.

The three of them trained under Xehanort's tutelage, learning and improving at an impressive speed. He pushed them to their limits, becoming harder the longer he taught them. Hinata noticed the change in him, but loved the way it drove her to learn more. Before long, the three of them were accomplished fighters, despite their age.

At that time, Xehanort began distancing himself from them, claiming he had important work at the castle that required his attention. Hinata attempted to learn more from the other apprentices, but each of them kept quiet and dismissive, something Hinata wasn't used to from them.

Lea and Isa also became interested in the secrets and the three of them conspired to sneak inside and get down to the lower levels where the labs were. Hinata knew how to get there and offered to lead the way.

They weren't prepared for what they were about to discover.

Getting in went off without a hitch, but as they went to the lower levels an unnerving chill filled the air. It wasn't natural and what once seemed like normal science experiments melded into inhumane practices. Hinata wondered if her father had anything to do with it and Lea and Isa didn't have an answer for her. Then Lea found what appeared to be a hidden corridor.

Going through the narrow hall and spiral staircase, they began hearing screams echoing off the walls. Large glass tubes stood from floor to ceiling, each one encasing a person in the process of melding into a Heartless.

They were experimenting on humans.

Braig, one of the apprentices, discovered them and Xehanort shortly followed. Their own Sparring Master was part of the madness. Upon seeing them, he said something about hoping he'd been able to show them when they were ready. Hinata didn't know what that meant. He summoned a strange, unearthly weapon to his hand. Lea and Isa stood frozen, but Hinata turned and ran, leaving them behind.

Everything after that spiraled into a destructive blur. Xehanort plotted something. From his actions, the world itself dissolved into darkness. Hinata ran for her father, but found him missing. So she went back home in the midst of the storm tearing apart the world. The only person she found there was her sister, Kairi. Hinata grabbed her and promised she'd protect her no matter what happened.

As if in response, Kairi's necklace illuminated with magic and everything around them went white.

Hinata didn't remember what happened after that. When she woke up, she was falling into an ocean and blacked out upon impact. Later, she awoke again in a hospital bed, her mind fogged and heavy, as if something was warping her memories.

Somehow, she appeared on an island, rescued by a boy named Riku. His two friends Sora and Kairi came to visit her in the hospital. She felt a bond with them, even upon meeting. Kairi especially seemed familiar, but her own sister had been merely six when she saw her last.

As she recovered and settling into her new life on the island, Hinata attached to a personal mission to find a way off world and find her sister. Thankfully, Riku already had an idea in mind.

[jackdaw-and-hattrick]

Underland

Next

Ao3

Based loosely off of this:

Damian was a child like many others. He woke up every morning, got ready for the day, and met his teachers for their daily lessons, where he would learn important things about the world and his place in it. Eventually, like all children, he would forget much of what he was taught, but that didn't matter.

There were differences, of course, as there are between all children. For instance, where most children learn their time's tables and how to play a recorder, Damian learned sword fighting and how to disarm a bomb (blindfolded). While some children’s mothers teach their children to be polite to strangers, Damien’s mother taught her little prince how to crush those foolish enough to cross him, for he was not an average little boy. No, Damien was the son of a Demon, and as the son of a Demon, it was his job to rule with an iron fist. He had to be smarter, stronger, and more grown-up, lest he meets his untimely end. There was no time for the son of a Demon to make friends! Friends only made you weak and vulnerable to attacks from behind. Nor was there time for playing; time spent playing was time not spent learning to protect yourself after all.

Still, for as much as Damien was not like other kids, he was still very much so LIKE them, and as much as his mother tried to hammer in her lessons on self-sufficiency and emotional guardedness, he would sometimes disobey. See, there was a pit in the middle of his home, and sometimes when he was meant to be learning how to hide, he would slip into it a journey down, down into the land below, where everything was green and the people walked through the air as easy as breathing. And while it did not come naturally to the little prince, he made many friends down there, like the Ghost-writer, who would show him books of faraway lands and Undergrowth, who let him play in their garden for hours and hours, the deep green vines snaking around his ankles as he danced just out of their reach. His favorite, though, was not Ember or Skulker, or any of the other wonderful and strange denizens of the land, but the King himself, a young man who glowed like starlight and who's crown hung loose about his head. He too understood the pressures of a kingdom, and he would help the little prince whenever he could, be it with training, homework, or finding his way out of Walker’s prison.

The two were the best of friends until one day, Damien’s mother learned what he has been doing while he hid from her. She barred him from ever returning to the pit and the green land below, and warned him that if he did not listen, the pit would take him and he would never return. The little prince loved the land and his friends, but he was scared of never seeing his mother. Time passed, and as he grew, Damien began to forget the green land below. He began to believe that Phantom and Undergrowth and all the other people down there were little more than childhood dreams. Eventually, he left his mother’s home. No more the son of a Demon, now he was the son of a Bat. There was no longer pit at the center of his home. There was no longer a green land below.

So the story should have ended, and would have too, had the little prince’s brother not have come home one day with a boy. The boy, a young man with void black hair and a shirt that hung loose about him, was named Danny. Damien did not know him, but he knew Damien and soon, much that had been buried would come to the surface once again.

Part 2

[lxdymoon0357]

Can I request for a general dating headcannons with Father, I Don't Want This Marriage???? thank chu!

Father, I don't want this marriage! X Reader HCs

Jubelian Floyen

♢Dating Jubelian is a very cute experience, I’d say, she’s so caring and sweet, she also always shows affection and she’s pretty! So many plus signs.

♢You do have to go through a suspection made by her father, but it’s fine, cause once he accepts you, you’re his child too, so yayyy! One more baby for him to spoil.

♢Random kisses on your cheeks and lips, maybe on knuckles when you’re holding hands around the manor or when you’re walking around the garden.

♢She learnt to make flower crowns when she was young, so she makes tons of flowers crowns for you and even taught you how to make them and so many dates when you both sit in the garden and make flower crowns with each other.

♢She has you sneak in her room so many times, even after Regis had three guards outside on her balcony, you still somehow sneaked her out and they found you both cuddling in one of the extra rooms they have.

♢Most dates you both have include you and her learning self-defense from Regis, because he doesn’t want your relationship to end up like his and Amelia’s, so he trains you both along with Max and it always ends up with you both giving each-other pecks and giggling like little kids.

♢Regis was really doubtful of you at first, that he tried to set up a scene where Jubelian was kidnapped and you ended up breaking down in front of him, while holding a knife covered in blood of the guards who kidnapped her, while Jubelian who knows about her dad’s scheme is mad because how dare he make the love of her life cry! >:((((((

♢If you’re larger than her, she would love it if you carried her on your back or princess style, but if you’re smaller and weaker than her, she would love to carry you all over!

♢You’re also have a lot of respect from not only nobles, but also many servants and many other people because you’re dating a Floyen, so many gifts so they can suck up to you!

♢You both have many dates where you both have a picnic with some trusted guards, maids, butlers and her father right near a lake or a waterbody, and after you all are done eating you all throw stones in the waterbody!

♢If you say you like something to eat, she will learn how to make it herself to surprise you and she always makes them with high-quality ingredients!

♢She also remembers many things you even gave a hint of liking; she has a scrap-book with you, in which she writes, and draws things you both did that day or something you want to do in the future or after you both are married

♢She loves card games, so it’s a routine where you both play card-games before bed, until you both fall asleep in each-other’s warmth because the room is too cold…

♢You and Jubelian always wear matching clothes everywhere, parties, banquets, balls, going out, sleeping, on dates, dancing, walking around, etc….So all the maids know what to do, your accessories also match!

♢Now dating Jubel is like having your personal fashion designer, whom one second will make you many clothing which are gonna make a new trend in the empire and in the next will be making out with you on her bed.

Maxmillion Ashet

♚ You are spoiled as fuck! Maxmillion is a crown prince and being a crown prince means many gifts so nobles can suck up to you, so when he finds a gift he doesn't like, but he know you'll enjoy, he removes everything that says that it for him and gives it to you, saying he had a noble got it for you.

♚ Max is also very physical with you, hugging, kissing and touching you, though they're mostly subtle in public and in-front of people, in private, he won't stop at only kissing or hugging.

♚ He would have you train with him, because he doesn't want you to be hurt by assassins and people who want to hurt as to get revenge on him, Regis is always happy to train you for sword-fighting, hand-to-hand combat and arrow-shooting.

♚ He learnt flower language for you and often coveys his feelings using flowers!!! He has brought many flowers and often you were confused, because you don't know why he chooses a certain scheme of colour and types of flowers, until one of your maids suggested him using flower language and upon inspection, it was indeed true!!!

♚ He probably sits you on his lap while he does something he is annoyed about like polishing his swords or doing some paper-work, cause it's comforting for him.

♚ He would take you horse-back riding every weekend for a date, if he's too busy, he'll improvise and get you your favourite foods as lunch while he does his work.

♚ He would buy you earrings, or any jewellery you like but he buys your earrings the most, because he for some reason, he loves earrings and they're always made with beautiful and special crystals.

♚ He built a statue in your honour, it is a statue of you, in a beautiful dress with a bunny in your hand, it's kept in the grand hall of the palace, it is decorated with multiple jewels and maybe it is a secret door to a private chamber.

♚ He gives you piggyback rides and loves to carry you if your feet are hurting or if you're feeling a little lazy, tsundere about it though....But it's okay, cause we love tsunderes in this households!

♚ He loves to feed into your hobbies, he doesn't care what it is; painting, sword-fighting, archery, crocheting, reading, swimming, gymnastics, even if it's deemed as unfeminine by society, who looks down upon women who do this, he's a feminist and he ain't gonna let you take shit from anybody!!!

♚ Also, though he is kind of a tsundere, he won't be afraid to show his love to you, in front of people or fanboy in fact, he don't care, he has his hands wrapped around yours or he's having his hand on your waist.

Regis Floyen

☽ The head of the duchy, he's such a sweetheart and so is his daughter, you three make the perfect family! You're so pretty, Regis with his amazing skills and Jubel with her kind nature!!!

☽ He loves to dance with you, late at night, if you aren't as tired that is, he is very careful about your health and often gives you his main priorities.

☽ Kind of needs your reassurance that he is doing the correct thing, if there is something you don't like, please say cause when you do things passive and aggressively, it makes him overthink things....

☽ He would teach you how to sword fight, even in heavy dresses and large heels because honestly in my opinion, he would find it to be super hot to see his wife fight someone in dresses, heels with make-up fully done, if he has a wife that is. If you're another, he would love to see you fight him, because hot husband and spouse vibes....

☽ Dating Regis is also dating Jubelian, because you have breakfast and lunch with her everyday, Regis joins you both for dinner, you dress up with Jubel, make flower-crowns, go on parent-daughter dates, put on make-up, go out to eat something or go shopping with her, you spend more time with Jubel then with Regis....

☽ I think Regis also has quite a talent in painting, if he does, he would love to paint you and Jubel dancing together or doing something together as parent and daughter, he would also love to do family portraits!!!

☽ Just like Jubel and her S/O, he is going to be wearing matching clothing with you, no matter what you do, when you're going to bed, you're doing work, you're at a banquet, meetings or what not, matching accessories and also his sword is matching a dagger he gave you!

☽ Also, he would love to see you rock anything, wearing dresses as a man or wearing a suit as lady! He'll find them hot anyway and he wants you to feel comfortable in your own skin and anyone who makes you feel otherwise is quite frankly a little, insecure bitch ass! So you go boo! Do what you want, wear what you want, he's there to handle all the scandals and rumors and he and Jubelian are scaring anyone who is staring at you weirdly!!!!

☽ He would love to kiss you randomly throughout the day and no-matter where or what you're doing, they is going to be a *smooch!* places on your cheeks, lips, neck, ears, hand, hair, forehead, nose, on top of head or wherever he wants to kiss

☽ He would take on dates whenever he can and it could be the most random time as long as you're completely 800% okay to do it, it can vary from 3:56 am at night to broad daylight of 2:45 pm in the afternoon....It don't matter!

☽ HE CANNOT STAND YOU BEING UNCOMFORTABLE!!!!!! I've said it once and I'll say it again, he cannot stand you being uncomfortable, whether it be your dress, accessories, person, view, position or anything it is, he will do anything in his power to make sure you're safe and sound and comfortable!!!!

☽ My man loves to carry you around in his arms like a koala and maybe he takes you like that to the training grounds and there he sits you down somewhere comfortable while you watch him train shirtless :P.....

☽ C O F F E E A D D I C T S. You both are most likely coffee addicts and he not only has then types of coffee, oh no! He has over hundreds type of coffee stored in one of his warehouses....

☽ He would love for you to model your outfits for him, he love to see how hot, cute, beautiful/handsome/alluring you look in them, he obviously has matching outfit with you, but your outfits fit your aesthetic or style and his outfits match his style and so you have similar outfit, but of different styles!!!

☽ He loves to bath with you, after he has finished training with Maxmillion an the is all tired and sweaty and needy for all of your attention on him and him only!

[realroyalswordacademy]

□》"For the hearts that fight for changings"《□

As you pass through the mirror, the first thing that crosses your mind is how cold it was in there. The second was being startled by a dense, dark forest, with not a single ray of light in sight despite it still being morning. The third is shuddering, hearing the loud howls of something wolf-like but too grotesque to be such.

Roseeste's student laughs softly, lighting a lamp and guiding his way through the forest with ease. Gradually the darkness recedes, and the sounds of the wolves seem more and more distant, until there are no more trees to cover the sun.

Bright and intimidating, there is a castle in the heart of the forest. It appears to be abandoned, with snow covering many parts of it and nature itself trying to take it over. However, what most catches your eye is the large garden of bright red roses amongst the white snow.

You ask the student guiding you how the flowers are still alive despite the freezing winter. He looks at the rose bushes and smiles softly before picking one of them.

"Magical roses that never wilt. In fact, all the plants are incapable of wilting here." His voice is cheerful as he offers the rose to you. "But its thorns are poisonous, be careful." he hums before guiding you back through the castle.

On their way into the castle, you both pass the main courtyard where some students are talking to each other in whispers. Many were near a statue in the middle of the place.

The statue was of the Rose Princess and the Beast King, both dancing together. As you passed, the king's image changed to a less bestial version of himself. This surprised you deeply.

"You don't know the legend, do you? Well, let me tell you! They say that millennia ago, a Beast King hurt the feelings of a powerful fairy. In revenge, she cursed him, turning him into a cruel and bloodthirsty beast. Supposedly, he killed all his servants in a fit of madness after his transformation."

Poor chap, you think, looking at the tragic statue of the Beast Man. He looks like a kind man, so what must have been said to upset the great fairy so much that such a tragedy occurred?

Then you look at the young woman with the Beast Man, and your guide cracks a smile.

"A young sorceress, with no royal blood whatsoever, ends up becoming a prisoner of the King. She discovers that the stories about his servants being dead or the King being cruel were malicious lies created by the fairy in an act of pettiness. So the princess becomes determined to help the king in any way she can, and they become extremely close. At the end of it all, the sorceress discovers how to save the king and they both defeat the fairy by breaking the curse she has placed on the kingdom."

You find the story incredible, really reminiscent of the fairy tales of your original world. But something piques your curiosity: how do you break the King's curse?

The student laughed, shrugging.

"Some say it was true love, others say she used powerful magic to break the curse. I personally think it was something else."

You look at him confused, and ask him what he thought. The student looks lovingly at the statue of the king, the one where his image shows a frightening beast.

"I think it simply taught him that he was still the same despite the change. The king was still benevolent to his servants despite the change in his appearance, he never stopped being their king. Perhaps she taught him that, so it was no longer a curse."

You look again at the image of the beast king in its bestial version, taking a few steps back to see its normal version again. It seemed so drastically different, until you looked closely at the statue's eyes. It had a kind and loving look, no matter what it looked like.

You understand perfectly what your guide meant.

Next》

[saey707]

YO I HAVE BEEN COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TO BE ABLE TO SEND A REQUEST

I notice you enjoy writing for the beloved ninjas... Do you have any headcanons of Shen, Zed, or Akali? (´･ω･`)

✿ Prompt: Akali, Shen, and Zed as your lover ✿

♡ champion focuses: akali, shen, zed ♡ tw: none! ♡ Gender-neutral reader

Author's Note: Anon, hello! Your request is in my hands! <3 I didn't include (Y/N) in this one and it will just be generalized ideas of what kind of lovers each nin would be if they had a relationship with reader! ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈ ♡) I hope you enjoy~

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼ ✿ ✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Index ₊˚ʚ ᗢ₊˚✧ ﾟ.

Shen (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

Akali (૭ ｡•̀ ᵕ •́｡ )૭

Zed ৻(  •̀ ᗜ •́  ৻)

⭑･ﾟﾟ･*:༅｡.｡༅:*ﾟ:*:✼ ✿ ✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

Shen ♡ 

Of the three, Shen takes the longest time to warm up to the idea of letting someone into his heart. Because he has been hurt and betrayed by so many people he held dear to him, it is difficult for him to accept the love of another.

But, of the three, Shen would be the most protective. He'll do everything possible to assure your safety, especially with Khada Jhin and Zed on the loose...

When Shen begins to warm up to the sudden affection and warmth you provide him in your relationship, he'll definitely sink into it. How long has it been since someone has taken care of him? Told him that they adore him and love him? The years of deficiency from something so vital are going to have him longing for more of your touch and love!

Despite how busy work keeps him, Shen will try his best to always make time for you. He can't stand the idea of you getting hurt, or worse, killed by an azakana! It is why he would vow to purge all of them and send them back to the spirit realm where they belong.

On his off days, when things are particularly slow for the Kinkou, Shen will spend his time taking you to local taverns to eat! If there is one thing to know about Shen, food is his love language. He knows all the best spots, and will take you to them!

Shen is a big boy. He absolutely loves how small you are in his arms, and how you can't even wrap your own around him.

Shen would give the best massages. Though, he would be hesitant to accept them from you, should you wish to reciprocate.

He'll happily include you in his hobbies... That is if you are interested in meditation, gardening, and learning how to make different kinds of soups.

Shen will teach you how to fight. As much as you probably will come to hate it, given how antiquated his teachings are, he wants you to be able to defend yourself when he is away on advanced missions- In other words, tasks he doesn't want to go on anymore because he fears for your wellbeing every day he is away from home.

His favorite spot to kiss you is on the back of your neck, wrapping his arms around you from behind.

It may be difficult for Shen to say "I love you", but just being aware of his love language is enough to remind you that he really does care and cherish you deeply past the hardened exterior of his heart.

Akali ♡ 

Akali has always considered herself a lone wolf, especially because her upbringings taught her that if she wants things done properly, she has to do it herself. But when it comes to you... She doesn't mind the company.

Of the three, Akali is the most difficult to coming around to having a tender relationship. It's difficult for her to show strong emotions. But eventually she will come around, it's only a matter of time until she begins to express her feelings, than channeling and repressing them. So long as you are patient and are willing to listen to her, everything she feels so deeply for will begin to pour out.

Your relationship started off more... Physical, than it did emotional. Frankly, Akali feared that she would grow attached to you with the amount of nights she spent with you. But she wouldn't take back any of those nights for a second- Even the late night talks and aftercare you always provided her.

When it comes to your relationship with her, Akali is the most likely of the three to be the most possessive! Even though she doesn't outwardly show it sometimes, she doesn't want to share you with anyone else, and if anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way, consider them dead. But you know she's possessive, especially when she clings to your arm when she feels threatened.

On date nights, the first thing Akali does is take you to get ramen! It doesn't take her long to devour 3 bowls, while you are still stuck on your first one... However, some nights she'll share a bowl with you! And when you both get the same ramen noodle, she'll gladly connect your lips to hers with a gentle kiss~

As much as she hates leaving to fulfill missions and assignments, Akali knows she'll always have a place to go back to and feel her most vulnerable: Your home.

And when she does return home, you're always sure to prepare a warm bath for her and a nice cup of tea, followed by a good cuddle session. Such a routine is enough to give something that Akali can look forward to, and believe her, she looks forward to it.

She isn't the best with giving back, and generally doesn't know what kinds of gifts people like.

But when she does come up with something to give back to you it definitely is a pleasant surprise!

Matching tattoos in Weh'le is something you can look forward to when you're some years into your relationship with Akali!

As much as Akali wants to believe she is a stoic warrior with a blade, she feels so many deep feelings for you. Feelings that she's never felt for anyone else before.

Zed ♡ 

As much as Zed is made out to be the great antagonist of Ionia, he really would be the hardest to love and the most tender when it comes to showing his affection, out of the three.

He knows love is not a weakness and that it can be a reason for people to keep fighting. Master Kusho taught him otherwise: He taught Zed to repress his emotions and, essentially, to become a robot. "Only then could he be a real leader," his old Master said.

But Kusho was wrong about him. Zed can't stop himself from having strong feelings.

Zed is a two-for-one package! He doesn't mind performing duties around the monastery such as cooking and cleaning, but that doesn't mean he will fall short of providing for you and protecting you from potential threats. And believe him: The Yanlei always has threats...

He loves cooking and even excels at it! His favorite foods to make are Nagano soba and soup dumplings. And because he enjoys making these dishes he tends to make them a lot... Hope you aren't too picky about variety!

There is never an off day for Zed, but there is always enough time for you: Although not ideal, he'll let you sit with him (or on him~) while he tends to his armor and weaponry.

Nights are spent cuddling up to one another. This is the only time Zed will really let his guard down and feel his most vulnerable with you. His favorite thing to do is nudge his head against the crevice of your neck, allowing your fingers to tangle through his hair until he falls asleep.

He doesn't like leaving you alone, even though he knows full and well you can protect yourself.

When he is about to depart for a mission, he always feels like he isn't doing enough to assure you he'll be back and that he'll find a way to bring you something back (despite the incessant showering of affection).

While you can't be entirely romantic with a busy leader like Zed, that doesn't stop you from knowing deep down he loves you and cherishes you unlike any other being on earth.

You know Zed feels with his entire heart and he will hide it just enough to not let his guard down.

Zed won't ever stop reminding you how strongly he loves you. He won't ever let you feel otherwise. You give him strength. You give him a reason to fight. You make him feel like he is capable of giving and receiving love, even though he's a ninja.

[feminist-cult-following]

ranking each song on ttpd: the anthology by how lesbian I interpret them as

1. guilty as sin — literally so lesbian. the yearning, the fantasizing, the pining, the insane amount of religious imagery? “what if the way you hold me is actually what’s holy?” “I choose you and me religiously?” I SAW GAY SO I SAID GAY !!

2. but daddy I love him — the word “him” in the title be damned this is one of the most lesbian songs her in whole discography. the romance being forbidden by the whole town is enough for me. I’m just picturing two women in the south who are deeply in love but stuck in a small, conservative town. so so good and so so lesbian

3. fresh out the slammer — I always listen to this from the perspective of a woman who once struggled with internalized homophobia and forced herself into a relationship with a man. once she’s able to accept herself she goes back to her true love. I like to think to it as a sort of sequel to the way I loved you

4. the tortured poets department — I’m not even a gaylor but this song will always be about phoebe bridgers in my mind (just jokes people). but seriously this song is so gay. the title of tortured poets is reserved for lesbians

5. the bolter — for the girlies who dated men before realizing they were a lesbian and always found themselves sabotaging the relationship without knowing why

6. down bad — this is about your first lesbian heartbreak. the one that feels shifted your entire world off its axis and changed you forever. the heartbreak is one you never get over.

7. the prophecy — whatever you do, don’t think about this from the perspective of either a young girl or an older woman who’s too afraid to come out and fears she’ll never find love. it’ll shatter your heart into a million tiny pieces

8. who’s afraid of little old me? — I love to think of this song from the perspective of a deeply repressed woman with religious trauma that just came out. she grew up being taught who she was was a sin and all of these feelings of rage and resentment have been bubbling up in her for years. it makes for a very cathartic listening experience

9. the alchemy — okay okay hear me out. I will defend this placement with my life! is it about a man who plays football, arguably the most heterosexual sport there is? yes. but you have to get creative with it. think cheerleader and basketball player who aren’t supposed to be together but can’t fight their feelings! “who are we to fight the alchemy?” is one of the gayest lines she’s ever written and I will die on this hill!

10. peter — the fact that it’s named after a dude doesn’t change the fact that this always makes me think of a girl singing to her closeted ex lover. the yearning, the pining, it’s very lesbian

11. I hate it here — really gay if you interpret the secret gardens, lunar valleys, and inner romanticism through a lesbian lens

12. look in people’s windows — another one that’s really only just because I played it on repeat in my breakup era

13. imgonnagetyouback — this is so that one ex you can’t stay away from because she changed your whole life. it’s about that girl who’s like a drug (and it’s how I manifested my ex back)

14. thanK you aIMee — potentially controversial spot in the ranking but if you think about it as a woman singing to her ex homoerotic friendship it makes sense

15. florida!!! — any collab taylor does with a woman automatically earns lesbians points idc what it’s about

16 the black dog — not overtly gay but this one was on repeat during my breakup era so it will always be gay to me

17. the albatross — this one vaguely gives me lesbian vibes if you interpret it as the narrator speaking to her closeted lover

18. chloe or sam or sophia or marcus— this one is more of a treat for our bisexuals!! lesbians love you mwah !

19. cassandra — the vibes are there but not enough for me to justify putting it above any of the other songs

20. fortnight — as much as I would love to defend this as a lesbian song the lyric “my husband is cheating” and the post malone feature make that hard to do

21. loml — a heartbreakingly beautiful song but not very lesbian

22. the smallest man who ever lived — even though I think of my ex when I listen to this it still has the word man in the title which knocks it down by many lesbian points

23. my boy only breaks his favorite toys — “boy” in the title unfortunately makes this drop a lot of spots

24. so high school — absolute banger but very straight

25. how did it end? — beautiful song but there’s definitely gayer stuff on this album

26. so long, london — all I can think about is joebless when I hear this so no lesbian points for yogurt boy

27. I can do it with a broken heart — this is more girlhood than lesbianism

28. the manuscript — great but very heterosexual I fear

29. I can fix him (no really I can) — this is practically the straight woman’s national anthem

30. clara bow — also not lesbian, but definitely the album’s most underrated song

31. robin — not lesbian at all, but cute song!

[twsthc]

savanaclaw headcanons and projection 🦁

...this is what the poll from like last week was for. sorry heartslabyul and diasomnia fans teehee </3

⚠️ warnings: self harm, eating disorders

last updated: may 4, 2024

LEONA KINGSCHOLAR !! 🦁🥩

🇲🇱🇹🇿🇰🇪 UNLABLED + INTERSEX TRANSFEMNEU (she/him)

APPEARANCE HCS:

Leona is actually the twst character I've drawn the most

I hc all beastmen to have fur everywhere thats elastic and akin to mink skin

You know the texture of squishmallows? It's like that.

╰Doesn't include the thick hair in other places (head, facial, armpits, chest, pubes, etc)

Lots of scars in general + healed dermis self harm scars on thighs

Has a flat nose like a cat

RANDOM HCS:

Savanaclaw mom/big sister...

Overstimulating thunderstorm? Go whine to Leona. Diasomnia students bothering you? Get leona to deal with them. Your food is too hot? Cry to Leona.

During freshman year she was way more outgoing and extroverted but eventually She mellowed out (depression moment)

She used to change hairstyles a lot before settling on freeform dreads

Also got into way more fights back then (also how she became housewarden)

Now she is (kind of) calm. Tranquil. At peace. Has depressive episodes. Relaxed.

Mostly does her own thing, and if that "thing" isn't sleeping it's some other bullshit the underclassmen roped her into

SHE CAN SEW AND MAKE JEWLERY

╰While wandering the castle one day, Leona stumbled upon the servants quarters. They taught him life skills (mending clothes, cooking, etc :3)

Despite being a big sis figure if she doesn't want to do something she Will Not.

And if she does do it afterall it's because she gets something out of it.

NPD, GAD, PDD (persistent depressive disorder)

RUGGIE BUCCHI !! 🍩🌼

🇺🇸🇧🇷 UNLABLED + TRANS MAN (he/him)

APPEARANCE HCS:

Similarly to Leona he has a furry textured skin

Though his body hair is more coarse and longer due to him being a hyena

He has a lazy eye and tipped ear similar to Ed from The Lion King

Probably my second most drawn twst character :3

Healed epidermis self harm scars on inner wrists 🥶

RANDOM HCS:

He's like the cooler afrolatino Luke Blovad

He's either winning the idgaf wars or dying on the battlefield

Has an insane collection of weird shirts from thrift stores

And he makes it work every single time! his outfits go crazy!

More connected to his AADOS/Gullah side than his Brazilian side

Though he does speak Portugese!

In fact, he speaks multiple languages because polyglots are marketable

The type of person to take a half empty bottle of ketchup and rotting apple from an empty ass fridge and make dinner happen

Constantly going to Scarabia to snag their party leftovers

Used to be a scene kid!!!! This is canon and true!!!! Pls trust me

diabetes, GAD, MDD, undiagnosed ADHD

triggering content ahead !!

he has bulimia nervosa

╰fun fact! a lot of food insecure people have eating disorders

self harmed a lot from the ages from 10-12 before eventually stopping at 13

he stopped after his grandma found out and started checking his arms regularly (#projecting)

JACK HOWL !! 🐺🌵

🪶🇪🇬 PANROMANTIC ASEXUAL + GENDER CURIOUS (he/they)

APPEARANCE HCS:

WAY thicker fur than leona and ruggie

Trims his body hair a lot because he overheats in savanaclaw easily

RANDOM HCS:

The type of guy to be totally in love with the world and nature

They're just like. Wow. We were put on a spinning rock. With food to eat, and water drink, and air to breathe. I love being alive.

Had a little garden back at home and named every single plant

Remembers small things about people and brings them up in conversation

╰Hey dude I got you a Chipotle bowl. How did I remember your exact order? You told me. Yeah, I know it was a year ago, but--

Random but I think he dresses how Tupac did

Not even to be tough

But because he's a black suburban kid

(I'm a black city kid but this is probably how black suburban kids dress trust)

Loooves chewing on things. Has one of those chew necklaces

Autistic with botany and physical health special interest

[fandom-lover2]

My Sword Is My Shield, And I Shall Never Bend

Chapter Three - Too Young For This

Word Count - 2487

Saiph breathed deeply, feeling the oxygen flow through every part of her body, making her feel lighter. Then, she released, her breath following the arrow.

Perfect bullseye.

She smiled, proud of herself.

“Nice one!” Jack called from his position on the stairs.

Satisfied with her practise for the day, she retrieved her arrow and added it to the quiver strapped to her back before making her way to Jack, greeting Miko as she passed her.

Jack lounged against the stairs that lead to the armoury, sipping a goblet of water leisurely as he watched her approach. She sat heavily beside him, taking the other goblet and downing it in two gulps.

These were the days Saiph loved most, when she was left alone to be her.

Well, today wasn’t the best of days. After meeting the General, while she ran around the house trying to catch Jack, she ended up meeting Nurse June sitting in a hallway, crying. When she asked why, she realised that the reason the General was here was because he had been escorting her cousin home.

The house had received the news weeks ago of what had happened to Bumblebee. Saiph never thought he’d come home.

She raced to the doctor’s room where she found Bumblebee seated at the table, Preceptor and another man standing in front of him.

When he saw Saipha, he pushed them aside, standing. She rushed at him, throwing herself around him.

Bumblebee wasn’t actually his name. When he was a baby, Bradly would continuously make buzzing noises. With the rare black streak in his blonde hair, the nickname caught on quickly throughout the household. Bumblebee suited him better than Bradly anyway.

Saiph released him from her embrace, pulling away to look at him. He was tired, eyes drooping and red.

She raised her hand slowly and stroked his cheek. “I’m so glad you’re home.”

She debated giving him a light punch to the gut in warning of him ever scaring her that badly ever again, but decided he’d suffered enough.

He smiled weakly, not meeting her eyes.

Saiph inhaled sharply, fighting back the tears that stung her eyes.

Perceptor ushered her away shortly after, telling her morning classes were cancelled and she needed to go find Jack and Wheeljack would be keeping them busy. She reluctantly agreed, knowing Bee was safe is he was with Perceptor.

After a failed 2 months at finishing school, Saiph was homeschooled by the house’s doctor/advisor. No one was really sure what he did. He was the doctor if you needed him to be, but he also had a vast knowledge of pretty much everything. He oversaw Saiph’s education with Nurse June, but it officially ended a year ago. He continued to add subjects her father had not included in her required syllabus. History and geography, biology and warfare, basic medicine. Saiph was being taught how to survive in the world, not rule above it. Perceptor was a kind and patient teacher.

Jack was the son of Saiph’s nurse maid, June. They were raised side by side from birth, but never as equals. Well, her father believed they were not raised equal. Any chance Saiph could she was sneaking food from the kitchen to him, and she always kept the meals that were brought to her room so we could share. Saiph never ate that much anyway. Jack helped keep the gardens and mind the horses.

Many of the good memories from her childhood were Bee, Jack and Saiph getting into trouble for the mischief they caused. And later on, the memories consisted of them being trained by Wheeljack in combat and swordsmanship.

Her archery lessons were carried out by a hunter who would pass into Yuss every fortnight. He would observe her form and make corrections while his haul was documented and coin was counted. Then he’d go off into the woods once again, returning when his wagon was fill 14 moons later. He never gave a name, merely calling himself ‘Hunter’.

Wheeljack was a strange man. He was from the country called Japan, and instead of ‘Knight’ called himself a “Samurai”. His weapon of choice was two swords he called katanas. They were smaller than broadswords in width and had a curve to them. He said they could not learn his method as they were not from his land, but was more than willing to teach them three with a broadsword.

Saiph’s father had despised the idea of her holding a sword, let alone wielding one, but she didn’t care. It was mostly his wife’s influence anyway. That her only job was to marry into a wealthy family and allow her sons to take over the family house, name and title.

Saiph didn’t want the skills to fight in this stupid war, she wanted them because they allowed her to feel as though she had some power in her own life. That she wasn’t just the girl, she was the fighter.

And she wasn’t the only girl in this town that fought. Jack and Saiph watched from their perch as Miko hoisted the hammer over her shoulder.

She was also a child from Japan, though she was orphaned at a young age when her parents were murdered on the road while travelling to Yuss. The convoy they were travelling with brought her to the city and were ready to give to the orphanage when the blacksmith came forward.

Bulkhead adopted her. She was raised around melting iron and molding swords. Being a blacksmith meant Bulkhead was ridiculously buff for a man, bulging biceps larger than Saiph’s head. No matter how hard Miko tried, she could never build mass, but she held strength. The only weapon she insisting training with was a war hammer. And damn could she use it effectively. Many times Jack and Saiph have narrowly avoided a painful trip to Nurse June after Miko swung that thing with pin point accuracy. Of all the kids in training, she scared Saiph the most.

There was one more child in this house, Raf. He was a quiet boy. Son of the head gardener, Saiph often helped sneak him into the library. The kid had a thirst for knowledge of the world, especially science. You could leave him in a corner with a stack of books and come back hours later to see he hasn’t moved at all, only the pile of ‘To read’ have shrunken. He was smart, and brazen for someone so small. Of all of the youth, the only one who rivalled the number of fights with the commoner children was Bumblebee.

Bumblebee was like a brother to young Raf, and Saiph’s cousin leaving for war broke his heart. The fights became more frequent after Bee’s departure. But as he always did, Raf went to read. His topic of books changed from science to warfare. He would write letters to Bumblebee almost every day, telling him of the new battle strategies and tactics he’d learned, begging her cousin to pass them onto the General. When news of Bumbebee’s injury reached the castle, Saiph thought the poor kid would burst with rage and fear. It took both Jack and Miko to hold him back from his quest of going to find the Warlord Megatron. To channel his rage, he did what he always did, read. He remembered reading somewhere of a man who learnt to use his hands to make different movements as a form of a language for people who were deaf. Raf found the book again and began making copies for all the people who were close to Bee. Then he began learning, practicing in the mirror and asking the kids to help him. All of them learnt, and a few of the adults in the house, for when he returned.

Saiph didn’t think he actually would.

“My lady!”

Saiph was startled out of gazing at the setting sun and turned to see it was Milo, a messenger.

“The lord wants to see you.” he informed with a bow.

The staff knew Saiph hated it when they bowed, and if they did it, it meant someone of higher standing was watching. She looked around and saw her step mother glaring down at them from a window on the third floor.

 “Thank you Milo.” Saiph dismissed him, turning back to the sun.

“Aren’t you going to go?” Jack asked.

“Nah.”

He chuckled, standing. “You should go. I need to get to the sables anyway.”

Saiph threw her head back with a groan, but she knew he was right.

Yelling a goodbye to Miko, they went their different ways. Saiph didn’t rush to her father though. She went to Bee first.

He lay on the bed, and one would assume he was asleep if not for the eye he cracked open when she walked in. Raf lay curled at his side, definitely asleep. His eyes were red and swollen, he had been crying. Poor kid.

Saiph picked a blanket from the pile in the basket near the bed and draped it over the two of them. Bee mouthed his thanks before closing his eyes again.

Did he want to rest because he needed it, or was he pretending so he did not have to see the pain in her eyes?

Saiph took the chance to grab a chair and sit, observe them. Bee’s hair had grown, now almost past his ears, and a start of a beard seemed to be trying to grow. He looked wrong with it.

Even though he was the oldest of them, the gap between him and Jack and Saiph was only two years. Raf was the youngest, being 16, Miko following at 17. Jack and Saiph were 19, leaving Bee at 21. None of them were children anymore, but it was so much easier for them to pretend they were still riding imaginary horses and fighting dragons.

The war was getting worse. Almost 80% of Cybertron had been destroyed. Crops burnt and farms destroyed in the fighting between The Great Optimus and the Warlord Megatron. Was the war even worth it if there was no land to govern after the war had concluded. How many more Bumblebee’s would die for opposing ideals? How many more innocent civilians would be forced to join the war to save themselves from starvation?

This town had been getting more refuse seekers everyday, many coming from all around Cybertron. Saiph’s father had had to begin turning them away. Not enough space for them. How much more was the war going to take?

She knew why the war started, why the revolution started, but was it all worth it?

Her inner conflict ended when a match was struck beside her and she was startled to find Perceptor standing behind her, lighting a candle.

“I thought your father asked to see you an hour ago?” he questioned.

She stood up, horrified. “An hour?”

Oh no.

Saiph turned without another word, rushing out the room.

If Milo had called her that meant her father was in the dining room, probably getting ready for dinner. Entering the main house, Saiph was surprised by the chaos.

Servants ran around, food and jugs smelling of wine being hurried around. That only meant one thing, her father was hosting a feast, probably for the army.

The sun only had a few rays left, torches illuminating the walls.

She laughed to herself as she passed the kitchen, poor men.

Saiph’s father was a cold man, to the servants as least. With his wife and their sons, he was joyful and kind hearted. She never spent much time with him. Mandatory dinners were bad, but the dinner table was large enough that she could sit on the far end and not hear their conversation. Saiph would eat as fast as she could and excuse herself.

His wife hated her with a passion, simply because Saiph was a threat to her son’s success in life.

The children themselves were monsters. Well, the older of the two was, the younger was a quiet boy. Kept to himself mostly, though that was because he never managed to get a word in over his older brother’s constant screeching.

Saiph often wished she got to spend more time with him, but anytime she got near, he would be called away. The staff were given strict orders to keep them separated as much as possible, and were harshly punished if they did not intervene. Saiph often saw him squatted down playing with the bugs to the side of the training grounds. A soft boy that would be ruined by the harshness of his mother and abuse from his brother.

She heard the hushed talks of her father from the staff, and the complaints from our visitors. He always forced himself into the center of a conversation, always making it seem he knew more than you. Many complained about him, like she didn’t know.

Taking the stairs that would be less busy, she entered the dining hall.

Yip, food overflowed the table, and soldiers.

They all turned to look at her, mouths full. The General sat to the right of her father, who was seated at the head of the table. To her father’s left sat the older of her two brothers. The youngest was probably in his room. An extra table had been brought to fit all the men, 16 in total.

Saiph’s step mother sat at the further end of the table, away from all the men, like tradition stood. Woman one side and men the other. An empty chair was opposite hers, Saiph’s.

Oh hell no.

She looked toward the General and saw him staring at her, expression unreadable. He was handsome, unfortunately. Black hair and stubble, eyes a startling blue. A strong and obviously build body hiding beneath that simple shirt and jacket.

It was like he was studying her, trying to understand who she was, what she was thinking.

It was weird, but not uncomfortable. It was like he wanted to know more and celebrate those parts, not force them into submission.

They stared for each other for a few beats too many, but were interrupted by Saiph’s father growling her name.

She turned her eyes toward him. “Yes?”

“What are you wearing?”

She looked down at her clothes. “What I always do.”

He took a deep inhale and Saiph saw the angry vein on his forehead showing. “Go to your room, get changed, and join us.” It was calmly said, but the rage behind it was obvious.

Normally, Saiph would fight, begin acting so unruly and fake a manic episode so she was dragged to her room and excused, but this time she didn’t want to. Saiph wanted to be seated with these men, to hear what they had to say. All of them. She bowed my head. “Of course, Father.” Saiph turned fast then, hiding the smirk that formed.  

[shadowqueenjude]

Lucien finally loses it and does something bat shit crazy part 3

“Only a Vanserra could outsmart a Vanserra.”

Lucien starts to execute his evil plan! *me cackling* Lucien stood before the shadowsinger and pretended not to notice the slight intertwining of Elain’s scent with him. Lucien knew the male hadn’t touched Elain intimately in any way, but he knew the bathole was crushing on her. From what he could see, it wasn’t entirely one-sided. Did the dumbasses really think he was so oblivious? He had earned the fox's reputation for a reason.

He resisted the urge to grind Azriel’s teeth to dust. Now was not the time to pick a fight. Even as the mating bond chanted, Now is very much the time for a fight. Crush him. Melt his bones. Destroy him for daring to lay a hand on your mate. He tried to take what is yours. Kill him. Make him suffer.

Shut up bond, he said silently. I have higher ambitions than the dog. I’ll topple the whole operation.

“Things have gotten worse since your magnanimous High Lord decided to kick a downed male. I’m trying to keep things more or less operational, but… the place is extremely vulnerable. Tamlin spends half his time as a beast these days. At this rate, the human lands will put up a better fight than him.” Lucien’s mouth tightened at the state of his home. It hurt-badly. “The human lands are great. Jurian and Vassa have done an incredible job corralling everyone. No sign of the other queens. But Briallyn is surely planning something; Eris visited, and I’m almost certain she is behind the disappearance of his troops. She has some kind of dark magic on her side, though I’m uncertain of its nature. Koschei’s threat looms nearer as well. I suspect Vassa only has a few months before he comes for her.” Lucien would find a way to save her. He wasn’t about to lose anybody else, much less to a loser lake monster.

Azriel nodded seriously, eyes intensely focused on his every word. Lucien might have found it unnerving if circumstances hadn’t taught him to survive and adapt. He didn’t like it though.

He still cringed when he remembered the insanely awkward flight where Azriel had been forced to carry him. He had been surprised that Azriel could even carry him; Azriel was strong, but Lucien was bulkier. And taller. Azriel was all lean muscle. He supposed it must be something in that Illyrian diet, for his strength hadn’t wavered even for a moment. Even as they had determinedly avoided each other’s eyes.

His flight with Cassian had only been slightly less awkward. Cassian was bigger than Lucien; he was obviously the muscle of the group. It hadn’t been difficult to figure out the dynamic between the members of the IC. Cassian and Mor clearly had something ages ago, but Azriel was into Mor which forced Cassian to act as the middleman. Which was ironic to Lucien because as far as he could tell, Cassian was terrible at all things diplomatic. Lucien despised his family, but he still laughed his ass off at the thought of Eris going face-to-face with this guy. Eris would absolutely cream Cassian and spread his ego on his breakfast and eat it along with a fine glass of faerie wine. Beron would bury him and keep his bat wings as a souvenir. Only a Vanserra could outsmart a Vanserra. Even if Lucien had rejected his heritage, that statement still held true.

“Is that all?” Azriel asked quietly. Lucien brought his focus back to the present. “Yes. How is…she?”

He knew the shadowsinger would know exactly who he meant.

“She is alright,” Azriel said quietly. “She spends most of her time gardening or baking with Nuala and Cerridwen.”

Lucien took a deep breath and nodded. Even if she wouldn’t let him check on her, he had to know that she was ok. Physically and mentally. He wished she would deign to have a true conversation with him, but for now, knowing she was doing well was enough.

Azriel disappeared into the shadows. Lucien took another deep breath. Now to implement his plan.

“Come in,” came a cool female voice.

Lucien walked into the apartment of Nesta Archeron. By the Cauldron, this place was a dump. Seeing this place made Lucien want to take a long, hot shower and buy new clothes untainted by the stink of this flat. But he managed not to cringe at the smell and followed Nesta to the tiny kitchen. Lucien couldn’t blame Nesta for opting to live in the slums as opposed to the finery of the palaces Rhysand owned. He, too, couldn’t bear to accept the charity from them. He was a male of pride and honor, and it seemed as if Nesta was the same. He supposed he may have misjudged the eldest Archeron sister. To be honest, his impression of her was mainly based off of what others had told him, and his own irritation that she kept shoving him away from Elain. But fine, he could understand why she had been so overprotective. He was some Fae guy, and she had grown up on stories spreading how horrible they were.

“We also dance with the spirits under the full moon and snatch human babes from their cradles to replace them with changelings—”

Lucien remembered he had said that to Feyre the first time they met. That felt so long ago.

“What do you want,” Nesta said flatly. The scent of her arousal was intertwined with the scent of an unknown male. She was in a long white shirt that certainly didn’t belong to her.

Lucien smiled in spite of himself. “If I said you, would you kick me out?”

Nesta just glared at him. The look in her eyes reminded him so much of…

“I don’t know why Feyre hates you. You’re so much alike.”

Nesta scowled. “Don’t talk about her.”

Lucien put his hands up. “Ok. No sisterly talk. Pinky promise.”

Nesta glared a moment longer, then sighed. “What brought you to the slums to talk to your friend’s bitchy sister?”

“I don’t think you’re bitchy.”

Nesta scoffed. “Then you’re delusional.”

“I just think you’re hurting. You were thrown into the Cauldron. You may have hated him, but it can’t have been easy to watch your father die in front of your eyes.” Lucien’s eyes teared up. “I know it was unbearable when my Jesminda died before me, and I was helpless to stop it. I’ve never forgotten the moment when I heard her heart stop beating.”

He rarely spoke of that moment. It was unbearable, even now, to speak of it. But Nesta was one of the few people who would be able to understand his pain.

Nesta paused. Then said, “I can’t take baths, because it makes me feel like I’m drowning in that Cauldron again. I use buckets and wipes instead. The crackling of logs…it’s unbearable. It sounds like my father’s neck snapping.”

Lucien’s heart cracked for the icy Archeron sister. She acted cold and aloof, but Lucien had a feeling she felt a lot more than she let on. Perhaps moreso than normal people. That’s why she constructed icy walls as a defense mechanism.

Lucien hesitantly offered a hug. Nesta didn’t protest; rather, she jumped into his arms and started crying silently into his chest. He gently rubbed circles into her back. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. Sadly.

Nesta pulled away after a long moment. “That’s the first time,” she whispered, “I’ve felt anything since the war.”

Lucien didn’t know what to say, so he simply stared at her. After what seemed like ages, Nesta cleared her throat and said, “Why are you really here?”

Lucien started. Right. He came here to do something. “I may have a solution to one of your problems: the mating bond.”

Nesta started. “What mating bond?”

Lucien smiled grimly. “The one between you and Cassian.”

[maddithefangirl]

Things Unsaid (Part 3)

Warnings: filler chapter... I'm so sorry; AnGsT

a/n: I wrote way too much for this to not be broken into more parts, so here you go...

Part 1 Part 2

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

It had been one month since you’d spoken to him, but not without him trying. You had decided to stay in Rhy’s townhouse for the time being. What you really wanted to do was leave the Night Court, but that wasn’t as easy as you were hoping. You even went to Rhys about taking a break from the Night Court, and he shut that down immediately. Something about how he isn’t going to lose sight of you, but that excuse was weak at best. 

Your next try was going to be with Feyre. She understood what it was like to be in a court that was suffocating. You find her with Elain in the garden of the River House, “Feyre, may I talk to you for a second?” 

“Sure!” 

You take her arm and walk around a little ways away from Elain. 

“Feyre, I need out,” you say quietly. 

She drops your arm and looks at you head on, “Y/N, you know I can’t go against Rhys…”

Fuck. 

You knew that was most likely going to be her answer, but that didn’t stop you from getting your hopes up. A tear drops down your cheek as you look to the ground. You couldn’t look at her, but you wanted to show her just how broken you really were so you let her into your mind. She let out a stifling breath. 

“Y/N… I- I didn’t know it was that bad…” Feyre now couldn’t look at you. 

“Feyre… please… help me.” 

“Okay, I’ll help you get out, I’ll call on a friend, but you’ll have to write to me.”

…

It has now been three months since you have been in the Summer Court. This wasn’t your first choice of court, but you finally felt free. You were supposed to come home after one month, but you stayed away. As you picked up your mail you smiled as you found a letter from Feyre. She told you that not even Rhys knew where you were, so you felt pretty confident that Azriel didn’t know where you were either. Although, that didn’t stop Az from trying to find you. 

It took you two months just to calm yourself enough that you weren’t being watched. You lived in a little cottage on the sea. It was one of the most beautiful places you had ever lived in, but you had to admit that it did not compare to Velaris at night. You missed your home, your real home. You missed Az. You sighed as you put down the book you were reading. Since your time here in the Summer Court you became a researcher for Tarquin, but you preferred to not to visit him as much as possible so you focus in written correspondence. He left you alone most of the time and it took you away from the life of being in a High Lord’s Inner Circle. 

Life was peaceful out here. Too peaceful some of the time, but you managed to make one friend, Jaina. She kept you sane and showed you the ways of the Summer Court. She had no idea you worked with the High Lord, but you liked to keep it that way. Jaina taught you how to cartwheel and that was the most fun you had had since… him. Oh, all the thoughts wasted on him. 

You couldn’t stop thinking about the good times with Azriel. It made you want to throw this whole new life away and run back to him, but you can’t. He hurt you so bad you didn’t think you’d ever recover. 

On the night of the third month, you heard a knock at your door. Nobody ever came this late so all your alarm bells went off in your head. You grabbed the nearest broom and braced yourself as you left your sitting room. That’s when you saw an outline of a winged figure outside your door. When you opened the door you were ready to fight who was on the other side, but it wasn’t the figure you expected. 

Rhys. 

You were speechless as you let him into your cottage. 

“Y/N! How good it is to see your face!” He said as he sat down on your couch. You smiled back at him, “Hello Rhysand.” 

That was about as much as you could give him. 

“Ahh, just as tenacious as I remember.”

“How did you even find me?”

“It took some digging, but I finally got it out of Feyre. She told me to apologize to you in advance.”

You huffed. “Okay, Rhys, what do you want?”

“You need to come home, Y/N. It’s Az… He’s killing himself back home.”

“And that’s my problem because…?” The words leave your lips before you can think to stop them. You cringe. Had you always been this cruel? That is the male you loved. Loved. “I’m sorry, that was too far. What happened?”

Rhys looked at you with a concerned warning, “Az… I can’t even get him to go on missions let alone leave your townhouse. All he does is drink and train but doesn’t even eat. I’m afraid if he goes on much longer he’s going to die.”

You looked Rhys in the eyes and… he wasn’t exaggerating at all. That scared you more than the words themselves. What were you going to do? You were upset but surely not upset enough to let him die. You sighed. “Okay, I’ll go talk to him, but I can’t promise you anything.

…

The townhouse was a lot different than when you last saw it. It was a mess. Azriel was always one to be extra cautious of mess, but this also wasn’t the same Azriel you had left. 

You smelled him before you saw him. A pungent spell of sweat and alcohol reaked off of him. He was in what used to be your shared room sitting on the bed, head in his hands. 

Rhys had left the moment he winnowed you to the house. Wow this was really happening. 

This is the worst you had ever seen him and you’ve seen him battered and bruised.

You put on your strongest face and made a noise to let him know of your presence. “Rhys I already told you that I want to be left alone,” he spurted, but when he turned around to see you he stood up. 

His eyes were incredibly sunken in and dark… Those eyes that you fell in love with weren’t there anymore, they were replaced with what looked like shadows in his eyes almost glazed over. 

“Hi Az.” you said quietly. 

“Y/N…” 

There was a long pause. 

Neither of you knew what really to say. 

“Why don’t you take a bath so we can talk, Az.” 

He just nodded in response and walked to the bathroom. The silence was heavy on your skin. 

As you waited you decided you’d peruse around the room. Anything to keep you from thinking about the conversation that was going to happen. 

While you walked around you found yourself drawn to his desk. The surface was littered with papers, which was unusual for him, and the drawers were haphazardly opened. You were just going to walk away when in one of the drawers you saw a piece of paper with your name on it. You unfolded the paper and saw a letter that was dated for today. Before you read any more you opened the drawer and found at least a hundred more dating back to the day you left. 

You were in complete awe of the entire situation. He had written to you every day that you have been gone. Each letter at the bottom said:

Please come home to me, my love. I need you.

These letters were unlike anything you had seen before. You knew that he was well read but you didn’t know how well-written he was. You reckon that maybe he has an extensive journal that he keeps on the side. A tear drops from your eye onto the page. You rifle through all of them to the first one, dated three months ago. 

My love,

I know what I did was wrong, but first and foremost I am sorry. I had no right to hold or share that information. What kept me from saying anything was my love for you. You make me so happy that I didn’t care about how sex with you would go. That’s awful of me to say, but it’s true. 

Today I woke up and you were just gone. Not just from my bed but from my life. I didn’t know how to handle it so I drank. You are all that I have. You’re not just some female I can get over, you are the sun, moon, and all the stars in my galaxy. You are everything to me, Y/N, my dear, my love, and I need you. I need you like the plants need sunlight. I love you like a fish needs water. I need you like Rhys needs Feyre. I love you that much. And I will never stop loving you with that burning passion til the day that I die. 

I know you’ll never forgive me and therefore never read this, but somehow I need you to know just how much I love and care for you. It’s like a never-ending stream. You are it for me and there will be no one else. I hope you know that. 

Please come home to me, my love. I need you.

Love,

Az

Your soul has left your body by the time you read his name. There were no words you could say that would match the eloquence that was that letter. You felt a buzzing feeling in your chest that you haven’t felt since you don’t even know when. 

It’s then when you hear the door to the bathing room open up and see him there with a towel low on his hips. He seems startled by the scene of you with the letters. 

“I- You weren’t supposed to see those…”

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

Taglist: @psychobookaholic @sydneyhasdepression33 @feysandzoyalailover @fanfictioniseverything