#and the no longer a princess puts a flower in the no longer a knights windblown hair and its sunlit and everything)

[spiribia]

the knight and the princess

[averagewriter-inthedark]

A Golden Rose 🌼 | Alicent Hightower Headcanon

GOT/HOTD Masterlist

Alicent Hightower having a secret relationship with the daughter of Lord Tyrell would involve:

Becoming a lady-in-waiting to the young queen early on in her marriage to King Viserys after you were sent to King's Landing upon the request of his Grace. Leaving the Reach and your family for the capitol, where you would remain indefinity. You'd only been in the proximity to the royal couple once on the day of their wedding, though you never exchanged words. It came as a surprise when two years later at ten and seven the raven arrived to accompany the Queen as she nears the end of her term. Pending the birth of her second child.  

It was pretty much love at first sight for Alicent, who was drawn to your beauty and personality. The sharp wit and charm of a Tyrell, you had her a blushing mess nearly every day. Alicent requesting your company more often rather than all her ladies. Pretty much leaving them to the winds. You didn't mind. In fact, you relished in the attention. 

You clocked onto her affections early on, not blind to her lingering gazes, soft smiles, and how her eyes drew to you each time she entered a room. Walking closely beside you, while the other ladies trailed behind. It only took four months for you to confront her, as you developed strong feelings for the Queen and no longer had the strength to keep them hidden. "My Queen, forgive me for speaking freely, but I cannot go another day with us not saying what we so desperately want. I know what you feel for me, and I want you to know I feel the same." 

Yeah, she was a goner. Her heart soaring with happiness...and fear. Of course you two could not explore a relationship openly. She was married--to the damn King! And you were a lady-in-waiting expected to marry a nobleman or knight. If anyone found out about your relations, you'd be exiled or facing the sword. Alicent surely would face the King's wrath, and neither of you wanted to picture that. 

So, you both did what you had to do: you loved in secret. Behind closed doors and wondering eyes. Gifts of sentiments on namedays, brushing hands when passing teacups, seeking one out in a crowded room, walks in the garden. Anonymous notes of admiration, kisses at night when the Keep was asleep. Reading to each other in the library, picking flowers to put in the other's hair. Saving sweets from lunch and supper to share later on in your chambers. And on most nights, you'd run your fingers through Alicent's soft hair to lull her to sleep.

The love you shared blossomed like the golden rose that represented your house. Growing stronger by the years. You and Alicent had the biggest secret in all of Westeros. One you would go to war to protect. 

Viserys was always occupied with King duties and entertaining his council to see what his wife was up to. Otto kept a close eye, and you often felt his suspicious gaze on you at events, but never once did he comment. Though you'd never admit it to Alicent, you were grateful when he was dismissed as Hand. It was one less person you had to worry about. The maids and guards turned a blind eye, all except Criston Cole. Once he became Alicent's sworn protector, he followed you two like a dog on a leash. And when he did catch you two in a compromising position roughly a year after she had Aemond, Alicent made him swear on his life to be silent. 

Rhaenyra was....complicated. For one you knew of her friendship with Alicent prior to her marriage to the King, and the love they shared for each other. Admittedly, you were slightly jealous, but got over it once Alicent assured you she no longer harbored those affections for the Princess. Still, you were not Rhaenyra's biggest fan. Her behavior and comments toward Alicent had you fuming, but you remained calm in the presence of others. Once she finally married and had children you were pleased.

Speaking of children, you were close to Alicent's sons and daughter, despite hating Viserys for putting her through four pregnancies and treating her like a broodmare after what he did to Queen Aemma. The resentment towards the King only heightened when he seemed to forget about the children he sired, preferring Rhaenyra and her sons. Daeron was sent to Oldtown young, leaving the older three, who you helped Alicent raise.

As the children grew up, they were not blind to your relationship. Why their mother always broke fast with you and invited you to the table at supper. Why she asked for your opinion on certain things. How she ordered golden roses to be planted in the gardens of the Keep on your 19th nameday when you mentioned feeling homesick. The fact there was always your favorite pastries at banquets. And when she went to light a candle in the sept, you were right there with her. You were dressed in the finest silks compared to the other ladies-in-waiting. 

Where they confused in the beginning? of course they were. They didn't understand why their mother was more devoted to you than their father. Why Alicent's eyes sparked when looking at you, much like when she looked at them, instead of the King. But they never once spoke of it. Understanding there was a deep affection between the two of you that the realm would never accept. 

Yet when the dragons danced years later as the kingdom split between Greens and Blacks, the history books would write about the Hightower that bloomed with golden roses. Why Highgarden did not hesitate to raise their banners in support of King Aegon II Targaryen. Covering the southern lands that would further weaken Rhaenyra's defense. Making the Princess and her council realize their mistake of undermining the influence you had on the Alicent.

For a rose is so beautiful to the eye, one forgets about its thorns.

[gingerteawrites]

BY THE HEARTH: LEAP

A/N: I can't even justify why it took me so long 🏃🏾‍♂️🏃🏾‍♂️. My apologies guys, but I do hope you enjoy this chapter. Have a fun read. Previous part here

Content: Royalty!AU, Nanami x female reader, king Nanami, Princess Y/N, Widower Nanami, Toddler Yuuji, hurt, angst. Not beta read

Word count: ~2.6K

Banner by @cafekitsune

ACT VII

Walking out of the grand reception felt more than refreshing. The excitement of the party quieting down to a buzz in the background, and the fresh evening air filling your lungs. Events like these always seemed to be succeeded by a lingering sense of fatigue, which settled over Nanami’s shoulders. He sighed. Having to entertain people for so long was nothing short of draining, even for an experienced king.

Albeit feeling a bit guilty, he had started using the excuse of having to take his son to bed as an escape from the endless drag of various festivities. His evening ritual with Yuuji was one of the things that helped him recenter. Remind him of his priority, his child.

But tonight, there was an intruder. A beautiful one at that. He hated to admit it, the rational part of the king’s mind told him it was but a fact. He tried so hard to ignore the way your skin glistened under the warm lights, or the way your pretty eyes sparkled when you smiled down at Yuuji.

Stop looking. He chastised himself in vain. His eyes always seemed to find their way to you throughout the evening.

As soon as you had stepped into the night air, Yuuji had insisted on holding hands with you. And he now merrily swung your intertwined fingers back and forth, skipping as he stepped in tow with the two adults.

“Are you very tired?” He asked, looking up at you. “You should wash up before bed.” He prescribed, giving advice with a serious expression.

You nodded obediently, matching his expression. “Yes, of course.” Closing you eyes solemnly, you added “But I cannot seem to find sleep some nights.”

“Papa always reads to me before bed!” Yuuji exclaimed, turning towards his father for the first time since he had linked hands with you. The child proceeded to go on about all the bedtime stories he likes, giving a long list of recommendations and why you should enjoy each.

Even more than your beauty, Nanami hated to admit how his son’s openness with you warmed his heart. Apart from himself, Alma and the head of the knights, the child was merely polite with other people. He could not quite place why Yuuji felt so comfortable to share his likes and dislikes with you, but grew fascinated with the scene unfolding before him.

He listened to the quiet conversation between the two of you, almost in your own bubble. Spring was announcing itself more pronouncedly, the cool air carrying the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers. You passed the gardens you had visited on your first day in the palace, noting the way the tulips were starting to show their colorful petals, still bundled up in their buds.

The trio finally reached the wing of the castle that held the royal chambers, your first time in the more secluded area. The walls that lined the walkway were low but had carved vines that snaked their way along the winding path, mimicking the vines that hung onto the walls.

Now standing in front of his son’s quarters, Nanami hesitated to push the door open for a beat. You were not meant to be in this space. Having you in here was past his comfort zone. But he could not muster the strength to tear the boy away from you now. Not when Yuuji clung to you like you were the only person he could see then. The king pushed the heavy door open, stepping aside for the two of you could enter.

To his surprise, you did not make a move to enter but instead bent down so that you matched the child’s height.

“It’s time to say goodbye, my prince.” Your hand rested on his shoulder. “I need to go put all of your advice into action.”  The boy’s lips turned; disappointment evident in his features. He wanted to argue. For you to stay longer, but your touch somehow placated him.

“We can talk about the story you read next time?” He asked softly, to which you nod, feeling your heartstrings getting tugged at “Of course. And you tell me about yours, alright?”

The maid who was tasked with taking care of Yuuji in the evenings, materialized in the space as soon as she noticed your little party, moving to get things ready for bed. You stood back up, giving the child a last smile and ready to turn around when Nanami’s words stop you.

“Wait here for a minute, please.” He requested, then grabbing the boy’s hand and walking him to the small couch inside the spacious room.

The king crouched down, sitting the boy and him take off his leather shoes before looking into his eyes.

“I am sorry, Yuuji, I won’t be able to read to you tonight.” He holds his cheek. “I need to make sure she gets back safely.”

Yuuji smiled, his lids now heavy with fatigue he had been trying to conceal. “Is she my new mama?” The boy asked softly, leaning into his father’s touch.  The simple words shook Nanami to his core, stunned into silence by the boy’s words. It took him a few seconds to find his words, thoughts running wild with the idea that Yuuji wanted a mother. Was he not enough? Had he failed as a father?

He moved his hand to squeeze his son’s gently “Would you like that?” He asked quietly, setting everything all the conflicting emotions in his heart apart to listen to his child. “For her to be your mama?”

Everything he had done since Yuuji was born had been for the child’s sake. So, for his sake, he would listen.

Yuuji’s drowsy body leaned against his father, and he replied with a mumbled “Yes, papa.”

It was with a heavy heart that Nanami left the room, finding you standing in the spot he had asked you to wait in. Guilt gnawed at his insides. By closing himself off, he had deprived his son of maternal love. Something he had not realized that the child craved until now. God had he tried to be the best father possible. Encouraging every interest. Making time for him. Being loving in ways his own parents had failed to.

But it’s not enough. I was not enough

Your eyes finally met, and he knew you saw the slight sadness that his eyes carried before he had the chance to school his expression back to its usual passivity. Too close. You felt way too close.

“I will escort you back to your quarters.” Were the only words he offered, stepping beside you as he started leading the way back to what you now realized must have been the guest wing of the castle.

The walk back was silent. Uncomfortably so. At least with Yuuji, you were mostly successful in ignoring the imposing presence of the king. Whose eyes you had noticed had not strayed far from you. But now, tension was taut.

A cool breeze blew over your exposed shoulders, causing your skin to erupt on goosebumps and a slight shiver to rattle you. Before you could even begin to mentally chastise yourself about not thinking about a shawl, you felt the softness of the king’s velvet cape fully engulf you. You looked up to him with wide eyes, finding him already facing ahead, as if nothing happened.

“Thank you,” was a quiet whisper between you two as you branched into a smaller hallway that opened into the guest wing of the palace.

He wanted to tell you that you should have worn something warmer, but he didn’t. It would have been dishonest to say anything but a compliment about the way you looked. You finally reached the door to your room, but the king did not make any move to leave, and neither did you open the door. Instead, you took a deep breath, as if to brace yourself and faced him.

“I want to apologize for the way the evening ended,” you bit the inside of your cheek recalling the almost-fall. “I promise that it will not happen again.”

If I am ever invited out again. A part of your mind screamed at you.

“It is alright, it was an accident. Accidents happen.” He shook his head “I know the invitation was on a very short notice and it must have been hard to prepare for the evening.” He added, causing the tension to dissipate with a sense of relief. The more time you spent with him, the less he felt like that cold man you had met on your wedding day. While the king was definitely not a warm person, he had shown care and a modicum of respect for you tonight. And that was enough to make you respect him in return.

You bowed your head, ready to excuse yourself when you felt his fingers close gently around your arm. You looked up with curious eyes. “I want to make your stay here more comfortable,” He began, his eyes locked with yours. “Speak with Alma and pick out some ladies-in-waiting.” You bowed again, taken aback by the offer.

“Thank you, your majesty.” He had finished speaking, but his hand lingered on your arm. He did not let go yet, and you stood there, awaiting whatever came next with bated breath. A few moments pass in silence.

“And…” He took a deep breath, “Would it be alright if you made time to spend with Yuuji?” He asked, and despite the calm of his tone, you noticed the slight tension in his brow. The way his body seemed to be wound up tight with what seemed like nervousness? apprehension? Was he worried you would say no? Did he even want to make the request?

You smiled up at him, the urge to reassure him overpowering any sense of propriety. Using your hand, you gently peeled his from where it rested on your arm and covered it with both of your hands.

“Of course, I would love to. Yuuji is such a wonderful child, and I must commend you for the wonderful job you did raising him.” You squeezed his hand in yours, your eyes holding his gaze.

Something flashed across the king’s features, and he looked down at your joint hands, breathing out his relief. His eyes found yours once more, and you swore you could make out  the ghost of a smile on his lips. His features held a raw honesty, and you decided to commit the moment to memory, uncertain about if a moment like this would ever present itself again.

“Thank you,” was a quiet whisper between you two as you finally parted for the night.

When you opened your eyes the next morning, the light filtering in through the thick drapes did not feel quite as offensive as it had the days before. You rose with a warm feeling in your heart. A foreign peace that enveloped you. For once, you actually looked forward to the day.

By the state of the empty room, you knew that you had managed to wake before Alma diligently came in every morning to get you ready. The idea of having your own ladies-in-waiting lifted your spirits high. Finally, company that wouldn’t just cajole or serve you. The mere prospect brought a smile to your face.

You swung your legs off the bed, rolling your neck in a gentle stretch. Without thinking, your fingers reached for your nightstand, letting the soft velvet fabric of the king’s cape caress your skin. He wanted you to be Yuuji’s mother. And that despite the strong hesitation you had noted behind his features. Your mind returned to the small fragments of the story you knew about the dead queen.

Maybe that is why I am here, after all.

You had time to open the windows and freshen up before Alma knocked at the door, letting herself and the usual horde of maids in to dress you for the day. For once, the group did not move in dull silence. In fact, it seemed that even the maids who usually met you with cold indifference and apprehension had suddenly warmed up to you. They engaged in light chatter, suggesting jewelry that would complement your skin, and asking if you wanted to try a new menu for the spring.

Being perceived as close to the king sure did have its perks. Somehow, you had graduated from complete outsider to an actual member of the royal family in a way.

The rest of the day was spent carding through the files of various high-born ladies for the task of accompanying you. You mostly went with the head maid’s recommendations, trusting the small descriptions Alma gave you of each possible candidate. You were unsurprised about her clear disapproval of Mei, the sharp-tongued lady who had questioned you at the ball. And seemed pleased when you insisted on having the lady whose name you remembered to be Shoko in your entourage.

Having gone through the extensive list of possible candidates, you had picked out three ladies from the lot and insisted on penning them letters personally requesting their assistance. Afternoon tea and a light lunch was served by the time you were done, which was spend with stories of your home to Riko, the young maid who had wandered in with the food and the others.

The warmth that had woken you up carried you through the rest of the day. This place was starting to feel less and less like a cage, and you could not be more grateful, reminding yourself of horror stories that often followed political marriages. Soon after you finished eating, you decided to stretch your legs with a little walk in the garden, and Alma kept close to you.

“His majesty the king informed me of the request he made,” she spoke in a calm voice, pace matching yours.

“Regarding Yuuji?” You looked at her, and she replied with a nod.

“The young prince’s days are quite full. With his tutoring and other things,” She explained, “But we can arrange something depending on what you want.”

“I do not want to disrupt his usual flow of activities,” You paused by a tulip whose petals were wide open, caressing the soft tissue with your finger. “How about we ask him when he would like to spend some time with me?” You returned with a smile.

And so it was decided that you were to spend your early afternoons with Yuuji a few times a week, who explained that it was the best time to be outside. The boy was ecstatic when he learned of this new arrangement, and all but launched himself into your arms on that first afternoon together. You spent the time back at the library where your first day together had ended, cooped up on the smooth sofa, reading about his most peculiar interests.

Soon after, you received letters from your now ladies-in-waiting thanking you for your request and found yourself spending a few times a week holding tea parties with the small group, learning about the kingdom and its high society in a way that books could never cue you to.

Getting used to this life was becoming easy. Falling into the rhythm of your days reading, conversing with the ladies that were starting to become friends and playing with Yuuji in the afternoons. But you could not help but notice those brief instances when your path crossed with your husband. The king kept those moments nothing but polite. Like when Yuuji would drag the both of you into an activity, or when he would pass by the garden where you sat during a walk. He would greet you with a bow of his head, but the way his eyes lingered on you always made you want to squirm. The intensity of his gazes had started to ignite something in you. A longing for more of those chance encounters. A hope for maybe something more.

Is it bad to dream for something more?

As always, please let me know what you think! Sorry again for making y'all wait so long :((

Comments and reblogs are much appreciated (❁´◡`❁)

Tag list: @ofcqdesi @tomiokasecretlover @luvstama @amisuh @abhootghiihii @cosmicbreathe @lucreied @starmapz @tylersaiddonteatbananas @taeteddybear @bopsigles @flaneur002 @evans-dejong @ladygojooo @bl3333h

[deesblanketfort]

Activities for a fem aligning* caregiver ☆´ˎ˗ ︶︶︶

(*First things first, I'm not a fan of pointlessly gendering things, so of course anyone can do these regadless of gender or gender expression)

I'm making this post mainly because I feel like there's a lack of fem leaning caregiver content, and since my partner is very girly, I believe reassuring her gender expression through caregiving would be encouraging for her!

Plus, it's fitting for a mother's day post! Happy late mother's day for all mamas and fem caregivers!

🍨: Bake with them! My partner loves baking and I've been wanting to get us into cake decorating since colorful pastries make my regressed self excited!

🌷: Give them flowers! Flowers are often gifted to femmes, aside from being regarded as a symbol of tenderness and beauty. You can also make flower arrangments for them or put flowers on their hair.

💝: Pamper them with fem nicknames! If they enjoy being referred to with fem language they'll likely be happy to be called mom, Mamma/mommy, sis/sister, aunt/auntie, miss, madam/ma'am or lady.

🌈: Play dolls with them! Aside from it's sheer versatiliy in typing (fashion dolls, baby dolls, paper dolls, action dolls) dolls are suitable for several play pretend scenarios, and they're more fun to play with someone else.

💄: Give them a makeover! Paint their nails, do their makeup and hair, choose their outfit and let them enjoy their new look!

🍬: Have a spa day! Be it with skincare, haircare, bubble baths or manicure/pedicure, a home spa day is a good way to practice self care and bond with your caregiver.

🌺: Make accessories for them! From bracelets to necklaces and hair accessories, those can be made with a wide range of materials (beads, fabric, paper, EVA foam) and most are pretty easy to craft.

👑: Play royal court with them! They can be a princess or queen and you're their prince/princess or knight. Make a royal schedule and give them the princess treatment, pretty dresses included!

🎀: Style their hair! Grab a brush and all kinds of hair accessories and let your creativity flow! Short hair can be styled with headbands, bows and hairclips, while longer hair can also be tied into braids, buns, or anything!

🍡: Make dressup games and picrews of them! Picrews and other dressup websites are an amazing alternative to physical fashion dolls, since you can make them look just like your caregiver and dress them up in all kinds of pretty clothes. Don't forget to show them the finished pictures!

🩰: Play fashion runway! You can either both play as runway models, or one of you can be the stylist while the other is the model. Fashion runaway is also an opportunity to express and experiment with outfits.

[estellardreams]

"Deltarune Brawl!" Models

Its finally DONE!

And as a bonus these designs are free to use for any Deltarune/Undertale AUs (to the people who own their OCs. Please ask permission still if the OC isn't yours)

Attacking everyone below:

@somemismatchedsocks

@emthimofnight

@6larosie9

@silvers-starrway

@ekaycheem

@einelitas

@yellowvixen

@polkychu

@zhampip

@totaleclipse573

@sonlc

Skaerial

Lunateaq

Okay, so... I did all of the models from the Deltarune Brawl piece and lined them up. I also did a bonus Undertale fight screen version down below along with Soul types. I'll explain why I made the design choices I did for appearances along with explaining the Mobian Soul types.

Design Notes:

✨Stardust✨

Stellar's design is an almost fusion between her normal look and villain look, however she was granted shoes and a storage belt to carry items.

Camellia got a more modified princessy design that also felt more adventure oriented. Now with proper boots and a seperated two piece instead of a dress, she'd be able to move around a lot more easily.

Rime's hands and feet are actually now iced over, making her attacks much more volatile. But by contrast, her actual outfit appears more sleek and tight-fitted since most of the detail went into her hands and feet.

Sunshine is also a primary Healer, with her scarf being modified into a more cape-like appearance. She was also given a cross bag and connected belt with a pouch for extra storage.

Arthur is heavily knight focused with his design taking the most pointers from Kris.

Orion is pretty streamlined, with the only thing to note being the protective shoulder guards and the side cape. He is definitely a warrior type, but I opted for something slightly fancy while allowing for ease of movement and some protection.

Terios is also an attack oriented Mage, with a much longer cape and a cross belt to keep everything secure. The bracelets are just for decoration.

Juice doesn't like clothes at all since they're too restrictive, so to keep in line with her character I simply kept her original bracelet and just gave her a simple belt to tie the look together. And put her quills down. Her psychic wings are now always active and visible.

Keira actually comes with a retractable scythe, which can normally look like a sword and can be used as such on first glance. But with special attacks, it comes out like a scythe. Other than that her outfit was changed to allow for more movement.

Estelle's original outfit surprisingly fit deltarune, so I kept most of the original elements but chose to remove some of the capes for ease of mobility.

🌊Seafoam🌊

Kaiko was given visible vines and flowers in his quills and on his arm to signify him having plant powers. His original outfit was also modified to appear more combat oriented.

Maria always struck me as a combative type, hence her design wasn't changed too much besides providing extra protection in case she got hurt.

Tulip's outfit mainly serves mobility, however it does lack the shoes and gloves due to preference and not for convenience like some other characters.

Sakura's mainly a healing Mage, with her design being soft and calming as a result. Not much to say here besides thinking a cloak would look nice on her.

Nymph maintains her princess look with a more streamlined and less restrictive look. The skirt is also a back high low to prevent it from snagging from behind if she ran.

Rosemary was dressed in a more guarded and combative style, with the short skirt being a more stylistic choice and to provide some extra protection from injury.

Mallow is definitely more armored with knightly gear. But since she originally came with a dress I decided to give her a skirt instead.

Meredith is a more attack oriented Mage, and as such her outfit appears both flowy yet elegant. Even without armor the outfit is quite protective where it needs to be.

Naomi is very focused on both protection and movement for attacking, so her outfit comes with wrist and shoulder guards to protect from attacks along with sleek long gloves and socks with only the elbows, knees, and toes exposed for better flexibility. She also has a belt with a pouch for extra storage.

Azarael is a slightly modified version of her original outfit. She also has small fins at the backs of her legs to swim more efficiently but that's about it.

Character Types and Role explanations:

Each character has a primary strength and weakness of the group. This is mainly intended for balancing purposes.

The knights score in high defense but middle in attack and can't use magic.

Warriors have the highest attack and are somewhat skilled in magic, but lack defense hence they can get downed easily.

And mages have the highest magic casting, middle in defense, but lack the strongest attack.

For our roles we have...

Knights: Arthur, Rosemary, Naomi

Warriors: Stellar, Camellia, Rime, Sunshine, Orion, Keira, Maria, Mallow, Azarael

Mages: Terios, Juice, Estelle, Kaiko, Tulip, Sakura, Nymph, Meredith

And now, for the soul types.

Mobian Souls share attributes with human souls, yet respond quite differently with their own unique abilities. Everyone has a special soul type in accordance to their color. However, Determination is a human soul ONLY. It cannot be found in a Mobian or Monster. They also go by different names but still share similar qualities to the human variants.

Pink: Understanding. Special Ability: Teleportation.

Orange: Courage. Special Ability: Endurance

Yellow: Fairness. Special Ability: Strength.

Green: Compassion. Special Ability: Healing

Cyan: Humility. Special Ability: Levitation.

Blue: Righteousness. Special Ability: Shielding.

Purple: Persistence. Special Ability: Energy Orbs

And for main method of attacking:

Arthur: Sword

Rosemary: gauntlets

Naomi: Throwing Knives

Stellar: Shoe Blades

Camellia: Knuckle Busters

Rime: Cyrokinesis

Sunshine: Photokinesis

Orion: Katana

Keira: Retractable Scythe

Maria: Chaos Energy

Mallow: Dual blades

Azarael: Claws

Terios: Chaos Shards

Juice: Psychokinesis

Estelle: Photokinesis

Kaiko: Chlorokinesis

Tulip: Techopathy

Sakura: Chlorokinesis

Nymph: Pyrokinesis

Meredith: Hydrokinesis

[naturesapphic]

Knight in shining armor part 2

Knight!Natasha romanoff x princess!fem!reader

Warnings: angst, and a little bit of fluff

It’s been a few months since the incident and life between you and Natasha has been great. Of course Natasha still had to be careful with her feelings towards you but she can’t deny it any longer that she was in fact in love with you. She still loved her job and wanted to be your number one protector so that’s why she’s been secret with her feelings towards you. If this gets out, she may be banish and lose her heroic ship forever. That’s why y’all aren’t a couple yet and that is why you went off to go see your parents. You had to tell them your feelings and that you want to be with Natasha. A few hours went by and you were overjoyed at the outcome of the long talk you had with your parents. You come out of the main hall and start searching for Natasha.

“Natasha?” You called out for her and decided to head to your room and try to call for her again. Natasha who had settled into her quarters for the night, hears the princess calling out to her and quickly makes her way to the princess's room. "Is everything alright, your highness?" she asks, concern etched on her features. You go over towards her and you look up at her with happiness in your eyes “Guess what! My family said that I can marry whoever I want! They said they don’t care what class they are in, as long as I am happy.” You exclaimed looking at you with hopeful eyes. Natasha’s eyes widen in surprise and joy upon hearing this news, even as she tries to control her emotions. "That is wonderful news, your highness! I am so happy for you." Natasha said oblivious to the fact that you chose her. Natasha smiles reassuringly at the princess. "But remember, it's important to choose someone who will treat you with the respect and love you deserve. Someone who will stand by you through thick and thin, and support you in all your endeavors." Natasha exclaimed and you had to hold back from rolling your eyes.

“I choose you Natasha…we of course don’t have to get married right away but…may I take you out on a nice picnic?” You say with glee and hopefulness in your voice. Natasha's cheeks flush at the princess's words, emotions swirling within her. While she had entertained feelings for the princess herself, she had never imagined that those feelings could work out. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before responding. "I...I am honored by your offer, your highness," she says softly. "But I must remind you that I am your knight and it is my duty to protect and serve you. We cannot engage in such activities without proper clearance and approval from the king." She pauses for a moment, considering her options. "But...if you would like to discuss this further, I am happy to do so. Perhaps we can talk about it over tea or go on that picnic you wanted.” Natasha responded. You give her a understanding nod, hoping that she gets that I can be with whoever I want, which means her “let me put on a comfortable dress, I’ll be right back.” You say as you go into the closet and puts on a cute white flower dress and comes back out.

Natasha nods in approval at the princess's attire, admiring the simplicity and elegance of her dress. She leads the princess to a private sitting area outside, near the garden, offering her a comfortable seat. "If I may be so bold, your highness," she says with a small smile. "what made you think of me as a potential partner?" She takes a deep breath, bracing herself for whatever the princess's response may be. You sigh happily as you look at Natasha with love and admiration in your eyes. “because ever since you’ve became my personal knight, I’ve fallen in love with you…plus you are a woman and not a man.” You let out a giggle. “and because you are so brave and loyal…everytime I see you my heart flutters and it feels like it’s just you and me together in this earth…I told my parents about my feelings for you and at first they were against it but came to realize that they know that you will protect me and love me right and now they accept it and want us to marry one day.” You explained to her. Natasha's heart swells with emotion at the princess's words, feeling a rush of warmth suffuse her body as she takes in the princess's confession.

"I see," Natasha says, her voice soft and gentle. "I am honored that you would think so highly of me, your highness. And while I confess that the thought of being with you has crossed my mind more than once, as your knight it is my duty to remain professional and focused on ensuring your safety and well-being." Natasha stated. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?" Natasha asked you. You smile at her with love in your eyes. “hmmmm…can I have a kiss?” Natasha's heart races at the princess's request, her senses going into overdrive as she tries to maintain her composure. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before responding. "Your highness," she says firmly "As your knight, it is not appropriate for me to engage in such behavior with you. We must maintain a professional relationship at all times." She fidgets slightly, feeling a pang of regret at the princess's request. "Is there anything else I can assist you with?" A flash of hurt pangs on your face and you feel your heart breaking “did you not here what I just told you? we can be together. my family is supportive about it and you won’t lose your place as a knight…don’t you want to be with me..?” You whisper at the last part as tears fill your eyes.

Natasha's heart feels like it might break as she sees the hurt and tears in the princesses' eyes. She takes a deep breath, trying to steady herself and gather her thoughts. "Your highness," she says softly, Her tone softens as she continues, her voice filled with empathy and understanding. "But know that my feelings for you are real and genuine. If ever there comes a time when we can be together without compromising my duties, I would be honored to be with you." She reaches out to gently wipe tears from the princess as she doesn’t want to risk anything happening to her job as your knight. Natasha's heart feels like it might break as she sees the hurt and tears in the princesses' eyes. "Princess," *she says softly, "I never said I didn't want to be with you, but my duty as a knight comes first. It is not appropriate for us to engage in any type of intimate relationship while I am sworn to protect and serve." Her tone softens as she continues, her voice filled with empathy and understanding. "But know that my feelings for you are real and genuine.” She reaches out to gently wipe tears from the princess eyes. “You still don’t understand do you…what can I do that will make us be together.” I look up at you pleadingly. "I'm sorry, your highness," Natasha says softly, her heart heavy with sorrow. "But no amount of pleading or convincing can sway me from my duty as a knight."

She takes a deep breath before continuing, her voice laden with sadness. "I know this must be hard to hear, but we must learn to accept the reality of our situation. Our relationship must remain professional in order to protect the well-being of the kingdom and its people." She looks at the princess kindly, her eyes searching hers for any sign of understanding and acceptance. "I will always be here for you, your highness. As your faithful knight, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy." Natasha says to you kindly. You feel your heart break and your face turns a bit cold. You stand up and walk away, heading to the castle. Natasha watches with a heavy heart as the princess walks away, feeling a deep pain in her chest. She takes a deep breath and steels herself, determined to continue her duty in protecting the princess at all costs. "Your highness," she calls after you. "Please, if you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I am always here for you." She watches until the Princess is out of sight before turning back to her guard duties, trying to push aside her own emotions for the sake of her mission.

A/n: 1485 words. part three will be posted soon :) check out my Rhea ripley imagine that I posted and Requests for her are opened. I have my own buy me a coffee page! You can give me a dollar and it will help. I also have some different commission types I will do so here's my page to look into it :) https://www.buymeacoffee.com/naturesapphic Requests are open for yeehaw!wanda, country!wanda, and any other southern variants of Wanda or Natasha! Remember to stay hydrated and to rest! I love y'all!

[undergr0und2us]

The false knight

Willis Fell swore with his life that he would bring the little princess Jaehaera, safe and sound to Storm's end. He succeeded in his mission, and stood by her side the whole time, fearing that the grip of her little hand would fade so easily in the wind. Fearing that the hunters would take her away, fearing the inclement weather of the nights or the stares they would get as they made their way to Storm's end. It was hard, it was especially hard to get the princess to stop crying all the time, but it was even harder to make her laugh with the stories of knights that were told to him when he was little. Even upon arriving at the huge castle, Fell found it hard not to keep an eye on her at all hours. Fearing that the edge of death would take her and thus his life.

The war ceased, and with it the danger. So he thought. The little princess who had clung to his armor for protection wept and panicked at all that lay before her in King's Landing. However, he stood by her side, guarding her just like a watchdog.

The girl, only 10 years old, married her cousin Aegon iii, and he was promoted to commander of the Kingsguard. It was an honor when he was appointed, and a shame to have to explain to the little Queen that he could no longer look after her, however, that did not mean she would be any less protected, for they would put Ser Mervyn Flowers at her door every day to protect her.

Days passed, and he could not help but watch over the little girl from afar, ensuring she was at least living. He swore an oath and kept it until the end of their days.

The rumor spread like a drop of blood in water, there was movement and tension. His main mission was to protect the king. But he couldn't help but run away when they were told that the little queen was in agony, impaled to the spikes of the moat below her window. The king stayed inside his room, but the knight made it to the last moments of the life of that fearful little princess he had sworn to keep healthy.

The knight regrets having gone, for the look in her last moments of Jaehaera's life screamed in his soul “Traitor! You promised that you would keep me alive! That nothing bad would happen to me!”.

Willis Fell spends his last days of life, succumbing to the Winter Fever, thinking of the little princess who died along with his sacred oath.

[lilith-bat]

princess for a night (nsfw)

youve been reading a new book recently, of course a book with the right amount of romance, smut, and darkness to it. you get to a particular scene, a scene that makes your imagination run wild.

you hear the door open, meaning that your other domme has finally came home. you hop off your bed and make your way to the kitchen. you smile when you smell the food your other domme is cooking. when you enter the kitchen you see your two dommes greet each other with a kiss. you stand there and stare for quite sometime.

"little bun? you're staring." you snap out of your trance when you feel your domme lift your chin up to their eye sight. you get flustered when you find out youve been caught.

"oopsie." you say quietly. your domme chuckles and kisses your lips sweetly. before grabbing your hand. you two walk over to the dining table and watch your other domme finish up dinner.

"so tell us little bun, what you've been up today. ive been told that you've been quite occupied in the room today. i hope you didnt break any rules did you?" you feel your face flush when you think about what youve been doing all day.

"i didnt break any rules ma'am. I've just been....reading my new book. it's very good." you say as you begin a long tangent of what has happened in your book. you play with the bottom of your frilly pink dress when you get done. your domme finishes dinner and brings over plates for the both of you and themself. they sit on the other side of you, looking at you curiously.

"no smut this time? thats not like you at all bun. or are you leaving out details?" they say placing their soft hand on your thigh. you blush again before nodding.

"i left out a few things..." you say before reciting the smut scenes in your book. you spare no detail as you tell your two dommes, as they look at you with curious eyes occasionally . you catch them taking a glance at each other when you press you thighs together when reciting your favorite scene. one domme begins playing with your hair and the other gently rubs your thigh up and down, going higher up each time. when you look up at them they just look at you curiously.

"that sounds like so much fun little bun." your domme says to you. you notice a thoughtful look in their eye. you nod before looking over at your other domme who has a very playful look in their eye. you feel flustered under their gaze.

"im sure our little bun really enjoyed that book considering the way they pressed their little thighs together when they were talking about the scene where the princess does some very interesting things with their lady in waiting and the knight." you feel your face flush a deep red and you core heats up.

"is that so? well someone must've been having some very naughty thoughts, hm?" you blush deeper and press your thighs together tighter. you hear a thoughtful hum from one of your dommes.

"eat your dinner before it gets cold bun, and go take your shower." your domme says before they both get up and head into the kitchen. you see them whispering silently to each other before concluding their secret conversation with a long kiss.

you finish up dinner and go and take your shower as you are told. you slip on your white pajamas that have cute little pink flowers on them. you put on a little bit of perfume and lip gloss before slipping out of the bathroom. the hallway is dark and the faint sound of the tv playing in your dommes bedroom can be heard. you walk towards your room and quietly slip in. you grab the book youve been reading and you slip into your covers. you turn off the big light and turn on your lamp. you continue reading the scene with the princess, lady and waiting, and knight. you begin to imagine you and your dommes as the characters.

the longer you imagine, the needier you begin to feel. you shut the book and place it quietly next to you. you listen carefully to make sure no one is coming. you take a deep breath and consider your next moves, knowing if you get caught you'll be punished. you listen again before deciding the coast is clear. you lean over and look in your drawer and you grab your small pink vibrator you hid from your dommes. you turn it on and the familiar muted buzzing noise makes you even wetter. you stick your hand down your pants to feel how wet you are just to find that you are soaked. you moan quietly as you rub your clit. you stop before you get too close and place the vibrator on your clit, starting of on the lowest setting.

your dommes have purposefully deprived you for days, wanting to see just how needy you can get. they told you that you cannot touch under any circumstances, unless you were given strict intructions to do so. they teased you mercilessly, edged you and touched you in everyday you like. you even had to watch them get each other off, and clean up the mess they made on each other.

as you think back on all of that you feel yourself get closer and closer and wetter and wetter. you whimper as you feel yourself about to cum. just as youre about to finish you hear you door open. you immediately sit up and shut off the vibrator. your eyes are wide like saucers as you make eye contact with your domme.

"little bun...come to our room." they say with a knowing glint in their eyes. they turn around and walk away. you brush away your sweaty hair and straighten out your clothes. you walk to your dommes room and you breathe out before opening the door. you see the both of them sitting in the bed with a space in the middle for you. you look to your domme, the one who caught you, hoping they didnt tell.

"bunny, ive been told you broke the rule." you look down at your feet.

"i-i didnt finish..." you say quietly.

"but you touched. the rules were no touching yourself bunny. " you listen as they get out of bed and walk towards you. the lift your chin with one hand, "look at me," and slip the other down your shorts. they lift a brow when the feel you dont have on any panties. they slip and finger up and down your folds.

"no panties? you really have been naughty. and you are so wet bun. youre that much of a needy whore for us, for release?" you nod, face flushed with arousal. she grabs your hand and guides you to sit in the middle of the bed. your other domme immediately helps you slip off your shorts as the other unbuttons your shirt.

"well youre lucky we feel generous enough tonight. you'll still be punished for breaking the rules but tonight we're gonna treat you like the princess in your book." you look back and forth at them. your body heated in anticipation.

"y-you mean-" you begin to say before they lay you down and begin to kiss and mark your body.

"be a good girl and let us treat you like a princess, bun."

[kinmokusei-stars]

Week 1 of October InuKou Costumes!

🌹Royal and Knight!⚔️

I've decided I'll be a bit flexible with myself on the exact days I post these! This was planned for yesterday, but I got a bit busy, so it's coming out today! ( ´ ꒳ ` )

I had this idea for the first week of costumes to be Kouko and Inuyasha as a princess/prince and a knight!

It's not something brought up often, since it's more related to her backstory and childhood than anything too important to her current path in life, but Kouko was born a princess, which is crazy to think about? It's such a stark contrast to her situation nowadays, and that really shows just how much her life changed when her family was attacked. The poor girl really got her entire life upended and sent down an whole different path. Though nowadays she doesn't mind how things ended up for her, she's grown to be a completely separate person from her past, which is why this prompt was kind of hard?

I don't draw her in frilly or overly feminine outfits too often, so it was a trip to put her in a princess-y dress. I figured I'd put her in something more simple and less flashy compared to a lot of princess dresses, even if it's still definitely not her normal style LMAO I was going to give her those fun puffy sleeves that the dress I was referencing had, but I really didn't want to cover up her arm scars, and she doesn't tend to enjoy wearing sleeves at all, so they're gone! She's rightfully a bit bewildered by the whole situation, the whole outfit is a bit out of her ballpark.

Though, once I had the idea of Princess and Knight, then I pondered a bit more on who I wanted to be the royal and who I wanted to be the knight, because Kouko also fits the knight role really well! She's devoted and loyal, and definitely protective enough to pull it off, even if she knows that Inuyasha can definitely hold his own in a fight just as much as she can LMAO It fits her style a lot more naturally with how she grew to be over the years!

So of course, because I have no self control, I caved and just did both, which is part ofwhy this one took a bit longer than expected! I'm definitely more proud of Knight Kouko and Prince Inuyasha than the other, but I'm decently happy with both!

I also wanted the background to look like those pleasant paintings and old picture books I've always really liked, and I love how it came out, even if it's different from what I usually do! ⸜(*ˊᗜˋ*)⸝

(I'm also back on my soapbox about boys deserving to receive flowers too. Inuyasha gets a little rose here from his girlfriend LMAO)

[lumisparks]

Indivisible: Dhar Reincarnated

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← Chapter 4

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Word Count: Almost 3k Words

Dhar and his friends were at Princess Mary’s castle after a victorious battle against the Neo-Ravannavar Army. In the throne room, the princess rewards them with medals that were shaped like cogs. As much as Mary is glad to see that her people are safe, but in the back of her mind... Something was bothering her. This caught the heroes’ attention, “Princess? Is something the matter?” Zebei asks.

Mary walks her way to the window, viewing her people repairing the damages in town square. She places her hand onto the glass and tells her woes,

”Sorry... I��m worried that the Navar Army might strike again if they actually go to my factories.. The technology they have... It’s remarkable that it puts me into shame and disgust. They took down half of my robots by draining the life out of them! They almost killed Antoine and Eurynomos too.”

She clicks her tongue then swiftly moves her feet to face Dhar, Zebei, and Kushi.

“And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving them. As Princess Mary of the Iron Kingdom, I heed your assistance for a little longer. Is that alright?”

The 3 warriors looked at each other then smiled. They looked back at the princess as Dhar was first to speak, “Of course, your majesty. Anything to help you and your people.”

“Ah! That’s wonderful to hear. Now come with me, warriors.

Especially you two, Antoine and Eurynomos.”

Everyone leaves the castle, now guided away by the princess. A moment later, Princess Mary stops abruptly alongside the others. They saw they were in front of a big factory with guards that had a cross symbol on their helmets, patrolling the place. Mary points at Antoine,

”Mr. Antoine, go guard the entrance of the factory wiiiith...“ She hums, analyzing her roster until she eyes on Dhar, ”Him! With Dhar!”

“Of course, Princess Mary,” The knight looks at the other man and grins,

“You’re lucky to be paired up with a fine knight like me!”

Dhar blinks, “Really?”

“Yes! I’ll tell you everything I know about the might of a warrior!”

Mary laughs awkwardly and crosses her arms,

“Antoine has a bit of pride in him, but I think he’ll do well around you for the job,” she remarks. She looks at Zebei, Kushi, and Eurynomos, giving them orders,

”You two, Zebei and Kushi. I want you both to go around town if there are any suspicious people. As for Eurynomos, guard my most special possession... ESTHER.”

The robot bows and heads inside the factory while Lhan’s protectors go to patrol the town. Dhar curiously raises his hand,

”Princess Mary? What’s ESTHER?”

“ESTHER is a defense weapon that stores slime and converts it into power and energy. It is in its beta stages though... I want to find a way to not be a hazard in my kingdom’s environment...”

Mary explains as she sighs, adding on,

“I want it to be good enough.”

“I think expressing the amount of work you’ve done is more good than it is.”

The princess simply smiles and leaves with no other answer, but to leave her men at charge.

With nothing else to do, Dhar and Antoine simply stand in front of the entrance as the seconds go by. The knight casually grooms his thick pompadour while the swordsman(despite his sword remains to be upgraded) looks up at the sky.

He was used to seeing it green in the kingdom but when being in a higher area, they’re blue. The clouds were puffy, they can still manage some shapes though.

So, he started to look through one of them. They look like... A mountain, a boulder, a pebble, a rock... another rock... another rock���Oh hey a diamond! Not sure why he was thinking about rocks for a minute there.

The others look like a ship, a flower, a vase, and... a ro–Sword. A sword. Just thinking about his blade makes him hope that Kampan will finish it soon. With a groan, Dhar sits on a crate and crosses his arms.

As for Zebei wandering in the streets of Iron Kingdom, he heard some whining that came halfway from the factory. He turns his body to face who’s making the noise. The archer notices 5 tourists at the closed gate. “I can’t believe it! One of Princess Mary’s best factories... closed?!”

One falls to his knees dramatically and sobs.

Suspicious of those individuals that should’ve been aware of the factories’ closing, Zebei goes up to them, ”Is something wrong?” he asks. The tourist stands and wipes his tears,

”Yes! The factory is closed even though we were scheduled to come here,” he lets out a huff then crosses his arms. Zebei nodded and asked one more question,”Uh huh... and where is your tour guide?”

“She’s off to ask a guard to grant access to this area. But it’s taking quite a while... Say...”

The person looks at the archer, scanning him,

”Can you let us in? It’ll be quick! Promise!” The archer was skeptical at first, then he looked at the entrance. He sees Dhar and Antoine just talking to each other.

He couldn’t hear what they’re saying due to the constant machinery working. However, Zebei shouldn’t be focusing on that right now. With deep thought, he takes out a key and opens the gates.

The two men guarding the factory took notice, seeing Zebei letting the tourists in. The2 bodyguards notice them walking in. Antoine asks suspiciously,

“Sir Zebei, who are these people?”

“Tourists. They wanted a quick look inside the factory at this weird hour.”

“Seriously...?”

Antoine looks at the seemingly innocent group, crossing his arms. They had pleading eyes, grasping their hands together at the men. He looks at Dhar. He gives him a simple shrug, confused on what to do. Antoine sighs and nods as the tourists cheer,

”Fine. But in ONE condition. Since your tour guide isn’t here, you’ll only walk around while being under surveillance by Dhar and not touch anything in this or other circumstances. Understand?”

The tourists nod, excited.

Zebei puts his hand on Dhar’s shoulder, telling him good luck. The silver-haired gives a small nod and takes the tourists inside the factory. They felt the heat coming from the pouring molten metal into some molds forming and mending stuff to make mechs and parts. The people were in awe, impressed by the hard work. Meanwhile, Dhar fans himself in an attempt to cool himself from the humidity.

“I should have asked Zebei if he had a flask of water or something...“ He muttered as his face and body sweated. A male tourist hands him a bottle,”You can have mines, sir!”

“O-oh! Thank you... Are you sure if that’s okay?“

“Don’t worry~! Where me and my group are from, we train with hard-work warmups to fight against the heat, whether it’s a hot summer day or a hot steaming room like this factory!”

The young man chuckles and takes the bottled water from the other guy’s hand. He drinks a little bit until he guides the ones he’s surveilling on to sections of where he’s supposed to go. As they were climbing upstairs into the next section, Dhar couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched by the people he was guiding. He turns his head to glance at them,

”So... Do any of you have any questions so far...?”

“Not much, sir. However, is this where we are going to see the infamous ESTHER project the princess has been talking and working about?”

“Um... Yes. Wish Antoine gave me a map before heading inside to guide you all there. But this is fine… Anything else?“

Everyone stops when they make it to the 2nd floor while Dhar waits for another person’s question. The guy gave him an eerie stare and asked,

”Not related to the factory but... You look like that lieutenant guy from the Navar Army right?”

The silver-haired groaned, lifting his hand to cover his face, ”Used to…” He replied. Oddly, the tourists began laughing... What? Before Dhar could look and ask why, he suddenly gets tackled by 2 people in the group as he yelps.

“Hold him down! We’ll go look for the ESTHER mech!” The leader of the group exclaims as he and 2 of his lackeys run off, yelling “For Lord Ravannavar” throughout the halls.

Dhar’s eyes widened, he realized those tourists were the Neo-Ravanavar Army soldiers in disguise. Outside at the entrance, Antoine and Zebei see Kushi and Altun land down in front of them. “All areas in the kingdom are good so far,” Kushi informed.

Antoine nods while Zebei gives her the thumbs up. She looks around, worried,

”Where’s Dhar though?”

As one of the men was about to answer, they all heard Dhar scream for help inside and calling for reinforcements. Befuddled by what's going on, head inside to see the young man pinned down by the men who weren’t wearing casual tourists anymore. That familiar black and gold armor.

“Ah crap...“

Zebei curses to himself, taking out his bow and arrows. Antoine growls and takes out his lance,

“We’ve been had?!? Ugh! I should have known!”

A soldier smirks under his helmet, standing up as he plants his foot down on Dhar’s back, “And you all were dumb enough to fall for it. Especially you, Pinocchio,” He remarks to Zebei. To Zebei’s reaction; he made the first move to attack by leaping up the stairs and shooting some arrows at the foot soldiers.

His opponent swiftly takes out his shield and throws to deflect them. The other soldiers jump off the mezzanine to attack Kushi and Antoine, passing by the archer. They raise their swords, slashing the two. Antoine blocked with his lance, pushing the soldiers back and causing them to stumble. Kushi hops onto Altun as the bird flaps his wings, blowing them away and being slammed against the wall.

With Zebei, he hops to the 2nd floor and charges at the remaining guys who are restraining Dhar. As the 2 foot soldiers were about to attack, Zebei dropkicks right in one’s face to knock him away.

He then elbows the other as the soldiers grunts, losing his balance and falling back. Dhar stands and brushes the dust off his shoulders, ”Thanks...“ Albeit that “thanks” sounded disappointed.

Both men look at each other, “Not sure what you were thinking of letting them in the first place even though they’re disguised... But honestly... I would be fooled too,“

Dhar looks up to hear the shooting and yelling of guards trying to stop the intruders. He laughs quietly and looks at Zebei, ”Princess Mary is right for us to hang around a little longer.”

Zebei laughs along as his hand grips onto his bow, “And we need to hurry. You don’t wanna know what she looks like when she is angry.”

“Guess this is our specialty~!”

Before they can look after hearing 2 voices, Dhar is snatched by a hand while Zebei is pulled up by talons. Both of them looked to see they were on Antoine and Altun’s backs. Dhar looks down at the one he’s on, startled that he is... FLYING?!

“Antoine! You can fly?!” He asks in astonishment. Antoine grins, replying, “Correction! I can GLIDE! Now hold on!”

Everyone races their way up to the big lair, but they see a huge obstacle at the end. They noticed 5 robots that belonged to Princess Mary, fighting off the remaining guards.

“Those robots look off...“ Dhar comments until he leans in and his eyes widen. He noticed their eyes were glowing yellow instead of the usual red hue as they raised their swords.

“Attack them,” He orders. Antoine’s eyes look up, hesitant,” What?! But they’re Princess Mary’s–”

“Do it!”

The knight nods and swings his weapon, clashing blades with 2 of the robots. Dhar summons 2 boulders, smashing the 2 down into pieces.

He calls Kushi and Zebei’s names to go make their moves. Kushi whistles as her bird swiftly moves his wings at one, smacking it into the wall. As for Zebei, he jumps onto an arm of a robot and stabs it’s gem eye with an arrow. The last robot looks, reaching to grab his arm but it gets annihilated by one of Dhar’s rocks that were thrown.

So, everyone resumes flying up to the room where the ESTHER project is in. As they enter, they see the last members of the foot soldiers trapping a huge slime-storing mech in an energy bubble from their gauntlet device. Dhar yells at them,

“Halt right there!” His voice attracts the thieves’ attention. They turned face-to-face with the warriors against them.

One raises their sword at Dhar,

”Well if it isn’t the traitor and our soon-to-be prisoners. You’re too late, we got what we have and you won’t be able to take it back–”

Before he could finish his sentence, his face was met with a thrown rock by the silver-haired man. The soldier yelps, hand holding the wounded nose,

” Shit! You got some nerve, Dhar!”

“I can do that again!”

Dhar threatens as he opens his right hand to summon more geo.

“Can’t we just throw ourselves through that big window over there while bringing the mech?”

The other soldier asks. The first one looks at him then at the window for a moment. They both smirk, ready to jump.

“OH NO YOU DON’T!”

The heroes shout in unison and soon...

They chased the soldiers as everyone jumps through the window, glass shattering everywhere inside and outside the factory.

This noise caught the attention of not only the princess, but also the guards and townspeople of the Iron Kingdom. They saw the foot soldiers ride on the floating yet trapped mech, flying away while the fellow warriors followed in pursuit. Princess Mary was drinking her tea, setting her cup down on the table.

“So I was right to keep them a little longer,” She turns to her bodyguard, “You. Go get Kampan to help those heroes.”

“Yes, your highness!” The man in armor rushes out of the castle.

As Antoine flies and Dhar, Zebei, and Kushi on Altun’s back; they notice the foot soldiers scanning the mech with their gauntlet. Weird.

Not only does it steal iddhi and energy, it seems to be scanning the model or getting information from it. This isn’t the time to be taking notes, Dhar and his group need to catch up with those crooks!

“Altun! Can you go at least faster?!” Kushi panics and looks at her bird. Altun caws that sounds like he was whining.

He flaps his wings harder to gain more ooph, albeit this drains his stamina and slowly gets farther. Zebei grits his teeth and looks at Dhar,

“Should we start shooting at them?”

“We could... Although, I get the feeling they would move the bubble for us to accidentally destroy the ESTHER Project,” Dhar explains. Everyone wasn’t sure what to do as Altun is getting slower, being drained out.

“Your big bird there might be falling soon~!” The 1st foot soldier taunts as the other laughs. While they were mocking Dhar and his group... behind them, a shadow with a huge gauntlet jumps up. As everyone sees the figure’s silhouette, the foot soldiers turn and the two immediately get punched off the bubble by the person that jumped in.

The person lands and reveals herself to be Kampan,

”You outnumbered a few of those suckers and you couldn’t catch up getting them?” She rubs her nose with her right thumb, “You lot are lucky the Iron Mouse came in!”

Antoine sighs, wiping sweat off his forehead,”Hah... Thanks for coming in though,” he comments. Everyone lands down into town square as Kampan drags the bubble with a force implemented into her weapon. The authorities arrive, taking the knocked-out crooks into prison and obtaining the ESTHER mech back into the factory.

“Before we celebrate our victory...“ Dhar looks at Kampan who was busy polishing her gauntlet,

“How did you know we were in trouble?”

“One of Princess Mary’s guards hurried by and told me about your situation. Sooo... Bam! I came in and I, Kampan the Iron Mouse, popped in! And you all are welcome!” The Iron Mouse does a bow with her arms open.

However, her expression lits up and looks through her waist. Dhar watches in confusion. “I forgot that you’re also lucky that I~ have finished your order!” Kampan giggles and takes out a polished sword. She hands the sword to him and grins. The young man made a quiet

“woah...!” and gently holds the weapon.

It was no longer chipped or damaged like it was brand new. When he holds the hilt, it feels more comfortable and smooth. Everything about his sword felt just right. Kampan lays her elbow on his shoulder, “And if your weapon gets damaged, I’m your to-go!” She beams with a smile. Dhar says thanks to her again, putting the sword into the sheathe.

Kushi, Zebei, and Antoine give each other a high five as a token of victory. Soon, their ears picked up heels clicking and metal boot clanging. They look to see Princess Mary and her henchmen of knights walking up to them. Dhar and the others bow respectfully to the blonde highness.

Princess Mary smiles, “That was a close one I say. But thankfully I think my kingdom and my ESTHER project are now safe. Thanks to you all,” she says in a gentle tone. “Say... How about a feast before you and the others leave?” She asks Dhar, Zebei, and Kushi. In response, the 3 heroes boast and cheer happily.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter 6 → (W.I.P)

[sentenceme-leni]

Day 64. Monday. Minimum 1 sentence.

---

Pinocchio squealed in high-pitched laughter as Belle caught him and twirled him around.

"Now you are it!" Their guest told Guepetto's boy, letting him free before turning around and setting off back across the gardens.

"Not fair!" Pinocchio cried out. "You have longer legs."

"And a heavier dress," Belle yelled back, still laughing. "Just run and you'll catch me."

From a distance, Red watched the pair.

Officially, she was out to enjoy the sunshine, smell the flowers and take a break from the endless little details that popped up when the new queen took a husband.

Unofficially, a vigilant eye had to be kept over the young brunette.

No one had expected the Dark One to respond in the affirmative to the wedding invitation. Powerful sorcerers made the guest list only as a token to reassure them that a kingdom wanted peace.

When the Spinner had sent back a message announcing he would send a one-person envoy, everyone had been shocked.

There had been rumors about the Dark One socializing more often. That a chatelaine now ruled in the Dark Castle when her master was gone. That the Dealer had traded beauty potions, or magic lessons, or safety from other monsters, for the right to a woman's bed. Neighboring kingdoms carried tales of a beauty paraded about on the Dark One's arm. Snow White wouldn't be the first monarch to be pressed into welcoming an unknown to her court.

That the woman in question was a bright-eyed, cheerful thing had only added to the general surprise.

"Looking at her," Red said thoughtfully, "no one could tell she's been shut in that gloomy castle for years."

At her side, Granny huffed. "Not for lack of rescue attempts."

After the announcement of her visit, men had approached Prince James, warning him not to mention freedom to the Dark One's pet. They spoke of losing days as a crawling pest on the grounds, and of painful rolling down the mountain. One or two had even spoken in the name of comrades who never returned from their attempt to take her back home.

Outside royal hearing, Red's sharp ears had picked on the less polite epithets used against the young woman.

Bitch. Because she said no.

Whore. Because she wouldn't come with them.

Stupid. Because she sent them away.

Red found it impossible to reconcile those descriptions with the actual woman.

"Do you believe what they say about her?"

Granny scoffed. "Which version? The disappointed knights, bemoaning feeling useless? Or Princess Abigail, who speaks of her in glowing terms?" Then she shrugged. "Not that it matters. She may be a saint or a demon; all that counts is that she's staying with Rumpelstiltskin and does as he bids."

Red bit her lip at the sound of the Spinner's name, but knew better than to chastise her grandmother. If the Dark One decided to answer that summon, it would be on his own head.

Granny was likely to take a bite off before he even said a word.

Laughter echoed around the garden. Pinocchio's was loud and enthusiastic.

"I doubt the Dealer told her to play with a little boy."

Granny pressed her lips in a stubborn line. "That boy was blessed by Reul Ghorm Herself. Who knows what that means among sorcerers." Put like that, Red had to concede that it looked suspicious. "I'm not taking my eye off him until that woman is gone."

Common sense said her grandmother was right.

Red still itched to join the game anyway

The End

03/06/24

[seventiesdeadgaywizards]

lego’s and love bites

warnings: drunk/high james and sirius

genre: idk if you call this fluff but i guess

pairing: james potter x sirius black

word count: 850

a/n: first time writing this ship! this idea just popped into my head okay 😭 it might be shit but i’m working on it

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

James is playing Legos with princesses on Sirius’ bedroom floor at two am. Why is James playing Legos with princesses on Sirius’ bedroom floor at two am? He doesn’t know. Well, he’s quite drunk. That might be part of the reason. Plus, why are there even princesses? Since when do princesses come with legos?

“I’ll save you, Princess Severus!” Sirius says, moving his little knight toy to the top of one of the towers they’ve built.

Said Princess Severus is, in fact, very ugly indeed; as they’ve gone over her face with black marker and given her a very pointy nose and angry-looking eyebrows. 

“Hahahaha SIKE!” James says; single-handedly sabotaging the plot and making Severus jump off the tower and into an imaginary pond.

“Jamesssssss,” Sirius moans. “Why did you dooooo that?” He’s trying very hard to be annoyed and failing quite a lot, visibly biting down on a laugh.

Eventually, Sirius can’t stand it any longer and bursts out laughing; as does James.

After they recover from their laughing fit, James thinks of something.

“Padfoot, what would you do if I kissed you?”

It’s out of the blue.

And it’s a purely hypothetical question.

Purely.

Not that James needs a reminder or anything.

Of course not.

He would never.

“Oh, we could get married!” Sirius clasps his hands together as though he’s just been told he’s going to be a flower girl at a weddding. “Old Walburga would be all like ‘oh my GOD you can’t marry a guy!! Thas illegal!’” Sirius’ impression of his mother is pathetic at best; saying things they both knew his mother wouldn’t and somehow making her voice sound more like Elmo and putting much too much emphasis on the ‘god’, while all the same slurring the ‘that’s’ so much it’s become ‘thas’.

 But they’re high, not to mention drunk.

So that’s fucking hilarious. 

They almost fall over laughing, Sirius grabbing James and pulling him back before he falls on the Lego castle they’ve spent who-knows-how-long on, built with no manual and complete with teetering towers.

James pushes Sirius away as well, annoyed for no apparent reason, seeming to forget that Sirius had only pulled him for the well-being of the castle, turning into them play fighting on the floor a bit away from the castle, rolling around on the thinly carpeted floor.

But play fighting turns to a purely awkward moment with James on top of Sirius. 

And Sirius’ eyes go to James’ lips.

James’ eyes trace the action unconsciously, making the same motion.

They stay like that for a few seconds, Sirius’ eyes wide open and staring up at him.

Then, instead of extending the silent suspense any longer, James dives down, placing his lips on his best friends’. 

There’s a few seconds where it’s a close-mouthed press of chapped lips, and then Sirius opens his mouth slightly and it turns into something else.

The kiss is more a fight then the soft sort; more of a continuation of the play fight that was going on before. James vying for dominance, but Sirius trying his hardest not to give it to him.

His tongue explores every part of Sirius’ mouth, commuting it to memory.

But of course; eventually, James pulls away, smirking at the pathetic whimpering and shuddering noises Sirius makes afterwards.

“So-“ James begins; diving for the canine animagi’s neck, attacking and sucking and biting, delighting in the soft groans and little moans coming from the shorter boys’ mouth. He bites down on a particularly sensitive spot on his neck.

“Fucking-“ He kitten licks it between bites, Sirius grabbing onto the curly haired boys’ hair, tugging at it.

“Pathetic,” James triumphantly finishes, removing his mouth completely. 

He shoots a grin at Sirius, who’s still writhing on the ground, making little whimpers and pleading for James to come back.

James; instead, gives a cutesy smile and responds by going back to sit by the Lego castle and leaving Sirius on the ground.

James laughs quietly at the effort it takes Sirius to get up, before he picks up Princess Severus from the floor where she’d fallen face first and brought her back to the tower.

As Sirius gets up, he pulls James backwards and locks him in his arms, beginning to kiss him again.

In the process, they may or may not have broken the castle.

But that wasn’t their fault!

Obviously!

Marlene walks in (oh yeah, Marlene’s there too), and completely ignoring the mess of the two boys on the ground, she lets out an exaggerated and dramatic gasp.

“My legooooo castleeeee” She groans, leading James to pop his head up; hair messy, and say, “Hey! We helped too!” To which Marlene easily replied “Uh, you also knocked it over.”

“Uh uh! We’re inoccentttt!” Sirius says, dragging out the ‘t’ and exaggerating every word. Sirius for his part is covered in hickeys, and James holds in a chuckle at the sight of him.

“As if,” Marlene snorted, coming to sit in front of the lego castle. “It was my true loveeee!” She protests.

“Dorcas must be jealous,” Sirius stage-whispers to James.

[smokeahontas7]

Botany - Ch.2

pairing: (pre-ellie)!Joel Miller x OFC!Juliette Dacre

summary: Joel sees what the toll of jane work takes on Juliette and intends to make it right.

5k words

a/n: this is self indulgent!! thank you for the love and your patience with me about updating, feedback and reblogs really help, it makes me feel good we're all swapping good stories! side note, the nickname terco is used by juliette to joel, it means stubborn

warnings: MINORS DO NOT ENAGE: THIS CHAPTER IS A LITTLE HEAVY, PLEASE READ WITH CARE!: smut, unprotected P in V, age gap (juliette is in her late 20's, Joel is 52 at this time), implied mentions of sex work (jane work is sex work), mentions of poisoning/murder, implied mentions of sexual assault/group rape, insecure!joel, ptsd!joel, daddy kink!joel because i just couldn't resist lol, dry humping, dirty talk, praise kink, joel is a fan of condescending nicknames

you can read botany ch.1 here !!

It takes Joel 4 days to get back to her, each one dragging by longer than the next as thoughts and visions of her kept him warmer than the miserably humid summer nights. He laid awake, arms crossed over his chest as he stared up at the swirling stars and constellations. Somehow they'd aligned just right for him and Juliette to be alive at the same time, in the same place. He didn't want to fuck it up by rushing in and overwhelming her, or making her feel 'obligated' to him just because he'd done her some favors. He decided in his head he'd let her lead. She was young-- probably no more than a child when the outbreak happened. She would never know the simple pleasures of the courting phase he would've done before the world went to shit. How he would've been a gentlemen, brought her flowers, taken her to dinner and a movie where he'd classically stretch out and put his arm around her. A kiss goodnight, but nothing more. He figured he could still do one thing, discreetly gathering wildflowers for her along with the nightshade he had been collecting in a large trash bag, nearly triple the amount she'd asked for with the mason jars. Although Tommy poked and prodded about what the plant was for, and Tess off handedly called her a princess again for not coming out to harvest it herself, he kept Juliette's secret safe and to himself.

maybe she is a princess He thought to himself, for entirely different reasons. Princesses need protecting-- be it a tower, a knight in shining armor, a dragon. He would keep her safe, by any means necessary.

He headed to her apartment as soon as he returned to the QZ on the 4th day, but after a few knocks and no response, he decided to check the garden, where she was 90% of the time. He made his way through the woods, coming away to the hidden trove just between the river outside the QZ walls and her place. He felt his breath inadvertently hitch, heart rate picking up when he spots a pair of feet first, toenails painted with daisy yellow catching his eye, looking like they belonged amongst the yellows, purples, and blues of the wild flower patch she was laying in. He selfishly admired her crossed legs bare and bathed in sun a moment longer before making his presence known.

"Hey, Peach." He calls out to her by a name only he would know, so she'd know it was him.

"Hey, Tex." She calls back, he smiles a little. Whenever his accent was particularly prominent, she'd drop the monicker on him, specially when he'd call her things like, 'darlin', honey, little lady.'

As Joel gets closer, he slowly takes her in the more she comes in to view, laying out on a blanket in the sun, sucking on a plant he didn't immediately recognize. His eyes skimmed down the curve of her knee and followed to where the hem of her sun dress pooled at her thighs, a flash of soft pink panties from where he was standing that felt both innocent and deliberate, reserved for his viewing pleasure either way. He swallowed thickly, quickly setting his sight back to her dress, taking notice in familiar looking white flowers strewn about her chest.

"Honeysuckle?" He identifies, taken farther back than he's ever been in years to his childhood, memories of walking home from school and picking the flowers off the bushes with Tommy, sucking the sweet nectar that still made his mouth water when remembering the taste. This is what he loves most about being around her-- she makes him forget any heavy feelings he may be carrying, his body language visibly relaxing as his hard exterior melted away whenever it was just him and her, his personified whiskey and hydro.

"Mhm. Want some ?" Enchanted, he watches as she uses the tip of her thumb nail to pop the green cap off the flower, delicate fingers pulling the middle string of the bloom and drawing out the nectar drop before sucking it away into her mouth. She pats the empty side of the blanket, he doesn't hesitate to set his pack and the bag of belladonna down to sit beside her, an activity they'd done together many times before, so why did it feel so different ? He hadn't been able to notice from afar, but getting a better look at her up close, Joel felt his heart skip and sink upon noticing significant bruising about her arms, neck, and chest.

"Jesus christ, Juliette--" He looked her over more intently, noticing mostly cuts and bruises in the visible shape of fingerprints and grabbing hands. She could see the sense of urgency and anger in his eyes.

"You should see the other guy.." She said with the air of a laugh, but he was greatly aware of how her hands slightly trembled as she fiddled with a honeysuckle. A big part of him wants to tell her this operation is over, it's too dangerous. He'll hide her away, provide for her, do whatever he needs to do so she'll never have to do jane work again-- but he swallows his words and decides based off her shaken demeanor, that this last time must've really rattled her, and she needs him to be there for here. She needs him to show her safety and comfort in contrast to the fear and pain she'd been put through.

"Where is the other guy ?"

"Dead. Both of them."

Joel takes a deep breath through his nose and lets a sigh of mixed anger and relief out, leaning back against a tree as he rubbed his face first, then a gentle hand over her knee.

"You alright, darlin'?" He feels the muscles of her legs relax under his touch, she only nods, the softest smile upon her face. He knows she's lying, he can see the frayed threads of her put togetherness falling apart, but she won't let herself fully feel it yet. Joel stretches his legs out in front of him and kicks them under the space her knees are crossed and bent, letting the weight of them rest across his lap, and pulling one of her bare feet into his hands, beginning to apply pressure with his fingers. Juliette let out a comfortable sigh, eyes fluttering closed when the sun streamed through the shaded area and warmed her face. 

"Like your nail polish." He compliments earnestly after a beat of listening to the summer breeze rustling through the trees, thumb running over the smooth color in admiration, he couldn't help but notice her smile a little, relax.

"Thank you."

"Tell me what happened." He said, moving his hands from her feet and pressing into the sides of her calves, relieving any tension there and showing care to her bruises with soft touch.

"Not much to say. They tried to hurt me, so I hurt them back. Now they'll never hurt anyone, ever again... Sorry I couldn't stay out of trouble." The way she said it so calmly, gently, as if she were explaining herself to a child astounded him. She had little to no emotion, no looming remorse, though he didn't expect her to. She just seemed very, very, tired, but the apology sincere.

"Don't apologize. Trouble sought you out, you showed 'em what for. I'm proud of you." If he'd blinked he would've missed it, a quiver in her lower lip, eyes squeezing shut as she let out a breath when he pressed his thumbs into a pleasing spot in the arch of her foot.

"Guards aren't allowed to use a Jane in groups.. but when I showed up to my assignment, there were 3 of them there." Juliette's throat went dry, she paused a second. He could feel rage rising and boiling his blood, but he kept on with the massage, dropping one foot in his lap to start on the other.

"I only had enough poison for 1 guard, and I panicked-- I haven't gotten to the sex part of Jane work in about a year." He put this bit of information away, trying his best not to seem so surprised-- relieved she got them before they got her.

"The nightshade sets in right during their bath, every time, I've got the dosage perfect-- I've been working with a new poison. Remember the monk's hood I showed you ?" Joel glanced around the garden, remembering a growing green baby stalk that had a few healthy royal purple blooms on them. He inwardly chuckled. Of course it was a poison, he had thought it was just a pretty flower she liked, having watched her tend to it daily with the most love and care.

"Yea, over there." He pointed, she nodded.

"I have some soaking for a tincture, but it's not ready yet. So I took the blade you gave me, and I used it to cut the root and the flowers up until they were mushy, like a paste. I let it dry on there, and I took it with me, just in case.. as soon as I saw three of them in that room... I didn't want anyone to have the chance to hold me down. I didn't think. Nobody expected it. I didn't even have to stab to kill, just the knife making contact with their skin, in their blood-- it set in faster than I thought it would." She looked over at him, eye to eye for the first time of the evening, unmistakably scared.

"I'm so fucked, Joel, I only got 2 of them-- and the other one took my bag with him, it has the nightshade tincture in it-- you can't tell what it is in the amber colored bottle, but even if he doesn't figure that out, he saw me kill 2 guards." Joel's heart began to race, but he didn't let on. He needed to remain calm, for her peace of mind.

"How long ago ?" "Two days." He mulled it over, never once faltering in the opportunity it was to touch her, make her feel good, in any capacity. Two days of silence could've meant anything. She either got away with it, or FEDRA had silent eyes on her every move, waiting for her to slip up and lead them to something bigger. "I'll fix it." He promises, though he admits to himself he doesn't immediately know how. She sits up right away, legs still draped across his lap, looking at him with a mix of sympathy and bewilderment, as if he hadn't heard a word she just said. "There's no fixing something like this, terco... I think you and I both know that." She speaks the truth into the air, and they both settle with it for a moment.

"I don't know the name of this guard. They show up in civilian clothes, I wouldn't even know what he looked like in uniform if I saw him... I don't want you to try to fix anything. I was really scared after the whole thing happened, and I didn't know where else to go. I knew you were on that run getting the nightshade, so... I talked to Tommy, and I told him everything." "Tommy-- everything ?"

"Everything." She repeated, seemingly more relaxed that she could tell him what had felt like a secret.

"What'd he say ?"

"He helped me move the bodies quickly, incase the other guard came back. Then we cleaned the house so there was no sign of anything going on." Good, Joel thought. His brother did half the work of keeping her safe, he would be sure to thank him for looking out.

"He also.. mentioned something else. I don't wan't you to jump to any conclusions.. ok ? We just talked about it."

"Talked about what ?" He could feel himself tense a little, the way she seemed hesitant to bring it up making him on alert. She noticed immediately, bringing her legs from resting on his to tuck them underneath her, leaning his way and placing her hand on his thigh with a soft squeeze, something she habitually did to keep him anchored with her presently rather than the swarming thoughts in his head.

"Tommy said he has some friends in this.. resistance group ? And they're gonna be moving out west soon... he said he could talk to them about taking me with them.... if I get caught for this, they'll pull the string on everything I've been doing. The garden, the poison making, the "missing" guards. They do worse than hang jane's, Joel. They keep them alive in a cell, and use them however they want, til death." This all comes as new information that hit him like a freight train. She can physically see him slipping away when he goes silent, drawing his own conclusions, triggering feelings of loss, abandonment, and inadequacy from feeling like he's not doing enough to keep her safe pulling him further away.

"Joel-- Joel," She squeezes his thigh a little higher, a little harder, it usually works. When she feels his body language begin to harden and draw away from her, she seizes the opportunity to move herself into his lap, cupping his face with hands on either side and forcing him to look at her. 

"We just talked. I didn't want you to hear it from him.. I told him I'd think about it, it's not a bad idea," Joel huffs through his nose and shakes his head away, she knows he's upset, but there's persistence in the way she grabs him and forces him to maintain eye contact with her again.

"Tommy don't even know who the fuck those people are, it's not fuckin' safe out there, Juliette! There's nothin' out there, but raiders, infected, and God knows what the fuck else," He spits with timbre in his voice. He's never talked to her this way, but she's witnessed him do it to others. She doesn't let up, showing him first hand she's not afraid of him.

"Can you just be ? here ?? with me ? right now ??" Both hands grip either side of his shirt with desperation, she begs him with her tone, letting him know it hurts her when he goes, and he leaves her far more often than she does with even thinking about leaving. He can see the pain in her eyes up close, how she's probably been crying herself to sleep every night or not sleeping at all. It takes him a moment of silence, looking into her eyes, a few deep breaths. He could never deny her-- never has, never will. 

"I'm.. here." Joel lifts one hand from his side, gently squeezing her hip, letting her know he's doing his best at grounding himself.

"Don't be in the future, or the past. If you wanna help me, make me feel good, right here, right now." She presses into his lap with her weight and grinds her hips into his softly, slowly, letting her body tell him what he knows she wants. Joel gives silent appreciation to God, his lucky stars, the universe-- whatever the fuck higher power with divine timing made it happen for his request to be obliged, she lead. He had given so much thought to fantasies of her over time, restless nights spent fucking his fist and inhaling the lingering scent she'd leave on his shirts when she hung around, always thinking about her the entire time he's away from her. Anchored in the present with her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and closed the distance between them with a searing kiss. Juliette let a pleased sigh slip from her mouth into his, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him as close as she could with her tongue languidly tasting his, the haste in their actions telling them both how much the other was missed without words. 

"Lay down," Joel rasped in between feverish kisses from her, the corner of his mouth, along his jawline, down his neck, licking, sucking, tasting the salt of his skin, drawing a grunt from him when she nipped the junction of his neck and shoulder. He could feel her smile against his skin as she kissed further down.

"No." He looked at her, fearing he'd taken it too far, but meeting her darkened eyes and seeing something he recognized in himself-- a dominance. 

"You, lay down." A brilliant smile spreads across her face when she sees him swallow, she can tell he's hesitant, but he trusts her, moving to do as he's told. She straddles his lap and wastes no time in leaning down to kiss him, over and over again a few times as if she's trying her best to commit every fiber cell of the feeling to engrain in her memory. She nudges her nose gently against his, sharing labored breath with him, his hands on her hips gripping but not forcing her to grind. 

"You take care of everyone and everything, Joel," she says softly, ghosting his lips with hers, he feels her hand coming between them and skillfully undoing the first few buttons of his shirt, nails delicately scraping the skin beneath her touch on the way down, her lips pressing to a spot just beneath his chin with force that makes him let out a breath.

"Who takes care of you ?" His eyes squeeze shut when he throws his head back, feeling the warmth of her through the thin fabric of her panties and his jeans.

"Ain't about me.. you said to make you feel good." She's glad his eyes are closed, feeling her face frown at his words. It's clear to her he doesn't think he deserves this, that he cares least of all for himself.

"It'll make me feel good for you to tell me what to do, and then tell me how good it is when I'm doing it." He can't suppress the small shuddering breath he takes, she smiles when she feels how hard the sentiment behind her words makes him, allowing herself to grind on the thick length of it. Joel's resolve on letting her lead falters with every slow drag of her hips across his and every press of her lips into his skin. He finally breaks when she nips him again on his chest and licks over it, a small giggle coming from her mouth when it makes him hiss and wince, pleasurable pain. If she wants to play, he'll show her who's better at it.

"Grind on me, just your panties." Joel breathes and marvels at the joy it brings her to lift her dress for him, revealing no bra and silky baby pink panties in shaded sunlight. She sits back a bit on his thighs to undo the button on his jeans, the sound of his zipper coming down and his hand not being the one doing it one of the simplest pleasures he didn't realize he'd missed so much. They don't say anything, his eyes are on the sky when he feels her fingers gingerly dip into the waistband of his briefs and tugs them down, allowing his throbbing erection to spring free and drool pre cum against his bare stomach. She admires for a long moment, having never seen one so big before, but he's too nervous to look, afraid maybe she's seeing salt and pepper hair and various scars from previous times himself and others weren't kind decorating his body. Maybe she's coming to the realization this isn't what she wants, and he wouldn't hold it against her. His insecurities dissipate when the cool outside air is replaced with the radiating heat of her wet panties, a guttural groan leaving his throat as his hands fly to her hips to steady her after the first roll from base to tip, breathing already doubled, balls drawing tight to his body.  

"S-slow," She can feel his heart pounding under the hand she used to steady herself on his chest, his eyes screwed shut, cock throbbing beneath her, she recognized all the signs of him trying his absolute best not to cum. She helps him out, moving with his pleasure on the forefront of her mind rather than her own, small, close, inching of her hips against the base of him. 

"Good, baby," Joel praises and feels her whole body warm from it. His eyes open when both her hands rest against his stomach. He watches her in awe, having never seen a woman look so effortlessly sexy while using him, long lashes kissing her cheeks when her eyes close and head leaning slightly on her shoulder, brow furrowed in concentration on her pace.

"Atta' girl, little more," A soft breath of a moan leaves her lips, and he realizes it's after every time he speaks praise, she naturally responds to him. One arm comes behind him to prop his head up, the other resting at his side before his hand comes to grip her hip, encouraging her to slide against him more. He has her moving at a tantalizingly slow and consistent rhythm, he knows what he's doing, but she doesn't immediately realize it, too caught up in thinking she was doing this for his pleasure. He remembers distantly how to please a woman, how to tease her clit just to the edge but never allowing her the relief of an orgasm til she begged him. In her case, he remembered how she'd mentioned she hadn't had sex in close to a year. He was prepping her-- getting her ready for exactly what she asked him for, to make her feel good. After awhile she stops following the lead of his hand on her hip and begins chasing the high she seeks herself, panties feeling unbearably tight, she takes her hand to move the fabric out of her way, but he snatches it, her eyes shooting open to meet his darkened irises as he held it at her side with some force.

"No one told you to do that. Keep on it, and slow down." Joel was hesitant to put such authority in his voice, but he could see in her eyes how much she adored it, a soft swallow as she nodded in agreement and understanding.

"S-sorry,"

"Don't be sorry, Princess. Be good. Show me you can," The condescending nickname drew a soft whine from her lips, the way he melded in to this role making her overwhelmingly hot, discipline cut with praise having her do anything he asked.

"Joel--"

"You call me daddy when you're takin' orders, understand me ?" It's clear to him what she wants after a little observation, her whole body stutters and stops, he can feel how hard her clit is when she finds the perfect rhythm to please herself. He allowed her to be lost in the small reward of pleasure, watching her body tighten, lower lip drawn in between her teeth as she thinks he's going to let her get off this way. When she's breathing hard, nails digging into his abdomen, nipples pebbled, body flushed, just on the edge, he delivers a firm smack to her ass that draws a surprised yelp from her, eyes immediately meeting again, she sees a small smirk on his lips, he recognizes frustration, an adorable pout adorning her lower lip.

"I asked you a question, sugar."

"Y-yes," he drew his hand back for another resounding smack, this time she moaned.

"Yes, what ?"

"Yes, Daddy." His warm palm soothed over the warm, raised, skin.

"Good girl. Just want you to mind your manners, baby. So why don't you try getting off again, and ask me nicely this time ?" It clicks to her, the game he's playing, winding her up in ways she could've never imagined. Joel helps her out by starting her off again, fingers digging into her hips and moving her slow and hard across the full length of him this time, base to head. Every time his swollen tip passed by her throbbing clit, they each let out sounds of approval. He allowed her to go faster, encouraging her in-between his own grunting and groaning.

"Better ask me now, real sweet, 'fore I make ya' stop." He can feel her, quickly becoming familiar with the way her back arches, body tightens, when she's just about to break. 

"Please, daddy, please, please, let me cum," He didn't expect her to be so responsive, begging him as if she needed him the same way she needed air in her lungs made a familiar coil wind in his stomach too.

"Alright, baby. I've got you, pretty girl," Suddenly, he pushes her panties to the side and his thumb is on her clit, operating from muscle memory, quick, consistent, flicks and circles have her in full bliss, he gets to watch her completely unwind, the sounds he's earning from her all the more encouragement of his ruthless pace. Joel doesn't let her have just one, he makes sure she cums 3 times before she's begging him to stop.

"I can't, please, I can't,"  She sobs out, overstimulated, surrounded by him as he sits up to rest his forehead against hers, threatening to rub out a 4th from her. 

"Tell me what you want so I can give it to you, baby," She kissed him, he licked into her mouth, letting out a moan of his own when she reaches between them to grip his length and start pumping.

"Give ya' anything you want, sugar, just ask me." Theres a rawness in the truth behind his words, he kisses her again and again, feeling her 4th orgasm build, she cries out when his fingers leave her clit and effortlessly plunge into her entrance. 

"Fuck me, Joel," she says breathlessly, he wishes he could listen to her say it 20 more times. Little games aside, they locked eyes as Joel went from 2 fingers to slowly adding three. She relaxed her body with a deep sigh, wriggling her hips slowly to adjust to the fit. He knew she was ready to take him with minimal pain, her body showing him she naturally knew to relax rather than tense. 

"Lay down for me." He kisses her shoulder and removes his fingers, rubbing the excess over her clit before she lifted off his lap and laid down on the blanket. He settled between her open legs, letting his button up shuck off his shoulders, her hips lift slightly to help his hands slowly pull her panties off, his jeans and briefs following til they were both completely naked aside from Joel's watch, and her necklace. He tried again rubbing her overly sensitive clit, but this time gently swiped his deft fingers down, bringing some of her honey to rub over his shaft as he slowly pumped his straining erection, then began passing the crown of the tip through her slit, each sensation better than the last for both of them. 

"Take a deep breath." Eye contact remains when she takes a deep inhale, and lets it out, he continues to pass the tip back and forth.  

"Again." His gaze is so intense, she's never seen such passion and emotion alive and actively working behind his brown hues, trained on her, studying her, telling her this is all reserved for her and no one else.

"One more, Peach." He nearly whispers, she's so entranced with the look in his eye changed, blown out with lust, desire. The exhale she let's go of feels like it's being pushed out when he allows just the tip, the stretch to accommodate him making her breath ragged, like there was no oxygen left on earth. He can't suppress a proper moan from his throat when he pushes himself nearly half way in.

"C'mon, baby, breathe for me," Joel grounds out, gritting his teeth in an effort to keep himself still til she did what he asked. Another shaky inhale from her allowed him to draw himself slowly out, then sink himself a little further in, doing it this way breath by breath until he was fully seated, heavy balls against her ass, breathing syncing up as she warmed up to the feeling of being full. 

"You ok ?" He kisses her throat, keeping still at this point more for himself, afraid he'll cum too soon if they do more than anything else.

"I want you to move." Her voice is already breathy and fucked out, it sounds more like a whine.

"You tell me if you need me to stop, Jules... and I will, soon as you say so." She nods in understanding, he goes in for the deep kiss, using his tongue to distract her from any discomfort she may feel from his first initial thrusts. He finds her body to feel as if it were designed for him, back arching up, chest pressing into his, nails digging into his shoulders, hips syncing up in a grinding rhythm that had them both equal parts pleased til they started fighting for power, Joel wanting more friction, Juliette wanting him as deep as he could possibly go. 

"More, daddy, please," 

"If I give ya' more, it wont last long," He says honestly, she doesn't seem to care.

"'m ready, give it to me," She promises with her words, but the way her walls hug him so tightly says more to him than verbal speaking ever could. Joel begins snapping his hips into hers, obliging all her requests for deeper and harder until his own need to cum made his pace sloppy, breathing jagged, one hand gripping her hip and the other beginning to toy with her clit a final time. 

"One more for me, pretty girl, c'mon," He barely gets her there first, his visceral need to make a spot for himself deep inside of her having him putting his full weight into pinning her knees to her chest so he could give himself access to parts of her no one had ever touched before. She gasped when they locked eyes, Joel's nearly rolling back as he came undone with an unbridled moan that had been deep in his chest for God knows how long, burying his seed in thick, warm, pumps that began seeping out the seams and dripping down her ass. He reluctantly withdrew himself after a long moment of holding on to the feeling of being inside of her, laying down to pull her into his side as he pressed a tired kiss to the crown of her forehead. 

"I'm gonna figure this out.. ok ? Tell Tommy you wont leave, Jules.. please..." Joel squeezes her hand on his chest softly and let's himself show her one of the first bits of emotional vulnerability he's ever bared to anyone. He's scared to lose her, he wants her to stay with him. He knows he can't take care of her if she leaves. His nose nudges gently into her hair and he feels her tighten her arm around him in means of comfort. 

"told you I was just considering it.."

"Well, don't. Don't even think about it. Just let me handle it." She identifies the subtle upset in his voice as a mask for fear of losing her. He speaks with such tenacity, confidence-- if she could rely on anyone to do the impossible, it would definitely be Joel. He'd always been true to his word before, now shouldn't be any different. 

"..okay." Juliette says softly after a beat of silence, he lets out the smallest breath of relief and holds her close, tilting her head up to press a lingering kiss against her lips. She knows he needs this, to feel some sense of security, especially after what transpired between them. 

But she can't help the twisting in her stomach, knowing the odds are not in their favor. Knowing that despite his promises, his words, his very intention to keep her safe, she's already sealed her fate with the belladonna tincture and her jane identification number in her bag. There's no doubt in her mind these people either know who she is or are well on their way to knowing, just a matter of time before they're torturing other jane's to give up her name-- maybe even Tommy, Tess, or Joel, since she was always around them. 

Her own father had died to protect her, she had made a promise that day that no one else would.

[its-the-val-pal]

Cliché

This is uuuuhh prolly a last attempt to reach out/try to find some RP/people to do stuff with in game! SO if any of this intrigues you and you’re looking for some RP connections to do stuff with, feel free to reach out and let me know!

Stop me if you've heard this one before: A man walks into a bar. Something something looking for a job. Something something chip on his shoulder; a bone to pick with the world. Love lost. A desperate deal with the devil. Pilfered memories. You get the gist. It's a story that's been told a thousand times before. But what is life without clichés? Everyone always thinks they're different; that it’d surely never happen to them. And yet, often times they tend to become the cliché they never thought they would.

True to form, the Viera couldn't remember much. His past was as fuzzy as his ears had been. All he knew currently is that he was hungry. And he was out of gil. ..That felt familiar, somehow. Maybe because, he surmised, it'd been that way for suns. No, it was deeper than that. But he couldn't quite place it. Something felt off about it. But then again, things had felt off since he found himself waking in the Shroud with no previous inkling of who he was or had been. 

Sure, there were memories he had. Or memories he thought he had. And belongings he found on his person. A spear. Two daggers. Some threadbare clothing designed just well enough to keep him warm and, beneath it, more scars and blemishes on his flesh than he could count and a silver band dangling from a chain with familiar initials etched into the cold metal.

There were things that came natural to him, he found. Foraging for food and water. Stalking prey. Silently maneuvering through the Shroud as if each step could be his last. And when something deigned to strike at him, he found himself capable of defending himself too. His body seemed to move on its own, countless years of experience and muscle memory put to work as he fended off his assailant and, after, had a fine meal of its flesh.

He had his fair share of troubles, of course. He found it awkward to balance himself at first. His ears felt far longer than they should have been, and there was a strange annoyance to how they.. flopped as he walked. Fighting was no different. He could perform the moves that must have been from memory, but everything felt different. Slower. Weaker. Off.

Civilization was an enigma. There was a slight familiarity to it that he didn't quite understand. There were familiar faces he was certain he'd seen before, and even more familiar places that seemed to open up once he'd seen them. The flower patch in Gridania. The beautiful view of the rolling seas from Limsa Lominsa's cafe and its shipyard. Seedy Ul’dahn alleyways and, of course, the Quicksand and the soothingly familiar sting of whiskey in his throat. He felt a particular strong connection to hot springs, but he couldn't quite place why. They'd certainly been relaxing, at the very least.

..And cozy fireplaces and little puppies. Knights and wolves and Princesses. And white. So much white. The scent of vanilla and tea were particularly strong in his mind and, upon tasting the foul liquid, he had absolutely no idea why. And yet.. despite his distaste, there was a warmth there. Something that balled up deep inside his chest in a mixture of emotions so powerful it threatened to burst through at any moment.

And anger. So much anger. At the world. At himself. At anyone that drew too near to him. At the person that bumped into his shoulder. At the laughter that was too loud. At any little thing that should have been easily ignored. But it was there. Most of the time he could keep it bottled up and hidden away in some deep, dark recesses of his being. But sometimes.. sometimes it got the better of him, and that's when he got into a brawl. More often than not it led to broken flesh and a bruised ego. He could do better than that, right? He remembered being able to do better than that.

Yet, broken flesh and bruised egos were comforting. Familiar. And so, win or lose, he sought them out. There was something about the thrill of the fight that invigorated him. The world and its noise and the strange fog he found himself in lifted, even if for but a moment, and there remained but he and his opponent. Be it underground fighting rings or more sanctioned affair, the Viera turned no one down. Paradoxically, the closer he came to death the more alive he felt. For better or for worse, this came fairly often. And with each loss his earnings of gil dwindled until he found himself standing in front of a job postings board, tacking on a carefully written notice:

Mersinery 5 Hyr cheep discret wil werk 3 fud

..Strange. That seemed familiar, too. How cliché.

[random-delights]

Lila

Basic Information

Name: Lila

Age: 20

Bio: Lila is a friendly Elusian villager who made the journey to Brodia for a better life, having taken a thief’s request in order to support her family. She is a skilled magic user who finds joy in making meals and sewing accessories and clothes whenever she can. She tries her best to keep a facade with the army, but slowly it falls apart as she starts to feel more at home with the Divine Dragon.

↓ More Info Below  ↓

Thank you @shellysaurus-rex for putting in all this work for providing the template!

Ally Notebook

Initial Page;

Initial Class: Mage Knight (Sword)

Birthday: April 17

Basic Info: A friendly Elysian villager who got lost on her way to Brodia seeking for a better life. She joined the Divine Dragon’s army after coming across her on their journey towards the Kingdom of Might.

C Rank;

Likes: Flowers, Sweets, Reading, Sewing, Snow, Seeing those around her smile, Family

Dislikes: Insomnia, Rain, Being useless, Bugs, Annoying people

B Rank;

Hobbies: Sewing accessories

Talents: Making meals

Background: Born in the countryside of Elusia, she raised her two younger brothers alone when their parents passed away unexpectedly. Desperate to support her family, she took on a job offered by a thief who tasked her with taking a royal’s life from Brodia. In return, he promised her great bounds of money upon completing the task. Due to desperation, she took the job and headed towards Brodia.

A Rank;

Height: 5′6″

Ring Size: 6.75 | N

Personality: Might appear cheery and social, but at times she can be reserved when not around people. Deep down, she is kind and helpful which surfaces time to time when she lets her guard down. She is the most likely to have the most nimble fingers in the army.

Supports:

Alfred

Louis

Chloé

Céline

Alcryst

Lapis

Citrinne

Ivy

Hortensia

Rosado

Yunaka

Zelkov

Panette

Fogado

Mauvier

Rafal

Agate (oc)

Battle Quotes

When Selected:

“Trust me.” (Full Health)

“Let’s get this over with..” (Full Health)

“We can still push through!” (Medium Health)

“I can’t stop here…” (Low Health)

Critical Attack:

“At last you fall!”

“This is where you end.”

“Goodnight and farewell!”

“To the ground with you!!”

Defeated Enemy:

“I suppose that will do.”

“I survived another day, it seems.”

“Mika, Finley…I will be back home soon.”

“Phew…that’s over with.”

“This is more than I signed up for…”

Ally Heals:

“I owe you one.”

“Much obliged.”

“Let me treat you to a meal, yeah?”

Emblem Engage:

“Emblem Engage!”

“Give me strength!”

Post-Battle Exploration

Chapter-Specific: 

“I’m glad you found me, Divine One. I can’t imagine what would have happened if I stayed in these forests for longer. I hope to be of some use to you!” (Own Paralogue)

“No need to worry about me! This might be Brodia, but I feel rather safe here.” (Chapter 8: Kingdom of Might)

“To be fighting Elusia…the crown princess herself…how awkward, right? Aha…” (Chapter 9: A Clash of Forces)

“I might think so greatly of the Elusian royalty…but nobody deserves to see their family fall before their very own eyes.” (Chapter 10: The Fell Dragon Sombron)

“.... Oh. Divine One, apologies, I didn’t notice you there. I was lost in my own thoughts…forgive me, but I would like to be alone right now.” (Chapter 19: The Dead Town)

Battle-Specific:

“I can only sew so much…please keep me in your considerations for the next battle!” (Not Deployed)

“Who knew I had this much strength in me? I enjoy aiding you, Divine One. ” (Deployed Numerously)

Location-Specific: 

“Never did I imagine I would get to see so much of Elyos. When the war is over, let us go for a picnic, shall we?” (Default)

“S-so many flowers…it would be wrong of me if I picked some, wouldn’t it? They would wilt by the time we end this war and I return home.” (Florra Mill Town)

“Hm? Oh Divine One, apologies, my attention was focused on someone-I mean! On something! Do not worry!” (Brodia Castle)

“It feels cold here…colder than our own winters here in Elusia.” (Destinea Cathedral)

“I-I was not made for this sort of landscape…wait why are there two of you? Oh dear, I perhaps should go sit somewhere.” (Tullah Desert)

“It is so quiet…how surreal.” (Givre Port)

Somniel

In Somniel:

“What a lovely place you have, Divine One. I wish I could bring my own brothers here, they would love the view of the sky from here, definitely.” (Default)

“Divine One, did you see that adorable bow in stock? I wonder if I should pinch it before anyone else does?” (Plaza)

“I was forced to leave the kitchen, because I couldn’t stop preparing meals. Vander said I should rest…I simply wanted to help.” (Café Terrace)

“I’m not all too fond of swimming, but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to dip my toes into the water for a little while.” (Pool)

“Look at all the delicious fruit! You wouldn’t mind if I ate them all, did you? I’m joking of course…please don’t give me such a worried look.” (Orchard)

“I didn’t know Alcryst fished…hm? Ah, ignore what I said!” (Pond)

“I wasn’t expecting to be training so much, I’ve worked up quite a sweat…gross.” (Training Yard)

“Back in Elusia, I took care of a few animals. I am so happy that we have some here in Somniel.” (Farmyard)

“Oh Alear, nice to see you. Care to join me? This spot here is perfect for taking in the view.” (Lookout Ridge)

“I’m sorry? You remembered my birthday? Did I ever tell you when it was? My…t-thank you.” (Their Birthday)

“Happy Birthday! I sewed a little something for you in celebration. I hope you like it! (Alear’s Birthday)

Gifts:

“Are you…sure?” (Disliked)

“Why thank you, I will take care of it well.” (Liked)

“I am speechless. Can I truly have this?” (Favorite)

“I…I’m not sure what to do with this. Is this a prank?” (Horse Manure)

Café Terrace:

“Welcome, what would you like to have today? You can rest assure I can handle the preparations.” (On Duty Quote)

Arena:

Introduction;

“I won’t go lightly.”

“Up against me? Very well.”

“Careful, I may cause quite a spark.”

Win;

“May I return to my sewing, now?”

Loss;

“I should have been sharper…”

Wake-Up Events

C1:

“Good thing I know how to tip-toe into a room, I won’t scare you awake, Divine One. Hm, where should I sit and wait? ”

“Awake, Divine One? I hope you slept well. How did I get in without a sound? Oh don’t worry about it…perhaps it is a hidden talent of mine.”

“O-Oh my! I must be out of shape. Sorry to wake you so early…apologies, Divine One!” (Waking Early)

C2:

“Why would they send anyone in, especially me? This army is too trusting…I could be an assassin in disguise and I simply waltz into the Divine One’s room? How daft.”

“I suppose it is rather nice they would trust me though…hm? Divine One? Oh you’re awake, apologies, I hope my drivel wasn’t the reason that woke you up.” 

“O-Oh Divine One! Hello! I will try to be more silent next time…apologies.” (Waking Early)

B1:

“ (Humming). ‘Sleep soundly, oh bright one, let the stars watch over you, sound asleep, careful and ever so calm…’”

“Hello Divine One, welcome back from the land of sleep, I hope you slept well. What was I humming? A small lullaby I used to sing to my younger brothers when they were smaller. You liked it? Well, I suppose I can sing it again next time I come to wake you.”

“Oh, was I singing too loudly? Apologies, Divine One…I was singing a lullaby I usually sang to my brothers to help them sleep. I hope you didn’t mind it.” (Waking Early)

B2:

“I hope the Divine One doesn’t mind me bringing in a blanket I sewed…will [she/he] like it? Maybe it’s too much…what if they hate it?” 

“Divine One! Hello, I was wondering if you get cold while you sleep. Please, take this, I created it for you especially in mind. Oh, you like it? What a relief.”

“A-Ah Divine One! Good morrow! This? O-Oh it’s nothing. I simply came to wake you up, aha. Hup to it! Let’s start your wonderful day, shall we?” (Waking Early)

A1:

“And I find myself here, without any orders or ask from the others. I simply wanted to sit idly by your side as you rest, Divine One. Your sleeping face brings me calm…just like back at home, when I looked over my little brothers’ sleeping faces.”

“Awake, Divine One? I hope you had pleasant dreams…hm? Why am I smiling? Obviously because of you, Divine One.”

“Divine One, oh my, I didn’t mean to wake you up earlier than usual! I hope I can return here to watch your sleeping gaze soon.” (Waking Early)

A2:

“I am glad to be here again…I suppose not sleeping at night has its perk. I get to see you before you awaken Divine One.”

“Hello Divine One. Ready to start the day? Take my hand, I will help you up on your feet, Divine One.” 

“Aw…you’re awake. No, no, I don’t mean it in a bad way…apologies, I was just enjoying the view selfishly. Come on then, let us start our day, shall we?.” (Waking Early)

[dorktastic-n7]

Okay but what about a story where the prophecy states that an evil with a specific identifiable thing (purple eyes, a birthmark, a sudden flash in the shy, a comet) will rise at a certain time and be vanquished by the purest of good. A young girl is born with the marking or under a blood moon or whatever. She is raised her whole life to believe that one day she will be slain by a knight on a white horse or a group of teenagers whose friendship is strong enough to defeat her or whatever. She KNOWS the prophecy is true, others have been fulfilled in her lifetime so why should this one be any different? After all, she took her first life before her eyes ever opened. But she doesn’t feel evil, not really, just cursed.

Her own father confines her to the castle, as far away from him as possible. The little Princess looks too much like her mother. She is a well behaved child who loves animals, especially her horse. She plays with the servants children, the other nobles have shunned her, and they scoff at the prophecy. She is kind and considerate of people’s feelings. She is no where near the evil people described.

Now a teenager, those same childhood friends shun her as well. Leaving her alone under the burden of her fate. She makes friends with the birds and a stray mother cat and her kittens. She has servants and advisers, but they barely look her in the eye. Too many other prophecies have been fulfilled now, too many fires and floods. Why wouldn’t they believe the one about the sad, lonely, evil princess?

As a young adult, she is thrust into the spotlight. Her parents are both gone now and she is crowned queen. The words “Evil Queen” and “doomed” are whispered too loudly as she haunts the hallways of the castle. She tried her best to be fair to her people, even as they cower in her presence or scoff at her judgements. Her oldest adviser has left her service, rumors soon spread that she killed her own father to become Queen. After all, she killed her mother at birth. Why not her father?

One day, she is holding court. A farmer is upset about his cattle going missing. Another is accusing the local witch of burning down his barn. More and more stories she’s heard before but when one is alone so often they have time to think. Overthink really. All these problems are happening at the fringes of her kingdom, almost as if it’s being tested. She calls in her knights and tells them to protect the border towns. The people whisper of war, that their “Evil” Queen is no longer content with ruling one kingdom. Surely someone will rise soon to destroy the evil as prophesied.

The Queen’s fears are confirmed. (a neighboring kingdom, a rebel group, or even a dragon). Either way something is causing destruction in her kingdom and she will put a stop to it before lives are lost, innocent or not. Her knights question it but none dare voice their apprehension when the “Evil” Queen dons her armor and marches with them against the threat.

The people of the kingdom are confused. The prophecy said the evil queen was well, evil. But her she lies, in her funeral dress surrounded by flowers. A single rose clutched at her chest, covering the mortal wound. She sacrificed herself to protect the kingdom, to save the people in it. The same people who vilified her, who whispered behind her back. The threat claimed more lives than the Queen’s, family’s lose children, siblings, parents, grandchildren. But they all say the same thing, they died in service of the kingdom and her Holy Queen.

@ge-ge-ge-ge-genifer made me do it