#badass young royals

[raincitygirl76]

I know Felice is the undisputed queen of Young Royals. But Madison is definitely a warrior princess!

Nathalie Varli as Madison McCoy | Season 1

[young-royals-confessions]

Are there any fics in which Simon is turned on by Wille's revenge tirade against August in S2? Cause I think we all agree him getting back at August for everything the way he did, all confident and authoritative was so hot! So a fic with Simon's thoughts/reaction to it would be so nice!

[the-words-we-sung]

The last post I reblogged made me think about Wilhelm and Simon and how we('re supposed to) perceive them! I've started another rewatch while taking notes this time and in the first episode, we can see Simon's keyring :

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think it's the only time we see it? And I love it so much, it encapsulates so much of Simon to me : a little rebel at heart! He may be wearing a nice uniform, being polite and singing like an angel, he stills says a big fuck you to the system. To the school? The monarchy? The elite and the bullies? I love that shot. And I think people shouldn't underestimate how angry and badass Simon can be ^^ (I actually have a lot to say on this subject but I wanna rewatch a few more episodes first!!)

I also love that we have that shot earlier in the episode :

In contrast to the "fuck you" of Simon is Wilhelm being stuck and forced to follow "good manners and etiquette"...

[dyinggoosenoises]

the way wille breaks the fourth wall and stares into the camera my beloved <3

[hexlenx]

And second request!(well technically third but still, hhihihi-) Once more, army badass aloof fem reader but this time attending the ball where Vronsky meets Anna. She dances with Anna and is slightly interested in her, but Anna of course is interested in Vronsky, only for surprise surprises, Vronsky is interested in the reader! All of this of course still being a reader x Vronsky if it makes sense, i just found the idea a bit silly if the reader is mainly army oriented and rarely enjoys herself such as attending balls and Vronsky finds this as a perfect opportunity to attempt to spend more time with her under the guise of simple officers chatting together while of course he puts on his best charm, only for her to be already dancing with Anna. Bonus points if reader ends up introducing Anna to Vronsky or something. Also reader slightly oblivious. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long to post, love. I was trying to fit the scenes together because I wanted the image(how the scenes look in the imagination as well as the emotion in the words.) to look good together. It was a challenge because we all know that Vronsky is a very strong character and Anna is also a complicated person to write about in my words because she gets carried away by her emotions often, right? I do hope you like this one and I'm really grateful that you trust me in making your ideas come true with writing!! Make more requests if you have any more ideas you'd like me to write about, I love a challenge!

MY GAZE IS FIXED ON YOU AND ONLY YOU — alexei vronsky

note: as usual I do not own any of the characters and the plot is from our lovely requestor @petalsbloom ! I am only the writer for their amazing ideas!

warnings!: none other than alexei being hot fr.

__________________

You have always hated parties, specifically balls. You just didn't understand why they should hold a type of party like this just to dance and mingle with the nobles. It was deemed unnecessary for you, well perhaps it's because you are a general that you have no such need for something like this.

Being a general has its perks, having connections already made from the army, even with the most notorious noble House of Russia, the Dukedom. It made you feared, admired, wanted and most of all, powerful. It is no surprise that you wanted that power, though you remained humble and modest about it. Power is a big responsibility and you wanted it, now that you have it, you are satisfied.

At least until your gaze was swept away by something you've never thought would leave you unsatisfied with your standing.

The ballroom was filled with the voices of nobles and soldiers alike who wanted to create connections as well as to mingle for the night. You were beside a pillar to the east side of the room, standing quietly as you leaned against the pillar with a wine in hand.

Unlike the young noble ladies in the ball, you were wearing a formal dress that looked like what the men were wearing. Navy robes that look that of a royal, fitted pants with the same air of colors and golden buttons as well as accents to finish the beautiful and manly outfit that fitted your curves. It is not ideal for a woman in the society but they cannot deny you looked devilishly good looking. Your hair, though, was in a low ponytail to fit your look and your face naturally free from makeup as you looked beautifully without it.

You were bored, very bored. It was your first time in attending a ball as you've rejected it multiple times before becoming curious onto seeing what it felt like being in one. Your curiosity killed you, with boredom.

You sipped on the cold wine in your hand as you looked around in a daze, you were looking for a time to escape but something passed by your sight, causing you to follow it.

A woman, beautiful, enticing and seductive walked from your sight. She was dressed in a black gown, contrasting the bright colors around you. It hugged her figure, curves highlighted from the corset tied against her waist, shoulders peeked out with no dress sleeves making you see her shoulder blades from the back, it enticed you, intrigued you.

Your eyes followed her figure as you sipped from your wine once again, not daring to look away, afraid that you will lose sight of her when you do. The woman stopped in front of the Princess of the night, Princess Kitty, the one debuting along with other noble ladies. She seemed to be close with the princess and pushed said princess lightly towards a man dressed in white that fitted his figure nicely. It was Count Vronsky, a fellow general in the army.

But you had your gaze fixed on the woman who caught your interest to even notice the intense gaze of a pair of ocean blue eyes that belonged to a certain Count.

The moment the Princess went to dance with the Count who seemed to be a bit in disdain as he elegantly moved the practiced choreo for the ball, you began your way to the woman who watched by the entrance of the ball. She was watching the pair in a bit of sadness, wishing it was her dancing with the man, not that you knew.

Clearing your throat the moment you were beside her, you took her hand and kissed the back of it while putting your gaze onto hers intensely, not pulling away for a second when she finally noticed you. The gaze of yours made her flustered but her mind was reminded of a certain ocean eyed man's gaze when you did the action.

"May I have this dance, M'lady?" You uttered out to her in a husky manner as you were entranced by her beauty. Not trusting her voice, the woman nodded and with that you swept her away from the entrance and into the ballroom.

To you, it felt like a dream, it felt like it was only the two of you dancing in the middle of an empty ballroom. Something you have never felt before and it made you feel warmth, your heartbeat steadily beating faster than normal as you lifted the enticing woman up before slowly letting her down. Eyes locking intensely as your chests were held closely together, faces inches away, lips almost locking as you stared into her dark brown eyes. It was a fantasy come true that you didn't even dream of having.

But sadly without you noticing, the woman was only looking at a certain Count dancing with the Princess who looked heartbroken when she saw the gazes of her partner and yours locking as if in a trance. What the princess didn't know was that, the Count wasn't looking at her friend, but on you. He was clenching his teeth behind his closed jaw, jealousy running through his veins as he saw how closely you were with the woman.

How he hated you being with someone else entirely from him.

Alexei didn't really want to attend this ball as he'd rather be in his home or perhaps with you, if he found you. That is until he heard from a colleague of his that you were attending the debutante ball for the Princess. That's how he ended up talking with the other generals in one spot of the room. His ears listening to the chatter but his mind and eyes going elsewhere, he was trying to find you.

Taking a sip from his drink, he bid the men goodbye before walking around the sides of the room to find where you are. Nodding towards other nobles who greeted him, shaking hands with the men, he was annoyed but he didn't show it on his face as he smiled politely towards the people who blocked his path now and then.

A flash of navy from the other side of the room caught his eye and he saw you, walking like the queen you are, his eyes taking in your appearance, the curves highlighted by your fitted outfit, the way it hugged your waist, your hips swaying as you walked and—Alexei bit his lip to stop himself from groaning in such a public setting, his eyes settled down onto your thighs that seemed too thick for the tight pants you wore. He always had a thing for those but only for you.

He saw you walking towards the entrance where a woman in black and the Princess were busy talking to each other. He quickly moved his feet towards the location, stopping only a couple of meters away from the Princess before he got called by said Princess, who turned around when the woman in black tilted her head towards behind her.

"Oh, Count Vronsky! How is your night?" Princess Kitty greeted the blond man who clicked his tongue silently from being interrupted. He masked his disdain and proceeded to take the Princess' hand and kissed the back of it to show respect. It was obvious that this young woman wanted him to court her and he couldn't reject her in front of a large audience as she was a Princess, disrespecting her right now would mean treason for the Royals.

"Your Highness, you look lovely today and I quite enjoy the bustle of today's ball with you as the center of it." He compliments the Princess who was oblivious to the sarcasm in his words, not that it was obvious but his eyes held that word as it crinkled in irritation but it looked as if he was flirting with the young Princess.

Years of practice, I suppose.

Knowing what this would lead to, he offered a dance for the Princess who joyfully accepted his proposal thinking he was interested in her, which sadly he was not. His eyes locked briefly with the woman behind her before sweeping across the floor with the Princess.

Throughout the dance, he was bored and irritated but his mask was perfectly worn as the Princess successfully remained oblivious to such disdain. The dance was about to end and he was planning on asking you to a dance after.

But as he moved his finishing steps, he saw you, with a woman, the one the Princess was talking to, the woman who wore a black dress that contrasted the bright colors of the gowns around them, that woman.

Jealousy build up in his veins as he slowly came to stop as he watched the both of you. The way you looked at woman made his eye twitch in anger, it should be him. It should only be him.

As he kept watching, he didn't notice that he stopped dancing and the Princess looking heartbroken by the sight in front of her. She didn't know that he was looking at you as your back was turned against her and she could only see her friend, Anna Karenina. Jealousy and sadness filled her as she looked back and forth from Alexei to Anna, it looked like they were both entranced with each other but in truth, Alexei had his gaze stuck on the female general's back.

Breathing in heavily, Kitty slowly walked away from the Count who didn't even notice her. This just proved that he will never belong to her, not when his gaze was filled with admiration and infatuation on another woman that is not her.

Alexei continued to watch you dance with that woman, jaw clenching in disdain. You looked like you were in a daze and when you and your partner finished the dance with your bodies so close to each other, he snapped and walked away.

You didn't notice it as your gaze was fixed on the woman in front of you who smiled at you after thanking you for the dance before walking away to the same direction Alexei went. As you stood in the middle of the ballroom you thought.

I'm going to make her mine, just you wait.

But what you didn't know was that a certain Count thought of the same thing but his declaration was not directed towards the woman in black, but to you.

[momo-minomo]

Fic Fairy Friday: Batfam Valentines Special

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I wanted to post this earlier today but I'm sick and now it's the very END of Valentines Day but it's the thought that counts, right? Here are a nice handful of ships for Tim, Jason, and Bruce. Enjoy!

The Fic Fairy Friday Masterpost

Tim Ships

(TimKon) under the small fire of winter stars by merils

Summary:

In winter, Metropolis gets an average of nine hours of sunlight daily. In the aftermath of a fight with Metallo, Kon is so exhausted he forgets about date night. Tim doesn't seem particularly upset about it, though. OR: "Why Doting On Your Solar-Powered Boyfriend Who Needs To Photosynthesize More Is A Totally Acceptable Date Night Activity": a treatise by Tim Drake.

(TimKon) all the quiet nights you bear by merils

Summary:

Kon has a rough day. Tim is determined to take care of him. After all, he didn't memorize all the variations of Kon's curl routine for nothing, now, did he?

Momo's Notes: This two fics by merils are an indulgence I couldn't resist including. I have a huge weak spot for lovers just taking care of each other on a hard day and they are adorable.

(TimKon) midnight sun by merils

Summary: Who would win: four men with guns who just happened to get Red Robin to walk into a trap, or one royally-pissed Kryptonian juggernaut? Yeah, it's not even a contest.

Momo's Notes: Yep! Another one by merils! I couldn't help myself! Tim is a certified badass who's absolutely terrifying and all of the bats are the most dangerous mofos in the room on any hero team but they aren't invincible. Sometimes they get in over the heads or just get unlucky. So having a bat in trouble and it making one of the Supers go absolutely feral? Swoonworthy!

(TimKon) Nicknames by MieczyslawS

Summary:

He scrubbed at his face, letting the soft wool pull him out of his brain funk, he sighed and mentally prepared himself to stare at the stalagmites until Bart and Superboy woke up. “Rob?” Tim spun around to see Superboy standing in the doorway, “ya alright?” he mumbled, blinking sluggishly. Tim, Kon and their nicknames over the years.

Momo's Notes: I'm a comics nerd so seeing little snapshots of Tim and Kon's relationship over the years from early Young Justice onward as they slowly grow closer? Love it!

(TimKon) daylight by dreamrecurrentdreams

Summary:

Seeing Tim again was confirmation of how much he’d liked hearing his name in Tim’s mouth, the way Tim’s pretty, pink lips shape around Kon, how he imbues it with so much emotion each time. Kon’s heard him say it every which way. At the start, when things were rocky, it was Superboy laced with frustration, ground under Tim’s gritted teeth, seconds from snapping because he had Tim at his wits’ end. Then, over time, it became Conner , falling out of Tim’s mouth naturally, seamless like their teamwork as they fought side by side through thick and thin. Kon, rounded with unshakable trust from the third Robin, a cynic trained to never let down his guard by Batman himself. Kon , impossibly soft with fondness from a boy with sharp eyes and pointy elbows. Kon wants Tim to keep calling his name, in other ways too. He wants.

Momo's Notes: Daylight feels like the perfect companion piece to Nicknames. And this one has a little spiciness at the end lol

(TimBerKon) a study by bernard dowd by cv_angels

Summary: Bernard opens the laptop, spinning it to face Tim with a flourish. It’s a powerpoint with a truly hideous red background, and Tim feels a moment of relief that Bernard isn’t breaking up with him before he registers the words on the slide.REASONS WHY TIMOTHY DRAKE-WAYNE IS A SUPERHERO, A STUDY BY BERNARD DOWD. - Based on my post on tumblr: "I’m obsessed with the idea that Bernard like. Figures out that Tim is a superhero but guesses the wrong one. Like he compiles all this evidence and makes a PowerPoint and presents it to Tim and is like “Tim. I figured it out. You’re Impulse.”"

Momo's Notes: I had to add a TimBerKon fic on here! There's just something adorable about Kon lamenting he missed his chance for the love of his life and Bernard being quick to jump on the "Tim has two hands" bandwagon!

Jason Ships

(Jason Todd/Tonystark/Bucky Barnes) Do Every Stupid Thing by thepartyresponsible Summary:

Jason doesn’t mean for the Winter Soldier to be a present for Tony Stark. The youngest Stark isn’t supposed to be involved at all. The plan is simple: intervene before the Winter Soldier can murder Howard and Maria, tranq the Winter Soldier until he’s sufficiently incapacitated, and then drag him off for further study and let the Starks carry on with their fraught, bourgeoisie bullshit.

Momo's Notes: This is a crossover but it's so damn good I had to include it. Basically while seeking answers about his own resurrection, Jason ends up accidentally falling in love with a feisty young Tony Stark and the Winter fucking Soldier. The series follows their relationship as Jason accidentally adopts first them, then Coulson and a teenaged Clint Barton, and later a teenaged Natasha as well. The alternating camaraderie and friction between The Batfamily and Jason's SHIELD team/found family is interesting and the side pairing of Clint and Tim being awkward flirty teenagers at each other while Jason is disgusted by how sweet they are is adorable.

(JayRoy) If your real dad isn't present store bought is fine by Here_we_go

Summary:

“Daddy!” the voice screams and suddenly something collides with Jason’s legs. He looks down, it’s a child, black hair, brown eyes, tiny little overalls and a tiny little backpack. She’s clinging to his legs and she’s definitely talking to him. What the shit? “See?" She shouts pointing, "My daddy's here now and he's going to fuck you up!" Jason looks up and sees a grown man, now stopped in his tracks, clearly having been following the girl. Jason doesn’t know what the fuck is going on here, but he doesn’t like it one fucking bit. - Jason goes to Star City to rub out a gang that's been getting too cocky back in Gotham. Things don't quite go according to plan. For JayRoy week day 2: Fatherhood/Family Dinner

Momo's Notes: This is a short little meet cute without a lot of romance but I'm including it because all love starts somewhere and these three are such an adorable family unit. I plan to do a full rec list for them of some point. Lian is so clever and feisty she runs circles around everyone. I love her. That goon better thank his lucky stars that Jason won't kill in front of a kid because he 100% he had it coming.

Bruce Ships

(BatCat) We, So Much Older by LemonadeGarden

Summary:

Selina Kyle doesn't particularly like children. They're too noisy and stupid and they cry way too much. Bruce's kids though, they're something else altogether.

Momo's Notes: This one is really cute. Despite her protests about not being mother material, Selena only ever falls in love with Bruce in this fic because he's a good dad. Bruce's emotional walls and facades are good enough that, at first, she can only see the best parts of Bruce when he's with his kids. And as time goes on, they bring out the best in her for Bruce to marvel at, as well.

(SuperBat) On the Way Down by TimmyJaybird

Summary:

A series of uninvited guests finally get Clark to confront Bruce about all the feelings he's harbored for years.

Momo's Notes: This fic and the Selena one both show my weakness for Bruce's kids interfering in their dad's love life because he's too emotionally stunted to do it himself lol. Poor Clark is doomed to have spooky ninja kids show up to fix things when Bruce is too busy wallowing in his own man-pain to be a functional adult about his relationships. I also love the respectful way fandom treats Lois in SuperBat fics.

(SuperBat) Loading and Aspect Ratio by JUBE514

Summary:

So, it didn’t start out like this. Alfred would scoff at the statement, about how Bruce was trying to justify the whole situation to himself. It had started out as a simple design, black everything with black outlines and black hood. It got a little more intense as the world went on, got wind of his ghost on the streets, and became scared of The Bat . So Bruce got a little more creative with it, Alfred and him had a good laugh over the name, the scare, and Alfred had a vicious streak of humor that he had passed onto his ward- So now the suit had a visible bat-theme, an insignia to drape in the shadows and to paint across the streets of Gotham. It only took a year into the whole charade of heroism for Bruce to overhear a conversation between some goons- some low level thug hired by the Riddler this week- about nothing at all pertaining to what the hell the Riddler was doing in the sewers but instead: “ The Batman can fly, you know, I’ve seen his wings.” -- A world where nobody has wings, but people think they do, and that changes everything.

Momo's Notes: There are no words for how much I love this fic. I've re-read it dozens of times. In year one of being Batman he gets the idea from some goons' chatter to add wings to the Batsuit but it's only when Dick joins him that he makes them fully functional AS wings rather than an Bruce being unable to help himself from being as dramatic as possible while committing to the bit. The SuperBat content is slowburn and I freaking love how into Bruce Clark is. It's like Bruce is a walking, talking kink button specifically built for Clark and his pov has these delicious little inhuman things sprinkled in like he can smell the leather of the suits and the dye on their wings from across the room. There's also a lot of amazing Batfam stuff with good dad!Bruce and Dick, Jason, and Tim being thick as thieves. Just as a warning, though, there is one pet peeve about this fic and it's that the author misspells Lois' name as Louis every time and never fixed it. It's minor, tho, and Lois isn't on screen very often.

(SuperBat) Clark Kent and his Robins (and his favorite Bat) by Zell_Hatoule

Summary:

Due to shenanigans that Clark cannot possibly comprehend, let alone understand, Bruce has somehow talked him into being Batman for a week. And then it keeps happening. Or. How Clark Kent and Batman choose to protect what they love.

Momo's Notes: Bruce and Clark balance each other out beautifully in this. They keep each other honest, remind each other to keep being men under the symbols, master tag team parenting, and there's playfulness between them that you don't often get to see in a Bruce pairing. This is a softer universe than our regular canon since here Bruce and Clark don't allow the job to take over their lives. They're heroes but they're fathers and lovers first and that makes all the difference to each other, to the Robins, and to certain multi-verse refugees who deserved better than what they got in their own elseworld AU.

[john-get-the-salt]

No one (w/bejicot blackwood)

Imagine: After a chance meeting with a Blackwood, you realize the Riverlands may indeed have potential

Contains: Technically fancast but idc who they say this man below is, he's my beniji okay LOOK AT HIM. Reader is half Targaryen and badass cause i said so. Also a Dragon that i made up because thats the beauty of fanfic. Gender neutral terminology as much as possible

Warnings: none

(p.s. potential for part 2? Of reader and benji at dragon stone? lemme know?)

Bastard

Disgrace

Unworthy

All words you’d been hearing since the day you were born. A bastard child of the late King Viserys, you born from a hasty decision made while he was in the throws of grief after his wife-the queen-died. A mistake.

You never knew your biological mother, only knew the gifts she'd left you-her common colored eyes and a loyalty as fierce as a dragon. You also knew that she had died giving birth to you. It wasn’t uncommon for Targaryen woman to die giving birth, nevermind those of common blood. As your father told it she never stood a chance. But your father, for all intents and purposes, was a good man. Despite the disgrace others found you, he treated you like kin.

You were, after all, half of him.

With time you learned to ignore the judgments of strangers. Even though your white hair showed off your Targaryen blood, there were many who still challenged your lineage. But even the most vocal of your haters fell silent when you claimed a dragon in your 12th year.

Despite it all, your father loved you. And his first born was no different.

Rhaenyra adored you, her brave little sibling. She missed her mother, but found you healing a portion of her heart. She helped her father raise you, and as you bloomed into a young adult you two remained thick as thieves. She was relieved to have someone to help shoulder the burden when your father eventually passed. Evil had crept into the kingdom in the form of the Hightowers, and on more than one occasion they had tried to poison your mind against your sister and her birthright. But it was useless. Family and honor were more important than anything, and so you stood proudly by your sister-the rightful Queen.

This all, of course, led you to where you sat now.

You were on a tour orchestrated by the high counsel, rallying men for Rhaenyra and keeping morale high. Unease had grown in some of the outer lands, and word was spreading that some doubted the royals allegiance to the people. Your task, as the counsel worded it, was to meet with the people and show that the royal family did care for them, would stand with them and not behind them.

Though honestly right now, you didn’t want to stand anywhere near them.

“Ser Lorent, what are we at now?”

“That was the 21st.”

“Surely not!”

“Perhaps not…..I stopped counting after the 13th.”

You blew air from your lips, crossing your arms. The current stop was in the Riverlands. It was a beautiful part of the world with it's rolling hills and greenery. Not that you were enjoying it, trapped in a stifling hot court room listening to queries and declarations and questions. That in itself wasn’t the problem, you were always happy to speak with the people. The problem was the topics in question.

“Surely none of those 21 thought I would actually accept their hand? I’m here to discuss war, not marriage!”

“I can’t say for certain. Though the last few you turned down did seem a bit spooked.”

You humphed. “Good. Maybe it will scare off any others feeling brave. I’d sooner let Bryaxis eat me then become an obedient spouse for some fool to order around.”

“Easy,” Ser Lorent warned, acutely aware the two of you still had an audience.

“I need a break,” you announced, pushing yourself up from your chair. “I find myself quite parched and warm, might we take a break for me to collect myself before we continue?”

The lords hosting for the day nodded, dismissing their people from the courtroom for the afternoon.

You turned to your knight. “I’m going for a walk. I need some fresh air.”

“I must insister I accompany you.”

"I'll be fine, Ser."

"Have you got your sword?"

You patted your back where your trusty blade lay sheathed down your spine. "When do i not?"

The knight sighed. "I feel I'm going to regret this. Won’t you take your dragon?”

"You worry too much, and Bryaxis would bring the attention I'm looking to avoid. I'll be back in an hours time after I’ve had a break from this stifling place."

Before the man could change his mind you were slipping from the room and following a maids directions to the outside gardens.

The moment you were free of the stuffy stone building you took a deep breath of fresh air. While still hot outside, there was at least a slight breeze giving you relief. Hoping to avoid detection you pulled your hood up, then you were off. You strolled the lands belonging to the lords hosting, sprawling and filled with foliage and wildlife. You managed to avoid anyone else, getting the peace and quiet you so desperately craved. At least, until you hit the peak of a hill and then began descending it.

Up ahead, there was what you guessed to be a training area. Dummies made of various materials stood haphazardly propped up. You walked closer, curious. As you drew near you realized there was someone there. A young strapping man with dark hair was training with his sword. He stood amongst the dummies, weaving around while he struck them with his blade.

You watched him in awe for a few minutes. He sword struck with such force, yet his movements were smooth and fluid. He moved like it was second nature to have a blade in hand, like it was an extension of his arm. Considering how many great warriors you'd witness train, he was impressive.

The stranger paused for a moment to catch his breath, and that’s when he finally noticed his admirer. Realizing you'd been caught, you walked forward to the edge of the training yard.

"I hope I didn't startle you. I was just observing. You have a way with the blade, my lord."

The man's eyes had widened more and more the closer you got, and his cheeks flushed at the compliment.

"You flatter me. I was just training, fooling around. It's nothing-"

"Nonsense. I know good technique when I see it."

His face grew a cherry red, and a beat of silence hung between you two. You were moments away from excusing yourself and returning to the court and Ser Lorent when the man spoke again. He'd taken a beat to compose himself, and his complexion had returned to it's natural color.

"Forgive me. I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Are you new to the riverlands?"

You froze in place, eyes wide. The man before you had no idea who you were. You didn’t have the signature purple eyes, and your giveaway white hair was tucked back into your hood. The shock quickly weared off and the new realization left you pleased. This was a welcome change, one you would be taking advantage of. You finally blinked again, relaxing your stance.

“I’m no one. Just passing through when I was overcome with the need for fresh air and a walk. My apologies for interrupting, lord...?”

“No apology needed. And I am not a lord, that would be-"

You waved the formality away and his words died on his tongue. "All the lady and lord nonsense never made much sense to me. I much prefer names."

And so you two swapped introductions. Though you realized, just a beat after he gave you his, that your name would almost undoubtfully give you away. So you gave the name of one of your own ladies in waiting.

And this man, this handsome man, was Benjicot Blackwood.

"The Blackwoods are fierce fighters, or so I've heard. From the looks of you before I interrupted the rumors are true."

Benji blushed, though you could have sworn his chest puffed out a bit at the compliment. You struggled to hold in a laugh at the observation.

"We take our training very seriously."

"And you fight for the Blacks?" You asked carefully, keeping your face and tone neutral.

"Aye, for the true queen Rhaenyra. And proud of it."

A real smile blossomed on your face, and Benji relaxed his shoulders in relief.

"It pleases me to hear so."

Then it was your turn to blush as Benji shot you a stunning smile. Desperate to turn the subject, you asked something you'd been dying to know since you first laid eyes on him.

"Would you indulge me in sharing how you did that one move with your sword and the spin?"

"Pardon?"

"When you lifted your sword like this and then went-" you did a poor attempt to demonstrate the move.

"Ah, this?" Benji repeated it, so fast that all you could make out was him tossing his sword into the air and then spinning around fast enough to catch it again before it could fall.

Your face lit up. "Yes, that!"

"Sure-do you-are you familiar with swordsmanship?"

You tried to ignore how cute you found his stumbling and instead nodded. You reached over your shoulder and pulled out Night Cleaver. A gift from Daemon, it was one of your most prized possessions.

"My family and I train sometimes. I'm still learning, but I've never seen that move you did. Could you try to teach me?"

"Are you sure?"

You rasied an eyebrow and Benji rushed to continue, "I just mean-in your attire. Can you move around in it well enough? I dont want you to trip or strain yourself.”

“I’ve trained in almost every sort of clothing, including nothing. I’ll be alright.”

Benji gulped, trying to keep his brain from imagining you swinging a sword around naked.

“Are you alright?” You asked as the man had gone beet red again and was very obviously avoiding your eyes.

He nodded furiously and you couldn’t help but find him entirely adorable in that moment. “Sorry for an unwanted imagery that may have brought up. But I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t my intention.”

Benji’s flustered expression morphed into one of disbelief.

“You’re a little flirt, aren’t you?”

You merely smiled and batted your eyelashes.

He shook his head, though a smirk was growing on his face. Gods he was attractive.

“So, first you want to plant your feet like this…”

As the time passed after that you could barely feel it, fully absorbed in the man in front of you and what he was teaching. Hours could’ve flown by and you’d be none the wiser.

He was good, any form of shyness vanishing as he patiently and kindly taught you how to replicate his impressive move. In the meanwhile you two bantered, swapping bits of information about yourselves. You changed names when needed, but otherwise kept honest. The move was hard, and even with your above average skills you struggled.

"Here, may I?"

You nodded, and Benji took a few steps closer. The two of you had remained a few feet apart for the entirety of the interaction, until now. Now he was within breathing room as he rested one hand oh so carefully on your wrist and the other on the small of your back to turn you the right direction. He smelled of sweat and leather and faintly of rain soaked stone. You couldnt help but bask in it, as the everlasting time seemed to slow and you both met eyes and leaned in-

A roar bellowed through the skies, causing both of you to freeze and look up. Any panic you felt evaporated at the sight of familiar black wings soaring through the skies, and you smiled as Bryaxis sped up once he caught sight of you.

Meanwhile Benjicot had gone pale, and was internally panicking at the large creature careening towards you. He grabbed your waist and tucked you behind himself while he raised his sword. He wasn’t foolish enough to think he could take on a dragon, but he was crazy enough to try.

“Stay behind me!”

“Wait, Benji-“

You were interrupted by Bryaxis letting loose another roar, angry at the sight of someone he didn't recognize touching you. He grew closer, and as he gave his wings once final flap he was hitting the ground with a deafening boom. The moment he landed you broke out of Benji’s grasp.

“Wait!” He shouted, but you didn’t stop. You ran to your dragon, who was already opening his mouth and preparing to burn Benji alive.

“Bryaxis! Don’t!”

He halted, mouth still wide open and showing off his rows of razor sharp teeth.

By time you reached his side, your hood had fallen from your head.

“He’s a friend. No need to burn.”

Bryaxis gave a little whine through his nose but closes his mouth and laid his head down in front of you. You sighed in relief, and rested your hand on his snout.

“Good boy, Bry.”

He shut his eyes and purred at the attention. He was really a softie at heart

“What in the bloody hell?”

Bryaxis’ eyes snapped back open and narrowed at the man behind you that you’d nearly forgotten about.

“Easy boy,” you warned him, keeping a hand on his nose while you turned to meet Benji’s wide eyes.

“You….you’re a Targaryen.”

The wind picked up a bit, blowing your now revealed white hair around you.

“Yes. This is Bryaxis. And I’m-“

“The princess.”

Your face warmed. “I….apologize for not being totally honest, Benji.”

His eyes remained wide, unbelieving. Then he suddenly dropped to one knee, bowing deeply.

“My apologies Princess, I meant no ill with any of my comments I-“

“Benji,” you stepped away from your dragon to reach for him, pulling him back to his full height tall above you. “Stop that. I didn’t say anything because I enjoyed being known as commonfolk. I…didn’t want you to desire my company just because of my family, because of who I am. It felt nice that you seemed to like me for me. As ridiculous as that may sound.”

Far from your usual confident self, your voice swayed and hands trembled as you tried to express yourself properly. You were fearful that this thing between you was destroyed before it even had the chance to become something.

“Not ridiculous at all,” Benji said softly, hesitating for a moment before he brought his hands to your face. He moved slowly, giving you time to pull away. But you didn’t. You let him hold your face so softly, thumbs brushing over your cheeks. His heart broke a bit at the thought that you had to lie just to be treated as a normal human being.

“I understand why you were cautious, that’s smart of you. I could have been a danger, I could have been a threat.”

“Well…you were quite threatening to those dummies.”

Benji laughed at that, loud and full and careless.

“If I promise to be honest from here on out….would you consider seeing me again before I take my leave from the Riverlands? After all, I still haven’t quite mastered the sword spin trick of yours.”

“Are you sure? To quote a fine lady….I’m no one.”

“That’s not true. You’re someone.”

Benji hummed, giving you a soft sort of smile as he studied your face before answering.

"Same time tomorrow? I’ll bring lunch.”

[randomjreader]

I HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD ON, HAVE Y'ALL HEARD THE BOTH OF THEM SPEAK ENGLISH??? THEIR ACCENTS BROOOO

Tell me someone sees it TELL ME IM NOT THE ONLY ONE

[professorsparklepants]

i know its been 7 years but im honestly so invested in the zuko aang swap au, how was avatar zuko before entering the ice? who was the avatar before him? is he disgraced brother to firelord azulon? how does azula feel about trying to kill her own great uncle?

okay here's what i have for avatar zuko's backstory...!

i'm mucking around in timelines because the avatar Zuko fics i saw before had several avatars die in quick succession to go from Roku -> Zuko which never made a lot of sense to me. instead we're just going straight from Kyoshi to Zuko. she can live a couple extra decades, she's already like 200.

it also doesn't make sense to me to have Zuko be royalty, because that seems like a MAJOR conflict of interest for someone who's literally born to balance global politics, which whatever mystical force decides the next avatar would want to avoid! (that's not even getting into the possibility of an avatar becoming head of state. yikes.) so instead i'm giving him Roku's backstory to make him a close friend of a fire nation royal, in this case prince Azulon since i want him to be a little older than Aang when he's frozen in ice.

Roku in this universe is actually Zuko's father. he's a close friend and ally of Sozin, which is why Zuko is a playmate of his from a young age. i think i have him as a naval officer for plot reasons.

Zuko's mother on the other hand is a complete oc! her name is Hoa Sen, and she's a complete badass. she's not a bender, but she is a legendary swordsmaster who in her youth once sparred with Avatar Kyoshi and forced her to use all four elements before Kyoshi finally defeated her. this is the reason Zuko knows swords and bending; no son of Hoa Sen is going to grow up without a sword in his hand 😤

Hoa Sen is actually kind of estranged from her husband due to a major disagreement about his current political career. she lives in a house on ember island.

he also has a little sister. since roku's wife here is an oc i'm gonna steal his og wife's name, so she's Ta Minh. she's not a bender. she and Zuko were close as children, but grew apart since she lives with their mom. we'll get back to her later.

Zuko's animal guide is a dragon named Druk, as per Zuko's canon dragon. he is not particularly bright and likes to cause problems on purpose. every plot line from the original show that happens because Aang is lost or wants to ride giant animals is replaced with Druk deciding this is the perfect time to Cause Problems On Purpose.

Azulon is Zuko's oldest friend. i think Azulon has other friends and while Zuko is in their group he's not particularly close to them thanks to his whole [gestures at canon Zuko]. you know. the autism. so they're still very close.

i think also the REASON Zuko was chosen as a childhood playmate for Azulon is because Sozin found out Zuko was the new avatar and was trying to indoctrinate him into being loyal to the fire nation over all else.

(which is also the reason he has a dragon and azulon doesn't.)

this does NOT work btw. Sozin reveals to Zuko that he's the avatar early and demands his fealty, which Zuko refuses because he's a good kid. and then he gets his face burned off. Sozin doesn't kill him because it would just make his life harder, but tells Zuko that it's out of respect for his father. so he's just banished instead.

before Zuko leaves Azulon visits, says he'll be welcome back when Azulon is fire lord, and gives Zuko the crown prince's headpiece, which zuko wears even in the present!

Hoa Sen has old friends of her take him first to the Western air temple where he can heal, and then to the Southern Air Temple to start his training.

i think the monks actually refuse to teach him for a long time because Zuko has some serious issued to work through and they think he needs time to heal mentally and emotionally before he's ready to start taking on his duties as avatar. eventually the ominous prophecy rears its head so he does learn some stuff.

Zuko gets frozen in the iceberg because he knows something bad is going to happen and is frustrated with his training being stalled, so he decides to just skip air and go straight to water.

Here are some fun facts that Zuko does NOT know at the start of this au but do become tragically relevant to him.

Hoa Sen founded the order of the white lotus after seeing what Sozin did to her son, originally as a way to protect him during his training and then to mitigate the damage the fire nation was doing without an avatar to stop them. not sure if her family knew about it, but they did know she objected to Sozin's war.

Azulon married Ta Minh, I think to protect her and her family out of memory to his friend, but also because it's good optics to be tied to the missing fire nation avatar. it's not a particularly happy marriage, but it is functional.

(Zuko does not fucking take this well btw.)

Ta Minh became well known as a swordmaster and actually took Piandao as an apprentice. Iroh and Ozai had no interest in swordplay, so she never bothered teaching them. Lu Ten did express a bit of interest, and ended up learning a respectable amount before she died.

Azula inherited her grandmother's face. Zuko is (understandably) very upset about this on a cosmic level.

Iroh knows all of this and does not tell Zuko until he is forced to in season 2 after azula becomes very relevant.

Azula is also being mentored by Iroh's ex-wife, because #whereareyourwomenbryke and also i think he deserves this.

[lee-isnotcool]

my marauders fancast 😍

regulus: timmy obviously, but also dorian from the mischief productions. their jegulus films have me in a chokehold and i will not elaborate

sirius: conan gray. a shaggy haired twink that makes poppy gay music and regularly puts up dramatic shitposts on his spam tiktok?? of course it's sirius!!!

remus: ethan. ethan fully introduced me to the marauders after i started following him in like 2021, and now i cannot see anyone else as our wolf boy. P4PERBACK SUPREMACY!!!

peter: kit connor. HEAR ME OUT- i feel like kit would actually have so much fun playing the villain after so much time as a golden retriever. he would do an excellent job, you can't even deny it.

james: taylor zakhar perez. our tall, sweet, hispanic boy. put a pair of glasses on him and he's literally james.

lily: anya taylor-joy. i can't quite explain it, but she has such a regal face that provides such a diamond-in-the-rough vibe that is so lily.

mary: leah sava jeffries. SHES SUCH A QUEEN UGHHHHHH and she totally embodies mary's sweetness as well as her humor (good-naturedly teasing aryan and walker by calling them dumb or something similar)

marlene: maya hawke. i will not be explaining myself further.

dorcas: corinna brown. she is so funny and confident and DROP DEAD GORGEOUS TOO- she's just so dorcas

barty: dallas liu. DALLAS IS SO FINE BRO- and we already know he can play a zesty badass villain (thank you live-action avatar)

evan: omar rudberg. omar is so ridiculously gorgeous, but as Simon in Young Royals he does it in a quiet way, and i feel like that matches up with evan perfectly

pandora: beabadoobee. she has such a fairycore whimsical vibe and it totally matches pandora's energy. plus, i've headcannoned panda as Filipino for so long-

[young-royals-confessions]

Fics where Wille gets sweet revenge and is just a general badass like he is in s2?

📖

[ep2nd]

I have to say, Hippolytus has become one of my favorite myths/Greek heroes, and not just cause we're both AroAces... mostly

Now the basic story is- Man just wants to live his best hunting life with the goddess Artemis without any relationships and then Aphrodite goddess of Love looks at that and goes "HOW DARETH NOT SHIPPETH" and eventually causes his death by his own father... which tumbles into Asclepius death and Apollo turning human... again

Well here's some things I'd like to say that should be talked about more, some headcannos some retelling some filling in blanks

Hippolytus is a PRINCE OF ATHENS. Heck he's Theseus' son. THE Theseus. He probably still had expectations and a job to do as a prince. It wouldn't surprise me if suitors tried to get him married. Like, men from across Greece would LOVE to have their daughter we'd to this guy, the prince of Athens! Think of the power and stability. Think of the stories where Hippolytus just runs into the woods because he hate she responsibilities and doesn't want to get married. And his dad probably forcing him to choose! WHERES THAT.

Let's remember the maternal side of his family. Aka the badass warrior Hippolyta, THE QUEEN OF THE AMAZONS AND DAUGTER OF THE GOD OF WAR AND THE FOUNDER OF THE AMAZONS. I know Amazon's don't like men, but as shown with Hippolyta with Theseus and later Heracles, she still respects strong men. I believe his mom LOVED him, despite being male. Was so proud and adored him, teaching her son the Amazonian ways. Not to say that his grandmother, Otrera was probably still alive. Probably didn't like men like her daughter, but could respect her strong grandson, ESPECIALLY WHEN SHE FOUND OUT HE JOINED ARTEMIS HUNT. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE 2 MAIN GODS OF THE AMAZONS. Aka I want to see how Hippolyta and Otrera felt about him.

Now depending on the myth, Hippolyta can be related to 1 to 3 gods. Aka he has the highest record of a Legacy... I think. His grandfather's are Poseidon(Theseus dad)and Ares(Hippolytas dad) and with a stretch, cause I like this Headcannon, his great grandfather is Eurus (Otrera dad, God of Fall and the East wind). So is no one going to talk about how this man is related to 2 powerful Olympians, one of the Wind gods, a descendent of the Amazonians, fierce women warriors, and the son of Theseus, the slayer of the Minotaur????? OH AND HES LIKE THE ONE OF THE FEW MEN ARTEMIS EVER LIKED. THE ARTEMIS. If Ancient Greece had resumes he'd be winning

Talking bout Artemis... it's hard to believe after the Orion incident...which I don't think is too far apart... that Artemis, who befriended a male, giving him a chance, and then him becoming feral and destroying wild life, her sacred place/animals/domain, or falling in love with her, aka the ONE THING YOU DOMT DO. So for Artemis to just get another guy to join the girls only clun.. yeah there was probably a deeper reason and relationship under that. I feel like she met him when he was young, after him running into the woods night hating the royal life, and he helps some girl, probably one of her Huntresses, gets her attention, and they talk about Hunting and hating love, you know fun stuff. I feel like she kinda raised him, teaching him hunting, the importance of life, respecting women, hating love... aka a mom figure(because I'm pretty sure Hippolyta was running the Amazon's and couldn't bring her son with her) so yeah. I believe they had a mother-son relationship. It makes sense it's adorable it also explains how far Artemis would go to bring him back to life. KNOWING THERE WOULD BE CONSEQUENCES. Bruh she didn't even try to resurrect Orion. Just saying a mother's love is very strong.

On that note... I feel like Asclepius and he actually knew each other. 1. Asclepius is nice guy but not dumb, he wouldn't just be handing this cure to death to anyone. Now Artemis could have threatened him but that's whatever. In retrospec, they're kinda cousins, and I feel like they had a nice relationship before his death. ALSO. CAN YOU THINK OF THE ANGST?!? How much guilt Hippolytus would be feeling after. HES THE REASON ASCLEPIUS DIED. YEAH HE DIDN’T ASK FOR ANY OF THIS BUT HIS COUSIN DIED BECAUSE OF HIM. I want those two to reunite and Asclepius to hug him and tell him everything's okay and it worked out cause now he'll help people forever as a god.

Finally. No, he wouldn't forgive his farther. Probably already hates him after, leaving his mom, being a horrible king, not understanding his wished for not wanting to get married, not believing HIS OWN SON OVER HIS NEW WIFE, OH AND KILLING HIM. I want the Hippolyta, Hippolytus, Ariadne, and Zagreus "WE HATE THESEUS" club. Please. It be hilarious. On the topic of Hades game- YES I WANNA SEE HIPPOLYTUS MAYBE HANGING OUT WITH HIS DEAD MOM PELASEEEEW.

[monstersandmaw]

I can't believe this story is 14.5k words long. These monthly stories are only supposed to be about 2-3k words long, but hey.

_

It's still June, just... I'm so sorry this didn't appear sooner, but it's a whopping 14.5k words long, so hopefully that makes up for it!

Content: at the end of their first year at the Royal Academy for the Magical Arts, the young, entitled son of the wealthiest family on the continent is partnered for an assignment with a diligent reader from a very humble background, and makes a very poor choice. Years later, after finishing their masters, the reader finds themself having to work with him again, only to find he's not quite as they remember this time around. Also featuring a naga bestie, adoptive dads, a badass dwarven professor, and a chunky cameo from the orc mage, Orrakh from a short story on Tumblr.

(Light spoilers) content warning: reader is drugged to render them unconscious, but nothing untoward happens while they're out, and it's facilitated by their friend. Nsfw: reader gives a blowjob in a sort of semi-public place, and receives oral in return back in private.

Wordcount: 14,565

Extract:

Ambient magicka crackled and coalesced around you, becoming little flashes of light in the air as you strode down the navy blue corridor of the astronomy wing where you’d met your friend. “I worked my ass off for that placement, Alana, and I am not going to let some gilded turd buy his way in beside me and turn it into a farce!”

The naga’s thick, serpentine tail carved a wide swathe through the other student mages as she struggled to keep up with you, until she finally grabbed at the sleeve of your dark robe and yanked you around to face her.

“Take a breath, honey,” she said, pushing her circular, gold-rimmed glasses back up her nose and blinking moss-green eyes at you from her pretty, round face with all its myriad freckles. “From what you’ve told me, Rune is a first class shit, but you’re going to have to work with him.”

“He’s not just a shit, Alana,” you fired back through gritted teeth, aware that you were drawing a bit of an audience beneath the painted vaults of the long corridor. “He’s a rich shit who thinks he can throw money at people and just walk out with whatever he wants! That isn’t going to cut it with Magister Delfan.” The dwarven professor was notoriously impatient when it came to time-wasters, but if you got on her good side, people said she was an absolute blast.

You glowered at your best friend and tried to force down a tide of emotions and memories.

“Delfan wants actual talent,” you went on in a slightly more measured voice, “And I know from experience that Rune is a lazy, good-for-nothing arsehole. I worked with him before in first year? And what the fuck is he doing on a summer placement with Delfan when he’s not even studying her subject?” you added as the realisation hit you.

Rune, rather ironically, had only studied basic runecraft with you in your first year, but had switched subjects in his second. You hadn’t kept track of what he’d been doing in the interim years, but you knew it wasn’t Delfan’s specialism of foci and auxiliary artefacts, and their use in magical rituals.

You let out a tight, wheezing huff of breath and blinked away memories of your humiliating two week project ‘with’ him. It had cost you your friendship with your then-best friend too, and that had hurt almost more than what Rune himself had done.

“If I want the Board to consider appointing me for a research fellowship, I need to finish this placement with Delfan’s endorsement. If Rune fucks this up for me because he’s bored and wants to play the academic for a while, I’m going to ring his scaly neck and turn him into a fucking golden handbag, do you understand me? I don’t care who his father is, I swear to all the gods I’ll do it.”

Alana’s expressive face suddenly struggled to keep back her rush of amusement at the image. You saw the sparkle in her eyes and rolled your own in response, but a little of your anger drained away.

“I’m sorry,” Alana snickered, “But at least you’d get a luxury handbag out of it?”

You caught her laughter and your frustration disintegrated around you like a shattered potion flask.

Still giggling, Alana put her hand on your shoulder and squeezed it as she met your gaze. “You’ll be fine. Delfan is a hard-ass and she’ll recognise your commitment, even if Milordy Goldypants puts in zero effort, alright?”

You snorted a laugh, hefted your leather satchel back onto your shoulder. You’d never told anyone else what Rune had done, apart from your parents and Alana, and the idea of having to work with him again made your stomach roil. The magic that had started to crystallise around you dissipated, but your memories of the dragonborn from your first year lingered all the same, and they were not pleasant ones.

When you’d been partnered with Rune before — when Magister Orrakh had called your name right after Rune’s — your heart had dropped to your boots and he’d flashed you a sharp-toothed grin across the small lecture hall. Sometimes Magister Orrakh taught in that larger hall, when he needed more space to show the full intricacy of a runic circuit and the way magicka flowed around the lines of chalk from rune to rune, but when he taught his theory classes, he preferred to use his small classroom. Unfortunately, that day’s class had been a practical session, and the tiered seating which gave the students at the back a better view of the experiment on the stone altar at the front of the room also gave you a good view of Rune lording it over you from the higher seating.

The dragonborn had been lounging near the back of the tiered seating on the end of the row, with his serrated tail dangling nonchalantly into the gangway that ran between the two halves of the auditorium. He was strikingly handsome, of course, with eyes the colour of back-lit amber flecked with pyrite, and his scales were a warm, honeyed yellow that gleamed almost opalescent in the sunlight streaming in through the clear, arched windows set high in the wall.

His tunic was a deep, pure black, but it had been embroidered with the most minute, fairy-wrought detailing that dizzied the eye if you looked too long at it, and he had whisper-thin, gold chains dripping from ornately engraved bands around his twin, ridged horns. The larger horn sat stacked atop the smaller, nestled close together at the root, and both followed the line of his skull back over his head to end in elegant, polished, gently-rounded points. He was so obnoxiously wealthy that even the delicate, gossamer chains were adorned with tiny flashing diamonds which sent minuscule rainbows dancing around the walls wherever he went.

You'd had nothing to do with him so far in your first year at the academy, having come from entirely different backgrounds.

There was no way the scion of the wealthiest family in the entire kingdom — richer even than the royal family, if rumours were to be believed — would look twice at the adopted child of a fisherman and a rat catcher from the dockland slums of the city. You’d fought for everything you’d ever got out of life, finally earning yourself a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy for the Study of Magical Arts. He’d probably got his father to buy his place, since he’d shown no real demonstrative abilities with magic.

Everything had been going so well for you until that fateful final presentation of the year when you’d been paired with Rune.

Read the whole 14.5k word story, with all its angst and feels and 'enemies to lovers' / redemption arc goodness right now on Patreon! Plus last month's story which was a whopping 13k words long!! (as well as all the other Patreon exclusive content, and don't forget there are also free stories up on Patreon as well!

[ladykailitha]

Well Met By Moonlight Part 5

Hi guys, I want to thank everyone who commented on the most recent Royal Pain and all the people that commented on the Midsummer's AU. I saw some that I hadn't seen comment in awhile and it made me so happy to see them back. I missed you all.

Here we have more of Wayne being badass. I know it feels like he's the main character right now, but trust me it will shift to the younger members soon enough.

And I got the chapter two to work finally, so I will be linking to the original from now on.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

***

Sun down on the following Saturday saw Wayne Munson in front of the whole town. Businesses closed. Only the hospital, fire and police station remained opened and they only had the most basic of crews.

Behind him on his left were Steve and Nancy and on his right were Billy and his bride, Heather. In front of him were the five boys that had attacked Steve.

Mayor Roberts stood between the two sets holding a microphone, he too was flanked. Sheriff Danny Powell stood on his right and Jim Hopper stood on his left.

“Welcome everyone. It is a sad day in Hawkins when we have to meet like this. I know it is hard on the lives and livelihoods of the people of this fair town. But a sickness has come to this town. The mindset of those not like being othered, seen as monsters and demons.”

The crowd murmured and hummed.

“But this town was not founded on those ideals. It was founded on peace and brotherhood between all its people. The humans, the vampires, and the werewolves. For nearly one hundred and fifty years this town has stood as testament to kinship that it has fostered. Which is why it is with much trepidation I have made the decision to let Sheriff Daniel Powell go as police chief of our fair town.”

The murmurs became more angry and sharp.

“He was told by several members of this community that these five boys before me were up to no good. That they would cause harm. Vampires and werewolves alike came to your sheriff with concerns and he waved them away. Regular people such as yourselves came to him that these boys meant serious harm to the supernatural members–nay to your neighbors and still he waved them away. Is that the type of man you want to protect and defend your town?”

Sheriff Powell looked down in shame as the crowd let out small cries of distress. Because no, that wasn’t what the town wanted. Most of them had thought him a good man. But this cast doubt on that very image. If he would turn a blind eye to a threat to a supernatural person, would he do the same to a black man or woman of ill repute, just because he didn’t care for their kind?

“Jim Hopper has graciously offered his assistance in stepping back into his old position of police chief. He will hold it until it is time to elect a new sheriff and with hope he will run then, as well.”

Hopper smiled and shook his head. “We’ll see,” he growled.

Mayor Roberts smiled back. “I will now turn the time over to Wayne Munson.”

Powell moved off to the one side and Mayor Roberts and Chief Hopper moved to the other. Wayne stepped up and an eerie silence descended on the crowd.

“It appears I’ve been too soft on this town,” Wayne growled, his voice reaching every corner of the town hall without the aid of the microphone. “Hunters think they can just come into my town, my territory and hunt people like a pack of feral dogs.”

The boys were forced to kneel in front of the crowd. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they bowed their heads.

“These are the children you raised,” Wayne told the crowd. He picked up something from the table next to him and held it up. “A foot trap made of silver. Considered inhumane to animals used to trap a nineteen year old boy, not much older than themselves. Yes, Steven Harrington is no average boy, but he is young nonetheless.”

He threw a few feet in front of the crowd, it clanging noisily to ground, the people in the front leaping back. He picked up the shattered pieces of the cross they had nailed Steve to.

“They bound him in silver to a wooden cross!” Wayne snarled. He threw the pieces after the trap.

The whole crowd gasped in horror as the pieces clattered to the floor. He picked up the final object off the table and held it above his head.

It was a metal bat. Not silver, but deadly all the same. The tip was rust red. Wayne threw to the ground as he had done the others. “They were beating him with this.”

“These are your children!” he growled. “Have I not been good to you? Have I not been kind?”

There were murmurs among the crowd.

“You have forgotten you are are under my protection!” Wayne roared. “Without me the pack and coven would have free rein of the town, like the roving gangs of old. You are fortunate that the current alpha and Dominus are generous. Do you not recall the terror that ruled under alpha Jack Sullivan before I tore his pack to pieces? Do you not remember the children that were be experimented on under the Dominus Dr Martin Brenner? Before Billy Hargrove came and cleaned out the lab and the coven that reeked of death?”

The crowd was stock still. Pin dropping would sound like thunder in that hall.

“Five years for Brenner,” he continued. “Ten years for Sullivan. Mere drops in the bucket of time for someone as old as myself, but to you? Far too long. That they were able to hide from me their ills for as long as they did, was an abomination. But they were summarily dispatched when I did find out.”

The crowd became restless.

“So I have passed judgment upon these youths,” Wayne said. “The two younger boys, Joshua Bentley and Chance Nelson will learn the ways of the pack and of the coven. Spending six weeks with each sect to unlearn the hate you taught them.”

The crowd let out a sigh of relief. That was good punishment for the two boys.

“Andy Duncan will be tried as a child,” he continued. “For criminal mischief and conspiracy to commit assault. It is likely that he will be forced to spend his time at a youth facility where he will remain until he turns eighteen. Then it will be up to the courts to move him to an adult facility or release him.”

The crowd took up the murmuring again as this was a little more harsh then the other boys, but still lenient.

Wayne grabbed Jason and Patrick by their collars and hauled them bodily to their feet.

“As for these two boys,” he snarled, “the mayor wants to try them as adults for use of an illegal trap,” the boys rolled their eyes, “assault with a deadly weapon,” Patrick gulped, but Jason was still smug, “conspiracy to commit murder,” Jason was mentally counting the number of years he would get and tilted his head like it was acceptable while Patrick turned white, “and for attempted murder.”

Jason looked shocked for the first time, he didn’t think they would go for the attempted murder charge, he had been told by his lawyer that it was unlikely because of how young they were. “And because of the laws of this town are unique, they will also be tried for supernatural hunting. A crime punishable by death.”

Patrick fainted and Jason threw up. Josh who had been sitting nearby, leapt out of the way of the vomit.

“But I am merciful,” Wayne continued, slowly lowering the unconscious Patrick to the ground. “They will spend time with me for six months and then I will make my own recommendations to the judge on the charges to proceed with.”

That was when Jason fainted, right into the pile of his own sick.

The crowd’s relief was palpable. Everyone was murmuring with agreement and elation.

“Let this be a lesson to you all,” Wayne concluded. “I am merciful, but test me one more time and you too will face my wrath.”

“Go!” he barked and everyone in the hall turned and fled.

All that was remaining was the mayor, Sheriff Powell and the six supernatural beings.

“Will you being staying in our town?” Wayne asked Powell.

Powell shook his head. “No. I got a job lined up in Chicago. I wasn’t meant for small town politics. I put my own prejudices ahead of the lives of the citizens of this town.”

“You still gonna be a copper?” Hopper asked.

Again he shook his head. “No, I can’t risk making the same mistake in a bigger town. I’m going to teach self-defense.”

They all nodded.

Mayor Roberts patted Powell’s arm. “You’re a good man who made a bad decision, don’t let this moment define the rest of your life.”

Powell nodded. He gave the mayor’s shoulder a squeeze and walked away.

“There goes a deeply troubled man,” Nancy said. “Do you think he’ll be all right?” She hugged her sides.

“Chicago is the best place for him to find that out,” Billy said. “It will either consume you or learn enough about yourself to survive.”

Steve put his arm around her and she leaned into his comfort.

“I hope the town can heal from this,” Mayor Roberts said. “There has been so much pain and hurt in this town in the last decade. I’m not sure how much more it can take.”

Wayne shook his head. “This town survived two world wars and a Great Depression, it will survive this.”

Mayor Roberts smiled sadly. “It is good to have such a long perspective, my friend.” He squeezed Wayne’s shoulder and slipped away, leaving behind the three vampires and three werewolves.

Hopper scratched the back of his head, sheepishly. It was strange look on the werewolf. “I’ve never been police chief and not the alpha before.”

“I prefer it,” Billy said with a low growl. “It means the werewolves are a little more even in terms of power in this town.”

Steve nodded. “I agree. It’s better this way. The sheriff needs to be supernatural in the way that the mayor must be human. A vampire sheriff would be weak during the day and even having a thrall as deputy would divide the power in a way that would make them weak. But a werewolf being sheriff ensures that everyone has a say.”

Wayne nodded back.

“Thank you for coming out, Steve,” he said, “I know this wasn’t easy for you, reliving your trauma.”

Steve scoffed. “If I didn’t, I would look weak and open myself and the pack to further attacks. Not just from the anti-supernatural quarter either. Other packs would think us easy prey. Vampires would attack us to feed on.” He glanced over at Billy and Heather and sneered. “I don’t have the favor of the current Dominus, not like our previous one did.”

Hopper looked down at his feet.

Billy smirked. “Come on, Heather,” he drawled. “Let’s go, babe.”

Heather simpered. “Anything you want.”

Billy licked his lips slowly. “Promise?”

She giggled and they walked out, with his arm around her waist as he whispered dirty things to each other.

Wayne watched them with a shake of his head. There were some disadvantages to having such a young Dominus. With a sigh he turned back to the werewolves.

“Thanks for doing this, Jim,” Wayne said, patting his back. “I know it’s not easy to come back this job, especially since you were hoping to spend more time with Jane.”

Hopper sighed. “I just hate that I have to step up in this way.”

Steve kissed the top of Nancy’s head. “Let Hop take you home, I still have some things to go over with Wayne.”

Nancy nodded and slipped out from under his arm.

Steve and Wayne watched them go.

“I was always surprised you made her alpha female,” Wayne said thoughtfully. “Not after what happened between you.”

Steve hummed. “I didn’t have a lot of options. It was either Joyce or her and I didn’t trust Joyce.”

Wayne nodded. “Who would have you picked if you had your choice?”

Steve smiled fondly. “Robin hands down, but right now she more valuable to me as a keeper then alpha female.”

“You really do have a good head on your shoulders, Steve,” he said, his smile crinkling his eyes. “Now, go reassure my boy that kiss on Nancy’s head was friendly, eh?”

Steve frowned. Wayne pointed to the back of the hall where a solitary figure waited.

Steve shook his head. “Has he always been the jealous type?”

Wayne laughed. “No, just when it comes to you.”

Steve hopped down from the stage and strolled over to Eddie. He wrapped his arms around the other boy and kissed him deeply.

“Oh,” Eddie said with a blush.

“Yeah,” Steve murmured. “Only you, okay?”

Eddie nodded.

“Come on, sunshine,” Steve said, his voice low and gravely, “I’m going to spend all night showing you how much I’m only yours.”

“Point me in the right direction, big boy.”

The two went off, not as giggly and overt as Billy and Heather, but just as heated, and definitely more in love.

Wayne looked up at the ceiling. “If there is a god, watch over those two, please. They are going to need it.”

***

Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19

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[dollarbin]

Mitchell Mondays #7:

Girl From the North Country

Bob Dylan wasn't always a genius.

Dylan's pubescent self-titled debut record and Blowing in the Wind, which leads off his second effort, are both, frankly, kinda dull. I have no idea how many roads a man must walk down before you can call him a man, nor do I really care. And if I ever see a white dove in the sand I'll wonder what the hell it's doing at the beach.

Memo to Bob: doves don't live at the beach (and don't try to defend the Bobster by arguing the dove needing a rest has an intended Noah's Arc angle. That trusty dove never kicked it in the sand; it plucked itself an olive leaf, the symbol for Athena, then hustled back to base).

But when Bob reaches out to us directly on the second song of his second record, his guitar picking suddenly adept, and asks us to remember him to a girl he left behind, a one who he hopes still wears her hair long, Dylan's status as a genius is instantly clear.

A lot of what makes Girl from the North Country great is Dylan's tone. He sounds 95 and 20 years old all at once; his despondency mingles with yearning and defiance. It's high art.

But, as is so often the case with Bob, the song is not straight-forwardly beautiful in a musical sense. Even here the guy isn't exactly Richard Thompson on guitar, nor is he Chan Marshall or Joni Mitchell in the pitch department. Instead, he sounds, well, like Bob Dylan.

I saw Chan crash landing her way through Bob's Royal Albert Hall show a few nights back and her performance, aided by a patient and ace band, was staggeringly beautiful (as well as being, in the classic Cat Power fashion, a tad bit bizarre and stressful; suffice to say that if Chan and I found ourselves airborn and aloft in a 747 with just a 6 year old and a one-eyed monkey and no pilot of any kind in tow the wisest course would be to entrust the cockpit to the six year old and the monkey. Chan and I would then get busy freaking out.).

But back to my point here: I believe much of the reverence and care Marshall is bringing to Dylan these days is rooted in Joni Mitchell's utterly perfect performance of Girl from the North Country on the Johnny Cash show in October, 1970.

Three months before settling in to record Blue, Joni showed the world that Dylan's best work defies gender. In Joni's graceful hands and voice Dylan's song is beautiful at last.

Listen to her start in the middle of her range, then rise to the incredible "comes to an end" top, before descending down deeper than you'd think imaginable into the "coat so warm" then nailing her landing at "howling wind." This performance wasn't lip-synced. It's unbelievable.

And Cash is her capable companion on the entire ride, letting the arrangement, with its lovely, winding river piano and warbling harmonica above subtle strings, support them both without ever getting in her way.

I can't get enough of the incredible space Cash gave Joni on this, her second, visit to his show. Always a badass, Johnny had literally just played the Nixon White House but he was perfectly content to give a young female room to let her soar beyond Dylan covers and showcase her own brilliant and very left wing songs on his show.

First up was My Old Man: who needs a piece of paper from the city hall to validate their love?

And then she laid out California for the world to first encounter. Its sighing reflections on Vietnam's bloody changes and Woodstock alike show us that The Girl from North Country wasn't sitting around in 1970 growing out her hair and pining after Bob.

No, she was busy making high art of her own.

Like I said, Dylan's hasn't always been a genius: after all, when Joni was elevating his first great song to such impossible heights and writing equally timeless songs of her own he was busy writing Wigwam.

Then again, I'm probably undercutting my own arguments here: after all, Wigwam is totally genius.

[princess-of-the-corner]

One thing I miss of Star Wars Legends is the casual presence of formidable women, on both sides. I mean...

Leia, the woman who, after her home planet was blown up, kept herself together long enough to insure the thing that did it and the psycho who gave the order would never be able to do it to anyone else.

Mon Mothma, the woman who could have become Empress of the Galaxy and chose not to.

Rivoche Tarkin, the young woman whose teenage rebellion phase consisted in becoming one of the Rebel Alliance's most effective spies.

Leonia Tavira, born into poverty, mistress of Moff at 16, and then Moff in his place just because she could.

Ysanne Isard, who gave the New Republic even more trouble than THRAWN through political machinations alone (Thrawn was a terrifying military threat but could be contained, and Ackbar was objectively the better fleet commander. Isard's sociopathic machinations almost BROKE the New Republic on two separate occasions before having to fake her death, set up Thrawn's campaign between her two attacks, and would have likely given victory to the reborn Palpatine by stealing the New Republic's only Star Dreadnought at the time, her former flagship Lusankya, had the discovery of her survival not triggered everyone's paranoia to the point that when she got on the ship controls had been switched to the auxiliary bridge that was guarded by someone ready to shoot her in the stomach).

Iella Wessiri, the woman who caught Isard with her pants down and was ready to imprison her on the Lusankya like she had done to many others, guarded only by droids and ready to be vented into space, and shot her in the stomach when Isard tried to fight.

Padme, whose pitch to the Gungan included admitting that to the Gungan the Naboo-Gungan War WASN'T or the Naboo would have been exterminated or chased off world (as it was, when the Gungan got annoyed enough to fight back the Naboo's royal family was exterminated so hard they installed a republic in everything but name), and was OFFERED to become the first of a new dynasty on Naboo but refused (much to Palpatine's ire, as not only she was offered what he always wanted, if on a lesser scale, but then had the integrity to say "no, thank you" and mean it).

Honestly I haven't kept up with much Star Wars outside of the Original and Prequel trilogy and a handful of info re: spinoffs

But hell yeah fantastic and badass women