#because he was one of his great knights right

[doudouhoon]

A SONG OF BLOOD AND DUTY

pairing ✶ ice prince!park sunghoon x fire princess/dragonrider!reader

synopsis ✶ the princess of the fire kingdom has been betrothed to the crown ice prince since the second that she was born. when duty calls, she must take her place next to park sunghoon and rule the ice kingdom. but can she leave her kingdom to her immoral half-brother and give up her rightful succession as the first-born? now, she must make her choice - engulf the ones who have wronged her in flames and shed blood or be the queen that never was.

warnings ✶ graphic violence (fencing and i promise nobody was hurt (for now 😈), sexual harassment (very subtle and non-verbal).

est. word count ✶ 6k

author’s note ✶ first chapter is out y’all! it is kinda boring but that is just because it’s the start of the plot. ngl i didn’t expect it would take so much work 😟 but here we are! likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated and i kindly remind you that this is my first piece of work so keep that in mind (i am afraid to read it 🥸). p.s. i changed the name of the ice kingdom in the last second. so for every asoiaf fan who has heard of ulthos, i am well aware that it’s situated in the south part of the world, i just changed that fact for the sake of the story.

taglist ✶ @firstclassjaylee, @dksfml, @miukidoll, @d-dilemma, @xylatox

the sharp sound of metal against metal rang out like the harsh crack of a whip. the wind whooshed as the swords clashed in the training ground. each movement of the opponents was deliberate, but one lacked footwork. one wrong step and you will be on the ground, feeling the still wet mud from yesterday’s rainfall engulf your body in filth.

“well done, my prince!”

the orotund voice of aegon’s personal trainer and one of the best swordsmen in the kingdom was heard as he drew nearer to the young lad.

aemond still lay in the muddy ground, catching his breath from his brother’s sharp attacks. he blinked a few times and caught sight of ser criston cole’s body hovering above him. cole stretched out his hand to the defeated.

“we must work on your stability, your highness.”

aemond took hold of his calloused hand and only grunted in reply. standing up on his feet, he saw the look of all the knights around the training field. they thought he was weak. but what vexed him the most was his older brother’s triumphant grin.

you watched the scene in front of you unfold with an observant look. you were never allowed to participate in your brothers’ duels, god forbid; your merit is shown to the eyes of the world. the only times you were to touch a sword were your private lessons with ser harrold westerling, with whom your combat skills were sure to meliorate.

gathering your long dress in your hands, you held it with a delicate grip, turning your back to the resumed clash of swords. you took deliberate steps in order not to stomp on your intricate carmine dress. you entered the palace. your steps were quick, but not quicker than the two guards following you incessantly. light shily illuminated the dark red stone, which adorned the corridors to the chambers and study rooms. you took a sharp turn to the great library and huffed. the grand maester will surely now apprise your father of your constant lateness.

seeing the massive doors to the library, you willed yourself to quicken your step despite the discomfort you felt in the lengthy clothing. the guards in front saw your hurried manner and scurried to open the entryway.

entering the room, you saw the grand maester preparing the books you will need for today’s lesson in high valyrian.

you neared the ginormous table and sat down in one of the chairs.

“grand maester orwyle, apologies for my tardiness.”

the guilt in your voice was evident, which somehow put him at ease. at least you were not like your younger brothers.

“a princess with no imperfections is yet to be born, your grace. while i was awaiting your arrival, i arranged the books we will read today. now, let us begin. shall we?”

you nodded and gently smiled at the grand maester. he was wise and kind, unlike most of the men, roaming the red keep.

spending the next few hours of the day perfecting your mother tongue, even though you spoke it with no difficulties, was just another galling part of your everyday regime. your duty as a targaryen princess was to study until you knew the full monty of westorosi history, the chronicles of houses of service to the crown and the days of old valyria. future obligations, needless to say, included being a good wife and bearing heirs to the crown. notably, a male one.

having been done with your commitments for the day, you retreated to your bedchambers to rest before dinner. walking up to your vanity in the corner of your sleeping quarters, you sit in the hand-carved chair and gaze at the mirror in front of you. with a sigh, you reach for the wooden brush and start combing your dark tresses.

an abrupt knock at the door halted your movements.

“come in!”

your voice was heard from the other side of the door, prompting the guards to grasp the handle and finally reveal the man.

it was a woman. a familiar silhouette.

your lady-in-waiting, lisa massey bowed and stepped into the room.

“your highness, we must prepare your gown for tonight! should i help you brush your hair?”

hastily moving from one corner of the chambers to another, lisa frantically searched for the brush in your hands.

watching her, you took in her uneasy manner.

“what is the occasion today?”

“lord loren lannister has arrived in king’s landing to lodge his eldest son to the crown. or more specifically to you! didn’t the king mention that matter to you, rea?”

releasing yet another heavy sigh, you direct lisa’s focus to the comb in your right hand and faintly smirk.

“amusing, wasn’t it?”

slowly shaking her head, she walks up to you and starts gently combing through your hair.

“i’ll have the other servants prepare your gown for tonight.”

mindlessly nodding your head, you hum to her in a reply. you wondered if this one would be another scrawny little boy or perhaps a grey-bearded suitor of your long-deceased grandmother’s. nonetheless, you asked yourself why your father let all of this take place, given that you were already betrothed.

having no answer to that, you let your dear friend and lady-in-waiting help you slip into the silken black dress and proceed with the jewellery.

after lisa said she deemed you were in a fit state, you heard yet another knock at your door.

“your highness, the king is expecting you.”

“what great timing.”

catching your whisper, lisa only giggles and gives you a gentle pat on the shoulder.

“i am sure you will be fine, my princess.”

her mischievous smile only grew in size when you replied.

“i will. but nothing is certain for the one who will court me tonight.”

giving her a wink and a playful smile, you step to the doorway and let the guards push it open.

the tramp of two sets of marching feet could be heard behind your back. the sound alarmed the servants inside the castle, prompting them to bow as low as they could and pay their respect to the passing princess.

the thought that you were seen as an admirable figure, even a god by some, just because of your noble blood, always troubled you from a young age.

aerea did not think that she was more deserving of all of the gifts, given by the seven gods, than the poor smallfolk of the seven kingdoms.

hence, she evinced her benevolence and generosity to the people surrounding her. not because she wanted to be cheered on as “the realm’s delight”, but by virtue of her moral values.

having finally arrived before the door of the small hall, you take one last steady breath and slowly exhale, readying yourself for the awaiting charade on the other side.

the kingsguards bowed at you and opened the entry to the high-ceiling room.

a deep voice boomed to your right, signalling your presence.

“princess aerea targaryen!”

standing up to their feet, lord lannister and his son bowed their heads and awaited your next exertion.

your father watched calmly, smiling to himself at his daughter’s beauty and grace, a painful reminder of your late mother.

taking measured steps, you round the table and slightly bow at the king, seated at the end. after a few moments, you at last sat to your father’s right and smiled uneasily.

lord loren took it upon himself to commence the dialogue.

“your grace, princess aerea really is the epitome of elegance. i am honoured to finally meet you, your highness.”

while saying that, a faint smirk played at the corner of his lips, making you feel disturbed.

you glanced at your father’s face, him still smiling faintly and enjoying the compliments his daughter was receiving.

mustering up a polite smile, you turn your head to the lord on the other side of the wooden table.

“thank you, lord lannister. you truly flatter me.”

the young man observed you with a genuine curiosity, having heard quite a lot of whispers about the princess. alas, he decided to stay silent for now.

your father finally joined the exchange, standing up straight in his seat.

“lord loren, i have heard your son… the young lord kevan has shown outstanding merit during his swordsmanship trainings.”

the man eagerly nodded his head, agreeing with your father’s claim.

“yes, your grace! kevan possesses excellent prowess. when he was a little boy, he fancied watching our guardsmen fight one another. i knew he would become a splendid fighter.”

the older man patted his son on the shoulder as if to encourage him to say something, anything, to assert his presence. he really did look like a lannister. fair, golden hair and light green eyes. seemed like he was not quite talkative.

while the elderly went on talking about the imports of silks, dyes, and spices from Essos, you sat there and partly paid attention to the conversation. you did not show any interest in the lad sitting across the table. what troubled you was his constant, observing stare, following your every little movement.

he is such a creep! like father, like son, right?

good thing no one could hear your thoughts.

king daeron made a hasty gesticulation, and in a few seconds a few maids entered the hall, hands full of different exquisite dishes and wines.

finally! the faster we finish here, the better for me.

the princess had run out of patience, desperately wanting to get out of the lannister’s grip and retreat to her chambers.

not forgetting her manners, she ate a sufficient amount of food, chewing slowly, inaudibly, and with her mouth closed. she was careful not to sip too much wine or indulge in gluttony.

occasionally joining the tedious chatter, she exhibited forced grins and laughter, as to not seem distant or mannerless.

when aerea finally had enough of the futile charade, she seized the moment and carefully excused herself to the king and present lord; the reason was her drowsiness from the long day.

her father granted her permission to leave, and aerea stood up slowly to avoid appearing to be eager to vacate her seat.

she curtsied to the men, the lords also paying their respect to the princess by standing up and bowing to her.

what aerea did not miss was the evident anguish on lord loren’s face. she will definitely laugh about that with lisa later.

the doors closed behind her, her cue to release the sigh she was holding for so long.

she walked back the same path to her personal chambers, the guards still following her closely.

reaching her room, aerea ardently opened the doorway herself, entered, and closed it again with a thud.

the members of the kingsguard stood outside, confused by the princess’s doings.

the need to get rid of your clothes was overwhelming. you changed into your silky white nightgown, washed up as fast as you could, and lay in bed, alas restless.

this was the third time you had to endure having dinner with corrupt lords and their sons, men who grasped for power and authority through marriage.

you were well aware of the deal your father made with the king of ulthos. the marriage that awaited you, that will make you another kingdom’s queen. so why did your father allow all of this? certainly, the people of westeros were not apprised of the king’s scheming. no one knew, except for the council and the royal family. but was this pretence necessary?

on the other side of the world, park sunghoon was sitting at his writing table, quietly reading a history book. fatigue crept up his bones, resulting in him omitting words and even phrases. groaning lightly, he stood up and put the open book on the wooden surface next to him. the prince summoned his maids and ordered them to prepare him a hot bath.

while he waited, sunghoon strolled to the window in his room, taking in the scenery presented in front of him. the city beyond the gates of the castle was bustling with life even through the late hours of the night. guards were stationed on every corner of the stronghold. everything seemed peaceful. alas, sunghoon’s mind was not. with every passing day, his duties seemed to double, his training became more and more exhausting, and events he was unable to escape drew nearer.

his body ached from today’s combat with the swordmaster. his mind was buzzing with hundreds of thoughts, none of which were comprehensible.

sensing a presence in the dark room, he turned around only to see one of his servants.

the young girl anxiously bowed and spoke with a tremble in her voice.

“your highness, the bath is ready.”

the prince nodded slightly and shifted his attention to the aperture once again.

“next time you enter my chambers, do not forget to knock and announce yourself.”

his tone was cold and assertive, causing the girl to wince in trepidation.

“forgive me, my prince.”

the maid did not dare to raise her gaze and look at the man’s forbidding figure.

“you are dismissed.”

sunghoon listened closely for the girl’s footsteps, and only when he heard the door close did he turn around and start undressing.

he unbuttoned his black silk shirt and sauntered towards the washroom. once in front of the bath, filled with hot water, the prince fully undressed and stepped in.

sighing heavily as he felt his muscles relax, sunghoon laid back his head against the edge of the tub. his eyebrows softly twitched; his train of thought came to a screeching halt. he must wait to see what the following day has prepared for him.

“you should be glad that you have so many suitors wanting your hand in marriage, your highness!”

“suitors? do you call those immoral men suitors? they are pursuing the crown and the ascendancy that comes with it, not me!”

you softly laughed at lisa’s gullibility. lisa slowly followed behind you, choosing to abstain from replying.

the both of you were currently taking a walk in the gardens of the red keep. you promised to tell her of yesterday’s events, and so you did. but her opinion on the matter greatly differed from yours.

it was well before noon, and a meeting with your father awaited you. with time to spare before you had to present yourself in the castle, you decided to change the subject and continue your stroll to the greenhouse.

you found the king in his study, thoroughly examining a letter, clutched tightly in his hands. you stood near the entry, waiting for his acknowledgement.

after a few seconds, you timidly took a step forward.

“father, you asked for my presence.”

your soft voice broke his near stupor, making him lift his head. he looked nothing like the man he was yesterday at the dinner with the lannisters. your father’s stoic nature was evident once again, reminding you of the king he was. a good king, able to make harsh decisions at times needed.

“daughter, sit down.”

you took a seat and waited for his next words, wondering what the matter might be this time.

hopefully, not another dinner with a lord.

“i have received a letter of great importance.”

fidgeting with the hem of your dress, you stilled your breath.

the king took in your apparent agitation, a semblance of a smile flickering onto his lips.

“good news i might say. the king and crown prince of ulthos have finally made the decision to pay king’s landing a visit.”

hearing his father’s words, sunghoon showed no sign of shock, or dejection.

“when are we leaving then?”

“tomorrow, at sunrise. my master of ships has informed me that he expects the sea to be calm for the time being. the winds of winter have not picked up their strength yet.”

the king calmly took a sip of his wine, examining his son’s face.

“good. what should i be prepared for?”

chuckling, sunghoon’s father simply answered his son’s question.

“dragons.”

tittering lowly, the king did not receive any kind of response from his son. he was not in the mood for jests.

“oh! do not fret, son. the princess is said to be quite delightful.”

sunghoon did not pay mind to the king’s comment and softly exhaled.

just then, a knock was heard on the other side of the door.

“your grace, the hand wishes to speak with you.”

taking the cue to leave his father’s study, the prince stood up and bowed to the king. with a nod, he was ultimately dismissed.

sunghoon sipped the alcohol slowly, letting the bitterness engulf his taste buds.

“come on, now! you must enjoy yourself tonight, my prince.”

jake harshly patted the man’s back, prompting their other companions to howl with laughter.

sunghoon only glanced in his friend’s direction and asked.

“and why is that?”

“who knows? it might be your last. you could fall victim to the princess’s dragon! i doubt that she likes solemn men like you.”

the last part of jake’s reply did not catch the prince’s attention whatsoever.

“her dragon?”

“she is a targaryen princess, sunghoon. have you not realised that yet?”

calon said matter of factly, slightly irking sunghoon with his tone of voice.

the lad made a motion with his hand to catch the young men’s attention, making them draw nearer to him.

the only figure, which stood rooted in his place was sunghoon’s.

“there is a rumour that the egg hatched the day she was born. her dragon is quite large for her age. i wonder if the saying that targaryen women are as fierce as their dragons is true.”

another fit of laughter burst around the table. the crown prince was not happy with calon’s behaviour tonight, not failing to show it with the way his brows furrowed.

“tell me, calon. do you think you are amusing?”

calon’s smile faltered, and silence fell upon the group.

“why are you so capricious today, my prince?”

the way the title rolled off calon’s sharp tongue only fuelled sunghoon’s anger. he abruptly stood up, choosing to leave the table, but not before shooting a glare his friend’s way.

“sunghoon?”

the prince clearly heard jake’s voice calling for him, deciding to disregard him and leave the pub they entered together an hour ago.

servants were flitting around the castle, preparing for the visitants, who were to arrive soon. the floors were swept, the windows were polished, and the bushes in the gardens were trimmed to perfection.

soon enough, word spread around king’s landing and the people of the capital city battered the crown with overflowing inquiries. yet, the royal family refrained from providing the much-needed answers. at least, until the arrival of the crown of ulthos.

you did not recognise the emotion you felt when you were informed of the matter. was it relief? perhaps dismay? whatever it was, there was nothing to be done. your purpose was to become the bind between the two kingdoms and eventually bear heirs to the succeeding king.

with thoughts constantly plaguing your mind, you put down the book you were previously reading. you currently occupied a bench in the garden’s grounds, observing the servants removing the thorns of the red roses. you always wondered why they would do this if it shortened their lives. you relished in their beautiful bloom during the summer, with their thorns or not.

the princess heard footsteps drawing nearer towards where she sat. the voice that spoke out was perfectly familiar.

“your highness, i am sorry to disturb you.”

your servant annora, stood a few meters to your left, bowing ninety degrees at your figure.

turning your body slightly in her direction, you smiled warmly at the young girl.

she is always so dear and sweet.

“i am all ears, annora.”

reciprocating your beam, the servant allowed herself to walk closer to your body.

“you must pick your gown for the welcoming of ulthos’s royal family.”

oh! was that it?

“and his grace announced that he will be holding a jamboree for the king and crown prince the day they arrive.”

oh.

“did he state anything else on that matter?”

annora stayed silent for a few seconds, seemingly in thought.

“as far as i am aware, no, your highness.”

you nodded your head, turning your back to her and grasping the tome in your hands once again.

“very well. i will make my choice later today. thank you for informing me.”

despite your inability to see her movements, annora curtsied once more and took her leave.

they would reach the blackwater bay tomorrow if your calculations were correct, that is. which meant you had little time to prepare. both mentally and physically.

you continued with your reading, your mind preoccupied, causing you to feel as if the letters were moving of their own accord.

seems like today is not the day for reading.

“are you thrilled by the news, my dear sister?”

aegon chuckled, awaiting your reply, while sipping his dornish red wine.

you were currently attending the wonted supper, chewing the roasted carrots you opted for tonight.

aemond’s snicker only doubled your vexation. the loud clang of your silver fork against the rim of your plate silenced the two men, turning their attention to you.

you quickly turned your head towards the younger of the two, the sneer in your tone sharp like valyrian steel.

“what is so amusing to you, little brother?”

“children! do not spoil our family gathering!”

it was clear your father was weary of your bickering. his only desire was for his children to behave well and at least tolerate each other.

silence draped over the room like a velvet curtain, muffling even the clinking of the silverware.

you felt aemond’s stoic glare following your movements. as you looked at him, your eyes shivered with a mixture of anger and indignation. you never understood his ferocity, nor his motives.

your chair emitted a prolonged screeching noise as it dragged against the floor.

“i will take my leave now, father. i must prepare for tomorrow.”

you swiftly curtsied, giving your brothers a sidelong glance.

your father’s calls of your name went unanswered, and after the doors closed behind you, you bolted for your chambers, enervated from today’s circumstances, dreading tomorrow’s arrival.

after the princess awoke from her deep slumber, she lay motionless in her tangled sheets, eyes tightly closed and mind ground on the troubling events that were to occur. she did not know what to expect from the future, and the unknown rooted fear deep in her heart.

a pound startled aerea, making her slightly jump up from her position.

“your highness, are you awake?”

lisa’s head peeked out from the ajar door, a sigh escaping aerea’s lips.

the princess’s lady-in-waiting walked to her bed and sat next to aerea’s dainty figure. taking your warm hands in her own, lisa held them softly, her lips quirking into a warm smile. she sensed your unrest, knowing you like the back of her hand.

“i have always been fascinated by your strength. remember when the king forbade you to ride syrax, because of her fierce nature? nonetheless, you sneaked into the dragon’s pit and rode her for hours in that summer storm.”

you chuckled at the memory of your troubled adolescence.

“you possess a great strength of will, rea. you are a dragon. do not forget that.”

with renewed vigour, you took in lisa’s hands in your own, a gentle smile budding on your lips.

“i will not. i promise.”

your friend embraced you in a soothing hug, making you realise the immense pain you will suffer when you depart from each other. perhaps, you should take her with you?

“now! you should eat your first meal of the day and start the preparations.”

“chop-chop! we do not have much time.”

laughing at her antics, you untangle yourself from the silky white sheets and rise to your feet.

“i will have your breakfast served here, your highness. i will be back shortly.”

lisa turned on her heel towards the door but briskly changed her mind. she spun in your direction and pointed her finger at you.

“and i better not see you in your bed when i return.”

“is this a threat, lady massey?”

you could not help the smirk that lifted the edges of your mouth and barely held in your laughter.

“take it as you will, princess.”

and with that, she was out of your chambers, leaving you to wash yourself before breakfast came.

shortly after you ate your meal, countless maids entered your bedroom to perform their duty of catering to your needs.

first and foremost, they styled your hair in a traditional targaryen coiffure. they deemed it fit to put some pink powder on your pale skin in hopes of bringing some colour to your face. afterwards, the servants kindly helped you get in your red gown, the long transparent veil sweeping around your figure on the stone flooring. the dress fit you like a glove, the material was soft to the touch, and the added royal jewellery was a sure indication of your status.

“you look divine, your highness.”

hearing lisa’s feathery voice, you turned to see that the two of you were left alone in the room. you hadn’t realised the absence of the other maids. surely, you were out of your head.

your lips stretched into a thin smile.

“thank you, lisa.”

the girl walked to you and embraced you in a solemn hug. she knew you too well for her not to see through your facade. you felt uneasy, and anyone with eyes to see would detect it immediately.

her soft lips pecked you gently on your forehead. you closed your eyes for a moment, grateful that you were gifted with such a precious companion.

“i will leave you now. we will see each other after the celebration. yes?”

you mindlessly hummed in reply, letting go of lisa’s warm hand and saying your goodbyes.

exhaling softly, aerea observed her reflection in the gold-framed mirror.

i look…adequate.

shaking her head, she turned away and stepped to the door, ready to open it.

it is not my duty to be pleasing to the eyes of men.

the guards stationed on the other side of the doorway escorted you to the royal carriage, which was to take you to the port of blackwater bay.

the king was already waiting for his daughter inside, his brows furrowed deeply, his aggravation evident.

sitting next to your father, you queried the matter, which had put him in a temper.

“your brothers decided to stay in the red keep and welcome our dear guests there.”

in reply, you huffed out a short laugh. scanning the streets of king’s landing through the small window, you started picking at the skin around your fingernails. a habit you should have rooted out long ago.

“i am not even the slightest bit surprised by their insolence.”

your father’s silence troubled you, but the road to the bay was short, and you had to ground yourself before you had to step out of this enclosure.

before you realised it, the horse’s trotting halted, signalling your arrival.

your father exited the carriage, you taking your turn after him. he extended his hand to help you down the little steps, you lifting your gown with your left fist.

two maids and a great many white cloaks stood in front of you, waiting to serve you.

the servants took your long veil in their hands, lifting it over the dirty ground.

next to your father’s side, you sauntered towards the port.

your eyes skimmed the horizon, quickly noticing the huge ship sailing your way. an enormous flag danced in the wind, a head of an open-mouthed wolf with its sharp teeth showing.

any moment now, they will throw the anchor and set foot on westeros land.

you stilled your breath; the crew of the royal ship secured the gangplank to the dock.

multiple guards went ashore, moving in formations with their black cloaks fluttering in the breeze.

you held your composure well, not even the slightest shift was evident on your face.

the king of ulthos walked down the railway, his dark royal uniform shining under the sunlight.

your father shook hands with the man as if with an old friend.

your attention was drawn by the other figure setting foot on your land.

so this must be the crown prince.

the tall, pale man stood to his father’s right side, not daring to make eye contact with you.

“welcome to westeros, king jihoon.”

the waves of the calm sea kept crashing against the shore, the laughing gulls flying above the azure waters.

“it is a pleasure, king daeron.”

aerea glanced at the outlandish man, fortuitously meeting his slanted eyes.

daeron turned to his offspring, smiling affirmatively at her.

“my daughter and heir, princess aerea.”

the girl felt stupefied by her father’s proclamation, clearly befuddled at the newly appointed position.

heir? what is the meaning of this?

aerea stepped forward, bowing to the royalty before her.

“it is an honour, your grace.”

king jihoon laughed heartily, taking rea’s arm in his cold hands, making her stand up from the uncomfortable stance she was in.

“there is no need for such acts, princess.”

fixing her posture, she smiled restlessly, a hard line around her lips.

do they not show respect in ulthos? what kind of customs do they have there?

the man turned his head to the right, signalling his son to come to the fore.

“my son, sunghoon. the future king of ulthos.”

this time, you took your time basking in his appearance.

well, he is charming at the very least.

you started your inspection from his raven-dark hair, a few strands falling gently on his forehead, continued to his full eyebrows that framed his face so beautifully, then…

he was already looking at you, a triumphant smirk playing at the corners of his luscious lips.

clearing your throat, your right eyebrow twitched; you were absolutely astonished by your foolish mistake.

first meeting, and i already let myself feed his ego.

sunghoon showed his respect to you and your father and returned by his father’s side.

“now, it is time to celebrate your arrival. i have prepared a wonderful surprise, king jihoon.”

“splendid! lead the way, your grace!”

when the royal carriages arrived at the red keep, the small council greeted the king and crown prince of ulthos, your half-brothers present with them.

the feast was about to begin in the gardens of the castle, lords from all of westeros coming to see the outlandish royals and fill their bellies.

you did not think the time to speak with your father was right, adjourning the matter for later.

men filled their mouths with arbor gold wine and dined on duck sausages, while their wives gossiped and indulged in lemon cakes.

you stood near a small table, surrounded by ladies of some of the major houses in the kingdom, not bothering to listen to their witless conversations. until one part of it caught your full attention.

“don’t you think the crown prince is ravishing to look at? he looks quite exotic to me.”

a prolonged series of giggles erupted, causing you to finally join in.

“elaborate on exotic, lady redwyne?”

the blonde-haired woman was stunned by your defensive tone, stammering while replying.

“i did not mean any…offence, your highness.”

you hummed, fixing your gaze on sunghoon’s figure on the opposite side, chattering with a young man, you presumed from his kingdom.

“i am sure you did not. just…wrong choice of words.”

you looked at the young lady, an epitome of vanity standing right in front of you, your intimidating stare making her clench her jaw. you waited for a retort; however, not even a sound could be heard from the gossipmonger.

the tension around the group was evident, prompting you to go somewhere else, where you wouldn’t obstruct their palaver.

“if you excuse me.”

taking your leave, you ambled towards the rosarium. you doubted anyone was there, which meant you would have a moment of solitude.

right then, king daeron seized the moment by raising his glass, gathering the attention of the lords and ladies. everyone stood in silence to hear the king’s toast.

“everyone…we are assembled here today to celebrate events that will change the trajectory of our history. my daughter…”

his chalice was pointed in your direction, heads turned to you, the prime subject of everyone’s heed.

“my daughter and crown prince sunghoon, future king of ulthos are to marry and form an union that will bring our two kingdoms closer together. princess rhaenyra will rule the seven kingdoms and ulthos as the rightful queen of the iron throne alongside prince sunghoon!”

a string of awes and clapping followed, confusion and revelation swirling in your mind. your smile was uncertain; inside, your thoughts were filled with fear and raw emotions; you were unable to demonstrate at the moment.

as you looked up, you saw the two graces embracing each other in a celebratory clasp; sunghoon stood beside them as if waiting for you to make a move.

you beamed at the gentlefolk, all of whom gave you their best wishes.

your father could not see you among the crowd, worry starting to gnaw at him.

unluckily for you, sunghoon saw where you were going just when you turned on your heel and fled the celebration.

the princess was sat on a settee in the rosarium, looking into the abyss that was the now dark sky. she did not catch the approaching footsteps of her fiancé, too deep in thought.

“got startled?”

a gasp left her mouth; she yanked her head in the direction of the unfamiliar deep voice, not even supposing who it belonged to.

aerea straightened herself, clearing her parched throat.

“excuse me?”

sunghoon chuckled at her reply, stepping a bit closer to her figure.

“you chose the wrong moment to run away, princess.”

she sensed his haughty tone, crossing her hands in front of her chest in a defensive mode.

definitely not a good second impression, given he was dead silent earlier today.

“and why is that, prince sunghoon?”

his name felt foreign on her tongue, a bitter feeling creeping up her body.

“that is a silly question.”

“are you insulting me?”

rea didn’t remember him being so close to her, just an arm’s distance away. it seems she was so caught up in the argument, she didn’t feel herself inching closer to him.

should i just slap him? put him in his place and show him that no man can talk to me with that tone?

no! aggression is never the answer, aerea.

he was enjoying himself so much, he couldn’t help the smirk lurking on his lips.

“i never meant to insult you.”

sighing, sunghoon looked around the garden you were in, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“i am afraid we didn’t start on the best terms. it would be better for us to be cooperative. don’t you agree, your highness?”

you gazed to your side, thinking for a short moment.

he is right. but how do i agree without seeming submissive?

while you were fighting your internal battle, sunghoon took his time eyeing you from head to toe. you were beautiful; there was no denying it. but your attitude was quite…aggravating. that would be a hindrance for him.

“there is some truth behind your words… if we want for this marriage to be, uh...fortunate, we should be on speaking terms. at least?”

speaking terms? is that what she wants?

sunghoon ran a hand through his face, clearly perplexed by your words.

you huffed, his demonstrations offending you more than you liked.

he looked you dead in the eyes, no emotion behind them except maybe for a speck of annoyance.

“as you wish.”

you nodded your head and returned to your seat, expecting him to go away and leave you alone so you could curse him under your breath all you want. but he stood rooted to his place, huffing out a breath.

“how long are you going to stay here?”

“however much i want.”

your tone was sharp, teetering his mere vexation to infuriation.

he stood before you, extending his hand.

“come. we must return together.”

you gazed up to see some kind of tenderness in his look.

without a word, you grasped his much larger hand, a shiver running through your spine.

his skin is so cold.

standing up, you hooked your arm around his, your head on a level with his shoulder.

with your fiancé by your side, you were ready to return to the hawks that were the lords and ladies of the seven kingdoms.

[doogieverse]

Sonic Classpects <3

I designed them to be a twelve player session because I thought that was more fun :-) I didn't necessarily keep gender specific classes/aspects in mind. Do, however, keep in mind that classpects aren't always a one-to-one with characters' personalities. Sometimes, they're roles that they have to come into, or accept.

Also, if anyone draws them in their godtier outfits I will be eternally grateful. Sonic: Heir of Hope Sonic is a symbol of hope; whether he realizes it or not, his actions carry weight. That means that although overall he inspires a positive change— bringing hope to others— if he makes a mistake, it brings despair instead. In this regard, Sonic is hope personified.

Tails: Mage of Light Tails uses knowledge as a weapon, sometimes to his detriment. He's often given seemingly impossible quests, with not much time to complete them. You could argue that he's cursed to be the brains in a team full of brawns. That being said, he seeks out knowledge like a moth drawn to a flame; he lives off of it.

Knuckles: Knight of Rage Knuckles's entire purpose is to protect and serve, both his friends and Angel Island. However, rather than being a level-headed knight archetype, Knuckles is a hot-headed warrior, thinking with his fists, rather than his brain. This leads him to have a bit of an anger problem, which can also bring rage to those around him.

Amy: Sylph of Heart Amy is self-absorbed, only in the sense that she believes that what is in her heart is always right. Apart from that, she looks to heal the heavy hearts of those around her, even animals, and complete strangers. She is caring and giving at her best, and volatile and clingy at her worst.

Metal Sonic: Page of Doom Metal Sonic was built to be a harbinger of doom, and continues to do so of his own volition. He has great potential, but is held back by his own insecurities— which can mean he was programmed with limitations, or that he has a more human side that conflicts with his programming. Because of this, he becomes doomed himself, in an infinite cycle of being destroyed and rebuilt.

Shadow: Prince of Blood Shadow is driven by his bonds, whether it's to his friends or enemies, and those in the past or those in the future. He uses these relationships as excuses to wreak havoc. Therefore, he can be seen as selfish, whether his cause is noble or not. In truth, Shadow is more stubborn than anything. Though he defines himself by his relationships, he is often misunderstood.

Rouge: Thief of Space Rouge is incredibly patient and adaptable, traits that are imparative for a jewel thief. Her passion is taking things for herself, which may be egocentric by nature, she is known to have good intentions. She is naturally confident when it comes to her abilities, and isn't above using her feminine charm to accomplish her goals.

Blaze: Maid of Mind Blaze is calm and collected, weighing the multitude of options before acting. She also has this effect on others as well, getting them to see her reasoning. She is often rigid, as she's used to making the tough decisions, and carries that burden with responsibility. However, hardships can cause her to act out of character, being paralyzed by choice, or leaving her fiery temper to take over.

Silver: Witch of Time. Silver has been known to manipulate time, both figuratively and literally. While he can time travel with ease, he also has an unwillingness to take things as they are. That being said, he also has a tendency to end up in difficult and dreary situations. He's constantly stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Vector: Rogue of Breath Vector may be a detective, but he doesn't play by the book. He lives as he pleases, being able to slip into the role of leader, bodyguard, comedic relief, etc. However, this can make him hard to pin down. As a detective, he takes others' autonomy by bringing them to justice. This not only helps feed him and his partners, but it also keeps the streets clean.

Espio: Bard of Void Espio is a stealthy character, at first glance, Able to become invisible, he's able to stealthily gain the upper hand on his opponent. However, he also has the innate desire to show off; he's cool and he wants others to know it, even if he acts nonchalant about it. In both ways he destroys void: either by filling it or filling its role.

Charmy: Seer of Life Charmy is the charisma and joy of Team Chaotix. He wants to bring life to his friends by being upbeat and having fun. Though he may be a naïve child, he's still attuned to others' feelings, and desires to empower them best he can. He isn't always great at it, sometimes coming off as annoying and overeager instead.

[gothamite-rambler]

Clark and Diana must've had a field day at Damian's existence

*and the rape part was a second canon that I think was retconned again. comics are weird*

Clark: I'm sorry… You have a child… again?

Bruce: Yes.

Clark: And he's yours… like DNA test, yours?

Bruce took a deep inhale and then sighed.

Bruce: Yes.

Clark: And the kid is also related to Talia Al Ghul?

Bruce: Yep… Yep… I thought the condom wouldn't break.

Clark: I… I… I'm— You thought the what wouldn't break?

Diana (amused): I'm surprised you didn't try the pull-out method with that thought process. You had a child with Talia and he's the new Robin, did I miss anything?

Bruce: No... no. You're about right.

Clark: I'm not sure how to react.

Diana: I got you on this. The dark knight, master detective, stoic emo billionaire had a child with one of your arch-enemies? The one you said you'd never have relations with again?

Bruce: …Yep.

Diana nodded and pointed at Bruce, laughing accordingly. The man covered his face, embarrassed.

Clark: Ignore her. You said you weren't even aware he was… alive. That there was a being that shares your DNA? You have plans that can defeat us, but you never thought to check in on the woman you slept with eight years ago?

Diana laughed harder, falling out of her seat in hysterics. Clark shook his head.

Bruce: Okay, at first I was aware she was pregnant, and then she said she lost the baby, so… I never called her about that. You can stop laughing, Diana!

Diana: I can't stop! This is too funny! It’s funnier than when Hermes tricked Zeus into drinking fermented wine. I can't breathe! Wait, wait— when Zeus found out about his child…

Clark (jokingly): Which one?

Bruce: I wasn’t aware he existed! I didn’t know the child I had with a crazy woman was around! Can she not laugh at me? I’m now linked to Ra's Al Ghul! This is a lot for me! Can you show me some pity?

Clark and Diana: No!

Bruce: Why are you judging me?!

Clark: Because you look hypocritical in the funniest way possible.

Diana: Exactly! You had a kid from a booty call. Wait, wait, serious time.

Diana got back in her seat and cleared her throat.

Diana: It was consensual, correct?

Bruce: Yes.

Diana: And you used a condom from where?

Bruce: …A gas station.

Diana: And you thought it would do the job? A gas station condom?

Bruce: I was hoping it would, or at the very least she'd have protection. I didn't know she wanted kids!

Diana (chuckling): You thought the woman who's been wanting to marry you for years wouldn't want kids?!

Clark (laughing): We listen and we judge!

Bruce: I hate you both. Stop judging me. I'm the Dark Knight.

Bruce covered his face, groaning.

Clark: We're just messing with you. I, for one, am happy you took the kid in. I imagine being raised around the Ghuls wasn't great… or safe.

Bruce: Um… okay, he wasn't just raised around them… Jason helped babysit him. He’s known for eight years.

Clark and Diana (mocking him): We listen and we judge!

Diana burst into laughter again.

Diana: I knew there was a reason I like him!

Clark: I'm pretty sure she's happy for you too. Just the—

Bruce (mortified): Yeah, the situation is humorous because it's at my expense and ironic that I fumbled like that. I'm going to be dealing with this a lot now. I do love him, though. He's a cute kid… He's neat, like all my other sons.

Clark: Aww, that's sweet and reassuring, honestly. A rich white man with a baby from a booty call usually doesn’t go well.

Bruce: The fact I know that's true really says something, but thank you for the compliment.

[inkabelledesigns]

So the other night, some gal pals and I started watching Kirby: Right Back at Ya! together, and I have to say, I'm an instant fan. I've never seen this show before, save for a couple of clips that have crossed my feed in years past. It has no right to be as funny as it is. Like, oh my gosh, I haven't gone back and watched an early 2000s cartoon in a long time. This is very of its time in terms of the humor and style, and I find that charming. Like, the first episode just opens up with the murder of a flock of sheep??? Hello??? I knew this was gonna be good the moment we got into it. X'''D The characters are incredibly charming, the voice work is fun, the Dedede vs Kirby dynamic is such a delight, I love it. Bro really is just full force bullying a toddler, I can't even with this penguin. X'''D

I wanted to take a look at the English dub, because I've heard many good things about the voice acting for Meta Knight, and holy cannoli, I was not disappointed. I love all the knights, they sound great, but Meta in particular is FANTASTIC. I love him, so much, that's my little guy. Probably my second favorite voice for him next to his Super Smash Brothers Brawl incarnation. X'''D Like, I'm not the most knowledgeable, but I am a voice acting nerd for things I like, so reading the credits was a lot of fun. Like, I immediately picked up on Mike Pollock being the mayor, and it was delightful. Dr. Eggman what are you doing here???? X'''D Because that's my context, most actors I'm gonna recognize are people I know of because I'm a long time Sonic fan. And it makes sense for them to be in this given the time period and what a lot of the Sonic X actors were getting cast in at 4Kids.

But NOTHING could have prepared me for Dan Green as Customer Service. First of all, Customer Service as a character is amazing, I am enamored of him. Like that is not a character design you expect in a show about Kirby, but he's fantastic, I love his facial structure so much. Dan Green voicing him is the cherry on top. It's bananas to me that the guy that voiced Knuckles and Yugi can sound like that. I saw his name in the credits and genuinely had to look it up, because I wasn't sure who he played. Dan Green, I adore you, oh my gosh. X'''D Like, I know voice actors have range, I know we're powerful and can sound like so many different things, but that hasn't stopped amazing me, y'know? There's something magical in that.

I'm only three episodes in, but I'm eager to come back to it. Consider me a fan. XD I mean I expected this would happen, the same friend who wanted to watch this is the one who sucked me into messing around with Kirby in general, and I gotta say, no regrets. Most Kirby fans I've met are awesome and incredibly kind, I think this might be a space I can vibe with.

[liviavanrouge]

Knight of Thorns

Name: Sylvester Thornton

Nicknames:

-Old friend, Vester, Thorn Knight, Knight of Thorns(By Lilia)

-Brat, Young man, Old friend(By Baul)

-Knight of Thorns(By others)

Twisted From: Partially from Maleficents Thorns(Livia's other half)

Birthday: Janurary 10th

Age: 699

Species: Nature Fae

Homeland: Valley of Thorns

---------

Family:

-Lilia(Found Brother)

-Baul(Found Brother)

-Ravern(Found Brother)

-Ambert(Found Brother)

-Duke(Found Brother)

-Vicko(Found Brother)

-Cobra(Found Brother)

-Maleanor(Found Sister)

-Thea(Found Sister)

-Arian(Found Brother)

-Livia("Niece")

-Silver("Nephew")

---------

Hobbies: Making stories out of his thorns

Pet Peeves: Slow walkers

Favorite Food: Pretzel Dogs

Least Favorite Food: Tomato Juice

~~~~

Dominant Hand: Right

Height: 7'1

Rank: Soldier under Maleanor(Formerly), Livia's Bodyguard(Alongside Kalix)

---------

Personality: Sylvester is a quiet man who follows orders given to him without a fuss. He holds a great dislike of humans thanks to the Human and Fae war but doesn't see all humans as the same, willing to give any a chance if they prove themselves trustworthy. As a soldier under Lilia, he showed a bit of rebellion with him, not finding him worthy enough to work under despite Maleanor's orders to follow the general without a fuss.

He holds no mercy for those who decide to hurt those close to him and ends up snapping to attack said person or thing until they're eliminated, only stopping if one of his close aides get between him and his target.

He's soft with those younger than him and treats the young like they should be treated, with respect and diligence since they're fragile and can easily be swayed by things. Sylvester is a firm believer of Innocent until proven guilty, which in his line of duty has saved multiple lives from the faes and in turn granted him more respect among his homeland. Despite that, Sylvester is still cold and firm with those who are seen as guilty until its proven true or false.

He mellowed out as the years flew by and started helping out around the Valley of Thorns, taking care of the elderly and children before he was assigned by Queen Maleficia to watch over Livia Vanrouge as the girls personal guard alongside Kalix. He's loyal to Livia, being gentle with her and making sure she's alright. Later had been revealed to learn a lot from her before she went to NRC accidentally.

~~~~

Unique Magic

Sylvester's UM was revealed in Ch 7 when he helped Ortho, his spell being revealed to have been named "Thorn Webs" where it grants Sylvester the ability to manipulate others thorns into a cage or another type of restraining object.

Later it was revealed that the thorns have to be magicked by someone like Malleus or Livia or else the UM will backfire.

~~~~

Trivia:

-Sylvester is a year younger than Lilia

-Livia states that Sylvester always carries her whenever they're together because he doesn't want her feet to hurt

-Sylvester is able to absorb lightning strikes, which is why Maleanor never bothered to strike him with any

-He has a fascination with ladybugs and always Stares at them even if he's doing something

[vulturereyy]

Sorry this is going to get rambly, but I very much agree on the last one! Though mostly just for my personal tastes in general. I've not been around long enough to see any real shipping like that but I do think they had A Thing. But also the trait of putting duty so high on one's list that it would overshadow the ruler they follow is something I hold near and dear to my heart. My D&D character, Sorbet (she's my pfp) very nearly fought and put down a party member because she fully believed what they wanted to do would put the immediate kingdom in danger, another character has committed multiple acts of high treason against the various organizations they've served, and in their most recent place straight up told their leader 'I am swearing my oaths to the March, and to it's people, not once to you.' and told him the moment he starts going astray from what is best for the March, they will not hesitate to be the first to root out any corruption. So that is more than likely going to bleed over more than it already has for me if I keep drawing bug angst ough I go back and forth on in my personal interpretation if Lurien was that way before, or became that way after seeing the Pale King fail in such a spectacularly cruel way, for the first time. I mean up until the infection I imagine things went pretty good. I don't think he would have ever had to question his loyalty or his King's judgement (even if he did give it solid thought and didn't follow blindly), until... You know. Everything goes to hell in a handbasket. But that is one of my favorite tropes ever to the point that my hc Hegemol already has it and if he ever finds PK after he awakens from the infection he is going to [double mask damage sound]

you (handshake) me intensely liking characters with next to zero lore (though that's. Many characters in hk I am learning LMAO) Well now I have to ask about Lurien after that tag haha, same numbers? I won't get offended if something you dislike is something I do either, just curious since I'm new and haven't quite seen all the interpretations :)

LOL yeah if your favorite character isnt literally the hollow knight you might as well start taking hcs as canon cuz thats all youre gonna get, anyway

5- i guess how much he wanted to believe that pk’s plan would work. i dont think he actually thought it would, but he wanted a solution… that getting into hc territory though lol, there aint much on this guy either

12- not very much. from everything ive seen, people either characterize him in a way i hate or dont care about him haha

13- ugh. i hate when people make his only trait being in love with pk, like the guy literally watched over the entire capitol city?? he had other things going on in his life. in his journal he writes that he became a dreamer to protect the city, not because of anything to do with pk.

[swans-chirping-in-the-distance]

Fate Is Inevitable

Fate,

It knew it was stronger than I.

You were a self-fulfilled prophecy,

But I couldn't let you die.

Is

Saving you a purposeless chase?

Did you know it was hopeless, my friend?

Did I miss that on your face?

Inevitable

Forces are destined to condemn.

I was supposed to stand by your side.

Now you will be lost to them

Because I couldn't save you

Because I should've saved you

Because I would've saved you

But I couldn't save you.

[kaurwreck]

not to be too achingly literal or to transpose rodya over bsd!fyodor's ivan, but i will bear kafka asagiri a child for him to strap explosives to as his heart demands if we learn that when fyodor looks at aya, he sees sonya.

[katyspersonal]

What's your interpretation that the left hand of cleric beast is much bigger that the right?🤔

Well, like I've pointed out before, the only explanation I am seeing is blood ministration being done on the left arm!

However, this might get a little more interesting with the Cleric Beasts, because Emilia is also one, yet her arms are symmetrical!

My closest guess to why it happened is because of something Healing Church has been known to do with female bodies. Namely - do some sort of surgery/manipulation/operation on them in order to change their blood type into 'holy blood' one, which they are able to share with the hunters!

English localization team had to use term "groomed" instead of whatever this actually says, and this is definitely going into top 10 of my biggest headaches with mistranslations! As you can see from the Japanese script retranslation ( x ), the meaning is more literal, implying a procedure. I always felt like it would be a surgery on bone marrow, since this is where blood cells are produced, and doctors in Bloodborne could have learned to alter them into having impossible type of blood!

So, as a female cleric, Amelia might have had her first communion with the holy blood as a Blood Saint, instead of generic blood ministration treatment like apparently everyone else has!

I am still not sure why female staff specifically was the Blood Saints, since apparently blood vials are not menstrual blood, as we can learn thanks to Adeline:

Maybe it could have something to do with menstrual cycle, though, because of the whole cycle of moon vs menstrual cycle thing, and Laurence being affiliated with Moon Presence, and then Micolash also stealing his swag and basing his own institution on:

I'd say this is either some sort of deeply rooted superstition within the setting, or in fact, yes, the holy blood links to the Great Ones who put HELLA importance on blood and birth, so being biologically female is crucial for that link to take intended effects.

Ludwig is an interesting case, though! He was SUPPOSED to have blood ministration too, like Laurence or Cleric Beast of the Bridge! Why would not the first Healing Church hunter and the HEAD of their hunters do something so crucial? Especially since Cleric Beast of the Bridge drops the Sword Badge with which you buy Hunter Chief Emblem, implying that this beast is currently what Ludwig used to be? But his left arm is not bigger. In fact, it is even smaller. So I am trying to think of the variants of what had happened here:

1) Ludwig somehow merged with an actual horse, so his anatomy is simply no longer judged through the same lense

2) Ludwig is a leftie, and this is where he holds his Holy Moonlight Sword, so its effect would be a "remedy" for possible arm deformations

3) Ludwig is not a simple beast, but the one with a lot of Kin features, so his anatomy is simply no longer judged through the same lense (+horses are primarily herbivores, and Kin is associated with the flora in the setting, so maybe that's why he went horsegirl mode instead of getting something weak like antlers lol)

4) Ludwig is trans and actually was the first to get Blood Saint treatment rather than regular blood ministration (+we take Adeline's blood from her right arm, and notice that his right arm is a little bigger)

5) Ludwig is a cis man and was the first biological male who attempted to receive Blood Saint treatment instead of regular blood ministration, but that didn't take the intended effect because the gods Be Like That in the setting + his unusual visions and mutation might be the side effect of that and that's why Healing Church stopped doing that with male organisms. Basically, if a male attempts becoming a living factory for the holy blood, it will go "wrong".

6) Combinations of the above points

.....Okay, that went a little unfocused from the initial topic, but you see my points here! Thank you for the ask!

_________________

Bonus ideas:

- Whereas Ludwig is holding the Holy Moonlight Sword in his left hand, Amelia also is grasping the Gold Pendant in her left hand. So maybe nothing was special about her, but holding a special item in the "effected" hand will remedy the asymmetry effect, and had Amelia not been doing that all the time, she'd be asymmetrical too?

- Amelia using recolored model for Bell-Ringing Woman for her appearance might be not accidental, but a fuel for the headcanon that she has Pthumerian blood too, and Pthumerians might simply evolve differently, or traditionally have different way they' go for the blood communition. Off the top of my head, look at Loran Clerics having same sized arms:

Basically, I can answer why Cleric Beasts and the huntsmen have asymmetrical arms, but not why people like Emilia and Ludwig broke the trend despite being the first in line to have blood ministration normally... Because I just have too many ideas, and my preference usually falls towards the most logical ones, but when there are equally logical ideas I become helpless :')

[red-dragon-archfiend]

Kirby Star Allies is one of, if not my absolute favorite Kirby games, and I recognize while it's on paper one of the weaker entries in the core series, it appeals to me personally on multiple levels and I think I should revisit it more

[reanimatestar]

quick sketch of my best friends clark kent and superman

[image description: two pencil portraits of clark kent (also known as superman) from dc. the first drawing is him as clark kent while the second is him as superman. he is smiling in both portraits. /end description]

[girl-lostconnection]

A little addition to this. Shout out to @sundaescreamcheese because they’ve guessed right.

Warnings: Banished knight!Ghost x Witch!Reader x Bloodhound knight Soap, Elden Ring AU, Johnny is a bit of a dog, possessive behaviour, suggestive themes, smut at the end, biting

“Hail, witch”, gruff low voice would have startled you if your wards didn’t tense the moment he stepped onto your territory.

You don’t know what he’s doing here, this deep in the woods, this far from his usual duties and this far from Stormveil Castle.

But you aren’t going to be rude to the man in full armour, with a sword taller than you.

If whatever he seeks can be found without much hassle and he could get off your territory that would be great.

“Hail, knight”, you muse back, careful distance from him. Your wards won’t let him step much closer to the cottage, not unless you specifically grant him entrance and for now…for now you aren’t sure you should.

The man looks at you — someone’s skull now adoring the front of his helmet, his horse a menacing thing that huffs out cold air in agitation. Yeah, it’s no easy journey to get here.

That’s why you live here.

The man in front of you is tall and absolutely huge, more monster than a knight. Makes you wonder what happened for someone like him to become Banished.

What brought him to your doorstep.

You sigh, a little grateful that Johnny is too busy fussing over chickens in the backyard because gods know he can’t stand strangers. Even more than you so.

“You seek refuge or favour?”, you tilt your head to the side, eager to get rid of him faster. Johnny may not be able to run like he did before but he’s still one very good Bloodhound. You don’t have much time until he will stalk outside to see what’s going on in front of your house.

(The previous visitor that had a gall to grab your hand before leaving was hunted down by Johnny. Hunted down and brought back, the hand that gripped you resting on the first step of your porch)

Banished knight looks at you for a few very long moments but if sensing your agitation, gets off his horse — landing on his feet with grace, that sends shivers down your spine.

He’s not just big.

He’s in a very good control of his body and he’s very aware of his size.

He’s dangerous.

Your wards tense up, not letting him through when he steps forward and he freezes as if he forgot about them. Though who knows, maybe he did forget.

Knights did have tendency to feel like they are owed entrance wherever they go, perhaps this one is no different.

“I need to find another knight. Bloodhound”, his voice is low, muffled by the helmet he doesn’t take off — dark eyes boring into you, staring you down from the high of his height.

Your brows furrow at the strange request, heart thumping faster. There’s only one knight who has been around these parts of the woods.

And he’s no longer Bloodhound. You are not giving him back. You are not going to let anyone take him away and rip him off everything you and time out here have been slowly restoring.

“I can’t help you”, you voice sharp, unusually so and Banished knight tilts his whole body forward as if trying to press himself through the wards, his fingers curling and uncurling — leather of his glove creaking.

“I don’t need much, witch. Just tell me where he went. And I will leave”, Banished presses further, shoulders tense and voice curling around your throat like a grip.

He takes a breathe before stepping back, raising his hands in half-hearted placating gesture.

“I mean no harm. I can pay if you need. Just tell me if you saw him”, he sounds almost gentle, head tilting down so he can look in your eyes without you having to crane your neck at him. “I’m…a friend”, he adds reluctantly, like he needs to physically tear the words out of himself.

Your brows furrow further and coincidentally Johnny couldn’t find a moment to show up better than now, sound of his walking uneven — still a limp to his step.

He rolls out of the house, picture of faux nonchalance, despite the sharp edge to his eyes.

“Hen, you alright? I heard-“, words die on his tongue when he sees the Banished knight, eyes widening. There is a strange kind of hunger in his gaze.

You don’t like it.

Because Banished knight sees Johnny and almost lunges himself in his direction, the only thing stopping him are the tethers of your wards, curling around his throat, forcing him back, forcing him out.

Air smells like ozone, air cracks with pressure, your fingers quickly warming up with a spell because you were right.

This man is dangerous. He saw Johnny.

You can’t let him leave now. He will need to disappear.

But Johnny grips your shoulders and shakes his head, eyes mad and desperate, an anguish to his face that you don’t quite understand.

“Nae, hen. It’s Simon. Don’t”, he breathes out, fingers digging into your skin, eyes boring into yours.

You glance back at Banished knight and he’s sitting on his knees now, tethers forcing him down, still tightly wrapped around his throat.

He’s dangerous. You don’t know him.

But Johnny’s nose presses to your cheek, breathing shuddering and he doesn’t let go of you. He doesn’t pull away until you give him a slow tentative nod.

Your fingers flick, soft popping of tethers letting go audible in the air and Johnny actually lunges himself at the Banished knight, sending them both tumbling in the snow.

Knight holds onto him with such hunger something in you churns uncomfortably. What if he will take Johnny away?

Your fingers warm up with the subconscious desire to push the strange man (Simon, his name is Simon) out. Out of your territory, out of your woods, out of your life.

But Johnny looks genuinely happy to see him so you let it go, just sitting yourself down nearby. You’ll be damned if he gets injured just because you looked away for a second.

But Simon grips Johnny like he’s the lifeline and answer to his prayers. Simon’s palms slide all over Johnny’s body, stroking sides, checking for wounds or tethers (your lips practically curl in snarl when you notice. Who the fuck does he think you are?).

He pauses at Johnny’s bad knee, touch getting more careful, eyes expectant and suddenly on you.

“Old injury”, you tell him for some reason. Not like you actually have to. You don’t owe this man anything, he’s unwelcome guest in your home. “I did what I could. If I found him later, he’d probably be without leg by now. Infection practically ate him alive”

Banished knight holds your eyes for a very long moment and then melts back into Johnny, murmuring something under his breath — too far for you to hear.

Doesn’t matter. The man isn’t staying in your home. He’s dangerous.

You tell that yourself and finally go back into the house to put kettle on. It’s too cold to stay mad out in the open. He’s not staying here anyway, so there’s no need to get too riled up.

He’s not staying but Johnny still shifts his weight from one leg to another in the doorway, Simon looming over his shoulder. They both look like a pair of big, wet from snow dogs.

You look at Johnny unimpressed but he tilts his head to the side, grown out strands of hair falling over his forehead. It should be illegal to be that bloody handsome.

You sigh and gesture for them to get in.

Okay, tea never harmed anyone. You’ll let this man warm up and he’ll be on his way before the sundown.

With or without Johnny.

The thought makes bile rise in your throat but you force it down focusing on the task at hand.

You can’t keep him if he’d want to go and you won’t humiliate yourself with begging him to stay.

But Johnny, so attuned to your moods by now, so used to having you chat for both of you steps closer — hands wrapping around your waist, part of his weight leaning on you to give a break his healthy leg.

“Yer not happy”, he notes, nose pressing to your ear, huffing out air and you can’t help but relax, letting him lean on you. He’s warm, heat rolling off him in waves, seeping through the sweater you made for him. Your head tilts back on his shoulder and he presses a kiss to your neck.

“He’s dangerous”, you muse quietly and ignore the chuckle Simon lets out. Banished knight is now sitting in front of your fireplace, cloak taken off and hanged on the chair to dry out.

Johnny just nods, calloused fingers rubbing idle circles on your solar plexus. It’s a long moment before he speaks again.

“I’m dangerous”, it’s said almost causally, his breath ghosting over your neck and you suppress the urge to roll your eyes.

“It’s different”, you snap back immediately.

Simon huffs behind your back and if Johnny wasn’t leaning on you, you’d have probably thrown something in the man. He’s not going to laugh at you in your own bloody house.

“Simon’s not bad, hen”, Johnny breathes out, tone softer, teeth grazing over sweet spot behind your ear, heat dripping down to your abdomen. Bastard. He knows what he’s doing.

“And Simon is not staying here”, you grumble, pouring herbal blend in three mugs, suppressing the urge to shiver when Johnny bites your neck.

“Hen”, he starts and you already know where it leads, you head shaking quickly.

“No”, you cut him off and nudge him with a shoulder to step back so you can move. “Move, I need to give this Banished his bloody tea”

Johnny grumbles but peels himself off you, less than happy to lose the comfort and warmth your body provides. Less than happy to let you slip out of his grasp.

“He can stay in the barn”, Johnny offers and just grins when you send him a glare. His teeth itch to sink into the nape of your neck, press you into the bed, lick the fight and agitation out of you, make you soft and pliant.

“I said no”

“Hen”

“He’s dangerous”

“Hen, have mercy”

Simon watches the way you two bicker, enjoying that none of you even noticed he took the helmet off to drink the tea you placed on the table with more force than necessary, some of it trickling down the rims of the mug.

Simon huffs out a dry chuckle when Johnny tries to pull you back into his hands and you sidestep, smacking his hands away. Leaving Bloodhound almost pouting.

“Cruel”, he complains to Simon, hands crossing over his chest. But despite everything…Johnny looks good. Better than Simon remembers him.

He’s wider now, there is bulk to him that Bloodhound Knight Johnny didn’t have. His eyes are brighter.

He is talking.

Simon didn’t even know Johnny could fucking talk, thought all Bloodhounds are mute. Courtesy of the profession.

“I understand you want to sleep with your Banished in the barn today?”, the witch arches their brow at Johnny and groans when his eyes light up.

Like a bloody dog catching the whiff of blood on the hunt. Old habits die hard, evidently.

“You can stay”, Johnny announces to Simon like it’s his personal victory, like he brought his master a good game after the hunt and is waiting to get his ear scratched.

His grin so wide it’s a miracle his face doesn’t crack. Witch rolls their eyes but Simon sees the way their lips twitch.

Seems not only he has a soft spot for Johnny.

Maybe it should’ve made him feel uneasy but if anything he feels satisfied, like something finally clicked in place. Puzzle finally unlocking in his hands, showing him the reward.

Simon tilts his head to the side, scar crossing his lips stretching when he smiles down at you.

Yeah, he’s staying.

A day turns into a couple days and then into two whole weeks because of the blizzard, Simon pushing further and further.

Eyes heavy and dark when he’d catch a glimpse of your throat or Johnny’s bites — purple bruises on your neck, soft creaking of the bed upstairs whenever it happened.

Simon doesn’t tell you that he moved from barn to the cot in the kitchen and you pretend that you don’t know he’s been sleeping there for the last week.

Simon pretends in return that he doesn’t strain his ears, catching the smallest sounds Johnny tears out of you. That he doesn’t lean on the cold wall of the kitchen, thighs spread wide, his eyes closed. That his hand doesn’t find its way to touch himself, stroking at almost lazy pace.

After all, Johnny is not starving Simon of little love here and there, eyes electric blue, mouth slick on the inner side of Simon’s thighs — your taste still on his lips.

Simon worms himself into your life and starts moving bloody furniture so he can position himself more comfortably, clicking his tongue when you hiss at him — tilting his head at you the same way a heavyweight horse would at the farm’s cat.

His fingers catch your jaw when you grumble that he rearranges your kitchen again, his lips pressing to yours.

You take a step back just to feel Johnny’s warm chest pressing into you, breathing heavier than usually, hands wrapping around you.

Simon angles your face so he can slip his tongue in your mouth, groaning appreciatively when you let him in. When you tilt your head up, allowing his fingers to curl over your neck.

Here we go. Finally.

Simon licks your lower lip, finally pulling away and reaches for Johnny just to give him a kiss just as wet, now grinning like a well-fed creature. Satisfaction dripping out his every pore.

Johnny nuzzles into your hair, breathing out a low “think Simon can sleep with us now, hen?” and you just nod. Your legs jelly that don’t hold you properly, head stuffed with cotton, skin tingling from the heat of their stares.

That’s…an unexpected turn. You were ready for Simon to leave. You were ready for Johnny to leave with him.

But this…this is a surprise.

Simon presses a short kiss to your forehead and walks away to feed the livestock. There’s a new spring to his step, as if something just depressurised his spine, letting him grow a few inches up.

The issue arises only when it’s time to actually sleep because Johnny is insatiable and he refuses to move anywhere from between your thighs, not reacting to anything.

Especially not to Simon walking in.

You feel hot, Johnny’s tongue sending white hot sparkles down your spine, your eyes meeting Simon’s whose pupils blow wide and god, he’s more monster than a knight.

He’s the solide presence when he crawl in bed to pull you into his lap, big palms holding you open for Johnny, fingers sinking in the meat of your thighs.

“Eager today, aren’t we, sweet’eart?”, Simon sucks his own mark in your skin, teeth grazing your throat, his grip on your thighs getting stronger when you make the prettiest needy sound.

Music for his ears.

“It’s okay. Gonna take good care of ya. Gonna take care of both of you”, he practically purrs, sliding his fingers down your body to find the fluttering hole, dipping in it just to marvel at your body swallowing his first knuckle.

Johnny whines, his tongue circling lower, curling around Simon’s fingers, making you choke on your own breathing because too much-too hot-too wet.

Simon presses a kiss to your jaw, grin wicked and dark, stubble on his cheek scratching your skin.

“Be good, luv”, he murmurs, eyes heavy and hungry when Johnny sucks his fingers in, practically gagging on thick digits. “Open up for us”

Johnny bites on the fingers in his mouth before pulling away, dropping back down between your legs, sinking his teeth in the meat of your thigh.

Marking.

Simon smiles wider and adds a second finger, pushing in deeper, cooing in your neck when your hips buckle.

There’s no rush, love. They aren’t going anywhere.

After all, you already let them in. They might as well make themselves at home.

Johnny‘s tongue traces the bite mark on your thigh, his eyes fixed on another one he left on Simon’s knuckles that are currently sinking inside of you. Wet squelching sound sending a heatwave through Johnny’s whole body.

So welcoming to them. So sweet, hen. It would be their pleasure.

[nickmarini]

Ayden’s Build 

TL;DR: Barbarian 1, Druid  2 (Circle of the Stars), Paladin 8 (Oath of the Ancients), and Cleric 9 (Peace Domain). Feats: Squire of Solamnia, Remarkable Recovery, Warcaster, Knight of Crowns, Spelldriver, Tough.

Building Ayden was a joy and a journey. To begin we were told we had 20 levels to work with and stats of 20 across the board. The only thing I knew about Ayden from the session 0 was that he was going to be a Cleric of the Everlight and that I wanted to make him the best support character I could. I also knew that the Dawnfather was aware of the mission briefing and so would have directed his growth to the task at hand. 

Stats of 20 meant multiclassing into any class was possible and that any ability score based bonuses or proficiency based abilities were going to be very good. I figured that with a warlock and a sorcerer we’d have some pretty good counterspelling and 9th level spell access, so I didn’t worry myself about either of those, instead focusing on making sure we all survived. 

The Dawnfather and The Everlight share 2 of 3 Domains. Life and Light. The Everlight’s 3rd domain is Peace. The Peace Domain cleric is an excellent subclass and its 6th level ability, Protective Bond, was something I knew I wanted to build around. The ability to take hits for, and aid, my siblings while teleporting around the battlefield is an excellent support ability and it also lets allies in the bond do the same, fostering sibling unity and cohesion.

With the Dawnfather having Nature as his unique domain separate from the Everlight, and literally sending himself to Exandria to infiltrate a city full of the greatest mages of the age, the Oath of Ancients Paladin seemed like an obvious path. It is the nature Paladin, (his domain) and 7 levels gives you both Aura of Protection and Aura of Warding. This means as Ayden moves through the battlefield with Protective Bond he will be granting allies +5 to saves from his cha as well as resistance to damage from spells. Incredibly good going up against the wizards of Aeor he knew he would encounter. I didn’t want to go to 10 with Paladin because I didn’t want to be immune to frightened. I just felt that fear played too large a role in the reasons the gods were here and although aura of courage is probably my favorite ability going back to 3rd edition, I felt like it wasn’t right for Ayden. He had to fear in order to reinforce his need to hope. 

These two classes were set relatively quickly and then I began looking at how else I was going to build him out. 

I really liked the idea of being able to grant my allies some extra attacks and so I was looking at battle master to get commanders strike and goading attack as well as maneuvering attack to help take hits for and position my allies. Action Surge is also a great ability that could really come in handy if I needed to save someone and needed one extra action to do so. 

I was also looking at the 2nd level Divination Wizard ability Portent. The ability to fully dictate 2 rolls is very powerful in certain circumstances, especially if the numbers are very high or very low.

Both these seemed good but weren’t feeling totally right from a character perspective. They felt too forced.

As I was playing around with these two classes I was also building Aydens backstory. I really liked the idea of him being agriculturally focused, as this aspect of the Dawnfather is actually his youngest. Sun begets days, and thus time and seasons, and as civilization evolves agriculture follows. The fighter levels lent the idea that he has spent some time training under a knight or some such warrior, and I knew that he would eventually find his way to Trist to begin his tutelage and become her cleric. I liked there being these different eras of his life. 

It was around this time that I got an awesome email asking me to describe Ayden visually so that the incredibly talented Hannah Friederichs and Cael Lyons could begin to bring Ayden and the Dawnfather to life. I wanted Ayden to be a simply dressed with a shield he took from his mentor, but no sword for striking. They sent 4 sketches and told me I could mix and match as I desired. Image #1 however was exactly as I had envisioned him. It was the simplest and had this depth to his eyes that told the story of a much older soul in this 15 year old body. It was so perfect that it made me realize I had been going in the totally wrong direction with fighter and wizard. The concepts of nature and agriculture were suddenly staring me in the face. It was not wizard, but druid, and his mentor could have taught him to be a paladin as easily as fighter, but if he is the bringer of agriculture who has he brought it to? A remote tribe still hunting and gathering was the answer. Barbarian therefore replaced fighter. I can’t tell you how influential the sketch I received was. It felt like a bolt of lightning suddenly clarified everything. 

I was for sure cleric 6, Paladin 7 and now looking at druid and barbarian. 

I didn’t know Druid subclasses very well but Circle of the Stars jumped out from the pack just with its name. The Sun after all is a star. When I read its 2nd level abilities Starmap and Starry form it was so obvious. I can cast Guiding Bolt to set up those attacks I wanted to grant, and I can glow instead of wild shape and either heal more or have a massive bonus to maintain the concentration spells I knew I wanted to cast. For the keeper of time to know how to read the stars just felt right. It also feel right that the druids of a tribe that had been hunting and gathering during the tumultuous Calamity would have learned to navigate by the stars, a singular constant in an every changing age. 

Barbarian has a number of interesting subclasses but none felt like they clicked. 1 level of Barbarian though, for a character with 20 dexterity and 20 constitution, catapults your AC to 20 and it also gives you a proficiency in Constitution saving throws if you take it as your first class, again reinforcing those concentration rolls. He was found as a child by this barbarian tribe and his first class is also his first community. Barbarian was the strong foundation I would build upon. 

I was now Cleric 6, Paladin 7, Druid 2, Barbarian 1. Reorganized to be the order Ayden would have taken them in it becomes the following:

Barbarian 1, Druid  2 (Circle of the Stars), Paladin 7 (Oath of the Ancients), and Cleric 6 (Peace Domain)

4 more levels to distribute. As a player who has mostly played 3.5 (I think downfall just about doubled the amount of 5E I have played) feats are my absolute favorite things, so getting to multiples of 4 in class levels to grab some was something I wanted to do (also I didn’t have to worry about ability score increases)! I had already given one feat up by taking barb and druid but I made up for it with the human variant. I also took the Knight of Solamnia background to give me Squire of Solamnia, the prerequisite for Knight of the Crowns which would give me the ability to grant attacks to my allies without needing battle maneuvers. 

So I upped paladin from 7-8 for a feat and then decided to take Cleric from 6-9 because it gave me a feat and access to the spell Dawn. I mean the Dawnfather should be able to cast Dawn after all! 

Now to feats

1) Background: Squire of Solamnia to give me the prerequisite for Knight of the Crowns

2) Human Variant: Remarkable Recovery. I knew I’d be taking extra damage so having 5 extra hp from any healing I get might just be the difference. It also plays into his background. He had to leave the Barbarian tribe he brought agriculture to because his skin could not retain the ceremonial tattoo ink that would have symbolized his initiation into the community. 

3) Cleric 4 Warcaster to get advantage on those concentration checks, that along with proficiency and starry form of the dragon means I need to take 28 damage (56 if it’s a spell) to even have to roll, and when I do I get advantage and proficiency on the check. Getting me to lose concentration is gonna be a task. 

4) Paladin 4 Knight of the Crown getting to grant an attack proficiency times per day combos wonderfully with Starmaps free guiding bolt, conveniently also proficiency times per day. 

5) Cleric 8 Spelldriver I’m gonna be casting a bunch of spells so the ability to cast multiple each turn is going to make my support spells come out much faster. I have a big fam to take care of!

6) Paladin 8 Tough I really went back and forth between this and Inspiring Leader. Granting all my siblings 25 temp hp is amazing but ultimately I decided that as I’d be tanking a bunch of damage I’d need toughness. Toughness gave me 15 more hp than Inspiring leader would have, and I ended up going down to 14 at one point so it was a decision that very much paid off by a single HP! Don’t wanna pop a deathward if you can help it!

Last but not least we were granted 2 magic items. One very rare and one uncommon. For my uncommon I chose a cloak of resistance, a parting gift from the tribe that Ayden could not join. This upped my saves to 11s or 17s and took my AC to 23. For his very rare magic item I took a spellguard shield, inherited from the knight who brought him from the remote tribe to Trist‘s school, giving me advantage on saving throws vs spells and magical effects and inflicting disadvantages on spell effects targeting me. Combine that with resistance to spells from Aura of Warding and that’s a nasty nasty combo v wizards. 

All in all Ayden’s build is an incredibly hard to target tanky support character who can move through the battlefield protecting his allies and being an absolute nightmare for enemy spellcasters. The only thing I really didn’t fully consider was just how much damage he would take from Warding Bond which totally bypasses all those wonderfully crafted defenses. As crazy as it is, I think we barely got to scratch the surface of Aydens full potential and it’s probably good those mages decided to cast spells at everyone else because Ayden was going to be a tough character for a spell caster to crack. The Commanding Rally did get to shine allowing characters who specialized in weapon attacks to get a little extra out of those 20 level commitments. Ayden’s build was crafted to keep his siblings alive and let them shine as bright as possible together. I’m very proud of him!

If you read all this then you’re as nerdy as me and deserve a reward!

[call-me-strega]

Dc x Dp prompt #13: Hell to Pay

They say there are only two things certain in life: death and taxes. That’s why even the Joker doesn’t fuck with the IRS.

However, unfortunately for the Joker the other certainty is death and he has yet to pay his dues. Just like how he could only get away with tax evasion for so long, there are only so many times the Joker can dodge death.

Death is coming to collect, with interest.

And the Joker will have hell to pay.

~ A dark green cloud swirls over the city. From it, emerge three oppressive figures:

The one on the far left with flowing hair like white-hot fire. His vambraces made of (what appeared to be) molten glass stopped under his fingers, which then extend into into claws that seemed to drip lava. He had spiked obsidian pauldrons on his shoulders, fastening a luminous, stark-white cape to his shoulders. He wore a coronet of lightning and wielded a flail that appeared to be made of coal chains and a shrunken Red Giant star.

The second on the far right had a helm of dark iron wreathed in a plume of purple flame. His gauntlets and sword flamed with green hellfire. A pure black sheath seemingly made of void and a silver hunting horn were tied to his waist. He wore an armor forged of shadows and proofed with fear. He rode atop a mighty stead. An inky dark stallion with a curved horn and bat-like wings. His form was constantly slightly shifting depending on the angle which you viewed him making him appear larger and more slippery than he was, enhancing his disquieting nature.

The third stood in the middle, smaller but no less terrifying than her companions. Her hair was wild with movement, only just visible because it appeared as if someone had bound the winds to her head. She wore a tiara made of storm clouds and pearls. She carried with her a spear, the shaft crafted of amazonite and the tip of a clear quartz, almost reminiscent of sea salt. At her hip lay a whip made of a restrained gale and a sea glass knife. She wore armor that appeared to be Greco-Roman in origin: a chest plate made of some sort of coral-like material and a battle skirt decorated with metallic bronze feathers.

They slowly descent on the city, bringing down a sense of power and dread. They paused at the top of Wayne Tower, where the city's vigilantes had all gathered in an attempt to create and feasible plan of action to discern what these beings want. The young woman in the middle speaks and the wind carries her voice. She is not loud but it the whole of Gotham hears her words.

"Greetings, Heroes of Gotham. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Spirit, Princess and Head Diplomat of the Infinite Realms. This is Samhain, the Fright Knight, loyal knight to the king,” she gestured to her right before switching to her left “and this is Prince Wraith, current General in Chief of the Realms. We come to you as the King’s Guard and entourage. We have official business in your city and wish to civilly notify you of our presence. The King will be arriving shortly and your cooperation would be great fully received.”

Batman moved forward to shake her hand and address the situation.

“I’m afraid that we prefer not to have unknowns operating within the city. Would you be able to tell us what business you have here? Perhaps we could reach an agreement?” Batman tried to negotiate as politely as he could. He did not want to risk offending the evidently powerful beings.

Princess Spirit’s smile sharpened as she thrummed her finger against her knife. She spoke again with an unnervingly pleasant tone.

“It appears you do not understand. We are not asking for your permission.” Her grip around his hand tightened. “ We are informing you.” She finished releasing his hand.

Batman withdrew his aching hand and regarded her with the beginnings of a protest on his lips. She didn’t allow him to speak.

“ This is out of your jurisdiction Batman. This is a matter of the Realms and the Afterlife. Whatever worldly rules or morals you wish to impose on those who enter this city do not apply to us. We will do our best to work within them, so as to appease you and to attempt to maintain a friendly relationship but in the macrocosm of the multiverse and afterlives you have no official power over us. Additionally, we have direct permission to operate here however we see fit from the City Spirit herself, Lady Gotham.”

Batman’s shadow seemed to fluctuated. His and his team's shadows moved from beneath them, closer to the Princess. Lady Gotham, though not manifesting, was making her presence and approval known. Batman could not deny what he was seeing. His team shifted uncomfortably behind him. He appealed to her once more.

“ I see that we can’t stop you. We don’t want to get in your way either. Could you at least tell us why you are here?”

She smiled as if telling a joke, “All will be revealed in time”

Suddenly, there was a loud noise that sounded like tearing fabric. The green clouds mixed with purples and blues and began to churn faster. The cyclone emitted a flashes of bright light. In unison all three of the King’s Guard lifted up from the roof and took place underneath the eye of the wind storm.

Spirit holds her spear aloft. With one swift, commanding move she slams the butt of her spear down, creating a platform out of solidified air.

Wraith bellows out smoke and ash onto the platform to discolor it. With ferocious and precise movements his claws to carve in a sigil, leaving a soft orange glow against the black and gray.

Samhain sheathes his sword and pulls his horn from his waist. He wills his dark stead to rear up as he blows the horn, letting out one loud prolonged cry.

The three warriors stand at attention and Princess Spirit calls the winds to project her voice once more.

“ Now introducing the Ruler of the Infinite Realms, High King of the In-Between, The Great One, The Benevolent King, The Peace Maker, The Guardian of Souls, The One with the Cloak of Stars and the Crown of Frozen Light, The Perfect Balance, Ancient of Space and Reality, The Infinite King: Phantom!”

With a flash of white light a figure appear in the center of the platform. Simultaneously, the three knights bow in reverence.

The King has arrived.

As the Heroes of Gotham regain clear vision they are met with a striking figure.

There stood a toned young man appearing both boyishly young, yet wisened and weathered. He had side swept hair the creeped to the bottom of his neck. His skin was pale with an icy blue tint. He opened his eyes to reveal they shone an electric green. Upon his head rest a crown made of a crystalline material, reminiscent of an aurora. He wore a navy blue cloak that had a rich purple hood lined with stark white fur. The underside displayed a shifting galaxy pattern. His under suit was the same midnight black as Samhain’s. He donned golden arm bands and a gold chest plate in style quite similar to Spirit’s. His hand were covered in snow white gauntlets that matched Wraith’s vambraces.

They all stood in awe, beholden to the almost divine figure.

The king sent them a gentle smile. It was warm and comforting yet sent a chill down their shoulders.

King Phantom began to fly down toward the center of the city, his entourage fell into step behind him. He hovered several hundred feet over Wayne tower and looked down at the city. He then spoke in a booming voice, his tone kind but commanding.

“ I humbly greet the Lady Gotham, her champions, and her citizens,” the shadows curled toward him appreciatively. “ I am grateful for your cooperation in our effort to rectify a great injustice. As High King of the Infinite Realms it is one of my duties to preside over the afterlife. To bring guidance, peace, and justice to the souls under my jurisdiction. Recently, it has been brought to my attention that there is a soul among you who has not only dodged death, but caused great strife to a vast number of souls who call for justice.”

On the roof of Wayne Enterprises Jason and Damian both stiffen, but remain firm in their gaze toward the king. The king looks out at the city and sparing them the quickest of glances. He continues onward.

“ The man formerly know as Jack Napier, now called The Joker. He has avoided death on many an occasion but his life should have ended moment he fell into a vat of chemicals. Since then he has sent hundreds more to the afterlife. He has long yet to pay his dues. That is why on the behalf of justice, restoring balance, and of my subjects I officially condemn Jack Napier.”

“Jack Napier, you have been allowed 24 hours turn yourself into our custody in order to be put on trial for your crimes in the Infinite Realms. Should you fail to turn youself in, we shall take that as an admission of guilt and acceptance to be punished for your actions. After the 24 hours are up, Samhain shall use his horn to summon The Hunt and we shall track you down.”

His gaze passed specifically over Red Hood, one of the Oracle’s drones, Nightwing, Signal, Red Robin, and Batman before he spoke his next words.

“All those souls who have been wronged by the Joker, both living and deceased, who wish to have a hand in their justice have been invited to join The Hunt if they so choose.”

The king lifted his hand, calling the swirling green clouds to his gather in his palm. The clouds swiftly rearranged themselves into a smokey timer hanging in the sky.

An impish smirk graced King Phantom’s face as he let out a malicious laugh and gave his final decree.

“ Your time begins now!”

[bruciemilf]

I’m on the second episode of My Adventures With Superman and I KNOW I know, this deserves to be Clark’s show, BUT HEAR ME OUT A SECOND.

Imagine the Waynes didn’t die and Thomas is trying DESPERATELY to buy the Daily Planet from White, but to absolutely no avail.

“For the last time, Wayne, you can have this company when the Gotham Knights win a Stanley Cup.”

“Y’all cheated last year and you KNOW it, White! Come on! We knew each other for 20 years—“

“Not true.”

“You gotta have ONE nice thing to say about me! You saw my charity records? My trip to the Amazon? I found a goddam dinosaur, for Pete’s sake!”

“And you sent it to the Gotham museum.”

“…Well yeah, it looked real pretty.”

“Look, Wayne. I can either give your ego the stroke of the century, or keep Lane and those two idiot interns in check, but I can’t do both. Now get out of here, or—“

Clark clearing his throat, holding two cups of coffee in his comically large hands, “Uh, the coffee machine broke, so I had to run to the store. Is this a bad time?”

Thomas whistling, because what the FUCK. “Christ, boy, how tall are you? How tall is he, White? You a security guard? You WANNA be a security guard?”

“Uh, Clark Kent. Idiot intern,” Clark introduced himself politely despite Perry’s grumbling.

Needless to say, Thomas Wayne is…Intimidating.

“I’ve heard about your research on metahuman physics, Mr. Wayne. It’s brilliant.”

“Oh, that? That was all my boy, really. He’s got all these ideas about reinventing the healthcare system for everybody or something like that. Hell, he wants to invent some bandaids for that Superman fella. “

“That,” Clark blinked, “Actually sounds amazing.”

“Right?. The other day he came to me like, ‘Can I have 30,000 for a research expedition?’ You should’ve seen him in his little lab coat, — cutest thing. Hold on, I have pictures.”

Clark expected a particularly eccentric 10 year not, not a — gorgeous— adult man in what looked to be a great amount of eyeliner and one hell of a scowl. “He’s…” gorgeous, “He seems interesting.”

“Ain’t he? You should meet him sometime. Hates talking to the press, but, I’m sure we can arrange something. “

“Good luck with that. I tried interviewing the kid alone for 10 minutes and Mr. Wayne here kept getting in the way. Probably because he has something to hide.”

“Bruce ain’t really made for the camera, so I had to step in, ya know how it is. He ain’t really the independent kind.” Thomas shrugs. “I know, I know, — you gotta leave em to fly sometimes, and while I bet he’d look cute tryin’,”

Thomas chuckles, but it doesn’t sound amusing. At all. “No bird leaves MY nest.”

—

Clark finds out why Perry can’t prove Thomas Wayne is Batman. It’s because he’s wrong. He’s listened to Batman’s heartbeat before. And Thomas doesn’t stutter.

Bruce Wayne does, thought.

[redsray]

Batkids playing any kind of board game but make it extra competitive because whoever wins gets to choose what Bruce wears for the next gala.

Bruce, in a sparkly top and skinny jeans:

Reporter: Ah, who chose your outfit tonight, Brucie?

Bruce: That'd be my eldest, dear!

Dick, behind him, full into the gala persona: Flattering, isn't it? He should wear it more often, don't you think, sweetheart?

Reporter, flushed: Oh, absolutely.

Bruce (to Dick): Get a new fashion style. Please.

Dick: Never.

Reporter: Who would be responsible for your wardrobe tonight, Brucie? It's certainly a statement.

Bruce, head to toe in a pink suit and Hello Kitty accessories: Gorgeous, isn't it? All the credit will have to be given to Jason, though, I'm afraid.

Reporter: Your second son, if I'm not mistaken?

Bruce: The very one.

Jason from across the gala hall, trying to not cough up his drink with laughter:

Tim, next to him: He's pulling it off, though. Little spins and everything.

Jason: Still ridiculous. That's Batman right there, Timbo.

Tim, snickering: The Dark Knight, huh?

Bruce, dressed in a collared white shirt, sweater and skirt, looking like he just came out of a light academia novel:

Reporter: Wow, Brucie. Who do we thank for that wonderful outfit choice?

Bruce: Ah, flattering, is it not? Tim's choices when it comes to fashion are wonderful, if not a bit simple.

Tim, nodding from behind him: Only the finest satin skirts. Charming, right?

Tim, to Bruce: Don't call my style simple, Mr. all I wear is black.

[Jason handing Dick $10 in the background because Bruce does, in fact, pull off a skirt.]

Reporter: Oh lord, what a gown! Who influenced your fashion choice tonight, Brucie?

Bruce, in a long green and black gown with gold accessories, nothing short of royal-looking: I fear only one person I know could choose an outfit as gorgeous as this one.

Damian, proudly next to him, in a smaller, matching gown: Only the most exquisite. You lot in this flimsy country cannot compare.

Bruce: Yes, Damian has a fine taste in fashion. He gets it from his mother.

Damian, quieter: Well certainly not from you.

Bruce, dressed in an elegant white dress shirt, long black pants and a corset with red accessories, a fan in his right hand:

Reporter: What an entrance! Anyone to give credit to for the wardrobe, Brucie?

Bruce: That'd be my daughter, she certainly shines with her choice of clothing.

Cass, grinning with a matching fan: Very pretty.

Bruce: Thank you, Cass.

Reporter: Woah, that's certainly new. Any reason for this choice of clothes, Brucie, dear?

Bruce, in a snapback cap, loose jeans and a band t-shirt, complete with rings and a chain around his neck: Well, all of my children are creative, but... Duke might just take the cake for this one, love.

Duke, losing his absolute shit next to Jason, Dick and Tim: You look great, B.

Steph doesn't usually go to galas, but she participates in the game nevertheless. If she wins, god help Bruce, because it's a gamble with her. He either ends up wearing a gorgeous outfit with eccentric and trend-setting accessories or literal checkered pyjamas. Worst yet, he has to say he picked it himself, since he can't directly blame Steph.