#besides i like anime forest bgs

[note-boom]

I should probably have something to say about ep 2 again but honestly 24 seconds into ep 3 and I'm like, "wait...it WASN'T the dark of night when Dazai asked Aku to be the ADA's guardian purgatory spirit?" That place looks like the entrance to the fae realm or something

I mean I have vol 20 and this is very cool but also threw me off

[frostcorpsclub]

Christmas Elves

BG Context:

Food

Christmas elf cuisine is very sweet-centered. Even non dessert dishes can often feature things like whipped cream, cinnamon, candy coating, etc.

Growing food in the Antarctic is very difficult so as a species they've mastered canning and preserving supplies for a long period of time.

Dry foods or foods that can be rehydrated are common for a working elf on the go!

C Elves also have access to demonic cuisine and have slowly integrated it into their own culture, like everything else it's become an interesting mish mash of festive flavors with goopy and gross eldritch ingridients.

This isn't THEIR food but fun fact that was discovered when Winterbeings moved in: Christmas Elves TASTE sweet too. Their bones are like hardened sugar cookies and their marrow is cherry/lemon filling. The meaty flesh of their bodies is commonly compared to brown sugar bacon.

Santa brokered with an agreement with his close friends to lay the fuck off his workers but Elves are sentient like any other creatures, they commit crimes of varying natures so....I think you can put two and two together.

Medical

If Santa was a real boss he would be sued to kingdom come. The elves don't really get uh...assistance or time to seek medical help but they DO have medical professionals.

It's less a system of commonly accepted science-

to regular humans, they use trial and error and the scientific method like everyone else

-and moreso of naturally occuring plants and animal products in addition to magical flora and fauna. Things are outsourced for toy materials and Santa allows them to bring in other things as well which is how they have access to regular medicine besides just getting things from hell.

Elves have a surprisingly high pain tolerance but it's unclear whether this was always a part of their biology or the product of centuries of workshop accidents.

They all still have fangs like their ancestors but smaller fangs are much more common. The larger the fangs the more an elf might be able to defend themselves and even though Santa towers over them it's not something he wishes to deal with.

Gardens

Outside plants are the same as in the Winterbeing portion since they live in the same place.

However!

This is where the magic comes in handy. Christmas Elves are known for large evergreen trees that litter their neighborhoods. They are quite literal forever living and grow much taller than normal.

The elves cover them in handmade ornaments that get passed down from Elf parents to their children for generations. These along with the trees become family heirlooms in their own right.

They also have a smaller simplier version of this tradition with wreaths! Elflings will make them in school to be used around the house as decorations and for memories.

Traditional Clothes and Items

Snippet from the Elf Lore:

"These were adaptations, humans began to move into the places they were already living and did what humans do. They even had to make changes to their traditional clothing in order to not stick out. So the elves who were able to blend into forests and debris were the ones who survived and went on to have children."

Christmas Elves dress commonly as they do in most media. Although they don't limit themselves to the usual christmas palette or even bright colors!

Santa doesn't give enough of a shit to require uniforms all that's really asked of them is that their clothes be job appropriate. (I actually had a file of what the different jobs' outfits might look like but I fucking lost it. Kms)

The satanist Christmas Elves will either combine dark imagery with the usual CE get up: ex. Chernabog Cuddlepie

or they'll dress more reminiscent of their ancestors and the viking people that raised and cared for a young Santa.

Elves who leave the North Pole and go on to live normal lives have tells (besides their massive ears you know) which is usually the colors they choose to wear, patterns, accessories, etc.

Many will often dress for winter even in the hotter months or like its summer even as things start to get cool.

Staple food and common dishes

Medical practices

Gardens

Traditional clothes and items

For Winterbeings or Elves

(Have fun love :))

OR more like BOTH MWAHHA I'll reblog and add on the elf portion tomorrow

Winterbeings

Food

To reiterate context snowciety as i like to call it isnt a thing until like decades into the future, so its a given that many humans from many different cultures have been turned into frostbitten.

That being said they'll often recreate many different kinds of dishes only with cannibalistic substitutions.

Though there are also many unique examples

This is only for Winterbeings who prefer their food to be cooked, raw is actually much more beneficial but cooked food isn't harmful. Many will just devour a body bones and all.

Winterbeings get no nutrients from regular human food like vegtables. Animal products can extend energy in an emergency but its a bit like making your dog go vegan, maybe they can survive but they won't be healthy or happy whatsoever

There are groups of Winterbeings who want to be as ethical as possible and despite having no choice but to eat humans want to treat them with respect.

These communities often live intermingled with humans and act as protection and compansionship in exchange for the corpses of those who have passed from natural causes. They'll even leave things like the bones, hair, and teeth for compost and so the families can have keepsakes.

Medical

Being a doctor to winterbeings is quite interesting. You'll note that (as of now) every ailment is either reasonably treatable at home

https://frostcorpsclub.tumblr.com/post/664220220900196352/winterbeing-illnesses-casefile-1

https://frostcorpsclub.tumblr.com/post/669856129099120640/winterbeing-illnesses-casefile-3

https://frostcorpsclub.tumblr.com/post/682792630088826880/winterbeing-illnesses-casefile-4

Or DEADLY AND HORRIFIC

https://frostcorpsclub.tumblr.com/post/666847555176595456/winterbeing-illnesses-casefile-2

Being immortal and nearly indestructable means that, luckily, many diseases were discovered from trial and error experimentations. When you're part of a species that eats bugs and flesh and....garbage for fun, in addition to brutal bloodsport, any non-self afflicated pain is taken very seriously.

Gardens

this is gonna be a short one for...obvious reasons

The "native" population of Winterbeings is located in Marie Byrd Land on the continent of Antarctia meaning that gardens are esentially impossible there.

However, there are some options. For those living on the antarctic islands or pennisula nearby can enjoy the small green pleasures of hairgrass, lichens and pearlwort. The latter being favored and common for wedding bouquets.

Traditional Clothes and Items

These fuckers make the most useless winter clothes you'll ever wear in your life. They really enjoy the aesthtetics of fur lined coats, pants, and boots but the fuctionality of these would be a detriment to their own survival. So these are often made from very thin and breathable material.

On the other hand, for those living in places where it gets hot, Frostbitten at least have to dress even less in the summer months. This can be difficult for those who have integrated into more conservative socieites and some chose to go into a hiberntation like period of hiding during the summer.

On the other hand Winterbeings are incredible weapon makers. Since 50% of their species is inhumanly large, along with the fact theres a lot of power behind their swings, weapons being proportional and well made is a necessity.

There are also weapons made to compliment a winterbeing's special ability. For example a snowperson with the power of Ice infusion might have a weapon thats made to inject poison, giving them an extra danger in battle.

[steveleoparddd]

Hello! I used to enjoy your (darren shan characters react to)) posts but you've never done them on tumblr anymore. could you please do a characters react to series or something like this? thank you

hey, thank YOU for this cuz honestly i have lots of fun making the whole “cdf characters if...” :3 

I don;t know if i’ll be able to do a series bcs idk if i can be creative for so long but ill see what i can do !!! heres this for now. 

CDF CHARACTERS MAKING APOLOGY VIDEOS

Steve

Title: Sorry.

Thumbnail: Simple black bg with a serious looking Steve, clenched jaw, looking at the camera with “Sorry” written in Impact font over his head

Duration: 1 minute 30 seconds.

Intro Music: N/A

Setting: his bedroom, wearing a simple black t-shirt. did he just wake up?

Content: Starts with him looking off to the side and shaking his head slowly. When he begins he vaguely mentions what happened, gives a not-so-clear reason for what he did, and then apologizes. Is it just me or did that feel a little dishonest? Wait it’s already ending? He smiles lightly and waves as video ends. 

Ads: Yes. 6 ads. 

Outro Music: Yes, the usual upbeat outro but it’s toned down

Description: Nothing to do with the apology but it DOES have links to his socials and website where you can buy his merch. 

Darren

Title: My Apology......

Thumbnail: A teary-eyed Darren looking down, looking really sad. Oh damn, will he cry ???

Duration: 13 minutes

Intro Music: Yes, usual upbeat music with the whole animated intro.....

Setting: carpeted lounge floor, couch and french window in the background. is he in a costume? the hell is that pirate-shirt thing he’s wearing?

Content: Starts with him exhaling and looking at the camera. Shots of him that show him trying to compose himself or think of the right way to say all the things in his mind. He tells the entire thing that happened, tells his point of view (but that only makes things worse) and then promises to better himself and smiles and the video ends

By the way, he didn’t cry even once. 

Ads: None

Outro Music: N/A

Description: The entire lyrics of “Sorry, Blame it On me” by Akon

Larten

Title: I Have Something To Say.....

Thumbnail: Just a frame from the video. It’s a bit pixelly/low quality because it was shot on phone.

Duration: 2 minutes

Intro Music: No

Setting: a cave???? where is he??? why’s he dressed so fancy in the middle of nowhere?

Content: Gets right into it, as if filming an Instagram story. There’s a brief one-second pause before he begins because he’s checking if the recorder is on. Then he goes into it. Turns out this isn’t an apology video, he’s just saying he’s in the right and won’t apologize. Doesn’t mention or acknowledge the situation...he’s just ranting about being right...oh god. it ends- like all his videos- abruptly. 

Ads: None

Outro Music: N/A

Description: "Never apologize for doing what’s right. -Plato”

Kurda

Title: What Everyone Needs To Hear

Thumbnail: Blurred background, looking down....these emojis are on it 😨😢......

Duration: 10 minutes

Intro Music: N/A

Setting: his usual setup. 

Content: he begins the video with a sponsorship about some bottle or whatever. he seems upbeat and happy, as usual, even when he addresses the situation and explains what he did. “so...that’s what happened. I am sorry to those offended by such a trivial matter. Your feelings matter, of course, but you take yourselves too seriously.” It’s giving very...mixed vibes. Is he sorry or not?? 

Ads: Nope

Outro Music: N/A

Description: “Facts (and logic) do not- and must not- care about our feelings - Unknown” (he genuinely doesn;t know where the qoute is from but he’s gonna get cancelled for this too--)

Harkat

Title: Harkat

Thumbnail: Black screen

Duration: 3 hours

Intro Music: No

Setting: N/A, we can’t see him, the screen is black at first with panting in the bg as if he just ran, then the screen shows his screen capture, minecraft is opening....

Content: He just plays minecraft. Doesn’t say a word. 

Ads: None.

Outro Music: N/A

Description: a

Arra

Title: For the Crybabies

Thumbnail: Her giving the middle finger

Duration: 5 minutes 

Intro Music: N/A

Setting: the gym. she’s sweaty and it seems as though she just finished an intense workout. there are a couple people behind her doing their thing.

Content: Sits down, she’s panting. Looks at the camera and goes off. She’s really angry and throws expletives like anything, it’s just 5 minutes of her chewing on the snowflakes that are trying to cancel her for stupid reasons. 

Ads: None

Outro Music: N/A

Description: Fuck you

Vancha

Title: What you want

Thumbnail: his abs. 

Duration: 30 seconds

Intro Music: N/A

Setting: THE FOREST???? WHY’S HE NAKED???

Content: we get a side-view of his bare torso as he does some push-ups. the video isn’t an apology? he talks about irrelevant things. video ends mid-sentence.

Ads: N/A 

Outro Music: N/A

Description: Blank

Debbie

Title: I Am Sorry

Thumbnail: Hey crying really badly. It’s a frame from the video

Duration: 20 minutes

Intro Music: Yes, usual animated intro 

Setting: an empty classroom ...????????

Content: It’s edited to show a clip from the middle of the video at the beginning, in which she’s crying really badly and apologizing. Then the intro plays and the video starts. She tells the whole story, also 2 other stories that aren’t relevant to the situation but she adds them anyway. 

Ads: 3 ads.

Outro Music: Yes. 

Description: Justifying why she had to add the ads, she’s gonna donate all money made off this to charity

Evanna

Title: The Truth

Thumbnail: A picture (with really low brightness) of a solemn Evanna dressed in black on a wooden floor with a skull beside her. A crow is perched on the skull. 

Duration: 11 minutes 11 seconds 

Intro Music: N/A

Setting: where the hell is she 

Content: First few seconds are kind of weird because she just casts a spell. Then she starts, turns out THIS isn’t an apology video either!!! She’s just pulling receipts and making audience realize she doesn’t need to apologize and also forever destroying the career(s) of the accusing party by exposing them it’s crazy and the internet will forget it never 

Ads: Disputed

Outro Music: Ends with a black screen and her usual, witchy outro music

Description: Do not meddle in things you can never comprehend. 

Oh and a link to her website :3

Mr. Tiny:

Doesn’t make an apology video 

lol these are it for now...lmk if you want smthn more specific?

[chinatea]

BG/SG/DI, two twin witches + one bear cub.

Diminie -> Jisoo.

Baby G -> Jiyeon. 

Seagull -> Jungkook (goes nameless in Part 1).

(This fic is like a feel good pill for me. Hope you’ll enjoy it as well.) 

<<<<Part 1 >>>>

Jisoo likes waking up early.

He also likes staying nestled under the quilted blankets for a hot minute as the ambiance of their room whispers in the quiet, punctuated by the cute little noises his brother makes in his sleep.

Jiyeon is not an early riser, but once he’s awake, he doesn’t stay in bed much longer - up and running for his big mug of coffee to jumpstart his day full of bustling activity.

With a self-indulgent yawn, Jisoo props himself up on one elbow, peeking behind the curtain where the outside world greets him with the promise of a fine day. And Jisoo believes that any day can be a fine day as long as one welcomes it with an open heart. 

He lets the curtain fall back and rolls onto his other side to press a soft kiss to the crown of Jiyeon’s head. His brother whimpers, wiggling deeper under the covers and making Jisoo giggle fondly at his cuteness - Jiyeon would be the first to complain if Jisoo didn’t kiss him first thing in the morning.

Next, he gingerly crawls over Jiyeon’s sleeping form to get off their bed. As his feet touch the floor, his toes immediately curl into the fluffy carpet that purrs in response like a house cat, shooting a boost of energy up his feet.

The sleeping area is separated from the rest of the bedroom by a night veil. Delicate as a gossamer and with a dark blue shimmer to it, it muffles all noises and dims all lights, keeping even the nasty nightmares at bay. Jisoo slips right through, barely disturbing it, as he steps into the other half of the room bathed in the vibrancy of the morning light. 

Their house is an enchanted place, ever changing, molding itself constantly to meet the needs of its two owners. Sometimes it can be a touch unpredictable even, Jisoo thinks as he patters his way through the open inner court that somehow became bestrewn with evergreen pines just overnight. The mist is rolling gently over the needle-littered floor while a bird warbles among the branches up above and perhaps that’s not the worst thing to encounter on one’s way to the washroom.

Albeit it wouldn’t be accurate to call it a wash-room, per se. Not anymore. Not since Jiyeon decided that he likes taking long baths while enjoying the unobstructed view of Mother Nature. So, their wash-room is an honest-to-gods hot spring now.

And Jisoo remains largely un-sold on the idea, but at least now it’s close to the kitchen, so when he is done splashing spring-fresh water onto his face, he heads there for breakfast.

As usual, plates are crowding every single surface in sight, carrying too much food for both of them to finish in a month. Their house spirit has yet to warm up to the idea of moderation, always going the whole hog. Yet, there is a lot of freedom in the way the spirit runs their household and Jisoo would be loath to take that away - it’s simply the spirit’s way of taking care of them and that goes both ways. Besides, he gets to try something new almost every day and the foodie in him can’t say no to a scrumptious meal.

“It’d be nice to have breakfast outside today. Maybe under the pergola?” Jisoo says, popping a plump raspberry into his mouth.

“Oh, and leave a basin with spring water for Jiyeon in the bedroom. Room temperature. Generously sprinkled with lavender petals, please. He likes the scent.”

Before he makes his way outside, he lingers in front of a bookcase, running his fingers over the colorful book spines. He likes reading in the morning when it’s quiet and cozy, although he’s not good at keeping track of the books he's been reading - they always tend to vanish from wherever he’d left them, so he picks something new pretty much every morning. He is not too fussy about what to read as long as it’s about romance. Or gardening. Or both. 

A book pokes out, practically jumping into his hands, courtesy of the house spirit, and with a quiet ‘Thank you’, Jisoo makes for the door leading into the garden - his absolute favorite place to dally.

The garden is still very much work in progress as Jisoo likes working on it with his own two hands, mostly magic-free. Which baffles Jiyeon to no end. Ideally one would employ the services of a garden spirit who would do an outstanding job. And Jisoo agrees - that would have been so much easier. Kicking back and letting the professional do the work. Yet, he likes pottering about their plot, despite the many mishaps and frustrations that come with it. Maybe he is just being weird. Jiyeon certainly thinks so. 

Still there’s something extremely satisfying about lolling around in the dappled light from the pergola, gazing over at the fruits of his labor - lavender, pot marigolds and coneflowers, all thriving in perfect union. Pretty as they can be.

Jisoo expects nothing out of the ordinary when he settles down with his tea, a buttery toast and the book - “Friendly Spirits of the Forest and Where to Find Them”. He will read until Jiyeon sashays out of the house and demands Jisoo make him a toast. And as he nibbles on his toast, they take the time to catch up on their correspondence as well as the latest witchy gossip from town. 

The serenity of the morning is shuttered, however, by the clutter of plates. Nose tucked into his book, Jisoo startles, eyes darting to the cloth-draped summer table by the rose bushes. For a moment, he sees nothing that could have caused the ruckus until a little paw sneaks its way from under the table to snatch a heapful of fluffy pancakes from a plate.

Jisoo is gobsmacked for a moment, at a loss for what to do. It seems impossible that someone would be able to slink in without alerting them in one way or another. Either the house spirit must have let the intruder in or...something else entirely. And even if the creature has no ill intent (aside from nicking a few pancakes), he finds the very thought troubling indeed. 

This is supposed to be their little haven, his and Jiyeon’s, away from everybody else.

With the book still pressed to his chest, Jisoo tiptoes around the table, wanting to take a good look at their guest before anything else.

He finds them easily, under the table, as the creature looks up at him, mid-munch, with a mouth full of pancake. Jisoo recognizes them as a wood spirit, still in his cubhood. The poor thing looks tiny and unkempt, perhaps stumbling upon their place in search of food. 

For a moment, they simply stare at each other in mutual appraisal until the spirit seems to lose any interest in Jisoo, reaching out for a raisin pound cake from the food pile between his legs and stuffing it into their mouth, none-too-graceful. Jisoo takes it as his cue to approach him, crouching down to inspect his features in detail. 

The book pokes him, stealing his attention momentarily, before opening up in a wild swirl of pages.

Bear spirit, the page reads. 

There is a whimsical drawing of a bear napping under a berry bush and Jisoo inspects it for a moment before allowing his gaze to flit back to the spirit at hand. He certainly looks more like a human than a bear, although their facial features are definitely straddling that line. Is that a nose or an animal snout? That has yet to be decided.

Curious, Jisoo thinks. Could it be because this one is just a cub?

“Hello,” he says gently, addressing the spirit for the first time. “You’ve got a bit of jam there, little one, let me get it for you.”

Jisoo whips out his pristine handkerchief to reach out and dab around the cub’s mouth. When he doesn’t pounce or growl or show any signs of hostility, Jisoo takes his paw into his hand and beckons him from under the table. Obediently, the spirit toddles along, fingers stuck in his mouth, sucking the last of the sweetness off it.

*

Jiyeon glides into the room in his usual fluttery fashion, his trip to the coffee pot running smoothly even after he spots the cub poking a plant in the corner. 

Few things can interrupt him on his way to coffee and seeing a new face in their cozy kitchen is not one of them, it seems.

“And here I thought we had a no-pet policy,” he remarks, however, after a careful sip.

Jisoo spreads apricot jam on a toast before handing it to Jiyeon. 

“That’s a spirit, actually,” Jisoo chirps, plopping the book in front of Jiyeon. “Look.”

“A bear spirit?” Jiyeon peeks over his cup. “Oh dear. Aren’t they supposed to be asleep this time of year?”

“It’s the middle of the summer, Mimi,” Jisoo says. “Don’t be silly. Besides, it’s a bear spirit not a bear, they’re not the same, I don’t think.” 

“Whatever,” Jiyeon pouts, biting into his toast.

The bear spirit in question ambles closer, reaching on his tippy toes to hook his chin over the table edge. Jisoo props up the book to let them see the drawing. 

“Hadly a spitting image,” Jiyeon comments sourly. “Are you sure that’s what it is?”

Jisoo sighs - he has no idea. Neither of them have met a spirit like this before. Most of them dwell deeper in the woods, wary of any contact with people. 

The spirit inches towards Jiyeon, eyes like two dark chocolate candies trained on his toast. The sneaky invasion doesn’t escape Jiyeon’s attention as he squints at the cub skeptically, his upper lip raised to show a sliver of teeth, before offering him the crust of his toast.

The cub sniffs at it. Then, curiously licks Jiyeon’s finger instead. His brother squeaks.

“He licked me!”

“You had jam smeared on it,” Jisoo says. “He seems to like sweet things.”

“Oh, I know I’m a sweet thing, but you better keep it in your mouth, mister,” Jiyeon complains with a wiggle of his finger - the cub pouts, slipping under the table with a grumpy babble.

“Touchy,” Jiyeon tsks, smiling impishly.

Jisoo masks his giggle with a cough, settling into a chair to dig deeper into the book for answers.

“You know,” he speaks up, some time later. “I think he’s been here all along. That’s why the house spirit never alerted us about the intruder.”

“Excuse me?” Jiyeon looks up from his morning newspaper, perfect eyebrows drawn in frown.

“Well, it says here they adapt to mimic the creatures in their surroundings. And we’re the only ones here. I mean, there must be a reason he looks so human, right?”

“Well now. That’s unsettling,” Jiyeon huffs, legs crossed, his slipper balancing on his toe. 

“What, is he like a chameleon or something? Just wait until he starts matching the color of our hideous couch pillows, and we’ll never find the wretched thing. He already thinks he owns the Undertable.”

As if on cue, the cub sneaks from the Undertable to smack the slipper off Jiyeon’s foot, lobbing the fluffy thing high in the air.

Jiyeon shrieks and curses up a storm and Jisoo thinks his face might start hurting by the end of today from too much laughter.

*

The water in the bathtub has to be changed three times before it stops turning the color of dirt. To think that all of it came off the tiny cub is kind of gross, or so Jiyeon dramatically claims before being chased in circles around the tub by the said cub, squeaky clean now and naked as the day he was born.

Jiyeon is shrieking at the top of his lungs. In other words, he’s enjoying himself. 

Jisoo steps in-between the two, catching the cub into a fluffy towel and swaddling him into a pancake. The cub does not protest, peacefully handing himself over to Jisoo’s care - he seems to be more willing to behave around Jisoo compared to his brother. He wonders if the cub is more wary of him as he combs through the mop of the thick dark hair with two bear-like ears unfurling their way to freedom.

Jiyeon coos and calls them “little saucers”, playfully flicking one and then the other. The cub butts him lightly, nuzzling into his tummy with a series of warbling noises.

It’s like he is getting cuter by the moment.

Later, Jisoo fetches a plate with crispy waffles with a sludge of raspberry syrup poured on top. The cub sniffs at it, nose twitching, before snagging a few in one bite. He barely chews. The glitter of buttons on Jiyeon’s gown pulls at his attention and he plays with them for a while, the witch giggling and booping his big nose. 

“He’s kinda cute though,” he says. “I suppose we could spare a bathroom mat for him to sleep on.”

Jisoo gives him a look.

“What?” Jiyeon asks innocently. “It’s extra fluffy. I’ll even lend him your old baby blanket. Don’t say I’m not a giver.”

“He’ll easily fit between us, Mimi,” Jisoo coos. “Won’t you, baby cub?”

“Absolutely not,” Jiyeon protests, long earrings tinkling. “I like my space. I like to sleep spreadeagled, you know that.”

“You never do that, Mimi.”

“But I could!”

“You curl into a ball like a little kitten and then complain until I spoon you from behind.”

Jiyeon harrumphs, objections put on hold for now, as he gets busy arranging hair clips into the cub’s hair. 

+

End of part 1.

In Part 2, JK is going to get a bit older and we’ll learn more about the twin’s daily routine.

(The romantic stuff will kick off in part 3, I think.)

[ahtohallan-calling]

the first two parts of you would wish and long {t/ryder x oc/bg kristanna and elsamaren/canon compliant/post frozen 2} are here!

this is part of a collaboration between myself, @gabiwnomagic​, and @frozenwritingcorner​. ingrid belongs to the two of them <3

Ryder plans to spend the rest of his life herding reindeer and pining for the king of Arendelle.

His niece has a better idea.

part 1 of this fic was posted separately as “down the aisle”; it can be read on tumblr at this link or on the ao3 link at the top of this post!

chapter 1: teacups and longing

Ryder had a very important meeting with the royal family of Arendelle, and he was absolutely determined not to be late. The princess was expecting him and, judging by her most recent letter, she had urgent matters to discuss. Unless he’d looked at it upside down again and the drawing wasn’t actually a portrait of him surrounded by exclamation points and was in fact a two-headed reindeer. Either way, though, the tea cup was unmistakable. 

The tea parties had become something of a regular occurrence ever since his sister’s wedding last winter, when Ingrid had been the flower girl and been so nervous she’d dropped her basket and panicked. Ryder hadn’t even stopped to think; he’d just gone right down the aisle and offered to escort her the rest of the way. She’d clung to him the rest of the ceremony and asked if he was her uncle now, and ever since he’d been wrapped around her little finger. 

(He’d found out later that technically he wasn’t her uncle at all, but when he’d nervously brought this up to Anna, she’d just laughed. “I’m the Queen,” she’d said, “I’ll just make it an official title if it makes you feel better.”)

He had known Ingrid since she’d been a baby, of course, but back then he’d existed on the fringes of the royal family, relevant only because Honeymaren was. He saw them every couple of months when they came to visit in the forest; he always made sure to be around when they got there with his reindeer at the ready. He liked to be the first one to greet them, using his status as the excitable little brother to excuse his enthusiasm whenever he could hear Kristoff’s laughter echoing through the forest.

He was lost in brooding when he nearly ran into a figure scurrying down the hallway. “Shit-- sorry!”

“Oh! Ryder! How’ve you been?” 

It was Anna, who, although she was clearly on her way to something important, was still coming towards him with a bright smile. That was the part that always made him feel the worst, that she genuinely liked him, and he liked her back. How could he not? She was all welcoming smiles and heartfelt compliments and peals of sparkling laughter, all warmth and sunshine; no wonder Arendelle-- and, more pertinently, its king-- orbited around her.

It made him sick, sometimes, when she smiled at him like this, not knowing how many nights he laid awake wishing that her family was his. Then again, maybe by now, she did know; it wouldn’t surprise him if she’d known ever since the day they’d all met.

Anna’s smile faltered a little when he didn’t respond, so he forced a huge smile and threw his arms around her. “Hey! I’m good, all good here, like always, just, uh, busy with the reindeer.”

“Yeah? Kristoff’s been telling me about how well the herd’s doing this year. That’s amazing, Ryder, you really have a way with them.”

It would be so much easier if she wasn’t so damn nice. He patted her shoulder and pulled away. “Well, you know. Spend your whole life trapped in a forest, not really anything to do but befriend the animals.”

She faltered at that, a little flash of guilt in her eyes; she still hadn’t quite forgiven herself and her family for what had happened to the Northuldra and the forest spirits all those years ago. Ryder hastily added, “Thanks, though. Um, anyway-- I’m here to see--”

“Ingrid, yes! She’s been looking forward to it all week. She’s in her playroom. I’d go up with you, but, well…”

She bit her lip, tilting her head towards the set of heavy wooden doors that led to the council room. “Right, yeah, no worries. Good seeing you, Anna.”

Ryder set off for the part of the castle reserved for the royal family, shoving his hands in his pockets. It used to make him nervous wandering the castle halls like this; every person he passed in fancy clothes reminded him that he didn’t belong. And it was weird being surrounded by so many walls all the time; he could never figure out why people would ever choose to box themselves in like this. He mounted the stairs, trying to tamp down that little flutter of anticipation in his stomach that hadn’t faded a bit over the years. As he turned the corner, he could already hear them; that rolling, deep laugh he would do-- and had done-- anything to hear, and a little voice squealing, “Papa! Do it again!”

He leaned around the doorframe and saw them there; Kristoff was tossing Ingrid in the air to her great delight, both of them overcome with laughter. Something in Ryder’s chest constricted at the tender way Kristoff caught her, his broad arms that could easily hoist up an injured reindeer holding his daughter so very gently. 

He cleared his throat, feeling like an intruder despite having been invited, and Ingrid’s eyes lighted on him. “Uncle Ry!” she shrieked, already clambering down from her father’s arms. “You’re here!” 

She ran to him, and he knelt down to catch her in a tight hug. “Hey, Bug,” he said, and this time he didn’t have to fake a smile. “Long time, no see.”

“Did you miss me?” “Duh. You’re my best friend. What’ve you been up to?”

“I go to school now!”

He grinned and ruffled her hair. “I heard. You’re growing up pretty fast, huh?”

“Yeah! Soon I’ll be as tall as Papa!”

“Maybe aim for being as tall as your mom first, huh?”

Kristoff chuckled at that, and something warm sparked in Ryder’s chest, just as it always did when he heard that laugh and knew he was the source of it. Ingrid was rather less amused and stuck out her tongue, just the way Anna did when Ryder teased her, and there was that painful little twist in his heart again, the reminder that he was an interloper in a family that was perfectly happy on its own. 

He felt a little tug on his hand then and looked down to see that Ingrid had, apparently, already forgiven him. “Sit by me, Uncle Ry,” she said, as authoritative as a tiny blond kindergartener with a bandage on her elbow could be, and he did, perching on one of the little pink chairs that he and Kristoff had once spent an afternoon reinforcing because apparently nothing else would do for a proper princess’s tea party.

Kristoff sat on Ingrid’s other side, and she carefully poured them each a cup of tea. Ryder had worried at the first such tea party that she’d burn herself, but to his great relief, her parents always made sure that the pot was brought up nice and lukewarm. He didn’t mind; he didn’t actually like tea all that much, and neither did Ingrid, but she insisted on having it. “This is how Mama talks to her friends,” she had explained. “So we have to do it this way.”

He accepted his cup gladly and took a small sip, trying not to crack the tiny porcelain handle in his clumsy fingers; across the table, Kristoff was doing the same. Some things never changed; despite years of fancy parties, the king of Arendelle was still a mountain man at heart, and the thought made Ryder’s heart ache. 

“Uncle Ry! You’re not listening!”

He glanced down at a very disgruntled princess. “Oh— sorry, Bug, what were you saying?”

“I’m the best at school. I already know the letters and most of the numbers. Mr. M says I’m a promising poople.”

Kristoff snorted into his tea and coughed to cover it. “Pupil, baby, I told you this.”

“No, he definitely said poople. And Mr. M is right about everything.”

“Your majesty?” 

The three of them looked up in unison, but Gerda was only looking at Kristoff. “The twins are awake, and, ah, I’m afraid our Peder won’t settle down. Think it’s another new tooth coming in.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Ryder saw Inga deflate just a little. He couldn’t blame her; he knew that ever since the twins had been born she’d hardly seen her father at all. The pair of them had been inseparable since the day she was born, and now all at once, there were two squalling little brothers to share him with.

“Sorry, Inga,” Kristoff said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before getting to his feet. “Save me some strawberry cake, yeah?”

Ingrid nodded, just barely, not meeting his gaze. He hesitated for a moment and then knelt back down, wrapping her in a tight hug. She snuffled pitifully into his shirt; Ryder met his eyes then, smiling sympathetically even as an old, familiar crack opened in his chest. It was too easy sometimes to pretend that he belonged with them, that when the tea party ended he wouldn’t have to come up with a reason to stay; but here was another reminder her that he was just a visitor, at best a stand-in when everyone important was otherwise occupied.

A plaintive little wail came from down the hallway then, and Kristoff pulled away from Ingrid, planting one last kiss on the top of her head. “I’ll tell you an extra story tonight, Inga. Promise.”

And with that he was gone, not even sparing Ryder a second glance. He swallowed his disappointment and turned to Ingrid, who had crossed her arms on the table and buried her face in them. “Hey, c’mon, Bug, it’ll be okay.”

A sad little response came, too muffled for him to make out what she was saying. He leaned over and tugged at her hands. “Ingabug, c’mon. I’m still here, right? So we can still have fun?”

She snuffled into her sleeve before turning to him and clambering into his lap, her little arms going around his neck just like they had when he’d rescued her at the wedding. “Brothers are stupid.”

“Pretty sure your Aunt Honey says the same thing about me.”

Ingrid hiccuped. “No, she doesn’t. She says you’re a raving lutanic.”

“She said wh— okay, that’s beside the point. She still loves me, and even though we annoy each other we’re still best friends.”

“I thought I was your best friend.”

“Oh— well, you’re my bestest friend, so that’s better, anyway.”

“Mr. M says bestest isn’t a word.”

“Well, maybe he’s not right about everything after all.”

Ingrid giggled and pulled away a little. Ryder tweaked her nose affectionately, and she laughed again. “Anyway, our tea is getting cold. Tell me more about school while we eat our snacks, yeah? Are they teaching you anything about reindeer?”

As it turned out, they were, and they spent the next twenty minutes in deep discussion over the subject and whether or not Mr. M was able to talk to reindeer just like Papa and Uncle Ry. They were interrupted by a little knock on the doorframe; Kristoff had returned, a twin on each hip. 

“Hope you saved room for dinner, Inga.”

“Papa!” 

She squealed and ran to him, hugging him around the knee. Ryder came over and took one of the twins so that Kristoff could tousle his daughter’s hair before looking up at him with a grin. 

“Stay for dinner, Ryder, won’t you?”

“I— yeah, yeah, sure, if it’s not a problem.”

“Course not. Always room for you at tea parties and at supper.”

He offered Ryder that lopsided grin, the one that still made his knees go weak. “And thanks for hanging out today. Don’t know what we’d do without you.”

And suddenly Ryder was the one who wanted to cry. 

[jimbo-capstone]

WEEK 2, Sept 13 : 7 Days of Iteration

I kind of didn't really do iteration as much as just built up a more detailed scene in steps, I apologize for the fraud, but I wanted to try and develop an entire bg/ scene look.

On the first day, I sketched out an idea I had for a scene and began blocking it out in 3D. Most of the work here was just thinking about potential chase scenes and lighting and procrastinating. On the second day, I journeyed to Sleepy Hollow and spent the day there taking photos and hiking, which although didn't directly iterate/progress the scene, was useful for understanding the foliage and setting of the legend, even though I had already sort of mapped it out for this particular scene.

On the third day I found a model horse and imported my rigged drawing model guy to further detail the scene. The set up there was actually pretty quick, what I spent most of the time on was dialing in the lighting and enviroment volume as to get that sort of god ray look without blowing out the image.

On the fourth day, I added a lot of leafy green shrubbery inspired by my Wednesday trip. Although it's subtle this actually took like 2 hours. The main issue here is how tedious it is to set up redshift proxies. Over the summer I got a small library of realistic north American forest foliage models, but I had never actually used it. So I spent some time converting about half of the items into redshift proxies which I then imported into the scene and scattered about the ground and sort of hill wall thing the horse is riding beside. It definitely can use some work but right off the bat, I was a fan of the detail it brought to the floor, with the foggy layers of plants and leaves.

On day five I did an initial drawing based on the renders from the day before. Although I think it turned out pretty cool, it is not really feasible to animate and could use some further compositing.

On day six I tried doing a more simple drawing, but it looked a bit bland. I decided I would focus on proper designs and colors next week and just try and get the compositing down

On day seven I rendered out a few (I only stuck with the two shown here) versions of the isolated fog. I tried for a bit to understand redshift AOVs but after seeing most of the tutorial workflows going straight to real compositing software and not Clips Studio Paint or any other simple layered drawing software (which makes sense) I decided to just do what felt correct and isolate lighting elements and the environment to create the fog images. I then overlayed them with a few different blend modes and combinations to produce the above images, which make the character feel within the fog as opposed to on top of it, which I think helps the look a great deal. This week wasn't particularly rough or anything, but I am still settling into a finalized schedule for the semester, so I am hoping to be more productive next week now that I am aware of when I can work on this and when. I also won't be taking any full-day trips until the 27th when I plan to go up to the Hudson Valley/Highlands again.

[underxthexsuns]

Chapter 1: Part 2 - Thor’s Story

RATED M - STEAMY ADULT CONTENT FOLLOWS

WRITERS’ NOTE

This fic is compiled from an RP. Please excuse any choppiness or flow concerns that may arise because of this.

Also, please note this is entirely AU. Canon ships have been eliminated in most cases, and some timelines and canon stories have been changed for our story purposes and general amusement. Characters alive in the MCU may be dead in this universe and vice versa. Loosely, this RP occurs after Civil War, Spider-Man Homecoming and Ragnarok. Willingly suspend your disbelief and enjoy

~ Lucy and BG Blogger

Castle Grounds, Kingdom of Winderfell, Realm of Soleil

A hundred centuries ago, the ancestors of the people of Wilderfell had fled to the Primordial Forest to flee persecution. The western kingdoms had found their religion to be a threat and had made it their mission to wipe them all from the surface of Soleil. And so, Boaz the Elder Maudit had led those who followed the faith to the forest, where they could live in peace beneath the canopy of the trees.

 Since then, the kingdom had grown and the trees had as well. Now, they were so tall that they nearly completely blocked the suns' light even at the height of dual afternoon. There in the shadows, the villages prospered, the believers visited the temples and the son of Maudit the Elder continued to rule. Now, however, the overseeing of the kingdom was done from the confines of the grand Black Castle.

 The largest palace of any on Soleil, it was located on an island at the center of a great lake. With the trees reaching overhead, the water appeared a deep shade of purple under the light of Soleil's five-moon cluster. And there on the surface of the lake could be seen the fleeting glimpse of what might have been the reflection of a comet.

 It was not a comet though. Comets remain in their rightful place in the firmament. They do not come crashing through the atmosphere and then hit every tree branch on the way down. And they certainly do not splash into the lake and soak the fine silver nightgown of a certain princess who was sitting there on its shore rather than slumbering in her chambers as she was meant to be.

 "Pegeen's Bonnet!" she cursed, jumping to her feet. It was only then that she realized what had happened. Something, or someone, had fallen into the lake.

 Thor Odinson had not been above the water in time to hear the woman on the shore curse at his sudden appearance. Coming to the surface, he bobbed in the water, blond hair sticking to his forehead and along the side of his neck as the sight of the girl came into view.

 "Greetings!" He called happily from the water before swimming a distance where he could stand. Thor rose to his feet and stood proudly, his red cape sticking to his back and dripping heavily into the water. He didn't mind, and neither did his ego.

 "I am Thor, son of Odin, King of Asgard, and I appear--" he took a step forward in the water and his foot went into something of a hole, causing him to stumble forward and lose his balance.

 Thor splashed into the shallows of the lake and stood again.

 "--I appear to have happened upon your realm in error. There is no need for alarm, though," he finished as he made his way out of the lake, standing on its shore a few feet away from her and wrung out his long blond hair.

 Once his hair was a little drier, he held out his hand to the right of him to call Mjolnir to him. "Do not stir. I will be on my way shortly."

 He held his smile as he waited, but nothing happened. Thor cleared his throat and looked to the right.

 "Just a moment."

 His smile fell and he looked to the girl, hand still out expectedly. "Why is your realm without sound except for that of my voice? Mjolnir, my hammer, gives me no sign that it draws near."

 Elodie's entire reason for being outside was to escape her troubles and the dark confines of her room. In all her most impossible daydreams, she could not have imagined a distraction quite like the one that popped out of her lake.

 She looked on at him in stunned silence as he emerged from the water, declared himself king and then nearly fell on his face. Her expression became no less bewildered as he assured her that he would soon be leaving. In fact, she could not tear her eyes from his handsome if not somewhat outlandish form until he held out his hand. Then, she became all too curious to see what this so-called King was waiting for.

 "I am not certain what you mean..." she began, taking a step back. Then, she added uncertainly, "...Asgardian. Here on Winderfell hammers do not speak to anyone, even to...kings."

 Thor chuckled good naturedly. "You misunderstand, lady of the lake. Mjolnir does not speak, but when I call to it, it often--"

 He cut himself off when he heard not the sound of his hammer breaking through the trunks of trees and whistling in the wind but the sound of men telling him to stay where he stood. One dozen tall thin men wearing leather armor and silver capes were upon them. "HALT!" the guard captain called. "BY ORDER OF THE KING OF WINDERFELL, HALT INTRUDER!"

 "He is not an intruder..." Elodie said. "He is an Asgardian king who fell from the sky and is waiting for his hammer to say hello to him."

 The captain of the guard shot a cautious glance at his second in command. "Your forgiveness, Highness, but the King will decide who is and who is not an intruder. Come, Stranger. King Cepheus will hear your tale one way or another. Heed our command and there need not be any bloodshed this evening."

 "Bloodshed!" Thor cackled and nodded in their direction. "That is good. As if you dare threaten the King of Asgard. You are no match for--"

 He looked to his hand again, this time impatiently. When he realized that he was not indeed going to be reunited with the hammer and was effectively defenseless in front of these armed men, Thor became visibly friendly again.

 "Let us go to your King!" He said jovially and threw his arms out to the side.

 "I would be pleased to make the acquaintance of the leader of your realm," he said with a grin, taking wet, sopping steps toward the men.

 "He and I can share our tales of conquest and glory over your finest ale!"

 "Ale," the commander of the guard said. "Of course..." though there was a clear sound of doubt in his voice. Deep down, he was certain this to be a madman from one of the other kingdoms who would find himself working in the factory before the evening had finished. But that was up to the king.

 "This way," he said sharply.

 One of the guards poked at him with a spear as if to tell him to go.

 "I am no animal to be prodded," Thor protested with a face that read gross disbelief as he looked him over.

 "You needn't be rude," Elodie hissed at him. "He is going."

 "M'lady," the guard said, ducking his head a bit.

 "My apologies," she said, her hair dripping much like Thor’s as they both walked toward the castle.

 "Either you are a king as you say or a lunatic,” Elodie began.

 “Whichever the case, if you are going willingly you should not be prodded so. I do hope you are in fact Thor of Asgard for I have heard he is a great hero and--"

 "Your Highnessss," came a hiss of a voice among the guards. From them emerged a man clad in black robes, his hair white and his skin the same shade. "I could not help but overhear..." he said "...you musssst not fraternize with sssstrangers. What will your father and mother think?"

 Elodie's demeanor changed entirely but whether it was due to the threat or the presence of the enrobed man it was not clear. "Good luck to you, Perhaps King of Asgard."

 "Come child," the man cooed. "I will ssseeee you back to your room."

 "No!" she said abruptly quickening her pace. "Forsythe will see me safely there."

 "But--" the hooded man protested, reaching for her arm.

 "My father may require your counsel as to what to do with our visitor," she said. "Forsythe, come."

 And with that one of the guards stepped out of the ranks, leaving Thor walking beside the robed man who was now glaring at him. "Asgard hassssss been obliterated. We sssssssaw it. You will not deceive my king and I with your lies. It will be my pleassssure to rip the truth from your flesh for my ssssssire.”

 What a strange little man, Thor thought, unconcerned with his threats. The blond reached out and clapped the freakish man on his shoulder, grinning down at him.

 "Asgard has indeed been left in ruins," he said with a nod. "It pleases me that your senses are still among you given your age! I'll have you know that no son of Odin would let Asgard fall entirely. Did you not witness the large metallic craft that brought my people safely from the ruins while you watched the skies?"

 Thor removed his hand. "The truth you will 'rip' from me will expose just that. Though I am certain your king appreciates your loyalty. It will not go unnoted. He and I will speak of this interaction merrily once you have realized who I am and why you should not be threatening me," he finished with a wink.

 "We ssssaw no such thing," the snakey man said, ducking his shoulder to try and escape the grasp of the dripping wet man. "It issss no threat...but a promisssse..."

 Before more could be said, they were passing through the rear gates of the castle. On the wall were large stained glass lamps that seemed to glow with a warm, ethereal light that could have perhaps been electric but did not seem to be bright enough to rival the sort on Earth. The guards ushered Thor through to the throne room where the king sat upon a great silver throne.

 As Thor entered the grand room, he looked pleased at what he saw. If he had to fall into some ridiculous realm, at least it was one that was beautiful and fair and full of buildings and women of the same descriptors. The pleasure registered on his face as he entered, not taking a knee before him but instead gesturing around him as he spoke, turning slightly as he did.

 King Cepheus was very much the model of Winderfellian form, although he was one of the older men of the realm. He stood above 6 feet and had skin as pale as moonlight due to the limited sunlight that made its way to the kingdom. His eyes were pale blue, almost colorless, and his features were sharp and angled.

 He turned his stark blue eyes upon the men who entered as the guards took to a knee and the hooded gentleman prostrated himself before the man.

 "Sssssire...thissss ssssstranger was caught fraternizing with the princessssss by the lake. He has done nothing but sssssspin lies about his originsssss, claiming to be of Assssgard."

 He was poised to continue when the King boomed, "Silence Melchior."

 Steepling his fingers, the king looked to the stranger. "I would prefer to hear your tale formed with your own tongue, assuming you have the gift of speech."

 "I have indeed the tongue with which to confirm that I am the mighty Thor of Asgard!" He proclaimed triumphantly, raising his fist above his head as if he held his hammer.

 "And I have happened upon your world after saving what was left of mine. It was not in my intention to fall from the metallic steed upon which I rode onto your planet and into the lake surrounding your palace, but I am here nonetheless and would prefer not being deemed a liar."

 He dropped his hand from above him and instead held both of them out to the side of his body. "Is this not how you anticipate the God of Thunder to appear? Have I disappointed your fantasies?" He teased, giving an expectant look.

 The King looked on stoically as Thor began to proclaim his identity with the sort of bravado one would expect from Asgardians who fancied themselves gods. Soleil was far beyond the sphere of the nine realms that Odin had once presided over, but that did not mean that news of he and his sons had not traveled there.

 "You have disappointed no one," Cepheus said. "Merely surprised. We hope you will not find insult in the reception you have received. Our kingdom has been through many trials of late and We fear it has put everyone on edge, not least of which our closest advisor Brother Melchior..."

 He cast his blue eyes upon the man, "...who may rise and give you the apology you are owed."

 Thor looked pleased when it was clear that at the very least this King had his wits about him. He gave an understanding nod when the King apologized for the way he was welcomed and explained his reasoning.

 "I understand your concern and think nothing of it," he said genuinely now that he did not think he had to fight to keep his name. "I assume others of such prestige enter your grand palace free from the waters of your lake, he joked, looking down at his clothes. "It is reasonable."

 "But...Sssssire..." Melchior said, looking incredulous as he rose to his feet and dusted himself off.

 "Have you been so long from your studies that you no longer recognize the signatories of an Asgardian displayed there before your eyes on what is clearly a fine mythril breastplate? You have erred and embarrassed the crown...but as it was not Our mistake, should you expect Us to give the apology?"

 "No, Ssssire," Melchior frowned. He turned to Thor and stiffly said. "I apologize, Thor ssssson of Odin. If I have offended it was only out of concern that you meant my beloved Princessss harm."

 "I accept," the King of Asgard said with a shit eating grin before turning back to the King.

 "There," the king declared. "That was not so difficult, was it? You may leave us now, Melchior, and take the guards with you."

 "Yes Ssssssire," Melchior bowed before they made their way.

 "Now, then," Cepheus said. "You are in the presence of King Cepheus, Sovereign of Winderfell on the Ream of Soleil. If it please you, Thor, Son of Odin, you may have lodging here until you can be reunited with your people. The finest guest quarters can be prepared for you, and we will see that you are well fed and comfortable for the evening. Then, tomorrow, we can have a proper banquet in your honor to welcome you here to our fair kingdom."

 "You are much more accommodating than your loyal advisor led me to believe, King Cepheus. Your hospitality is appreciated. I was concerned after the fall of Asgard I would yet see another land as fine, but I have been proven wrong," he complimented the king, figuring it was the least he could do.

 The King smiled broadly when the Asgardian king complimented him on his kingdom. "Having heard of the beauty of your realm, We are honored by your praise. And our deepest condolences for the loss of your home...if We can aid your people at this time in any way, We would be pleased to."

 Cepheus suddenly realized that perhaps having Asgard settle on Soleil could be a boon for him. They were known to be legendary warriors. Perhaps they could help him see to his enemies. Befriending this king could mean establishing a happy alliance for the future.

 "Allow me to take my leave. Plummeting from the stars does more than just tire the body…" Or if Thor was being honest, he'd say that he wished to go snoop about the castle and try to catch the princess before she retired for the night.

 "Of course," he proclaimed. "A page shall escort you." He clapped his hands and waited for him to arrive. "Take King Thor of Asgard to the royal guest quarters and see that food is brought. And that he has whatever he might desire..."

 With what could have been a smile, he added, "With the exception of my fair maiden daughter, of course." Chuckling, he bid Thor good night and the nervous page showed him the way through the grand palace.

 It was as if this man knew what was on Thor's mind as he stated that he could have anything he wanted outside of his daughter. Thor laughed good naturedly as if to say that such a thought was out of the question then.

 "'til the morrow, King Cepheus," Thor still wore the same smile as he was escorted out of the grand throne room and throughout the sprawling palace. His eyes had been peeled the entire time he was walking, though he kept his head forward as not to cause any assumptions that he had been peering in places his eyes didn't belong or looking for something that he was not supposed to have.

 Or someone, as it were.

 When they reached the regal guest suite, the page bid him good evening. Thor opened the door, where the princess sat there still in her wet nightgown, perched on the edge of the bed with her knees just slightly parted.

 "King and not madman, then?" she asked with a wry smile.

 "Had you only believed me before we'd have a canopy of stars instead of stone as well as the privacy of moonlight," Thor replied with a crooked smile in her direction.

 Elodie pouted out her lip a little as if this news disappointed. "This is true," she said, "But...perhaps you will linger more than one night so that when next we meet it can be in the setting we were deprived of."

 "At the same time, there is something to be said for soft beds and sturdy walls, is there not? Surely such things can be even more useful than stars and moonlight, albeit not as beautiful."

 "Do you still believe me to be a hero worthy of lore even after I came crashing down into your kingdom like a madman indeed and got you..." he motioned at her nightgown with a smirk. "All wet?"

 The comment on the state of her clothing and perhaps of her nether regions prompted the princess to smirk. "If anything, I am intrigued by your bold entrance. I have never seen another like it."

 Her legs parted more, and she added, "And I have never seen another man quite like you."

 "Besides," she said, "Being wet is only a temporary inconvenience that can be quickly remedied. Or...slowly remedied until dawn, even. Wouldn't you agree?"

 Thor wasn't sure he'd ever seen a woman as forward as this one, and he hadn't even learned her name. The women of Asgard had always been so coy and shy around him, even when he made it known that he was clearly interested. To see this woman so blatant in her desires only made Thor grow in his. He temporarily forgot about the niceties of the King and the strangeness of the day and the safety of Banner and found himself glad that he'd fallen into this world.

 With each inch that her thighs parted, Thor stepped closer to her until he was right upon her. Elodie's pulse quickened as he approached, but her calm demeanor did not leave her.

 Touching her chin with his thumb, Thor gently guided Elodie to stand, peering down into her eyes. She slowly rose, hands at her side though she longed to reach for him. Make him wait, she thought, at least for a breath or two.

 With a wave of his hand, Thor rid his torso of the armor that robed him, leaving him standing there bare chested before her.

 "W can remedy one instance of this cursed wetness quickly," he said in a husky tone, sliding his arm around Elodie’s waist. He pulled her against him and shifted his hand to hold her by one of her thighs, using the other hand to remove the wet gown she wore.

 He discarded the sopping garment at the foot of the bed. Elodie could feel the cool air licking her skin that was both sorts of damp. The wet nightgown was gone from her and she made no effort to hide any part of her from his sight or his touch.

 "The other we can see to until your frail form gives in," he said as he dipped his head down to kiss roughly at her neck and collar bones.

 "And test these sturdy walls you speak of," the blond added through a breathy, low laugh against her skin as he pressed her up to the cool wall.

 Her eyes closed, head tilting to the side to give him free reign over whatever part of her flesh he wished to explore. "My frame..." she panted, her hands coming to run through his long hair, "...is much sturdier than it appears, even in the face of..."

 Turning her head, she whispered against the lobe of his ear, "...the god of thunder." The words said, she captured the fleshy part of his ear between her soft lips and suckled, brushing the skin with the tip of her tongue.

 "The walls may be a bigger concern," she said as she found herself flush against one. "Though I cannot think of a more enticing way to test the foundations of the castle..."

 Thor used his powerful body to keep her pressed against the stony wall, his hands free to roam her waist, her hips, her breasts, her thighs, anywhere they could reach as she appealed to his ego and called him the god of thunder in that whispered way.

 A low moan sounded against her skin as she did, and he smiled against her flesh as he said, "I fear the walls are not what will be quivering before this god of thunder," but the words barely got out before an intake of breath seemed to suck them right back in when her fingers slipped beneath his waistband.

 "Quiver, will I?" she gasped, arching her back into his touch, clearly coaxing his touch to her pert tits. "...would that not make you the God of--" she gasped as his hand found its way to a particularly sensitive spot. "--wind and not--" but she could not finish her thought, perhaps not quivering but panting too hard to complete the syllables.

 Reaching down, she brushed her fingers over the front of his breeches.

And without waiting for an invitation, the bold maiden snaked her hand behind the fastening and plunged it downward, seeking out the very steel she spoke of.

 "She waits for nothing," he whispered through a pleased, near drunken smile, allowing himself the freedom of slipping his pants down just enough to where he could guide himself out of her hands and to a much warmer place.

 When he commented on her unwillingness to wait, she gave a lusty smirk, "He expects a woman to be patient? Clearly, he has never had the pleasure of a princess before."

 And it seemed he did not wish to test her patience further. One of Thor’s hands cradled the back of Elodie’s neck as he wasted no time and slid inside of her. She wrapped yet strong thighs around his waist and sunk her fingertips into his shoulder blades as he began to thrust.

 Immediately, he began to build a rather swift and firm rhythm. Remembering how this had been forbidden just moments ago only seemed to make his movements seem that much more eager.

 To try and quiet herself, Elodie buried her face against Thor's neck, but moans were still audible as he brought her closer and closer to her breaking point. Finally and explosively, she climaxed around him, her now quivering body begging his to join hers in bliss.

 Thor had once been the type to believe that he wanted a woman who might submit to him and his desires, not one that might take her desires into her own hands. It was exhilarating to say the least, and with every reaction that he got from her, he found himself growing impossibly excited.

 She held onto him with ferocity, and it was good that she had as he did not hold anything back when fucking her, every muscle of his body going to work for him. Feeling her try to keep herself quiet and breathing against his skin was enough to push him over the edge, and once she had cum, he was short to follow after with a groan that was not shy or quiet by any means, although he found himself wishing that it had been; a knock came at the door at that very moment along with an announcement that the food the King had promised had been delivered.

 Thor held up a finger to his lips, breath labored as he set her back down on the floor. He flattened his hair out a bit and with another wave of his hand was dressed as if nothing had happened. He went to the door and cracked it open just enough to accept the offering and thank the man who'd brought it.

 Shutting the door again, he turned around and let out a breathy laugh.

 "That could have been...unfortunate," he commented as he brought the tray of food over to one of the tables in the room. He returned to her with a large lavender berry and popped it between her lips. Elodie captured Thor’s fingers in her mouth and sucked them for a moment before she pulled back and took to eating the proffered fruit.

 "But I still consider myself quite the lucky King."

 "Surely that was worth the threat of execution should I have been found in your chambers," she teased. She didn't think her father would go so far as to try and kill the King of Asgard over such a thing, but it was fun to tease.

 She slipped past him and went to the bed, reclining on it rather shamelessly. Laying on her side with her head propped up by her hand, she nodded toward the food.

 "Enjoy the taste of whatever our cooks have prepared for you..."

 Rolling onto her back, she stretched her arms overhead and said casually, "And then perhaps I will in turn take a taste of the Son of Odin...unless our near discovery has made you afraid to keep me within these walls"

 "My death has been threatened for less," Thor said with a smile and a shrug when she quipped about the sin they had just committed.

 "And I would have died with greater bliss than anything Valhalla could promise me," he added with a wink in her direction.

 "Nothing makes Thor shy away," he said with a delighted grin as he approached the bed again, reaching out his hand for her to pull her to him again.

 "Although I'm not sure you have any room left between your lips with all of that filth on your tongue..."

 He rolled onto his back and pulled her down with him, however, releasing her hand and instead tucking his own hand under his head, eyes closing.

 "But, come, let us find out."

 And so, just as the nameless princess had promised, the night was spent in secret in Thor's chambers with the food that was brought to him having grown cold and untouched by the time morning came.