#but good lord also his tactical skills

[sanguineterrain]

save me jason todd competency kink. jason todd competency kink save me. save me ja-

[sunderwight]

Liushen AU where SY transmigrates into SJ's older brother, and subsequently nopes them right out of the slavery backstory by using his general knowledge of the story and actually being an adult in a kid's body to just leave (basically) with SJ and YQ.

SY carts them both up to Cang Qiong for the next sect trials. It's actually not all that hard, the trickiest part is getting enough to eat and finding safe places to sleep between leaving the slavers and taking the trials (SY manages just barely, with considerable help from his new little brothers.) Nobody bothers to go after them because it's before Qiu Jianluo and this style of human traffickers mostly operate by virtue of their merchandise having nowhere else to go. Chasing down runaways is an expense not worth indulging, given that most of them either come straight back or die of exposure.

Anyway, they take the trials, and as expected YQY gets chosen to become a personal disciple for the sect leader, and SJ gets chosen by the Qing Jing Peak Lord, but also as (kind of) expected (by SY alone) nobody wants SY. He's older the Yue Qi, so too old, and unlike YQ and SJ his cultivation potential isn't striking enough to make any exceptions for him.

SY, however, can't leave it at that. He's spent more than five minutes with the street kid codependency gang, so he's gotten attached to both of them. And he knows what will happen if they're left to their own devices and The Plot proceeds accordingly. (Also, they keep threatening to not stay at the sect if SY doesn't stay too, for some reason.) So with a heavy heart and internal candle lit for himself, SY heads to Bai Zhan Peak. Which is the only peak that accepts disciples by way of them turning up and refusing to leave.

SY's not much of a fighter. He actually really hates the atmosphere on BZP, he's not bad at physical cultivation (his health's pretty good in this life, ironic considering how much worse his situation was) but the random ambushes and survival-of-the-fittest stuff is just not his brand. But that's okay, because it turns out that BZP actually DESPERATELY needs disciples on the actual peak who are interested in things other than fighting and cultivating their own strength. Stuff like, filling out requisition requests for An Ding every time things break, apologizing to An Ding every time things break again, organizing schedules, browbeating senior disciples into actually teaching, educating disciples on virtually any artistic or social skill, hosting lectures on how to beat vicious beasts without just overpowering them, and etc.

Okay so some of this stuff isn't and has never actually been on Bai Zhan's curriculum but Shen Yuan is going to make this place tolerable. And stop these children from needlessly getting acid burns or lyme disease or scurvy or whatever. He keeps internally chewing out Airplane for designing a sect system that means there are a lot of largely unsupervised 12-year-olds running around the wilderness on a mountain picking fights all the time. (When he actually meets Shang Qinghua and figures him out he switches to doing it in person, of course, in twice-monthly bitching sessions that look a lot like budding friendship.)

Of course one of the worst offenders is the Liu kid, who SY would suspect was actually raised by wolves if he didn't know for a fact that Liu Qingge has a younger sister, and also the kinds of nice clothing and letters from home that strongly imply not only does he have a family, but that the family is pretty well-off. Liu Qingge is at first deeply offended by SY being a BZP disciple. He rarely fights anyone, and uses tricks and evasion tactics whenever a fight can't be avoided. And he does other annoying stuff, like pestering him about meals and baths and lecturing him on identifying dangerous plants and the early signs of qi deviation. This is not what their peak is about! He should get with the program already! Just fight stuff until you're too tired to keep fighting stuff!

Also SY's younger brother, SJ, is pure evil (at least according to baby Liu Qingge) even though his other younger brother (?) is cool and nice.

Anyway, Liu Qingge stops complaining about SY after their first mission together, where Liu Qingge doesn't lose a fight but does get into a kind of pyrrhic victory situation where he's really badly hurt, and it's SY who helps him win (correctly identifying the monster and then pointing out its weakness) and takes care of him afterwards and gets him safely back to Cang Qiong. SY expresses surprise at LQG actually being polite to him, and LQG realizes that he's been a colossal ass if people think he wouldn't be grateful to someone who saved his life, so the usual Liushen dynamic proceeds from there. Liu Qingge starts bringing SY fans he leaves behind and hunts down animals that are supposed to be useful for bolstering weak cultivation, SY invites LQG to tea and keeps the critters as pets, etc etc.

SY doesn't get the Head Disciple position, because that's only acquired via beating the current peak lord in combat and lol no. Also he's not interested in stealing it from Liu Qingge, to whom it rightfully belongs (in his mind). But that's fine, because Liu Qingge takes the position when the next generation ascends and then he lets SY exclusively handle all the peak duties SY actually likes (mainly teaching). It's perfect -- Liu Qingge gets to focus on his War God antics and occasional administration/meetings without having to deal with students his has no patience for, but the disciples of BZP don't get neglected because SY is actually teaching and organizing classes and student care. BZP hasn't enjoyed a golden age like this since it was founded!

Things are pretty good overall, but Shen Yuan knows that it's only a matter of time before The Plot shows up, and so he can't rest completely easily.

Meanwhile, the will-they-or-won't-they bets on Liushen have been going strong for a while now. The thing is, most of their martial siblings are convinced that these two are already "together", and just being circumspect about it. Those who know SY well (like SJ, YQY, and SQH) know better but think that SY's romantic obtuseness is to blame, whereas those who know LQG well (LMY, WQW, and MQF) are pretty sure that it's actually LQG's obtuseness that's the problem. Of course it's actually both of them, so efforts to "fix" matters by getting through one of their thick skulls inevitably run afoul of the other's.

An additional complication is of course: SJ doesn't like LQG (mutual), and now that he's the leader of his own peak, he wants to poach SY to come and live there. Not only so he can have one of the 2 people he trusts actually close at hand, but also because SJ also hates actually teaching the atrocious little brats on his peak, and would like to have SY come and do it for him. YQY is still a total pushover for him too, and is also now the sect leader, so YQY agrees that SY can change peaks if SY and LQG both agree to it.

Liu Qingge, of course, is a no, but he's a variable "no". He's not going to hold Shen Yuan against his will or anything.

As for Shen Yuan, it's... complicated. He doesn't really like BZP, but it's gotten a lot better than it was at the start. These days he's actually pretty proud of his accomplishments, and it's more comfortable, but it's still a rough and rowdy place with fewer creature comforts, libraries, or other appealing points than QJP. Also, if he goes to Qing Jing to teach, he can personally ensure that SJ doesn't go around persecuting any of his students!

But... SJ never lived with the Qiu family in this AU, and even though SY's not totally clear on what the PIDW backstory for SJ was, he knows he's a better guy now than the scum villain in the book was. He has a reputation for making cutting remarks, not for being an abusive snake or a lecher. SY's honestly less worried about him doing anything bad at all, and there are other people on QJP who can teach. It might even be good for SJ to promote more people to fill out a social circle he can rely on! That guy needs more friends, seriously.

And QJP really doesn't need more layabout literary intellectual types who get into pointless arguments, which is all SY would be if he went there. Just yet another nerdy scholar for the rich kids with middling cultivation that the peak favors to ignore. At least on BZP he's filling a gap.

SY is clearly torn, and the fact that SY's considering it has LQG upset, and LQG doesn't handle being upset very well, so of course they have an argument about it. SY storms off to cool his head and LQG is like, this is it, he's gone to Qing Jing Peak, I've drive him off by being too aggressive and he's probably remembering all those times I told him he didn't belong here and oh no what have I done maybe if I build him a heated bath and get him books he will come back???

Turns out that SY just went to An Ding to vent at SQH while SQH was like "I think you would have fewer problems if you and Liu Qingge just got married and my disciples could call you Shigu to your face instead of behind your back" and SY threw melon seeds at him and sulked on his fainting couch (which is always cold for some reason...)

Thus begins the Liushen Divorce Arc where SY tries to be anywhere but BZP or QJP, Liu Qingge tries to figure out what thing he can punch to fix this not-punchable problem, SJ is like "I don't see what the big deal is they should break up Liu Qingge is awful and I want my brother to teach my classes for me" like the spoiled youngest sibling he's finally allowed to be, YQY is trying to moderate this Hades vs Demeter situation and is all "well maybe SY could spend half the year on QJP and half on BZP?", and Liu Mingyan is going "I know my brother if this doesn't work out he is going to die single and pining like an idiot" and so keeps conscripting other disciples to y'know, lock SY and LQG into storage closets together (ineffective: LQG can punch through walls) or at least get them in the same room (underestimating SY's willingness to yeet himself out of windows to avoid awkward social interactions.)

By the time Luo Binghe joins the sect (as a Qiong Ding disciple), the drama is in full swing and is the main topic of gossip across most of the peaks.

[sourcherryandsprinkles]

Would you write a part 2 of the aftermath of this ending https://www.tumblr.com/sourcherryandsprinkles/754130135676076032/sending-aemond-dirty-letters-by-raven-while-you

Request: Aemond ask for Velaryon!reader’s favor at the king’s tourney to piss off her betrothed who is also competing as knight from another house

I was secretly planning this 🤭 It's shorter than I wanted...

my taglists are here + you can send requests here at any time

—

You should have seen Aemond’s move coming. 

He had a smug smile on his face when he met you in secret and stole a good fortune kiss after breaking fast. He told you he would ask for your favor if he won — and not only the flowers kind. 

Seated alongside your brothers, you watched from the royal box as Aemond entered the tournament ground with the other knights of House Targaryen. He sat tall and strong on his black horse, his long silver hair peeking from beneath the helmet. There was something about him in full armor that made you clench your legs, feeling your core ache. You didn’t know if you wanted to tear it off him or keep it on and ride him with it on. 

The other knights parted to the other side of the court, but Aemond stayed. He looked up and spotted you amongst the crowd, his intense gaze fixed on you.

‘’Prince Aemond of House Targaryen will now choose his first opponent,’’ the tourney announcer said.

Knights from other houses were lined up and Aemond trotted before them. He eyes them all, making it seem like he didn’t already know who he was going to pick. The prince smirked behind the protection of his helmet before stopping and pointing his lance at Lord Tully’s son — your betrothed. 

You tensed on your seat, knowing this duel was not going to end well and would stir drama. Aemond wanted to take him down. This was revenge for taking you from him. 

In the court, the two knights positioned themselves. Aemond was calm and collected, but you knew he was relishing every moment of this. His horse was stomping impatiently.

When he signed up for the tourney, Alicent disapproved immediately. But Aemond was determined to participate. He knew it would be more challenging for him since he only had one good eye, but he was confident in his skills. He’s been training for years with only one eye, and learning tactics to work around his blind side. If he could send Ser Criston on the ground, he could manage participating in the tourney. 

‘’Begin!’’ the announcer shouted, and the riders charged towards each other at top speed. 

Horses' hooves thundered, and a part of you wanted to close your eyes, scared of how this duel was going to end. Bloody, that was for sure. Another wanted to watch Aemond tear Lord Tully's son down.

Aemond's horse surged forward, his lance gripped tightly as he aimed true, striking the Tully knight squarely in the chest. A smirk curled on the prince’s lips as the impact sent the knight reeling, his armor screeching against the tilting barrier as his horse galloped on. 

Lord Tully's son regained his balance, then turned around, ready to go again.

You watched nervously, scared for the second round. 

The next clash was fierce, both lances aiming at the same time and splintering with a resounding crack. New ones were swiftly provided by their helpers, and they went again.

‘’Who do you think is going to win?’’ Jacaerys asked, seated on your right. ‘’I think Aemond should get his pride hurt and fall from his horse. He is too arrogant. Did you see the force he struck at the Tully knight?’’

You kept your gaze on the court, the air tense with anticipation. As they charged once more, hooves pounding like thunder, Aemond struck first, sending his opponent crashing to the ground in a clatter of armor. 

‘’That’s my son!’’ the King cheered from his chair, seated right beside Otto Hightower. 

The crowd erupted in applause, Aemond basking in his victory. He approached the royal box with his horse, the sunlight glinting off his armor. You stood to greet him, much to your mother’s irritation, a smile playing on your lips. irritation. She wasn’t happy about his antics, but she couldn't say anything to stop him. Not with so many eyes on you, watching.

‘’Nicely done, Uncle,’’ you congratulated as he removed his helm, revealing his features, his long hair cascading down his armored shoulders. 

‘’Thank you, Princess,’’ Aemond replied, smug satisfaction emanating from him. ‘’I’m certain I can win more duels, but I would like to ask the favor of the fairest lady of the Realm.’’ 

Daemon, who was sitting next to your mother, was watching the interaction, fuming. He knew Aemond was asking your favor on purpose. It was a subtle act of defiance, one that he knew would rile up your betrothed…who he just unhorsed.

You smiled and fetched your prettiest flower crown, the one your mother thought you made for your betrothed, sliding it down Aemond’s lance. ‘’Good fortune to you, Prince Aemond.’’

—

House of the dragon taglist: @khaleesihavilliard @domoron @ididliquorice @lover-of-helios @lover-of-helios @shine101 @tanyaherondale @mikariell95 @serrendiipty @lantsovheiress @gilliananderfuckme @shine101 @tetgod @clayzayden @memeorydotcom @tnu-ree @futuregws @blackravena @winxschester @mysteriouslydelightfulchaos @xxlaynaxx @secretsthathauntus @pilarxxxaguayo @emmavan39 @stargaryenx @erylilly @bbblackmamba @rainedrop97 @dreamer087 @gothicgay14 @ashlatano7567 @superkittywonderland @justaproudslytherpuff @evesolstice @buckysmainhxe @padfootsvixen @scarletmeii @evesolstice @dkathl @kaywsworld @tetgod @padfootsvixen @domoron   @weird-addiction @angeliod @xjennyx2 @adaydreamaway08  @mymultiveres  @secretsthathauntus  @puffycreamcakes @thirsty4nonlivingmen @naty-1001 @katiepie67 @moshpot24x @hc-geralt-23 @lovelynerdytraveler @saturn-sas  @zgzgh @sssjuico10 @tabloidteen @timetoten @deekaag @wondxrgurl @aerangi @strmborns @astridyoo15 @daemonslittlebitch @queenbeestuffs @severewobblerlightdragon @agentstarkid @msliz @vane1999-blog @fairyfolkloresposts @todaywasafairytale07 @otomaniac @zgzgzh @thebeardedmoon @golden-library @kikyrizuki @hnslchw @camy85 @winxschester @armstrongscommentsection @withfireandbl00d @randomstory56 @JudgmentDays-Girl @darylandbethfanforever9 @darylandbethfanforever9 @aegonswife @dakotapaigelove @jays-bullshit @blublock404 @Icefyre19 @paulilvsremus @mfedits @aemondwhoresworld @angrybirdxx @YarianyIrizarry

All and more taglist:  @kenqki  @hawkegfs  @gillybear17   @black-rose-29 @fudge13 @cece05 @laylasbunbunny @gemofthenight @beautyb1ade   @mellabella101 @vxnity713  @bisexualgirlsblog @queenofslytherin889 @thatbxtchesblog @softb-tterfly @ethanlandrycanbreakmyheart  @xyzstar  @graceberman3   @mikeyspinkcup @jackierose902109 @daisydark @laurasdrey @mischieftom @fanatic4niall @peterholland04 @idkwhattonamethisblogs  @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @zoeynicolas @thejuleshypothesis @multi-fandom-bi-bitch @lexasaurs634  @notasadgirlipromise @thejuleshypothesis  @katherinejess  @rafesgirlstuff   @lafleshlumpeater @iamluminosity  @Anouk nani-2305 @books0fever @papichulo120627 @qardasngan @ghostlyvoidydragon @M0rgans1nterlud3 @dahlia-blossom21 @Spacexdrago

[rifari2037]

12. What are your steambaby headcanons?

Fire Lord Zuko and First Lady Katara's steambabies :

Princess Kya (14), the leader - a fire bender, an heir of the Fire Nation. She has golden eyes and light brown skin. She is just, brave, determine, and sometimes mischievous.

Headcanons :

Zuko teaches Kya fire bending in every martial-style bending. She isn't surprised her father teaches her water-styles more than other styles.

Zuko teaches Kya how to redirect lightning in honour to her beloved grand-uncle Iroh.

Azula (after her redemption arc) is very close to Kya because her niece has talents and badass like her.

Azula teaches Kya how to direct lightning and she learns it quickly. 'I doubt you're your father's daughter, it took him years to do that," is Azula's way to compliment her.

Just like her father, Kya secretly learns fire bender from the source. One day, Zuko and Katara accidentally sees Kya doing the dragon dance with his dragon, Druk, and amazed by that.

Prince Kazan (12), the protector - a non-bender, the youngest master dual swords. He has golden eyes and light brown skin. He is strong, smart, tactical, and eager to learn any weapons. Kazan (火山) means volcano in Japanese.

Headcanons :

Kazan has very similar face and gesture to young Zuko, except his skin is darker.

Kazan feels insecure when found out that his two sisters are benders and he's not. Katara is the one who notices his anxiety first and asks Zuko to cheer him up.

Zuko encourage him that he doesn't need to be a fire or water bender to be a great leader. Zuko also shows Kazan his dual swords skill, tells him that weapon skills are very useful at any time.

Zuko himself who teaches Kazan dual swords techniques until he mastered it at young age. This is in my head how Zuko teaches Kazan :

After Kazan mastering dual swords, he start learns other weapons, especially water tribe weapons from Hakoda and Sokka. Dual swords still his main weapon and he still practising it.

Kazan often reminds Zuko of his childhood, sometimes it brings back to his past trauma. Zuko feels afraid that he will act like his father to his children, especially his non-bender son. Katara always reminds Zuko that he is not the same as his father at all. He is always a good father to them.

Princess Izumi (8), the healer - a water bender, a young peacemaker. She has ocean eyes and pale skin. She is calm and quiet, has a kind heart and motherly.

Headcanons :

Izumi is very close to her mother, Katara. She's almost always by her side.

Izumi has motherly nature combination of her two grandmothers, Ursa and Kya. She's quiet but wise and very intelligent.

Izumi often being a peacemaker when her sister and brother quarrel, most often because Kya playing prank on Kazan.

Katara teaches Izumi how to fight and heal, but Izumi is more interested in healing. She has excellent talents in healing.

Izumi not only a healer, she also has talent as a herbalist like Ursa. She learn herbalist almost herself. She can make poison, but prefers to use her abilities to make cure.

Years later when she turn 18, she become a good fighter and best at healing. She secretly learn blood-bending and use it to heal (only Kya and Kazan know about it).

Nb :

I thought about swapping Kya and Izumi just like in canon-TLOK, but I stick with my first HC in result, because I always imagined badass firebender Kya and calm intelligent water-bender Izumi.

I only wrote down good things about steambabies, I still haven't thought about their weaknesses.

These are my original headcanons. Every Zutara shipper allowed to use it into fanarts, fanfics, or add another headcanons, but please let me know and credit me ❤️💙

[phoenixyfriend]

Will you share what makes you ship Anakin/Cody? It's a pairing I'd never have considered, so I'm really curious what makes you interested in it!

This is an interesting question for a few reasons, but I think I should link this post first.

One of the ship dynamics I gravitate towards, especially for Anakin, is 'incredibly powerful/skilled person who is desperate to please, and the person who is largely unimpressed with their baseline level of skill and power, but will genuinely and meaningfully praise/acknowledge the thing they put a real effort into.'

I think Cody is really, really unimpressed with Anakin's shenanigans, and he shows it. He's a walking raised eyebrow with "and?" hanging in the air. He knows Anakin is powerful and great with droids, but can he hold his temper? Can he remember and implement the battle plan that Rex drew up? Can he [redacted horny challenge]?

Anakin wants to impress Cody, and Cody wants Anakin to behave, but also Cody wants to see what makes Anakin tick. He's a very strange and emotional man, and that's a bit of a challenge to figure out and settle, and Cody imo likes a challenge.

In my mind, they didn't love or hate each other on first sight, they were just... wary. Cody had just spent a few weeks getting to know his new boss, and said new boss had mentioned his brother-son at least twice an hour. Cody goes in knowing that Anakin is reckless, but a genius, and lacking in common sense. He's emotional and forgets to sleep when he dedicates himself to a task, and is still getting used to his new arm because he tried to fight a Sith Lord 1v1.

Anakin comes into this situation knowing that Cody is competent, and that Obi-Wan describes him as a good man, and that the two seem to get along pretty well. Being Anakin, he's a little worried about getting replaced, but this is someone Obi-Wan has to work with, and it seems to be on the up and up, but they've had a few weeks to get to know each other without him there, so he's anxious, because in Anakin's mind he is the only person that should ever be Obi-Wan's SiC, but also, Obi-Wan likes this guy alright and the guy in question has managed to keep Obi-Wan and a bunch of soldiers alive so far, so he can't be that bad, so Anakin should try to get along with him, or Obi-Wan will be disappointed, or even upset, and Anakin can't deal with that right now.

So they meet and it's awkward and they try to settle into a working relationship of some kind, and it mostly is... okay. Anakin snaps and gets aggressive sometimes, but Cody is just a wall to it. This isn't great for Anakin, personally, who's used to 'not taking this shit, will wait silently for you to stop being a dick with obvious judgement' from people like Windu, but it works. Cody doesn't enjoy Anakin's behavior, nobody does, but he can deal with it and he's seen a couple brothers come through injury-and-prosthesis with a short temper, so like. Sure. Whatever.

But then Anakin starts coming to Cody for help with tactics and strategy, because Obi-Wan is busy, but Cody is basically Anakin's peer, right? And Cody was super trained in this? And that determination from Anakin to get good at war--whether it's for the sake of Anakin's own ego and need to excel at everything, or for the sake of keeping Cody's own brothers alive--sparks some interest from Cody. Anakin is trying. He's not good at it, not yet, but he's sharp and he asks good questions, and he doesn't doubt Cody's expertise... at least, not too often.

But Anakin does that to Obi-Wan, too, so Cody doesn't take it personally. This is just Anakin's personality. It's a flaw.

It helps that Anakin is pretty. Cody knows everyone can tell. He's not the only one that's noticed.

Then Anakin gets promoted, they split for a few months of Anakin leading his own legion across the galaxy, and the legions come back together for Christophsis or something, and Cody gets to see that Anakin is more confident now, rather than just bluster and arrogance, that it's in his walk, in how comfortable he is with the arm, in the fact that he grasps Rex's battle plans with an ease that takes even some brothers a while to learn.

And Anakin still, the second they are in proximity, wants approval. Some of it from Obi-Wan, obviously, but some of it from Cody, too.

Cody likes that. He likes that this incredibly powerful, widely respected Jedi (who happens to be very pretty and basically the same age as Cody himself) wants his approval. Wants his attention. Wants to know that he's doing a good job.

Wants a firm hand to tell him when he's wrong, and to praise him when he's right, and to force him to still and settle when he's about to jitter out of his skin.

I think Cody finds Anakin fascinating before he finds him charming or forms an emotional bond with him, but it's a solid place to start from.

(And Anakin just... latched onto a person that was Good At Thing that paid him attention and then gave him positive feedback.)

(That's like half my Anakin ships, though. It is very easy to make this boy fall in love. The real challenge is figuring out how the other person reacts to Anakin being... Intense.)

[missaccuracy]

Do you agree with this take about Ozai?

https://www.tumblr.com/phoenix-king-ozai/662589960179810304/ozai-did-love-and-care-about-his-family-in-the?source=share

I understand where this comes from, I've seen takes similar to this one a couple of times, however, I only partially agree.

The thing about abusers is that they're humans too, so there can be some good moments and happy memories with them, but that doesn't necessarily mean they genuinely loved you. People point to the flashbacks as a proof that Ozai had complex feelings towards his children, but I think he never really cared about them in a way we understand it.

I think in Ozai's case, he didn't truly love their children, BUT, as a human, he just had some parental instinct towards them, as shown when Ozai saved Zuko.

But to me, Ozai is still a clear case of a narcissistic parent and parents like this never love their children unconditionally. We've seen that later in the show Ozai gives his children only conditional approval.

I think Ozai's early care for Zuko also stemmed from the fact that he wasn't seen by him as a lost cause yet. I think the time when Ozai showed kindness to Zuko, was a time when Ozai still hoped Zuko would prove himself.

His later resentment of Zuko comes from the fact, that, in his eyes Zuko isn't a capable heir. He isn't a prodigy firebender, he's not tactical, he doesn't demonstrate great political skills. Zuko doesn't have any of he skills Ozai values.

Ozai welcomed Zuko back after his banishment, because Zuko has finally become what Ozai always wanted.

Same with Azula. As long as she answered to his expectations, he showed her some resemblance of "care", but after he found out she lied to him, I think he became displeased with her and abandoned her in the end. (But she's still his only heir left, so he gave her the position of the fire lord as a way to "shut her up" and still keep her by his side).

We see that all love Ozai has for his children is conditional. And I believe there was a one more reason as to why Ozai semeed to care for his children in the past, but became cold to them later.

This post correctly points to Ozai and Ursa having a good early relationship in canon. Maybe Ozai hadn't lost his feelings towards Ursa, but when she's gone, there was no one to keep his cruelty in check anymore.

When Ursa was present, Ozai tried to be better and make it all work, but she still couldn't tame his ambitions and after she left, it was like all of his soft feelings he may have towards his family and his children were gone with her.

[ultimateempath]

BadSans!Swap AU FT. Nightberry

-Swap starts off as a star sans and had believed that Ink and Dream were the best pair of friends he ever could've asked for. Sure it was extremely difficult keeping up with people who were essentially gods, but he didn't mind as long as he could help people.

-During a particularly brutal yet successful battle against the bad sanses, Swap ends up collapsing from an injury and tries to reach out for help...only to find no one there. His so-called 'friends' abandon him in the crumbling au, leaving him to die in the freezing snow of a town he recognizes but knows is not his own.

-Fortunately, Nightmare finds his unconsious body and begrudgingly rescues the betrayed sans before meeting back up with the rest of his team, having originally planned to torture or manipulate the smaller monster into joining their ranks.

-However, as it turns out, Swap joins them with little to no resistance. He had time to think back in what he had originally thought would be his tomb, and he began to truly realize just how much the Stars had actually mistreated him. Dragged along on missions with barely any time to eat or sleep, rarely given permission to visit his own au to let his beloved brother know how he was doing, all while paying no attention to Swaps mortal needs. So when Nightmare offers him a spot in the bad sanses, he takes it almost immediately.

-Swap gets along well with the rest of the bad sanses, observing their various hobbies and assisting where he can. Wether it be helping Horror with his garden, proving to have a surprisingly good poker face while playing cards with Dust, assisting Killer with pet care and blade repair, gaming with Cross, discussing literature with Nightmare, or showing off his cooking skills, he's settled in with the crew quite nicely.

-Nightmare and Swaps interest in one another, both platonically and romantically, grow over time as the two get to know each other better. Swap finally gets to see the softer sides of him, such as the gentle care he gives his underlings and the more therapeutic aspects of his abilities. Meanwhile Nightmare, while refreshed by Swaps kindness and concern, also gets to see much more intimidating and somewhat frightening sides of the peppy Sans.

-As Swap acclimates and gets more involved with the dark sanses' day-to-day activities, Nightmare quickly learns just how badly Ink and Dream screwed up by mistreating him as well as the potential the two let go to waste.

-First and foremost, Swap is highly skilled in combat. Nightmare originally thought extra training would be needed to get him caught up with the rest of the team, but the dark prince was swiftly proven wrong when each of Swaps sparring partners came back exhausted and thoroughly bruised. His energy outmatches that of his peers and he's very good at combining abilities, always eager to learn new moves.

-Secondly, Swap is more intelligent than they first assumed. When he was finally allowed to attend meetings, it took no time at all for the boney blue blur to start pointing out holes in mission plans, trap blueprints, and battle tactics while throwing out impressive ideas of his own.

-Finally and most importantly...Swap has connections. He can keep Errors interference to a minimum with a stern expression, call up the disgusting 90s parasite whenever a distraction is necessary or someone needs to dissappear, and even convince the reaper himself to turn a blind eye. Nightmare and the others quickly discovered that Swap has a variety of sanses and papyruses wrapped around his finger.

-Nightmare quickly appoints Swap as his advisor & right hand man, the bad sanses the biggest threat they've ever been thanks to the blue menace.

-It doesn't take long for Nightmare and Swap to become an offical couple, Dream and Ink wallowing in regret as they begin to stack up losses against them.

-no one stands a chance against the lord of darkness and his beloved blue beast.

[nikethestatue]

Whenever I read the fake outrage posts from the antis about Azriel 'forbidding' Elain from scrying or going to look for the Trove Objects, they always act like Azriel yelled at Elain and sent her to her room.

Azriel is a 500+ year old warrior, who leads armies alongside Cassian, a shadowsinger, and a Spymaster, who can hear and see things others can't. What he voiced was concern about sending an untrained and unprepared person to chase after items that raise the dead, control minds and stop time. What he raised was concern as the member of the Inner Circle, to his High Lord (who tends to make questionable decisions, without regards for people's safety). Azriel also lives with Nesta in the same house--he sees every day what the Cauldron did to her. He witnessed her struggle, what the Cauldron did to her when she went into a trance, and how she struggles with her powers. What normal, concerned person would be okay with sending someone they care about to traipse around the world looking for Trove objects?

At the same time, the same antis of course never mention that Cassian exclaimed 'And Nesta should (be exposed to the darkness of the Cauldron)?" in the same exchange. Not to mention, that when they went to Oorid, he literally put her on top of the tallest tree and forbade her from moving no matter what. Actually forbade her.

Azriel had, what amounted to a tactical, strategic conversation with his superiors. Not a 'i am not letting Elain do anything' conversation. He was the one who actually ARMED Elain with his dagger, left her alone, and then watched her kill the King. He didn't hide her in Velaris or in some tent. He quipped her with what he felt was sufficient protection and let her run free.

Lastly, if Nesta and Gwyn and Emerie came to Cassian and Azriel after passing the Blood Rite Qualifier and announced ' We want to participate in the actual Blood Rite!' what would've been the reaction?

'No. Fucking. Way. Over. Our. Dead. Bodies. We will tie you down."

Or, "Sure, absolutely. You will probably get violently raped and then murdered, but we are totally encouraging you three to enter the Blood Rite, with no magic or weapons, so you can test your skills. Go ahead, girls. Good luck. We trained you, so surely it will go well."

I am gonna go with option 2.

But it's funny when Azriel is presented as some misogynistic overlord who doesn't allow women to spread their wings.

Or. Maybe he is the only rational person in that bunch. Him and Feyre. The rest of them are very questionable.

[midknightwritings]

im having the biggest brainrot over this idea so yay req time

au where knights (seperatly) are royalty and their s/o is their own personal knight,,, and Shenanigans happen with each of them,, God i hope this makes sense im not very good with words 😭

Royal!Knights & their Knight!S/O

Synopsis : Being the personal knight tasked with protecting and directly serving your kingdom’s ruler often leads to eventful, and memorable, moments. Especially when said ruler is also your lover.

Era : N / A

Warning/s : "Beauty" is used once as a gender-neutral descriptor

Mentioned Character/s : G/N!Reader / Tsukasa / Leo / Izumi / Arashi / Ritsu

A/N : Anon… YOUR BRAIN IS SO MASSIVE FOR THIS !! Omg now I’m brainrotting over this idea too cuz I’m such a sucker for royal AUs 😭 But for the sake of the fluff, just imagine that their kingdom is open to the idea of royals being in a relationship with anybody, regardless of their status LMAO

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Tsukasa Suou :

Tsukasa deeply respects your opinion because he knows that you want the best for him and his people. During meetings, he would often seek out your advice. From military tactics to what colour the banners should be for the upcoming festival, Tsukasa trusts you with all his heart and will accept your guidance with open arms. If he's busy with important matters, other castle personnel would seek you out instead as they know that your insight will be the closest to what their king would desire.

He always invites you to tea time !! Tsukasa says it's a reward for working so diligently but you know the truth~ This is the only time he can drop his royal facade and be himself. He wants to share these intimate moments with the one he loves the most !! Mmm~ The taste of this brioche is marvelous !! Here, take a bite. You'll love it~

Tsukasa deeply admires your skills as a knight and secretly desires to train alongside you. One day, you noticed this and decided to personally train your lover in sword-fighting. Now, sword training became a part of his weekly schedule and, even though it gets tiring at times, Tsukasa still holds these moments with you close to his heart~ After all, he's doing something he's passionate about with you !! What more could he ask for?

In the late hours of the night, when the castle is quiet and everyone's asleep, Tsukasa would sometimes sneak out of his bedroom and into the kitchen to try and teach himself how to bake. He does this because he wants to give you a [ F/F ] cake one day !! It's quite difficult to be quiet AND to teach himself at the same time but he's trying his best !!

During royal balls, he's such a gentleman when it comes to entertaining the guests, but if you catch him at the right moments, you'll be able to see how his eyes often glance towards you. How his gaze lingers on you for a while as a soft smile grace his lips. Once the ball is over, he'll gently take your hand and guide you to the castle gardens, where he would ask if he could have this dance. Eyes full of love and his smile never faltering, he'll take your hand in his and hum a familiar tune as you both dance under the moonlight.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Leo Tsukinaga :

You’re the only one in the entire kingdom who can somehow find your king every time he gets lost when he’s out composing. Initially, your fellow knights were panicking as they ran around the entire castle trying to track down the king. After all, he couldn’t possibly have gone far !! R-right…? Well… As the royal guards were checking every nook and cranny to ever exist, your instincts casually guided you to where your lover was. Without hesitation, you found Leo instantly. To this day, nobody can truly comprehend just how impressive your Leo-radar is, and it amazes them every time.

Leo straight up wouldn’t let you call him “your highness”, “your majesty”, “my lord” or any honorific similar to those. This is because he loves the way his actual name rolls off your tongue as he finds his royal titles to be too suffocating. Hearing “Leo” come from you, his lover, makes him feel like Leo, a person, rather than Leo, the king. He would get pouty if you use honorifics in royal meetings or gatherings but understands why you used them [ no matter how much he dislikes them ] but, if you use those same honorifics when you're both alone, he would either pretend that he can’t hear you or say things like, “Aaahhh~!! Who are you talking to? I don’t know who this ‘your highness’ person is~”

The amount of songs Leo composed that's inspired by you is astounding !! You don’t realize just how much inspiration Leo gains from you as his muse. Your eyes could tentatively scan through the crowd for any dangers and Leo already came up with a whole symphony !! You glanced at him from across the room and gave him a soft smile during a meeting? Well… Now the meeting turned into several advisors holding their king back from composing on the royal map !! No matter what you do, whether it’s a conscious or unconscious choice, a melody immediately fills Leo’s mind and he can’t help but write !! He hopes to one day create a symphony that, in his eyes, can truly capture your beauty entirely.

During royal balls, Leo would flat out refuse to dance with anybody except you. It doesn’t matter if they’re the heir to the richest kingdom in the country or if they’re the most sought out ruler for marriage; Without hesitation, he'd immediately turn them down. For Leo, waltzing is something intimate as he views it as a way where partners become one as they synchronize with one another through music. He doesn’t want to share something as sacred as this with anyone else except you.

Even when you're not on duty, Leo would still find a way to be with you. Oh? You're going to town? What a coincidence !! Leo needed to check the progress on the upcoming festival, why not accompany him there? You're relaxing in your room? Knock, knock~ The king is free for tea time and is wondering if you could please grace him with your presence~ Whether you're on duty or not, being by each other's side gives you both a sense of comfort that no one else can give.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Izumi Sena :

Izumi deeply cares about you but shows it through more subtle means. Actions speak louder than words, after all !! He tries to keep up his image of royalty but, if you squint hard enough, you can easily see that facade crumbling if he notices something off from you any way, shape or form. So here, take a seat !! You've been standing all day long, right? Huh?! What do you mean "You're ok”?! Are you disobeying the direct orders from your king? Mhmm~ That’s what he thought~

If you’re not on duty, Izumi's seemingly more grumpier than usual. This sometimes causes the entire castle to practically walk on eggshells because they don’t want to inconvenience their king even more than he apparently is. Though, his mood would instantly shift the moment his eyes land on you. He’ll definitely request for the two of you to walk around the castle gardens just to compensate for the lost time you were not with him~

Izumi hates seeing you fall into unhealthy habits even if you can’t help it sometimes. As the knight that directly serves him, it’s your duty to protect your lover but, even then, he still wouldn't have any of it !! He’ll make you swear to go to bed after escorting him to his bedroom, never skip meals even if you have training right after and take adequate amounts of breaks. This is to help you stay competent in emergency situations and it’s totally not because he’s worried for your personal well-being or anything like that !!

Izumi will personally style your uniform when it comes to important gatherings such as balls, festivals, meetings, etc. He would often add small trinkets from his own accessory collection as a subtle way to connect the two of you together. Izumi would never say anything, but when your gaze alternates between the shining brooch on his tie and the similar one he’s putting on you right now, you can't help but softly smile. If you're quick enough, you might even catch just how much his eyes shine with love and admiration for you, and you alone.

Although Izumi puts up the “strong king” facade for his people, during the rare, quiet moments between the two of you, filled with comfort and relief, he’ll shed away that persona and become a man who’s completely head-over-heels for the amazing knight that’s been by his side this entire time. Embracing you protectively in his arms, he’ll hum a soft tune that lulls you to sleep as the rhythmic beating of his heart accompanies the sweet lullaby that’ll only be heard by you.

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Arashi Narukami :

Arashi definitely has an entire section of the castle gardens dedicated to flowers that reminded her of you. Ranging from roses, to honeysuckles, to sunflowers, peonies, hydrangeas and more. This section of her garden is honestly the most stunning and guests are often left in 'awe' by its sheer beauty every time they visit the castle. Arashi personally maintains the flowers herself as a way to further dedicate herself to you.

She dresses up in pretty gowns and outfits in order to impress you. She would sometimes sneak in subtle questions or comments to figure out what your favourite colours, aesthetic, and overall style is before she would ask the royal tailor to incorporate those elements in her next outfit. Her heart never fails to skip a beat when you look at her with wide eyes and lips slightly agape when you see her wear the outfit for the first time. Don’t worry though~ She’s always one-step ahead as she requested the tailor to create a matching outfit for you. So now you’re both matching !!

She openly dotes on you and doesn’t care if others are watching. You’re actually the one that tries to stay professional but that plan immediately fails the moment your beloved queen cups your cheeks in her hands and plants a ton of kisses on your face. It doesn’t matter if you just finished training or if you were tasked with guarding the dining room door, Arashi wants to show the world how much she loves you~

During the more stressful days, you would help sneak Arashi out of the castle and take her to a secluded area of the town that’s filled with stray cats. You would feed them, play with them and take care of them together as a way to help her unwind and de-stress. Arashi even named every single cat and they love her so much that they would often sneak into the castle grounds just to visit Arashi for some caresses !! From then on, during tea time, there would be a ton of cats surrounding both you and Arashi as the two of you would caress them while enjoying each other's presence.

If Arashi ever needs a partner or an escort, she will always choose you without any hesitation !! It doesn’t matter that you’re literally her personal knight [ which puts you on automatic escort duty ], she’ll still say your name first without any second thoughts. A free pass to hold your hand and have you protectively stay by her side outside her kingdom? Sign her up !!

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

Ritsu Sakuma :

Being Ritsu’s personal knight automatically makes you his pillow !! He gets lulled to sleep so easily when he’s touching you, whether he's laying on your lap, feeling you gently stroke his hair, hugging you, or just feeling your uniform in between his fingers. They all give him a sense of comfort that relieves him from the stresses of being a royal. Oftentimes, if you’re not by his side, Ritsu would reach out to try to find you and, when he finally does, he’ll pull you close and snuggle into you. Good luck trying to escape his grasp~

His most common mode of transportation during the day is you carrying him bridal style. The kingdom is nocturnal in order to accommodate for the royal family but, there are times where he needs to stay awake during the day for meetings or other important gatherings. During days like these, castle personnel can catch you carrying him in your arms. Ritsu would be snuggled close to your chest as you try to wake him up with a soft smile and gentle voice.

Ritsu loves to tease you as he enjoys seeing your reactions !! Most of his teasing would happen when you’re being serious or stoic because he wants to see how much you can handle before your persona breaks and you become a blushing, stuttering mess. To others, it’s quite the sight seeing their majesty get [ playfully ] scolded by his personal knight, but Ritsu would always laugh it off and tease you even further. This results in you losing your cool completely as you try to hide your blushing face with your hands. He’ll give you a ton of kisses to make up for it though, so don’t worry~

He’s very perceptive when it comes to your emotions and would often bring you to a quiet area of the castle [ under "your majesty's orders” ] if he ever notices you getting overwhelmed or stressed. No matter how many times you insist that you’re fine and nothing’s wrong, Ritsu knows better and will ignore your comments as he gently pushes your head onto his lap. Now this time, you’re the one who’s now laying on his lap as he gently strokes your hair. Ritsu will even sing you a soft lullaby, helping you relax as you eventually fall asleep; The comforting melody from his voice filling your ears.

You’re both protective over each other but Ritsu can be quite clingy~ He tends to stick to your side rather than the other way around. Usually, you’re ordered to provide the royal family with enough space, where you’re far enough for them to interact with others comfortably, but close enough to protect him from any sort of danger. Though, if you're too far from him, he’ll just pull you back close and ask why you’re trying to “escape” [ he knows you’re not, he’s just teasing you~ ] So now, Ritsu's draped over your shoulders as you support his weight, trying to explain for the 100th time that you're "just outside the door" and that you'll "be back once lunch is over."

[starcurtain]

Haikaveh Fanfics I Really Want to Read (Part 1)

Part 2. ->

1. A run-in with a cursed artifact on a research trip leaves Alhaitham intangible and invisible. He can't be seen, heard, or even open his precious books (which is the real tragedy here). Things go from bad to worse when it's discovered that the only person who can break the curse is someone who "knows Alhaitham by heart."

Problem is, nobody does. The only one who might even come close is Kaveh, and will he really be willing to go out of his way to research Alhaitham's deepest secrets just to bring his scathing roommate back?

Turns out the answer is yes, and Alhaitham is left invisibly watching over Kaveh's increasingly desperate attempts to learn more about the most private person in all of Sumeru.

Yeah... Alhaitham's probably doomed.

(Or: The Akademiya's erstwhile scribe has nothing better to do than stalk follow his roommate around unseen, gets a front row seat to Kaveh's tough life, undergoes the mortifying ordeal of being known, and realizes just how much his own cold nature has left him isolated from the world.)

Rest under the read more:

2. Another research trip gone wrong: While Kaveh's out of town on a job and without a shield this time, Alhaitham takes a nasty knock to the head during a fight. Although he wakes up all right, he doesn't have the faintest idea who or where he is. Quick-thinking nature intact, Alhaitham decides to fake his way through on context clues for a while. It's an interesting experiment, after all, to learn about his own life from an outsider's perspective.

Too bad a very silly series of coincidences occur (i.e. Kaveh took most of his work things with him for his trip, so his room is pretty bare; they wash their laundry together to save water; and everyone keeps asking Alhaitham why some mysterious "Kaveh" guy isn't with him), all of which lead Alhaitham to the absolutely incorrect assumption that this missing "Kaveh" person is his significant other. Imagine Kaveh's shock when he returns home to a very out-of-character greeting...

(But I mean, really, does Alhaitham need his memories back? This is kind of nice, you know...)

3. Requirements for a Desirable Life (According to Alhaitham):

1. Match your actions to your talents (read as: go with the flow) 2. Low stress, high paying job (read as: the balancing act between making oneself seem indispensable while underachieving as much as possible is a talent) 3. Nice home with a short commute (read as: at-home lunch hours every day) 4. Books (read as: soon as possible) 5. Kaveh (read as: the light of my life who I moved into my house through admittedly somewhat underhanded tactics just to keep him close to me, but what was I supposed to do--tell him I have actual feelings? Impossible, in the most literal of senses)

Or: Alhaitham pursues his plan for an ideal lifestyle in an utterly single-minded and undeterrable fashion... except when comes to his roommate, who--for someone so good at drawing up his own designs--also seems terribly good at ruining Alhaitham's.

Just fall in love with me already.

(Basically, I just want to see Alhaitham be the pining one for once. He is one checkmark away from his dream life, but he'd rather sell his soul to Lord Sangemah Bay than confess without knowing how Kaveh feels first.)

4. Alhaitham is preeminently capable. He's beyond a genius. His research could rewrite the laws of reality if he tried hard enough. But he's also... terrible with people. Actually, terrible is an understatement. If Alhaitham is murdered one day, it'll be because he finally committed one too many social faux pas and honestly the masses will probably say he had it coming. Thank the lesser lord that the Akademiya's scribe has someone as gregarious as Kaveh around to help him mend his obtuse ways, right?

Or: Five times Kaveh tried to lecture Alhaitham on social skills, and the one time Alhaitham put all those lessons into practice... on Kaveh.

5. The very silly comedy one: If someone were to ask Kaveh what the very worst thing about living with Alhaitham is, he'd say--well, first he'd say "Who told you?!", but after that, he'd say something that might come as a surprise. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham isn't their constant snarking and diametrically-opposed mindsets. It isn't the tacky, asymmetrical furniture Alhaitham keeps bringing home because it was "practical and inexpensive." (Kaveh's skin is crawling.) It isn't even the fact that his so-called "landlord" reminds Kaveh all too often about his unpaid rent while never lifting a finger himself to do the dishes.

Nope. The worst thing about living with Alhaitham is the experiments.

"How many books can I leave on top of Kaveh's sketches before he yells at me?"

"How angry will Kaveh get if I drink the expensive wine he brought home last night?"

"How many days will it take Kaveh to notice I keep rearranging all the stuff on his shelves while he's out?"

"How many times can I suggest he add Aranara statues to his designs before he tries to strangle me?"

It's bullying, is what it is! There's no limits to Alhaitham's behavior when his curiosity is piqued--the only thing that matters to him is the answer to whatever outrageous new question he's thought up in that thick head of his. And of course, the louder Kaveh shouts, the more "experiments" Alhaitham seems to dream up...

Honestly, someone ought to give him a taste of his own medicine!

(Or: Alhaitham and Kaveh end up in an exponentially escalating social experiment competition, pushing as hard as they can to find the other's boundaries. One of them has to break and give up soon, right?! Too bad Alhaitham's the god of stubbornness, and Kaveh's eternal peace of mind is on the line--if he can just win this, Alhaitham will finally give it up and quit bothering him! He can't chicken out first!

Because they're both very Normal™, it turns out there's not a single boundary to be found.

Well, at least answering the question "How many times can I walk in on him in the shower before he kicks me out of the house?" might save them some money on the water bill?

By the way, Kaveh wins. It turns out the answer to "How many dog ears can I fold into the pages of Alhaitham's books before he tries to kill me?" is 0.)

[vikingschism]

Thoughts on the Stormlight TTRPG

This will be a fairly lengthy post detailing my impressions of the Stormlight Archives TTRPG by Brotherwise Games based on a session played with some other fans of Sanderson's works. Some general details of the scenario are discussed as well as the details of the pre-generated character I played, but is otherwise spoiler-free.

Background

I like Brandon Sanderson's books well enough so I was naturally interested in an RPG set in his most epic series (The Stormlight Archives). My tastes in TTRPGs generally tend towards the more narrative focused games - I enjoy PBTA, FitD and Resistance Engine games - so seeing that it was going to be a D20 system with a D&D 5e style character sheet had me a bit worried. I have enjoyed tactical combat before with systems like Draw Steel (having tried it out in a playtest - looking forward to another session soon) or even Pathfinder 2E (even if I find that system to be a bit much in other places), so there was still some hope.

I decided to take part as a player in an adventure making use of a prepared scenario using the freely available beta rules. This scenario was intended to show off the game and get new players, possibly new to TTRPGs as a whole, going. The basic premise is that the players are on an expedition towards some ancient ruins

The Character

There were multiple pre-generated characters available so I elected to play as Vedd - a disgraced Alethi soldier serving in the bridge crews. This was essentially the basic warrior class which suited me well enough, though in a full campaign there would be the option to have the character become a Radiant which would definitely give more opportunity to express the character through the powers selected. The character notes gave some good hooks to get the player into character; in the case of Vedd it was his connections to his bridge crew, his grizzled nature as one of the longest serving Bridgemen, and that he has attracted the attention of a spren who appears as a streak of light when he takes heroic or self sacrificing action.

The character sheet was serviceable, though it was sometimes hard to locate the skills I was looking for when making a test due to the amount present, so the organisation maybe could've been better. There's also just a lot of derived stats on the sheet - do we really need a carrying capacity for example? That seems a bit more simulationist than this game needs. I do like the idea of having Physical, Cognitive, and Spiritual defences and them being placed between the two stats that determine the value is nice. It's also nice that the stats are just the bonus rather than needing to derive the bonus like in 5e. Skill modifiers also made sense since you just add the points in that skill to the relevant stat to calculate the modifier.

In the scenario my character's skills were mostly in athletics, perception, and heavy weaponry. The social skills weren't too high, although intimidation was definitely on the table. This spread of skills suggested a character who was taciturn in social settings but excelled when it came time to put himself into the thick of the action.

Combat

Overall it felt good to play, the combat system allowed for a lot of flexibility and I appreciated its action economy. Players can choose to take a fast or slow turn - a fast turn grants 2 actions, a slow turn grants 3. Fast players go first, then fast enemies, then slow players, then slow enemies - within each category there is no set initiative order, players can work it out themselves). On a turn you have a number of actions you can take, and some will cost more action points (for example a recovery costs two points - however you may want to do this on a fast turn if you think an enemy will attack first). This draws on both Pathfinder 2e (with the action point system) and Shadow of the Demon Lord with the fast/slow turns.

In each round everyone gets a single reaction too. Most of these reactions require spending a point of focus, but they give good options for mitigating damage or assisting in the fight (for example Reactive Strike is the Opportunity Attack equivalent, however it requires a focus point to use - these are limited and can be recovered or are regained fully on a long rest). In our fights in the session I didn't remember that I could use the reaction to dodge which would've given the enemy disadvantage on their strike, leading to me taking a large amount of damage. Another reaction involves assisting an ally when they attempt a test in combat in order to grant them advantage on the roll. This combos quite nicely with an action that allows the player to attempt a skill test to gain advantage on their next roll.

The abilities that my character had weren't too flashy, though I should've remembered to enter vigilant stance at the start of combat - this grants advantage on perception, increases deflect, and causes enemies to require 2 actions to attack allies. Combat training also meant I could graze (upon missing, deal the value of the damage dice with no modifier) a single enemy per round for free - normally grazing would cost a focus point.

Exploration

Outside of combat I had more mixed opinions - mainly related to the plot die. This is intended to add more narrative twists to skill tests - the intention is that this is rolled for tests that are more high stakes (the process of asking for it to be rolled is called "raising the stakes"). This is a d6 (although a proprietary die with symbols is available), and rolling a 5 or 6 grants an Opportunity while a 1 or 2 imposes a Complication as well as granting a bonus of double the value on the die face to the roll (which could be enough to push a bad roll into a success). A result of 3 or 4 does nothing, and rolling a 20 or 1 on any test grants an Opportunity and a Complication respectively (this does mean they can stack when rolling the die).

Opportunities can be spent to regain a focus point, grant advantage to an ally on their next test, turn a hit into a critical hit (on attack tests in combat), or on a beneficial narrative event (which the GM must rubber stamp) - some abilities also interact with these. Complications are imposed by the GM and can essentially do the opposite of what an Opportunity can do.

So what's my issue with it? I personally found that having a null result on the die (3 and 4) meant that Opportunities and Complications felt a little rarer than I would've liked - if the roll matters enough to use the plot die then I feel like it should really have one result or the other.

This system also interacts with Events - these are similar to clocks in games like Blades in the Dark where they signal an impending event. These are ticked, depending on whether the event is positive or negative with an Opportunity or a Complication. This never came up in the scenario, however I think this is another reason I'd prefer the plot die to always produce an Opportunity or Complication; as is Opportunities and Complications just don't come up that often, so it might make Events a bit harder to use. In a system like Blades the clocks are constantly being ticked which really contributes to the sense of impending danger, or gives players a focus on an objective in the scene (eg: escaping from something chasing them).

Skill tests otherwise were straightforward, and advantage is a standard roll 2 dice and pick the higher result (although interestingly advantage can stack and be applied to multiple dice in the roll - which does mean you can give the plot die advantage as well as the d20 if you have two advantages on a roll).

The Scenario

I don't want to spoil the scenario, however I will say it was decently put together. There was a fair amount of railroading, however since we were all there for that adventure I think that was ok. There wasn't anything that stood at as being too egregious and there was some nice artwork along the way to help picture the events. It also gave some good opportunities to play into the pregen characters. All of the players came out being fairly satisfied with the adventure; it will be interesting to see how the game plays once Radiant powers are involved.

Conclusion

Overall I feel the game was competently put together and will be a fun way to explore the worlds of Sanderson. I don't think it's going to be replacing any of my favourite narrative systems, however, and some areas (like the plot die) left something to be desired. The combat was fun and will likely only get more fun once characters have access to Radiant powers, so I wouldn't be against playing again. I likely would not want to GM however, as there is a bit more crunch than I prefer in my systems. It does also remain to be seen how the game will adapt other worlds such as Scadrial from Mistborn given the different tone and nature of the world.

For those who have read all of this, thank you - I hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts on the Stormlight TTRPG and I'm curious to know what other people think of it so far.

[therealslimshakespeare]

Twenty Songs Challenge, written after being so lovingly inducted by the powerhouse that is sweet Mey, @the-ugly-swan . Challenge being to choose twenty favorited songs and write one shots based off of them with any pairing or fandom of my choosing. Being a weirdo and a little burned out in my own created universes beyond the fics already in works, I chose what currently inspired me most, obscure as it is.

Pairing: Henry “Hotspur” Percy and Lady “Kate” Mortimer Percy -early 15th century

Fandom: RPF, Shakespeare? Tom Glynn-Carney’s 5 magnificent minutes of a performance as Hotspur in <The King 2019> the armor alone was amply inspiring. The Hollow Crown fans feel free to imagine whoever, as you like. I love this historical pairing in about any iteration and the plot is drawn from both Shakespeare’s play and real history, the timeline, plot and politics being pretty self explanatory through the incorporated dialogue. NOTE- wordplay ahead with “cur” and “Kerr”, the latter being a Scottish clan holding great enmity with the Percy Family and charged with holding the Scottish side of the border. Also I kept Lady Percy’s name as “Kate” even though it was technically Elizabeth in the records.

Dynamic: a rough northern lord and his too good for him lady -a lady who has, through years of an arranged marriage gone horribly well, come to find his homespun gallantry and blunt ways more than a little intoxicating when knelt before her in amused deference. She could almost find it in herself to be gentle with him -if he hadn’t just started a rebellion whilst away from her at the Capitol.

Dedicated to my wifey @prompted-wordsmith who I did proselytize into the Percy cult one fevered evening with inestimable results, including her contribution of a few choice lines herein.

🕯As it Was ~ Hozier

“There is a roadway, muddy and foxgloved

Never I'd had life enough

My heart is screaming out

And in a few days I would be there, love

Whatever here that's left of me is yours just as it was”

Warnings: 18+ to be safe. a small amount of sexual content, flirtations, a husband and wife touching in public, verbal sparring and talk of making children and use of the word “bred”, swearing, use of the words “cock” and “cunt.”

The sound of hooves in the courtyard rouses Kate from her anxious stupor by the hearth, toilsome grain list forgotten on her lap. The scroll swishes to the floor at her abrupt standing, wafting out of her path as she rushes to the window.

First the clatter of a single, foremost, over-eager rider, followed at a lag by his retinue, skilled riders all and armored as befits the guard of a nobleman. They make such a clatter in the yard when they come in after him. Some petty part of her briefly considers the tactic of staying here in their chambers in protest, a quiet sign of disapproval with his errand, of discontent with his brusque leave taking two weeks agone.

Her Harry would find her anyway, and like it better that she were in their chambers. He would like it well she were so near the bed and like it ill she slighted him in her dutiful welcome -but he would not speak of that. Not one for speaking much, her husband, not on matters that plague her these days, weeks, months. Kate might have it out with him in the old way and slap him about and toss cold quips and get from him little more than the same benign aggravation and good humored laughs between, a couple dozen kisses to her neck and a grapple in the sheets.

That is what talk they would undertake were she to stay up here.

It is that lone, eager, forerunning clatter of his horse that speaks to her, speaks for him. Just as his sword and his reputation and his gruff graciousness has spoken well of him across these northern lands, his eagerness to return to her, to outstrip his men in haste to be back from his fool’s errand and into her embrace -it is all the declaration of devotion she may expect from him. It is the truest form, without jape lacing his tone or tonic of lust clouding his confessions.

Harry Hotspur, as fast to return to his wife as he is to meet a fight.

It is love, of the sort she has grown to be grateful for, and it is that and fear of losing it besides, that rushes her out from their chambers and down the polished steps, out to the great hall and past the giant outer doors, cursing a lousy servant or five and ordering a bath and commissioning supper and refreshments as she goes. The torch flames bend from her flight, a whoosh and a shadow stalking Alnwick Castle’s stone passageways until the gray light of evening pours into her sight from the opened great doors. Squires and stable boys clutter her path but they part as she dashes, nay, only a dignified hasten now, out into the courtyard where nearly all of this fool’s troup have dismounted.

There are doffed helms to the Lady Percy, the jangle of chain mail crinkling with bows and scraps of deference all around them, but she sees only him, with mist dripping on his nose and a face too boyish for the insolence he has returned from discharging.

“Kate.” he utters.

Will ever he say her name lazily? She hopes not, for that alone she will endure the unwarranted cheerfulness with which he greets her on this dire occasion. She has heard it said in anger, in jest and in passion, vows and quips, praise and warning. And now in cheerful pleasure as evening mist soaks her gown and the heavy clunk of her husband's footsteps clang ever near her on the paving stones.

“Lord husband.” she greets, hands folded over her freshly healed womb.

His stride falters and he rocks back on his spurred heels, an arms length away, an embrace so tangible she can see his jaw tick from the watering of his mouth. “Lord husband is it?” he repeats thoughtfully, eyes drifting down to the paving stones for a brief moment as if to recollect some forgotten crime, they flick up soon and in them is jesting scrutiny, “My lady wife rushed all this way, down five corridors and a furlong of Keep only to greet me thus?”

Did her rising breath betray her eagerness? Could he see her in the hall despite his business dismounting?

“Your cheeks are red.” he shows her mercy, some form of it. His form. “But -Lord husband, it is, nevertheless?”

“Unless you would prefer ought else?” she inquires, he had once thought this smile quite chilling, he had admitted after their first babe, now he finds it rousing, he has admitted after their third.

“If it please you.” his shifting stance is noisy, his tabard and sword and still clutched helm a racket of accouterments in the pattering rain.

“I have any number to offer,” she concedes, stepping nearer, a lady’s step, covering one third of the ground between them that he might vanquish in a single stride. Still, he waits. “Knucklehead.” she whispers, her breath a fog and her insult as lost as vapor in the ears of his watching men, her bearing alone must satisfy their curiosity, as must his growing smirk and rising color, “Jackenape.” Another step until each little scar on his face is visible and the little canyons each raindrop make of them. She saw his finger twitching where it grasped his visor “Cur.”

There was the slightest flinch between his brows at that, a furrow that smoothed as his mirthful lips flattened out. “Careful now, lady wife, with words like Kerr* thrown about, my men might think you presumptuous, their lady gone and married to some other, a Scottish laird at that. So sure of my death already, sweet Kate, that you must speak of Kerrs in mine own yard? Ha, ‘pon my word you are qu-“

“Hush!” Her hand, fresh warmed as it was by recent hearthside and rich velvets pressed frimly to his lips, a tingle shooting straight to her toes at touching him at last. He was silent then, only the puff of breath against her fast chilling fingertips. “Tease me not so,” she begged, her own mirth gone out in her eyes, her arch look turned to grief, “not when you are just returned from an errand all but ensuring such an end. It is too cruel, even of you. Handle me kindly, Percy, as you always have, in words this time, if not in embrace.”

He seemed to ponder this before raising that hand not occupied with his helm, clumsy and clad in gauntlet as it was, to her wrist, wrapping the chilled and layered steel round her pale flesh and gently tugging her hand from his lips, only so far as to press it to his cheek instead, their audience of men at arms unheeded. “I betook myself to London,” he enunciated, as if it were their first night all over again and his thick borderland drawl too strong for her courtly ears to decipher, “to remind a king of his debts.”

“And tell me!” she cried fiercely, a choked, barely quieted protest as her hands dug into the wet leather of his jerkin, wrist twisted from the steel grasp, “What errand is that but a fool’s? Have you no fear at all left in this bruised carcass? Do I patch up an animated corpse time and again from your wars only for it never to have soul and feeling and wisdom in it? Do I, Harry? Gone to remind a king? How do you dare such?”

“It is he who has dared too much!” he cried back, loudly where her’s had been choked, a ringing and rebauld defense, worthy of a man who would chastise his monarch in full view of council. “First his debts, and now my son’s land! We did not make children so as to watch like blithe cowards as their birthright is bequeathed out from under our feet -piecemeal!- to a courtly cunt whose only recommendation is his alacrity to pucker and bow.”

Kate glanced about her at the men making show of industry, piddling at harnesses and armaments, walking horses in circles. Her husband's words could be no worse than what he had said to the King’s own face, anyone without stomach to become a rebel would have stayed behind in the Capitol, sensing dissension brewing. Lady Percy could perceive none missing from his number. So, a war it was to be, then.

“So, a new generation of Percys is to play at kingmaking.” she summarized.

“We make no boast of it.” Harry protested in turn.

“No,” said she, “why would you with how poorly your last choice has served you?”

That caused a start from him, a step forward that was neither gallant nor eager but angry as man to man. Kate, still with hands fisted in the crooks of his armor, stepped with him, backwards to his hall. “It is your brother with the better claim.” he showed his plan at last, a slow and conniving admission, one not common for his brash ways and straightforward mind.

Kate gasped at the implication. “Edmund?”

“He was proper heir, all along.”

“Your father-“ she chose her wording carefully, “-did not agree.”

“My father’s preference is not law.”

“It is mistaken for such, often.” Kate smirked in reply. “And Edmund is not suited-“

“-Edmund is not the turd now stealing from his vassals!” her Harry rejoined, his helmet pressed to her chest, “Edmund will do.” he reiterated once more.

Kate stared at his temper, the signs of it in his flaring nose and his wild eyes, the cure was between her thighs but watching mist drops fall from unblinking lashes was sweet prelude indeed. “Edmund,” she replied quietly and in a manner to be heeded, “is not willing or suited, he prefers instead to listen to welsh bards and lay upon the lap of his savage wife.”

Her Harry rolled his eyes at her truth, an admission, or the closest to one, she would ever receive. As if battling some great inner turmoil she watched him purse his lips and heave out a sigh before in a sudden movement the helm was tossed to the ground -much to the scramble and reaction of a half a dozen squires who ran to pick it up from its puddle- and suddenly steel hands were upon her hips, tugging her near to him even as she shied away, her face turned in a pantomime of demureness. “Strange,” he said and his tone suggested he still pondered her report of her brother's amorous preoccupations, “-and her lap so less Devine than mine own wife’s.”

“Then why do you haste from it so often?” she whined, delivering a smack against his belted tabard, right where the lions paraded across his right breast.

“Only a man dying of thirst appreciates that water has a flavor.” he reasoned and Kate allowed the open mouthed kisses that crept down her neck, her face turned stubbornly still to the south wall. The blacksmith's roof will be in need of new thatching soon, before spring. Before war.

She feels stubble against her tender skin, bracketing those pretty lips she once derided him for. No warrior ought to have lips like that, it was not seemly, not when maidens were denied such richness, such fullness, such rosy hue. But there is roughness about his lips and on his jaw as it tucks into the juncture at her shoulder, that show of clavicle her dress allows drawing him in like a siren’s song. He must’ve rode hard the entire way, no inns or refreshment, no shaving or baths, straight to her as from a battlefield. The King’s city is just as loathsome as any field of carnage, but he went to free her brother, to get a ransom, to reclaim their stolen land, to remind a king.

He did it for her, and the babes she gave him.

Kate turns her face from the blacksmith's thatch and raises her hand to his face, tenderly stroking the three days' beard that's grown as he's been on the road, riding hard to get to her. They have backed nearly to the hall’s mouth, the drip of rain off the gutter patters behind her on the threshold, Kate knows he can smell supper and hear the clatter of their children racing to meet him on still chubby legs. How different is the love of home, man to woman, Harry would sooner fight for it and she would cower within. Her thumb swipes at the raindrops making farce of tears upon his cheek.

"Princess," he breathes against her palm as he crushes her into his chest, still half armored and agonized for it as he cannot feel her softness with the cuirass, the leather, the chainmail. There are curves and bosoms and soft flesh he knows too well just on the other side of this awful barrier.

Princess will be her title if his treason succeeds, if her brother wears that cursed crown. “Princess”. It sours her mouth, but it is kind of him to wish it for her.

"You will come back, Harry.” she commands of him, she declares the outcome of this brewing war, “Soaked in the blood of feckless scum, you will come back and put another babe in me. A little prince or princess," she hisses in his ear, and she can tell he freezes at that, her concession to his treason, still as stone in his metal casings.

His eyes are ever so blue as they search hers.

"So I forbid any recklessness, my Lord Husband. Because I want this - " and her hand slips beneath his jerkin and the hem of mail to squeeze his cockstand most assuredly, as assuredly as she was that he would be sporting one for her, gripping it as one might grasp a chalice of wine during a toast "- and the rest of you, in one piece." Harry slumps against her shoulder, panting into the chilled hair and too heavy for her little frame. "Or so help me God." she intones, sharper than any steel he wields. "Swear it, Harry." She gives him another punishing squeeze, and he groans, agonized, as his mouth meets with the softness of her bound bosom, his knees the hardness of the stone cobbles. If she hadn't promised a use for his cock, he'd think she was liable to geld him herself at his presumption to seat and unseat a king, but now that he is out of her grip, for a moment, and looks up at her with such longing he fears his soul has left his chest for hers.

"So help me God." he agrees, it is in providence’s hands, after all, and in Kate’s clasped one’s atop his head.

“Fool.” she says once more as she bends over him, gently pressing a hand to the back of his head, pressing his face to her belly and her chilled fingers to his sopping hair, “It is not my brother these men fight for, nor for me. Not when it is you that calls them to it.”

“For what then?” He mumbles into her womb, hands heavy on her hips, the courtyard’s occupants dispersed into the shadows of the eaves, but a couple dozen peering eyes twinkle towards them in the twilight’s gloom.

“How often have I heard it said here, in this very courtyard.” Kate scoffs, observing the strength knelt so adoringly before her, “Have I dreamed each cry of ‘no prince save he be a Percy?’ Ha, to think they fight for a Mortimer, indeed. Ha!”

Harry staggers to his feet at this poke, it is, as are so many of his Kate’s wounds, half torment, half praise. His blood pounds with the elixir of her acknowledgment of his capability. “It is well then, Kate Mortimer,” he recites, daring now to put his lips very near her own, to nuzzle his strong nose with her hawkish one, to tip a chin and bat an eyelash against her wet cheek, “it is well that you are Percy now yourself, through and through, wed-“ his lips meet hers in a brush she chases after, “-and bred.”

🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯🕯

Hope all five of you who read that enjoyed it. 😆 I know it’s a fragment but as I’m nothing but hyper fixated when some interests resurrects in me, I’ll probably be back with more of them. Drop a note below if you’d like to be on a taglist for such developments.

[fangsandfeels]

i've been thinking about your latest spawn siblings meta since you posted it. i don't know why, but i assumed all the other spawns used the same seduction method as astarion and were probably forced to sleep with cazador's victims, especially since that i saw how petras attempts to reel in tav if they're alone. using similar lines as astarion as if they were trained. astarion says that some of his marks were brothel-goers, so we know cazador forced him to pose as a prostitute, and i assumed that might've been true for all his siblings. (then again, we know astarion was cazador's favorite, and this was a bad thing for him. 'particular attention' was paid to his punishments. so he was also likely more vulnerable to the sexual abuse cazador could force them to endure)

but that was a very good point about the most productive spawns, leon and violet, were both likely able to use magic. it also kinda reinforces what astarion says about himself: sex is "my only talent, i'm fully aware" if you're cruel to him in his act 2 confession, or his breakup dialogue in act 3 if you didn't get the confession "these are the talents i have." even cazador's other spawns had other talents to lure in marks and could preserve some dignity, whereas astarion just had to resort to being used for his body. that must've been so horribly isolating and humiliating for him. it makes me wonder what tactics the others, aurelia dalyria yousen and petras, might've used.

Hi! Sorry for the belated response.

My thoughts about spawns and their differing luring methods are based purely on theory (we have no evidence that other spawns didn't use seduction to lure victims) and Cazador's glaring miserable inferiority complex. Also, when put in an entirely new situation and facing a choice (bring a victim or get flayed), each of the spawns had only what they previously used to be good at as their saving straw - so, to be more precise, Cazador didn't tell them to lure victims in any specific way. He just knew they would have to apply their skills in a new twisted way.

As for Astarion and why his method was mostly seduction...the more I think of it, the darker are my guesses. We all know who had been telling him that sex was his only talent. And if Cazador Turned Astarion when he was a young adult, still figuring himself out...I assume he took particular joy in taking Astarion's future and potential choices away from him, which also included reducing his sense of self-worth and making him think he is only good for his looks and body. He was not to discover any other talents he had. He was not to think that he was good for anything else or worth anything on his own.

So, the deep headcanon of mine is that Astarion was Cazador’s least favored spawn and the most favorite spawn to torture in any way possible because he reminded him of himself. Not in terms of personality, probably, but…maybe his mere existence made him bitter.

A young elf, probably (certainly) a beloved son who got to leave to explore the world, make his mistakes and choices, a beautiful snobby chatterbox who is yet to learn that actions and choices have consequences...All of it made him seethe because Astarion had something Cazador didn’t -- and while he would never admit it (he is a vampire lord! He is powerful! Feared! He has everything he wants!) he became obsessed with the idea of teaching “the boy” some manners, of magnifying his downsides and stripping him of his dignity. And the more he tormented Astarion, the more he saw himself (the part of which he hated and wanted to forget) in him, and the more he saw it, the crueler he got. I think that also explains why he is so fixated on Astarion in his diary; while he would certainly throw a paranoid tantrum if any of his spawns escaped, but in his obsessive notes, he refuses to believe that Astarion got away, that there is an ounce of fight left in him and that he hasn't broken him to the point where he would crawl back, begging for forgiveness. He seems to shun the mere thought that his punching bag, his favorite object for projection, has been stronger than him all along.

It's similar to how an abuser would torment, gaslight, and degrade the shit out of the younger person just because the latter has an entire life ahead of them, which makes the abuser feel inadequate about themselves. So they mask that sense of inadequacy with acts of cruelty, by exerting their power in any way possible -- while endlessly reminding their victim of their worthlessness as a person (without their "guidance", of course).

[borderlinebox]

hii i don’t know if your requests are open rn if not just ignore this! but if they are i wanted to request chishiya x reader with social anxiety :)

Chishiya with S/O who has Social Anxiety Hcs!

Pairing ; chishiya x reader | a/n ; Honestly this was great asf for me to write cause i have social anxiety too. | warning ; fluff, comfort, a bit of teasing chishiya, a little trailed off, not proof read, season 2 spoilers

chishiya would understand your situation.

but I think he'd be a tad bit annoyed with you as well.

both of you met each other in a game and you were forced to team up with somebody

you were too reluctant on going up to somebody and decided to wait until everyone had a partner or you'd go to the last person who was available

or they'd go to you

like chishiya

from afar, chishiya would have already noticed you weren't the one for social gatherings

since you were kinda squinting at everybody in mild disgust, fear and anxiety

brows furrowing as you bit the bottom corner of your lips and fumbling with the insides of your pockets

yeah you were probably fucked

chishiya would come up to you smoothly, figuring out a way to not startle you

you'd prolong a small 'uh' and quietly return his introduction, not wanting to shake his hand

honestly through out the entire game, he was the one who talked

and he barely talks!

he was just explaining what the games probability would be and making out tactics

you definitely know what he's talking about about but you didn't say much other than a small hum

chishiya would then turn to you and be like 'you understand dont you?'

being torn from either replying because you think that he'd think you were stupid and not replying because.. of the same thing

"Mm."

but later on he'd find out you're actually quite clever and/or strong.

you just prefer to keep it low key

now we all know chishiya doesn't normally chat with others

but since he thinks you were competent as being his partner in that game,

expect as many waves that you'd have to awkwardly return

that's why when he found you in the beach he was honestly quite surprised

like how tf did you get in there

chishiya knows how smart/strong you really are, you just didnt like everyone around you nor you wanted them to think badly of you

when you become something of 'friends'

(coughcoughaskkuinacough)

he'd subtly praise you by giving you an awkward thumbs up when you're doing good

has to watch you mentally make a list of the food you want from the buffet so that you wouldn't look dumb when picking food

or anything like that

honestly it kinda hurts him to watch you

but wouldn't show it (now added with concern for you believing that he's judging you)

but but but

chishiya actually thinks there's perks to you social anxiety

like, well, mentally listing stuff down and fixating on details in order to make his plans work

he also admires your acting skills when you try to get away from social situations

again, really good asset, just a bit too terrified

once you start becoming comfortable being by his side, he's very patient and would listen to what you'll have to say

also has to reassure you that he understands your opinions (omg rare)

soon enough you'll almost be like a whole new person and chishiya now has to deal with this puppy

he knows all the things that ticks you off or triggers the anxiety

would comfort you by helping you escape to somewhere less crowded

oh oh oh

and if you both like each other

neither of you is going to confess

chishiya is busy being a tsundere and being in denial

hile you're sulking in anxiety AND denial

kuina literally has to come out and put both of you in a candle lit dinner it's so goofy

it's so painful for her to watch both of you pine for the other

she's practically clawing her eyes out

once you guys get together, chishiya tells you to keep it a secret

which you could definitely do.

and oh my lord when arisu and usagi come by

the anxiety is once again high

and even higher when people start killing each other

you're standing there all cool, arms crossed, watching the many cctvs

and kuina and chishiya start subtly accusing each other that they are the witch

you'd start having a breakdown internally but you're standing there like its all goody gum drops

i think im trailing off

either way, chishiya would definitely just tease you how your anxious

but he'll tell you everytime that you're gonna be okay

plus holding hands when y'all are hiding

him coaxing you for anything sometimes

he'll not say but he'll be pretty honored that you became comfortable with him

honestly he would treat you like how he treated ippei (with extra credit)

and again, he'll just subtly praise you

soon it'sprobably gonna be a habit in his system

if you know what i mea-

[xserpx]

Planks rattled under Gorst’s boots. A flatbow bolt pinged off his breastplate. Another sank into the same shoulder he was already stuck in. He barely noticed, coming on faster and faster, twisted face speckled red, eyes fixed on Leo under his furiously wrinkled brows, short steel going up high.

Leo took one lurching step back, raising his sword, no idea how he’d have met that charge even with all his limbs.

Next to his ear, Jurand's flatbow made a sharp whipping sound.

— The Wisdom of Crowds by Joe Abercrombie

I love Jurand's competence in this chapter. I love that he saves Leo's life, that he thinks way ahead. His tactical intelligence, initiative, cool-headedness, martial skill, and loyalty are on full display and I hate acknowledging that anyone is cool in these books (because they are all also incredibly pathetic) but it is just very, very cool tbh. I love Gorst's death for how it showcases his strength & loyalty, he goes down in exactly the way someone like him should go down, but also Jurand killing him in defense of Leo is icing on the cake. I wonder what was going through his mind at this moment (or throughout the chapter/book/trilogy tbh 🙃), he has that catty line to Savine "What have you done, your Highness?" and I feel like he knew it was a trap all along but he goes along anyway in a way that suggests he's anticipated Leo's reaction and is indulging him. There's also this bit where Leo's male gayze is showing: Jurand stood with his flatbow resting on his shoulder, hair stirred by the sea breeze about his thoughtful frown. Is he ever hot on purpose? Waiting for the day Leo paints him like one of his French girls.

I'm sure I've said this before and I'm going to self-indulgently repeat myself: I love the idea of a role-reversal for Leo & Jurand, where Jurand becomes the man of the moment and Leo is more in the background admiring his physicality, feeling jealous of anyone who goes near him, making the inaudibly high-pitched whining sound that is the symptom of those cursed with chronic pining. Especially with Jappo — and it's Jurand's job as Lord Chamberlain to make sure he has a good time — it's the perfect moment for him to show off his incredible organisational skills and his ability to mediate the most stubborn & difficult of personalities. As much as Leo is a traditionalist, suited to fighting, Jurand is much better suited to adapting to this new world of diplomacy and bureaucracy, but the way he is also capable of doing things Leo's way, and getting Leo on side, gives him a unique edge above everyone else. In a way, Savine's contract potentially makes Jurand the most powerful person on the Closed Council, because anyone who can pull Leo's strings has an advantage. Hence why she is so quick to play her hand with Jurand. Being unashamedly gay, he also obviously has an edge over either of them when it comes to Jappo, and I think he could even ingratiate himself with Monza after being so loyal to Finree (I feel like Monza would get on better with Leo than Savine, tbh, though neither would fill her with confidence). Ultimately what makes Jurand great is his unassuming lack of egotism, which shouldn't be a tall order but in AoM it really, really is.

I just want that moment where Jappo looks at Jurand, looks at Leo, and is utterly baffled by it, because honestly, Leo's struck gold with having Jurand fall in love with him and he does not at all deserve him. The way nothing can break Jurand's loyalty - even Leo himself - and the way it lends him both strength (in the way it challenges and hones his various skills) and weakness (in his easily-manipulated emotions) is so interesting. The "I'm a bigger fool than you are, in my own way" line kills me, because he knows, logically, that he deserves better, but Leo is the man his heart has chosen and it's like he has zero say in it.

[qettleqorn]

*Slams fists on table* THESE HEIRS for the wip ask game pls 😤

These Heirs | Multi-Ships | JJK | Consort AU

So, as you and the whole of the Anxiety Anonymous crew know, we have a charming little AU for the JJK verse. Which, I have shared this a little on the Group Discord but I'll reshare it again.

Specifically, it was about how Sukuna as we know it does want to be considered the Prince Consort, more so the Emperor, even though that title does go to Shiu-Kong by technicality as he did father the first heir. (Yi Jeong, the firstborn child and son) But it starts off basically with Sukuna outright demanding he too should be able to have an heir with the empress. Pushing her up against a brick wall to show that he is very willing to provide his services still despite her not having visited him in some time other than to talk.

Which she quickly replies with a-

"You wish to be emperor, my prince consort, not out of love or loyalty, but out of desire to be seen as the all-powerful."

Because at this point as we all know the two know one another more than just between the sheets. By this point, he has been by her side for the better part of a decade. Izumi has already had their baby boy Yuuji approximately ten years ago as well. (How he hasn't managed to get an heir, well, Kin is just a very busy woman and is still trying to train him well enough for her cousin.) But the empire still only has one true ruler and every day she's getting pressured to pick, and every day it's looking less and less like it will be him.

Which of course, annoys the ever-loving crap out of him especially when he believes they both know he'd be the better option since they can even one another out. They have a good balance of level-headedness between them.

But she doesn't view it as such, it also doesn't help that she favors Shiu Kong and then also Nanami- a man who is not her consort.

Again, this annoys and pisses him off because- what is he doing wrong to not make her see he is good for the empire. As he is not just a brilliant mastermind of tactics, he's a man of the arts, he's driven with passion! Sure he can be brutish, but that's where she would come in!

Well, some time passes and he's lounging in the bath as Uraume scrubs him down. When they ask him a question,

"May I ask a question Lord Sukuna?" Digging their nails into the cloth as it scrubbed into Sukuna's tan skin. It was a thought that had only recently plagued them, but one they thought would not bother their lord. Shifting up as the still warm water drained from off his abdomen, dripping down his biceps and back. A crack in his neck as he stretched out the muscles. Sukuna gave an agreeable hum knowing it was not often Uraume asked much of him. Something he liked from the dual-hair-toned monk. Not holding back or stopping their efforts to clean the highly sought-after consort. Uraume was inwardly delighted to get permission to speak somewhat freely. "We have all heard how Lord Shiu Kong was brought on, Lady Manami, & Lady Yuki as well." Putting their weight into their scrubbing as they got to his shoulder blades, Uraume made a small hmph as they caught their breath. "Well, it left us curious of you. Not even the empress speaks on it."

It would lead to Sukuna dismissing them so he could finish his bath alone. Not answering their question outright, but just saying that he was the most expensive and skilled just as he still is. Which left him to think about how they really met the first time.

"As you know you may not disclose that the royal highness is here nor what it is that goes on between you both." The lanky old woman who presented herself as Mae-Hui's aid. "Yeah, yeah." With his client not yet before him, the pink-haired youth dismissed the old woman with a wave.

He thinks it's just another job, he'll pop her cherry, and then- boom. Another satisfied customer.

The reason why she was here was not for the sins of the flesh. Not as if it truly mattered what she was here for, she was paying for his time as it was. So what did it matter if she chose to just talk?

Except, she isn't, Mae-Hui Kim is the first client to actually try and talk with him. To get to know him and doesn't even sleep with him that night.

"Where are you from?" "A place far from here, it does not matter my lady." "But it does matter." Her fingers brushed over his knuckles, wrapping them around the tattoo markings on his wrists. "I wish to know of it so it does matter." The word pressed into his palm like a secret he desperately wanted to keep. But the alcohol he had spilt between his lips made it drip like a faucet during the winter months. "Megijima." Its name alone flooded his mind with memories. Pulling his wrists from her grasp, he wrung them around her own hands, thick and pristine fingers keeping them in a tight hold and pushing them back to her chest. The look of a dull moment written on his face. "Megijima?" "It's the island where I was born." "I've heard stories about-." "Peaches and ogres I'm sure, the peaches are delicious but there are no ogres beyond what you see before you." Shaking her head as she shut her eyes as if saying that he was wrong about the assumption he made- which he was. "The most famous poets get their best works from resting there." Despite the rather flat-face reaction, he was giving her. Sukuna was surprised she mentioned that. Before he had been sold off he could recall the poems the madam of the brothel had read to him and the other unfortunate children born of the dissolute harlots of her halls. The wench was brash, crude, and all around he knew she'd be in hell waiting for him with all the other sinners he had cursed. "I heard a retired general once visited and had come back with an abundance of treasure." Her lips curled as she lay there. She was actually enjoying this and he could not believe it. "About forty or so years ago from what I recall is when it took place, my father use to read me his writings. A rare chance encounter I know." He knew exactly who she was talking about. That man was the reason why he was here now.

So, when she denies him the opportunity to aid her, it hurts oddly enough.

Sukuna may not love her, but he respects her and he wants to make the empire an even stronger place. Wants to elevate its status on a worldwide spread just as she has with him to some degree.

She of course would then introduce him to her cousin. Who is absolutely enamored by him. They would have Yuuji but she'd have to give it away. Due to societal views.

This is then where Kin of course buys Sukuna's contract and begins to try and tame his feral ways so Izumi can have the man. This is where Sukuna would begin falling in love with Izumi from the constant predicaments Kin manages to put them into.

He likes her rabbit-like qualities, not just for a breeding kink joke, but the way she gets flustered. How she gives him something to make her work on and tease. She's a cute little thing that has enchanted him.

But sometimes loyalty and love can not mix. Sukuna feels a great loyalty to Kin and wishes to prove that he can be what they all "need". As I had stated before. BUT, but, this would later bring us to The Bug Hunt chapter. In which afterwards. Kin makes the ultimate decision to release Sukuna from her care and into Izumi's against his desires. Practically naming Shiu Kong as her Prince Consort in the process because Sukuna nearly gets Yi Jeong killed. Even though it was an unintentional accident that led the young prince to fall down a cliff.

This is of course when Sukuna and Izumi would get to grow closer and they'd actually get to properly know one another. He'd still be sour regardless of course, but somewhere along the line, she'd tell him about how she wishes she- well they, could meet their child.

He knows Yuuji is alive, they both do, especially after the winter party event. What she didn't know (and this is where I adlib a little because I'm not sure if it'll be group-approved) is that Yaga had messaged him about Yuuji sometime ago after Sayuri found the boy. After all Sukuna and Yuuji are practically the spitting image of one another.

MEANING!

Izumi and Sukuna might have a chance to meet their son.

It was one of those secrets that Mae-Hui didn't know about because he didn't want her to. Since he figured it would make him lose his chance even more. Just to later find out she knew Yuuji was alive because she had gone back to his old employer to hook up with some other consort.

Mae-Hui in this time though has also unintentionally pushed aside her favored cousin since giving Sukuna to her. Because now she is worried about her eldest child and less about her outer family.

This is where we get into Yuuta's portion of the story!

AND AND AND! DSFSDG- anyways, it's basically just about the drama of the royal family. How Sukuna gets kicked out of the palace, Yuuta and Yi Jeong are almost killed, Izumi and Kin get a little rift in their friendship, and just DRAMA!