#but Lizzie's parrots have convinced me.

[concidineart]

The Bamboozlers!

[uvienova]

Life Series as Birds

I had the oddest sudden fixation to do some “light” bird research and determine that if each member of the Life Series was depicted as an avian, what bird would they depict. (may become a thread of changes)

So Grian is almost unanimously depicted as a Parrot, more specifically a Scarlet Macaw due to Season 7 “Pesky Bird”. As well as the birds sassy additude.

Same as Grian, possibly even more, Jimmy is commonly depicted as a Canary due to the Canary in a Coal Mine.

For Mumbo, I felt like the Northern Cardinal would be a nice fit due to its vibrant red and black coloring. Cardinals are also symbols of loyalty and devotion, rather fitting for someone who tends to be loyal to his allies. Cardinals are also often associated with passed loved ones visiting relatives in the form of Cardinals, which would fit seeing as Mumbo is usually one of the first out of the series.

Tango was actually the last one I chose, due to this, and an attempt to give each member a different bird, it was difficult. After some further research, I decided on the Whistling Kite for the reason that it's nicknamed one of Australia's "Firebirds" for their use of fire to catch prey.

Believe it or not, Impulse was actually the member who inspired it. Out of curiosity, I looked up Arizona's national bird and the Cactus Wren popped up and I could envision Impulse as a Cactus Wren with the browns and golden yellow with a nice touch of white.

As evident above, my first idea was looking up national birds. Despite being a small bird, The shade of grey that Canada’s national bird, the Grey Jay, has is similar to Etho’s minecraft skin hair color. Grey Jay's are also seen as a good omen, similarly to how people seem to gravitate towards Etho almost like hes a good omen or a good luck charm.

No matter all the birds I looked into, my brain kept saying Skizz for a Blue Jay. Blue Jays are associated with joy, happiness, along with some mischief, however, I would like to confess that I have yet to watch Skizz's pov of any of the seasons so i'm not as familiar with his personality as i am the others so if this choice seems uncharacteristic I apologize, but just imagine fanon Skizz with dashing sky blue wings.

Originally I was going to put Lizzie as a hummingbird because they are pollinators, small, and adorable. However, hummingbirds are green and im a sucker from “Small” Smallishbeans Joel. Not to mention how hummingbirds can sometimes be hostile with one another alot like how Joel tends to targets everyone regardless of who it is.

For Lizzie I decided a parakeet was a good choice for Lizzie because they're small, cute, and colorful. Parakeets are also very social and affectionate birds with lots of personality alot like how Lizzie is.

Parakeet was originally what I chose for Scott, but then I learned about Kenya’s national bird, the gorgeous Lilac-Breasted Roller which is perfect for Scott as it reminds me of his Empires Chromia outfit and all the beautiful things he creates. I mean LOOK AT IT!

For BigB, I decided to bestow him with my states bird, the Eastern Bluebird. Bluebirds represent joy, happiness, and luck. The Blue and orangish brown coat reminds me of Big B’s color palette of a blue sweater with a brown cookie on it. 

Cleo has high Great Horned Owl vibes and you can’t convince me otherwise. Symbols of protection and not tolerating deception. GH Owls are also super intimidating in their size and appearance, fitting for the cutthroat Cleo.

During all of this, I almost gave up on the opportunity for Martyn as a Woodpecker. No need for further explanation, but I'll give you the symbolism: Optimism, new opportunities, and creativity which matches Martyn. (Edit: IVE JUST BEEN INFORMED THAT THE WOODPECKER IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH MARS SO YAH)

Ironically enough, I decided Gem would make a good Barn Owl, their white coat and owls being a figure of wisdom reminded me of Gem's Empires Season 1 as well as her enjoyment of birch. Barn Owls are also good hunters to it fits her like a glove

I wouldn't give up the opportunity to choose a hawk for Mr. GoodTimesWithScar.The Hawk I chose is the Cooper's Hawk. But really I chose a random Washington state hawk that I thought suited Scar.

For our favorite crazy Aussie, only Australia's national bird will do. I believe the Emu suits Pearl well because one, its national bird, and two, Emus are one of the dorkiest kinds of birds and have a lot of personality (and thievery skills). 

For Ren, I almost went with the Peacock, but couldn't invision Ren as a Peacock, so instead of going the Royalty Route, I went the pun route. Ren…….as a Wren. A Musician Wren, Fitting for the Theater Nerd of the Life Series, no take backs.

For Bdubs, I went with the Orchard Oriole, A small bird that builds with, you guessed it, MOSS!

I might add on or talk about members as other birds and yah

[prismadog]

Found Family AU character facts (part 3)

apparently, I can't just leave this at one or two, I have to do more than is required for this au - such is the way of life I guess ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

for these, I'm only doing a sort of pre-story type thing, ya know, like their origins, who the characters were before they all knew each other. if I didn't condense these down to that point, well, we'd be here all day reading practically an entire book on one single character [I think I'm exaggerating here?]

this one got a bit long so I'm putting it under the line.

hey uh, are any of you actually interested in their backgrounds? idk if that's something that interests people or not but I'm writing these and it just makes me wonder, y'know? [of course, now that I've started, I can't just stop, there's still so many characters. but still...curiosity and all's got me wondering]

Sausage

Sausage is a dwarf of Mythland who was born a single child to the Dwarf King. ever since he was a child, he dreamed of being a mighty sorcerer that could use all kinds of magic but being a dwarf, magic comes a lot harder to him than it would a human or another magical creature - such as his good friend Gem.

the kingdoms of Mythland and the Crystal Cliffs were close allies and have been for generations - the Grimlands does not exist at this time. Sausage grew up alongside Gem and fWhip of the Crystal Cliffs - he revered Gem and her magical abilities, and found a close friend in fWhip due to neither of them being able to wield magic. Gem did try to teach Sausage magic despite the lessons never producing even a spark of magic - that of course didn't stop him.

he and fWhip would often get into trouble, playing pranks and whatnot on the people of the two kingdoms, and sometimes they could convince Gem to join in with them.

the trio stayed close friends through the years, and when Sausage's father was slain in battle against a pillager raid the siblings were there mourning alongside their friend. he took vigil at his father's final resting place for an entire day, as is tradition, then the next day he held a celebration in honor of the fallen King, with a feast to finish off the night.

Sausage was crowned the new Dwarf King within the week and his friends were there for his coronation - fWhip, ever the tinkerer, set up a firework display for him, and Gem gifted him with an old spell book written by a Mythlandian and enchanted rings that provided protection.

things became hectic around this time, what with being a new king with new duties and protecting his empire from pillagers, and he can't see his friends as often. Gem also gets busy with her studies and fWhip starts exploring the mountains - something that the people of the Crystal Cliffs don't do. in this time, he also adopted a pup that he named "Bubbles" and she became his second in command.

several months later, he gets word that his friend fWhip has gone missing. he drops everything to travel to the Cliffs and be at Gem's side - she tells him that fWhip has been missing for quite some time and she blames herself that she never noticed. he comforts her and they go out on a search for him, which unfortunately results in nothing but a few belongings found deep within the mountain and a journal.

Gem holds a funeral for her brother and Sausage stands vigil once again for a loved one. he offers Gem any aid that Mythland can provide and she graciously accepts. he visits her from time to time after the event but eventually, he just gets busy and more time drags between each visit.

his kingdom prospers with a plethora of new buildings - an iron farm, a forge, new docks, bigger and better homes for the people, and all kinds of other things. one thing that stands out from the rest is a summoning circle - this, he uses to sacrifice the crimson sheep of the land in the hopes, not for power, but for knowledge and guidance, and that one day the gods - whoever may be listening - will return his friend to him.

he gains quite a bit of knowledge in the ways for forging weapons imbued with magic and using anothers' magic to alter ordinary everyday things - such as a dark oak tree or even a mushroom. this is all for the benefit of his kingdom so he doesn't see a problem with his sacrifices, despite what his advisors may believe.

he met with other rulers, some he'd been neglecting to talk to, and others who were just coming into power. one of the first new rulers he met was Pearl of Smallholding - a chaotic girl with flowers in her hair and a grin that never fades. another was the Codfather, Jimmy Solidarity-Shadow - one of the merfolk who's kingdom rose slowly from the swamps and without anyone seeming to notice. months after meeting these two, another kingdom arose, this time practically overnight, and the ruler was none other than fWhip of the Crystal Cliffs - his best friend - but this time, fWhip was the Count of a near-barren plains dubbed the Grimlands.

the trio celebrated fWhip's return and Sausage, once home, thanked whatever gods that had brought his friend back. visits between the three kingdoms became commonplace again, as well as visits to the new Cod Empire - though, those were to pick on the new ruler there.

Sausage did learn not to take things too far in teasing the Codfather because one day, he and fWhip had set up a "minor, harmless" trap and when the Codfather got injured and bedridden for a few days, well, they found out that Queen Lizzie of the Ocean Empire was not someone you wanted to anger. after, they did continue their teasing but they kept it well below danger levels.

a year or so after fWhip's return, Sausage met another new ruler who had just come into power and who's kingdom had been lost to the world for ages - King Joey Graceffa of the Lost Empire. Joey took interest in his sacrifices and his borrowed magics, maybe a little too much interest if the bloodlust in his eyes was anything to go by.

Joey

Joey is born the youngest of three children to the Emperor of the Maztec Empire - his siblings being the princesses.

he, like all others of the royal family, are born with parrot wings to match the local parrots of the jungle. he often used his wings to escape his lessons, though being third in line for the throne, he was allowed lenience to goof off and have fun anyway since the throne always went to the eldest.

but, Joey was the jealous sort as well and would often play dirty pranks on his sisters, and most times, they ended in some injury. though, he was also quite intelligent and could almost always pin the blame on another, usually on someone of the lowest class - the mudbloods who were more of a hybrid of cat and human.

one such dirty prank went horribly wrong and his eldest sister lost her life. it had involved a cave, the cave collapsed, and she got caught in it. he watched her struggle for some time, oddly curious about it, but eventually went and got help. the healers tried to help her but she soon passed on.

a funeral was held for the princess days later and she was cremated - as is tradition for royalty. life moved on, as it does, and the second princess became next in line.

after the death of the first princess, he became a little more interested in the act of dying than a boy should. he was curious and wanted to find out more about death, and the mudblood people were right there for him to experiment with. he made sure to only take one person every so often for experiments - the jungle could be a dangerous place and was often unkind to wanderers so if one or two people went missing every few months, then who was to know?

aside from secretly pranking his sisters and stealing away the lower class, he would spend time with the gentlemen of higher standing - the purebloods who were humanoid cats and certainly looked it. he would pick one to mess around with, or two or three if he so desired, until he eventually grew bored and discarded them like they were yesterday's trash.

his remaining sister, nearing her adulthood, started dreaming of leaving the kingdom to explore the world - she'd always wanted to but their parents would never permit it, nobody entered the kingdom and nobody left. he would stay up late with her on the nights he grew bored of gentlemen, and talk to her about her dreams.

with her becoming an and their parents getting older, he worried that soon, she would be taking the throne. so, he thought up a plan and talked with her about it - he could get things set up and all she would have to do is follow through, and before she knew it, she'd be exploring to her heart's content.

she was nervous, of course, but Joey is a charmer and used that to his advantage. he convinced her it was the best option for her if she didn't want to be tied down, and she could always return if she wanted. she agreed, wrote a farewell scroll that she gave him for safekeeping, and followed him one night to a secret area where a boat and some supplies were waiting, as well as one of his callers.

this she was confused about at first until Joey showed his true colors and killed her in cold blood. he then casually sent the gentleman off in the boat with his sister's body, promising him great rewards for his return if he got rid of the evidence.

he then returned home and set out the farewell letter in her room where it would be found, and went to bed. he awoke to the news late the next day, and also with a visit from his accomplice.

a few weeks later and there was no word from the princess and the guards sent out to search for her found no trace. though his parents prayed she was well, they still mourned her leaving. Joey was to be next in line should the Emperor and Empress pass and he celebrated in secret with the gentlemen who helped him - then when he got bored shortly after, he killed him too in the same cave his eldest sister died in and left his body to the mobs.

when he neared adulthood - only months away - he started his next plan for his rise to the throne. he acquired a poison that would imitate a deadly disease but not be curable by any known remedies. he used this on his father over the next several weeks and watched with secret glee as the Emperor grew weaker and weaker and the healers floundered about trying to cure him.

preparations were made, the Emperor passed on with few final words, and days later a funeral was held for him as well. his urn was placed next to the eldest princess' once everything was done. the Empress mourned the loss and Joey stood at her side.

he watched as her grief began to consume her, she spoke of loss and wishing she could join her husband, Joey listened to her words and wondered about what Maztec would do if she left too. she said it would be in good hands - he was a capable young man and if he ever needed help, there was a council of advisors at his side.

over a week later, the Empress took her own life, leaving behind a letter to her only remaining child. a third funeral was held, his mother cremated and laid to rest beside his father and sister, and he was crowned Emperor of the Maztec Kingdom.

Joey was free to do as he wished and he gladly accepted the freedom - everything was good and he was King.

but over the next several years, he found himself growing bored - not even building new temples kept his attention for long. he eventually started exploring, just a little ways, from his home and eventually came across the edge of the jungle which met the edge of a more barren land.

he visited the boarder a few times, curious about this other land, but never crossed it. then one day he met Count fWhip of the Grimlands - the name of the barren land. they spoke for some time at the boarder of their kingdoms, and set up a couple future visits to one another's kingdoms - fWhip visited his first, then he visited fWhip's.

at the visit to the Grimlands capitol, fWhip invited him to the next Gathering of Empires - apparently there were 9 other rulers out there besides the two of them, and one even had wings too!

he accepted the invitation without a moment's hesitation and at the next Gathering, his kingdom - the Lost Empire as it was written in old history books that an ally of fWhip's had found - became known to the rest of the world.

he found that the other winged ruler - Scott Smajor of Rivendell - was a very cold and distant person. but, the others were friendly enough, especially the Dwarf King - J Sausage of Mythland - and he took an interest in the man and the magics he was studying.

they became friends, and he by default joined an alliance with fWhip and Gem who were allied with Sausage.

[muuum-am-i-adohhhpted]

this was quite fun! i did not mean for this to be this long, but here we are. my mlp knowledge came in handy. i left a handful of people out because i either don’t watch them or don’t have a strong opinion on them. here we go:

s2 gem the breezie cause of the wings (or a rarity-type character similar to when rarity had those butterfly wings twilight magicked to her). s1 gem i think a unicorn—grand wizard and all.

s2 fwhip + spike-sized dragon (cause he likes shiny stuff. maybe?) if not, probs earth pony

ren the diamond dog because…well…dogs. if not, probably earth

s2 sausage i can see as an earth pony—he just gives me those vibes. (s1 sausage is definitely a unicorn. kinda like king sombra vibes)

oli i see 100% as an earth pony. he’s a pinkie pie if i’ve ever seen one

s2 joel: pegasus (a floating kingdom. control weather. need i say more? or or! i just realized: a griffon) s1 joel i see as an earth pony though. or griffin too, tbh

grian probably pegasus because of all the fanart i see of him with parrot wings?

s2 jimmy is an earth pony. he and braeburn are the exact same appearance-wise. convince me they aren’t

s1 shubble, definitely earth pony. s2 is unicorn for obvious reasons (again, she’s legit a witch)

s2 katherine a pegasus or unicorn crystal pony (this just came to me in a wave!! the crystal empire was kinda corrupted like katherine’s empire!!)

rapid fire in which i don’t really have reasons, just vibes: e!false + pegasus, s2 lizzie + earth, s1 pix + earth, s2 pix + unicorn/earth (can’t decide), scar + pegasus (hotguy), cleo + pegasus, impulse + earth, tango + unicorn/pegasus (can’t decide)

hi empires x hc fans , i'm making a chart but i want y'all's input . so what mlp species is each member in your opinion ? and yes i encourage we start heated debates over this ^_^

[feuillesmortes]

I’m about to take a social media break (I desperately need to study for grad school), but I didn’t want to do it before gifting you this update. As always, here’s a bunch of modern au headcanons stitched together in the form of fic. It’s rather long this time, but it’s worth it. Tagging my mates @queenbessofyork and @harritudur. Enjoy it!

You can read it on Ao3.

Lizzie wasn’t sure what had possessed her to accept Henry’s veiled invite for a day trip to Richmond. She only knew she had accepted it, and as a result, had spent an awfully long tube journey seated by his side, watching his Adam’s apple going up and down as he spoke pleasantries such as the day’s nice weather. Under the harsh artificial light of the carriage Lizzie noticed what a great profile he had, especially with those high cheekbones of his. Not that she hadn’t noticed it before, not really. It was rather distracting at times. Sometimes she found herself zoning out just staring at him. Embarrassing.

The day trip had a purpose: Henry was house-hunting that day and had asked Lizzie to join him, alleging he could use a woman’s opinion on the matter if she so wished to help him. Yes, house-hunting in that economy, as if Lizzie didn’t think he was minted before. Over brunch Henry had casually mentioned he had some sort of inheritance, some money left by his father that her mother intended for him to receive after his graduation. It was April, final exams were coming up, he had a job offer waiting for him at his internship company. It seemed things were looking exceedingly good for Henry so he might as well start searching for a place. Everything was great, except…

“Richmond?” Lizzie’s first reaction upon hearing his choice of borough was to repeat it back to him, like a badly trained parrot. “As in Richmond Upon Thames, zone 4?”

“Why, I thought I should give it a shot. They call it London’s happy valley for a reason, don’t you think? ” From behind his glasses, his eyes sparkled with excitement. It didn’t make Lizzie any less fidgety as she played with the rings on her fingers.

“But it’s just so… Far off.” She protested feebly. “I guess I just thought you’d pick a place near the City, or even Canary Wharf. You know, near wherever you’re going to work.”

“I don’t mind commuting, really. It’s only an eighteen-minute journey to Waterloo if a get the train. And I don’t exactly intend to spend my father’s money on a studio flat only so I could say I own property in central London.”

It was not that his arguments lacked in any sound logic. Lizzie wasn’t even sure why she was opposed to the idea in the first place. The truth is that she hadn’t dared to spend much time thinking of how things would turn out after her flatmates graduated. She knew that Rodrigo wanted to apply for a masters in international relations, so he would hopefully stay in the UK for longer. But after all that time, for some obtuse reason, she hadn’t entertained the thought that Henry could possibly choose to live far from her. Hell, he might even go back to Wales or France for all she knew. Choosing Richmond was an actual improvement when she thought of all the possible scenarios. Still, it bothered her that she could get so worked up for such a small thing as Henry’s choice of borough.

In the gentle rocking of the tube carriage, Lizzie let her mind wander as the stations passed by. Earlier at brunch the former flatmates had gone down to the pub to celebrate the end of the semester. There were still all the exams to do and a month of revision to go, but the end of lectures and a bank holiday were more than enough reason to celebrate. Lizzie and Henry had managed to convince Rodrigo to finally have his first full English breakfast, something he had resisted so far. “Your cuisine is too bland for me” was something Rodrigo used to say more often than not. And truthfully, what was a black pudding compared to a morcilla? With each bite Rodrigo did the most peculiar of faces, ranging from pleasure to disgust to… odd amusement, it seemed. Neither Lizzie nor Henry felt particularly hungry that time, so they decided to share a large order instead. Henry laid special claim to the portobello mushrooms; Lizzie got hold of the beans on toast their Spanish mate had so scornfully looked down on. Eating from the same plate, they could almost make a pretty picture.

A pretty picture. What was it that her mum said about them on the day of her hearing? “Don’t you look pretty together, the pair of you?” Ms Beaufort had gone along for the occasion and had agreed with the statement, much to Lizzie’s chagrin. Before leaving, her mother took her aside to whisper “Really, you’re sleeping on this one, Lizzie!” But instead of taking an encouraging turn, her mother’s words only soured her disposition towards the idea. What did her mum see in Henry anyway? Money? The prospect of a brilliant career much like her father’s once had been? For someone who had been accused of a gold digger her whole married life, one would think she’d have a different approach other than pushing her daughter to the first white knight that came along. Had it been five hundred years ago, Lizzie would be happy to oblige to her mother’s idea without thinking twice. As a 21st century woman, though, her mother’s insistence did not sit well with her.

It didn’t help that the estate agent also thought them a couple during the house tour in Richmond Green. “We say it’s a two-bedroom house, but you can easily turn the spare room into a third bedroom in case of guests or extra children. Have you got kids already?” Lizzie and Henry’s reaction was to simply exchange an awkward, panicking look. The agent must have confused one of her rings, or something. Lizzie decided to go for a tight-lipped smile and a simple answer. “Not yet.” She assured Henry all was well with a look. It certainly wasn’t the first time something like that happened. Still, the petite woman went on and on about how Richmond was an idyllic place to raise kids, how the Green was full with cricketers in the summer, how the valley was full of canoe clubs paddling on the Thames. “We also have excellent schools just around the corner.” She painted the location with an almost countryside atmosphere, an earthly paradise.

At the end, the house tour narrowed down to a variety of technical details. Henry made relevant questions regarding electricity, security, maintenance charges and council taxing. Lizzie didn’t hear a word of it — she had her mind very far away from it all. She wandered to the back door leading to the garden entrance where a gentle breeze was blowing, bringing the fresh smell of the woods. Spring weather had always been particularly crazy in London, going from sunny skies to hailstorms in the short space of minutes. Not that day, though. Lizzie sorved the air, the memories of the warm days of her childhood flashing behind her closed eyelids. When she was little, Lizzie and her siblings had enjoyed many sunlit days in Richmond with their father.

Right now, in that landscaped garden where busy bumblebees went about their work, she could picture a couple of kids running around the bushes, chasing a dog or two. In her dreams she always saw a little boy who looked just like her father. She could plant white roses in those flower beds, she thought suddenly. Even some red roses — they deserved their place in the garden too. Lizzie could share many lazy afternoons there with a loved someone by her side.

“Lizzie.” A hand touched her between her shoulder blades, making her jump. “I was calling for you. It’s time to go.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you.” She turned around to face him and his warm hand slowly fell from her back. She almost regretted doing so instead of just… Leaning into the touch.

“Someone is zoning out much, I see?”

His eyes were positively quirky and blue, and a timid smile grew on her face, mirroring his own. “Maybe.”

God, she felt her cheeks burning. She hoped it wasn’t so blatant that only seconds ago she was daydreaming about the house. His future house, if anything else. Something Lizzie knew she had no right to at all.

But Henry seemed oblivious enough. “Come now. We should say goodbye to the agent.”

They left Sheen Road and took the path back to the station. Richmond Green was very close to the town centre, making it a great location next to the array of shops and high-end restaurants. That Sunday the streets were crowded with day trippers and costumers busy about their errands. It suits him, Lizzie thought almost bitterly. Richmond had a posh air to it, but it was not anywhere near as conceited as Kensigton or Chelsea. She could definitely picture Henry moving there. Lizzie sensed a sickening scent of early nostalgia in the air, or maybe it was just the sweetness coming from the hundreds of daffodils that lined up the streets that time of the year.

She took a deep breath and worked up the nerve to put an end to her misery. With a detached voice, she asked Henry whether or not he was going to buy the house. “Not for now, at least.” He said, after a few seconds of silence. “I’ve still got a lot to research before I can make an important decision like that. But I certainly liked the neighbourhood.“ He smiled. “I can see myself living here. I’ll be adding it to my 5-year plan.”

Lizzie felt something akin to relief washing over her, but she disguised her smile by taking a mocking tone. “You’ve got a 5-year plan? Really?” She purposely raised her eyebrows. In fact, she wasn’t even surprised. It was such a Henry thing to have a long plan.

He raised his chin, taking a prideful stance. “Like every responsible adult, yes. I do, missy.”

“I wish I were more… like you. You know, disciplined or— I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I mean, look at you! You’ve got a job already!”

“I have a job offer, which is not at all the same thing. And just because I have one it doesn’t mean it’s my dream job. It doesn’t mean it’s what I would like to do for my whole life.” He paused and turned a curious gaze to her. “What do you want to do after you graduate?”

“I’ve thought…” She felt shrieking under his gaze, so she decided to look at random people on the street instead. “I’ve thought about working in education. It was not what I first had in mind, but it sort of feels right at the moment. It’s just an option, though. Nothing’s certain.”

Lizzie had always been told she was good with children. Perhaps she had acquired some skill looking after her young sisters Anne, Catherine and little Bridget. Even Cecily, who was just a few years younger than herself. She had always felt like the responsible big sister when it came to her, much to Cecily’s annoyance.

Lizzie turned her eyes back to Henry and he was listening with a very attentive expression. She held her breath to hear his opinion, but Henry simply blinked at her. “Lizzie, there are only two certain things in this life: death and taxes.”

Her shoulders shook with a soft chuckle, and she felt like relaxing again. Henry went on. “You know what you want to do. It sounds like a plan to me.”

“Blimey, no! It’s not a plan per se.” She laughed at the absurdity of that sentence. “I don’t have my shit together like you.”

“You think I’ve got my shit together, do you?”

“Well, you certainly look like you do!”

Henry winked at her. “Lizzie, it’s all about looking the part. Never let them see your weaknesses. That’s what my uncle always said to me.”

“Them who, though?”

He made a vague gesture with his hands. “Competition.”

Lizzie let out a delighted laugh, her steps bringing her closer to him. It was at that moment that she realised she didn’t feel like going home so soon. She asked him whether he had anything to do later that day. She tensed, hoping he wouldn’t take it the wrong way. But Henry only eyed her curiously. “Nothing much. You?” Good. It was so very rare for him to have spare time. They always had to drag him along to social events. So Lizzie proceeded to convince him to go to Richmond Park to watch the deer. “It’s like hunting… minus the animal-killing part and the gore, of course.” It was a favourite pastime of hers during her childhood. Telling Henry it was obligatory to go there on his first visit to Richmond seemed to close the deal.

They found a rental shop to hire a pair of bikes and finally, after some delay and some grub, off they made their way to Richmond Park. The cycle paths took them across fresh fields, under trees full of bare branches giving birth to green leaflets. All around them, life was growing back with a vengeance. It was not hard to find the deer — fallow bucks and does in particular were not shy of human presence. They got off from their bikes to approach the animals, but they couldn’t get to the deer. Many people trying to take pictures blocked their way, crowded as the park was on a Sunday. So Henry and Lizzie kept walking, taking their bikes along the grassy fields to find animals elsewhere. They stopped at a hill with a view to London, named after some king of yore. The exercise seemed to have a good effect on Henry. Lizzie had never seen him looking so peaceful.

“Richmond does good to you.” She remarked, making him turn his eyes to her. “Should I start calling you Monsieur le Comte de Richmond from now on?”

Henry gave her a wolfish smile. “Lizzie, please. Your grace will do.”

“Your grace?” She raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you now? A duke, a king?”

“King of England, of course.”

Lizzie wrinkled her nose at him. “I don’t think old Queen Liz is going to be much pleased to hear it. Nor her son, or her grandson, or her great-grandson for that matter. What if they call you usurper?”

“Nah, I wouldn’t worry about it. I’ll have a great PR team for that.”

“Well, if you’re going to be king I’ll be queen as well. You can start calling me…” She made a dramatic pause and curtsied with a graceful motion. “Madame la Reine de France!”

Except Henry didn’t find it funny. His face turned serious and he immediately turned from her. “I’m not calling you queen of France.” He began walking again, tugging his bike along. Lizzie hurried after him and laid a hand on the handlebar to make him stop.

“Why not?”

Her eyes challenged him, dared him to tell his reason. Henry only frowned and averted her gaze. As he hesitated still, Lizzie repeated her question. Eventually he let out a sigh and looked at her again. “For one, the French will never accept it. In case you didn’t know, they’re not exactly pro-monarchy.”

“Of course not! But hypothetically speaking, I don’t see any other kingdom to suit me. Do you?”

“I could…” He looked down, sliding a foot on the grass. “I could share England with you… If you wanted.”

“You? Sharing the rule? I’m not familiar with the concept.” She took a teasing tone to dissipate the awkwardness. “We both know you won’t be sharing anything, so stop lying.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I probably won’t.” He looked back at her and smiled again. Not a completely kind smile. “But you wouldn’t mind it, would you? Leaving the boring stuff to me, and you get the charities and the galas. Come on, you’d love it.”

Lizzie gaped at him. The nerve he had for speaking such! Even if he thought so, even if it was true, he had no right to say it aloud. “You’re an insufferable git sometimes, did you know that?”

His eyes shone with a harsh light, mischievous. “Yes, I can be a bit of an arse. But you like me like that, so what’s your point?”

“You— you bastard! I absolutely don’t—”

Henry began laughing so hard he was seized by a coughing fit. His coughing only increased, making him bend over and almost fold himself in two. Lizzie clutched his arm to shake him, forgetting that only a minute ago she was glaring at him.

“Henry! Henry, what is it?”

“What?” He managed to say between coughs.

“You’re coughing.” A rather matter-of-fact statement, but it was not the first time she had seen him suffer a fit lately. “Henry, have you been smoking again?”

He cleared his throat as his coughing bout subdued. “No, Lizzie. I told you I’ve quit.” In a hushed and quicker voice, though, he added. “I only have one or two fags on occasion.”

“WHAT?”

“Jesus Christ, Lizzie! It’s nothing. It’s probably hayfever.”

“I’m not joking, Henry! You’ve got to see your GP. Did you know that young people can have lung cancer too?” The thought terrified her. Her father had died from a condition in the liver after a lifetime of bad drinking habits. Henry wasn’t anywhere near as stout as her father had been. Lizzie doubted his health could be as enduring.

Henry still looked perplexed at her, like he didn’t understand her concern. She squeezed his arm harder. “Promise me you’ll see your GP.”

He looked at a point over her shoulder. “What’s that?”

She turned around to see a white-spotted fawn grazing some feet away. Lizzie immediately landed her bike on the grass and tried to approach the calf as silently and as carefully as her feet took her. She beckoned Henry forward, but he lingered behind. “Lizzie, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“It’s a miracle baby, Henry! They’re usually not born till late spring. We have to see it.” Henry let out a resigned sigh but followed her anyways, he too taking careful steps to approach the calf. Lizzie couldn’t believe she was about to pet a fawn. Her heart ringed loudly in her ears, she could taste excitement at the tip of her tongue. It was then that she saw it, the mother. This was no fallow deer. It was a large red hind, menacing and monstrous, vapour coming out of its nostrils. It scraped the hooves on the ground, ready to charge.

Lizzie took Henry’s hand, her voice hollow. “We have to go back. Now.”

“What about the bikes?”

The hind let out a long guttural growl. “Forget them! Just run! Run, you fool!”

She yanked him along and sprinted as fast as she could. She didn’t look back to see if the mother was following, but she could hear it galloping behind them. At her side Henry muttered a litany of fucks as they ran. They raced for a few meters before they made a turn at a thick patch of trees and hid behind a trunk, shoulder to shoulder. They were both breathless and disarranged, panting. Lizzie’s hair was all over her face; Henry’s glasses were slipping off the bridge of his nose. Her hand, the one holding his fingers, was sticky with sweat. He let go of that hand. “Shit, Lizzie! We’re never doing this again! The things I do for you, I swear—”

“Shhh! It could hear us.”

Lizzie had never seen Henry so distraught. He tried to put his hair strands in order with a nervous hand, but it clearly wasn’t working. He gave up with a low grunt. “This shit is serious, Lizzie! We could have died, we could have been trampled, gored to death—”

“Shhh!” She repeated, more forcefully this time. To begin with, the hind didn’t even have antlers. But yes, there could be a stag nearby waiting to attack.

Lizzie scooted a bit to the side and stuck her prying head out to look for the red hind. Just like magic, it was nowhere near sight. She turned back to Henry and met his expecting gaze. “It’s gone.” The sentence hung in the air, both of them not quite believing it. They stood frozen for a couple of seconds, staring at each other, chests heaving. They both broke into a grin then. Relief flooded over them and they shared a loud laugh like giddy idiots. She meant to move and hug him — she was half-way into his arms when he dipped his head and pressed his lips to hers in a quick kiss. She fell a step back and disentangled from his embrace.

“That was unexpected!”

Henry yanked the glasses off his face. “Would you please shut up every time I try to kiss you?”

What? She meant to ask him, but he drew her to him again and covered her mouth with his. Surprisingly enough, she found herself pressing closer to him. He seized her by the waist, straightening her in his arms, and she circled her own around his shoulders. He smelled like the sharp scent of the woods mixed with his French cologne. The stubble on his jaw tickled her, not unpleasantly, and she made a low hum on the back of her throat when he sucked on her bottom lip. His glasses slid off his hand and hit the ground behind her with a soft thud as he cupped her cheek, deepening the kiss. As much as Lizzie didn’t want to admit it, Henry knew what he was doing. He slid his tongue inside her mouth for a proper snog, and she lost track of time. She could only think of the weight of his hand on the small of her back, the movements of his mouth on hers. He ended the kiss by gently cradling her head, placing a peck on her lips.

They parted, but a light buzz ringed inside her head as she tried to process what had just happened. Henry, on the contrary, looked perfectly untroubled with a smirk on his face. He bent down to pick up his glasses and calmly wiped them on his shirt, unfazed. “I should’ve done it sooner.” Try as she might, Lizzie couldn’t find the words to contradict him.

A cold swirling wind swept on them. The light fell across the land in purple and orange hues. Night was fast approaching.

“Come, Lizzie.” He took her by the hand. “Let’s go home.”