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rivkae-winters · 11 months ago

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Edit: the app launched and Is down- I have the initial apology video in a post here and I’m working on getting a full archive of their TikTok up ASAP. I’m letting the rest of this post remain since I do still stand by most of it and also don’t like altering things already in circulation.

Warning for criticism and what I’d consider some harsh to outright mean words:

So I’ve just been made aware of the project known of as ‘lore.fm’ and I’m not a fan for multiple reasons. For one this ‘accessibility’ tool complicates the process of essentially just using a screen reader (something native to all I phones specifically because this is a proposed IOS app) in utterly needless and inaccessible ways. From what I have been seeing on Reddit they have been shielding themselves (or fans of the project have been defending them) with this claim of being an accessibility tool as well to which is infuriating for so many reasons.

I plan to make a longer post explaining why this is a terrible idea later but I’ll keep it short for tonight with my main three criticisms and a few extras:

1. Your service requires people to copy a url for a fic then open your app then paste it into your app and click a button then wait for your audio to be prepared to use. This is needlessly complicating a process that exists on IOS already and can be done IN BROWSER using an overlay that you can fully control the placement of.

2. This is potentially killing your own fandom if it catches on with the proposed target market of xreader smut enjoyers because of only needing the link as mentioned above. You don’t have to open a fic to get a link this the author may potentially not even get any hits much less any other feedback. At least when you download a pdf you leave a hit: the download button is on the page with the fic for a reason. Fandom is a self sustaining eco system and many authors get discouraged and post less/even stop writing all together if they get low interaction.

3. Maybe we shouldn’t put something marketed as turning smut fanfic into audio books on the IOS App Store right now. Maybe with KOSA that’s a bad idea? Just maybe? Sarcasm aside we could see fan fiction be under even more legal threat if minors use this to listen to the content we know they all consume via sites like ao3 (even if we ask them not to) and are caught with it. Auditory content has historically been considered much more obscene/inappropriate than written content: this is a recipe for a disaster and more internet regulations we are trying to avoid.

I also have many issues with the fact that this is obviously redistributing fanfiction (thus violating the copyright we hold over our words and our plots) and removing control the author should have over their content and digital footprint. Then there is the fact that even though the creator on TikTok SAYS you can email to have your fic ‘excluded’ based on the way the demo works (pasting a link) I’m gonna assume that’s just to cover her ass/is utter bullshit. I know that’s harsh but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it’s probably a duck.

I am all for women in stem- I’ve BEEN a woman in Stem- but this is not a cool girl boss moment. This is someone naive enough to think this will go over well at best or many other things (security risks especially) at worst.

In conclusion for tonight: I hope this person is a troll but there is enough hype and enough paid for web domains that I don’t think that’s the case. There are a litany of reasons every fanfic reader and writer should be against something like this existing and I’ll outline them all in several other posts later.

Do not email their opt out email address there is no saying what is actually happening with that data and it is simply not worth the risks it could bring up. I hate treating seemingly well meaning people like potential cyber criminals but I’ve seen enough shit by now that it’s better to be safe than sorry. You’re much safer just locking all your fics to account only. I haven’t yet but I may in the future if that is the only option.

If anyone wants a screen reader tutorial and a walk through of my free favorites as well as the native IOS screen reader I can post that later as well. Sorry for the heavy content I know it’s not my normal fare.

#it’s especially insulting the way this is marketed as solving a problem when the solution already exists #ableism #lore.fm #terrible app ideas that shouldn’t happen #serious #accessibility #screen readers #lore.fm should not launch #accessibility tools that are inherently ableist in design #I wish I was making this up

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fuckyeahimafangirl · 3 months ago

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I come here late to give my opinion on what Nicole Maines said in her book about the Supercorp fandom (go to Twitter for more info, but she basically gave her point of view of things as a queer actor on the show having expected things from the queer fans, confirmed we were being queerbaited while also blaming us for some actors getting fired). I appreciate her side of things and feel for her. But reading that I felt that A LOT was overlooked, especially the context of it all. So sit back if you care enough to read this and come with me as I go on a rant and we go down memory lane to give some context into what it was like to watch Supergirl live as a Supercorp fan.

The first season of Supergirl had its fair share of ships. People liked Kara/Cat, Kara/James, Kara/Win maybe anyone? I don't remember that one but I'm sure there were people out there who liked them. Some people even liked Alex/Kara (a conversation for another time). Kara/Cat shippers could also like Kara/James, because both ships had some strong foundations in the narrative, they were undeniably good ships, regardless of how you feel about age-difference relationships or straight relationships lol. There wasn't mostly an issue, except with the ones that liked Kara/Alex.

In between the first and second season of Supergirl it was announced that a main character would be gay. They didn't say who, though. Speculation began, of course. They did say that Maggie Sawyer was coming to the show but it was not confirmed that she was going to be a lesbian and even less whose love interest.

Then the second season premiered. And in the very first episode Kara Danvers meets Lena Luthor. Their scenes together were filled with sexual tension from the very beginning, look at their meeting scene without context and a bit of an open mind and most people will see their chemistry and think that maybe Kara was meeting her soulmate. And the first scene of Supergirl meeting Lena Luthor? It was already drawing a parallel between them and Lois/Clark, one of most iconic, recognizable and undeniable canon ships of all time. Drawing parallels between these two ships was the creators of the show's favorite pastime and it started from day one, before the ship had any fans because we hadn't met Lena just yet.

But in that episode we did meet her. And we fell in love fast. Because their interactions and the interest concept of Lena's character were good. Could it really be that Kara was the main gay character? Could it really be that they were going to give us an epic love story with Supergirl and a family member of her family's historically known enemy? Could they dare to make the famous superhero anything other than straight?

It wasn't just a delusion on our part at that time. It was a real possibility based on real facts. Kara had suddenly dropped the guy she spent the entire previous season chasing after. She got him and dumped him for no good reason (the writers didn't bother to give it a good excuse) and in the same episode she meets this woman, at the start of the season we were going to discover a main gay character.

These are all facts.

A few episodes later Maggie Sawyer makes her debut and it's clear that she's Alex's love interest from the first moment. Cool. It's not Kara but at least it's Alex (because, at the time, we know, WE KNOW, that they don't have two lesbian/queer women characters in the same show unless they're dating each other. How could we think that gay people will surround themselves with other gay people? silly us), that was the reaction: We still LOVED that it was Alex, because it still made sense. And it was difficult to find Sanvers fanfic without it having Supercorp in it because we were all the same people, of course most of us liked both ships.

Now, I obviously don't know her, but I seriously don't think that Chyler can say she felt overlooked by the fans that season. Alex's coming out scenes were some of the best we had seen in our entire lives up until that point, and we made that known. Not all of us might have been on board with Sanvers (some storyline choices could've been questionable) but with Alex? No one loved her more than the queer Supergirl fans. And in the meantime Supercorp kept getting screen time, their friendship progressing in a Clois kind of way that was beautiful to witness. While Maggie and Alex's relationship advanced pretty quickly from an "I'm not gay" to a rejection to a proper first kiss, Supercorp was building a bit more organically as Supergirl kept saving Lena's life, as Lena opened up only to Kara, trusting her all the while Kara was keeping this huge secret from her. We ate that shit up, of course we did.

After season two was over we got the news that Floriana Lima (Maggie) was going to leave the show. I remember Chyler saying that she wanted to do right by us and whoever came next was gonna stay. And I'm not faulting Chyler for what came next, at all. Chyler was and always will be one of the best things on Supergirl and she has always treated the fandom with the utmost respect and love. And I hope she only received the same treatment back (and I hate to know she got those letters from people threatening to kill themselves, but let's have a little compassion for those people and their mental health, I hope they're doing well).

So Maggie left. And while some fans were not coping well with that, most fans understood it was the actress' decision. That was fine. What wasn't fine was the decision the writers made by making the breakup about not wanting babies when they were about to get married. How on Earth (any Earth) a couple don't talk about that particular issue BEFORE deciding to get married? It was an easy way out. But okay, it's just a TV show, I don't write it, we can move on from that... In the same season, at the same time this whole discussion and breakup occurs, the very same person who wanted to have kids has a meet-cute with a SINGLE MOTHER, Sam. The story was full of promise, she had a kid already with whom Alex got along amazingly, there was great chemistry between all three of them, Sam also had a dark secret being basically her sister's most powerful enemy, their relationship was mostly well built throughout the entire season. But guess what? She wasn't her new love interest, and left at the end of it.

A lot of Supercorp fans LOVED AgentReign (Sam/Alex), by the way. A lot of Supercorp fans also loved ReignCorp (Sam/Lena) and a few even loved AgentCorp (Lena/Alex) and SuperReign (lol what was the name of this ship? I don't remember but Kara/Sam). And guess what? There wasn't a war between us. We were mostly the same people multishipping because it's fun and because these were interesting characters with interesting relationships created by the writers. We were inventing and wishing for stuff, but the foundations were laid for us, some (most) things were there and most of us were just screaming that we liked what we were being given and wanted more of that.

And that's why come season 4, some people were having a hard time accepting Dansen. Because we were mourning the loss of Sam and her relationship with Alex, the what ifs are always the worst, no matter the situation. But most Supercorp fans embraced Kelly (and Azie, we love Azie and what we got to see of her relationship with Chyler, and Katie and Nicole), the vast majority of us ended up loving Dansen despite the writers not always doing a great job at writing their arcs. And it's awful that some fans treated her and other members of the cast horribly, but that was by far a small portion of the Supergirl fandom in general, and especially the Supercorp fandom. And, by the way, as a side note because racism was part of the problem for a minority of the fandom, A LOT of us in the Supercorp side of it are not white people from the US, A LOT of us are from other countries/races/cultures (that can be racist too of course, but the point is we don't know the races and motives of everyone behind a keyboard).

And that season most of us also embraced Nia because she was the first trans superhero, because of her queerness, because she was an awesome fun character, because she was relatable and geeky like most of us. We embraced her, her relationship with Kara and her relationship with Brainy. And we showed that by trending Nia related things, by adding Nia to our fanfics and fanarts. Nia was a Supercorp ally for most of us and we didn't exclude her from the art because we loved her as much as we love some of the other characters in the show.

Now, if Kara would have had, after the first season, one male love interest that was decent enough, we would have still love and wanted Supercorp, that's true (especially when it had been years of build-up) but most of us probably would have liked the pairing anyway, because we loved Kara Danvers and wanted her to be happy and to have the love she wanted at the beginning of the show (which she didn't get, by the way).

But the writers decided to give her, instead, another man who didn't treat her well. And I couldn't honestly tell you half of William's storyline because I couldn't care less. The creators of the show didn't make me care. Hell, I didn't even see Kara cared enough about that character. The writers should know their audience and should know that the audience needs moments to make them care about the characters, the writers have the power to make that happen. Many times I've seen a fandom hate a character one episode and love them by the next one, because sometimes all it takes is one good scene, or one good arc. William never had that. And now we have confirmation of what we knew all along, that maybe they were writing half-assed storylines for their love interests because they were too busy trying to figure out new ways to queerbait us. If they would have put a quarter of that effort into creating good love interests for Kara and/or Lena (but especially Kara), most of this conversation wouldn't still be happening 3 years later.

We embraced Andrea Rojas, we embraced her so much that we shipped her with Lena. Most of us weren't the blind Supercorp-or-nothing crazy fans a lot of people to this day make us out to be. When things were good, we mostly liked them. But please, please, let's be honest here, a lot of the time Supergirl was not a great-written show. And I get that those are Nicole's friends but a little objectivity, especially after all these years, would have come a long way.

These past few days I've read a couple of people saying Supercorp was the only good thing about the show. Those kinds of people were and still are a very very minority. A lot of us started the show before Supercorp existed and LOVED (still love) the Danvers sisters with all of our hearts. And the writers, at times, didn't know how to keep up with that relationship, the one that at first was the very center of the show, all that well either.

Most Supercorp fans didn't actually like that the 100th episode revolved all around Supercorp. 1) Because it was queerbaiting at its finest. 2) because it should've been about the Danvers sisters. Or at least about all Supergirl's most important relationships in equal measure. Yes, Lena was a big part of her, but ALEX EVEN MORE SO. The fandom didn't make that happen, we didn't fire any actor either. These were decisions made by the people who had the power to make anything in the show happen. If we would have had our way we all know what we would have done, and no, it definitely was not p**n (the most used AO3 tags for our ship speak for themselves).

I didn't see Nicole's last paragraph on the subject shared much. A lot of people didn't see that she acknowledged a small portion of the good the Supercorp fandom did.

But by the time you get to it, you already have a bad taste in your mouth. Because it still reads as if she's talking about us all without a care that "the toxic fans" were just a loud minority. Not to say that the good guys weren't louder, because Supercorp is still what it is to this day because we're still loud. So why is there very little mention of that? The way we supported Nia's episode? The way we supported Kelly's?

And because we were having fun and we were loud about our love for two fictional characters, WE WERE ALSO RECEIVING THREATS from some toxic fans, hell, the day before yesterday some fans were receiving death threats like it's 2017. Everything she says the cast and crew were dealing with, the Supercorp fans were dealing with it as well, and more so because the toxic people felt validated by the choices the creators made. Validated by some writers on Twitter making it worse. Validated by some of the actors who were also mocking us. We were all called delusional, and that was the most chill thing you could be called.

I understand her point of view, and I imagine that was not a great first experience in that kind of set, and I would love to have the opportunity to talk to actors about this topic that fascinates me (relationship between fandoms and cast/crew). But context is important, to see other people's point of views is important when having these conversations. She felt her own community wasn't supporting her when most of us were and that didn't come across at all. Not even with her final words.

The fact is, they were hurt by a small part of their own fandom (which, by the way, they have no idea how old those toxic fans were. Not to say that adults are not toxic. But we, as the non-toxic adults, should also think of the demographic and react accordingly). And most of us, the queer Supercorp shippers, were also hurt by the toxic part of the fandom and by some of the people she's trying to defend. Let's be clear, there's not "mayyyybe," they were 100% wrong in queerbaiting the hell out of us from day one and mocking us for believing the bait. Make no mistake, most of this is a consequence of THAT.

#supercorp #supergirl #nicole maines #text post #fandom things

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siriusblackdevotee · 2 months ago

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the amount of times I've let people step all over me (pretend I agreed with their hcs)

I should stop people pleasing. All it does is leave me awake at 4:48am, seething.

I hate short Sirius!! "Oh I hate it too, but Sirius must be shorter than Remus" fym he must be shorter?? Why can't he be taller or even the same height?? Why does he have to be the short one?? "I was reading a wolfstar fanfic but then I found out Remus was shorter so I couldn't continue—" it gets to a point. You can't handle Remus that was probably 2 inches shorter but I've had to continuously push through and read 5'5 Sirius and 6'7 Remus. Suck it up.

That person that gave a really cool headcanon for Sirius and someone responded with "May I add to it? He did that for Regulus" minus. Minus where. No he didn't!! This isn't about Regulus!! Sirius does the headcanon because he's Sirius!!

That person that said romantic "Prongsfoot is criminally underrated" and someone else responded with "I think they kissed but then James found Sirius's brother hotter and Sirius wanted Remus—" hey I'm going to find where you live, that clearly wasn't meant for you?? Who?? Asked?? You?? why is everything about wolfstar/Jegulus. You just ruined my day, thanks.

"Post Prank Lily realizing she and Regulus could bond over their cruel siblings." I hate this Post-Prank nonsense so much. Did you seriously just give the historically most popular Lilypad hc to Regulily?? This is literally a Lily-Sirius thing. They bond over their shitty siblings relationships.

Replacing Peter with Regulus. Like. How. Why. Great, the mauraders are boring. Was it not enough to give him the Slytherin Skittles?? We're giving him the marauders too?

But at the end of the day, all of this is harmless fandom behavior, so not valid reasons to be so angry. But omg. I hate it so much.

#anti marauders fandom #anti jegulus #anti wolfstar #anti regulily #mad mers

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softpascalito · 1 month ago

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Dulcissima I Marcus Acacius x Vestal!Reader I Chapter XIV - The Cage

Summary: Set before and during Gladiator II. General Acacius finds himself entranced by a highly valued priestess of Rome – A Vestal Virgin. But you both have taken vows that make sure your paths may never cross. Until they do.

Aka a fix-it fanfic where Acacius survives the Colosseum.

Pairing: Marcus Acacius x Vestal Virgin Reader Rating: Explicit / MDNI Word count: 41k+ Tags: Secret Relationship, Vestal Virgins, Religious Guilt, Gladiator fights, Gladiator II compliant (more or less), Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Ancient Rome, Age Difference, Slow Burn (ish), Injury, Kissing, Historical Inaccuracy, (Attempted) Sexual Harassment, Smut, First Time, Oral Sex (f receiving), Vaginal Sex, Unprotected Sex, Slight Breeding Kink, Semi-Public Sex, More tags to be added

AO3 // Series Masterlist // Masterlist // Fic Playlist // Ko-Fi

notes: hello you wonderful people. i am so excited for the next few chapters and to show you all where we are heading. i know this chapter is a bit on the sadder side but i promise if you stick with me, it will pay off. i've been doing a lot of research and i believe i've found some very cool things to include in this fice hehe. smooches! ♡

carpentum - closed carriage centurion - high-ranking army official

Chapter XIV - The Cage

Acacius doesn't feel like staying in his tent. He goes over the route for the next day three more times before folding the map and heading out of the makeshift door. He makes his rounds, greeting some of the soldiers and centurions alike, even stopping at one point to taste the wine one of them offers him. He trails in between tents, all of them neatly organized, built for the night like a temporary, small town. His horse neighs when he nears the animals that are tied to a large wooden post and Acacius smiles in spite of himself, stepping forward and greeting the stallion.

The andalusian is the only gold spent that he does not feel guilty about, having been his trustworthy companion for several years now. He reaches out, tracing his hand over the side of the horse's head and onto its neck, gently patting it. “You are not sleepy either, are you? Did we not tire you out with today?”

It shakes his head as if to decline and Acacius sighs, allowing his horse a few more pats before retreating. He gets in another round around the camp before forcing himself to wander back into the direction of his own tent. A third round would raise brows, no doubt.

He does feel a bit better, having scoured the perimeter and knowing that you are merely feet away, that he would wake immediately if anything happened so close to him. Not that he hoped he would need to.

But he still catches himself straining his ears when he has retired to bed, trying to gauge if you are still awake or if sleep has already taken you. He briefly wonders if you are the same as him, laying awake and staring at the ceiling. Then again, you don't carry the kind of regret that he does so sleep in general might come easier to you.

Acacius groans as he turns in his bed and brings his hands onto his stomach, staring down at them in his horizontal position. The green stone surrounded by gold stares back at him and with a sigh, he takes the ring off, twisting it between his fingers. The inscription is the same it was when Lucilla first gave it to him.

Marcus • Aurelius • Maximus

The three men Lucilla has loved, one as a father, two as lovers. He is still not quite sure he deserves the engraving to the left of Aurelius that she had added for him when she asked him to wear it. The fact that her father and himself share a first name only makes him feel less equal, like he can never live up to those that came before him.

With a small groan, Acacius sits again, slipping the ring back on his finger and he reaches for his quill. The letter to Lucilla is rather short. He can never mention details, nothing of where they are or where exactly they are headed, just in case it falls into wrong hands. But he can tell her that he misses her, that he wishes he were back in Rome. So he does precisely that.

He hands it to the next courier they meet.

For about a week, things settle into an unsteady normality. They ride and march during the day, Acacius paying extra attention to the formations they decide on, making sure that he and at least one other capable soldier are always close to your carriage. You have started to obey him when he asks something of you and neither of you are openly hostile towards the other. But he can tell that you are unhappy or, at the very least, disappointed in what the world behind the walls of Rome has had to offer so far. He catches glimpses of you glancing out the window of your carriage when he is riding behind you, taking in the hills and forests that you pass. But the winter is still all around you, even as you get further south, and the frozen over ponds and leafless trees make the campaign feel even more hopeless.

You retire early each night, excusing yourself politely and heading back to your tent. Often, you say that you have to perform prayers but he’s not sure whether or not to believe that. And the one evening he does think further, imagining you on your knees in the tent beside his, he has to muffle his moans with his pillow.

The night before you are to reach Beneventum, an excuse to see you opens up before him like the sea when one passes the last hill before Ostia.

“My lady?” He pats the outside of the tent to imitate a knock. “May I come in?”

“Yes,” you call from inside and Acacius slips through the entrance, finding you sitting on your bed. He hasn't been in here since the night he spoke to you but it still looks much the same. Thick curtains that are bunched up and tied to the side around your bed, more pillows lining it than he cares to count. They've even laid out a rug for you and somehow, the soft and warm interior fits you.

“How have you been?” – “Is everything alright?” You speak at the same time. Your voice is slightly panicked while his is awfully polite and he tries to ignore the small stab in his chest at the realization that you think something must be wrong for him to come and speak to you.

“No. No, everything is fine. I merely wanted to let you know that we will be arriving in Beneventum tomorrow, around mid afternoon. We will rest there for two nights, allow the men to catch their breath,” he explains, tapping his fingers against his thigh. The silence that follows his words feel unbearable. “It is a nice town. Small, but nice. Kind people. They will let us restock on what we need.”

“Good,” you answer quietly and why is it suddenly so hard to talk to you? Before, you both never hit a spell of silence. Even during Bona Dea, he found that he preferred talking to you over sleep, over anything. Now, the conversation just feels heavy.

“Very well. I will get out of your hair then.” He doesn't give you a chance to respond before he turns his back on you and leaves.

***

The sun is beginning to sink lower in the sky when you notice riders falling away to the side, leading the men that march behind them onto the fields beside the Via Appia. Your carriage doesn't get steered off course however, continuing on the small road. Then, two riders appear beside you, one on each side and it takes you a moment to understand that they are there for your protection.

And then you see it. Up on a small hill before you sits a small town, the road leading straight through it. The caravan slows down as you reach the outer perimeter, the riders now staying close beside you. You catch a glimpse of an arch as you pass through it. Stone looms above you for a few moments and you think you spot a relief of Trajan in passing. Then you reenter the sunlight and with it, spot Acacius in front of you, his head held high, his white horse proudly stepping through the town. You can't quite place the feeling that builds in your stomach at the sight.

You watch as storefronts pass your window, an array of spices, colored fabrics, painted pots and vases flying by. It's much too fast to look at the items properly so you make a mental note to come back tomorrow and browse around. Unlike a lot of other women, Vestals do get paid so you have more than enough gold to spend.

Eventually, the houses retreat and you pass through a small gate, one so narrow that the riders beside you finally fall behind and then well-kept gardens appear around you. There are statues placed along the path, several small fountains further away. None of it is nearly as large or tall as in Rome but they’re impressive nonetheless. Eventually, the carriage comes to a halt and you feel the soldier in the front jump down from his seat. A moment later, he appears through the curtain and offers you a hand.

You smooth down your coat and glance up at the villa that you have come to a stop in front of, its grounds looming over the town below. Acacius has already dismounted his horse and is talking to a man and a woman animatedly. You are led to join them, smiling awkwardly as you come to stand beside the General.

“Ah, there she is. May I introduce you–” He gestures from you to the couple. “To Sir and Lady Orbilius. They are kind enough to host us during our time in Beneventum.” You greet both of them, even if not quite as enthusiastically as they greet you.

The brown-haired woman, probably in her late forties, bows down a bit too low and reaches for you. “May I take your hand?” You nod quickly, holding it out for her. She places a kiss on the back of it and you can feel Acacius shift beside you. “I cannot tell you what an honor it is to have you under our roof. Of course–” She turns toward Acacius. “Having the General is a big honor in itself. But a Priestess of Vesta, by the gods–”

Tears glisten in her eyes when she straightens again. For a split moment, you think you have somehow offended her and worry seeps into your chest. But then she smiles and you realize that they are in fact tears of happiness or gratefulness or something of the like.

They show you through the atrium and a terrasse that overlooks the gardens, speaking highly of the hot summer days here. Eventually, the lady of the house leads you upstairs, shows you to what will be your bedroom for the next two nights and then allows you some peace and quiet before changing for the evening meal they have insisted on sharing with you. You find your wooden chest already sitting in the corner and open it to admire your options. Now that you are not sleeping and dining in a tent, you do not need to wear a coat over each of your stolas.

The red one is packed near the bottom and you consider whether or not you should wear it at all. The intention you purchased it with does not hold up anymore. But why not dress up a little? Especially for a woman who was so thankful to meet you she almost cried? You tell yourself that is the only reason why you carefully drape the red fabric over your body, the gold details glistening in the equally golden rays of sunshine filtering in through the curtains. The evening light gives the small room an orange glow. And the view out the window is near picturesque, the small town below you, complete with a temple, fields and woods stretching behind the perimeter. Your hands unconsciously roam over your body, smoothing down the small wrinkles in the soft fabric as you take a deep breath.

***

This has to be a special kind of torture. Watching you lie down beside him, the red and gold fabric of your stola draped over your body and try one food after another without a care in the world. Like your body is not so close to his, like you can't feel the invisible connection that is flickering in the air between you.

Acacius has been tortured before, when he was held captive for what luckily turned out to only be a few days. But this? It's worse.

Your hosts have taken the lower couch, eager to keep the appropriate customs. No doubt hoping for a favor or two, or at least a good word from his lips directed at the Emperors when needed. He wouldn't care so much if it didn't mean sharing the higher of the couches with you, all of you stretched out around the table so laden with food and wine that Acacius is surprised it has not yet given in under the weight.

He tries to recall if your stolas were always this tight, if they always hugged your form so well, highlighting your body in all the right places. Or, maybe, it just seems like it because he now knows what is underneath the fabric, because he has kissed your legs and shoulders and chest and tastes you on his lips, felt inner parts that no other man has ever got to feel. Acacius swallows another bite of his food, adjusting his own toga in a way that he hopes is inconspicuous.

“General Acacius, would you care to join us for a walk in the gardens before you retire?” He barely even noticed the others getting up, expectant eyes now resting on him. He agrees quickly enough, standing as well, thankful that his toga is not one of the thin ones he wears during the summer. Sir Orblilius’s attention turns onto you. “Will you be joining us as well?”

Acacius’s gaze flies around and he can immediately tell that you do not look eager, the hesitation clear in the way you hold yourself. “Well, maybe we should let the lady go on upstairs. Our travels can make one weary.”

The man laughs heartedly at that. “I hope you have not worn her out, General.” It is clear that he’s joking, unaware of any implication beyond a lighthearted comment. But Acacius can immediately see the blush creeping up onto your cheeks.

“I shall join you. I would love to see the gardens,” you respond politely, avoiding Acacius’s gaze. He follows suit as you are both led over to the terrasse and begin to descend the stairs that lead to the rich plants and trees below. He pretends to listen to the couple speaking of their statues and rare fruits, pretends to be impressed by a tree that supposedly never withers. Here or there, he throws in a question or thoughtful nod to keep the conversation afloat, his real focus all the while on you. He does not wish to learn more about your respective hosts but he has things he’d like to ask you. Like how his soldiers have been treating you. If you are comfortable on this journey. If you already regret taking it.

But such is not the kind of small talk expected by the couple beside him. And so he doesn't.

When your small group has completed the lap around the house and he once again finds himself at the bottom of the stone steps, Sir Orbilius gives Acacius a polite smile. “If you would excuse me now, General. I would like to take my wife upstairs.” He pauses for a moment like he is waiting for an invitation to stay a bit longer. When none comes, he continues. “Now that I am thinking about it, I believe it is best if I too retire. We will see you at the ‘morrow?”

“Yes. Of course.” Acacius nods politely. “Thank you for the meal and for showing us around. You really do have a beautiful collection.” He’s become so good at playing a game he doesn't even enjoy.

“Well, my lady Vestal, you may want to retire too.” The woman of the house joins you, having walked side by side with you and she holds her arm out for her husband to take. He does so with a well-rehearsed motion. And Acacius’s gaze is once more drawn towards you rather than anything else. Your polite smile reminds him of his own. A priestess certainly understands the rules of the game well, maybe better than he does. Maybe that is why your answer comes as a surprise to him.

“Not quite yet. I like walking among the stars–well, under them.” You trip slightly over your words and he has to hold back a chuckle, finding it rather adoring. “Sitting in my carriage all day makes my legs feel funny so I enjoy small walks in the evenings.”

Acacius nods along, pretending not to understand the small snide you are sending his way. Because he has been insistent that you stay in your carriage rather than ride or, gods forbid, walk. He simply feels it to be safer that way. It is not unlike the house on Palatine Hill that Lucilla will be sitting in right now, guards always stationed at its gates. He will lock those he loves in a cage if it only means keeping them safe from the world.

Not that he loves you. He just cares for you. For your safety. Or something of the like.

The others bid you both good night and without speaking, you begin to walk again, taking one of the less-treaded paths that lead straight through the gardens and towards the edge of the property. Acacius trails slightly behind you, hoping that his presence won’t bother you but also unable to let you roam around all by yourself.

He watches the way your hips move and how your stola trails behind you and when he begins to feel sick with himself for abusing his position like this, he focuses on your footprints instead. Which is why he almost runs into you when you come to a halt.

***

You feel Acacius’s hand reaching for your shoulder as he steadies himself and you give him just a few moments before slipping out of his touch. The path has led you to a small, round pavilion, the slightly angled roof looking a few years past its prime. But its position at this side of the garden is high enough to overlook the houses below and the hills in the distance. There is light spilling onto the street from a few windows still, some bright like the fire of Vesta, some stemming from just one or two candles on a windowsill. But behind the houses, the fields and hills lie in the dark. Acacius’s troops must be on the other side of the town, to the north.

“It is so dark,” you whisper quietly, absent-mindedly running your fingers over the column beside you. The stone is cold to the touch. “It is never this dark in Rome.”

Acacius nods quietly, stepping beside you with a few, slow motions and you listen to the sounds of his toga rustling as he moves. His voice is only a whisper. “Rome is a very special place, my lady.”

His hand brushes over the red fabric of your stola, the one you have wrapped tightly around your body to fight off the cold. You can feel his thumb tracing one of the golden lines, his touch as light as ever. If you moved just an inch to the side, you are certain he would drop his hand immediately.

You both stay silent for a while, staring out into the ever growing darkness as one or two more windows below you lose their light. It must take minutes for you to gather up enough courage to look at him.

His eyes are soft, a little glazed-over from the amount of wine he was practically forced to taste at dinner. And the way he looks at you? It is like the difference between day and night, between light and dark, the way he looks at you so differently when you're alone like this. You've seen him give commands with a mere look. But the brown eyes that rest on yours in this moment are not those of a General. They are just those of a man.

“I am sorry my men gave you trouble that first day.” He says quietly, bowing his head slightly, though his eyes never leave your face.

“It is not your fault,” you whisper back, shaking your head. Then, maybe because you hope to lessen the worry in his eyes, you add; “They have been good to me. Many of them are kind.”

Acacius nods. But he doesn't respond. So you fall back into silence. A dog barks somewhere below you. You turn towards the sound, your eyes finding the small street you passed through earlier, the one with the many shops side by side.

“Oh, I meant to ask. May I use the day tomorrow to head down to the stores? I would like to look at a few things, I promised a friend I would bring her back something and…” You trail off, your eyes still on the now abandoned street.

“No.”

And there he is again. The cold, uncaring General who does not give a damn about what you do or do not want. “What?”

“No. Absolutely not. The streets are narrow and will be filled with people, both our own and the townsfolk, not to speak of the travellers. We are not the only ones travelling Via Appia.” Acacius states, his voice already letting you know that he will not put this decision up for discussion.

The anger you would have felt a few days ago now only manifests itself in the form of resignation. Your shoulders slump slightly and a sigh leaves your lips. “Of course. What a silly idea. I forgot you are to lock me up in either a carriage or one of these rooms for the entirety of the trip.”

“I will keep you safe the entire trip,” Acacius mutters. His hand has disappeared from your side. “It is getting late. I will escort you back to the villa. Come.”

You stand like one of the statues around the garden, frozen to the spot. The way he switches up so fast, like he becomes one person and then another–it’s exhausting you. “Acacius?”

“What?” You can tell he sounds slightly on edge, like he’s itching to get away. From you or the conversation or both.

“Could you just–could you just be a little bit kind to me?” Your voice trembles slightly and your head stays bowed. You can’t make out his face in the darkness. His shoulders shift as he gives a weak nod.

“Let me be kind and take you to your room.”

If the last week has taught you one thing about Acacius, it is that he will not allow you to change his mind quite so easily. And with the chances of success so slim, you find that you don’t have it in you to try. Maybe the light-hearted joke earlier tonight held more truth than either of you would have liked. Maybe travel, and Acacius, have truly worn you out. You let your gaze roam over the town below you once more. Then, you turn and obey him without another word.

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maddie-grove · 11 months ago

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I have a popular post about how I don’t enjoy it when love stories act like it would undermine the central romance if one or both of the protagonists had a positive experience with an ex or former sexual partner, and I just want to say: it’s really all about the framing.

It’s totally chill if a protagonist has never been in love before, for whatever reason. Maybe they have intimacy issues, or they were literally raised by wolves in the Canadian wilderness, or they’re too busy, or they were a child oblate, or they just never clicked with anyone that way, or they were married to a grotesquely evil Renaissance nobleman. If we’re supposed to be like “awww that’s nice, they are experiencing romantic love for the first time” or “I am so happy that something nice is happening to this girl after her experiences with the horrible duke,” that’s cool.

It’s also fine, in my book, if a protagonist has never had really good sex before. Not everyone has an easy time getting into it and, to be frank, not everyone has the good luck to encounter a considerate or generous lover immediately after becoming sexually active.

Here are some examples where I do think there are problems:

The historical romance author wants to establish that the hero is not a virgin, but she doesn’t want to make him a player and she doesn’t want to give him a bad ex as a source of angst and she doesn’t want him to have been in love before. So she gives him a long-term paid mistress. But, instead of going with “Adrian enjoyed Lily’s company and thought she was pretty/clever/pleasant, but obviously it was a business relationship on both sides,” you get something like “Adrian had never felt anything for Lily. She was merely a vessel for his manly needs.” And it’s like you knew this woman for years! Yet I have warmer feelings towards the friendly lady who works at the pharmacy! What’s wrong with you?

The Regency heroine was happily married to one dude, who died tragically young. She falls in love with her late husband’s best friend, also her friend, who has been in love with her since before the husband died but he never acted on it because it would have been wrong and hurtful to his friend. They both feel a little weird/guilty about getting together, but it’s clear that they aren’t actually disrespecting the late husband’s memory and he’d probably be happy for them if he knew. This is all good and fine, until the hero and heroine are making love and the heroine muses to herself that the hero is better in bed than her late husband. This honestly wouldn’t feel so sour if it had been established at the beginning that they never clicked sexually despite loving each other, but in that moment it feels like a cheap shot at a nice dead guy. And for what? So the audience has no doubt that the hero is the best sex man in the world?

Someone writes a fanfic where Character A has a non-endgame romance with Character C, when eventually Character A will end up with Character B. The A/C romance is obviously not going to last for well-established reasons, but it’s sweet and C is presented sympathetically. Until the author abruptly makes C a bitch in a non-canonical way when it’s time for them to break up, even though that’s far from the most natural way for the breakup to happen.

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nightlyrequiem · 2 months ago

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Hi hi hi, requiem! 💗💗💗 I hope you're having a great day!

This is actually my first time sending a request, so I'm feeling a little shy, hahaha (⁠๑⁠•⁠﹏⁠•⁠)

I've been reading your fanfics lately, and honestly, you're my favorite Valeria writer ever! 💕💕 I was wondering if I could request a one-shot of Gorgon Valeria x (Blind) Fem Reader? Preferably smut, with a bit of angst if that's something you'd like to include! I've been so obsessed with Medusa Valeria lately, but there are barely any fanfics about her, and I'd love to see your take! I was thinking of a historical AU where the reader is sacrificed by her village because of her disability. They shove her into the cave where Valeria lives, and she has to fend for herself until Valeria eventually finds her. You can take it in whatever direction you feel like!

Of course, take your time if you're busy, and it's totally okay if this isn't something you want to write. I'm just happy I tried!

Thank you so much, and I can't wait to read more of your amazing writing! (灬º‿º灬)♡

Hello Hello! I am having a dandy day (As of writing this) I hope you are too!

You're so sweet! I'm not sure why a gorgon has been unanimously decided to be what Valeria would be but I'm not complaining. I think it's a cool concept.

Love me some angst, love me some smut. Fun fact, snakes breed by wrapping around each other, they don't have regular gentelia but cloacas. I learned this from an educational parody of Niki Manaj's Anaconda song. That being said, Valeria does not have a cloaca here, so that information isn't very relevent.

Tags/Warning: WLW, Minor Ableism by the Village, Emotional Angst, Violence, Non-Bloody Gore, Smut, Gorgon!Valeria, Probably Some Historical and Geographical Inaccuracies

Apple of Her Eye

'Stay away from the woods, Mija.' The sweet voice who first murmured those words to you fades from your memory each day that passes but the warning remains. You were born different. Your eyes didn't develop properly in the womb. Small and underdeveloped.

Your 'otherness' led to your exclusion by the village. It didn't help that you were a bastard child born out of wedlock. You grew up isolated. Your mother your only companion. You were content enough to live out your days with your mother. It was better this way. The less attention you draw to yourself, the less likely you'll be thought of for the annual sacrifice made to the Snake Woman of Addermouth.

Every year of the night during the Harvest Moon, an undesirable is selected and taken through the woods. A full day's journey to be left at the mouth of the cave. Ankles shattered to stop them from running. Barbaric in nature but deemed necessary after a bound sacrifice had managed to free herself of her binds and found her way back to the village. Thus, not making a sacrifice that year. It snowed that November. Something unheard of for the warm region. The homes were not built to retain heat and neither were the barns. Half the village died of starvation and cold.

Your mother used to tell you that story. Before you got too old for bedside tales, before she was lost to the Consumption. Now you're alone. Taken in by the church because no one else wants a blind girl. The Harvest moon is coming up. They're making their selections. While you're out in the garden, running your hands over the heads of flowers to count them, Father Luis pulls you aside.

"Come, walk with me, my dear." He says gently. He guides your hand to his arm and the two of you walk. "The sky is clear today." He tells you.

"I know." You reply simply. "It's warmer when the sky is clear."

Father Luis pats your arm. "... The Harvest Moon approaches, I'm sure you've heard."

You don't respond.

"... Well, we've had a hard time making the selection. Afterall, it's not easy to pick which of our own we're going to send to Addermouth. We all have our uses here and all absences are felt equally." He rambles.

"You already know who it is." You murmur.

"... Yes." Father Luis admits. "... With your... affliction, there isn't much you can do for Las Almas," He starts, shattering your heart. "But you can have a purpose, my dear, if we give you up to Addermouth you will ensure that we have another bountiful year for crops and fertility. You will keep us safe."

You stop walking. Turning your sightless gaze on Father Luis.

"Because I'm more useful dead than alive, you mean." You reply. The air thickens with tension as Father Luis struggles for a reply.

"Not at all." He says weakly. Your shoulders slump as you hear just how much he doesn't believe his own words. "You aren't useless here, you'd just be making so much more use out of yourself if you were chosen, your blindness isn't a curse, it's a blessing."

You scowl. "A blessing?" You repeat. "It's a blessing because you can throw me to the beast without losing anything! It means you don't have to sacrifice anyone capable of labor!"

Father Luis doesn't respond. Because he knows it's true.

"You've already been chosen." He says quietly. "I've talked to the men picked to bring you to Addermouth, I told them I could get you to agree so they wouldn't have to break your ankles. I'm sparing you pain."

"How kind of you, Father, for sparing me the pain of broken ankles. I'll be sure to remember your benevolence while I'm being torn apart."

"I'm trying to help you-" He begins.

"No, you're trying to clear your conscious." You growl. "You're the one who gets the final say on the sacrifice. You feel guilty for choosing me. Well, I don't forgive you." You say coldly.

You tried fighting. When the collectors came for you. It was no use. They grabbed you and forced you into the white ceremonial robes. You refused to eat, a small act of defiance on your end. It means little to them, but it means a lot to you. You can feel the warmth from the torches that the men carry as they walk you to Addermouth. Your bare feet, unused to the unfamiliar terrain catch on stones and loose Earth.

The air turns cold, signaling the beginning of nightfall. You shiver from the chill and wrap your arms around yourself, hoping to retain a little body heat. The thorns from the crown they placed upon your head digs uncomfortably into your scalp. You tried adjusting it but had your hand slapped away with a barking command to not touch it.

A rough hand grabs you by the back of the neck and halts you.

"We're here." He mutters. "Lay down in the dirt on your back."

Your heart flutters. "... No." You say. Turning your face towards where you think the man is. You expect him to get mad, or argue, instead your abruptly shoved to the ground. You grunt in pain as your back slams into stone and soil.

Before you can sit up or speak, something heavy and metal crashes down onto your legs. You arch your back as a scream tears itself free from your throat. The object comes down again and you jerk away, trying to crawl away. Your fragile leg bones snap and dislocate. The pain is hot and heavy. Not limiting itself to your legs it crawls up your thighs and into your spine. You screech your hurt into the night and vomit the contents of your stomach.

𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙𓆙

Valeria is familiar with the sound an animal makes when it knows it's going to die. Deep within the dark walls of her cave, a screech echos from outside. The snakes on her head stir with curiosity. Small tongues flicking out to taste the air. Valeria drags herself from her nest and stalks down the cave towards the exit. Climbing upwards. She smells the air and tastes blood and fear. A person, an injured one. Nothing she hasn't seen before.

The sky has grown dark with the night. The stars up above far away and infinite in numbers offer very little light. At the mouth of the cave is a woman. Draped in those robes that the villagers seem to favour. Like the others, her legs have been broken. Valeria lays a hand upon her, feeling her stillness and warmth. The woman stirs and flinches, rising up to a sit. Valeria's snakes fan out around her head, staring right at her. The woman looks up and... Valeria stares curiously.

The woman breathes heavily and stares straight at her, not petrifying.

"Hello?" You call out weakly. "Is someone there?"

You're blind. She realizes. Your eyes are small and cloudy. Marbled with white. They remind her of the full moon. You're covered in dirt and sweat and reek of fear. One of the longer of her snakes ventures closer. Tasting your scent.

"Hello." Valeria murmurs. Gazing at you with interest. Normally she petrifies her victims. She glances at the many statues littering the clearing. In various positions. A few men but mostly women, their once fluid robes now still forever.

Your eyelids flutter.

"Hello?" You reply. "I need.. I need help." You say.

"I can see that." She hums, inspecting you.

"Are we safe?" You ask, surprising her.

"Whatever from?" She inquires with amusement.

"The Creature of Addermouth?" You say, furrowing your brows.

Creature of Addermouth. The Snake Woman, Medusa, Valeria has earned herself many names over her long life.

"We're safe." She says. Then doesn't speak for a while, unused to having company. She looks at you for a little longer. Indulging herself before finally reaching out for you. "Let me get you out of the open like this." She says, slowly dragging you into the cave. Your questions inquiring about your destination remain unanswered as she drags you in deep. Valeria slowly lowers you to her nest and looks over your wounds.

She gently ghosts her hand over your mangled legs. Feeling the unnatural angles your bones are in.

"Why do they do this?" She ponders aloud quietly.

You rub a hand over you shoulder. "What?"

"Break the legs." She murmurs.

"... You know about the sacrifices?" You ask.

"It's hard not to notice." Valeria replies. Moving away to grab old clothes to wrap up your legs. She can't do much else to help.

"It's to kill any chance of survival for the chosen." You murmur grimly.

Valeria stayed away from you while you healed. Watched you from the shadows and brought you food while you were asleep. Sometimes you called out to her, voice harsh and scared. Other times you sang. Mournful and lonely. Valeria likes it when you sing. She'd lay against the stone walls and listen.

You lay still in her nest while she brings you stolen bread. She sets it down beside you and you stir, sitting up and opening your eyes.

"... Valeria?" You speak.

She hesitates. Pondering if she should let you know she's there. "Yes." She responds.

You relax at her voice. "Can you please stay?" You ask. "It's cold, and very lonely here."

Valeria finds herself wanting to stay in your company. You're the only person she hasn't turned to stone, the only one invulnerable to her curse. She sits down and folds her legs under her.

"I can stay for awhile." She says.

Then you smile at her.

Valeria makes it a habit to stay with you often. Bringing your food while you're awake and talking to you. Once your legs have healed enough, she begins helping you walk around. Learning the way you talk, the way you laugh, learning the way you've come to understand the world, which is far different to her. Valeria, who was previously a solitary creature, has come to enjoy your company. She enjoys you. Though there's that fear at the back of her mind eating at her. One that tells her you wouldn't stick around if you knew what she was, what she looked like.

You tell each other stories. Legends and myths exchanged for entertainment. You even told her the reason your village sacrifices people. There was something... sinister in the woods. People went in and never came out again, stolen and dragged to the dark pits of Addermouth. The large, supposedly endless cave system in the middle of the forest. Wicked and hungry. It's said that the Creature of Addermouth is what caused the disappearance of everyone in the neighboring village. Once bustling with life left full of stone statues that look suspiciously like the villagers.

Valeria is the monster that has haunted your dreams and you don't even know it.

"But... you came and found me." You say after a few silent moments filled only by the faint echoes of dripping water. "Tell me, Valeria," You murmur. "Is there really a monster or has my village been ruling itself with it's own man-made superstition? Was my sacrifice in vain? Were all those lives given up to the 'monster' for naught?"

Valeria works out her response. "... I have never encountered anything of the like out here." She says carefully. As far as she's aware, she's the only one of her kind roaming about in these woods, and one can hardly encounter themselves.

Over the months you grow restless. Walking further and further within the cave. You talk more and more about the outside, and to Valeria's growing annoyance, the very village that casted you out to die. A topic that has brewed many an argument between you two. She doesn't understand your attachment to the place that betrayed you, why you wish to live among people who will never see you as anything more than the blind girl. She doesn't understand why you want to leave her.

Your nest is empty when she comes by with food. She looks around for you, finding you standing at the cave entrance, facing the outside wistfully. She stays back in the shadows but you've adjusted to living in a cave where all noise is accentuated.

"Is it sunny today?" You ask her. Valeria peers out.

"It is." She murmurs. Walking up beside you, your arms brushing. "The sky is clear, the sun is shining down warmly and dappling the forest floor with light."

"Are the flowers getting any sun?" You ask.

"What flowers?" Valeria asks with surprise.

"Those ones." You point to the left vaguely. There is a patch of wild daffodils there.

"They are." She says. "How did you know about them?"

You smile, it's a sad little thing not expressing joy so much as sardonic amusement.

"I found them when I was walking around outside." You say. "If I focus enough, I can smell them from here."

Valeria stares at them contemplatively. As yellow as the sun, heads facing towards the sky.

"I want to go home." You say suddenly. Valeria looks at you with indignation.

"What home?" She asks mutinously. You turn your face to her.

"My village, Valeria." You say tiredly. You reach out and take ahold of her cold hands. "You could come with me, you don't have to live here, in this cave, you could come back with me."

Valeria pulls away. Appalled, hurt, angry.

"Why would I ever want to be surrounded by the very people who sent you to die? Why would I want to be around them when they'd treat me even worse?" She snaps. Thinking of you as foolish. You face drops.

"They're frightened and misinformed. I know what they do is bad but if you came back with me - tell them that you've been living here and not a sight of the monster, they might stop sacrificing people!" You plead, only adding to Valeria's growing annoyances and pushing her over the edge.

"I am the monster." She growls. Her snakes, sensing her agitation, flare.

"What do you mean?" You ask.

"How stupid you must be to not have realized!" She snaps at you. "I live in the very cave your people tell stories about. Think about it for more than ten seconds, I beg you!"

Inklings of regret wriggle in her heart but she stays strong. Your expression morphs into confusion and fear. You look at her the same way as everyone else, only difference being is she can't make you stop by turning you to stone. She looks at the statues, with their faces clawed off.

"... But you helped." you say. "You're lying."

Fed up with you, Valeria swiftly approaches you and grabs your hands. "Feel my scales. Feel my snakes. You can't look upon my monstrosity, but you can touch it." She wretches your hands over her face, making you feel the scales on her cheeks and the writhing snakes in her hair. You recoil and try to pull away but Valeria doesn't let you.

Finally, she lets you pull away. You cradle your hands to your chest as though she's burned you. Your mouth hangs agape but no sounds escape you.

"Go." She says angrily. "Try to find your way back to the very people that hate you. Return to those animals and never speak of me, never think of me, and never seek me out."

You hesitate then turn and stumble away, into the woods where you are sure to die. Guilt and pain tugs at her heart but she ignores it and turns away as well. Slinking back down into her cave.

❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀❀

You stumble through the foliage. Nettles sting your legs and mouse holes trip you. Your skin crawls when you think about how close you were to the Creature of Addermouth. Then sorrow overwhelms you when you think about her. Your friend.

You're not sure where you're going. Your sense of direction skewed by spending so much time below ground. You use the trees to help you walk. The trees thin out and you're left to wander a clearing. A familiar voice calls out to you, saying your name with astonishment. A group surrounds you, voices drowning each other out with questions.

There was great debate about your return. Many wanting to send you back into the woods in fear that your return will cause great suffering. Father Luis declares you spared, much to the unpopular opinion of the public. Unwilling to argue with a messenger of God, the people allow you to live. Once again pushing you to the outskirts of town where if they try hard enough, they can forget you.

During your moments with Valeria, you forgot how lonely existence is. Going by unwanted and ignored by your own. This is what you were so desperate to return to. But... you miss her. Each day that pull inside you tugs harder and harder, drawing you back to Addermouth and the Snake Woman that lives there. You pack any belongings that you can carry, and under the cover of night, set off into the woods. Letting that feeling guide you through the trees and bushes.

You walk and walk. Journeying further into the forest with only your faith in your friend to guide you. You grow tired and less careful with your steps. You begin to fear that you are lost. It's also at this point that you become aware of something stalking you from the side. Footsteps apart from your own and the sense that you're being watched.

You stop in a clearing. Not certain as to where you are. The cold winds bite through the cloak you're wearing. Heavy with exhaustion, you unshoulder your burdens and kneel in the soft grass. You tilt your head up. Unable to see the stars, but the stars see you.

You don't turn at the sound of footsteps behind you.

"You came back." The owner of them speaks. You straighten up.

"... I did." You say. They come no closer. "I had assumed that home was where I was born. Among people who are the most like me. I was wrong." You whisper. Valeria slowly approaches you and kneels own behind you, gently laying her hands over your shoulders. You can feel her snakes brush up against your head and neck.

"Coming out here on your own wasn't safe." she says. "There are many caves and ravines you could've fallen into. Packs of wolves and coyotes roam at night. You could've gotten lost and succumbed to nature."

You lean against her. Touched by her concern.

"But you found me." You say.

Valeria rests her head on your shoulder. "Yes, I found you."

You bask in the moment. Warmed by your friend's presence. Her breath ghosts over your neck, sending goosebumps over the skin.

Your hearts beat together. Slowly, Valeria pulls you down and crawls on top of you, her nose brushing against yours. You cup the back of her head and pull her down, pressing your lips to hers. Valeria sighs out all her lonely yearning. Pressing close to you. Her lips are cold but being so close to her makes you feel warm.

The Creature of Addermouth handles you with utmost care and gentleness as he removes your clothing. Helping you shed the last tethers to your village. Valeria pulls you on top of her, your back to her chest with her legs tangling with yours. Her hand palms your breast, rolling the fat under her hand.

You can feel her skin and scales under your back. Smooth and cool. Her hand moves up from your breast to hold you by the throat gently, her other hand running down your body and pushing her fingers through the course hair on your pubic mound. They find your clit and you tilt your head back, eyes closed in pleasure. Her fingers drift down to collect your arousal. Her breasts press into your back and the snakes on her head brush against your cheek.

Valeria's fingers enter you. Sliding into the wet warmth of your core. You writhe together in a tangle of lust and limbs. Unsure of where her leg ends and yours begins. While she pumps her fingers into you, she also grinds you down onto her. Rubbing herself against you, accumulating a wetness on your lower back. She groans into your ear, sending blood to your clit.

The pressure builds, becoming too much for you. You let go of the rope and allow yourself to dive into the pleasure. You cum around her fingers, tightening and tensing with a high whine. Valeria, with her fingers still inside of you, continues to hold you against her. She's not far behind. Panting and losing all sense of rhythm. She shudders and presses her face into your neck. Legs trembling as she does so.

You and Valeria fall asleep together. Laid up in the grass under the moon and stars. Cuddled up like animals in your most natural forms. Valeria never thought she'd experience something so wonderful. Her greatest treasure, she'll keep you until it's time for your body to return to the Earth it came from.

#valeria garza #valeria garza x reader #valeria garza x fem!reader #modern warefare ii #valeria garza cod #cod mw2 #cod mwii #cod x reader #valeria garza x you #cod

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fanby-fckry · 1 year ago

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You know what, I’m just gonna say it. I think that Alastor being aroace is part of the reason he’s so shippable to me.

Before you come at me, check the flag in my pfp; I’m aroace-spec.

Maybe it’s me projecting, maybe it’s because I love exploring relationships through an aroace lens, but goddamn. I ship him more than any other character and every time I do, his aroaceness is a major component in the ship.

Examples below the cut because it’s gonna get long:

📻🍎 || RadioApple:

There are so many versions of this dynamic and I am here for all of them.

We have the pre-canon kinky QPR that I show in UH3. I could talk about that all day, but to summarize:

Aroace x genuinely respectful allo is a dynamic that heals my soul.

Lucifer is less tied down by human constructs like amatonormativity, having never been human himself.

The Devil values consent.

Kinky cannibalism, kinky cannibalism, kinky cannibalism, kinky ca- *I am removed from the stage with a comically large hook*

Then we have the Evil and fucked up QPR dynamic:

And of course, trying to get along for Charlie’s sake and eventually bonding over their shared love of dad jokes and musical theatre, both being violinists (yup, Alastor plays violin too, check the wiki) with niche hobbies/interests (ducks, furby organ) and accidentally winding up in a loving, healthy QPR.

📻🕸️ || RadioDust:

There’s something about an aroace and a sex worker who very rarely falls in love.

Angel would know that Alastor isn’t with him for sex, would know that he values Angel beyond his body.

With greyro Alastor, Angel and Alastor would both be inexperienced with romance, but in wildly different ways. Angel has never had a healthy romantic relationship and therefor tries not to fall in love. Greyro Alastor has probably experienced romantic attraction like less than three times in his 100+ years of existence.

And if Alastor never gains romantic attraction for Angel, that’s a whole other level to the dynamic.

It’s got some great angst potential with Angel wondering if he’s not good enough to love romantically or Alastor feeling guilty or confused as to Why It Hasn’t Happened Yet when he cares for Angel so deeply, and eventually it gets resolved with the two of them accepting that their attractions don’t have to match up for them to love/appreciate/care for each other and they smash the amatonormative relationship hierarchy as queer platonic partners.

Or, Angel’s just totally cool with it from the start because he’s spent decades in the kink scene and has potentially been exposed to more relationship anarchy than Alastor.

Kink and queerness have a great deal of historical and cultural overlap, and that includes aroace queerness. Because Angel’s had way more canon exposure to both, it’s possible he knows more about Alastor’s orientation than Alastor does, and I love the idea of Angel introducing him to terms or just being super chill about not labeling things.

📻♥️ || RadioHusk:

Drawing like 90% from pilot dynamic and headcanon on this. They’re just two old men. They get drunk and cuddle. Alastor is one of the few people who knows Husk can purr and takes advantage of this fact. Alastor considers Husk a friend in a fucked up, possessive way. Husk considers Alastor a pain in the ass, but does care about him on some level.

It’s Fucked Up and Evil QPR: Remix Edition.

And the versions where the author puts them through fanfic couple’s therapy and actually gets them into a healthy point in their relationship? One where Alastor no longer owns Husk’s Soul? *chef’s kiss*

📻🌹 || RadioRose:

For me, personally, this is an exclusively nonsexual, non-romantic ship. They’re besties; they’re QPPs. They’re married for the tax benefits and so that they cannot be forced to testify against each other in court.

Rosie knew Alastor was aroace before he did and rather than sit down and explain it to him, she decided to make ace puns.

📻🖤 || RadioSiren: [edit, context here] RadioFemme

Ok, so this is entirely based on non-canon-compliant Lilith. Or, I guess, non-series-compliant Lilith. More of the old WOG stuff from the pilot era, with a healthy dose of headcanon for flavor.

I love the idea of Lilith and Lucifer having an open marriage; I love the UH3 style polycule dynamic.

Lilith being the original seductress and Alastor being aesthetically but not sexually or romantically attracted to her is very near and dear to my heart.

I’m an aroace with a voice kink who is aesthetically attracted to Lilith and I think Alastor is an aroace with a voice kink who would be aesthetically attracted to Lilith, ok?

📻📺 || RadioStatic:

I’m gonna be real with you, 90% of my interest in RadioStatic is in the one-sided version where Vox is a pathetic little incel simp and Alastor is either oblivious, mildly annoyed, or finds the whole thing hilarious.

Whenever there’s any reciprocation on Alastor’s part, I always imagine it being in a very aroace, very Alastor-esque way. He needs to be get something out of it completely unrelated to sex/romance. And he needs to be manipulative and sadistic in the process.

Whether that something is kink-related, a business transaction, or simply the quality entertainment provided by Vox being a cringefail TV-headed little bitch, I love to see it.

#hazbin hotel #alastor #radioapple #radiodust #radiohusk #radiorose #radiofemme #radiostatic #onewaybroadcast #fanby’s fuckery #osha violation #suggestive

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dorlilymylovesss · 8 months ago

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I want to speak out on a topic that has been really bothering and stressing me out. For several months now, Me and my friends who don't even ship jegulus, but are just Regulus fans have been harassed by Jily shippers. And not just with hateful words, but with specific accusations of fascism.

I want to start by saying that fandoms are a place where people can express their creativity and interpret characters as they like. Fanfics, art, and shippings are forms of self-expression, and they don't have to conform to canon. It allows us to look at characters from different angles, develop alternative plots, and create something new. And I don't judge or hate people for their favorite characters and ships.

I'm a huge Regulus fan even before the Jegulus ship came along. Regulus Black is a character I have a deep interest in for many reasons. Despite his limited appearance in the Harry Potter books, his story and character leave room for a lot of interpretation and thought. And I don't like it when people describe him as a regular Death Eater.

First, Jily fans often argue their dislike by saying that their ship is canonical( of course this is true and no one denies it) and James would never date a death eater. However, it should be remembered that fan art and shippings are inherently activities for the self and the soul. Even if a couple doesn't conform to "official" canon and never even met, it doesn't diminish the right of fans to create their own stories and interpretations.

Second Jegulus shippers are called misogynists.

But they may simply see these characters as interesting dynamics that catch their attention or interesting tropes that can be created. Choosing this ship doesn't necessarily mean they are intentionally excluding female characters and being negative towards them. Yes there are people among jegulus shippers who dislike Lily and exclude her from the story, but they are a minority. Plenty of jegulus shippers love Lily and also ship jily.

The charge of misogyny implies a conscious and systematic disregard for women or female characters. However, in most cases, Jegulus shippers simply enjoy a particular story or interaction between two male characters. This does not preclude an interest in or respect for female characters. Many shippers actively create and support content featuring female characters in other contexts or ships.

There is always a diversity of interests and preferences in fan circles. Not everyone likes the same characters or couples, and that's fine. However, to infer misogyny just based on someone's preference for a certain male couple without considering the overall context of a person's interests is wrong and unfair. Plus, I've seen thousands of Jily fans who were blatantly homophobic towards the marlily and pandalily enjoyers, and called James her only love, and erase her identity, leaving only her relationship with James.

Third, why calling the death eaters fascists is wrong and insulting to the actual victims of the tragedy.

Fascism as a political ideology and movement had specific historical roots and consequences, including brutal repression, genocide, and war. Death Eaters are fictional characters created by transphobic Rowling for a work of fiction, and their actions and motivations are part of a fictional universe.

Using historical examples of real-life suffering and tragedies to compare to fictional characters is disrespectful to those affected by real-life events. Historical tragedies such as the Holocaust require special respect and careful handling. And many Jewish content makers have already spoken out about it.

The kind of hate I've encountered as a Regulus fan is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. That being said, I've always loved jily, but after the hate, stupid accusations I've cooled off to them. You can't treat living people like that because of fictional characters. A lot of people don't care about canon written by a creepy transphobic woman, can you imagine?

Instead of wasting time on conflict and hate I suggest you create content on your favorite ships and leave other people alone. You have no idea how your hating can affect a person.

Not all shippers have the intention to demean or exclude other characters. Many of us simply love a particular dynamic and choose to explore it in our writing. This should not be taken as a threat or insult to other fans.

I love jegulus and jily, but my fav ship is dorlily and it saddens me that fans of the same fandom hate each other so much.

Not all shippers have the intent to demean or exclude other characters. Many of us simply love a particular dynamic and choose to explore it in our writing. This should not be taken as a threat or insult to other fans.

Leave other people alone. If u can't create content for your favorite ship and only can hate others its your f..king problem, it's unhealthy and childish.

I'm deeply sorry for jegulus artists and writers who got hate here and even death treats. I hope you will continue creating something that makes you happy.

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the-100-days-of-junkan · 6 months ago

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Day 1

And thus begins an excessive undertaking! Do you like rambling?

Speaking of undertaking the first three days of the project were actually made at least a full year before I did all this.

Y’see I’ve been into Junkan for awhile, like, even back before I came out as trans awhile, in like 2018 or 19. It started as a joke between friends that all the events of DR could have been avoided if Junko and Mikan made out, so it was in my head for awhile even if I never fully engaged. Eventually though I accidentally read a fanfic where the relationship was written in a really adorable way, and that just sold me instantly (this happens more than I’d like to admit i’ll be real). From there I read some fanfics, got hooked, but kept to myself because this was when I was extremely anxious and paranoid about everything.

Cut to I wanna say 2023 (potentially really late 2022) and on an impulse I start reading Junkan fics again, and that’s when I came across one fic by VanadisValentine (Check her out! She’s cool!) which I read in a single night and it gave me insane brainrot. I was so brainrotted that in a night time haze I drew the first three pictures of this project and only showed them to like, 2 people.

Another fun fact! The art presented here isn’t actually the first pic, this is something made at the tale end of the project days before it was even announced. I will be including the original pic for Historical sake, but looking at it makes me irrationally angry and ya’ll deserve better so I redrew it. To briefly explain the art, because of Vanadis’ fanfic “Everything You’ve Ever Dreamed,” (which started all this) I found myself super intrigued by the idea of Junko being terrified of actually falling in love with someone.

For the new version I just tried to do a better job at visualizing the anxiety, that’s about it. Reblogs Appreciated! Stay hydrated!

Hey if you like Junko’s red nails, horrible news! As far as I can tell the original version of Day 1 is the only time I’ve ever drawn them.

Also you can definitely tell with the original that it was made in a “No one will ever see this mindset” given how unpolished it is compared to some of my other sketches. Also i hate how i drew Junko’s hair in these first two pics that’s like the main reason looking at them gives me a headache.

Nother reason you can tell ths is old is because I drew Junko with 2 eyelashes instead of 3 like I normally do

#Danganronpa #Junkan #Junko Enoshima #Mikan Tsumiki #Junko x Mikan #Junkomikan #Enomiki #Shipping #Fanart #Enoshima Junko #Tsumiki Mikan

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artistinquestion · 7 months ago

Text

The Empress of Rome

Part one

Emperor Geta x OC

Warnings: pregnancy, slight verbal abuse? Mention of past abuse

Word Count: 1.4k

Summary: Emperor Geta's wife, the heavily pregnant empress Cassia, is haunted by dreams of their unborn child and seeks comfort in the gardens of palatine hill, only to return to her chambers where her husband is cross she is not resting.

Author's Note: baby's first fanfic!!! been very nervous about finally posting my work online, but with the support of my friends I decided to go through with it! I did do my research before hand but there may be some historical inaccuracies, that and the film hasn't even come out yet lol. Please be kind!

Sitting in the cool night air of Rome, Cassia, the empress of Rome sat out in the gardens of palatine hill alone. Aside from her two guards. The heavily pregnant empress had awoken in the middle of the night from another dream, a dream where she saw the faces of her children.

The closer the empress had gotten to the end of her pregnancy, the more frequent her dreams became. That worried the young empress. That was what had lead her to wander from her bed that night, sneaking out of her chambers and bidding her guards to accompany her to the gardens.

Glancing over at the two armed men, whose sole purpose was to protect her and her unborn child, stood vigilantly only a mere feet away. Their eyes watching the shadows of the garden, keeping an eye out for any dangers or threats that may come to their empress.

Cassia sighed, knowing the men were only doing their job, but they brought little comfort to her as she sat in silence. At least not the comfort she sought in the moment. Comfort that she sought out in the cool air of the night.

Gods know that her husband wasn't much of a comfort.

Her husband, the emperor Geta, was not a man of many emotions, nor did he express any feelings aside from rage. Cruelty was what her husband was known for, he would not be seen as weak, therefore he denied any and all affections that would make him appear so.

He had shown Cassia little affection at all their entire marriage, but as soon as she had become with child, carrying his future heir, he had become somewhat softer towards her in the privacy of palatine hill.

The empress let out another long sigh as she leant back on her palms behind her on the bench made of marble. Her eyes closing as the breath left her lips.

Unfortunately, the cool night air had done little to settle the unease that the empress had felt. She had been haunted by dreams since the beginning of her pregnancy, before she had even discovered she was pregnant. The intensity of which seemed to grow with each passing day.

She worried for what their children would become, how they would turn out. If they would be like their father, born with cruelty in their veins. Or would they be gifted some sense of peace and calm, with no temper to be seen?

As the empress ran a hand over her swollen belly she tried to picture the child she carried in her mind again. Trying to remember their face from her dream. Some nights it was a boy, some nights a girl, sometimes both. This caused her great confusion as to just what she was having, and what the gods were trying to show her in these dreams.

Releasing another heavy sigh, the empress went to stand up. Struggling to push herself up from her seated position, one of her guards came to her side and offered their arm to her, to which she gladly accepted.

“Thank you,” Cassia said gratefully as she took the arm of her guard. With a bit of effort she managed to stand, maintaining her balance as she shifted with the weight of her pregnant belly.

“I believe it is time I returned to my chambers,” she stated, looking to her guards to escort her leading the way.

The night seemed to cool down even more as they walked back into the palace, the sound of their heavy footsteps echoing through the hallways. The guards lead Cassia to her chambers, where she would be able to rest and hopefully get some much-needed sleep.

Walking through the halls of Palatine, the empress’s guards remained ever vigilant. Both on the look out for any signs of danger as they escorted the empress back to her room.

Cassia, however, was lost in thought. Her hands rubbing the expanse of her swollen belly as she thought on the events of the day. Each day that passed she drew closer and closer to giving birth, the whole of Rome waiting for an heir. The weight of such knowledge grew heavy on Cassia’s shoulders, as she carried the hopes of Rome within her womb.

She feared that their child would be born a girl, for a girl was not an heir. If it were to be a girl she could not guarantee it’s safety, nor it’s life. Her child's life inevitably would be in the hands of her husband, his decision to whether their child lives or dies. That thought scared the empress to her core.

As they finally reached the doors to the empress’s chambers, the guards obediently opening the doors for Cassia as she entered; the empress entering, only to be met by her husband standing in the center of her room with an irritated look on his face.

Many nights since the news of the empress's pregnancy was announced the emperor would sometimes chose to sleep beside his wife inside her chambers, seeking to be close to his coming heir. He had not been there when she was sleeping previously. He must have come from his own private chambers to join her, but found her absent.

Cassia sighed, not wanting to argue with her husband over why she was awake at this hour and why she wasn't in bed. "I just needed some fresh air," she reasoned, going to walk past her cross husband to her bed, but he instantly grasped her arm. Geta’s grip was tight, a clear sign that he was not pleased with his wife. The emperor stared down at Cassia, anger flashing in his dark eyes.

“You are meant to be resting, not wandering the gardens in the middle of the night” he hissed, his voice harsh.

"I'm aware. But I grow restless being confined to a bed day and night. I just needed a moment outside that is all" Cassia again tried to reason with her husband. She knew his concerns were valid. She was the wife of an emperor unloved by the public, the risks for her safety were real.

"But I have returned unharmed. Let us sleep now, and if you insist on lecturing me you can do so in the morning" she offered trying to pry her arm from Geta's firm grasp.

Reluctantly, the emperor released his wife’s arm, but his eyes still burned with anger.

“Fine.” He growled. “But remember, you are the empress of Rome, and you are carrying my heir. You should not be wandering around at night without protection. You are lucky no harm has come to you”

"I understand my position, that is why I had my guards. I was not without protection. Now please, let us sleep" Cassia pleaded with her husband as she moved to settle into her bed, sleep already beginning to take over her as soon as her body met the mattress.

The emperor’s scowl deepened, but he did not argue further. With a huff, he turned away from his wife, moving to join her in her bed. Leaving just enough space between them to indicate his displeasure.

Cassia was used to his rage, to Geta's short temper. She had been held by her throat, grabbed, even struck before by his hand. He had been kind to her only when in the uttermost privacy, and even then he would be a good few cups of wine in to dote on her as a loving husband. She did not expect love from him, but he could be cordial with her when his guard was down, a rare occurrence.

Ever since she became pregnant with his child he had refrained from striking her, even though that was something he didn't do often anyways, he tried his best to avoid her when his temper was raised given her condition. She carried his heir and he took that seriously, doting on her more than ever before due to their unborn child.

As Cassia lay in bed beside her emotionally distant husband, she closed her eyes and tried to settle her mind. The cool night air of the gardens had brought some relief and peace to her mind and body, but the weight put on her as empress and mother to Geta’s heir lingered. She worried she'd dream of having a girl again, worried that would come true and she would disappoint the whole of Rome. She would love a daughter the same as she would a son, but the country and her husband would not, that much she knew.

As sleep finally overtook the empress, she was once again haunted by the familiar dreams of her unborn child. Her mind stirring with a worrisome mix of hope and fear. Soon she would give birth to Rome’s heir, only then would the fate of her child be decided.

#emperor geta #emperor geta x reader #gladiator 2 #joseph quinn x reader #oc x canon #emperor geta x oc #gladiator ii

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aballadforbarbatos · 6 months ago

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the brothers discover fanfic historical romance about them on the shelf

(separate)

inspired by an established zhongven idea i had with my friend where venti writes romantic stories about the two of them together and it gets really popular in liyue to the point of there being an actual book club and hu tao and childe and enjou and xingqiu are all super into it and zhongli doesn’t actually know that venti’s behind all this

i never did write the part 2 to that immortal post. maybe that will be next. also don’t think too hard about the privacy laws or anything just accept that it could be possible lmao

you needed a bit of extra cash. drawing on the brothers’ unique knowledge of things (satan’s romance books, mammon and valuing things, etc.), you publish very popular stories about dating them. you think you might expand to diavolo next.

(long post ahead)

LUCIFER

diavolo makes a special trip all the way to the house of lamentation just to hand him this book

in front of everyone

the brothers are snickering away, but you look on with interest.

“that type of book doesn’t interest me, and even if it did, i don’t have the time to read it.”

diavolo doesn’t take no for an answer and insists, saying that he NEEDS to hear his thoughts on it

so lucifer sighs and takes the pristine book, but he doesn’t get to reading it until he goes to bed.

“i wouldn’t act like that.” (yes he would)

he hits the middle and after that, it’s all over. you immediately become the protagonist, and he devours the pages faster than satan could ever hope to

reads it again. and again. and again; finding little details that he missed before, mammon accidentally got dirt on the cover while he was sneaking around lucifer’s room, and lucifer tossed him out a window

“glad to see you’re enjoying the book,” you say to him at some point, winking at him. “you know, a little birdie tells me there’s a sequel coming out soon.”

doesn’t quite catch on that you’re the author, but you can be damn sure he bought that second book too

MAMMON

bought it

didn’t think about what people might think of him

brags about it

“what if people think you’re a loser for buying your own romance book” he visibly wilts

you scowl at the speaker, and then say “mammon i think you’re so cool and brave for buying the book! i’m out of money but i was looking at buying it too!!”

silence. the jealousy is thick in the air. why did you want to read a romance book about falling in love with MAMMON, MC?

anyway, mammon stutters over his usual “well yeah why wouldn’t you”, then settles into his room to read it and escape his brothers’ piercing stares.

he is astonished by how the story portrays him. is the author a greed demon? no, not even the lower demons of his sin know about this.

DEVOURS the book. as soon as he realises the MC is lovely and kind, he immediately sticks you in the main spot. he’s the fastest to do this out of all the brothers

he rereads it the most, too. again and again and again, and then he remembers you said you were interested in it, so…

awkwardly hands you this dog-eared copy of a mammon love story, you smile so brightly up at him that he thinks he might collapse

you read his well-read book and can tell all the parts where he got emotional, from the tear stains to the crinkles in the page. this book is the one you were most gentle with, since he’s your first and all…

knowing he enjoyed it this much gives you a high that lasts for weeks, and the idea for a sequel!

LEVI

sees it on the shelf.

wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole

you shove it into his hands in the end and tell him that everyone’s reading theirs so he may as well join the party (nobody else knows this information)

well… if everyone else is, then…

shocked. amazed! shocked that it portrays him so nicely. amazed that it DOESN’T make him seem like a loser!

well there’s probably only one person that thinks of him like that, so…

he puts you as the main character, but doesn’t make the connection

feels very happy reading about pretend-you’s feelings towards him! wow, MC, could this be how you really feel?

…maybe?

puts it in a special place when he’s finished and has a giddy smile on his face for days after reading it

you decide you adore this expression

you’re sad to see it go

you tell him that you’ve read it and you’re so happy that it looks like there’s going to be a sequel

the smile returns! with a big blush because why the in the hell were YOU reading it?!

now you just need to think of an idea…

SATAN

if anyone’s going to find those books first, it’ll be satan.

in fact, he finds them during their early days, before they’ve made any real traction

sends someone else to go and get it for him though

he can’t be seen buying a romance book about HIMSELF??

speed reads it under the pretense of studying

as soon as he starts, he immediately puts you in the main character’s spot

it is NOT the trash he was expecting, it is like sitting by a peaceful brook with the birds chirping on a warm day

hands it to you. “READ THIS. and then tell me what you think.” you don’t ask why he’s reading a romance book about himself

when you do tell him what you think it’s full of author insights, and then you realise that sharing thoughts with him as given you an idea for a sequel. you make up some crap about how the ending points to another book

he’s overjoyed

with your newfound cash, you take him out to dinner to celebrate the release of the sequel when it comes. which you “read” in full view of the other brothers.

ASMO

another one that buys the book in person

also the one who bought satan’s book for him, so he just picked them both up at the same time

he’s not worried about it being associated with his image; he thinks it’s cute!

and also way better than he expected it to be????

he doesn’t read it in one go, but it’s always on his mind

it doesn’t take much to put you in the MC’s spot; they smiled at him, he was reminded of you, and suddenly you were just in the book! crazy

finishes it. gives it a public endorsement (his brothers think he’s crazy). starts a book club!

and of COURSE you join it, because “of course i’ve read it, how could i not?”

not only is the group positively massive, when a sequel is published, they put on a massive party to celebrate

you truly feel like that book is your greatest accomplishment

BEEL

it catches his eye while he’s waiting for satan

he was promised a bought lunch and he’s sure as hell going to get it- what’s that?

the thought that people might find it weird does not even come into his head. he doesn’t care

he buys it and then promptly forgets about it until a month later when he sees it on a high shelf in the kitchen (he got distracted)

dusts off the cover and reads it while he waits for one of his brothers to cook dinner. has a side snack anyway though, and gets crumbs all over the pages. you smile fondly when you see this

beel is mesmerised by this book. it takes him a little while to get into it, but he keeps reading because there’s not really anything else he could fit in. BOY is his patience rewarded!

between kissing this main character and them gently reassuring him and treating him exactly as- hey, wait a second.

anyway, he totally loves it. reads it all the way through dinner, but nobody tells him to put the book down, even though satan gets told off for it all the time

after dinner he says he’ll do cleanup and then immediately wants to talk to you during it. you kind of have an idea what it’s about

he’s the only brother that catches onto the author’s identity

you wrote the books, right?

yeah… i didn’t want to get a job but i was also low on grimm, so…

thank you. i really liked mine.

yeah? did you put me as the main character? i know the others did, so it’s okay to tell me! :3

BELPHIE

buys it just to mock it

tells everyone he’s going to mock it, too

he’s the last one to buy his, and everyone that’s finished reading theirs just look at him disbelievingly

the MC is so lame, he says; satan’s head whips around and hisses, forgetting that the MC in his book (which he sees as you now anyway) may not be the same as in his book

he does settle down properly and read it though, in the attic

he starts off by reading it in bad faith and points out something the main character says that he thinks is stupid

thoroughly used to his behaviour by now, you brush it off and repeat the line back to him, effectively you-ifying the main character

oh. oh this book is suddenly so good. devours it. rereads it to make up for the parts he lost out on.

feels really bad for dissing it early so he makes a social media post promoting it

your bank account is getting more money than mammon can drain it! you thank him with a kiss on the cheek. he has no idea what it’s for

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olderthannetfic · 7 months ago

Note

Sending this to you specifically because I feel like you're the only normal brained person about this series.

I read Captive Prince a couple of years ago and liked it fine, as someone who doesn't have a strong preference for or against m/m and therefore isn't well-versed enough in its clichés to notice whether it reads like something full of cliché fanfic tropes. I really liked the use of language, some of the historical/political stuff, some of the ways that the characters are made complicated or unreliable.

The problem is, I've since coincidentally read most of the books that were Pacat's inspiration and. Well. Like 80-90% of the stuff in there has direct parallels in one of those. I'm not sure if there are more than three original thoughts in there.

I am not joking, if you read 1. The Lymond Chronicles and House of Niccolò by Dorothy Dunnett; 2. The Nightrunner series by Lynn Flewelling and 3. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, you will find that some of the scenes were ripped off beat for beat, many jokes were taken and just lazily reworded, a lot of the character beats and arcs are at best a mashup of 2 or maximum 3 things from those books with the serial numbers filed off really poorly. There's a scene where some characters discover a suicide victim whose structure and descriptions are completely ripped off from another series, except Pacat fails to see what made the original scene so impactful. A lot of the pretty use of language is also directly copied from those, including some really really specific descriptors. It's so blatant!

And I don't see how people are okay with this! I know people who are fans of several of these works and they're totally cool with it! And honestly if it were some rando's unpublished original project I'd be cool with it too, but as a published beloved worldwide phenomenon with rabid fans? C'mon.

And another thing is, all of the other series mentioned above are balls to the wall insane. She just... she just made it bland. She took off most of the edge and reshuffled the elements into a fairly straightforward MLM love story with some light kink thrown in. It's not a BAD series, but I feel like I'm disappointed that someone read all my favourite books and THAT was their takeaway?

I started reading, got to the name of the series and burst out laughing.

And, wow, you brought up something totally new that I hadn't thought about! I'm impressed. Genuinely. Usually, I rant about all the reasons I hate the series while debunking the standard anti talking points.

I've read the Vampire Chronicles, but that was in the 90s and I read Captive Prince in like 2016 or after. I had zero recollection of common points. I haven't read The Lymond Chronicles despite years of hurt/comfort fans bugging me to do so, and I think I got like a chapter into the Nightrunner series before getting distracted...

The reason I found Captive Prince annoying and derivative is that it also reads exactly like the original m/m that was available when it was first being written, most notably the work of P.L. Nunn who was extremely famous for horny fan art but who also wrote some original m/m fantasy novels. The scene where they finally bone reminds me heavily of the one from... uh... what's the P.L. Nunn one where the prince creeps on that archer dude and he gets raped because of course and then the prince has to be ~patient~ and it's peak boring 2000s rape recovery tropes?

The rape backstory is not only lifted from Fushigi Yuugi (the author's fandom at the time) but is shared with basically 100% of original m/m from that era. It's sometimes the uncle, sometimes the stepfather. One single time that I can think of, it was the foster brother, but mostly it's that "funny uncle" type. Unless it's gang rape from a bad Gundam Wing fic. That was also everywhere.

Once somebody told me the author had previously shipped Tamahome/Nakago, I realized that they'd taken what would be a kind of unusual anime ship and made it a thousand times more boring by dumbing down the scary, tall general with the tragic backstory into an uke-appropriate waif.

So I guess what I'm saying is that there may be some inspiration you aren't familiar with, but it's the same story as what you said above: this is the blander remix.

As for why people are okay with this... honestly, most of the people who really adore the series whom I've talked to point to how it encapsulates the exact tropes and tone they loved in anime fic circa 2000.

As a fellow weeb, I loathed the tone of said anime fic circa 2000 and could not wait for tastes to change, so Captive Prince is a hideous blast from an unlamented past for me.

I think most people who love the series aren't familiar with its inspirations. Those that are may have consumed them quite a while ago and don't realize quite how direct the parallels are. Or, for the inspirations that aren't overtly canon m/m, the lure of it being Exactly Right may overshadow other things.

(They also mostly haven't read 90s fantasy doorstops that actually contain political intrigue, tactics and strategy. Captive Prince is a piss poor entry into this genre and should be recced for m/m, not this other stuff people constantly think is in there. None of these characters can reason their way out of a paper bag.)

More than any of that, there's a lot of love left over from when the series was a serialized original story on Livejournal in an era when we had vanishingly few original m/m works, especially long ones in a fantasy alternate world.

I think that is what gets it a pass when a new m/m novel presented as "m/m romance" or posted on one of the webnovel sites would be mocked for unoriginality. Many Captive Prince fans aren't (or weren't when they read it) all that familiar with the smorgasbord of original m/m available today. Many are unfamiliar with anime fanfic circa 2000, so this feels adjacent to the fic they've read but a little fresher... instead of like the week-old sardine tin I found it to be.

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