#courting a lion

[sweetbunpura]

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Farena: Nice to finally meet you, Yuu. Cheka's told me about you- *Sees the ring* hmm? Oh, when did you get that?

Yuu: Leona just put it in my finger while I was fixing his hair. Now he follows me around-

Leona, walks up: You woke me up, herbivore.

Yuu: How? I was just talking to Farena-

Leona, shoves his face into Yuu's neck and nuzzles them before leaving.

Yuu: Leona, what the hell! *Follows after him* You can't just do that and leave!

Farena:

Farena: I need to tell my wife the news.

@lunatheroyal (you said you wanted to be tagged if I make more, here you go)

[mulderscully]

Louis is in this story. The point is— you'll find precious little here about the others. Indeed almost nothing. Except Claudia. I was dreaming more and more of Claudia.

[dionsysus]

if i think about them too long i’ll go insane (text from @/veniennes on tiktok)

[backpackingspace]

Odysseus with his head in his wife's lap, happily not paying attention to anything, humming one of athenas song and carving something

Some random guy: your majesty----

Odysseus: not bothering to sit up: whatever my wife decided is fine.

[jestroer]

They are one apple tall to me

[writingsofwesteros]

Viserys marrying a Lannister lady, just a few years older than Rhaenyra and Alicent. She’s has thekind king in the palm of her hand and be a good father for once. Doing her duty as queen in keeping her king happy and loved and provided him cute little babes. The lioness just has one little secret that her dear husband can’t know. Their babes keeping him occupied in his study while she plays with her step-daughter and her pretty friend.

She gives Viserys the sweet, little babies . Clingy aegon with his dad would be cute oopsie.

Rhaenyra was the one to make the first move..she's so bratty and has been whispering to Alicent as they bathed each other about her step mother.

Not realising how she will be dominated by the lioness soon enough

[sweetbunpura]

Next

Yuu, sees Leona with messy hair and fixes it: Messy lion can't fix his own hair.

Leona:

Ruggie:

Jack:

All of Savanaclaw:

Jack: Yuu...

Ruggie: When's the wedding, Prefect?

Yuu: Whenever Leona gives me a ring.

Leona, slips the ring on Yuu's finger: There.

Yuu, staring at the ring: The fact that you had it on standby...

[writingsofwesteros]

#lion’s court

Viserys will happily allow them to play with the lego set and he has rebuilt sections so many times now.

Aegon and Aemond running around with their cubs, meanwhile Helaena’s cub is snoozing off by Viserys feet and she is seated on his lap. Viserys is helping her build the set while he listens to her little riddles and Daeron’s babbles from his crib <3.

THE CUTEST!!

Aegon and Aemond soon growing tired as they climb onto the chairs; their wooden dragon pieces on the table in front of them as they grab and play.

Viserys smiles down at the sleeping cub before Helaena is desiring his attention; resting her head on his chest whilst the King places the piece in her lap to play with. A yawn soon escapes her.

Daeron's babbles are music to his ears as Viserys smiles to himself before the large, wooden door opens and his Queen steps in

[nyaagolor]

I’m dedicating to drawing everyone in ace attorney as a cute little guy. I’m (check notes) 1/3 of the way there

[jestroer]

aminals in love

[jeannereames]

Two related questions :)

1. We know that over time Hephastion will become an important commander, how will your Hephastion behave as a commander? what will be his main qualities and what are the main differences between him and Alexander in terms of command?

2. I noticed that in the first book Cleitus doesn't get along very well with Hephastion, how do you see them both getting along with joint command of the most prestigious unit in the army?

For other readers, these questions are about Dancing with the Lion, the novels, not the historical people. While my characters are informed by my academic work, I obviously have to flesh them out for the books.

(My) Hephaistion is a reluctant but highly competent commander. I foreshadowed this in Rise when he takes command early in Alexandros’s self-imposed exile. Alexandros is too emotionally numb to do, so Hephaistion steps in. And he’s good at it. That’s the first hint of where he’ll excel: logistics and organization. But as soon as Alexandros is ready to resume leadership, Hephaistion is happy to hand it over. He’s simply not ambitious. People can be good at something without necessarily wanting to do it (regularly).

In the novels, Hephaistion won’t have much in the way of command initially because Alexandros has numerous older commanders who he inherited from Philippos. It wouldn’t be politically astute to just demote or get rid of these men. In his first few years in Asia, he did appoint several to fill satrapies in areas he’d conquered, men such as Antigonos, Balakros…even Nearchos. Nearchos doesn’t become his admiral until much later in the campaign when he’s recalled east from his assignment on the coast (Lycia/Pamphylia). Although in Nearchos’s case, he was there because Alexander (the historical man) trusted him. Alexandros (the character) will assign him there to keep an eye on the other powerful men who Alexandros doesn’t trust as much.

It won’t be until these replacements happen that we’ll see Hephaistion gradually move up. His first big assignment occurs in Sidon (slightly skewed in the novel from the histories, which are presented as a moral tale meant to mimic popular Roman myths of [et al.] Cincinnatus).

In general, he accepts commands because incompetence annoys him. In that, he and Alexandros are much alike. But while Alexandros will charm his way into “helping” you, Hephaistion will just rip whatever it is out of your hands and do it himself…faster. So, I don’t see him as a beloved commander, but do see him as a respected one, at least by the men he commands—who directly benefit from his competence (and fairness).

In terms of his skill-set, it’s the same as the historical man’s: organization/logistics and diplomacy. (My) Hephaistion is not, however, the person Alexandros sends when he wants to charm somebody. But he is the person Alexandros sends when he needs a commander who can effect a quick (and accurate) assessment of interpersonal dynamics and any weaknesses (or strengths) of an opponent. He’s not easy to fool.

Moreover, if he may not be the soul of charm, he also isn’t a bull in a China shop; he can be perfectly polite, if reserved. He can also be sneaky in a butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-my-mouth way—also not unlike Alexandros. In book 3, King, he’ll function as Alexandros’s spy at one point, precisely because he can convincingly play pretty-but-dumb. This, again, was foreshadowed in book one, Becoming, where he tricks Kassandros at the very beginning by pretending to be what Kassandros took him for: a backwoods bumpkin. (That’s still one of my favorite scenes in book 1, and among the few I wrote way back in 1988/89 that’s still in the published version.)

Anyway, Hephaistion is diplomatic in the sense that he “reads the room” well and doesn’t often lose his cool (or his temper). When he decides to go after somebody, it will be entirely pre-meditated, and usually devastating. In that, he’s completely different from the hot-tempered Alexandros (and most of their friends). But it works well for him in command because the soldiers, and later officers, serving under him can’t easily rile him up. (Krateros is another matter, but more on that later.)

As for the second half of your question: Kleitos and Hephaistion will never be bosom buddies because they’re such different personalities, but over time, Kleitos has revised his opinion of Hephaistion. When the latter first arrived in Pella, Kleitos thought him a spoilt fancy-boy, which drove Hephaistion’s reactionary responses. At that point, he’s still young enough to be triggered. As he ages, and grows in confidence, he’s less easy to provoke. Kleitos also comes to recognize his skill as a fighter. Hephaistion will never be an especially gifted battle commander, nor is he “warm” enough that men will follow him through hell and high water the way the will Alexandros, or Parmenion, or Krateros. But he is a leader rather than a “boss,” which goes a long way. He learned that from Alexandros, and it’s also in his basic nature. He won’t ask people to do what he won’t do himself. But he also won’t chit-chat with you while you’re both doing it. 😆

Thus, Kleitos comes to respect him. At the end of Rise, note that Hephaistion has beaten Kleitos in Single Combat, even if he didn’t win overall first place. That little victory goes some way towards Hephaistion being able to let go of his long-nursed resentment towards Kleitos. He’s proven himself to himself, which matters most.

So yes, they’ll be able to work with each other later.

[sweetbunpura]

Last one for today, I promise

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Farena: And he just walks up, nuzzles them, and leaves!

Queen Kingscholar: Maybe he had a reason?

Farena: My darling, they had on the ring our grandmother gave him!

Queen Kingscholar: Oh.

Farena: My little brother is getting married!

Queen Kingscholar: Leona getting married sounds so-

Yuu, walks pass smelling like Leona: Crazy lion sleeping on all my clothes...

Farena:

Queen Kingscholar:

Farena, looks at his wife.

Queen Kingscholar: Dear, hold on. I need to take your measurements.

[pantocatcher]

"You're so handsome when I'm all over your mouth"

[seafoamandtragedy]

Me when books and animal associations

[kingofanemptyworld]

did I ever tell you guys about the first time I played p5r and didn’t understand the dating mechanic so when I went to max out my social link with Ann I chose the option that I thought was the most comforting, accidentally started dating her, and noped out so hard I immediately turned off the game and got set back like a half hour in play time

[notnotnightwing]

@court--of--owls babe, can we talk?

I'm not upset at you babe. I just think we need to communicate a bit.

I know you're still learning, and I'm glad that you are. And I love you for who you are. But we also have to learn how to be on the same page and stuff.

Could..you maybe just think about what happened between seal and you? They were really hurt physically and just in general. Could you maybe talk to them please? They were severely hurt and upset.

And I know that they were upset as well and said some pretty upsetting stuff to you too. So seal @totally-normal-seal I want you to, calmly, if possible, talk to them about that too. Okay?

I care deeply about you both. And I want you both to be happy and healthy. So, please talk, okay?

Babe, what you did..was wrong. And I know killing is normal to you, but not just random people okay? We can't do that. Thankfully they were mostly okay and are recovering now. But what if it was worse? What if they died?

And seal, what you said when you were angry was not okay. I can take care of myself. I'm not going to die or get killed because of her, okay? I know you worry and I can understand why but you don't have to. Okay?

I love and care about you both. And I hate to see this hurt you guys. So I wanted to address what was going on and have a chance to talk to you both about it. But you both also have to talk okay? I'm serious.

I love you coo, oh so much.

And seal, I care about you too. Okay bud?

Talk.