#dragon tales ((flashback))

[vix-png]

everytime this podcast includes a flashback with bart and gum gum i get so emotional

headcanon that bart's music is one of the only things that can get gum gum to calm down when hes upset :')

[draconic-artisan]

❥ - a childhood memory

"Are your eyes closed Hassel?"

"Mhm!"

"Are you sure?" Hassel shares his mother's giggle, and he can practically hear her smile.

"Yes mum!" "Okay then, keep them closed." He waits two, maybe three minutes after hearing her step away, before he carefully cracks an eye open a sliver. It's just enough to see his mother's back turned to him. He shuts it again when she starts moving though, fighting to keep a blank expression on his face.

"I said no peeking~!" "I didn't!" Again the two break down into giggles as Hassel shuts his eyes again. His mother's footsteps come back towards him, and soon she pats his hands. He opens them obediently, and feels something round and heavy placed there.

"All right, you can open them now!" Gold eyes are wide as the six-year old looks down at the brand-new Poke Ball, then up at his mother, diamond blue eyes looking back at him.

"Well? Don't you want to meet your new friend?" Almost immediately he presses the button, the small Dratini popping out in a beam of red light.

[finnbin]

drew this because I had to

dr ahem desperately trying to help kybrog with his homework (because he got held back + didn’t go to school for forever after his family died) but dr ahem is slowly going insane like “kyborg…it’s simple multiplication. what is 7 times 12??” and kyborg is gripping his pencil so hard like I DONT KNOW and dr ahem is like “KYDELIUS. PLEASE. WHAT IS 7 MULTIPLIED BY 12”

[ozzgin]

Yandere!Yokai Harem Character Guide

Introducing some of the characters Reader will encounter throughout the story. Get to know your monsters in this handy reference booklet!

Fun fact: The names of the characters are quite literally chapters from ‘The Tale of Genji’, one of the earliest existing novels written in the Heian period by noblewoman Murasaki Shibiku. Kiritsubo and Murasaki are your closest companions and bear the names of the main female characters of the story. (They’re men. A little irony.)

The list will be updated as more characters are revealed:

Abe no Nakamaro 阿倍 仲麻呂

Descendant of famous onmyōji Abe no Seimei, Nakamaro rapidly built his own reputation using the powers of yokai he'd captured across the country. His binding powers have yet to be deciphered. It is believed only his own blood can break the contract forged with the legendary beasts.

Known for his ruthlessness, Nakamaro was feared by humans and demons alike. His commissioned portraits often depict him surrounded by dark clouds - a signature detail - emphasizing his evil nature.

As you progress through your journey, you will be plagued by many flashbacks of his cruel deeds. It's almost as if your own hands are tainted by the blood of the yokai standing before you. You vow to free the beasts and prove you are nothing like the vile creature dwelling within your soul.

Kiritsubo 桐壺

The first yokai you encounter. Despite his intimidating appearance, he is the kindest of the group. He is tall and very muscular, with short, straight horns, long silver hair and glowing amber eyes. When he smiles you can spot his sharp, prominent fangs. He has multiple scars on his back, reminiscent of old punishments.

He is a dragon spirit, although his true powers remain unknown. Nakamaro always kept him close and was particularly strict with him, hoping to unlock his dormant potential, to no avail. He begins to show improvement once he embarks on his journey with you. It seems that his desire to protect his new owner was the secret all along.

Kiritsubo is extremely clingy once he gets to know you better. You're kind and patient and nothing like the famous onmyōji before you. He almost can't believe you're part of his reincarnation. He will follow you around everywhere, like a loyal dog, and might be overly touchy sometimes. He can't help it.

Murasaki 紫

Murasaki is the second yokai you meet. He is tall and slender, with long black hair and imposing horns. His deep crimson eyes hold a lot of resentment towards you, or rather whoever lies within you. Despite this, he always holds a disciplined posture and acts very well-mannered.

He used to be Nakamaro's right hand. He is considered to be the most skilled among the legendary yokai. A master of the sword and possessing unmatched intelligence, he served both as an advisor and bodyguard. Always cold and calculated, he rarely shows any hint of emotion. He seems to be quite sarcastic and arrogant.

He doesn't interact much with you in the beginning. In fact, he's most annoyed by the idea of partnering up with a weak human like you. He offers to train you with the sword and teaches you spells and prayers. Despite his complaints, he always protects you from any danger. As you spend more time together, he slowly opens up and might even show signs of attachment.

Suma 須磨

Suma is the biggest of the legendary yokai, towering over everyone with his gargantuan frame. He has bright red hair and large bull horns, with robust features and fierce eyes. He has many tattoos covering his body, going all the way up to his chin.

Suma is a worshipped guardian of war. He lives for battle and is said to reward bravery and courage. Despite this, he has a very approachable personality. He is loud and easygoing, rarely showing signs of distress. He uses a spear when fighting, although he prefers his bare hands. Brute strength is his specialty.

He finds it hilarious that the feared Abe no Nakamaro has been reincarnated into a small girl. He will often joke around with you and challenge you to playfights. When borrowing his powers, you are able to display impressive feats of physical strength. He likes watching you fight and encourages you to train.

Yuugiri 夕霧

Yuugiri is a mysterious yokai. He is pale with rather feminine features, appearing androgynous. He is very elegant and well spoken, although both Kiritsubo and Murasaki have warned you to be wary of him.

He is a serpent spirit, sly and manipulative. He is known for tricking humans and devouring their souls, yet very few can tell his true nature. He is incredibly charismatic and many people fall in love with him, meeting their early demise.

You cannot read him and therefore keep your distance. His twisted smile never leaves his face. He is very interested in you and while his reasoning might be superficial in the beginning, he does become rather attached and tries to prove his honest feelings to you.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Sekiya 関屋

One of the yokai that has remained by Abe no Nakamaro's side, in his resting tomb. He is the one that kept his presence concealed, casting a barrier around the temple for the entirety of his master's slumber.

His main power is casting barriers. Sekiya is the one that guards the entrance and guides you towards the onmyōji for your battle. Once you defeat Nakamaro, he joins your group.

He is very reserved, shy and insecure. He cannot fight properly and often bemoans his lack of purpose. Like Kiritsubo, he falls in love with your kind nature and clings to you, hoping to be of use.

Sakaki 榊

The other yokai to guard Nakamaro's tomb, Sakaki has been tasked to keep his master alive.

He has the ability to heal and even revive under certain circumstances. After your fight against Abe no Nakamaro, he offers to heal your fatal wounds and joins your group.

Sakaki is rather gloomy and depressed by nature. He has an unhealthy obsession with death and often makes grim or unusual remarks. He considers you his muse and will sometimes write unsettling poetry dedicated to you.

[blackholesun321]

Shanks Doesn’t Have A Dream! And I Can Prove It!

Ok, y’all, can I talk my shit again? Because I have thoughts and feels about our good old one-armed favorite disaster of a party pirate, Akagami (Red-Haired) Shanks. I’m going to be completely honest: I may have had this rant before, but I can’t find it, and no one else has this take. I need to talk about my vision of him that I’m like 60/40 percent sure is correct canon-wise and would explain so many of his—let’s call them quirks.

I think one of Oda’s beliefs and the teachings that One Piece has so blatantly told us about, such as personal freedom, charting your own destiny, and making your own adventure along the way, are a reflection of Shanks’ character as someone who never got that chance and never would. That, to me, makes him one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Let me cook here. I’m not going to cite anything because I don’t want to, and I do that enough already in college, so we’re running on trust me: I’ve read the manga and watched a lot of theory videos. So lock in because this is gonna be long.

Anyways, back to my thesis. Shanks is a character of contradictions. He was the youngest person to ever become a Yonko (but then Luffy came in), probably one of the strongest men of his generation. He regularly fought the world’s strongest swordsman for fun. He has a crew whose members each have over a million bounties on their own and are so physically or politically strong that they can stop a war in its tracks just by waltzing in and saying "stop." Not only that, he stopped Kaido in his tracks and made him turn around. His father was the Pirate King and claimed him as his successor; he could even be tied to the Celestial Dragons. He’s charismatic, and when things need to get done, he gets down to business.

On the other hand, he’s also a goofy guy who regularly gets blackout drunk, has a horrible sense of pant style, parties his life away, and thinks bullying kids is the height of comedy. He cares about his kid to the point that he forgets to be a responsible Yonko but also wants to fight him for the One Piece. He seems so blasé about everything but is obviously, in the background, making connections and being all sneaky about something; he has plans but also didn’t decide to go after the One Piece until after his prime. He’s been stagnant but moving and shaking around the world, all for some big ideal, some big plan, something huge.

It is my stance, idea, theory, if you will, that all this makes sense if you look at it from the viewpoint that nothing—not the planning, not stealing the fruit, not the power growth, or making his way to Yonko status, not building his crew, even the hurry-up-and-wait—he’s been doing all these years, his whole life? Is because he’s hasn’t made a single decision for himself since Gol D. Roger died.

Outrageous! You cry! Shanks, a man who supposedly spouts on about being free and charting your own course and being a pirate? Is none of those things? Impossible, you will say. I will ask you how you got into my house and to please leave. But aside from the pirate bit, yes, and I can prove this. Calm my chili-baby’s and listen.

Yes, Shanks had his life taken from his adventure, his destiny set and marked right before the Loguetown execution. It is my belief that all this can be laid at the feet of—drumroll, please—Gol D. Roger himself!

Gasp! Crying! Fainting in the audience! I know, what a twist. Let me explain. In a flashback, we see Roger talking about Ace. It was Roger’s belief that Ace (his child) would be the savior of the world, the new Joy Boy, destined to destroy the World Government with what they learned from the Poneglyphs and Laugh Tale. He believed their generation was too early and that the next would usher in the new world. Ace would be his true successor. A little narcissistic, but a man like Roger probably couldn’t help but be. Not just that but it probably felt prophetic he found Laugh Tale of course that had to mean something?He was also dying as it was and put things in place for Ace to survive. He told Garp where he was so Garp could take him away with Rouge—a safety net, that sure was useful. Once she ya know, died.

With the understanding that the next generation would usher in the new age, Roger took aside a thirteen-year-old Shanks and revealed everything. He told him about the birth of the new Joy Boy, everything about Laugh Tale, and how he believed his son would usher in this age. I believe he gave Shanks this purpose: to pass on the straw hat to his son and help him become a man strong enough to fight the World Government. I think little traumatized Shanks, who is about to lose his father and has had the weight of the world put on his shoulders, takes it to heart and buries everything he is to fulfill his captain's last wish. And that’s horrible. I’ll get into the psychological implications later, but holy shit, Roger, what the fuck? He’s thirteen! And about to watch you die!

But yeah, doesn’t this make sense? Why the hell when Buggy wanted to go after the One Piece, did Shanks hold back and say they should wait, losing his brother because he has a secret his captain entrusted him with. Why the hell did they know about the Gum Gum Fruit and were searching for it? Why did Shanks spend so long on a little island like Fousha in the East Blue? Not only was he looking for the fruit, but he was also looking for Ace! (And maybe Rouge.)

Why has he been making all these connections but doing jack shit with them? Why did he become a Yonko but claim no territory for fucking years on end and do nothing really with his status? Why does he rely on such a small crew of such powerful individuals? Why does he party his life away, seem almost aimless, and not start to go after the One Piece until Luffy reaches Gear 5?

Because he’s the one to pass on the legacy; he’s the placeholder, a cog in the proverbial machine that is fate. He made sure Joy Boy would exist. And now that the dominoes have been placed and are falling fast, he’s going to challenge Luffy and make sure he’s strong enough to fight for it—strong enough to take on the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and Imu—and then hand him a big red button to help do it afterward. That button will be all the sneaky shit he’s been doing in the background.

He’s been the bridge between his captain and this new age. Sure, it was too early, but his influence rippled out through the people he trusted and touched in his life. The same way Rayleigh trained Luffy, knowing what he was preparing him for in the next part of his journey, waiting years for him to arrive at Sabaody.

And all that needed to happen was the dreams, adventures, and sacrifices of a young boy. It’s almost poetic—a son for a son (or sun, in this case). My therapist says I make light of dark shit so I don’t have to emotionally feel the pain.

And now we get into the sad portion of today’s episode. Prepare the tissues because this is why I think Shanks is one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Because think about it: Shanks’s life was charted for him; his adventure and future were stolen, decided with the reveal of Laugh Tale and all the secrets around it—everything, all so the next generation could one day rise up and bring a new dawn. Shanks never got to have a dream because it was stolen from him. He’s a walking, talking empty automaton, fulfilling his captain's dying promise made by a grieving thirteen-year-old.

He is dreamless, and for a man who is, in some sense, the freest in the world—can go anywhere, can do anything, is powerful enough to stop wars—he’s still trapped, chained to a future he can only wait for.

I don’t think he knows who he is outside of this. I don’t think he thinks he’ll live beyond it. (Which like I will fucking cry because this is gonna be kinda true.) I don’t even want to call it an ambition. Duty, maybe. Damned promise, more likely. And it’s ruined every relationship outside of it he’s ever had. Aside from one—

(Don’t even get me started on him and Mihawk and miscommunication, failed expectations, and Mihawk being the epitome of everything Shanks isn’t. With his dream chasing to the ends of the world, ending up unfulfilled and alone. Finding companionship and what he thought were similar drives in each other, but once Shanks lost his arm and his hat, he realized Shanks was never fighting for something he wanted. And it broke him a little; it broke their relationship—one of the only relationships Shanks chose for himself, with nothing to do with his mission.

And Buggy—he gave up his brother, was forced to leave him alone, and couldn’t say anything, couldn’t tell him the truth, couldn’t destroy his dream. And he couldn’t even be selfish enough to make him stay. Like, oh my God, the drama.)

Doomed yaoi aside, the only thing and person I think that messed up his perfectly made plans is Luffy.

Sweet baby Luffy wasn’t so sweet before the Red Force arrived. In the manga, it is mentioned that he was an angry, bitter child, lashing out almost like Ace to a degree. But Shanks, by just being kind, by being good, and by reaching out and teasing this little ball of anger, transforms him, saves him in a way. He gives him a drive, a dream, and a morality to live by. He gives him everything he never got—everything stripped from him. Shanks turns him into the type of person a special kind of Devil Fruit might call out to and get eaten by.

Nika chose Luffy because Shanks saved him by just being good and kind, giving this kid something beyond his anger and bitterness. Shanks gave Luffy the idea of freedom, and in return, he allowed Shanks’s perfectly clear mission to shatter. I think this Shanks makes the first real decision in his life: he goes, "Fuck, well, we’re backing this horse now," and Luffy becomes his child—not his captain's, but his future to bet on and help grow.

And I fucking love that. Luffy saves him just as he saved Luffy, in a way. And that’s his kid, his successor, more than it ever was for Roger. I will die on this hill. (If you want, you can even look at it as Shanks finally choosing a dream all his own and it’s Luffy.)

Will Oda see it this way? Probably not. He has a habit of brushing off stuff like this; I think he’ll make Shanks’s character into a noble man dedicated to stopping the World Government and not even think about the implications of tying all that to him at such a young age. But I do think Shanks expects to die when Luffy comes to fight; I think he wants to, just how Mihawk wants to die from Zoro’s blades. Because what is there beyond this? (And again, parallels!)

And I believe he will live! (Not Mihawk—he's gonna die.) Shanks will live, and symbolically, Luffy will free him from this self-imposed duty, this promise made by a child. Shanks will have made, even unwittingly, the thing that would free him, allowing him to move forward in a world where all the purposes he needs to find are his own.

And holy shit, that’s a lot for him, but then Blackbeard will happen, and he’ll die only having known freedom for a short while. Luffy will cry and create a new dawn, and it won’t be for nothing—except it will be for everything to Shanks.

In conclusion, Shanks doesn’t have a dream of his own. He never had a dream; if he did, it was squashed out of him in order to fulfill a promise set by his father, Gol D. Roger.

He loses his brother, loses his control over his destiny, and as his father sets such things into motion, Ace, Roger’s child, will become the new Joy Boy.

He makes a connection with someone outside of that mission and purpose, and in doing so, creates the opportunity for his own freedom and his own choice in Luffy.

Later down the line, Nika/Luffy will eventually free him in the same way he created his own freedom back then, giving him a new choice going forward. They will free him from the mission that was placed on his shoulders as a thirteen-year-old child, and afterwards, he will consequently be killed by Blackbeard, and everything will be horrible, and we will all cry. The end.

I hope everyone enjoyed this thesis on Shanks. Feel free to use it and steal it to your hearts content. I would love to write more if anyone has any questions or things they want to ask; I will be opening up my ask box for questions. I would love to go into more detail on his relationship with Luffy, his rivalry with Blackbeard, and how that ties into all of this, as well as his relationship with Mihawk (fuck man the parallels!!) or maybe Buggy. (Which I have less on it’s just really tragic.)

[novaursa]

I have a request! Reader is the younger sister of Daenerys! When Jon first visits Dragonstone, he mildly admires her from afar as she is her sister’s right hand advisor. But Davos warns him of the treachery and terror people tell about her. It can be a flashback, but I was thinking about instead of the Khalasar kidnapping Dany, they instead kidnapped her sister. She was the one to burn all of the Khalasar and gained the massive army for her and her sister. However rumors spread as Davos mentions her as The One who Brings Death. Jon however can’t really comprehend and is in awe of it all. He doesn’t seem turned off by it all by nonetheless is wary about the reader’s reputation. When he’s on Dragonstone’s bridge, he meets the reader and they talk. The reader is more open than her sister, wanting to maintain peace in all between the two parties. She tells him alittle bit about her story growing up and it makes Jon emphasize with her. They bond over the few days he stays on Dragonstone and he eventually convinces her to talk to Dany about joining their alliance. reader can also be bonded either to Viserion or Rhaegal.

The Death Bringer and The Wolf

Requests are closed!

- Summary: You meet Jon on the shores of Dragonstone, and he learns how wolves and dragons are the same side of the coin.

- Paring: targ!reader/Jon Snow

- Note: The reader is Daenerys' sister and is bonded to Viserion.

- Rating: Mature 16+

- Tag(s): @sachaa-ff @alyssa-dayne @oxymakestheworldgoround

The salty breeze of Dragonstone whips through your hair as you stand at your sister's side, eyes fixed on the men approaching from the distant shore. Jon Snow—the King in the North—walks with purpose, his face hardened like the Northern winter. His loyal advisor, Ser Davos Seaworth, follows close behind, ever watchful.

You sense Jon's gaze drift toward you. You’ve felt eyes on you before, countless times, but his feels different—curious, not hostile. As Daenerys speaks with Tyrion, you notice his eyes linger on you, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. There's admiration there, hidden beneath the caution. He knows what you are to your sister: her most trusted, her shadow, her sword. A part of him seems drawn to that, though he hides it well beneath his stoic expression.

Jon’s thoughts are interrupted by Davos, who murmurs low enough that only he can hear, "Be careful around her, my lord. They call her 'The One Who Brings Death' for a reason."

Jon glances at him, brow raised.

"They say she burned an entire khalasar to the ground after she was captured," Davos continues, voice grim. "No mercy, no hesitation. It wasn't just dragons that won Daenerys her army; it was her sister's fire. The people say she commands death like others command swords."

Jon’s eyes flick back to you. You stand tall beside your sister, regal and composed, as if the rumors have no hold on you. He tries to reconcile the idea of the calm woman before him with the tales of destruction Davos speaks of.

The air was thick with smoke that day, the smell of burning flesh heavy in your nose.

You had been bound and beaten, the khals laughing as they paraded you around like a prize. They thought they could break you, like they did with others who crossed their path. But they didn’t know you. They didn’t know the fire that lived within your blood.

When you finally broke free, the heat of Viserion’s presence burning in the distance, something primal surged through you. They thought they could crush you with fear and chains, but you were Targaryen—a dragon, not a lamb. You had given the signal, and Viserion’s fire rained down upon the khalasar like judgment from the gods. One by one, they fell, engulfed in flames.

You showed no mercy as they screamed, no pity as they burned. You had stood at the heart of it all, flames casting your shadow long over the dead and dying. When it was over, what remained of the khalasar bent the knee to you and your sister, not out of loyalty, but out of fear. The fear of the woman who had turned fire into her weapon, who had scorched the mightiest men of the Dothraki to ash.

The stories spread like wildfire, growing darker with each retelling. Some called you a savior; others whispered of a demon in human skin. But they all said the same thing in the end—you were The One Who Brings Death.

The flash of memory passes, and you’re brought back to the present. Jon is still watching you, though more carefully now. He’s heard the stories, you’re certain, but you don’t care. What they say doesn’t matter. Only the loyalty of your sister, the strength of your dragons, and the fire in your blood hold any weight.

Jon doesn’t seem repelled by the tales. If anything, there’s a glint of awe in his eyes. He doesn’t understand, not yet. But he will.

You move with grace as you approach him, meeting his gaze fully now. "Jon Snow," you greet, your voice soft, calm, betraying none of the fire that lies beneath. "Welcome to Dragonstone. My sister is eager to meet with you."

He nods, his eyes never leaving yours. "Thank you," he replies, though there’s a pause, as if he’s about to say more, but Davos clears his throat, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand.

As you and Jon begin to walk toward the long stone bridge that connects the shore to Dragonstone, the sound of the crashing waves fills the silence between you. Davos lingers behind with Tyrion, giving the two of you some space, though you sense that his eyes never leave Jon’s back.

You turn to Jon, noticing the tension in his posture. "You don’t need to be so guarded," you say, your voice softer than before. "I know what they say about me, and I imagine Ser Davos has already filled your ears with those tales."

Jon’s eyes flicker toward you, a hint of uncertainty crossing his face. "He did mention a few things," he admits, his voice low, as if reluctant to offend.

You smile gently. "No doubt they paint me as some bringer of doom, a monster in human skin." You glance out at the sea, the horizon dark and endless. "But it’s not entirely true, you know. I did what I had to, for my sister... and for myself."

Jon studies you, curiosity flickering in his gaze. "It’s hard to imagine. You don’t seem like the kind of person who—" He stops, clearly unsure of how to finish the sentence without sounding harsh.

"Who burns people alive?" you offer, a dry chuckle escaping your lips. "You’re not the first to struggle with that. But I assure you, Jon, war changes people. My sister and I didn’t have the luxury of growing up in peaceful times. We were hunted from the day we were born."

Jon frowns at that, his gaze softening. "I’ve heard some of your story. I know you were forced to flee when you were young."

You nod, the memories flickering in your mind. "I was barely old enough to understand what was happening when we fled. We lost everything—our home, our family, even our names, for a while. It was just Viserys, Daenerys and me, hiding in foreign lands, never knowing who to trust, never feeling truly safe." Your eyes meet his, and you see the understanding in his expression.

"I know something of what that’s like," Jon says, his voice quieter now. "I grew up as a Stark in Winterfell, but I never really belonged there. My father was honorable, my family good to me, but... I was always an outsider, the bastard."

You watch him closely, feeling a pang of empathy. "It’s a cruel thing, being kept on the outside of your own family. I’ve spent most of my life trying to prove myself, not just for my sister’s sake, but for mine. I didn’t want to be a shadow forever."

He nods, seeming to find a shared pain in your words. "It makes you do things you never thought you’d be capable of," he murmurs.

You look ahead at the imposing figure of Dragonstone looming in the distance, its sharp edges cutting into the sky. "I didn’t want war, Jon. I wanted peace, for my sister and for her people. But every time we tried to build something, it was ripped away from us. The khalasar... that was one of the darkest moments of my life, but it won us an army. It won us power."

Jon is silent for a long moment before he speaks again. "I can see why people follow you. You and your sister."

"I don’t want them to follow me out of fear," you say softly. "But I know that’s what some of them do."

Jon turns his head slightly, his eyes searching yours. "And what do you want, then?"

The question lingers in the air, heavier than the wind. "I want peace, Jon. I want this to end without more bloodshed. I’ve seen enough fire and death for a lifetime."

His gaze softens as he watches you. "You sound different from your sister."

You smile, but it’s tinged with sadness. "Daenerys and I are alike in many ways, but we’ve had different paths. She’s always carried the burden of the throne on her shoulders. I’ve always been the one fighting in the shadows, making sure she gets there."

"Maybe it’s time for her to listen to you," Jon suggests quietly.

You glance at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. "You think she’ll listen?"

"I think she trusts you. And if you talk to her about working with us, about standing together against the real threat... she might listen."

You study him for a moment. Jon Snow, the King in the North, is nothing like the lords and kings you’ve met before. He carries the weight of the world, much like Daenerys does, but there’s no arrogance, no hunger for power in his eyes. Only duty.

"I’ll talk to her," you say after a pause, your voice quiet but resolute. "I’ll try to make her see that this alliance could save more lives than we’ll ever know."

Jon nods, relief flashing across his face. "Thank you."

The two of you continue your walk toward the castle, a sense of quiet understanding settling between you. Over the next few days, you find yourself drawn to Jon more and more. There’s something calming about him, something honest. He’s not like the others you’ve had to manipulate, to outmaneuver in order to protect your sister. With Jon, you can speak freely, and that’s a rare thing in your world.

In those few days, Jon’s presence becomes almost familiar. You exchange stories of your pasts, the scars you both carry, and the hope that something better is possible. It’s a fragile hope, but it’s there, flickering between the two of you like a small flame in the dark.

And when the time comes, you do talk to Daenerys. You speak of the threat in the North, the army of the dead, and the value of Jon Snow as an ally. You remind her that the war for the throne means nothing if they all die in the coming winter.

It takes time, but eventually, Daenerys agrees. You can see the spark of something in her eyes, something that wasn’t there before, and you know Jon’s presence has shifted something within her as well.

As you stand beside your sister, watching Jon prepare to leave, you feel a strange sense of both relief and uncertainty. He has changed something in you, too—made you see the world a little differently. And for the first time in a long time, you’re not sure what that means.

[tadc-funfair-au]

{TADC AU COMIC}

⛲{Thank you message}⛲ :

A huge thank you to my friends who actively participated to this collaboration and worked hard on their pannels, its beautiful. 💕

⛲{What's the comic about}⛲ :

Its a simple comic that let pomni tale us how the circus got disturbed by the tsunami of pixels, it shows aswell a flashback of them in their actual timeline. Pomni with a new design on her caravan train.

(The dragon we see in the last panel is circe the digital avatar that belong to the creator of the pixel virus.)

⛲{Credits from x account}⛲:

Panel • 1 @moontwinie

Panel • 2 @ohhoneylavender

Panel • 3 @_Oni_Sun

Panel•4 @celestialh3art

Panel • @cilyunaa

Panel • 6-7 @tadc-funfair-au

[l-in-the-light]

The most embarrassing series of posts about Lawlu you will ever read: edition Punk Hazard (part 2)

We're still not done with the Punk Hazard! There's way too many interactions with them there and posts have apparently a restriction of 30 images, geez. Anyway, let's follow the tale further!

Law: Hey, I can hear that.

It's hilarious, because it turned out to be true in the end. Law wouldn't betray Luffy (as in backstab him), but he would finish the alliance early if that means keeping Luffy safe. But would it count as betrayal actually?

And then Luffy brags again. Wait, or doesn't he? It sounds kinda correct to me though lol. Also of course there's nothing to worry about, after all it will be Law's job from now on!

Law (thinking): Those people... how did they survive so long on their own?! They have no sense of danger!

Probably a moment later: Wait, so it will be my job to worry for them all the time?!

Law (thinking): It's nice of them to have brought the kids here, but they're pirates, I can't really expect Strawhats to actually want to help them, right? Damn, if I have to choose between keeping Mugiwara-ya safe and keeping the children safe, I guess the choice is only one to make...

Law (thinking): They actually want to help the children?... but why? They're not friends with them like with that fishman and mermaid on Sabaody... are they saying this just on a whim? Anyway, I can't lose the main goal from sight, keeping Mugiwara-ya safe is the priority.

To understand Law's odd reaction here we need to go back to his flashback:

Because when he told the nun and the children that he doesn't want to leave without Lammy, they just told him they will leave him behind on his own (but will return for him later on). That's why he expects that Nami wants to stay behind by herself. But Luffy's isn't having any of that, Luffy's like "no one is getting left behind on my watch". And no wonder really, because Luffy also knows how it's like. After all didn't Garp and Dragon leave him behind on his own as well, choosing to pursue their jobs instead? But Luffy does not want others to feel the same way he did.

Law's shocked "?!" there really says volumes. He probably didn't expect that option of "not leaving anyone behind" as even possible. We will see him struggling to accept it later on as well in this arc.

Law (thinking): Wait a second... How did that turn out this way?!

Because let's rewind a bit. Law's just reached his inner peace with the dificult decision that he's gonna sacrifice the children's fate in favour of keeping Strawhats safe. But here Luffy makes a 180 turn on him and tells him "Actually, we're saving the kids and there is this funny samurai as well, we also want to reassemble him". And Law is like TrafalgarLaw.exe stopped functioning, please reboot. He thought he made it clear this is not the time to be altruistic and has a difficult time to process this illogical conclusion. You were too lost in your own thoughts, that's why you missed it, Law.

Law (thinking): Friends?! What?! Whatever, put that thought aside for now, more importantly... those conditions for the alliance are ridiculous! Also it would totally be something I would want to do and make it a condition, if not for the fact I think it's impossible to pull that all off.

Usopp (thinking, surprised): Luffy was right, he's actually a good guy!

Luffy (thinking): I knew you would help us!

Law (thinking): You must be kidding me, what kind of pirates are so altruistic. Great, now I have even more troubles to deal with. And yet I can't refuse them.

Law (thinking): No, anything but this...!

I'm so sorry for him in this one, tbh. Can't make it look funny anymore, I'm sorry! (but if you really want to, then the classic "Am I a joke to you?" commentary is usually spot-on) At least it was Chopper and I think Law is okay with touching animals and minks.

Luffy (thinking): Torao, you come up with the best ideas! This sounds so fun!

Law (thinking): I'm actually not gonna allow you to rethink. You need to stick with me so I can keep you safe.

(my god Torao)

Luffy: No chance! Good luck getting rid of me now after you offered friendship to me!

(those two, I swear...)

Fun fact: he didn't, lol. Law trusted him with this, but Luffy told them all only after they boarded the Sunny lol. Ouch, Luffy!

Luffy's safety is constantly on his mind, isn't it... and he's taking the most work on himself as well. Also can you try to think of anything else for a change, Trafalgar Law?! I know you're super duper worried but, come on...

Yeah, I know Law, right? You try so hard to keep him safe, and he goes and does some ridiculous shit again. And so the neverending spiral of worrying and suffering because of it continues for Law, lol.

Luffy (thinking): I will make you proud, Torao! Just watch me kidnap that guy in a few secs!!

Robin (thinking): Luffy is so excited, not sure if it's because of the plan or that Trafalgar. Probably the latter, actually, he just ignored the plan after all...

He's adorable but omg, they miss the marks all the time when it comes to each other, don't they. It's pure romantic comedy!

The end result is to be expected haha. Law's eyes are like constantly on Luffy lol. At least Law's not so anxious and worried anymore, because fake cuffs are part of his backup plan, so things are going okay for now.

Luffy is instantly interested in Torao's connection to Joker. He just wants to know more about Law, circumenstances be damned, because who cares they're locked up, right.

Law (thinking): Really? You ask about it now?! Fine, whatever, I will tell you... it's not like I can hide it from you forever.

He's not really that great at lying to Luffy, is he? Unless he just sold him a half-truth, but it doesn't appear to be this way. Alliance is all about trust after all, right? (Law says that in Wano) And Law is a bit uncomfortable sharing his connection to Doflamingo, but he does it anyway.

Luffy is so easily impressed with Torao, and it makes it even funnier that it's for all the wrong things really lol. Though it's understandable because when Ace died he got a big hole in his chest and couldn't survive, so in Luffy's mind anyone who can actually live despite that might be like the strongest person ever in his mind (stronger than Ace even?!). It's ridiculous, cute and actually a bit touching. I doubt Law understood it right lol, he's just lying there in disgrace.

Law (thinking): You will pay for this! Especially for making me look so pathetic in front of Mugiwara-ya!

Also Luffy please stop staring at Law like this all the time and close your mouth. He's so infatuated with him.

Law's face here is kinda hilarious, listening to Robin's and Luffy's talk about Kinemon's legs. Is he thinking something like "Interesting, you like it that much? I could do it for you all the time actually... I can do so much more, in fact"

Please someone shut them up.

Change of tone. As soon as Luffy's so worried and stressed, Law becomes all serious and worried as well. You can't make this shit up.

Showing off in front of Luffy lol. You actually want him to think you're cool, don't you, Law?

Luffy: Omg you're so cool Torao! I thought we're goners fr!

And guess what, it's working like a charm. Oh, Luffy!

Luffy adoring Law again, his eyes are almost sparkling here :D he tries to show off a little as well there heh. It's like "Torao, I'm so impressed with you, so be impressed with me and my crew as well!!"

Law, when not ordering people around: "is there anyone in here who can do x or y?". He's really not used to this "equal alliance" thing either, isn't he? Because that's such an awkward thing to say. Is this first ever alliance for him as well? Perhaps all other arrangements he had was just Law giving people orders.

That would mean this is first alliance both for Luffy AND Law awww. Oda, stop, I'm cringing! There's no way Law did it just for Luffy, right?...

Law making Luffy laugh on purpose will never stop having a special place in my heart <3 because you know he said this just for that. He doesn't yet care much about the others, but he sure af cares for Luffy. Perhaps he joked a bit because he didn't want to see Luffy so anxious like before when worrying about his crew geezas stop.

Someone's showing off again and it works like a charm. Can you stop making it such a show ffs, Law. No you can't, you're just having too much fun seeing Luffy so obviously impressed.

I mean... anyone still doubting Law loves Luffy after this image would have to also doubt Law ever loved his little sister, you know?

Also he's really not very honest, is he. Still not gonna admit it openly, acting cold and keeping his distance, despite the fact Luffy is already holding a dear spot in his heart. I know Law has predisposition for being serious and secretive, like that's just legit part of his personality, but he also clearly doesn't want Luffy to know how he actually feels about him.

Damn, Punk Hazard is long. I wonder if I can finish it with the next post haha. To be continued!

[digitaldoeslmk]

so um, that picture from the flashbacks scene?

so let's see. horse, bull, rat, turtle, eagle (?), monkey, bear, pig, rabbit, and a ram.

White Dragon Horse, Demon Bull King, Lady Earth Flow, White Turtle, Golden Peng (who is a garuda in the books), Wukong, Black Bear Demon, Bajie, Jade Rabbit, and Goat-Strenght Immortal.

there's also the layer that, besides the bear and the bird, all of them are zodiac animals.

i think this is Nuwa helping to come up with the challenges from the journey, and since we're doing the "familiar tales new adventures" thing, we're gonna do a cyclical theory where this really is a new Journey. that's why she made MK from the same stone.

since the show is rly scrapping the Buddhist enlightenment angle of JTTW, i think the Journey is repeating cus the first one maybe didn't achieve what it was meant to, on some level. i don't have enough info to theorize on what though.

[nina-ya]

May I please request a super angsty femReaderxzoro fic where reader dies trying to save zoro but in a really specific way as in she has devil fruit similar to uta but with healing abilities instead and she trades her life to save zoro which makes her have a death similar to rikas from jjk but the song she sing when she’s leaving is long live by Taylor Swift specifically “long live all the mountains we moved I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you” ect.If it’s too detailed, you don’t have to do it but I would really enjoy if you could do this

Long Live

A/N: Italics is a flashback and purple are the song lyrics I had so much fun writing this! well as much fun as you can have writing something sad, but thank you for giving me an excuse to write about more Taylor i hope you enjoy! <3 Pairing: Zoro x fem!reader CW: Reader dies, blood, vague alluding to sex WC: 2.1k Your voice had been a source of joy and happiness for as long as you could remember, and your devil fruit ability only heightened that joy, granting you the power to heal through your melodies. It felt like a gift straight out of a fairy tale. Cradling injured individuals in your arms, you would serenade them, witnessing their wounds miraculously vanish as they sprang up with newfound energy.

In your pursuit of understanding and enhancing your abilities, you dove into the histories of past users who once possessed this ability before you. While you didn't find much in terms of strengthening your powers, you stumbled upon something intriguing: the most recent user of your ability met their demise by sacrificing their life for a marine soldier. The event was well-documented—the tale of their final song and fading away into the unknown, all to save a critically wounded soldier. At the time, you found such sacrifice baffling and perhaps even foolish. The idea of willingly giving up one's life for another was a concept that had always left you questioning whether you could ever do such a thing.

You first encountered Zoro when he casually slid into the seat next to yours at a random, somewhat sketchy tavern on an island whose name had already slipped your memory. Ordering a beer, as expected, neither of you paid much attention to the other until you initiated a conversation, asking about the swords he carried with him. Drink after drink, the banter flowed effortlessly, and as the night progressed, so did the subtle hints of flirtation. Before you knew it, you found yourselves in the confines of the bathroom, Zoro pinning you against the wall, lips locked, hands exploring, clothes quickly discarded—an intense moment that seemed to mark the conclusion of your unexpected encounter. Or so you thought.

The next day, as you went about your business, you stumbled upon a wanted poster that featured none other than Roronoa Zoro, one of the most formidable and dangerous men in the world. The revelation left you torn between celebrating or worrying over the fact that you had just slept with one of the most deadliest men in the world right now. You had chosen the former.

Your lingering questions about whether you'd see him again were answered when, to your surprise, you spotted Zoro rounding a corner, seemingly lost and running in your direction. The unexpected reunion left you wondering about the twists and turns fate had in store for the two of you. He screeched to a halt in front of you, muttering something about being in the wrong place. You were on the verge of teasing him for looking like a lost fool when the unmistakable sounds of approaching marine footsteps and shouts pierced the air from behind. Without a moment's hesitation, Zoro swiftly unsheathed his swords, leaving you momentarily confused when he shoved one into his mouth. Your confusion gave way to surprise as marines in front of you began dropping like flies.

In the chaos, Zoro reached for your hand, grabbed it, and started running with you. Urgently, he asked you to lead him to the docks. Though an underlying sense of fear lingered, the idea of potential injury or worse, you couldn't help but go along with the green-haired man, guiding him through the streets towards the docks. The urgency of the situation fueled your pace, and as you turned a final corner, a grand pirate ship came into view. To your amazement, some very enthusiastic individuals, recognizable from the wanted posters plastered everywhere, were waving at Zoro and urging him to run onto the ship. 

You might have assumed that Zoro would have let you go and abandoned you at some point, but to your surprise, he had you stick around. Soon enough, you found yourself on the deck of the pirate ship, met with perplexed and cautious stares from the crew. This wasn't the life you had envisioned, yet the appeal of friendship and adventures proved too compelling for you to resist.

As it turned out, your unique ability to heal with the simple power of song quickly earned you the role of healer on the ship. You often teamed up with Chopper, working together to mend the wounded, a category that frequently included Zoro. It seemed like he would intentionally find himself in dangerous situations just to give you an excuse to heal him. It became almost routine  for Zoro to pull you aside for healing sessions. He would claim it was because "you're the faster healer" or "Chopper is busy with the others," but the way he stared at you with complete and utter infatuation as you sang hinted that there might be an underlying reason why he always sought you out.

Your relationship with Zoro had flourished during your time on the ship. While the two of you hadn't explicitly labeled it, an unspoken bond had formed, making you inseparable. It was clear to everyone around you that you and Zoro were meant to be. Your connection was so strong that it felt as if you were bound together for life. You, the enchanting songbird, had managed to melt the heart of the swordsman. It was a relationship that seemed almost too perfect to be true.

-

-

-

The shaky rhythm of Zoro's breath sliced through the air, the only accompaniment being the unsettling drip, drip, drip of crimson liquid splattering onto the floor from each painful gash on his body. His eyes threatened to give in to the darkness, the grip tampanoding his profusely bleeding wound weakening with every passing second, allowing more of the red tide to seep out. "She's close by," he reassured himself in a desperate whisper. "She will come and heal me, and everything will be okay." His vision blurred, the edges of consciousness fading, yet the approaching footsteps redirected his waning focus. Your silhouette emerged into view, and a feeble smile of relief played on his weakened lips.

You stood there, your body pulsating with the ache of injuries you had sustained from the battle. Exhaustion weighed heavily on your chest, each labored breath revealing your weariness. As you took in Zoro's dire state, a chill ran down your spine, and your hands trembled uncontrollably. The blood painted the wall against which he leaned, the pool he lay in enough to have claimed the life of an ordinary person by now.

In that moment, a wave of realization crashed over you, akin to what the previous user of your devil fruit must have experienced when confronted with the imminent death of that soldier. The only conceivable explanation for willingly sacrificing one's life in such a manner was love. Only someone who is deeply in love could find themselves doing what you were prepared to do.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump—thump... thump... thump...

Your heart beats in your ears, slow and steady, a sharp contrast to the urgency that surrounds you. Crouching down next to him, your knees bathe in the blood beneath you. You reach out and stroke his face, your voice cutting through the tense air as a sweet melody falls from your lips, “Long live the walls we crashed through, I had the time of my life with you…”

Your vision blurs slightly as you start to sing, and your voice wavers, but determination fuels your every word. Zoro's consciousness begins to steady, and his gaze focuses on you. He listens to the lyrics you sing, his smile quickly fading as he senses your growing unsteadiness. His own heartbeat starts to quicken, mirroring the vivid recollection of the last time he was this severely injured.

Your fingers gently comb through the emerald strands of the injured marimo, the sound of your singing soothing his pain, mending the cuts and bruises that adorned him. As his eyes gradually flutter open from the haze of injury, he gazes up at you, a soft smile spreading across his lips upon hearing the sound of your voice. This time felt different from his previous injuries; there was an abundance of blood, and the worry etched across your face reflected the urgency to reach him in time.

You knew you couldn't stop singing. You needed to heal him, but you also needed to talk to him, so your song took on a more serious shift in meaning as you sang. "Will you take a moment? Promise me this: that you’ll stand by me forever," you begin, your voice carrying a weight that matches the importance of this moment. His larger hand envelops yours, nodding in silent agreement. You continue, "but if, God forbid, fate should step in and force us into a goodbye," confusion knits Zoro's eyebrows, wondering the reason behind the unexpected shift in your melody.

You persist, “if you have children someday, when they point to the pictures, please tell them my name.” Your voice grew shaky as you continued, “Tell them how I hope they shine." Teardrops fall onto his concerned face, and he instinctively reaches up to wipe them away. The inevitability of this conversation weighed heavily on both your hearts, each word spoken a painful acknowledgment of the uncertainties life may hold.

In response, Zoro reassures you with a resolute voice, "I promise to stay with you forever, but you know fate won't dare step in and tear us apart. I won't allow it. You’re too important to me, and I swear that we will live out the rest of our lives together, and *you* will get to tell our kids all of these things, okay?" His words, a promise fueled by determination, aim to chase away the uncertainty of what lies ahead, providing comfort in the tomorrow that they both look forward to.

It's happening. Fate weaves its cruel design, guiding you toward that goodbye—a scenario Zoro strongly vowed would never come to pass. “Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you,” you continue, your voice quivering with an emotional strain that mirrors the tension in the air. The aura that your powers provide seem to shimmer with an magical quality as Zoro's wounds gradually fade, mirroring the slow, inescapable dimming of your own presence.

Your body slumps over, a proof of the draining strength within you. Stronger hands, Zoro's calloused and desperate, grasp your arms, pulling you close in a desperate attempt to defy the approaching reality. A gasp escapes you, the sound of your body's instinctive cling towards life.

“Stop… Stop this… I—I’m fine now, see? Chopper can just fix us up; you can stop now,” Zoro pleads, his voice quivering, the tremor reverberating through the air. His lip wobbles, tears teetering on the edge of escape. He knows the words he's uttering form a desperate attempt to go against the harsh reality. In this wretched moment, he attempts to make you hold onto your own life, to discourage you from the selfless act of sacrificing yourself to mend his wounds. Yet, the heavy truth hangs in the air—a truth that your fading form seems to convey with every passing moment.

Your breath is shaky, and a sudden weariness envelops you. Yet, his pleas, laced with unspoken desperation, don't deter you. ”Long live the walls we crashed through, how the kingdom lights shined just for me and you,” you sing softly, leaning onto him, a somber smile gracing your lips despite the impending farewell.

“Please stop…I love you, please don’t do this…” Zoro's whisper is almost a plea, his voice breaking as tears fall freely. He grasps your hand, squeezing it with a desperation that clings to the diminishing hope that both of you can somehow emerge unscathed from this ordeal.

“And I was screaming, ‘Long live all the magic we made’ and bring on all the pretenders…” Another wave of weakness washes over you, and your head falls limp onto his shoulder, “I'm not afraid.” you murmur, hoping the reassurance in your words might alleviate some of the weight on his shoulders among the unfolding tragedy. ”Long live all the mountains we moved…I had the time of my life fighting dragons with you.” With that final line, your voice softens, the melody fading into a whisper as your breaths grow shallower. The grip of Zoro's hand on yours tightens, desperately clinging to the waning connection. With each passing moment, your form dissolves into an ethereal glow. In desperation, Zoro reaches into the empty space that you once occupied, his trembling fingers grasping at nothingness, a denial of the harsh reality that you are gone. The ringing of your song linger in the hollow space, a haunting reminder of a love transcended beyond the boundaries of existence. Zoro, left with an aching emptiness, is now entangled in the flickers and fragments of a love that slipped away.

[stealeroflemons]

EAH MUSICAL #25 (PART II) BECAUSE I WANT IT SO BAD

Briar gets a song called "Party On" which sounds like it's supposed to be super fun and upbeat and about her being a party girl, but I want a Thronecoming moment, I want a raw moment of Briar calling out Apple while getting their dresses fitted about how

"I can't bear to just move on, 'Cause I'm just meant to party on"

(But imagine I actually know how to write songs, vibes are all I'm good at)

I want a dramatic duet between The Evil Queen and Snow White called "Let The Games Begin" with some jazzy showy feuding lines, but an overwhelming, almost doomed undertone, kind of like "The Plagues" from The Prince of Egypt (if you went to religous ed or sunday school you most likely watched that movie and or veggie tales)

I also want a song where it's all the teachers singing in a flashback of when they were banishing the Evil Queen to her mirror prison and it's all of them singing about everyone that's on the line if they don't succeed called "Mirror Mirror"

Adding on to that, The Evil Queen gets a "Mirror Mirror (Reprise)" number about how much she's been reformed since she was cast away, this would take place during Dragon Games when she manipulated Apple into keeping her mouth shut about her being free

And of course we have to have a number where it's all the bookball boys talking about winning the big game for Thronecoming and halfway through Cerise steps in about wanting to be on the team and they laugh it off a reject her

Then we get a part two to the previous number "Making The Team (Again)" where it's the boys begging for Cerise to help them before they get stomped on

(This idea comes from @krussy-reblog-blog thank you for responding to the previous post <3) Cerise also gets a solo where she tells Raven about her big family secret (when Kitty was going to out her secret to everyone) and how she's afraid of people knowing called "All Ears"

I also just want a number called "Jumpy" about Hopper trying to flirt with Briar and turning into a frog every. single. time. Like he's sabotaging himself spectacularly and Faybelle is snickering in the background, laughing her ass off

And if you think I'm not going to push my bribelle agender during pride month? oh honey, you've got a big storm coming

So we all know how Briar falls asleep in random places all the time because of her curse right? right. Well I want a song set probably during or after the events of Epic Winter where Briar and Faybelle are talking about the dream they both shared after being exposed to the spindle dust. In the beginning of the song is when Briar is sharing her fears about her future and her destiny and then partway through it switches to Faybelle singing about how she doesn't want to curse Briar, but at the end she realizes Briar fell asleep on her shoulder BECAUSE IT'S CUTE AND I SAID SO. The song will be called "Thorns and Roses" and it will be beautiful

[draconic-artisan]

✖ - a repressed memory

"Whatever else I am, I am your son--your most wretched son."

-Sword at Sunset

The napkin is creased and crumpled, sitting in his pocket as he flies through the night on Lancelot's back. He's running a little late, but through the clouds he can see the name from the napkin on the side of a ship.

"Faster now Lancelot," he urges, " before he catches up!"

They're close enough now to where he can vaguely recognize that sailor's cap among all the other people on board, bringing his fingers to his lips and whistling three quick bursts. Immediately the others spring into action, the ship's captain running towards the ramp leading off the ship.

"So. Sneaking away in the middle of the night."

Of course he snuck up on him... Lancelot is able to stay in the air as Hassel looks over his shoulder: his father's Noivern, old and weathered as it is, is able to hover above them so easily.

"This is what you want? After everything we have done for you--"

"I want to decide things for myself, is that truly so terrible?" Gold eyes lock with silver as Hassel looks over his shoulder to his father, the older man's wrinkled face twisting with anger.

"You dare throw away all we have prepared for you?!" The shout makes him flinch and curl into Lancelot, but he doesn't waver. One quick tap to the Dragonite's neck and the two speed away towards the ship.

They're several feet above it now, enough that Hassel can make out the cargo on the deck of the ship, trying to determine where to land--

"HASSEL!!!"

-Only for the captain's shout to pull his attention over. He's also sending out his Salamence for some reason, why is he pointing behind-?

And then Hassel slips. He slips and falls.

Lancelot does not spin around hard enough to toss him onto the deck of the ship.

He lands head first, arms flying out to shield his face from hitting the floor-

He doesn't land on his back, air knocked out of him, and get the full silhouetted view of his father's Haxorus slashing into Lancelot's chest.

He can hear people running up onto the deck, other Pokémon let out as the sounds of battle between a Salamence and Haxorus ring out-

Lancelot hits the deck bodily, he needs to go over there, needs to help him but cannot move-

He's struggling to move, but then something lands next to him. Large, yet soft, fluffy white body lowering a long blue neck as a small beak nuzzles at the side of his face.

He tries, tries to get up, but his back screams in protest, and so does he-

And then there's a song. It slows his movements, his thoughts, and the moon above him blurs as he goes to sleep.

[merlot-and-chardonnay]

A Lark Among the Wolves and Dragons:

Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Some suggestive content up ahead.

Also mentions of pregnancy and labor.

------------flashback: King's Landing, the Red Keep-------------

"What songs shall I play for you today, Princess?" you inquire of Rhaenyra, who had summoned you to her chambers to entertain her while she dined with her friend and lady Alicent Hightower.

"I would like to hear more songs from the Continent across the sea," Rhaenyra. "Anything specific?" you ask as you tune your lute.

"Anything with magic and monster perhaps," the princess answers, "do you know any ballads with more cursed knights." "Maybe not knights," you admit, "but I do happen to have written one about a cursed princess."

Alicent looked to Rhaenyra, clearly not comfortable with such a subject, yet Rhaenyra nodded in approval and you did as the princess bid.

So you sang of the tale of the striga and the witcher that saved her.

"That was beautiful," Rhaenyra praises, sipping her tea, "this witch chose to spare the princess rather than kill her. Sounds like an honorable man." "Not a witch, princess, a witcher," you correct. "What exactly is a witcher?" Alicent asks curious. It just occurred to you no one in this side have the world have probably ever seen a witcher, let alone knew what one was.

"A witcher is someone, a man usually, who hunts monsters for coin, my lady," you explain, "they are taken to this place somewhere in the Continent as boys and fed magic herbs that mutate their bodies that heighten their senses and allow them to use magic. They are trained to fight using silver swords along with the art of alchemy to allow them to make potions that aid in slaying monsters that roam the Continent."

"You say witchers are meant to slay monsters," Rhaenyra brings up, "yet the one in your song chose to spare this monster."

"As you said, princess, it was an act of an honorable man," you point out, briefly experiencing a flashback to the time you spent with the White Wolf.

After that, you continued to play a couple short songs until Rhaenyra had enough and dismissed you from her chambers. You nod and walk out, only to bump into what initially felt like a wall of bricks. Instead it was the one person you least wanted to see.

"What do you want, my Prince?" you ask, rubbing the bridge of your nose from where you bumped him. "I believe you were the one who ran into me, Little Lark," Daemon says, smirking as he usually did.

This was something that happened every now and again in the last couple months since you've been brought into the princess' service. Whenever Rhaenyra would call on you to entertain her and you would leave afterwards you would almost always run into Daemon who would just look at you with that characteristic arrogant look on his face. You were certain at this point he was doing this on purpose, but of course he would deny it each time, and this often led to you exchanging words of venom towards him. To your surprise, Daemon really never made much of an effort to retaliate.

You turn and leave, not wanting to waste your breath anymore on this man, but Daemon only stepped in front of your path, "What's your hurry, Little Lark?" he ask, making you turn your gaze away, really hating his pet name for you at this point, "perhaps I would wish you to entertain me this evening." "I'm here to entertain only the princess, your Grace," you point out, "you were not part of that deal."

"What if it was a different kind of entertainment?" Daemon asks, making your eyes widen when you saw his smirk grow even wider, and you realized what he was implying.

"I'm not a whore," you point out. "Of course not," Daemon agrees, "that would imply coin was exchanged for a moment of your time beneath the sheets, which would not be the case."

You scoff and turn your back, intending to walk away before you said or did something you would regret, but Daemon was faster and got in your way again, "please let me go about my own business, Prince," you say, teeth clenched at this point.

"I will after you give me a moment of your time, Little Lark," Daemon says, making you huff out in annoyance. "Fine," you cross your arms, wanting to get this over with.

Small smile on his face, the Rogue Prince takes a hand, placing it on the small of your back, gently pushing you towards his private chambers.

-------end of flashback: Kaer Morhen-----------

"Feels like everything is going well so far," Triss Merigold states after examining your baby bump. The sorceress had just moved into Kaer Morhen a few months ago at Geralt's request to help out with Ciri's gift, and she had also taken it upon herself to help you out with your pregnancy.

"When do you think this little one's going to come out?" you ask, placing your hands on your lower back. This baby had grown a lot bigger than you anticipated, and it was causing all sorts of pain at this point. You also found yourself needing to get up to make water more often, which was made inconvenient by how difficult it was to get up now.

"Hard to say," Tris admits, "but judging by the size of your belly, it should be any day now."

"Ugh, that day can't come soon enough," you grown, sitting down, "I swear this babe will pop out of my belly if it gets any bigger." Triss laughed at that, "I've yet to see that happen."

"Have you delivered a baby before?" you ask. "Not quite," Tris admits, "but I've supplied herbs and potions before to ease labor pains."

"Have...have you ever witnessed any difficult births before?" you ask.

"Is this something your worried about?" Triss asks. "I uh, well..." you looked a bit, "I didn't witness it, but the father of this baby, his sister-in-law she died in childbirth. It was a breech birth apparently and in order to save the baby, the maesters cut open the woman. She died from the blood loss." "Did they even give her any herbs or some kind of sedation?" Tris' eyes widen. "I uh, I don't think so." you shake your head.

"Oh, how barbaric!" Tris says in disgust.

"Yeah it was," you agree, "and it turned out to be futile as the babe only lived for a few hours after birth. It was a boy."

Tris takes your hand in hers as a gesture of comfort, "should this birth happen to be breech, I will use every spell I can to turn the babe. What happened to that woman is tragic. I'll see to it the same fate won't befall you."

"Thank you, Tris," you nod.

Right at that moment, Geralt walked in, "everything alright?" he asks. "As well as it can be," Tris answers. "Easy for you to say, you're not the one carrying this baby," you say, struggling to stand up.

Tris was about to help, but Geralt was faster and rushed to help you on your feet, "What a gentleman," you joke, "Is supper ready yet?" "Just set up in the dinning hall already," Geralt confirms, leading you to said hall.

You saw Eskel, Coen, Lambert, and Vesemir were already seated and eating. Ciri was nowhere to be seen, but this was a normal occurrence recently. The girl would train to the point of exhaustion sometimes and end the day crawling back to her room and falling asleep.

The other witchers had adjusted to your presence here the same way they adjusted to Ciri being here.

Although you would get questions, mostly from Vesemir, every so often about the baby and the baby's father. You couldn't really blame the old man; Kaer Morhen was an unusual place for a pregnant woman to hunker down and raise a child.

The old witcher, however, figured you reason was for protection, but how was he supposed to protect you both when he didn't even know who it was you were wanting protection from.

Geralt meanwhile didn't question you about your past dalliance with the baby's father. All he knew was that you were scared of this man to know of your child and you had sought the witcher out for help.

In truth, Geralt was happy to have you back in his life; he had often thought about you over the last few years, especially the memories of your intimate moments together.

Whatever you had done in between was in the past, there was no need to interrogate on such things.

Later that evening, when everyone had gone to bed, you had tossed and turned in your bed. It was so cold in here, colder than usual. You weren't sure if the pregnancy had something to do with it; you've heard most got hot when they were this close to the end.

Maybe it was the baby. You remembered what was said about dragons, that they prefer heat; perhaps the little dragon inside was using your warm as its heat source.

You stood up, knowing you weren't going to be sleeping anytime soon. You needed some warmth.

You walk to the one place you were sure to get it.

You knock on the door next to your room and Geralt answered it. "(y/n)?" he frowns a bit, confused as to why you were knocking at this hour. "I uh, I'm cold, I can't sleep because of it," you admit, "Is there room in your bed to uh..."

Geralt nods, knowing what you were asking and pulls you into his room.

He lays down and helps you lay down next to him.

"Just like old times right?" you ask as he drapes a blanket over you. "Old times didn't involve this," Geralt jokes, placing a hand on your bump. You turn to face Geralt, "this still feels good," you burying your face in his chest, "I feel cozy now."

It was quiet now. You started to feel lulled by the warmth the witcher provided, "I missed doing this with you," he hears you say right as you fall asleep.

---------flashback----------------

Once there in his chambers, Daemon took a seat at the table, pouring a glass of wine for himself. After taking a sip, he pours another one after glass and offers it to you. You accept, taking a fairly big gulp as this was the only way you could tolerate this man's presence.

He gestures for you to sit next to him, which you oblige.

"So, which is it? A song or a quick romp in the bed?" you ask sarcastically. "Maybe I just want to talk," Daemon shrugs. "What would you want to talk to me about?" you ask, taking another gulp of wine.

"Your songs perhaps?" Daemon suggests, taking a sip from his own glass, "particularly the one I overheard serenade my niece earlier."

"Oh, you heard," you realize, "I don't suppose you heard anything while eavesdropping on what was supposed to be a private conversation."

"Something about witchers," Daemon admits, "unlike Rhaenyra I have heard of them. I hear they snatch boys from their beds in order to produce more of their kind, and the magic that is used to mutate them also deprive them of their emotions. Where is honor in such a fate?"

"Those things aren't true," you tell him, "only reason people say that is because they haven't met many witchers, they simply despise what they don't know."

Daemon raised an eyebrow, intrigued by your passion in defending such beings, "speaking from experience?" he asks, "have you known many witchers?" "I've actually only known one," you admit, tongue feeling a little loose from the wine. "The one being from your song of the cursed princess?" Daemon asks. You said nothing, turning your gaze back to the wine goblet.

"You said he was an honorable man," Daemon said, leaning in close to you, "how can a mutant swell sword possibly be honorable?" "He slays monsters and save lives," you say, feeling very aware of how close you were to the prince. "You speak highly of this man," Daemon states. "He's...despite his reputation and rough exterior, he's a good man deep down who cares about others."

"Did he care for you?" Daemon asks, sense of jealousy creeping up in him, "enough to make a woman out of you?"

You backed away, "I really don't think that's any of your business," you feel your face heating up.

"Huh," Daemon says, not moving from his spot, "I've also heard witchers are notorious for being lecherous." "You're hardly one to talk about lechery," you lightly laugh, not being a stranger to Daemon's extramarital exploits. "Tell me, Little Lark," he continues, "did he seduce you? Did he force himself on you when he took your virtue?"

You knew then what Daemon was implying. Did he think you've never been with a man this whole time? Was that his plan for you? Was that why you intrigued him the way you did?

"Whatever he did to me wasn't anything I didn't want," you scoff, standing up and turning to leave, "And just so you know, prince, I may not be a whore, but I was far from virtuous long BEFORE I ever met him."

You weren't sure why you said that last part, but if Daemon was only interested in you because of your perceived maidenhood, hopefully this would be enough to drive him away and leave you alone at last.

Unknown to you, that only did the opposite. Now more then ever, Daemon was determined to seduce you and take you in a way that would make you forget this witcher or any other man that had been inside you before.

------end of flashback: Kaer Morhen, a few days later--------------

You lay with Geralt once again that night, his warmth comforting you. The last few days were uneventful, but at this point you just wanted this baby to come out right now and be done with all this discomfort.

You had Geralt had seem to have grown a little closer since your first night sharing his bed. The night before the two of you had even shared a kiss after reminiscing on some rather fond memories.

It really made you wonder why you had parted ways with the witcher in the first place.

This night, you moved and squirmed a bit, something that didn't go unnoticed by Geralt. "Is everything alright?" he asks, groggily waking up and rubbing his eyes.

"I uh, I'm not sure," you admit moving around some more due to sharp pains, "it hurts."

"Is it the baby?" Geralt lifts his head up, now alert. "Uh, maybe," you say, feeling another wave of pain rush through you, "Ah, I think I might be in labor."

"I'll get Tris," Geralt says, helping you sit up.

Over the course of the rest of the night, as your contractions started to become more frequent, you spent the whole time panting and crying and screaming and everything else in between. It hurt to sit so you elected to move around the room as much as you could, Tris got to work with the herbs, which she wasted no time administering. The herbs did indeed help, but you were still in pain from the contractions. Geralt was there to help you move around when you needed to.

As the time drew closer you laid on your side in the bed, screaming from the unbearable pain. Tris gave you more watered herbs and had Geralt help you sit upright so she could see what was happening, "looks like this baby is coming soon," she announces. "I change my mind," you say in between pants, "I don't think I can do this." "Well you don't exactly have a choice at this point, (y/n)," Tris says, "this baby is coming. When you feel you need to push, you better do so." "Please tell me it's not a breech," you say, praying it wouldn't be.

The time came to push, "it's not a breech," Tris announces, "I can see the head, you just need to push a little more." "I don't think I can," you say, exhausted from this whole thing. "Yes you can," Geralt encourages, "you're a strong woman (y/n), you made it all the way out here when this little one was still in you. You can handle this."

With a little encouragement from Geralt, with you holding onto his hand, you push once more, and then again.

Finally, the baby was out. And when you heard that little baby's small cry, you had never felt more relieved then you had your whole life.

"It's a girl," Tris announced, joy in her face. "A girl," you say, laughing a bit, "I gave birth to a girl. I have a daughter."

Tris took the babe away to be cleaned up while Geralt held you, giving you a small kiss on your temple, "you did well, (y/n)," he praises, "I knew you could do it." "I'm glad one of us thought so," you say jokingly, "Cause I wasn't sure if I could." Geralt chuckled at that.

"I'm sorry about the mess I made on your bed," you tell him. "Don't be," Geralt shrugs, "there's plenty more beds to go around in this keep."

Tris came back with your daughter wrapped up in a bundle. She hands the babe to you. "A babe with silver blonde hair," the sorceress comments, "how odd. If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say Geralt here was the father of this child." "Geralt's hair is more white than blonde," you point out, "And if he was the father, this little one would probably have his eyes." "Her eyes are violet," Geralt notices, "blonde hair and violet eyes. She wouldn't happen to be part elf would she?" "Not quite," you admit, though there had been times if you wondered this girl would end up being part dragon. She had her father's traits, now part of you wondered if she would end up having his personality.

You wouldn't worry about that right now. Now, you would just focus on the little one in your arms.

The moment was cut short when you heard a knock at the door. On the other side was Vesemir, along with Eskel, Lambert, and Coen. "Oh, you lot heard me didn't you?" you realized. "I'm pretty sure the whole mountainside could hear you," Lambert jokes. "When you stopped, we figured the baby had finally arrived," Coen says, "so, boy or girl?"

"It's a girl," you tell them. "Ha! I knew it!" Eskel exclaims, "pay up, men," Coen and Lambert groan and each hand Eskel a small sack of coins. "You were taking bets?" you ask. "Not everyday an expecting mother comes to Kaer Morhen," Vesemir shrugs, "the lads wanted to make the most of it."

"What did you bet?" Geralt asks. Right on cue, Lambert and Coen reluctantly toss Vesemir another sack of coins his way, "you couldn't help yourself could you?" Geralt shakes his head. "You may find it hard to believe, wolf, but I like to have fun and gamble every so often, I'm not some stuffy old man," Vesemir points out, "besides, I never doubted. If the babe is strong as the mother, it was bound to be a girl."

"Thanks Vesemir," you say.

"What is the little brat's name?" Lambert grumbles, still sore that he had lost the bet. "Lambert, be nice," Coen scolds.

You look down at the baby. You had been thinking up names the last few months, but none ever really stuck out at you.

In this moment you thought of one that would suit this baby well, "Aemma," you say, "Her name is Aemma."

"That is a beautiful name," Tris says.

Vesemir had a certain look on his face, though no one else seemed to have noticed.

The witchers gather to get a close look at your daughter. "I'm assuming her hair and eyes match her father's," Eskel states. "Yeah, you can say that," you answer, giving Aemma a kiss on top of her head.

It was dawn when the wolves, excluding Geralt, left to give you some privacy so you could bond with your daughter.

Around this time Ciri had just woken up and was about to go to breakfast, but she noticed the door to your room was slightly open. She saw the bundle in your arms and realized you had given birth.

"Can I come in?" she asks. "Of course," you nod and the young girl came in, "I've never actually seen a newborn baby before" she admits as you pat a spot on the bed for to sit on. "Come take a look for yourself then," you pull the wraps back a bit so Ciri could see, "it's a girl."

"She's beautiful," Ciri says with a smile, "her hair almost looks like mine."

-----------flashback-------------

You awoke the next morning, sunlight shining in your eyes. You open your eyes, squinting, and turn away.

Your hand mindlessly stretched out and you felt something soft, almost like skin. Naked human skin.

Your eyes widen, now fully awake, and you sit upright. The sheet covering you fell off, making you realize you were naked. The person next to you was sound asleep and just naked as you were.

Looking over to see a curtain of silver blonde hair sprawled out on the pillow next to yours.

It was the Rogue Prince himself.

You could feel the panic inside you growing. You thought this had all been a dream, a dream that already been haunting your slumber every night for the last few weeks.

Since that time Daemon invited you to his chambers, the Rogue Prince took any chance he had to corner you, press you against the wall with his body. During those times, he'd put his lips to your ear, to your neck, pressing light kisses and speaking soft words as he did so. You wanted to fight him off, but for reasons unknown, you didn't. You would find yourself melting underneath him, especially when he would grow bolder and sneak a hand under your skirts to touch you, tease you.

You would push him away, but only after briefly experiencing a sneak peak of the pleasure he could give you.

You couldn't stand this man, yet he managed to make you feel good all the same.

One night, being last night, it was the final straw for you, for both of you in fact. He cornered you in the hall when you were walking back to your room after a night of singing to the princess. You pushed him away determined not to let him get the upper hand. You slapped him away, hurled insulting words at him, calling him a snake.

This had led to him grabbing your hair and pushing you against the wall.

Next thing you knew the two of you were kissing passionately.

You had placed your hands to his chest, intending to push him off. He deepened the kiss and soon your hands were clinging to his shirt, wanting more as he drank you in like a man dying of thirst. He pulled back when you needed air.

Then suddenly he had turned you around, and lifted your skirts while releasing himself from his breeches. Before you knew it, he was inside you and taking you from behind. You could only make a lusty moan in response, especially when Daemon snaked a hand around your waist and in between your legs to enhance your pleasure. You cupped his neck, pulling some of his hair as you did so.

Eventually, you fell over the edge and came, Daemon falling not far behind. The prince grunted and groan when he spilled his seed inside you, you being a panting mess when he finally pulled out, panting himself.

Your knees felt like they were going to give out.

That was when Daemon gathered you in his arms and carried you to his chambers, closing the door behind him, intent on making sure you would forget the men you fucked before him.

Which brings you to the morning after in Daemon's bed, naked and hating yourself not only for letting this man have his way with you but that you actually enjoyed it.

You quietly slipped out of bed and scrambled to collect your clothes.

"Wherever are you going off to in such a hurry?" you hear Daemon ask from behind you. You sigh, having hoped you wouldn't end waking the prince.

Yet there he was laying the bed, eyes open, tired smile on his face, and the sheets barely covering his hips.

Chapter 3

Masterlist

[wackapedia]

Nothing Is Ever Enough

Aemond Targaryen X Reader It's been a week since your ship was lost at sea. Aemond hasn't gotten a peaceful wink of sleep since then. He is afraid, and no god nor man can help him. Wordcount: 1,124 Warnings: flashbacks in italics, mentions of death, a ghost, a corpse, cheating allegations (which are false!) brought to you by Larys Strong

Aemond sighs, turning over in his large bed, tangled among the clean white sheets. He can no longer smell your scent from your used pillows. He's been tussling over for hours, counting down the minutes until sunrise to begin another sleepless day without his wife. The room is illuminated by the fireplace and the light ray of moonlight seeping through the windows. Aemond faces your side of the bed, a tear rolling down your eye, imagining you there. Sometimes he'd find sleep. And in that sleep came nightmares. The prince's mind would wander, imagining the worst that has happened to you, and then making it even worse, deep in the fragments of his exhausted mind. Aemond had always prided himself on his intelligence, but this time he wished for the bliss of ignorance.

You'd traveled to visit your family across the narrow sea. A large ship armed with guards and furnished with servants to make your trip safe and comfortable. He had a few matters to finish in the Red Keep but he promised to catch up with you on dragonback as soon as he could. Hours dragged on until he eventually found the courage to drop everything to be with you, and that's when the raven came in. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ--------------- "Your grace, we've received a message from the ports of Bluefort that they are ready to receive the princess first thing tomorrow." Ser Criston reads the note in his hand. Aemond hesitates. "Where do you reckon they are now?" "They should be faring halfway in this weather, your grace." And it was all a blur after that. Aemond walks out of the Red Keep to where his dragon was. Vhagar was in a foul mood like her rider. The prince boards the beast anyway and steers him to the path of your ship. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ--------------- He is between sleep and wakefulness when he feels a presence in the room. Your scent, mixed with the smell of salty breeze, and something else. Something he recognizes all too well. "Aemond..." He shuts his eyes tighter, pulling the covers over his silver head. There it is again. "You can't ignore me forever, Aemond." your melodious voice sounds closer. He feels the bed dip behind him, and a cold and ghastly touch caresses his back through the sheets. He's too scared to look. Fearing to see your face and the finality that comes with it. "Enough," Aemond speaks with a voice equally forceful and trembling. Anger and fear. Hate and love. "Please, enough of this torture." A sigh of exasperation leaves your lungs, or what was left of them. Your hand recoils away from him like his skin was dragonfire- a feeling you'll never forget. Aemond swiftly sits up, facing the wrong side of the bed, still refusing to look you in the eye. You're dead, y/n. You've been dead for days. Your ship sunk in the middle of the sea of Taundurn..." his voice solemn, just like how he sounded when he'd read you tales and stories from Old Valyria. When he caresses you gently, when his hands ease on your hair when he lets your head rest on his chest. When he loved and trusted you like you were all that mattered. Until that damned crown. His brother the king had fallen gravely ill almost a year ago. Aemond had to take over kingly duties to the kingdom, sparing you only a few minutes a day. How he regretted that decision. Aemond clutches the edge of the bed. "I saw it, your ship. I flew over it. Vhagar and I- we dove as deep as we could to see the shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself. A lie. His voice shifts from pain and guilt to an almost pleading whine. "Is that what you need to pass on?" He tilts his head toward you, not actually looking. Still afraid. "Is that what you needed to hear?" "Is that what you both needed to hear?"  He chuckles, humoring himself. Aemond mulls over it for a few moments before speaking again. "You were with child, right? Was it even mine?" The poisonous whispers still plague Prince Aemond's mind. Lord Larys Strong was always so keen on getting rid of you. You should pay him a visit one of these nights. It was the second Strong son who poisoned the prince regent's thoughts. Making up stories just to ruin your reputation in court. You paid him no mind, you were occupied with matters of the kingdom. But Aemond's pride wouldn't let the story slide. And you were at the receiving end of the fire that came with a dragon's fury. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ--------------- The night before you left, your voice was hoarse. The screaming match that ensued between you and your husband had pressed you between a rock and a hard place. Aemond's unstoppable force meets your immovable resolve. You decide to take time away from the pressures of court and the stress of Aemond handling seven fucking kingdoms, not to mention the disgusting accusation of you possibly carrying someone else's child. You arranged a ship to leave at first light and packed what you could. You did not seek his approval, nor notified him of your departure. Just the slam of heavy doors as you left. It was late in the afternoon when Aemond peeled himself from bed. Criston delivers him a raven, reporting the whereabouts of your ship. He walked a blazing path from your shared quarters to the courtyard, to the outside of the dragonpit. Vhagar was fussy that day, putting up a fight while his rider commanded her to fly. You remember the exact moment hearing the beastly dragon's roar from miles away. You were in the middle of the ocean, with nothing but blue on every horizon. No one else to witness your husband and his dragon catching up to your ship, momentarily darkening the sky above you. For a second you thought he'd apologize and beg you to return. You expected words of love and pleading. Words of affirmation, to fix whatever was broken. But only one word was uttered. Dracarys. ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ--------------- Aemond was between sleep and wakefulness when he felt your presence in the room. Your scent, mixed with the smell of salty breeze, and the scent he knew all too well: the stench of burnt wood and flesh. Your figure moves to stand in front of the trembling prince regent. He finally gets a good look at his wife. Her burnt and rotten flesh sags from her bone. Hair dripping with seawater and fluids of death and decomposition. fish-bitten skin and flesh sagging from charred bone. Enough of this torture, he begged. "Nothing is ever enough, Aemond." ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ ㅤ--------------- A/N: that was such a shitty thing to do, Aemond :<  Thank u for reading! Comments and reblogs are much appreciated since i have trouble with my stuff showing up in the tag 😭

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Super Movie 1: Broly (2/3)

Well, enough of that flashback stuff. Let's move on to the present.

So after the destruction of Planet Vegeta, uh all of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super happened. This is kind of a weak point for this movie, because it's story is rooted in Goku's origin tale, but the climax takes place when Goku's a middle-aged man, so a lot of lore has happened in between. There's a similar thing going on when Raditz and Frieza show up in DBZ, and when Broly made his debut in the 1993 film, but Goku was 24-30 in those stories, so it wasn't quite as big a strain.

The thing is, the stuff we had to skip over was extremely important, and the movie simply can't go over all of it. If someone who knew nothing about Dragon Ball watched this thing, they would probably think that this is a story about Goku and Vegeta trying to avenge their people by defeating Frieza, except that already got dealt with in 1991. Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza have each been killed and resurrected... twice. This movie doesn't have time to explain all their baggage, much less how Goku and Vegeta became pals. So no one even tries to fill in the audience on who this big purple cat man is. You either saw Battle of Gods or you just have to roll with it.

And you know what? Good. No one was there to explain Ox King or Mr. Popo to me when I first got into this thing. I've been watching this stuff for a quarter century, and I still don't know what the fuck Tien's third eye is all about. Context is for the weak.

Anyway, this scene takes place on a private island Bulma bought some time ago. She had a resort built here so Goku and Vegeta could spar without damaging West City. And the food is good, so Beerus and Whis tagged along, although neither of them really have any impact on the plot at all. Whis asks Goku why he wants to get stronger, and Goku explains that he's feeling inspired after the recent Tournament of Power arc from the tail end of the DBS anime. Vegeta, on the other hand, is only concerned with Frieza, who was restored to life during that storyline. Frieza's more powerful than ever before, and Vegeta expects him to get even stronger and menace the Earth again.

Sure enough, Bulma gets a call from Trunks as Capsule Corp, who informs them that Bulma's collection of Dragon Balls and the Dragon Radar have been stolen by goons wearing Frieza Force uniforms. But the joke's on them, because Bulma only had six of the Dragon Balls collected. The seventh is on the Ice Continent, so they know exactly where to go to intercept the thieves. Beerus doesn't want to tag along for the trip, so Bulma leaves her infant daughter Bulla with Beerus.

So what was Bulma planning to wish for? She admits that she was going to ask Shenron to make her look five years younger. Why only five? Because if she got too young all at once, people would think she had work done.

So what does Frieza plan to wish for? Immortality was what he wanted on Namek, but not this time. No he only wants to grow about five centimeters taller. Why not just use his second or third forms to be tall? Because he wants to be taller in any of his forms. Why only five centimeters? Because he wants it to seem like he's still growing.

I've never been too happy about this gag. I mean, it's a good gag, but I liked it better the first time, when Commander Red planned to use the Dragon Balls to make himself taller. It does add some complexity to Frieza's character, though, since he's not just stubbornly trying the exact same routine that got him wrecked on Namek, and then killed on Earth, and then re-killed on Earth again.

This time, he's not trying to take the Dragon Balls by force, because he knows Goku and Vegeta are too powerful to challenge head-on. So he's using stealth instead. The minions he sent to Earth are weaker guys, which mean Goku and Vegeta wouldn't sense their ki. And it seems like Frieza's plan is to just sneak down to Earth, make the wish, and head out before anyone can stop them.

And he's not pursuing the same wish he had twenty-odd years ago. Really, Frieza was never that interested in immortality in the first place. He only decided to wish for that because it was the one thing he didn't already have. But now he's been dead twice over, and that's given him a new perspective on life and death, and he seems to think being unable to die would be similar to the unending torment he experienced in hell. Neither does he seek an invincible body. I'm not sure Shenron could give him greater strength, but Frieza feels that would take all the fun out of "the game". If nothing else, it's interesting to see Frieza consider this at all. Back in the Namek Saga, he never thought about wishing for greater power, because he believed he already was the strongest in the universe. Now that he knows otherwise, he seems fairly content with that.

Meanwhile, we meet the last two players in this drama, Leemo and Cheelai. They're operatives in the Frieza Force, but they're not warriors. Leemo's been with the Frieza Force from the beginning, and Cheelai's a recent recruit, having joined up to avoid the consequences of stealing a Galactic Patrol ship. Their orders are to find more warriors to join the Frieza Force, since their ranks are pretty threadbare. Remember, when Frieza destroyed the Saiyans, they made up half of his fighting force. The other half was still quite formidable, but all of his best troops ended up getting killed during Frieza's disastrous invasion of Namek. Then Frieza came back and tried to attach Earth in Resurrection F, and he brought like a thousand soldiers with him, and those guys all got killed as well.

As Cheelai observes, Frieza is down to women and old men like herself and Leemo. There just aren't many warriors available in the universe these days, because all the good talent got killed off a long time ago. As they discuss this, Leemo picks up a distress signal from Planet Vampa. Thinking their might be a reward for it, they head over to answer the call, and find...

Paragus! Also a bunch of alien monsters. Fortunately, Paragus isn't alone...

They also find Broly on Vampa, and he's all grown up and stronger than ever. Their scouters measure Paragus' power level at 4200, which isn't too impressive these days, but it's way better than anything the Frieza Force has at the moment. And Broly's power is too high for the scouters to measure, so they definitely want him to come along. On the way to Frieza's ship, Cheelai feeds Broly rations and takes a liking to the big guy.

When the four of them report to Frieza, Paragus explains that he had to cut off Broly's tail because of the frequent full moons on Vampa, which cause Broly to lose control of himself as a giant ape. Occasionally, Broly still loses control of himself anyway, but Paragus can rein him in using...

... a shock collar, which he can activate with a remote control. Leemo and Cheelai are horrified to learn of this, but not so horrified that they turn down the generous reward Frieza gives them for their discovery.

Now, one thing that always bugged me about this movie is that Frieza immediately starts making plans to use Broly against Goku and Vegeta. He wasn't planning to attack them this time around, but now that he has Broly on his team, it seems much more favorable. Later, when the fighting starts, Frieza is disappointed to find that Broly can't transform into a Super Saiyan, but why would he expect Broly to be able to do any of that? Sure he's a Saiyan, but Goku and Vegeta have mastered power levels far, far beyond what other Saiyans have ever dreamed possible.

But I keep forgetting that Frieza can sense ki these days, the same way Goku can. Back in the Namek Saga, Frieza had to rely on scouters like the rest of his goons, but when he trained to become Golden Frieza in Res F, he learned to sense energy. So when he sizes up Broly, he's not just guessing at how strong this guy is. He can actually perceive the untapped potential in Broly's body, and he seems to recognize that Broly would be capable of giving Goku and Vegeta a hard time. So it makes sense.

Anyway, Paragus is happy to cooperate, since he still despises King Vegeta for what happened, and he's down to attack Prince Vegeta to even the score. And Broly has to do whatever Paragus wants or he gets another shock.

Later, Cheelai tries to get to know Broly better, but Paragus forbids Broly from speaking. While they argue over this, another henchman tries to drunkenly hit on Cheelai. I really like how Leemo tries to defuse the situation here. He's not a fighter, so it suits his character that he'd try to employ a nonviolent solution, like offering to buy this guy a drink. Being a noncombatant in the Frieza Force, he's probably grown accustomed to swimming with the sharks like this. But it doesn't work, and then Broly steps up to use a non-nonviolent solution, which is violence.

But Paragus doesn't want to offend his host, so he gives Broly another shock. Cheelai confronts him over this, and while she chews him out, she swipes his remote control. Then Paragus gets summoned to talk with Frieza. While he's gone, Cheelai destroys the remote, and they listen to Broly tell the story of his green fur wrap.

It's a pretty simple story. The closest thing Broly had to a friend on Vampa was one of the large green creatures on the planet. Paragus used the creature to train Broly, goading it to attack, and then having Broly dodge it. But over time, the creature became accustomed to Broly, and they became pals. But Paragus wanted the creature to be hostile, so he shot its ear off with a laser pistol to piss it off. Ever since, Broly has kept the ear and wears it as a memento of their friendship.

I like how easily Cheelai and Leemo sympathize with Broly in this movie. They're not good guys at all. Cheelai's an opportunistic thief, and Leemo's a cog in Frieza's evil empire. But they're not heartless, and Broly's story is so tragic and innocent that you can't help but feel for the guy. Leemo compares Paragus to his own rotten father, so you can tell that he can relate to what Broly is going through. And Cheelai can tell when someone's being used. Paragus can dress it up all he likes, but he's just using Broly's power to serve his own selfish interests.

Moving on, Frieza's team on Earth have located the seventh Dragon Ball, and Frieza's fleet moves in to join them for the wish-making. But Bulma, Goku, and Vegeta get their first. They probably would have arrived sooner, but Bulma wanted to stop somewhere to buy cold-weather gear. Let's just take a moment to admire her safety-yellow snowsuit. She looks like a baby duck in this thing and it's great.

Frieza confronts Goku and Vegeta and introduces Paragus and Broly. I never really noticed these guardsmen who stand by while Frieza steps out of the ship. Paragus should have gotten one of those uniforms, since that pink shower curtain he's wearing looks dumb as hell.

I mean, look at Goku. Bulma got him a sweet blue coat and he looks like a million bucks. He tries to convince Paragus and Broly to get along as fellow Saiyans, but that doesn't get him anywhere. You'd think he'd know better by now.

So Broly's rarin' to go, and Frieza sees no reason to make him wait, and it's on. Broly attacks Vegeta, and that brings us to the final leg of this movie, which we'll cover next time.

[synergysilhouette]

Rewriting the Winx Club girls (just for fun)

In anticipation for season 9/the reboot of Winx Club (I've heard it being called both a continuation and a reboot, but I think Iginio said himself it was a reboot), I decided to make a post on how I'd personally rewrite the Winx girls. This isn't a "how they should've been" post, but just my own imagination. Note: I don't recall much beyond season 4, and the 4kids dub may have me messed up on some details, so lemme know if I got information wrong!

Bloom--In my reimagining, Bloom would be a shy loner, in contrast to most of the other Winx girls and the specialists. It's not that she doesn't like fashion, socializing, and having fun (as the series defines it), but she's very overwhelmed being away from her home on Earth. I'd also make it so that she IS actually descended from witches on one of her parents' sides as well as fairies; as a 4kids child, the bias against witches was much stronger than in the canon dub, and I think that creates more conflict for Bloom, especially if she herself is from Italy and the traditional view of witches is negative. I'd also make it so that she learns more about her parents via flashbacks and anecdotes from others. I'd confirm that both Oritel and Miriam are fairies, though since one of them also had witch ancestry, the match was hotly contested, and the destruction of Domino was contributed to said lineage. And it's not revealed early on that Daphne is Bloom's sister; it's just thought that she's Bloom's fairy godmother (I heard her favorite fairy tale is Cinderella, anyway) who gives her visions of Domino before it's destruction. Faragonda confirms FGs exist as a job, but is confused since Bloom describes Daphne as noncorporeal when FGs should be living, physical fairies guiding others. Bloom's witch ancestry is also what summons the dark phoenix, and the duality of Darkar and the Great Dragon helps Bloom to reconcile her fairy and witch heritage. It's also important to note that she doesn't start dating Sky until AFTER the Diaspro reveal, and Selina joins her at school, so at least she has a friend from the get-go. However, she feels A LOT of pressure on her since her bloodline carries the direct magic of the dragon flame. It's also noted that she broke up with Andy a year before the show began (I was gonna say she broke up with him RIGHT BEFORE she came to Alfea, but I thought that wouldn't make her romance with Sky realistic or stable since it began so soon after she arrived). I'd also note that before she gains control over her powers, Faragonda passes her off as a regular fire fairy, not a fairy of the dragon flame, for her own protection.

If I had to redesign her magic look, I'd make it black with multicolored elements to signify the cosmos from which the primordial dragon created the magic dimension. I'd also base her physically on Emma Stone, and I'd be curious to have Jodi Benson voice her (though Mae Whitman is my backup).

Stella--Stella is a character defined by her relationships with others. At the beginning of the series, her parents are at the tail-end of their marriage. Despite being raised to read people (both as a princess and a socialite), Stella is blissfully unaware of her parents' impending divorce, with only a few people close to her being aware of it. While she does eventually recover, it leaves her numb for a while, and sees a turning point for her character as she becomes much better at analyzing people and develops an interest in psychology. Her relationship with Brandon is also dived into, with her realizing his inferiority complex to the point where he lied to her about who he was. This puts a pause on their relationship until Stella feels secure about her emotional state and how happy her social circle makes her. And of course, her parents' new relationships (Luna with Allan and Radius with Cassandra) challenge her further, since she can't go back to the blissful ignorance she had before; she can only push forward and make new happy memories with her friends and family. It should also be noted that while eventually happy together (for a time), Radius and Luna mainly got married because Radius--despite magical ancestry--had no magic of his own, while Luna did, making her a good match to bear his heirs.

Design-wise, I'd put her in silver and gold to accommodate her being the fairy of the sun, moon and stars. She could be physically inspired by Anya Taylor-Joy and voiced by Andrea Baker.

Aisha--The iconic princess of Andros is the most athletic Winx member (so a little bit buff), as well as one of the most practical. Aisha is never officially forced into an arranged marriage with Nabu, but it's a big topic of discussion of who either of them will marry. As it turns out, she falls for him without knowing who he is and finds out that he's conveniently from a noble family. The fact that he's a wizard also helps raise his value to the royal magical family (though perhaps I'd make him a male fairy in my rewrite). It's noted that Aisha does have options, as evident by entertaining Nex and Roy's advances (though IDK how polyamory would go over in a kids' show), but Nabu is her priority. As the fairy of waves, she constantly likes to be near water, especially to communicate with her merpeople relatives (something Bloom is also excited to see, being from Earth). Aisha is seen as "half mermaid, half fairy," given her father's mer-heritage and her mother's fairy heritage, pushing her to be diplomatic for both realms. For a period, she goes by Layla, attempting to distance herself from her royal status as well as prevent suitors and unwanted nobles from finding her.

I'd keep the aqua palette she has in Bloomix for her main design, and base her appearance on SZA. I could see Cree Summer playing her.

Musa--A musical prodigy and aspiring star, but that's sadly common in Harmony, so common that the people there face discrimination for their innate musical abilities by foreigners, who see it as a magical cheat and that they have no true talent or hard work. As a result of this, Musa's father (who I'd rename Itar from "chitarra," which is Italian for guitar; Ho-Boe reminds me of the term hobo) was discouraged from music until he met her mother and she inspired him to be a musician. He had a long career before Musa was born, but his wife's death meant he lost his motivation to overcome discrimination, and as such he discouraged Musa from pursuing a musical career, going as far as leaving Melody and having Musa grow up on another planet. As such, she strives to learn more about her culture and heritage, set on becoming a muscian (she can sing and play several instruments). Riven's controlling attitude reminds her of her father, which both frustrates and comforts her--but something's gotta give. At one point on Earth, she becomes the main vocalist for Andy, Mark, and Rio's band (I'm imagining they have a pop-punk sound, taking inspiration from No Doubt, Panic @ the Disco, and Olivia Rodrigo, though they can branch out)--much to Riven's chagrin, but by this point he knows not to let his jealousy ruin their relationship.

In terms of design, I'd probably keep the red-pink colors for her transformation, but take inspiration from concert outfits like the ones worn by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce. I'd base her character design on Rina Sawayama and have her voiced by Awkwafina. I'd also keep her androgynous-feminine style.

Tecna--The most practical girl of the bunch, she doesn't often let emotions get in her way, most likely because she's a cyborg (inspired by one of the dubs that claimed she was an android; there's a difference). As the third child in line for the throne (gonna keep her royal based on comics, and I wanted more winx girls to have siblings), she has flexibility with her future life goals, but is still raised to uphold Zenith's honor and glory. She often comes off as inconsiderate, but bonding with the group (and romancing the bashful Timmy) has opened her up. Her newfound emotion is met with mixed-reception back home, where such things are seen as a nuisance, but her family appreciates it, nonetheless. However, she can be reckless; given that her people are imbued with magic that gives them machine-like qualities, she often puts herself at risk because she can take it/be fixed later on. And note: her father has King Cryos' design while her mother has Magnethia's design.

Tecna is non-binary (felt like that'd be easy rep and not super contestable), physically inspired by Demi Lovato and a green distorted fairy form (at first, anyway, to sell the digital aspect). I'd want her to be voiced by Kari Wahlgren, given that I loved 4kids' British Tecna and Kari's British accent as Emma Frost.

Flora--My personal favorite Winx girl, Flora is the heart of the group (to Tecna's mind of the group). She often has sympathy for others without being naive, and comes from a more naturalistic, almost ancient culture that believes in being one with nature. As such, she occasionally clashes with Tecna, reveres Bloom (holding the power of the creator), and adores Stella, Aisha, and Musa. She's very traditional and romantic, having fallen for pacifist Helia (who I'd rewrite as a fairy, druid, or wizard who mainly uses healing/protective magic) due to shared ideals, as well as being childhood friends; they even got engaged early on, but they're waiting to graduate. Her first priority once she's done at Alphea is going to Earth with Bloom to fix the environment (which would take at least a year), and has been invited to work for the royal family thanks to her contributions to nature. Her kindness has made her popular far and wide, and she's partially credited with making Linphea fashion-forward while still maintaining cultural traditions. A lot of people seem confused about her background, and she's Latin-inspired, so it would be nice to see her area of Linphea inspired by a Latin American country.

Transformation-wise, I'd take inspiration from many flowers (real or not) such as blue-white morning glories, blue lilies, bleeding hearts, dahlias, and bat flowers. For her appearance, I'd base her off of Selena Gomez (keep the tan, though; even if we don't see Flora's Latin inspiration, we can still have skintone diversity), and I'd want her VA to be Maria Canals-Barrera.

Roxy--Surprise! I wasn't gonna include Roxy, but I thought why not? MAJOR overhaul, though; first off, I'd give her a different name (personal preference), perhaps Ariel. Plus her story is Bloom 2.0 in a few ways. In any case, after Bloom--a powerful fairy--is discovered on Earth, a planet previously thought to be abandoned by fairies, scouts are sent to investigate, eventually discovering Ariel. She is hesitant to leave Earth, particularly her father, boyfriend (not every guy has to go to Red Fountain), and her mother's grave. Here, the Earth fairies are mostly gone for good, with the Wizards of the Dark Circle becoming deity-like legends for villainous characters, though I'd probably make one or two of them fairies to show that even fairies can be evil. Ariel also keeps her powers under wraps, being suspicious and the opposite of Bloom--who was desperate to know her heritage--not exactly keen on her new life of danger. But she gets along with Flora, Musa, and Aisha eventually, as well as seeing new animal life.

I'm COMPLETELY changing her design since she looks like she could be Tecna's sister; I'd take the opportunity to make her Pacific Islander or Native American (I'm thinking USA or Canadian) instead--though I will note this removes her Arthurian and Irish inspiration, unfortunately--and I'd give her an orange transformation look (since Stella's no longer using it). I'd base her off of either Amber Midthunder or Auli'i Cravalho (though with a deeper tan in either case) and have her voiced by either Kiawentiio Tarbell or Auli'i herself.

Lemme know what you think or if you have any questions! I may do the specialists next.