#especially since traveling the world is not only an important part of the plot but also a very important part of the world itself

[yellowsubiesdance]

so far, season 3 has been my favorite of lok, that was fantastic, and it ended on such a beautiful, emotional note

[swordgrace]

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐒 — 𝐈𝐕.

⠀ཾ༵ 𑁍┆ jacaerys velaryon x fem!reader.

SYNOPSIS: you and jacaerys go to claw isle, the ancestral seat of house celtigar, to treat with your brother. needless to say, tensions are high.

part of a series, read part three here.

{ FORMAT: one-shot, part of a series.

{ WORD COUNT: 11.7K (another long one).

{ WARNINGS: SMUT (mdni), creative liberties taken with claw isle & house celtigar, reader has a poor relationship with her brother, canon-typical misogyny, little bit of plot, lots of smut, overprotective jacaerys, p in v sex, unprotected sex, missionary position, mild breeding kink, first time oral sex (m!receiving), handjobs, cunnilingus, oral sex (fem!rec), body worship (f&m receiving), hair pulling kink, multiple orgasms, making out, lots of love declarations, jace only makes love, everything is extremely gentle, very soft aftercare

{ AUTHOR’S NOTE: Finally, it’s here! I’m really trying to get this series squared away before the season ends, but that’s definitely not going to happen. 😭 Nonetheless, I’m going to keep pushing for weekly to bi-weekly uploads with this and work on requests! As always, thank you all so much for your continued love and support! It means the world to me! I hope you all enjoy! ❤️

𝐀 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐒𝐞𝐚, 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦, 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭.

Something about it seemed ominous and dark, as if there was an unseen presence lingering in the fog. The thick scent of saltwater stung your nostrils as you flew above the dark waters. It was not ideal weather for travel, especially upon the back of a dragon.

Vermax maintained a steady pace as you and Jacaerys flew to Claw Isle. The journey was lengthy, but the both of you were filled with an inner fire and determination to subdue your brother and bring the Celtigar fleet into the fold. It had been a handful of hours since your departure, growing closer and closer to your home.

If it weren’t for the constant feeling of peril and dread, you would’ve fallen asleep on the saddle, slumped against Jacaerys as he steered the dragon over a vast plane of coastal cliffs. He seemed quiet, contemplative — you assumed he thought of his mother.

Her disappearance to King’s Landing for reasons unknown had put a stressor on the War Council, all in complete disarray. Rhaenys was at the helm in an attempt to steer what was now a rudderless group, and Jacaerys could think of no better person suited to bring a gaggle of old men to heel.

It was important for you to maintain your resolve, support Jacaerys in whatever he needed. He was going to help fight your battles, but you wanted to help him, too. You couldn’t imagine the inner turmoil he was experiencing, calm on the outside. He was so selfless, rarely placing his own needs before your own, and if he did, it wasn’t done willingly.

The view of the ocean from the back of a dragon was enchanting — dark waters stretching as far as the eye could see, a thick haze hovering above, salty droplets of mist peppering across your cheeks as you flew. You neglected to inform Clement of your presence, preferring the element of surprise.

A serpentine cry escaped Vermax as he swooped over a line of trees atop a peninsula, prompting you to gasp and hold on tightly to the saddle. This was only your second time on dragonback, and thankfully, it wasn’t as frightening as the first — even then, they were unpredictable creatures.

“Are you alright?” Jacaerys asked, chest snug against your back, face nearly brushing your shoulder as he guided Vermax away from any cliffsides — for your sake, mostly. Despite the dire situation of the Council, he was more determined than ever to placate your brother. They needed the Celtigar fleet if they were to win the war.

You nodded, grip beginning to slack upon the saddle as the fog of misty clouds began to break, revealing an island in the distance. “We’re nearly there.” You replied, brows furrowing together as you came upon the island. It was strange to be home under such circumstances — you wish it were different.

Claw Isle was somewhat larger than Dragonstone, and Celtigar Keep rose high above the clouds, appearing in all of its glory. It was carved of white stone, turned gray and dark in coloration from many decades of weathering at seaside. It was pointed and arching with high, spindling towers, much of the castle was built in and around the rocky mass it sat atop.

The coastlines were clear, grayish shores that seemed to match the pallor of the Celtigar stronghold. Crackclaw Point, the peninsula, was more inhabited with towns and fishing villages, able to be spotted from where you flew. A lone fisherman on the beach stared overhead at the sight of a dragon making its descent somewhere far from the citadel walls.

A massive bridge connected Claw Isle to Crackclaw Point, an impressive contraption of thick stone that ferried denizens above the violet swell of the ocean’s tides. The banners of crimson crabs against a field of white fluttered in the distance, and you had to steel yourself from becoming trapped within the past.

The memories you held of home were not all bright and mirthful — some were horrible, others good, others muddled somewhere in between. You wondered how Clement would feel about your intrusion, answering his stubbornness and pride with that of a dragon, and then you realized that he would have no choice in the matter.

“Land far along the beach,” You instructed, feeling the steady beat of Vermax’s wings crawl to a halt as he descended. Jacaerys guided him to the shore, and the landing was hard, causing you to lurch forward within the saddle. “We will walk the rest of the way.”

Jacaerys dismounted first, sliding along the olive-and-sienna wing of his dragon, extending his arms out to you. As you moved down, albeit sluggishly, his hands circled your hips, grabbing you and placing you down onto solid ground.

A crack of thunder resonated overhead, accompanied with the swirling, ominous skies of an encroaching storm. Jacaerys held you still, pressing a kiss against your forehead. “If anything happens, you stay by my side.” He murmured, somewhat afraid that it would come to a fight. As long as he could reach Vermax, the odds were exponentially in his favor.

“Of course,” You reassured him, giving his forearms a gentle squeeze on either side of you. “If Clement is willing, we should have our fleet and be off by tomorrow. Though, I fear it might not be such an easy feat.” With a soft sigh, you stretched up upon your toes, kissing Jace with a brief flutter of passion.

It was soothing, being in the presence of one another. Jacaerys found it easier to simply exist with you without worrying about wandering eyes and being caught. You were somewhere unfamiliar, but he did not let his guard down. He reciprocated your kiss, keeping it chaste before the both of you began to walk down the strand.

Vermax paced along the coastline, flying from the wet sand toward the driftwood-strewn inclines and hills, blending in against the backdrop of tall pine trees. The dragon stayed close to Jacaerys’s side, but away from the wandering eyes of any potential hostilities.

Jacaerys felt your hand slip into his as the two of you made your trek to Celtigar Keep. You regailed him with tales of your home, from the massive stone stronghold to the vast amount of treasures that resided within. The dour curtain of veiled clouds hung low upon the strand, covering some of the Keep’s spires in a hazy fog.

It was not unlike Dragonstone in terms of intimidation — any fortress of such a grim caliber was sure to strike fear into those who saw it. Jacaerys found it to be beautiful, but not when an idiotic ruler sat inside of it. He didn’t want to cast judgment upon your brother so quickly, but he was doing very little to garner any sympathy.

“What is your brother like?” Jacaerys questioned, idly tracing his thumb over your knuckles. He wanted to prepare himself for whatever happened — and he had a hunch that he and Clement would butt heads like two rearing elk. “You rarely speak of him.”

There was a good reason for it, given your strained relationship. You hesitated, casting your forlorn gaze towards the beach instead, deciding on how to proceed. “Clement and I have not always had a good relationship,” You confessed, brows furrowing together. “He is stubborn and arrogant, but my father’s enablement of him simply worsened any negative qualities.”

Jacaerys listened closely, recognizing the frustration etched into your features. Whenever you spoke about Clement, it was never anything good. Your voice was often laced with irritation or a subtle pain. “Do you think he will listen to you?” His voice softened at his inquiry.

“I am unsure,” Admitting the bitter truth of the challenge that this mission presented was a hard pill to swallow. “I don’t think he will, but I must persuade him to listen and do what is right. It will be comforting to have you here with me.” You replied, offering Jace a threadbare smile.

“I wouldn’t have let you go alone,” Jace murmured, a tender smile tugging at either corner of his mouth. He feared becoming tempestuous in your brother’s presence — if hostilities or insults were hurled, there was no telling what he would do. “Is this the Keep where you grew up in?” He asked, motioning to the castle ahead.

The ocean lived within your blood just as much as that of Old Valyria — saltwater and the tides, intermingled with that of ancient ancestry. “Yes,” You replied, gaze drifting toward the scaling fortress of naval power, its walls and towers decorated with some oceanic motif. “It looked much brighter when I was younger.”

Jacaerys could envision you, a wide-eyed child, with a love of the sea, playing somewhere along the coast with the overbearing ire of your father. It was much like Driftmark, only Celtigar Keep was thrice the size and more like some dour mausoleum than a true castle.

“Should I worry about any hostilities from your brother?” Jace questioned, keeping one palm atop the pommel of his blade. The sword had been a gift from Daemon — despite the rift, it was an item of sentimental significance.

“My brother is half the fighter that you are, so I suspect not. His tongue is sharper than his blade — he wields insults instead of a sword.” You explained, and as you walked along the strand, the Keep became close and closer, coming into your focus. “Do not give him any satisfaction, or he will use it against you.”

It was good information to have, and Jace nodded, resolute and stalwart as his gaze turned from Celtigar Keep to you. There was a softness that found his features whenever he glanced at you, and he wanted nothing more than to steal you away and shower you with his affections.

Perhaps, if you were to stay at Celtigar Keep, he would be presented with ample opportunities.

It was foolish to think that way given the dire nature of your mission, providing his mother with an army and a fleet. The excitable, amorous nature of youth prevailed, but Jacaerys had other motives that offered some context to his desire. He’d been mulling it over for some time now, and the way forward had never been clearer.

As the both of you made it to the bridge, you crossed until you were faced with the bolted Gate of the Crab, a massive stone-wrought wall armed with crossbows and footsoldiers bearing the Celtigar tabard. They blocked your path, looking between you and Jacaerys with an air of concern and bewilderment.

“Who goes there?” A guard questioned, extending a polearm to bar your path.

“Lady Celtigar, daughter of Lord Bartimos, and Prince Jacaerys Velaryon of Dragonstone, son of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and heir to the Iron Throne.” You announced, happening to earn a brief smile from Jace’s end. He thoroughly enjoyed the way you introduced him, regal and with a lengthy list of titles and accolades to reinforce his position, and yours.

Both of the guards appeared shocked, glancing between one another before looking at you and Jace. He stood with his hands interlocked atop the pommel of his sword, crimson cape billowing in the wind. It bore the black-and-red Targaryen sigil, doublet stitched with silver dragons and intricate patterns.

“What business does the Prince have with Lord Celtigar?” A guard piped up, demanding a suitable answer before allowing either of you inside. He addressed Jacaerys with a certain level of sternness, as if it would intimidate him — it didn’t in the slightest.

“It does not matter whether or not I have business with your lord. What matters is that Lady Celtigar is here to treat with her brother — why deny her that satisfaction?” Jacaerys quipped, brows furrowing together. His abilities in diplomacy and action had improved greatly since his time with Lord Cregan Stark in the North.

A wariness grew between the guards, who looked to the crossbowmen supplanted along the walls, and the back to the both of you. Still, they hesitated on letting either of you inside — until Vermax appeared. The dragon let out a screech, flying right over the bridge you stood upon before circling around into the thicket of pines.

Jacaerys smiled triumphantly, head canting to one side. “Surely, you will not deny us now.” He quipped, hovering protectively at your flank, curls billowing with the saltwater breeze. The guards swallowed whatever fear had risen into their throats, and promptly stepped aside, opening up the gates.

You fought to withhold the look of amusement upon your face, passing through the Crabgate with Jacaerys. Having Vermax at your side was an excellent idea, and you had to credit Jace for his ingenious use of dragons. Diplomacy wasn’t something either of you were used to, but it was a role worth growing into.

The grounds of Celtigar Keep were vast, an oceanic aesthetic interwoven into the architecture. The sigil of the red crab was everywhere you looked, repeated again and again. Jacaerys appeared perplexed, brows furrowing together as he observed his surroundings. It reminded him much of Driftmark.

The castle now seemed aware of your presence, the Lady Celtigar and the Heir to the Iron Throne, walking in-tandem toward the Great Hall. The guards allowed you passage through the courtyard and the grounds of the Keep, the hall looming in the distance, wreathed in a shroud of gray mist.

Jacaerys steeled himself for what was to come, meeting your brother head-on in his own home. From what little of him you’d described, he was his own age, nine-and-ten, bullheaded with little knowledge of how to truly rule. A challenge that he welcomed, truthfully — if he was to one day ascend the throne, he would need to know how to deal with unruly subjects.

A set of stairs ascended towards the Great Hall, marked by braziers, crabs holding large bowls with still-smoldering embers inside. The hour was beginning to grow late, sometime in the evening, and you and Jacaerys were both weathered from the journey.

As the guards opened the doors to the Great Hall, it was nothing more than a large room, dome-shaped with windows above, allowing for natural light to trickle through. Each column that held the hall aloft were wreathed in stone motifs of crabs and seaweed, winding down toward the floor.

In the primary seat of House Celtigar, a throne fashioned from the very rock that the Keep stood upon, sat your brother, Clement. He seemed less than enthused with your presence, but perplexed nonetheless, gaze drifting between both yourself and Jacaerys.

“You could’ve sent a raven, sister. I had no idea of your coming to Claw Isle,” Clement sat slumped within his supposed throne, one hand tucked into a fist beneath his chin, the other tapping against the stone arm. “It seems you’ve brought a guest.”

“In your colorful missive to me, you implored me to not send any more ravens,” You retorted, folding your hands together. “I did what anyone would do — came to see you in-person.” It had been two years, and Clement seemed older in the face, but his demeanor hadn’t changed in the slightest.

Clement scoffed, brows furrowing together at your snide comment. You were determined and ambitious, he would give you that, but he was prepared to turn you down immediately. “You’ve come here to do what, exactly? Demand half of my fleet? Admonish me for sending our father away? What outcome did you expect from this?”

Jacaerys answered instead, his tone steely and measured, the kingly voice of a man striving to fight for his mother’s claim and his own. “We expect half of your forces, as promised. Your house swore an oath to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen — do not make your family look foolish.” He retorted, visage one of stalwart composure, a glare thrown in Clement’s direction.

“Remind me — who are you?” Clement questioned, his tone tinged with an edge of mockery as he looked upon Jacaerys with disdain. Two young men of different morals and caliber preparing to butt heads — you couldn’t imagine that this would go well.

“Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, son of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne,” He declared, hands interlocked atop the pommel of his sword. “Ensuring that you hold your oath fulfilled.” Jacaerys did not like your brother — there was an arrogance there that irritated him.

Clement scoffed, turning his attention to you again, hands folding together within his lap. “Brought your Prince with you, did you, sister?” He sneered, his expression sour before he shook his head. “Where is that dragon of yours? Shall you burn me where I stand if I do not do as the Queen demands?”

“My Lord, your house is pledged to Queen Rhaenyra, surely you will not —” One of Clement’s advisers, Lord Mydas Smythe, an older man with a rather bushy set of brows, implored your brother to listen to reason.

“The fleet is needed here, in the defense of Claw Isle and Crackclaw Point. Ser Criston Cole is parading through the Riverlands, unchecked and unchallenged. Soon, he will turn his sights to us. Though, I will show you kindness and give you two ships — for your troubles.” Clement snapped, waving a hand dismissively at Lord Smythe.

“You seem very worried for a man cowering behind his castle walls,” Jacaerys relented, shoulders squaring up against Clement, dark brows furrowed together in a look of complete and utter spite. “Since you have your armies and acclaimed fleet, why not ride out and meet Cole yourself?”

Clement’s mouth twitched, throat growing thick with rage as he was put in his place before his Court, by a boy with little experience of anything. “I cannot say I’ve heard much of your valor either, Prince of Dragonstone. Instead, you’ve come to play politics with my airheaded sister.”

“Mind your tongue before Lady Celtigar.” Jacaerys’s voice was sharp and smoldering with rage when Clement so blatantly insulted you, and he nearly retorted again if it weren’t for you. He bristled, jaw unnaturally tense as he prepared to fight for your honor.

Your hand slyly tugged upon the sleeve of his doublet, urging him not to act just yet. He remained quiet, adhering to your advice as he silently fumed, glaring at Clement with all of the tempestuous ferocity of a young dragon. If a look could burn one where they stood, your brother would’ve been ash and bone.

“I would ask you to reconsider,” Your voice subtly quivered, anxiousness beginning to get the better of you. “Please, Clement. This is the cause our father pledged to — and it is a worthy one. We cannot have our house branded as oath breakers. Do not throw everything away for the sake of your pride.”

Your brother’s nostrils flared, fingers clenching together into a tight fist as he fought to maintain his composure before his small court. “My pride?” He quipped, tone harsh and unyielding before he exhaled, turning away for a brief moment. “I will have my answer for you on the morrow. For now, you are guests in my Keep — do not take advantage of my hospitality.”

Perhaps, you had gotten to Clement, even if it was for the briefest of moments. Your father had always favored your brother, but pushed him too far — excelling in everything, shoved to the very edge of greatness at the cost of his own sanity.

Lord Smythe seemed rather disappointed in Clement’s lack of action and propriety. The older man looked to you with a withering expression, visibly apologetic before he bowed and took his leave. You offered him a thin smile, one of subtle reassurance.

The halls remained eerily quiet, thick with a strained tension that threatened to erupt between Clement and Jacaerys, in particular. You wanted to avoid a physical confrontation — and you knew that Jace wouldn’t shy away, being twice the fighter that your brother was.

Despite Jace’s desire to continue pressing him, he yielded, hands gripping the pommel so tightly that it threatened to snap into two. He hated the way Clement treated you, as if you were insignificant and unimportant, more of a nuisance than true family.

One of the guards stepped in as Clement stood from the Celtigar seat, giving you a disparaging stare before he disappeared, slipping through one of the crab-adorned doors. Knights in his service followed dutifully, leaving you and Jacaerys in the Great Hall, save for the presence of guardsmen and a handful of advisors.

The halls of Celtigar Keep were incredibly familiar to you, and the guard inevitably escorted you and Jacaerys to your chambers, your quarters down the corridor from his own. Yours happened to be the very same you stayed in for most of your life, until you were made to become Rhaenyra’s lady-in-waiting.

Your chambers were far more lavish than your humble accommodations on Dragonstone, but you much preferred it to Celtigar Keep. Here, everything seemed hollow, and memories stirred with you — most of them evoked a sense of melancholy. You hoped that your time here was short and fleeting, if it all went in your favor.

𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

You had barely touched your food, pacing your newfound surroundings, studying the old decorations you had scattered about your chambers.

Many fixings had belonged to you since childhood — relics of your youth scattered atop the mantle above the hearth, gowns tucked away that you hadn’t worn since your teenage years. It evoked a strong sense of nostalgia, perhaps a yearning for the past.

Jacaerys did not want to stay put in his assigned chambers for long. With haste, he stealthily moved through the door and made for your room, unseen and filled with a sense of excitement.

Before you could leave to sneak away to Jacaerys’s room, he was already at your door, quietly slipping inside with his belongings, silvery platter of seafood included. “Are you going somewhere?” You questioned, watching as he hastily stepped across the room to set his meal beside yours.

“No,” Jacaerys replied, facing you with a soft expression. “Just here,” He hesitated, searching your face for any sign of discomfort or protest at his subtle request. He cared very little for the repercussions or consequences — you were no longer on Dragonstone, and the scrutiny of your relationship wasn’t something that worried him. “If you are agreeable to it.”

A smile spread across your features, vibrant and uplifting despite the charged, dour situation earlier that evening. “There is nowhere else that I’d want you to be,” You replied, heart stirring within your chest as your stomach filled with the excitable churning of butterflies. “If you didn’t come, I would’ve found my way to you eventually.”

Content and warmed by your words, Jacaerys found it difficult to suppress a grin of his own, mirth twinkling within his eyes. “There aren’t as many wandering eyes here,” He mused, placing his knapsack on top of your footlocker. “I thought perhaps, I could stay this time — until the dawn.”

A semblance of delight rippled through you, accompanied with your still-flourishing love for him. Jacaerys being here meant a great deal to you, more than he would ever realize. To have him insist that he share your bed until morning made you most elated. “Please stay.” You insisted.

He made himself comfortable, careful gaze absorbing each and every detail of your chambers. The relics and trinkets organized on shelves intrigued him, some of them being handmade dragons and knights. Jace picked up one of them, crafted from stone, turning it over within the light.

“I am sorry for my brother,” You sighed, shrugging your overcoat aside, draping it over the foot of your bed. The gowns you wore beneath were tattered and muddied at the ends, used for traveling and practical purposes. “I did not want you to be the subject of his ire.”

Jacaerys’s jaw tensed slightly at mention of your brother, whose tongue would be cut away if he made another insult against you. “He sullies your good name,” He murmured, brows furrowing together as he studied the intricacies of your chambers. “I apologize if I lost my temper. I loathed the way he spoke to you.”

Admittedly, you felt quite the opposite — his protectiveness over you was incredibly attractive and gallant, qualities that you adored about him. “I do believe that he needs to be humbled, and you do it so brilliantly.” You replied, fidgeting with the ends of your sleeves. It was an old dress made for travel. “Thank you for defending me.”

His brown hues softened once more, dancing with an immeasurable amount of affection for you, a bright ardor that refused to be snuffed out. “You needn’t thank me,” Jacaerys stepped closer, lips briefly pressing against your forehead. “I will always protect you, until my last breath.” His words were a solemn vow, not easily broken.

With a soft exhale, you squeezed his hand, careening into his warm embrace. “Are you hungry? We could eat, if you’d like. I suspect that nothing will come of this evening until we treat with my brother tomorrow.” You sighed, knowing that waiting would make everything worse.

“Plenty of time on our hands,” Jacaerys chimed, yet his honeyed words seemed thick with implications of how to fill your unoccupied time. It was on your mind just as heavily, yet you pretended to be clueless, canting your head to one side. “Let’s eat.”

It would give the both of you ample time to figure out some play or strategy when it came to Clement. You knew that with enough pressure and whittling, he would finally obey your demands. Nevertheless, you didn’t want to plague your mind with doubt — not now, anyway.

Lukewarm seafood sat piled upon porcelain plates, accompanied by generous helpings of roasted vegetables and hunks of half-stale bread. It was better than scraps or rations, and you led Jacaerys toward the small, ornate table situated within your quarters.

It felt so blissful like this — alone with him, basking in the moment, enjoying a meal together without fear of interruptions or speculation. You sat diagonally from one another, candlelight dancing atop the driftwood table as you cut into your filet of fish.

“If we cannot convince your brother to deliver on his oath, what then?” Jacaerys asked, jaw tensing. He didn’t want to fight your brother, but if that’s what was needed of him, he would do it without question. “We cannot return home empty-handed.”

Your shoulders sank in a brief sigh. “Clement is foolish, arrogant, and stubborn — but he knows when to give it up. This is all some display and spectacle meant to goad me, but I won’t give him the satisfaction.” Glancing at Jace, you seemed more determined than ever. “And neither should you.”

That would be a difficult feat, biting his tongue while your brother assailed you with bitter, venomous words. Jacaerys would sooner cut his tongue for it than sit idly by while you suffered. “I won’t let him tarnish your honor, and I will not sit by while he insults you. I cannot do it.” He replied, shaking his head.

“Sometimes, that is what you have to do, Jacaerys. I promise that I can handle it. I just — I don’t want you to fall prey to his viciousness, that’s all.” You loved all of Jacaerys — everything about him was good, even his sharp tongue and quick temper.

Jace stared at you, love burning within his eyes, coupled with that of an unwavering devotion. “I wouldn’t stoop to that level,” He reached for your hand, digits tracing across the ridges of your knuckles. “Not with you.” Solemn and stalwart, he squeezed your fingers, and you returned the gesture.

“You’re a good man, Jacaerys.” You crooned, steadfast in your belief in him, in your own devotion. Part of you always feared that the fantasy would fade and duty would pledge him to another, but so far, it hadn’t happened yet. You hoped that it stayed that way. “I am fortunate to keep your company.”

He brought your hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss atop your knuckles before he released you, returning to his food with disinterest. “My heart is yours,” It was the same, saccharine assurance he’d stated time and time again. “Until the end of my days.”

Jacaerys wanted this for the rest of his life — and he could have it. He was going to ask you. Perhaps not now, but the moment felt right, and it could be upon him instantaneously if he wasn’t prepared. The idea of you being his wife, enjoying meals like this in the sanctuary of your chambers together, unperturbed by prying eyes — he wanted this, and he wanted you.

Through deliberate bites of sautéed seafood, Jacaerys gazed at you with a doe-like expression, studying your beautiful features, the way you treated him to a smile when you caught him staring. He was the fortunate one, the luckiest man alive in the realm to have fallen in love with you, and with every breath he drew, he only loved you more.

When you caught his smoldering gaze, you felt a familiar warmth dance along the length of your spine. Smitten, you absentmindedly dabbed at the corner of your mouth with your cloth. “Do I have something on my face?” You questioned, feeling gluttonous for consuming your food so quickly.

Seafood was a commonality on Claw Isle, but it tasted wonderful each time — perhaps it was the familiarity of it and the warmth of home that made you feel this way. Nonetheless, you sat back within your seat, feeling undeniably hot beneath Jacaerys’s tender stare.

“You’re incredibly beautiful, that's all.” He hummed, heart swelling tenfold when you began to giggle. Jace wondered if it seemed too silly, doting on you during dinner, but you didn’t protest whatsoever. “You have nothing on your face, if it makes you feel better.”

His sweetly-spoken compliments made your insides melt, turning to a pool of heat as you played with your fork. You smiled at Jacaerys as if he were the sun itself, warm and vibrant, keeping you in his orbit. “I love you.” You hummed, and as you finished your meal, you gently stood up, pressing a kiss against the top of his head in-passing.

Jacaerys felt his features turn warm with a rosy coloration, though he wondered what you were doing, watching as you paced across your chambers. You knelt beside the hearth, adding more kindling and wood onto the fire before you dusted your hands off on your skirts.

“These chambers were my home for the longest time,” You sighed, peering over the gray walls, decorated in plenty of your own furnishings and personal touches. “It is strange to be back here, but having you with me makes it all much more bearable.”

Removing himself from the table, he joined you in touring your quarters, following you past the small set of doors into the sanctity of your bedroom. It hadn’t been used in years, everything perfectly in-place, the same as you left it. You opened up your wardrobe with a huff of laughter.

“What is it?” Jacaerys asked, head canting to one side as you removed one gown in particular. It was resplendent and beautifully-made, handcrafted with silver embroidery against fields of cream and crimson — the colors of House Celtigar.

“My father had this made for me when he attempted to find me suitable marriage prospects,” You explained, chewing at the inside of your cheek. Thankfully, you were sent away before you could be married to some middle-aged man from the Stormlands. “I never did get to wear it.” You mused.

He envisioned you in it so very clearly — perfection incarnate, in his eyes. Jacaerys’s gaze softened at the sight of you, exuberant and smiling at him with affection interwoven into your features. “You would look beautiful in it,” He murmured, lips twitching into a soft smile. “Though, you look enchanting in anything and everything.”

You loved him so deeply, letting it seep into your bones, filling you with an insurmountable feeling of ardor. Being alone with him without fear of intrusion was a wonderful feeling, something that you wished you could have more of — on Dragonstone and everywhere else.

With a soft exhale, you stowed the dress aside, gently shutting the massive, gilded doors to your wardrobe before peering to the window. It was nearly sundown, the sunset hidden behind darker sheets of gray, thick clouds, but nighttime was close on its heels.

“Did your father ever succeed in finding you a suitable betrothal?” Jacaerys inquired, picturing you in that gown, standing by his side when he asked your father for your hand. The question was innately harmless, perhaps his own curiosity getting the best of him, but he needed to know.

The question blindsided you, filling you with a sense of mild bewilderment as you cleared your throat. “No,” It was better that way — if you had been betrothed, you might’ve never formed the bond with Jacaerys that you had. You wouldn’t trade it for anything. “He did not, and I am thankful for it — I met you.”

Jacaerys gazed at you with true love, brown hues swirling with tenderness and an adoration that drowned out everything else. He could no longer imagine his existence without you in it, and he loathed to think what could’ve happened had you already been promised to another.

Now, that possibility to become a union seemed very real, a reality that was just within his grasp, so visceral and raw that even he could see it in his mind’s eye. Jacaerys smiled at that, briefly pressing a kiss against your temples before he settled down. “I am thankful for it, too.” He confessed, voice soft and assured.

“I’m going to change out of this dreadful thing,” You mumbled, pinching the muddied fabric between your fingertips as you cleared your throat. “Are you tired?” Admittedly, exhaustion hadn’t gripped you yet — you were somewhat awkward, having Jacaerys here in your chambers.

There was no need to hurry, no suspicions, nothing to rush — it was just the both of you until tomorrow. Of course, there were always certain proclivities on your mind, but you held your tongue, for now.

“Not entirely,” Jacaerys replied, removing his leather belt and scabbard, placing both beside the foot of your bed. It was beautiful, with four towering posts draped in a curtain of cerulean silk. Even he felt the unusual tension, attempting to alleviate it with a smile. “I suppose I’ll join you.”

Something gnawed at him — the very same question he’d been mulling over within his mind for a week now, perhaps even before then. Jacaerys observed in rapturous silence as you removed an embroidered evening slip from your wardrobe, the silk nearly translucent, the color of sage.

He swallowed the growing lump within his throat, attempting to quell his nerves, but to no avail. Jacaerys had never known fear quite like this before — there were different shades of terror. The fear of death and loss, a fear of war, perhaps — but none so great as a fear of rejection.

You sluggishly peeled away your coarse dress, tugging at the leather ties as it loosened, slack upon your body. It was tattered and trimmed with mud at the edges, prompting you to toss it somewhere onto the floor. The smallclothes you wore were much of the same, common garments crafted for travel.

A semblance of sweet warmth and ardor seemed to make a permanent residence upon Jace’s features as he watched you disrobe. Those brown hues of his traced over your delicate curves, every facet of your physique committed to memory.

Your beauty was one only described in fairytales and the ballads written by wayward poets — a beauty that Jacaerys often found himself in awe of. As you carefully pried away your smallclothes to put on the silken slip in its place, his breath caught within his throat.

This could be his life — he could not picture it without you anymore. It all seemed so gray and lonely without you by his side, without your steadfast support and belief in him, without your love. If the future was as bright as he imagined it to be, he could see you as his Queen, his wife, his equal in all things.

Perhaps it was his duty to make his intentions known — to have his mother’s blessing before swearing an oath, to have the favor of your father, but it all seemed inconsequential. He no longer feared consequences, no longer feared the brashness of such a decision.

War would continue to ravage the Seven Kingdoms, consuming all with it, perhaps his own life, should it go in such a route. If he perished, what then? The love he had for you would endure, the mark he left upon your life would endure, but what of your bond? What of marriage, of your union?

Jacaerys could not continue on without asking you the most important question he would ever ask.

“Be my wife.”

Time stood still, and you swore that your heart exploded within your chest. You couldn’t believe it, unsure if you had heard Jacaerys right or if it was all a very wonderful fantasy. Turning upon your heel, you faced Jacaerys with a bewildered, shocked expression.

“What?” With your voice barely above a whisper, you felt your stomach swirling with butterflies, an incendiary heat licking across your spine with a fervor. Your hands wrung together, folded across your midsection.

Jacaerys’s lips parted as he stood taller, shoulders squaring as he approached you, hands seizing yours as he reaffirmed his love for you. “I am so desperately in love with you,” He whispered, attempting to catch his breath, thumbs tracing across your knuckles. “I cannot imagine a life without you, and I cannot imagine continuing to go on knowing that I am not your husband.”

“Jacaerys.” You gasped, unable to withhold the swell of emotions that stirred within you. Tears pricked at your eyes, a byproduct of the onslaught of sentiment you felt, all hitting you at once. It was an amalgamation of adoration, devotion, love, passion — it all seemed to wash over you immediately.

“I would ask you to be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms — together, with me. I would ask that you marry me upon the shores of Dragonstone, amongst fire and brimstone, salt and sea,” Jace murmured, gently pressing his forehead against yours for a brief moment. “I would ask that you allow me to hold your heart forever.”

Disbelief rippled through you, the initial shock dissipating into the unbelievable love you had for him — an ardor that transcended any bonds of propriety. You loved him fiercely yet gently, loved him for everything he was and everything he would be. You lifted your joined hands to your chest.

“There is no one else for me in this world, Jacaerys Velaryon,” You crooned, pressing your lips against his palm. “I am yours, until my last day — and I will love you forever.” You felt his breath hitch slightly as you drew closer, snug against his chest as you gave him a rather exuberant smile, eyes sparkling with tears. “Nothing would please me more than marrying you.”

Relief flooded through him, and the weight of fear lifted from his shoulders. It was enough to make him audibly sigh with joy as he reached to cup your face, swiping away at the singular tear falling across your cheek. He was smiling so much that it almost made his chest burst with happiness.

“We are betrothed,” The overwhelming excitement that crept into your tone was difficult to miss, and you wanted to kiss him a thousand times over. “I cannot wait to refer to you as my husband.” An ebullient giggle escaped you when Jacaerys picked you up, spinning you in a circle as he caged you in against his chest.

His mouth sought yours, the kiss charged with an excitable passion as he held you close, hands kneading at your curves through the thin silk. “My wife, the most perfect woman in all of the realm,” He mused, thumbs drawing slow circles into your hips. “You are mine, and I am yours.” Jace whispered.

Again, you clamored for a kiss, turning the joy of your shared moment into passion, manifesting into the first inklings of desire. He was quick to reciprocate, continuing to gently feel along your body, your perfect curves hidden beneath such sheer fabrics.

You kissed him hard, hands dragging towards his tunic, tugging at the collar of it as your kiss melted from sweet and innocuous to passionate. The feeling of not having to limit yourself or fear intrusion was exhilarating — and you hoped that it meant there would be plenty of time for exploration.

It was only when he pulled away just slightly to gaze at you did you realize how much this meant to you, how much you loved him. You wanted all of him — his heart and his intellect, protective nature, his body and soul. Your hands continued to trace across his clothed chest, lips parted slightly.

“I want to take my time with you,” Jacaerys murmured, fingers gently sweeping across the now-faded cut upon your brow, tucking hair behind your ear. “If you’ll allow me the pleasure.” He never proceeded without your consent, gazing at you as if you were the only thing in the world that mattered.

The familiar sting of arousal pooled between your legs, accompanied by a wave of heat. He spoke so tenderly, digits continuing to caress along your brow, swiping down towards your cheek. “Of course.” You whispered, hands skimming beneath his tunic. “As long as you’ll allow me to return the favor.”

A pang of exhilaration rippled through him as he nodded, lips twitching into a smile. He didn’t know what you meant by returning the favor, but it intrigued him. There was nothing that could stop either of you — and he intended on savoring every moment with you.

You gently coaxed him toward the plush armchair near your vanity, easing him down against the cushions. Jacaerys sat upright, hands moving toward your hips again, kneading into your pliant flesh. It allowed you to stoop down, lips molding against his as your fingers found the hem of his tunic again.

Clothing shuffled against eager hands as you removed Jacaerys’s tunic, graced with lean, pale muscle and a canvas of freckles beneath your palms. You planted your hands against his chest, fingertips dancing over every freckle, every line of taut muscle.

Jace shuddered at your exploratory embrace, savoring the feeling of your fingers tracing every inch of him, committing his musculature to memory. “I wanted to try something, if you’ll let me.” You murmured, lowering yourself to your knees before him.

There was an instantaneous notion of shock, Jacaerys’s eyes widened in surprise as he swallowed the growing lump within his throat. “What — What are you doing?” He asked, throat hoarse with desire. “You do not have to, never feel obligated to do such things, I —”

“Jacaerys,” You interjected, ensuring that your voice was barely above a whisper. Your palms soothingly caressed along his thighs, and his cock immediately roused, stirring within his breeches. “I want to please you. I would like to try, that’s all.” He still seemed apprehensive, but obliged nonetheless.

He preferred to serve you, face between your legs, tongue savoring your sweetness. He imagined that it was something he could do after this, but for now, he simply tried to relax and let you try something new. Goosebumps coalesced along his spine as your digits reached for the ties of his trousers, loosening them up.

A sliver of him couldn’t deny the thrill and exhilaration that coursed through him, the excitement. You were breathtakingly beautiful, ethereal and everything he had ever wanted, there in the flesh. “You are beautiful.” He whispered, staring at you with doe-like eyes.

Warming beneath his softly-spoken compliment, you preened, lips twitching into a comely smile. “As are you.” You assured, feeling his lips find yours for a brief moment as you freed his cock, taking his hardened length into your silky palm.

Jacaerys sat back as best as he could, lips parted, visibly flustered as you began to stroke from base to tip, thumb tracing over the flushed head. He groaned, hands gripping the back of the settee with all of his strength. It felt incredible — you only enhanced everything.

Your palm spread out against his thigh, giving you a perch, something to brace yourself against as you wrapped your mouth around the head of his cock. A sharp exhale escaped Jacaerys, whose body trembled from the foreign sensation, hand suddenly reaching down to find yours.

It was intimate, a sweet gesture despite the lewd act, digits twining together atop his thigh. Your mouth was soft and incredibly gentle, exploratory at your core as you bobbed your head in sluggish, rhythmic motions. Jace felt hot, unable to focus, but he did not force you to do anything more.

“Gods, you are incredible.” He breathed, stomach churning with a fiery heat, a sensation that mirrored your own. Molten liquid pooled within the pit of your belly, coalescing between your thighs at the sound of Jace’s pleasure. Instead of tugging on your hair, he simply caressed your cheek, watching for any sign of discomfort on your end.

With Jace’s fingertips carefully tracing across your face, you continued to tease his cock, hand stroking in sure movements as your mouth did the rest. It was brief, fleeting laps of your tongue across the head of his cock or suckling upon it altogether.

It felt strange and slightly sloppy, as if you weren’t doing something correctly, but instinct guided you. Jacaerys seemed to enjoy it regardless, hips occasionally jolting forward, followed by a soft, mumbled apology. He held himself in-check, squeezing your hand when you kissed along his length.

There was a vast amount of tenderness between the both of you, allowing for everything to be handled with gentleness and care. He didn’t push you or coax you further, simply relaxed and allowed you to do however much or little you wanted.

Between the shy laps of your tongue intermingled with the ministrations of your hand, Jacaerys worried about how long he would last in this state. Your mouth was divine, bringing him closer to a blissful beyond, abdomen tightening with a flurry of arousal.

The bitter slick of precum oozed along his length, but you paid little attention to it, continuing to pump your hand along his cock. Instead, you peppered sweet kisses against his thigh and hips, causing him to seize up and groan.

His countenance was one of beauty, contorted into a look of sheer bliss, eyes closed, mouth agape as his head rolled back against the lounge. Your fingers remained interlocked, his thumb occasionally grazing your knuckles as you kissed towards his abdomen.

Your hand remained steadfast, caressing his cock, allowing your fingers to stroke from base to tip. Jace let out a husky moan, hand involuntarily reaching for your hair. His grip was delicate, digits gingerly kneading at your scalp. The sensation was incredible, and even you felt some satisfaction from it.

The suddenness of his release seemed to catch him off-guard, muscles tense and seizing, pleasure unfurling within his stomach like a wildfire. Jacaerys moaned your name, a sound so divine coming from his mouth. He trembled in the aftermath, visage flushed with embarrassment.

He felt pitiful for this, but he couldn’t help himself, shaking from the intensity of it all. “I did not mean to …” Before Jacaerys could speak another word, you pressed your hand against his mouth.

“It was perfect.” You corrected, palm slick with his seed as you stood to clean yourself, finding a towel sitting along the edge of your vanity. You returned to do the same for him, dutifully cleaning the sticky spend from his stomach.

Visibly flustered, Jace cleared his throat, sitting up a little straighter as he attempted to compose himself again. He wanted to give you more — everything, if he could. “I do not want to stop.” He whispered, gazing at you with a look of desire, hand reaching to cup your face.

That alone was enough to make your insides melt, lips parting as you nodded several times over. “Neither do I.” You breathed, and with that, your mouths collided in a fury, ardor and want bleeding through, consuming the both of you in a tidal wave.

His cock twitched again, lust renewed, yet his love for you seemed to outweigh everything else. He made sure to loosely tie his breeches up again — not that they would be on for much longer, at this pace. Jacaerys kissed you again and stood, offering you his hand.

You took it, as a lady would a prince, and he immediately pulled you into his arms, sweeping you right up off of the ground. He carried you gallantly, cradling you to his chest as you smiled, coaxing him in for a sweet kiss. Jace carried you to your bed, placing you down against the silken sheets and feathered duvet.

“I love you,” He murmured, finding his footing between your legs, the silken slip coming to gather around your hips. Despite the sensuality of it all, the lust and carnal appetites you held for one another, love conquered it all, and tenderness prevailed. “Ñuha hūra embar.”

My moonlit sea — the love of his life.

A gentle fluttering stirred within your chest, the sound of your heart calling his name — you would never love another. It was Jacaerys’s name upon your mind, emblazoned into your very bones. You kissed him, the fire stoked, even if it wasn’t a raging one.

As he neared you, your fingers found their purchase within his mane of thick curls, tugging on them incessantly, mouth tangling with his. A breath apart, you held him close, feeling the chill of saltwater air brush along your legs.

“I love you, Jacaerys.” You whispered, allowing it to slip from your lips a few times more, and he was lost in you. Jacaerys’s hands moved to the hem of your nightgown, aiming to rid you of the thin fabric, exposing yourself to him completely.

Each time he saw you bare, it was like the first time all over again — in-awe of your beauty, completely and utterly unparalleled. His mouth found the delicate curve of your jaw, kissing you in a slow, steady trail down your neck, and then to the hollow of your throat.

Every kiss was warm and lingering — he took his time with you, finding no reason to rush. His lips felt like hot brands, emblazoning themselves upon your flesh. Jace kissed across your collarbone, and you began to shift with anticipation. You wanted his face between your thighs, his hands interlaced with yours.

Jacaerys found the plush swell of your breasts, mouth kissing along each one, over your nipples, and through your sternum. He was careful, intentionally savoring each and every kiss, drinking in your presence as if it were his lifeblood.

He delved lower, shuddering when he felt your fingers find his crown of tousled curls, mouth embracing your stomach until he found your hips. The moment was incredibly intimate, with Jace kissing wherever his mouth could reach, ensuring that you received every last drop of his affections.

You were a goddess — perfection incarnate, breathtakingly beautiful beneath him. Jacaerys’s mouth graced your thighs, shoulders spreading them apart as he kissed his way down to your slick core. Heat washed over him in the wake of discovering how aroused you already were.

This was something he’d sorely missed, the taste of your cunt — his patience certainly paid off. You watched with wide, doe-like eyes as Jacaerys’s head buried itself between your thighs, the rest of him flattened against the feather-bed. His hands carefully traced along your thighs before they held your hips in-place.

“Jace,” You moaned, craving the sensation of his mouth against your core. His tongue raked hot embers over your cunt, deliciously slow, ensuring that he took his time with tasting you. Your hand flew to his curls, eliciting a soft groan from him, too. “Gods, don’t stop — please!”

He was insatiable, hunger swelling within him as he took to lapping at your cunt, tongue splitting past your folds. Your thighs twitched and trembled even now, digits coaxing him in for more, to which he gleefully obliged.

His eagerness was palpable through each flick of his tongue, lost within the oasis between your legs. A myriad of soft whimpers and whines escaped you, hand gingerly tugging on Jace’s hair as he showered your cunt in an alternation of steady licks to lingering ones.

Bathed in pools of silvery moonlight that trickled in from the windows, Jace appeared more ethereal than ever, the muscles flexing within his back. If it were up to him, he would’ve been content to stay here forever, pleasure you over and over again until you shook.

The short, dizzying gasp that tore past your mouth spurred him on, as he pressed another string of kisses against your slit. The continued sensation of your digits carding through his curls made him sigh with elation.

He brought you closer, heart leaping into his throat when you began to writhe beneath him, hips tilting forward into each stroke of his mouth. “You are perfect.” He assured, his resonance little more than a needy whisper, a groan stifled within his throat.

Blossoming beneath his sweet compliments, your fingers curled against his scalp, unable to lay still as Jace resumed his previous ministrations. The warmth of his tongue left you with a blistering want, stomach churning with a wave of arousal.

At last, his tongue found your neglected pearl, tracing around your clit with a gentleness. Jacaerys’s tender expression also bore a great deal of concentration, dark eyes flickering toward you. “There?” He uttered, hoping that you would guide him to where he needed to be.

Your head fervently bobbed up and down, wanting him to stay rooted there. “Yes,” You whimpered, nearly shaking when his lips gingerly pursed around your clit, suckling upon the clutch of nerves until your body became tense. “R—Right there, Jacaerys, please!”

Everything felt feverishly hot, as if you would be turned to ash where you laid, bones trembling with desire. His hands kneaded into the swell of your hips, digits drawing soft patterns into your flesh, drawing you closer into his smoldering embrace.

Jacaerys was attentive and loving, following your breathy plea as he pursed his lips around the pearl of your cunt again, alternating between that and greedy, excitable laps of his tongue. Even he allowed himself to be lost within bliss and pleasure, arousal mounting from pleasuring you.

He shivered at the noises you made, sounds that took residence within the recesses of his mind, made for sweet torment. You weren’t shy about your own delight, moaning again, interwoven with breathy sighs and chants of his name until it was the only word you knew.

You reached for his hand, fingers interlocking atop the swell of your hip as he continued to lap at your aching core. He squeezed your hand as a sign of reassurance, buried deep within your sweet cunt, something that he hungered for.

Your back arched off of the blankets, hand pushing through Jacaerys’s disheveled curls, finding their anchor against his scalp. He groaned whenever you tugged upon his tresses, only serving to coax him further into your cunt.

Arousal rushed through you, molten heat oozing from between your thighs, a nectar as sweet as honey. “I—I’m close,” You whined, beginning to lose yourself to the throes of pleasure. “Jacaerys, please!” A throaty moan tore past your mouth, hips jolting forward.

Gods, he ruined you — made a mess of you in the best way possible, tearing down all bonds of propriety. Knowing that he was to be your husband, that you and him were twined together as one — it only sweetened your mounting release.

Writhing beneath him, you squeezed his hand, stomach sloshing with liquid heat, a heat that continued to devour you, making you feel unbelievably hot. You melted within Jace’s hands, reduced to nothing more than a moaning, whimpering mess.

With another barrage of his tongue assaulting your cunt, you whimpered, turning malleable, body trembling with your encroaching release. He knew that you were on the verge, and so he pursed his lips around your clit once more, and that was more than enough.

His name emerged from your lips like a reverent prayer, the only name that you knew in that moment. Your release was hot, like a rush of fire that refused to simmer, unable to be quelled. The residual sensation lingered, and Jace helped you through it.

Your thighs twitched, absentmindedly attempting to clench together, but Jace held you apart, soothing you with kisses along your thighs. The blissful, contented expression that soon followed was a beautiful one — Jace was shocked to know that he could do that to you, bring you to ruin.

It was a white-hot release, one that set your body ablaze, made the tight coil within your stomach unfurl. Your breathing was labored, still wrought with excitement as you steadily climbed down from your pinnacle, grip beginning to loosen upon Jacaerys’s tresses.

“I will never tire of that,” Jace confessed, his voice sweet against the inside of your thigh. Your slick glistened upon his chin, yet any remnants that remained, he quickly lapped up. He needed a moment to recuperate, crawling forward to rest his head against your chest. “The Gods have made you incomparable.”

Preening beneath his delicate praise and soft spoken compliments, you brought your fingers to his hair, gently raking through, correcting the dishevel you’d caused. You kissed his forehead, palm stroking along his broad, freckled shoulder.

Your lips twitched into an amiable smile, and he happened to crane his neck, peering at you with those warm, earthen-colored hues. “My heart calls your name,” You whispered, noticing the way his lips parted, a subtle exhale escaping him. His hands held you close, bodies flush against one another. “I am yours.”

Jacaerys could not wait for each day to be like this — no longer separated by duty or strife. You would be his wife, and he would be your husband, no room to be left to your own devices. The gods fashioned you both for love — and it would be as beautiful as it would be perilous.

“Calling you my wife certainly has an appeal,” Jace mused, crawling forward again until he was fully on top of you, propped up by his elbows, both of which had sunk into the pillow beside your head. “My heart belongs to you, now and forever.” He murmured.

It was difficult not to smile, bright and pearlescent, thighs still shaking in the aftermath of your release. He had made everything so perfect — steadfast by your side, supporting you in all endeavors, just as you would with him. He was your Prince, the future King of the Seven Kingdoms. You would follow him anywhere.

Part of him had always struggled with identity — who he was, who he was supposed to be. It was still a point of contention and deeply-rooted insecurities, but they all seemed to diminish in your presence.

You loved Jacaerys for his heart — blood never mattered.

He moved to kiss you, soft and lingering, allowing you to taste yourself upon his tongue. Jacaerys found his sanctuary between your legs, one hand moving to tug at the leather ties of his breeches. He had no desire to move quickly, delighted to be as slow as he could.

There would be time for haste, but this wasn’t one of those times. Instead, he cupped your face, kissing you again and again, seeking to feel your mouth and commit it to memory, memorizing every delicate feature you possessed.

“I want to be your wife,” Now, if you could. Part of you wanted to drag yourself from your bed and dress, Jacaerys in-tow, and find a septon — be wed and declare yourselves for all to see. “I would wish it into existence this very second, if I could.”

Jacaerys pressed a kiss against your brow, his countenance one of tenderness as he shook his head. “You already are,” He insisted, gazing down at you with such mesmerizing ardor, stars within his eyes. “A septon does not have to say the words for it to be true.”

You couldn’t have loved him more if you tried.

A soft giggle escaped you as you sought his lips for another kiss, even if it happened to be brief, shorter than the last. “Gods, I love you.” You beamed, and Jacaerys smiled too, pressing his forehead against yours. You had taken enough time to recuperate, and he was far from finished.

Desire took hold, and before you could manage to speak, your lips were on his. Jacaerys groaned — a low, pretty sound that made your stomach swirl with heat. You watched in silent rapture as he removed the last of his garments, breeches and smallclothes gone until he was all that remained.

Through the moonlit haze of your chambers, you fell in love with him again — each glance felt like the very first, heart stirring with a raging ardor. There was no one else like him, and there was no one else for you.

Your hands reached for him, loosely looping around the back of his neck, fingertips dancing across the valley between his shoulders. Jacaerys pressed closer, gaze half-lidded and heavy with desire and love, above all. His lips graced your forehead, breathing becoming a touch heavier.

The swell of his cock nestled against your stomach, hardened again, growing with mounting arousal as he kissed you again. You were swift to reciprocate, mouth desperately seeking him as he repositioned himself, hips adjusting to align himself with your entrance.

“Are you comfortable?” Jacaerys inquired, voice a gentle hum through the onslaught of kisses. He watched as you nodded, signaling for him to continue — he did without hesitation, cock pushing past your folds as gently inched forward.

It was a mutual blossoming of elation, with your breath hitching within your throat, a moan escaping from your lips as it tangled with Jace’s breathy groan. Your digits grasped at the nape of his neck, back arching slightly as he pushed into you, inch by agonizing inch.

It was perfection, the way the both of you melded together, two pieces of a puzzle, connected and joined. His cock filled you with such gentleness — Jacaerys never dared touch you with a rough hand. Instead, he found himself slipping into a familiar rhythm, that of lovemaking, hand finding the swell of your haunch.

He gripped you there, other palm splayed out beside your head, lips parted and visage flushed with ecstasy as he sluggishly rocked in and out of you. His countenance flourished with delight, curls framing his cheekbones, brown eyes finding yours.

The tension of his gaze bored right into you, and you happened to lock eyes, a gasp stirring within your throat when he bottomed out inside of you. “Jace,” A needy whimper escaped you as he began to find his pace, adopting a passionate constancy. “Don’t stop.” You sighed, and it only served to spur him on.

The sensation of your cunt clenching around his cock made him groan, belly filled with a fire that demanded to be extinguished. It was divine, something that he savored — and time moved slowly in your presence. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

Despite the tame nature of his pace, it was wrought with passion, ensuring that he hit that spot inside of you, over and over again. His wanton groans seemed to caress along the shell of your ear, filling you with a desire that swallowed you whole.

He was lost within you, drowning himself in your beauty, in your radiance — everything he had, he would give to you. Jacaerys surrendered it all — his heart, body, soul, anything you wanted, he belonged to you.

His mouth moved to pepper kisses all along your face, moving towards your neck. It was growing hot, unbearably so, reaching a fever pitch as he deepened each thrust of his hips, cock throbbing inside of you. Jace was becoming desperate, movements somewhat erratic as he fisted the sheets.

Some sliver of him desired to see you with his heir — a child of Old Valyria, a babe to sit the Throne after he passed, and you with him. It wasn’t something he was accustomed to, feeling this way, yet it fueled him with such desire, like the swell of a tidal wave coming to crash against him.

Jacaerys groaned into the hollow of your throat, savoring the sensation of your fingers digging into the curls at the nape of his neck. Your back arched slightly, legs shifting further apart to give way to his thrusts, lulled into submission by the steady repetition of his cock sliding in and out of you.

You rolled forward, creating a delicious friction that brought the both of you to heel, causing Jace to grit his teeth together. He showered your body with kisses, wherever he could reach, continuing to rock into you with a smoldering passion.

The volume of your lovemaking only intensified, between the breathy groans and blissful whines, the squelching of your cunt, the gentle glide of flesh against flesh. It was a cacophony of desire that only made you shiver, hand reaching for his shoulder, fingers brushing across the smattering of freckles there.

It was breathtaking to see you this way, countenance contorted into a look of sheer ecstasy, eyes closed, mouth slack — you were exemplary. Jacaerys could find no flaws with you, awestruck by your beauty in the moment, and he pushed forward once more.

He was disarmingly gentle with each and every thrust of his cock, burying himself within your cunt with such tenderness. Even if he wanted to be rough, the mere idea of it was too off-putting and strange, as if it disgusted him to no end. He enjoyed this, the revelation within each snap of hips, the enthralling charm of your physique.

“Jacaerys,” You panted, leg lifting into his hand as you moaned, face nearly nestled against his own. “Jace, I — Gods, I’m close!” Reduced to a whimpering mess within the hands of your capable husband, you felt him groan with you, cock throbbing violently inside of you.

A sharp exhale left him as he continued his steady pace, never allowing himself to grow erratic or sluggish. He stayed the course, pressing a kiss along the delicate curve of your jaw, hand kneading into your thigh. It was perfect — you were perfect.

That tight coil within his stomach began to wither, unfurling with ecstasy as he joined you in your peak, shuddering when he felt himself release. It was sudden again, seed filling your womb as he neglected to remove himself, chest heaving with breathy pants.

You followed suit, tugging at his curls, hand clamping into his shoulder as you reached your peak. It was all white-hot and blistering, like the lick of an open flame dragging all along your body.

It was akin to soaring high above the clouds, even if the moment was fleeting and brief. You composed yourself through the heaving of your chest, cunt slick and oozing with your arousal as Jacaerys remained still. He pressed his forehead to yours, mouth slowly curling into a warm smile.

Pressing a kiss against your temples, Jacaerys shifted, hips recoiling as he pulled himself from you. A sticky mess of his seed and your slick coated your cunt, causing you to press your thighs together. “Are you alright?” He murmured, swift to ensure your wellbeing.

“Wonderful,” You hummed, dimples forming at either corner of your mouth as you smiled. “I am perfect.” There was a feeling of complete and utter bliss in the aftermath, knowing that you would be wed, that he was by your side for all eternity.

“Good,” Jacaerys hummed, kissing your brow as he moved to lay beside you, pulling you into his arms. “I could draw us a bath.” He proposed, catching your attention as you nodded.

“That would be suitable, I think. I am something of a mess.” You confessed, warmth crawling along your spine as Jace held your hip, digits dancing all along your plush physique. He enjoyed everything about you, every detail, every curve and blemish — it all belonged to him.

“That would make two of us,” Jace mused, sluggishly moving from your warmth to make for the washroom. Handmaidens had filled the basin with water before you arrived, the water lukewarm, having lost its steam and heat. “Seems there isn’t a need for it.” He remarked.

You joined him, fingers reaching for your robe as you draped it over the plush chair sitting beside your vanity. Dipping two fingers into the water, you seemed unimpressed with the temperature, but it was better to be clean instead. “I suppose we do not have a choice.”

As you stepped inside, you shivered, disgruntled by the water, now somewhat cold and devoid of warmth. You sank down into the basin, with Jacaerys following suit as he sat behind you, chest pressed snugly against your back, arms looping around you.

“I’ll keep you warm, my Lady.” He hummed, eliciting a giggle from you as you happened to recline against him, head craning to press a kiss against his jaw. Jacaerys could not imagine a moment sweeter than this, basking in your presence in a blissful aftermath, holding you close against him.

With an amiable smile, you moved into his embrace, hands stroking along his taut forearm, cheek buried against his shoulder as he held you. You felt his lips grace the hollow between your neck and shoulder, mouth blazing as hot as dragon’s fire, a token of his ardor for you — his love was unwavering.

And you were warm.

copyright @ swordgrace ; please do not steal or claim my work as your own. please do not copy or translate my work onto other platforms.

[ladyloveandjustice]

Winter 2024 Anime Overview: Dungeon Meshi (Delicious in Dungeon)

Premise: Laios is the leader of an adventuring party, and his sister, Falin, got eaten by a dragon while sacrificing herself to save the team. Fortunately, in the dungeon they were exploring, people can be resurrected with magic. Unfortunately, if the dragon fully digests Falin, they probably can’t resurrect her. They have no time to resupply and must traverse many levels of the dungeon filled with monsters to find the dragon. Laios declares that since they can’t get food, they’ll eat the monsters in the dungeon instead-- and as a huge monster fanatic. he's unsettlingly excited about this. He’s accompanied by elf mage Marcille and hafling rogue Chilchuck in his quest, who are much more reluctant about monster-eating. They run into a dwarf, Senshi, who is an expert at cooking monsters, and the delicious race against time to save Falin begins!

...Oh what the hell, I'll say it. FINALLY, some good fucking food.

Memes aside, I love this story so much that writing a review of Delicious in Dungeon/Dungeon Meshi is daunting, because I really want to get across how great it is. But are there enough words in the English language to convey this? We can only try.

Dungeon Meshi combines cooking and adventure animanga expertly, humorously treating eating monsters with the complexity of actual recipes (and indeed, the recipes for the monsters are based off real life recipes). You can experience the warmth and contentment of sharing a meal and enjoy the way the story goes in depth about the biology of the monsters and ecology of classic RPG style dungeon. But at the same time these characters are on a classic fantasy quest and there’s lot’s of excitement as they work together overcome monsters, obstacles and their own weaknesses to save Falin.

The first thing that stands out about Dungeon Meshi is that it’s immediately entertaining and funny. A lot of humor is mined out of Marcille’s complete disgust at eating monsters (and Chilchuck’s more measured reluctance) contrasted with Laios and Senshi’s bizarre enthusiasm for it. The face game of the series is on point, especially Marcille’s.

The characters play off each other very well, have a hilarious dynamic and tons of quirks. They're immediately lovable. They're eccentric weirdos who push each other's buttons, misfits who just happen to fit together, and that's always the best.

I've seen some first time anime viewers complained about that how the early episodes are supposed to be race to save Falin, but there isn't much urgency as the characters have adventures and meals on the way. I can see that as a criticism (though it didn’t stick out to me much in the manga) but this is because we’re mostly seeing them in between the times they’re traveling, when they need downtime and mealtime. The fact that people should never neglect eating and rest if they want to succeed is a pretty important message of the show. You’ve got to let the series cook (forgive the pun). As it goes on, the urgency and tension increases ramps way up. the plot truly takes form and we see a lot of the world building from early parts pay off.

Phenomenal, intricate worldbuilding is the next big thing that stands out about Dunmeshi. Any viewers paying attention will notice it pretty quickly. Ryoko Kui doesn’t dump her complex world or her character’s detailed backstories on the viewer all at once, instead she lets it unfold bit by bit, so the viewer/reader can watch the world expand as the journey goes on, as if we are truly living this world and exploring it along with the characters.

 Everything is carefully thought out, from the structure of the societies, the cultural nuances and physiology of the different magical races, the conflicts between said races and the ways they integrate, the ecosystem and the different monsters and how they function…I could go on forever. And best of all, Dunmeshi's worldbuilding is never to the detriment of it’s incredibly rich story and characters, all of which are also developed wonderfully.

After all, Dugeon Meshi isn’t simply a story about making food and eating monsters—it’s about the ways we consume and ARE consumed, it’s about the endless cycle of life and death and the pain of struggling against that cycle. It’s about the endless hunger that drives us all and the ways we try to fill ourselves up. It’s about the ways we can find both solace and terror in the monstrous, about our struggle to accept not just monsters, but anyone who's different from us. It’s not just about natural ecosystems, but social and societal ecosystems and the ways they both hurt and help us. It’s about all the things that make good meal, one that can draw people together and help us find essential humanity that connects us.

These strong themes are all expressed through the world and the journeys of the characters. And god, do I love these characters.

Even from the start, the characters overturn RPG/fantasy archetypes. (We have an elf who’s not that into nature and dwarf who LOVES nature and doesn’t like blacksmithing)… but the most special thing about these characters is how they deepen, becoming more and more complex and fascinating as the series unfolds. None of them are quite who you think they are while also being exactly how they appear.

Marcille is one of my favorite characters in anything ever. She’s just an absolute disaster, while also being terrifyingly powerful. She’s a magic honors student who buried herself in theory but doesn’t have a lot of experience with the real world and gets upset it doesn’t work like school (I feel that). Her pride and generally high strung nature can lead to blunders that make her very funny to watch. She’s a total nerd in a way that’s so relatable, she has intelligence in spades, but not a lot of wisdom.

 But on the other hand, she’s an aching wounded soul who’s struggling under the surface, dealing with grief and loss constantly. She's obsessed with control in a world that uncontrollable. She’s incredibly driven and unnervingly dedicated to her goals. She’s also scarily devoted to the people she loves and will cross any moral line, break any taboo, and cover herself in blood and sin to save them. She refuses to let silly things like “laws” and “rules” stifle her research or get in her way .And while she's a neat freak who's grossed out by monsters, she's the first person to dive into the blood and guts and horror when shit gets real.

The contrast between her being a sweet, silly, dorky lovable nerd who flails around and being a powerful badass who has complex motivations, an intricate arc, and sometimes questionable morals is so great. Get you a girl who can do both. She's basically everything I love in a character.

Marcille’s love for Falin and infinite devotion is also key to the story, and it’s so refreshing to see a well-written relationship between women be so central to a fantasy anime like this. And yes, by love for Falin, I mean in a gay way. It’s not technically canon (Dunmeshi is not into confirming romantic relationships for any of it’s characters really) but it’s hard to interpret their relationship as anything else, and honestly it’s one of the best wlw ships I’ve seen in a while. It’s got everything, the softness, the sweet and sensual intimacy, the angst, the tragedy, the raw unbearable yearning, tearing the world apart and defying even the laws of nature for her, crawling through hell and soaking your hands in blood and not letting anything get in your way...yeah, it’s good.

While Marcille is my #1, all the characters in this story are fantastic and I love them all. They all have incredible depth and similarly complex backstories and arcs, and are all fun to watch. For instance, Laios may look like generic human fighter but he’s just the weirdest dude, a wonderfully unhinged man who absolutely has a monstersona. But then we also discover he's someone who struggles socially in a way that many neurodivergent people can relate to, who had a troubled childhood, who grapples with survivor’s guilt, and who, like Marcille, would do anything for his sister and the people he cares about. Chilchuck and Senshi and Falin and all the others the same, really interesting characters who deepen and grow. Everyone's relationships also develop wonderfully.

And on top of all that, it's a show with really well-realized and well-written female characters…who even have diverse body types! We have stocky dwarf ladies with muscles! Huge orc and oni women! They’re allowed to be messy and complicated, badass and vulnerable, and that’s definitely a part of my affection for the series. (and famously, most of the fanservice of the series is focused on Senshi’s endless pant shots (loincloth, if we’re being specific)) and while there are moments with the female characters that make me fan myself, it’s not the obnoxious anime unsexy bullshit way that treats women like objects.

And specifically for the anime, Trigger is doing great work with it. There’s so much cool and vivid animation. There are some small moments from the manga that I really miss and wish they had kept, but it’s been a largely faithful adaptation that understands what makes the story great, and I can’t ask for much more. The English simuldub is also genuinely good with all of the VA’s turning in great performances (and Prozd plays Senshi!)

Dungeon Meshi is honestly one to the best stories in recent years, and it’s easy to let it take over your brain. So come along with me and enjoy the funny jokes, the splendid storytelling, the endearing and endlessly fascinating characters and the delectable world. You don’t want to miss out on this delicious meal.

[sushispider1212]

PvP Civilization and the Hero’s Journey

Note: This does, in fact, contain spoilers for pvpciv so tread with caution.

First off, this is an examination in regards to the concept of a Hero’s Journey. It will be mostly outlining how I feel the series’s narrative fits in with the Hero’s Journey and maybe a couple of predictions about where the series is gonna go from here. (Yes, Parkour Civilization is a more clear-cut hero’s journey. But I’m not talking about that right now.)

So to begin: What is a Hero’s Journey?

A hero’s journey is the idea that a whole lot of myths and stories that revolve around a central protagonist follows a certain template as to how that story works. It’s a series of plot events that can be easily traced through these stories.

These are not always in the same order, and not all the steps are covered. I will be going through the Campbell phases (Joseph Campbell in his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces), but they’ll be in the order I think best fit pvpciv.

And all good journeys start with the Call to Adventure.

Our protagonist starts in their normal life before something happens in order to get our protagonist off on their adventure.

For our purposes, it’s Evbo’s normal wooden sword life. We can assume he’d only been alive there (and maybe beyond there?) for only a few days, but as stated in the opening narration, that’s just life for him.

His call to adventure? Winning his first match and Tabi showing up.

Winning the first match is important, because it is what gives him hope that he could make it out of the wooden sword phase, but also makes him start to question his normalcy because the guy forfeited.

And Tabi, being the one who travels to the next levels with Evbo with the explicit intent to get him all the way to diamond sword level, is actually a sort of mentor character in the grand scheme of things. She even taught him how to crit, which enabled him to get better at pvp, which got him to the next level, the place unknown to our protagonist.

This leads in to our next step: Supernatural Aid.

This is where our hero gets a magical guardian to help them or give them a boon of some kind. This doesn’t have to be literal, of course, but whatever boon has to help later in the quest.

And this boon? Evbo’s resurrection.

I am of the belief that symbolically, the Diamond Swords are the magic guardians (especially with their training arc that we’ll get to later.) And since Evbo’s resurrection power was gifted by them, it counts as magical aid especially since being able to revive in this world is highly valuable.

And next? The Crossing of the First Threshold.

This is where our hero crosses into a world unknown, traveling beyond to a place where the rule are unknown to them.

Aka Evbo crossing to the Stone Sword level, and subsequently the Iron Sword level.

But here’s where things get real: The Belly of the Whale.

This is where our protagonist has their major failure. From being beaten up badly by the villain, or failing their quest, they hit rock bottom. Normally this phase comes in the middle of the story, but sometimes it’s really early on!

From this failure, they leave behind all the known rules that they may be holding on to, and fully embrace the transformation of the self that ensues.

Evbo encounters this in the murder-reincarnation loop he gets caught in during the Golden Sword training montage. Simply put, before this he was still operating by the known rules of pvpciv, attack people to get sword strength to live. He was also still relatively the same, being a little weird guy with a shopping addiction and an unhealthy dependence on Tabi since she’s the only person who was nice to him. Fun.

But here? It’s rock bottom for him. A no win scenario in which he only gets a small chance of escape every so often to try to win at gold sword level only to die and end up there again. Suffice to say, it’s at this point that Evbo starts to go through his character arc and mature.

Leading into the next part: The Road of Trials.

This is the training arc! The beginning of the transformation! It’s usually a set of tests that the protagonist must complete, aided by their supernatural boon from earlier! They usually fail at least one, but not always.

Evbo’s gold sword training arc is a clear cut Road of Trials. He does the tests, gets better at pvp, and becomes a better fighter and a slightly better person. And he fails, many, many times. This is only possible through his previously acquired supernatural boon, AND the trials are facilitated by the Diamond Swords, Y’know, the magical guardians. Anyway.

Next up: Abyss.

Our hero confronts the being with ultimate power in their life and has to make it out. All of the change and training they’ve went through is to get to this point.

In this case, I believe it is Evbo’s confrontation with Tabi at the end of the season finale.

Tabi, his mentor, the one who’s stuck with him this entire time and taught Evbo how to crit. The one who betrayed Evbo and is also in possession of the most powerful sword, which she stole after beating up the Diamond Swords that Evbo thought were the strongest.

A final confrontation, to see if she still cares…

And he survives into the Apotheosis.

This is the realization stage. The greater understanding that leads to the final stage of the journey.

This is Evbo after the confrontation with Tabi. Him understanding that he needs to leave in order to fix everything, that his resurrection power was given to him by sheer luck. And also the fact that pretty much everyone else is after his head.

And this is where the story ends for now. Right after the revelation and transformation.

But! But! This leads into my final section! Predictions!

Pvpciv doesn’t end in a complete hero’s journey. The reason for this is pretty obvious, since it’s setting up season 2. But where can it go from here?

Remember how I said that the phases can appear out of order? Well, I think the pvpciv season 2 will actually restart the hero’s journey!

The journey is all about the known world vs the unknown world and how our hero changes and transforms over the course of it. Well, at the point where the story is, Evbo certainly has changed, but he also learned and now the unknown world is the known world.

But! That’s only toward the Sword Civilization! The rest of PvP Civilization is the unknown now!

So here’s my idea. We’re gonna go all the way back to the First Threshold and the Belly of the Whale. There’s gonna be more trials and a greater and more powerful supernatural guardian to provide aid (PvP God?).

And! There’s more phases that I skipped over! Here’s the two that I think are going to come up!

Meeting with the Goddess: The hero gains items to help them in the future from a powerful figure. In this case, I think these items will likely be either more PvP weapons, or the Netherite Sword. Likely granted by the new supernatural entity.

Woman as the Temptress: An often female figure that tries to trick the hero from straying from their path. Pretty obvious, but I believe that Tabi will fulfill this role, especially since she’s the most powerful figure in the picture right now, and still feels a friendship with Evbo. I think she’ll try to sway Evbo to her side using that connection, and maybe she’ll be swayed to join Evbo’s side instead? Maybe, we’ll see!

Conclusion.

PvP Civilization is a very interesting version of the hero’s journey, and I hope you have found this as interesting as I do! This came to me about an hour after watching the finale and I like dissecting media into parts.

I may have missed a few things, my memory isn’t infallible, so if there’s something else you’ve noticed, please feel free to say so!

[the-owl-house-takes]

The ask about racism in TOH made me realize, the show really is kinda racist?

Even tho the main character is afro latina, the crew is almost completely white. The one Black latina crew member (who Luz was named after, and who ✨inspired✨ the creator into making her afro latina) didn't even get to be a cultural consultant, let alone a writer. Instead, she was demoted to storyboard supervisor (AKA correcting other's drawings to make them in model, one of the LEAST creative roles of the bunch).

Then, there's the characters and setting. The demon realm "should" be a place of horror and awe, full of weird and bizarre creatures. And yet, all the important characters are human adiacent and far removed from any demonic trait. Even a supposed demon was stripped of his demonity (?) once it was time for him to become important.

Demons are, effectively, treated as an underclass by the narrative. Their only use is as spooky decorations, unnamed background characters, or comedic one off villains. They're never allowed to be complex, compelling or interesting. Even though the whole premise is about exploring a demon world full of different kinds of people, only the humanoids (AKA the people most similar to "us") are worthy of the show's time.

In a similar (but less obvious) vein, TOH excludes its POC characters from being actually important to the plot. Luz's cultural background is never properly explored outside of few background details and "speaking Spanish". Her being "afro" is never actually shown, being only mentioned outside the show. Her part in the big story, and her development, come much later than other characters, with a contrived time travel storyline.

Willow and Gus contribute very little to the overall story, and feel like network mandates. Gus especially gets overlooked all the time, inside and outside (post hoots, interviews) the show. His only few moments are overshadowed by some big character moments, like kisses.

Other POC characters are even more marginal (Raine, Darius). Meanwhile, Camila's characterization ping pongs all the time, before landing on "secret nerd all along" and hastly closing her arc.

Another way you can see the bias is in the world building. It should represent all of Earth's myths, but instead feels like reguegitated european fantasy. What about Willow being Korean? It doesn't get rep in the show since Korean culture never gets explored in any way. Just another informed attribute, a way to avoid the show saying "oh yeah she's not white she's... Asian" without putting the effort to actually represent Koreans (ik her va is Korean but Hunter's is Black... You shouldn't have to scroll imdb to find the rep).

And the show as a whole feels like this. It's "diverse" in a way that doesn't actually challenge the status quo, it shows different kinds of people but, at the end of the day, who gets the spotlight always falls into the same category of white/white passing, "good" looking, not too different in body frame, and aligned in values/behaviors to the norm.

TOH might pride itself for being "daring" because of the queer content... But it's a very "white" kind of queerness, only really welcoming to a very specific kind of person.

-

[misc-obeyme]

-🐆 You know I think that's exactly why it's taking them so long to release the new season, because they have to much plot holes to cover. Is it the whole Lilith thing again? Eh, let's not get into that subject. What made sense to me, probably just my mind filling in the blanks, is that MC eventually, gradually regained some memories, a bit at a time, while the brothers remained sort of like a constant memory that is a core one (I hope I am making sense). It could be also that Solomon used some magic to help MC stabilize memory wise. Or just shown pictures on his DDD. A lot of plot things in this game (especially implied sex scenes, for obvious reasons) are left blank. Usually they aren't that important but in this case they are! So hopefully they do explain deeper in the new season. Also the term "time soup" sort of made sense to me, since I stand by the theory that time cannot be linear as we think it is. So if mc, from their present, went back to the past, mc brought all the memories and experiences with them. Meaning, the past is "changed" but not really. Just like it was changed in season 1 in og where mc was killed, but not really. So the time soup thing started wayyyyy back in the lore. Because if, they went back to the past, in a linear timeline, I think it would have left much less effect on the brothers and on the way everything unfolded. For example, the whole Cocytus journey. Mc presumably had an affect on the brothers even back in the celestial realm (I was just re-reading season 3 of og where mc ate Solomon's sandwich and was sent back in time) so Lucifer would have been locked up in Cocytus either way, but what did release him from the shackles? Did the brothers go after him even without mc? Did he still had his outburst against Diavolo? Was it that it is a time soup and mc was destined, in the this world logic, to hurtle back in time to this specific point and help the brothers, who know them but not really, who have a pact with them but not really? Also, in hard lessons, what the hell did Solomon made the brothers do to repay him for breaking them free from the curse that changed their personalities? Did he make them take a pact with him??? If that's true, I am mortified, really. See, I can ramble for more, but I don't feel bad about it lol, though you of course don't have to either! I don't only request your rambles, now I demand them, it matches my own!

I'll just go and watch dr who, my head is hazy, at least that show makes more sense with time travel If you watch it too, did you see the episode with Jinxx?? It was SO good.

I mean, they sure do have a lot of plot to resolve in the upcoming season! I don't know how far in advance they plan the story, but it feels very disjointed most of the time lol.

MC's memory issues never really registered for me, tbh. I always interpreted it as an MC who still has all those memories from OG? I was under the impression that they changed some of the story in the first lesson of NB, but I never went back and replayed it. So I told NB at the beginning that I knew the brothers and I guess that left out the part about MC having lost their memory? Or perhaps I just forgot about it???

I just always played it as MC remembered everything from the start, so I haven't really considered that part of the story too much. But I think the idea that MC's memories slowly come back makes sense. Or that Solomon filled them in, since there's plenty of time where they're living together for him to do that. It seems odd that they wouldn't at least mention either of these things, though, even if they didn't show it happening.

I don't have a problem with the "time soup" theory in a more general sense. I've read about theories where time is not linear in our actual reality. I just don't like it as a storytelling mechanic. Lesson 16 really confused me. I didn't realize what had happened until I read it again and until I had seen other people's thoughts on it. MC went back in time, but then one MC just disappears? It made no sense to me.

The issue I have with the time travel stuff is that it's a mess to figure out. I think it's good that people can kind of work it out in a way that makes sense to them, but nobody's idea of the time travel shenanigans in this game are the same. Everybody's interpretation has been different from what I've seen. They never established any rules for their time travel, so it's just confusing.

Hmm. Okay, so here's how I think about it. In this case, the time travel is part of magic. And when you have magic in a story, you have to make up the rules for it yourself. My experience has been that if you're going to use magic as a plot device, you have to set out specific rules for how it works. Otherwise, just about anything could happen. That's the part I don't like. The rules aren't clearly defined, they're just soup and that means nothing to me.

They could say time is not linear. They could say that in the original version of the past, MC wasn't there and that means anything could have happened. Maybe the events were similar to what they were when MC was there. But they could have been completely different. Maybe Lucifer didn't even end up in Cocytus at all. It's impossible to say what happened in the original version of that timeline.

Then MC goes to the past and changes things. No matter how careful MC is, their presence alters the past irrevocably. And Solomon is there, too, so potentially altering things even more.

Okay, I could accept all that. But having everybody in the past feel that there's something special about MC's guest room? Having glimpses and memories of a future they couldn't possibly have any knowledge of? This is the part that makes no sense. Does this mean that those characters all had those same memories in the original version of the past, the one where MC didn't show up? If time is a soup, does that mean that all these characters are experiencing all those timelines simultaneously and can have memories of all of them all the time whether MC is present or not?

If that's the case, how come the characters didn't have any memories of MC in OG? Season three hinted that MC may have impacted them in the Celestial Realm, but those memories never manifested before that incident. If time is a soup, shouldn't they have had those memories of MC from the very start?

My issue is that they just threw this in there because they're trying to explain away what they've already done. It doesn't feel like they went into this story with any of these intentions (and like to be fair they probably didn't).

I just feel like they could have explained the time travel in a way that meshed better with the story we already had.

And you know while I don't think Solomon made them make pacts with him, I can see him suggesting it! I suspect they'd have been like um no not on your life buddy lol. I love him so much.

OH BOY well, anyway, you demanded rambles, so here it is lol!!! This is just me getting WAY too into these details. I don't usually do this because in the end, it doesn't really matter! I'm willing to overlook this stuff because I love the characters so much. And I also very much believe that everyone should interpret the story in the way that makes the most sense for them! This is just my personal opinion, I think everybody's opinion and interpretation is valid!

I've definitely seen stories that handle time travel much better. I never did get into Dr Who, but I have heard good things!

[moni-harmonia]

Chapter IV - Act VI

I'm a bit late for this lol. Honestly, the Dain-Abyss Sibling Chapter came so late in this region, I almost forgot about it. But it's here now, so let's go!

We start the quest taking a request in which we had to find a missing person from Vimara Village in Sumeru. The case is weird because the people there don't even know the guy's name or anything about him. Just that he was a very kind, young man who was there for a while.

We meet with Dain here and he tells us some new important lore.

We talk about the mysterious voice we heard in the other Quest and Dain tells us that he's one of the Five Sinners of Khaenri'ah. He tells us the names of the five of them, two being Rhinedottir and Surtalogi, who is Skirk's master.

Dain also tells us that another one of them, Vedrfolnir, is his older brother. He says these 5 were the cause of everything and he can't forgive them.

We then continue talking about the mysterious Loom of Fate. We need to discover what it is and what it does.

The next day, Dain starts saying that the mysterious guy from the village has started to appear in his memories as well. From that we deduce that someone is implanting false memories.

We go to a dungeon to ensure that the eye of the Field Tiller that Dain was protecting is safe. But then we get separated, and Dain faces...

Unfortunately, that's the last we see of Dain (but he survives, don't worry lol)

We return to the village and discover who the mysterious young man is. He's... Calibert. For some reason he's in human form and an adult too.

We enter what he calls "the realm of his consciousness", where he explains everything.

He was used to construct the Loom of Fate and then he perished, this Calibert is just a remnant created by the Loom of Fate. Apparently it can be used to implant memories, but that's just his primitive form. As it gets stronger it can create Ley Lines, and it has the power to change the world.

Calibert had the power to use it to implant memories, and he did it to create memories, as a "what if he had lived in that village as a normal person".

He then tells us that the Loom of Fate has already been completed, so the Abyss Order managed to take the Eye from Dain. Calibert implanted false memories in order to make him believe he had given the Eye to the Traveler and it was safe.

In the end thought, Calibert doesn't know what the Traveler's sibling is planning with the Loom of Fate, but he completed his goals so he can leave peacefully now.

Before leaving this place though, someone else appears. The Traveler's sibling, although, they can't touch each other.

They explain how they have to act before the Heavenly Principles awaken, but they still don't know how they're going to use the Loom of Fate. We also see a small twist regarding the Traveler's name.

It turns out that Lumine / Aether is the actual name of the Traveler, and the name we input in the beginning is just how they named themselves, probably to hide their identity.

So the only one who knows their true name is their sibling.

Unfortunately, as the space they're in destroys itself, they will forget everything they've talked about there.

As the Traveler wakes up, they go to see one of the villagers, and we discover that Calibert implanted memories to make it seem like he went home with this family.

And he also left us a memento.

("You must get along with each other, the two of you.")

----

Overall, it was a pretty good quest. I honestly prefer when we don't have so much fluff dialogue and we go directly to the plot.

My main critique is that this feels like a Part 2 of the Quest from last year, especially since we're still in Sumeru and we finished the storyline about Calibert. So we should have had this Chapter released earlier.

We got good lore but it doesn't feel like we progressed a lot. It was also disappointed how Dain disappeared for most of the quest and we didn't even see what happened. It just feels rushed.

But I did like it, especially the final part with Calibert and the Abyss Sibling.

For once, I actually liked Aether as the Prince in this scene. Him being a kind, big brother with his soothing voice really sold the scene. Some people say they prefer Lumine as the antagonist, but I disagree.

We're also starting to get closer to the Abyss Order's plans and what happened in Khaenri'ah. I remember that Kaeya had a line about how "the Sinners were all that's left", it's cool how that's relevant now.

Not to mention that one of the Sinner is Dain's brother. I'm guessing that we may meet him in the next Quest, it will be interesting.

And now begins the wait for Natlan. I seriously hope they make something interesting there, I'm just eagered to get to the final regions now. But we're getting closer, next year we'll reach Snezhnaya, it feels unreal.

[i-myeoni-blogs]

From (2022- Ongoing) – TV series Review

Creator – John Griffin

Genre – Science fiction, Horror, Supernatural

First episode Release Date – 20 Feb 2022

Introduction –

Imagine getting trapped in an unknown place with unknown creatures lurking in the dark and no way to escape! Sounds terrifying, right? John Griffin’s creation, From, perfectly exemplifies a spine-chilling experience. It is a series that will leave you with suspense and a cliffhanger. Started in 2022, From is an ongoing series that has completed three seasons. The latest season aired in September 2024 and had a total of 10 episodes. This gripping TV series leaves the audiences curious with many questions yet to be answered.

Plot Analysis –

From begins with a family of four driving to their new home in “The Township” but getting trapped in a strange and unfamiliar place. By the day, the place remains normal and peaceful, but as the night falls it becomes a terrifying nightmare to live in.

The town that remains unknown to the outer world, is in the middle of somewhere. No matter where the characters were driving to, they all ended up in the town suggests there’s more eerie than just the creatures.

Where unknown creatures that look human lurk with sinister smiles ready for some blood and flesh. Their manipulative words to lure people out of their houses that were protected by Talismans. The people in the town were all traveling somewhere but somehow ended up in this town trying their best to see another daylight. Boyd Stevens played by Harold Perrineau; a veteran who takes up the position of sheriff to keep everyone safe.

But the place had some other plans, as the show advances many questions arise about ‘the boy in white’, ‘the faraway tree’, and of course ‘the creatures’.  The town itself has become a place that feeds on fear, with all the supernatural things. That messes up with people’s minds, making them do things they’d regret later. The series explores the mystery, fragility of the events, confusion, dilemma, and pure horror as the people try their best to unravel the mystery and find a way out. Making it different from any other evil-spirited horrors.

Characters and acting –

The more I say the less it is, every character in the series owns their role perfectly. But Boyd Stevens played by Harold Perrineau is one of the main characters who shines with the main character's energy. He stole the show with his great acting as his portrayal of a leader with flaws adds naturality and depth to his character. Especially with the tough decisions he had to take, making him stand out.

Julie Matthews played by Hannah Cheramy; by the end of season 3 becomes the center of the story with more mystery for the upcoming season.

Victor Kavanaugh played by Scott McCord who survived in the town for longer than anyone else holds an important part since the beginning of the series.

Characters like Tabitha (Catalina Sandino Moreno), Jade (David Alpay), and Sara (Avery Konard) also delivered commendable performances making them an important part of the series. The whole cast, the supporting characters, and the team bring the supernatural world of ‘From’ to life. Making it a successful and intriguing series besides ‘Lost’, ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘Riverdale’.

Miss –

While From has its fair share of captivating moments, it’s not without flaws. The pacing can feel sluggish, especially for viewers who prefer a faster narrative. Major revelations are withheld until the later seasons, which may test the patience of some. With only 10 episodes per season, the series occasionally feels stretched, leaving audiences craving more progress.

Verdict –

With its different story and fear-gripping concept, the series hooks viewers from the start. The introduction episodes in season 1, slowly take flow in season 2 and get a few things answered in season 3. The series makes the viewer keep coming back for more with an interesting plot and essential cliffhangers. If you are a fan of horror and mystery, this series is for you because it’ll keep you guessing ‘what’ll be next?’

Rating – 8.5/10

Recommendation – Highly Recommended.

[justtosealmyfate1]

The legacy of war in HP

My fic, the fates, which follows when Albus and Scorpius’ relationship is discovered, takes place only 25 years after the war! That is, in the grand scheme of things, so little time. I thought a lot about societies after dictatorships— more specifically Spain and Latin American countries. Spain took a total head-in-the-sand approach. They don’t discuss their 30+ year long fascist dictatorship, don’t teach it in school and there are still political parties (like Vox) who actively want to return to that era. After Cambodia, Spain has the most mass graves in the world. But since Spain is a liberal, democratic Western country, nobody is forcing them to reckon with this history. This is in contrast with Latin American countries like Guatemala, Argentina and Chile, which had their dictators prosecuted for war crimes to varying degrees of success.

There are pros and cons to prosecution and reparations versus amnesty. It’s interesting to think about what Wizarding Britain would have chosen. Even though Voldemort’s actual dictatorship only lasted about nine months, there were years of political instability and terror in the 90s. It seems like something similar happened during the First War in the 70s, so there would be multiple generations affected by this culture of violence. 

There are other fics that explore this better (like castles by pebblysand and beasts by whinlatter) but I would hope that there would be some form of justice after the Second War. I think there would have to be some degree of amnesty, simply because you can’t prosecute all of the Ministry workers who were complicit in the regime, but I think the point of the HP series would be moot if there weren’t institutional changes after Voldemort’s defeat. The same thing happened in Spain— many of the people who served in Francisco Franco’s regime also served in their democratic government. It’s just more realistic. 

The kids in Albus’ year would be born in 2005/2006– less than 10 years after the war ended. His generation lives in the shadow of a war that shaped their entire society and culture. For Albus especially, because his entire family was deeply entrenched in the war, this would be so consequential. While other members of his family may be able to segregate themselves from “the other side” of the war (i.e. the Death Eaters and people complicit in their violence), he can’t. He’s exposed to a different political class in Slytherin (though not social or economic class, which I think is an important note— Albus is a privileged rich boy from an important family!) I don’t think the kids in Slytherin would be explicitly pureblood supremacists/Death Eaters, but I do think some may be more sympathetic to that way of life considering their families had more social and political power in the 20th century. 

This is what makes Scorpius and his relationship with Albus so exceptional. They have every reason in the world to be prejudiced towards each other. The last two generations of Malfoys have been Death Eaters while the last two generations of Potter-Weasleys have been DA or Order members. The fact that they’re able to forge this dynamic with each other after decades of hatred is insane to me. Which makes it so fun to write fic about!

(disclaimer: If you disagree with me that’s okay! And don’t say I didn’t like that play! Clearly I liked it enough because I’m sitting around writing fanfiction about it nearly a decade later.)

I’m tossing my hat into the ring of this eight year discourse. I’ve seen CC on Broadway, and it was incredible! The technical feats, the acting and the story works on stage. In my opinion, plays are better when they have a very visual, dramatic, jumping-off-the-page storyline. But as a script and as a part of HP canon, the plot doesn’t work as well. The whole time travel thing, Voldemort’s daughter retcon and cutting (and kinda ruining) major characters doesn’t translate well. Albus is also just an unsympathetic character. He’s impossible to root for because he’s so destructive and self-absorbed. I think all fic writers kinda make him better than he was in the play, and this fic is no different. Although I think his personality does tie back, to an extent, to what can be accomplished in a book versus in a play. CC was very plot driven, which is interesting because the main draw of the show is its characters. I think it works on stage, but as HP canon, not really. The younger generation of characters aren’t really fleshed out enough. Albus wasn’t standing around giving soliloquies, he was participating in the plot, and while we can glean his personality and motivations from that, it’s not enough for character-driven girlies like me. I think a lot of the characters in CC are kind of caricature-like and one note because the play was so plot driven. I can see what they were trying to do. Like Rose is bossy and smart like Hermione, but Hermione was also so much more than that, so it feels reductive. Ron is this silly comic relief, which he could be in the books, but again, he was so, so much more than that. Harry is (presumably) very traumatized and quick to anger, which is true, but he also was sweet and kind and a chill guy most of the time. 

I do like some of the elements, like Albus and Scorpius’ relationship (or non-relationship), Albus being in Slytherin and even the difficult relationship between Al and his dad. The play really takes it to an extreme that’s definitely a turn off to a lot of readers, and rightfully so. But it would be hard to have such a famous father who you look exactly like!

[imthepunchlord]

Different nonnie, but Liiri always looked like a cute but bland little nugget to me, so I totally get liking Ying Ying’s character design better. The red-and-yellow glowing color palette that all the Renlings have made it harder to appreciate square-on, so I’m glad you’re switching the colors up too.

Your full answer to that ask reminds me, concerning which of your Miraculous WIPs you’d want to use this three-tier Miraculous setup on, you could honestly just have the Wish made by someone using the canon Ladybug and Black Cat in any of the MULTIPLE in-show close calls up to this point and then just alter and/or rewind reality from there, because SCREW all the unnecessary changes, additions, and retcons that this show’s lore has pulled over the last five seasons. The Prodigious, Order of the Guardians, Native American Miraculous, Miraculous potions, time travel, and so on were obviously far too complex ideas for the ML crew to handle properly, and now they’ve decided to delve even further into the idea of alternate universes for the upcoming Miraculous Paris special on top of all of that, so forget it, might as well use the one still-useful canon-established setup of a Wish to clean it all up so you can use your new lineup in any idea you want. After Wish AU? An accidental dual-Wish is already built into the premise, with Adrien wanting things to be different and Marinette rejecting that, and you get to play with the PV world’s interesting plot setups, a main cast whose characters are slightly to-the-left in terms of personality and looks, and a Marinette who remembers everything contrasting an Adrien who remembers nothing. Off to Italy AU? Maybe it’s later in Season 4 or 5 where Marinette is just tired and she Wishes she had gotten the chance to be a hero with actual support and/or really live her life with trustworthy friends and family at the start of it all, with both the Miraculous powers and her grandmother’s availability to take her to live in Milan with her shifting accordingly. Fortune Favors the Brave AU? Maybe Alya swipes Chat Noir’s Miraculous in Hack-san during their brief introduction-tussle and has the “bright” idea of making the Wish to make herself the Ladybug hero from the beginning only to find that a) main hero life is a lot harder than it’s cracked up to be, b) she’s now one of the five most powerful instead of the two most powerful as Karma for making the Wish without considering others, pressing the importance of teamwork in this new life even more than in the old one, and c) her new kwami is understandably NOT happy about how Alya not only betrayed her former owner’s trust but also reset the universe’s established power balances due to her Wish being too broad. And these are just three examples off the top of my head. All this to say that you’ve been a wonderful part of the fandom even if you don’t interact with it as much anymore, and I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much about which idea to fit your new Miraculous system into when the time comes given your writing track record. With all the grief that the canon plot has given you and everyone else, it’s only fair that you get to use its built-in Deus ex machina to your advantage.

I'll say that chances are I wouldn't do an After Wish au for a lot of the ideas, cause most I want to work off starting off fresh and no one having any recollection of a previous timeline and acting like this is the norm.

Like, the Off to series would have this set up since "Lady Lion" would be a character for Off to Milan, and Pixie Girl or Butterfly Girl will have Mantis. And Off to London, Sebastian the waiter is planned to have Songbird.

So Off to series will either be splitting up the Bagua set or it'll be all randomized on where Miraculous are, and Fu only has a few.

But After Wish au could happen for some ideas, especially since I do like @nobodyfamousposts Lament ideas and their take on the Wish. How the new reality deals with you can depend on your actions, where fighting against the new setting and not liking the changes makes things worse for you, and how rough a set up you'll have can depend on how selfish or selfless a Wish is. It's a fun set up and scenario to think about.

And oh yeah, full agree with all the choices and directions the show went. I'm certain a lot of it came down to doing what other superhero studios were doing. Like Marvel is trying to get the multiverse going and DC dabbled in it with that Flash movie, so clearly ML has to do it too! Which, I will say, there is potential in playing with the multiverse. Back when the show just started, this was the show for aus. Any au you could think of existed. ML being a tv show and the cast are all actors, kwami swap au, inverse/pastel au that just swapped or changed up their colors, personality swaps, life swaps, reverse love square, enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, ect..

So Ml could work off the multiverse and have fun with it, but that does require creativity and a passion for the show, which given their lazy or odd choices, you got to wonder how invested they are.

[wuxiaphoenix]

Worldbuilding: Lending Libraries

The Kings and Generals channel on YouTube has a video on Alexandria, when it had the Great Library. Between the canals, the various ethnic groups in residence, trade, and interesting manuscript shenanigans, it’d be a heck of a neat fantasy setting.

Especially since it had more than one library. There was the Great Library, with who knows how many thousands of papyri, only accessible to those with power. But the secondary library had extra copies, worn papyri, and so on. It still may have totaled forty thousand manuscripts - and it was free to everyone.

You could get a treasure trove of plot hooks out of this. The knowledge treasured by the elites isn’t necessarily the most valuable; sifting out patterns in accumulated reports could tell any spy a lot. Scholars would travel great distances just to lay hands on works they’d never seen before. And what if it’s the old manuscript that’s important? Someone recopied it wrong, or there’s a hidden message in the papyrus itself. Treasure hunt!

And don’t forget the shenanigans. Supposedly (I’d need to double-check this) the port authorities would search any ship that made harbor, looking for manuscripts the library didn’t have yet. If they found one, it was seized, copied - and they gave you back the copy.

I’m sure you can imagine all kinds of problems characters can get into from that.

On the larger scale, the flow of information in your world should never be taken for granted. Our species may have existed for about four hundred thousand years, and has been literate less than seven thousand of them. Languages we’ll never know, tricks of survival lost in the mists of time, songs no ear will ever hear again. It could drive you to drink if you dwell on it.

(If you wonder how some archaeologists and historians have come to bad ends - yes, this is something that can hit people hard. Study the past, but remember the present.)

Without written languages, the only way to get information was to hear it from another person. Oral transmission of information can be surprisingly accurate over long stretches of time. It can also be misheard, mistranslated (word meanings shift over time), and that’s not even counting the myriad ways someone might decide to mess with the story; to spice it up, to paint themselves in a better light, or even just for the sake of lying.

Of course the written word can lie too. But it hangs around where you can check it longer, and it can travel much farther without alteration. We have a written copy of Beowulf, circa 1000 AD. You can argue part of it has crumbled, that monks added Christian elements to the story as they wrote it down - but there it is. The Norwell Codex exists. You can check it. A story passed down centuries, now available to anyone with a toehold in the Information Age.

How do your characters get information? Word of mouth, temple inscriptions, letters brought with the next caravan or ship into port? Is there a specific language all scholars know to exchange information? Church Latin in medieval Europe, Chinese writing in most of East Asia for centuries, English in air travel and a lot of modern science? What resources do characters have to check their facts; to find out, as homicide detectives say, who’s lying, who’s lying more, and who’s lying the most?

Consider what your characters know, how they know it, and if there’s anywhere they can look stuff up. Depending on how crucial it is to have the right facts, it might be worth traveling across the known world to Alexandria....

[cosmicgrapevine]

A Not-So-Brief Summary of my Novel's Worldbuilding, Characters, Plot, and Themes

@tototavros was asking for a more comprehensive summary of this project at some point, so here goes. This is a rather 'organic' project and some of the details have changed over time and will continue to change, but I'm pretty solid on most of it at this point.

This sideblog is for my posting pieces from and other content related to my WIP manuscript Through the Grapevine, an urban fantasy novel set in the late 1990s that straddles the YA/New Adult border in tone and content. While the first novel is a fairly self-contained narrative, I am writing and marketing it as a 3-4 book series.

Metaphysics: While this mostly isn't relevant in the first book, if you pan out wide enough it turns out that our universe is only one of an uncountably high (but not infinite: something something maximum number of vertices in an n-dimensional something something) number connected by a structure known as the Viabract or Great Vine. The number of universes able to support life at all, let alone a civilization of intelligent beings, is much smaller--many universes are tiny, half-formed, or incomplete 'junk dimensions'. "Our" universe has a reputation for being unusually safe, stable, and predictable, in part because our stricter physical laws make magic more difficult to perform, and magic is ultimately a force that borrows against metaphysical stability, especially on the large scale.

The Viabract is the ultimate source of all magic, although that magic manifests locally in different ways, and skilled supernaturalists can use it to travel between dimensions. The interior is a series of interconnected tunnels to which normal notions of size and distance don't really apply. The only (arguably) living beings native to it are agglomerations of pure magic called Mires, which in their natural state look something like overgrown amoebae but can possess other beings to give themselves 'real bodies' and grant significant power to their hosts. (A non-sapient possessed animal is called a Halfmire, while a sapient possessed animal is a Fullmire)

Main Characters: My two POV characters are Melanie Kitz and Tabby Jelenski, high school juniors at a Catholic school in Chicago who have been friends since childhood. Melanie's parents, Fred and Janet, are a Chicago PD detective and a social worker for Child Services, and thus she's led a fairly privileged life. She is ambitious, hoping to get into a good college and start a career in politics or activism, and prefers to follow the rules and keep her head down.

Tabby's parents, Steve and Rita, are divorced and estranged: her paternal uncle went to jail for laundering mob money through his pawn shop, which ruined her parents' already tenuous relationship. She lives with her abusive mother, her father moved to the suburbs to live with said brother once he got out of jail, and while she deeply despises her mom she's not on great terms with her dad either. She is adventurous and reckless, planning on running away to anywhere-but-here as soon as she's done with school. She rebels against her mother through petty crimes and sleeping around with neighborhood boys.

While he's not a POV character, Lynd's arc is nearly as important as the other two. He shows up one night at Melanie's house, looking for her paternal grandfather Florentino, a man she thought had been dead for decades. He claims to be a representative of an ancient order of demon-hunters called Marksteppers who live in the wilderness and forsake human civilization, and his 'clan' seeks help from Florentino, who is the most powerful living Warden, a different school of magic (broadly speaking: Wardens are rules-magic engineers, Marksteppers are spirit-magic shamans, and they do not work well together). It is soon revealed that Lynd has ostensibly arrived in search of some information, but really wants to leave his old life behind and see what life in the 'normal world' is like.

Lynd is of the Ash Clan of Marksteppers, one of nine 'Great Clans' that rule the others and whose members are significantly more powerful. While 'normal' Marksteppers are basically human, Great Clan members are closer to demigods: they don't age, can't reproduce, and the (more or less) only way to join a clan is to kill a current member and inherit their powers, thus taking their place.

Setting: All three wind up in Kahoti, Florida, a private suburb north of Tampa built, funded, and operated by Florentino. Wardens' chief magical tool is Wards, a form of defensive magic which borrows energy from the Viabract and uses it to create barriers. Historically, Wards could only be applied to single structures, as they relied on a physical anchoring point and their power could not be transmitted through empty space. Florentino is a pioneer in Warding larger areas: his first big breakthrough was (ironically) magic-proofing Walt Disney World, using the rides, monorails and the like as vectors for Wards. By the '80s, he had mastered his craft enough to build an entire community with enough space for 30,000 people, all fully Warded and protected (real life inspirations include private and/or planned Florida communities Seaside, Celebration, and Golden Oak).

Plot: Once they settle down in Kahoti, the trio joins the Lost Kids, the in-training demon-hunting group at Kahoti High (this is, at its core, a Wake Up Go to School Save the World story). The central enemy in the story is Blackmires--Mires which seem to be created artificially, hijack hosts instead of symbiotically bonding with them, and can be transferred from one person to another with the old memories intact, none of which normal Mires are supposed to be able to do.

The mastermind behind their creation is Gerald Scutaro, aka The Centipede, a former mafioso who found a way into the world of magic and used it to benefit his organization, until he got too powerful for his own good and his fellow mobsters tricked him into a Vegas trip in the early 1990s where they gave him the Rasputin treatment and left him for dead. He survived, however, to meet Anna McCarthy, current Lord of the Sumac Clan of Marksteppers. Along with another Sumac, they invent Blackmires by combining normal Mires with the Sumac Clan's signature Black Water, a substance that in small doses makes people uninhibited and hedonistic, and in large ones mutates them into monsters that the Clan Lord can control.

McCarthy and Scutaro's ultimate plan is to gain possession of two bractoscopes, items that superficially look like mirrors but are actually portals into Warded areas that they couldn't access otherwise, use them to funnel their troops into Kahoti and take it over from the inside. And that is not just for its own sake, but to secure possession of a valuable territory for the coming actions of all nine Great Clans: an attempt to summon their creator goddess back to life and turn Earth into a fortress against their extradimensional enemies. (This is not an 'Evil Plan' necessarily: some Marksteppers and humans alike think that it will lead to a new golden age for Earth as a center of interdimensional travel, and Marksteppers in general are fond of humanity and see themselves as its protectors.)

On the more interpersonal level, Melanie was already an ambitious young woman, and learning that she's the heir to her grandfather's vast empire and a prodigal (grand)daughter to this new community only heightens that aspect of her. She learns how to use this power to the benefit of all while still keeping her morals intact. She struggles in understanding her grandfather and his work; he is at turns capricious, downright cruel, and deeply merciful. Tabby and Lynd, meanwhile, quickly find themselves falling in love with each other, their shared outsider status and being targets of suspicion deepening their bond. With Tabby's help, Lynd assimilates quickly to this new world, to the point where she fears he'll lose the spark that brought them together in the first place.

Other Characters: Florentino Cervantes himself is my flashy, sun-soaked spin on the mentor character, a wizard and business baron whose two trades mutually support each other, and who mostly farms out the mentoring to his subordinates. Travis Barrett, an aggressive and vicious hunter, is his second in command, and is secretly Melanie's older brother: Florentino forced Fred and Janet to give up their firstborn to him in return for leaving their lives entirely. Since the Lost Kids meet primarily at school, most of their adult support doubles as school staff, including Gary Hansen (dean of students), Amanda Vernon (physics), and Lou Bonifacio (driver's ed and assistant baseball coach).

Gary's daughter Fawn and Lou's nephew Jordy are both 'lifers', with Fawn specializing in infosec and cover-ups and Jordy being more of a front-liner with a magic-infused baseball bat that can turn into a massive magic-fueled sledge. Kenny Boyd and Anthony Nicks began their training in middle school. Anthony is the team nerd of sorts: tech whiz and loremaster with perception-altering powers, while Kenny is a cynical metalhead and skateboarder with the ability to control metals. Finally, the 'Pool Crew' consists of Drew, Jevon, Conrad, and Corey, who answer directly to Travis and whose preferred magic is the gun kind. Jordy's girlfriend Shanti Khatri had a spot on the team for a minute, but was kicked out and memory-wiped for targeting her classmates with mind-altering magic.

Of the bad guys: Ernest Brunswick is a 200-year-old English aristocrat who gained Markstepper-immortality at age 30 or so, and the chief chemist in the creation of Blackmires. He is estranged from Scutaro and McCarthy when the story begins and seeks to undermine them. Other agents include Dale Patterson, the first Blackmire who could successfully travel from body to body, but given he was a white supremacist before being transformed, insists on possessing only white men, and Rachel Bosart, a one-hit-wonder pop singer from the '70s who is looking to ride Scutaro's magic into a younger body. While none of the students start out demonic (in the non-mundane sense at least), the bad guys do get their claws into Shanti and star pitcher Ryan Hyde as well.

Themes: The most central theme to this story is freedom vs. safety, exemplified by Tabby and Melanie respectively. Wards provide safe havens from demons, but must be carefully controlled and are not open to everyone. Personal choice is also a major factor: destiny and chosen ones do not really feature here (although some characters think otherwise), and emphasis is repeatedly placed on how all three tritagonists choose to learn more or go deeper. While I'm trying to avoid going all Ernest Cline, 90's/y2k nostalgia is a factor as well, playing up the pre-9/11, pre-Columbine sense of freedom and optimism, as well as one of the last eras where having a social life didn't require being constantly plugged into the internet.

[hello-rambling-my-old-friend]

I do find it very interesting at how the Mondstadt Archon Quest is called a prologue. Especially since, of the two main enemy factions in Genshin – the Fatui and the Abyss Order – it’s the only non-Traveller Archon Quest to primarily focus on the second of the two, and not really focus on the first.

Obviously there were other things going on in the other nations, it would be reductive to ignore that. But if we look at them: 

Liyue: Plot revolves around Childe awakening Osial and almost destroying Liyue Harbour, in addition to featuring him very prominently. Zhongli’s choice to live as a human is very important to the plot too, but ultimately the climax and danger is due to the actions of the Fatui. The Abyss Order isn’t present at all.

Inazuma: Slightly less prominent here, since most of the problems were already being caused by Ei and the Shogun Puppet. However, the Fatui were manufacturing Delusions and deliberately trying to destabilise Inazuma, and Signora was also acting as a ‘diplomat’ to help this. They didn’t cause the problem, but they deliberately heightened it, and were featured quite majorly in the quest overall. The Abyss Order isn’t present at all.

Sumeru: Plot largely revolves around the Akademiya trying to create a new god, which was largely due to Dottore’s presence and actions. Additionally, the new god was Scaramouche, but his story wasn’t really treated as a ‘Fatui’ storyline (ie it was much more driven by his personal goals than the Fatui’s, he’s acting as a character not representative of the organisation) so I’m not sure how important that is – but it is still a big part of the Archon Quest. The Abyss Order isn’t present at all.

There’s a clear pattern of antagonists here – in the region quests, it’s the Fatui that are the problem. The Abyss storyline is mainly left to the Traveller acts of the quest with Dainslief.

Meanwhile, in Mondstadt? The Fatui hardly play a role at all. The plot revolves around Dvalin’s corruption, which was solely due to the plans of the Abyss Order – the Fatui had nothing to do with it. There were also threats due to Hilichurls getting closer and closer to the city, and an attack while the Traveller was fighting Dvalin, also due to the Abyss Order and nobody else. Yes, the Fatui were taking advantage of it and trying to use it to diplomatically threaten Mondstadt, but that’s something mentioned more off-handedly, not something the Traveller needs to resolve or get involved in, and it’s solved off-screen (and as majorly as a consequence of un-corrupting Dvalin). Yes, Signora took Venti’s Gnosis, but that very much happens after the main conflict is resolved, and the plot of the quest itself would have been exactly the same without it – its only significance is for future events. And nearly every storyline in Mondstadt is like that – not having ties to the Fatui, but the Abyss. Even Diluc’s Story Quest, unrelated to the main storyline, is about threats from the Abyss Order to the city, when it could have easily been about the Fatui as well. They’re a major presence to the characters there, but not the story Genshin is interested in telling.

If the Fatui were the main antagonists of the game, showing up majorly in every quest since, you’d expect them to be introduced as the main threat from the very beginning, right? Or, if the Abyss Order were such a big threat, surely they’d play a big role in other nations? At least in Sumeru, which was very close to Khaenri’ah, connected with the literal tree of all knowledge (something which you’d expect the Abyss Order, all about revealing “the truth of this world”, to be interested in), and where the Abyss Order’s founder first encountered The Sinner which would prompt him to start it in the first place? 

...But here’s the thing. The Fatui are introduced as the main antagonists in the beginning of the story. In Chapter One of the story, the one the nation Archon Quests are interested in telling. 

The Mondstadt Archon Quest isn’t Chapter One because apart from the very end, it’s not part of that story. It’s not about solving the troubles of Mondstadt as a nation, it’s not about chronicling the actions and effects of the Fatui, and it’s not setting any of that up, either. Instead, it introduces us to the Abyss, it gives attention to the Hilichurls, it even gives us as a player information our sibling, despite the Traveller themselves not knowing that. It’s not a prologue to the quest line the rest of the nations are following, it’s a prologue to Act I Chapter IV and the rest of the Traveller chapters.

That’s why it’s so set apart from the rest.

[elegantsparklyllama]

The Case for Klay Infantes x Placido Penitente

Maria Clara at Ibarra came into my radar when I was obssessed with El Filibusterismo and the works of Jose Rizal in general. When I first read the twitter post announcing the new historical portal fantasy, I was a bit skeptical. Maria Clara at Ibarra is about a Gen Z who is also named Maria Clara, nicknamed “Klay” who time-travels into the time period of Noli Me Tangere to learn about nationalism, patriotism and all that jazz. 

By the time the show tackled El Fili, viewers noticed the lower episode count compared to Noli and the some glaring exclusion of scenes from the book. Despite the lower episode count, I’m surprised by the impact a lot of the scenes had on me as a viewer. In my opinion, the writers did a fine job adapting the parts of El Fili. I’ll go as far as to say the lower episode count benefits El Fili for me as a viewer. This is mostly personal bias but I found a lot of scenes in Noli to be a bit dragging at times. The lower episode count demanded writers to be more careful with their time. However it can still feel rushed in some parts.

One of the significant changes in the adaptation is the absence of Placido Penitente’s character. From a plot perspective, even for someone who liked El Fili, Placido Penitente is almost a useless character. Rizal added his character for symbolism. Readers remember Placido Penitente for standing up to Padre Millon but beyond that, the character disappeared after teaming up with Simoun and the readers know little to nothing beyond that.

I’m not mad at the show runners for excluding Placido Penitente in their adaptation. The writers of Maria Clara at Ibarra are free to write whatever the hell they want. Instead, I want to make my case for the ship of Klay Infantes and Placido Penitente and why I think not making the 2 characters meet or even interact is a missed oppurtunity. Think of this meta as a thought experiment or speculation. Because Placido Penitente never happened, the meta will be based on not only the original El Fili and MCI but also on lots of speculation. I’m not going to hate on Filay. I think Filay is cute but I’m also a sucker for possible ships beyond the canon ones and how it can narratively impact the story. 

Now on with the meta...

Maria Clara “Klay” Infantes, The Gen Z Fighter

Klay, the main protagonist functions as the audience’ self-insert. She is the Gen Z character stuck in the world of Rizal’s novels. As the audience self-insert, she says the things the audience is thinking in their minds as they watch events unfold. I like that her status as a self-insert is informed by her present characteristics. Klay being outspoken is part of her character along with her fierce love for her mother and brother. There were times her outspoken mouth grates on my nerves as a viewer especially when she preaches feminism seemingly out of ignorance of the systems that oppressed these women in the first place.

To the world of Noli and El Fili, she is a peculiarity. A woman who speaks her mind about women being as capable as men? That is preposterous. (sarcasm)

Since her real name is technically, “Maria Clara,” she is also a foil to the Maria Clara of Noli. Maria Clara and Klay are almost opposites in terms of characterization. Maria Clara’s meekness and quiet nature is there to contrast with Klay’s more outspoken nature.

Another important thing about Klay is her background. Klay defined herself by her struggles even before she came into the world of Noli.

She is a struggling working student who aspires to graduate from Nursing to support her family without her stepdad. She is not the person to back down in the face of adversity especially when her loved ones are at risk. Because of it, she has to create an outer shell to cope with the burden of studying in school and being the breadwinner of the family. She is a girl from a broken family who cries when no one is around because she has to appear strong for her family. Her outspoken nature came from her intolerance to injustices.

At the start of the series, she can’t bring herself to care about the lofty ideals of nationalism as a Filipino because of the struggles she faces everyday. Like the audience, the narrative pushes her to care about her country more and to open her eyes to the injustices that many Filipinos experience. Over the course of the story, she begins to call out the systems that oppressed the Filipinos and pushes for reform and change in the town of San Diego.

By El Fili, she is determined to change the fates of her friends to prevent the tragedies that will befall them in El Fili. She also grapples with the mystery of the fates of the other characters such as Elias and Fidel.

Placido Penitente, The Ordinary Filipino In the Olden Times

I think Placido Penitente is one of the most relatable characters in all of Jose Rizal’s writing. Every teacher would point out Placido Penitente means “Silent Suffering”. Placido Penitente is a poor Indio who was able to attain education in Manila and at UST no less. The narration mentions he is very focused on his studies to the point of not having time for other past times his classmates normally have. He is considered one of the most intelligent by both the characters in the story and the narrative.

As said by his namesake, he silently endures the discrimination of the Dominican priests in UST. His mother instilled to him the value of meekness because of their poor status despite his intelligence. To his classmates, he is very silent. They wouldn’t expect him to stand up for himself. Deep down, anger boiled within him as he endured the taunts of the priests and the mindless lessons he is forced to learn.

To a lot of readers, the struggle is relatable and understandable. If you ever encountered the El Fili fandom, Placido is a sort of fan favorite. I enjoy scrolling through Tumblr to find a lot of content on him and how many fans could relate to him even in the modern age. There are moments in life when we silently suffer to not disrupt the peace of other people. Rizal used Placido Penitente as an allegory for regular Filipinos during the period of the Spanish era. If Placido’s anger is a Filipino’s anger, his suffering is a Filipino’s suffering.

Placido didn’t exactly start out with patriotic ideals or even the moral framework to correct the injustices he sees. I’d argue he also represents the apathetic Filipino. He cares about injustice when he experiences injustice. He didn’t study to become a lawyer out of a sense of justice, rather he did it out of obligation to his parents. Whenever I read chapters focusing on his point of view, I notice a selfishness within them. He quits school because his intelligence is not appreciated. He doesn’t like being insulted and humiliated. These traits were never shown in relation to his relationship with other marginalized groups. Unlike Isagani, Placido is a pragmatic, not an idealist. I’ll even go as far as to say he is apolitical as Klay was in the beginning of her story.

Same Struggles, Different Timeline

It baffles me when people say El Fili is more boring than Noli. My old tutor said she preferred Noli over El Fili. El Fili has a much darker and more political tone than Noli but as a student, I find El Fili more relatable than Noli. El Fili is not only a dark political novel, it is also a novel that places emphasis on the youth characters than Noli did. While Simoun plots to take his revenge, the college students plan to establish a Castillian Academy. I don’t like that MCI lessened the emphasis on the youth characters which I think would’ve been as relevant to Klay.

Now why Klay and Placido? They’re more similar than you think. They’re meant to be relatable characters to their respective audiences. It baffles me when people say the texts of El Fili and Noli are not relevant to the struggles of today’s generation. Klay and Placido are both struggling students. Klay may not have the intelligence of Placido and Placido may not have Klay’s selflessness but in them, I see a similar grit that almost mirror each other.

Although their situations are not the exact same, the issues remain. Placido may not be a working student but he is actively disrespected by the Dominican teachers in his school that more often than not tested his patience. He is in a position where he can’t speak up for his rights out of losing his education. His mother even pleaded him to go the priest’s way despite the humiliation Placido was put through because of them.

Klay doesn’t experience this situation in school but in her everyday life before the events of MCI, she is pitted against authorities that try to belittle her at every opportunity. This is exemplified in her part time job when the café owner forced her to pay for the food the customers didn’t pay. She lost at least 3 days of wages because of them but she can’t speak up.

Placido and Klay were in a situation where they are encouraged remain meek and quiet by their society and peers. And their mothers want them to employ said traits for survival. They are the characters written to be relatable to their audience. If the characters meet, perhaps the audience of MCI and Klay herself may discover that the past rhymes with the present more than they think.

Finding connections and similarities between the past and the present is one of the main themes of MCI. By looking at the past, one can better appreciate the present. This is also the main reason why the professor forced Klay to live the experiences of Noli. A character similar to Klay in terms of situation and struggles can be an eye-opener for Klay herself and the audience.

Yes, I’m kinda salty that MCI didn’t include Placido Penitente in the final product but the writers are put into the position of fitting all of El Fili in like 20 episodes when Noli had 70+.

A Potential Enemies to Lovers Pair?

Hot take: the pair has as much enemies to lovers potential as Filay. An enemies to lovers pair as defined by a lot of people is the pairing of 2 equally strong-willed and proud people unwilling to back down. From the previous parts of the meta, it is clear that both Placido and Klay are proud individuals who suffer the brunt of unfair authorities. What elevates the pair for me compared to Filay, is their similar characteristics and backgrounds. I’m sorry I can’t think of a ship name…

I admit Filay is cute and even an endearing ship. As a viewer, I didn’t expect them to get together but they worked. Their dynamic started out with a sort of rivalry wherein Klay argues with Fidel about gender equality. Over the course of the show, they begin to form a bond which eventually evolves into a full on romantic relationship. That’s cute. It is the ideal progression of enemies to lovers.

Like Filay, I imagine Placido and Klay to have an enemies to lovers dynamic. Placido will find Klay annoying because of her impulsive mouth. She goes against what he was taught since he came to Manila. Seeing someone speaking their thoughts freely for Placido can trigger a nerve in him. The same could also be said for Klay but in an opposite manner. Klay may despise Placido for his arrogance and his quiet nature in the face of the enemy. Similarly, this also goes against her core belief to stand up for what is right.

Placido can be quiet to a lot of his peers but he is also a raging teapot ready to burst. He will sass the hell out of Klay and Klay will bite him back. There will be times he can be the same brand of misogynist as Fidel because of the time periods but I don’t think that should be the main impetus of their rivalry like Filay.

To me they already have a compelling reason to be the bickering lovers: their similar backgrounds and different approaches to dealing with them. Fidel and Klay have different backgrounds with Fidel hailing from a rich family and Klay hailing from a middle class family. Fidel, a rich Ilustrado doesn’t face any social discrimination as Klay does (I meant this in context of the Spanish era). An enemies to lovers type ship with Placido and Klay will have the added dimension of them coming from similar backgrounds. It is not that similar because of the time periods but I think it is close enough.

The tension in their dynamic will stem from their ideologies when dealing with the problem and the conclusion should have them ultimately relate to each other and support one another in their struggles. Speaking of development…

Klay and Placido’s Development

Enemies to lovers implies character development from one or both parties. Part of the appeal of the enemies to lovers ship of Filay is Fidel’s growing awareness of the injustices around him. There is a great tumblr meta made on Fidel’s character development here. Filay also pushed Klay’s development as well. She learns how to be vulnerable in front of others especially Fidel. And she also learns the value of patriotism through her experiences in Noli. By El Fili, she seemed to have already completed her character arc. She comes back to the world of MCI to prevent the tragedies that will befall on her friends.

Once she is in the world of El Fili, she will meet the new characters in the book. One of those characters will be Placido Penitente. The interactions of Klay and Placido would be for Klay, a reintroduction of her past self before the events of MCI. As established, at the start of MCI, Klay considers herself as an apolitical figure. If we follow the same path as the show and Klay comes back to the events of El Fili with newfound knowledge she learned from Noli, then meeting Placido will be meeting her past apolitical self again.

Most of the development will be on Placido. Placido seemed to be the more flawed one in the pairing. Even to the average viewer, his development is obvious. Like Klay, he will learn how to care for fellow Filipinos and gain a new sense of patriotism for his country. Klay can also teach him how to use his voice by example as what happened for the other characters around her in Noli. Their bickering and arguments can force Placido to reconsider his single-minded point of view. At the end, aside from gaining patriotism, he can comfort Klay in her struggles even if he doesn’t understand them fully.

I have to admit, Klay’s development in this pairing is tricky because of Filay. Aside from a technical standpoint of her witnessing the life of ordinary students like herself during the Spanish era, it is almost hard to find a point of growth she could gain from interacting with Placido. For the most part, Klay seemed to be done in her character arc after the events of Noli. When she comes back to El Fili, she does it with the intentions to prevent the tragedies that will befall her on her friends. As she comes to El Fili, I think she also brought with her the idealism and patriotism she had from Noli. She is no stranger to calling out the bigoted men of the past on their narrow-mindedness. Since Placido is a lawyer and said in the narration to be one of the most intelligent students, I think he can meaningfully challenge those views with her.

The Possibilities of Fanfiction

I have to reiterate we are in fanfiction territory and those 2 characters never actually meet in canon so their story can go multiple ways. Ideally, I would want Klay and Placido to develop feelings for each other that is why I wrote this meta in the first place. Despite this I can also see a version of the ship with Filay still being the endgame. For their dynamic to be effective, the show should’ve dedicated more episodes to El Fili. As I write this meta, I composed a series of events and a couple of what-if scenarios of a longer El Fili or even a separate season dedicated to the book.

One of those plot points would be the audience and Klay not knowing where Fidel is so the audience has no choice but to follow Klay as she witnesses the events of El Fili first hand. I’m also a sucker for long winded suspense so in my ideal version, she wouldn’t meet the relevant Noli characters at all. She would’ve met Placido Penitente by accident in Manila while searching for Basilio. I find it strange that even if she supported Ibarra’s efforts of free education for all, she doesn’t seem to care about the characters’ plans to build a Castillian Academy like Ibarra once done in El Fili. Basilio is one of the supporters of the academy so she might have to interact with the student activists (e.g. Isagani, Macaraig) to meet him. To be fair it can be a repetitive plot but with good writing and more time, it can work as a parallel to the events of Noli. 

On an additional note, I would’ve also expanded Placido’s role in the novel especially on his collaboration with Simoun. 

Ultimately, the show is a work of fanfiction itself. We should be free to do whatever the hell we want with the source material but at the same time we should respect the message of Rizal’s original works. Again, I didn’t write this meta to downplay Filay but rather explore the possibilities of what could’ve been in the El Fili canon of Maria Clara at Ibarra. I’m glad Maria Clara at Ibarra encouraged young people to read the books and pay attention to the themes of Rizal’s novels. Feel free to think of ship name for Placido Penitente and Klay Infantes.

[miracleandplagueau]

Ooh, I'm pretty curious about your AU, I have a bunch of questions (if you don't mind answering. I just really love to hear ideas from AUs in general lol):

1-Will it be a comic, a fanfic, a fanfic with images to show important moments or just a concept in general?

2-Do the other kwamis simply DON'T EXIST in this AU, or did you choose only to not include them (so like, they DO exist in your world, but simply won't be shown)?

3-Will the sentimonster plot still happen? Will you put Félix (AND Argos) in your AU?

4- Do you plan to redesign all secondary characters? (Like the miracuclass, Félix, Nathalie, the major etc etc)

5-Will you change the miraculous powers? (Specially fluffy's, since he/they seem to be one of the kwamis in your au. Will they still have time travel powers?)

6-Are the characters you already redesign the ones who will be the other miraculous holders or will this be a spoiler? (So I'm guessing like, maybe Chloe gets the bunny and Sabrina the bee since that would make Sabrina the queen instead of Chloe lol- I didn't really get from your first post if you said that the AU would have kwami swaps, maybe I understood it wrong)

FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU FOR ASKING THESE ARE ALL GREAT QUESTIONS

1. Right now Im going to focus on posting lore snippets, some important lore changes, concept arts and doodles and possibly rants on miraculous' bad writing, but I am planning to make it a comic eventually!

2. They do exist.. or at least they did (I'm still writing that part). Fluffy is a prime example that other wonders (miraculouses) do exist, but outside of the kwamis in the lineup, they won't appear or be used.

3. Nope! There's a massive block that prevents the sentimonster plot for happening which I will mention in question 4. As for Felix and Argos, they're not happening either. I was actually thinking of removing Felix completely because I want a mostly straight-forward plot. Besides, I doubt MnP!Gabriel would allow any of his possible accomplices to bear an actual Wonder due to risks that could come If the person was to betray them or ESPECIALLY allow hormone pumped teenagers to fight by his side long-term

4. I have a few designs in mind, but in miracuclass's case they're not going to be something major unless I have a really good idea for a rewamp. Besides, most of them aren't going to be that important anyway..

5. YES! I already made changes to the Wonders of butterfly, peacock, rabbit and slight tweaks to turtle.

Butterfly - as we know from canon, akumas serve a purpose to create faithful followers. I went along with that sentence and I decided that the wonder allows the user to SHARE their power with a person of choosing (the strong emotion requirement is still there). With that, It puts a limit on Monarch's (Hawk Moth) power as he can't send more than 5 akumas without feeling the effects on his body. Due to lack of power provided by the Wonder, the artifact just drains the user themselves to gather an efficient amount to share. I hope It makes sense the same way as it does in my head..

Peacock - While butterfly's Wonder has an extremely close relation to Ladybug (creation) and it COULD make sense, I never really felt the sentimonster power have the same engagement. To me, It feels like a plot device ESPECIALLY WITH LIVING SENTIMONSTERS. Idk. I gave it a minor purpose - to disguise/confuse. It might still change over time but currently, the power allows the user to "hypnotise" their person of choice. The idea mostly came from the feathers and eye-like elements on peacocks, distracting you with their beauty.

Turtle doesn't change much. I just figured the creation of the shield doesn't have to be JUST round so the turtle user can create a wall made out of the green hexagons. It could be useful in other situations like maybe using it as a platform or a bridge! I doubt Its canon, but If it is I guess no changes then

Most important point though - NO TIME TRAVEL. Yes, the rabbit wonder doesn't have time travelling powers and instead has ones resembling the horse's miraculous. It can jump into "the burrow" and jump out on the other side. Time travel is a plot device anyway, all my homies hate time travel (toh is the ONLY exception)

6. It's not a miraculous swap AU, no. Most of the holders will be aligned with the show, although there will be a difference here and there

Thank you again for asking!! Im glad the designs were interesting enough to get your attention

[autumnslance]

21. Are there any raid storylines (Ivalice, Coil of Bahamut, Werlyt, etc.) you consider to be canon for your WoL(s)? Which ones don't you consider canon (or do you divvy it up)? 

Most of the side stories are canon in some way or another for Aeryn; sometimes with minor alterations, or changes in timing once all the patches are complete. Usually it's the whole team in raids and many trials, but splitting up the Combat and DoH/DoL quests between my characters in some way. I have lists and ideas and timelines to keep track of who does what and when.

Crystal Tower was one C'oretta and Dark helped on, and C'oretta had a bit of a no-strings fling with a certain catboy--so his return to the storyline years later has made her go "oh no that's weird and awkward now." Return to Ivalice is when and where Iyna joined the team, as meeting the Eorzeans at General Fran's side made them realize "oh hey, Iyna has the Echo and these people can teach her about that and she can act as a liaison to Eorzea..." So they usually help Aeryn out, except in the First, when only Aeryn could travel there while the other three held down the fort, so to speak, while the WoL and senior Scions were gone.

With Werlyt and Bozja, some of that was handled by the friend crew with Aeryn coming in at specific points, due to how back and forth she was between the Source and the First. I tend to say events in the Source in ShB happened on a shorter timeframe, based on a few vague comments, compared to events in the First. So some things started during 5.0 MSQ instead of later in the patches. It just makes sense time-wise in my story for Aeryn to entrust some of those adventures and duties to her capable friends, especially since the main story's own themes and events run that way, with the Eorzean and Eastern Alliances taking on more of their own responsibilities, rather than relying on the Scions so heavily.

But that also means Aeryn did the Role and Crystalline Mean quests, Eden, and other First-specific side stories on her own. Same with anything in Elpis or Ultima Thule.

I'm still determining how to handle Pandaemonium; I absolutely want it to be canon for Aeryn, want to rewrite parts in the third tier to involve Thancred a little bit cuz of Lahabrea, but I also tend to see Ultima Thule and Elpis as 1 time, 1 way visits, so may have to reconsider that and rework some things as the nature of MMO gameplay means those zones can't just be 1 time use only, so other quests and stories keep going back there. So Panda happens but there's some rewriting to go along with it--once I figure it out!

I also need to NG+ the Myths of the Realm, just shotgun it in one go over a weekend, to really get down how Aeryn feels, as that raid ended up rather important to her for reasons pertaining to her lost faith, all she experienced with the Ancients, and the nature of divinity.

The only story that is absolutely not canon for my OCs is the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse raids. More on that under the cut.

After hearing such good things about the NieR games and how they approach stories and characters and themes, I was looking forward to them. They seemed of to a decent-ish start, but I was severely disappointed as time went on, and the finales of both the raid and the weekly follow-up quests made me extremely salty. A FFXIV Writing prompt a year or two ago ended up with Aeryn waking up post-festival, to find the twins sleep-dusted her while she was drinking dwarven ale and eating festival food, and the whole thing had been a weird dream, while the twins scampered off to have adventures out in the world. No androids or machines, though. Intact mountain. Town never bombarded.

I like the fights, the music, and the glamours for those raids. I love the idea of the between-patches quests and wish they'd do that for other 24 and 8 man stories that alternate patches.

But even Sorrow of Werlyt is canon for Aeryn and crew, and my salt over that storyline is also no secret. There's at least salvageable plot elements and characters that are actually part of the FFXIV world in that machina chain, though.

The NieR raid was by an auteur who apparently didn't want to play in someone else's sandbox, seems to have had to thanks to corporate, likely doubly screwed by pandemic shenanigans, and so it became an empty Abrams Mystery Box reference-fest only barely understandable in any part by existing players of that series, utterly incomprehensible to non-fans, and de-centered the WoL so badly that players were left to feel like NPCs, not a main character as things happened offscreen and major elements resolved on their own with no player presence/input (which is also a major problem Werlyt has, to be honest). It made my kneejerk reaction "I never want to play this series now", and I know other non-players and even fans who were left feeling the same confusion and frustration, which is, bluntly, a failure for a property crossover.

Ivalice's story was reworked to fit into FFXIV and continues to influence elements in the Near East/South Ilsabard. Garo is pretty much just items, for Monster Hunter the setup was also reworked to fit in and is mostly items and a neat fight. Other raids have story connections and characters that have impacts and ties to MSQ and other side tales and can get optionally worked in, like the entire bonus scene at the end of 6.5 prt 1 if one completed Eden, how you can find Alpha & Omega wandering the world and how their story ties into Endwalker plots, Werlyt does have ongoing relevance, how Crystal Tower became integral to the greater plot, Alexander has influence in the Shadowbringers storyline, and so on.

But YoRHa never happened. As it has absolutely 0 impact on or connection to literally anything else in FFXIV by apparent design, I doubt it will ever be an issue for my OCs' stories and connecting to future FFXIV plots.