#even women could duel men!

[madamemachikonew]

As part of my Neuvillette-adjacent reading, I learned about Hans Talhoffer's combat manual of 1467. It depicts the numerous methods and types of judicial duel and...uh yeah. Not for the faint-hearted.

[unoislazy]

Jealous Mizu Headcanons

Disclaimer: A tad bit of NSFW is included in this so be warned

A/N: again, i apologize for not getting anything super extensive out. I thank you all for being so patient and so sweet!!

————————————————————

Mizu’s not the type to be outwardly jealous.

She’ll get jealous but she won't say much about it, she’ll just let it fester inside her quietly until it gets to be too much and she needs an outlet.

More often than not that outlet is fighting (more on that later)

She would never think to label you as “hers”, you’re not an object that she can possess.

However, when it comes to other people being around you, she finds it very tempting to start.

Before either of you confessed, you had already made up a plan to act like you were a couple to avoid unwanted stares from men and women alike.

Turns out Mizu enjoyed that much more than she thought she would.

God help the person that decides to flirt with you while she's around

If that person happened to be Taigen? Forget the duel that man's dying TONIGHT

Mizu of course would recognize that you’re your own person and you can choose to be with whoever you want… but the thought of you choosing TAIGEN of all people is not a thought that would allow her to sleep well at night.

She would claim its for no other reason than she thinks you deserve better than a man who abandoned his engagement for honor

She wouldn’t be wrong but you wouldn’t have even been interested in Taigen in the first place so her coming up with all these reasons why you shouldn’t choose him would just be outing herself.

She refuses to come to terms with the fact that she feels jealous about anything

She would be deep in denial for as long as she could manage until someone finally calls her out on it.

Her jealousy causes her to become a tad bit possessive

She’s not the most secure person in the world when it comes to relationships no matter how hard she pretends to be

She would go above and beyond to try and make sure no one was going to try and lure you away from her.

NSFW Headcanons

(Pretty vague in favor of remaining gender neutral)

Remember how I said “More often than not that outlet is fighting”

Well the alternative to that involves you

It would be less about being possessive over you and instead it would be her way of proving to you she can give you more pleasure than anyone else

And she would without a doubt prove that successfully

She might not be incredibly experienced but you wouldn't have been able to tell that by the way she treated you

Despite her feelings she would actually be extremely gentle with you

It’s not your fault she's mad that other people also find you attractive, so she’d have no reason to be angry with you.

Which means praise. Lots and lots of praise

Constantly reminding you how pretty/handsome you look while beneath her

What, you thought she wasn’t going to pin you down? That’s like her signature move at this point, she’s GOING to be on top.

She would take an opportunity handed to her to tease you and usually that meant one of two things

She teased you with compliments

Or she teased you by stopping what she’s doing all together and having you beg for her to continue

Just cause she’s not mad at you doesn’t mean she can’t mess with you a little

Considering before this point she wouldn’t have been so open about her feelings you would’ve been taken by surprise

She would find it incredibly entertaining if you got embarrassed by all the sudden attention she started giving you

As rough as she deals with things in her everyday life I think she’d be a service dom honestly, in this specific instance at least.

She wants you and she wants you to know that.

She wants to sear it into your brain so any time you even so much as look at someone else all you’d get is a flashback to how good you felt with her.

She would not let you do anything for her, she wants to focus on you and only you

She would just enjoy knowing she was making you feel good and that’s all she’d need

If you tried keeping quiet, she would persuade you into letting go, she wants other people to know that she was the one making you feel good

Needless to say if Taigen had attempted to flirt with you before, he definitely knew not to now.

[shiorisdefenseattorney]

Is Juri's problem really idealizing Shiori in some way? The prevailing interpretation I've seen is that Juri should accept she fell for a snake so she can remove Shiori from the pedestal of her love. Incidentally Ruka also shares this opinion. I disagree and I'm here to be a contrarian about it!

A nonzero number of takes base their "Juri idealizes Shiori" conclusion on the "innocently cruel" line, the interpretation being she's percieving Shiori's personality as sweet and innocent. But that's not what the line is getting at. Juri's emphasis here is not innocence as a synonym for purity, it's innocence as a synonym for ignorance and naivety. Both Utena and Shiori are "innocent" because they are unable to anticipate the queer dynamic, the deviant lesbian desire, that Juri is operating from, and "cruel" because, in their misunderstanding, they step on Juri's toes in unintentional ways.

Even though we, the audience, know in retrospect that Shiori meant to fuck Juri up, the exact way she did it was a freak accident, and at this point in the story she has no idea that she managed to hurt her. Shiori is operating from a different understanding, one that assumes Juri's absolute conformity to and supremacy in heteronormative gender roles. Shiori's whole mission is proving her value over Juri on that axis, obviously because as a suppressed homosexual she feels insecure about her continuing obsession with Juri. She assumes "beating Juri" at attracting men will balance the scales-- render Juri's image less appealing, and hers more. And of course that would hurt Juri, who must value her success with boys so much. That lack of awareness is what Juri is referring to, and she's right here actually, about both Shiori and Utena-- they are unable to conceptualize desire for other women as a potential outcome, and in part it's because of this that they end up harming themselves and others.

Moreover the "innocently cruel" line does not imply that Juri thinks Shiori is an innocent person because, if anything, Juri does nothing but doubt Shiori throughout the series.

At no point does Juri say anything positive about Shiori's personality or their friendship. She is unable to frame her ex-bestie's existence outside of the pain she's caused her. The narrative purposefully never tells us why she fell in love with her in the first place, or what their friendship was like. We don't know why she chose Shiori specifically, and that's part of the mystique of Juri's feelings and of their relationship, that the audience will never see who Shiori is outside of Juri's heartbreak. She could have a vibrant personality, but it's thoroughly obscured by the opacity of Juri's despair, and Ohtori 's miasma. Not to mention Shiori's own internalized homophobia, compulsory heterosexuality, and chosen constructed persona-- just like a lot of other bitches trapped in Ohtori. This is what the place does, it chews up queer teenagers and doesn't spit them out so much as it arranges them neatly into a series of possible stage roles.

Juri's current image of Shiori is of a witch. It's possible she used to think of her as a princess, sure, but then she inverted the role once Shiori acted out. If anybody's idolizing anybody, it's Shiori. She is the master of rendering other people into shining beacons!

I have more thoughts forming on how Juri's "casting" of Shiori plays out through her final duel (does Shiori's mistreatment by Ruka briefly return her to her role as a princess to Juri's gallant prince-- but this proves unsustainable or undesirable, because princehood makes her too vulnerable or liable to corruption?) but they're half-baked at this time.

I do think though that Juri's "miracle" might be "making [Shiori] understand [her] feelings" literally-- not necessarily having Shiori return them (though that idea looms over her including in her understanding of what a man could do in her place, thanks to Ruka for the reminder). The miracle may be finding some way for Shiori and others to understand who Juri actually is without making herself vulnerable or diminishing the ease with which she moves through the world. She doesn't want to get stabbed with those swords of hatred. So many people don't seem to understand her, yet Juri is terrified of embodying anything other than an impenetrable image of excellence...! Girl watch out!! You're just embodying the reason why Shiori resents you in the first place!!! Those swords are coming at you no matter what!!!

[dairymistress05]

Colin as a character has been my favourite since Season 1 for so many reasons, but it was recently brought to my attention that he takes the emotions and opinions of women seriously, which is such a contrast to the other men on the show.

I can’t remember who the creator on TikTok was that I first heard this mentioned but it has been a bit of a lightbulb since. This is a long one so bear with me but I have some thoughts…

Example: Season 1 The Duel…

Anthony has decided, and honestly it’s rather infuriating how he treats Daphne and refuses to listen to her. Sends her to bed like a child. Then Benedict is with him and he just seems to implicitly follow and support him.

When Colin is informed he is shown to be bringing a rather inebriated Violet home, which is sweet in and of itself but also, his adorable humour is also a brief highlight “Good God, did someone die?” Which I loved.

But then, He LISTENS to Daphne. This is what I hadn’t ruminated on until recently, because quite frankly it’s so true to his character and something that I guess I had just come to expect of Colin.

Yes, he tries to dissuade her and He begins with the expected lines about dishonour and leaving the men to their matters, but when she speaks He Listens. He pays attention, he does not disregard her and it’s precisely because he listens that she is able to go and speak with the Duke.

Why is this significant? Well because his interaction with the Daphne in the scene in Anthony’s study feels genuine. Colin does not treat her “lesser” or ignore her. This is important and is in direct contrast to a scene Daphne has with Anthony.

Earlier in the season there is an exchange where Anthony says he would have acted differently if Daphne had told him about Berbrooke. She calls him out on his dismissal of her feelings “because” she is a woman and doesn’t believe that he would have believed her, and honestly I agree. However, I would suspect that No One would say the same of Colin. In every interaction with the women in his life, he seems to truly listen and to care about their thoughts and opinions.

Now before anyone comes at me in defence of Anthony, (Yes I know, it was the time period) and I also say, this is not about Anthony but about how even in the smallest of details the show and writers have seemed set Colin apart.

He listens to his sisters/mother and not in a patronising or dismissive way, not in an obligatory way either. He even has what could be seen as an inappropriate friendship with Pen, which for whatever reason, has gone unnoticed or ignored throughout the years.

So when it comes to spending time with her in Season 3, enjoying her company and truly connecting with her I would venture to say that the relationships he has with his mother/sisters might be a big factor in why he didn’t know how to/couldn’t contextualise his feelings.

He has had emotional relationships with women and values them highly so this is not seen as something separate in his mind

Until. The. Kiss.

Because that is the ONE thing that can differentiate his relationship with Pen from ALL other female relationships. No wonder he fell so hard,those feelings were always there, it just wasn’t until that physical intimacy that it all made sense.

Lastly I think it is all of this, Colin’s emotional intelligence, that makes his “persona” at the beginning of Season 3 seem so out of place. When Penelope (his arguably most cherished female relationship) didn’t reply to his letters he seemed to completely lose himself.

[prettynice8]

Kinkmas Day 12: Lingerie

Pairing: Eijiro Kirishima x male reader

This guy

Summary: So, you say some shit to Bakugo, and he WRECKS your uniform, making Kirishima kinked up

Warnings: Kissing, biting/markings, sex, lingerie DUH but in the form of a torn-up costume.

Word count: 1,356

You were practicing, which you don't often do. Fighting fellow children to get better at ruthlessly beating the shit out of other people in the future, not exactly your thing. Though today was different because you heard that it was a men's only practice, fucking score. None of those women ruining anything by being there, now you could admire your classmates without anyone intervening, and this practice went hard as fuck, tee hee.

Everyone was in their hero outfits to make it seem more real, and holy shit were you wet, watching people duke it out, everyone surrounding them, cheering them as their sweaty bodies clash into one and other.

The people fighting currently were Bakugo, who was possibly the most annoying kid in the grade, and Kirishima, who was one of the hotter men, especially in that shirtless costume, you would fuck both of them honestly.

When the fight was done, everyone went off to do their own training, except you, who just stood there, only being here to ogle at the hot men. You just kind of stayed in a corner uncomfortably, your skin tight costume not helping much.

You just stood there until finally Bakugo came over to you screaming.

"What the fuck are you doing just standing here idiot!" He shouted, coming really close to you, so much so you could feel his hot breath on your face. He had that angry look on his face.

"Fuck off, I'm not affecting your life at all, go thrust your dick in a hot pocket or whatever desperate people like you do." You flared back. You honestly weren't even that mad at what he said, you just really didn't like him, doesn't mean you wouldn't suck his dick until it turned into laffy taffy though.

He stared back at you, rage filling his face. He grabs you by the chest, surprisingly having a firm grip with how tight it is.

"LISTEN HERE MOTHER FUCKER, BITCHES LIKE YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK TO ME LIKE THAT! I WILL FUCK YOUR SHIT UP; I WILL EXPLODE THAT STUPID LOOK ON YOUR FACE WHORE!" He shouted at you once again, this time a lot more aggressive as you can tell with the all caps. You just stared at him, completely apathetic to his tantrum. It was also at this point that his little bitch drew attention to the two of you.

"You would like to fuck my shit up wouldn't you queer." You said, looking him dead in the eye. Every He looks PISSED, his grip previously on your costume is now caging you in, the smell of smoke originating from his hand is apparent in the air.

Kirishima notices this and actually worries that Bakugo might kill you and goes in between the two of you. Bakugo tries to reach over him but is unable to.

"FIGHT ME YOU PUSSY!" He shouted, now just spewing shit out of his mouth.

"Bakugo, calm down." Kirishima demanded gently in his sweet smile. "You're being over dr-"

"Sure," you cut Kirishima off.

Everyone stared at you, astonished, the queer that just sits there and looks pretty is actually going to fight Katsuki Bakugou, and that's exactly what you do.

It's an epic battle, truly one for the ages. Every hero in training there is astonished with how well you hold yourself, not faltering once. Such a duel that would rival the best in his- and you lost immediately.

Twinks can't fight as easily as that, which is your excuse when everyone asks you what kind of pathetic excuse of a fight was that, if it could even be called such.

Oh, and there's one other thing. Bakugo let off quite the explosive blast and uh, completely wrecked your costume, and I mean WRECKED. It is in tatters, holes and tears throughout the whole thing. You also don't have anything under it because of how fucking breath takingly tight it is... including underwear.

So here you are, standing practically naked in front of all of your classmates. Not a word from any of them, they're all too stunned to speak, except for that cocky bastard Bakugo.

"Fucking slut, I knew you couldn't fight for shit." He degraded, laughing his ass off.

"As if this wasn't your plan this entire time, trying to see me naked. That's really weird Bakugo, why would you do something like that? I would've done it if you just asked." You teased, causing his rage to boil back up to the surface. He walks towards you, ready to beat the shit out of you again, but Kirishima stands between the two of you once again as well.

He puts his hands in front of both you and Bakugo, separating the two of you. Kirishima tries to fight off Bakugo once again as he screams at you.

"FUCKING WHORE BITCH SLUT, SAY THAT TO ME ONE MORE TIME!"

"God you're thirsty for me." You said, not affected by any part of this whole ordeal. Kirishima continues to struggle with Bakugo, fending him off from attacking you. During his attempt, he accidently grips onto your exposed nipple tightly, causing both of you to blush, and pull away from each other. This leaves Bakugou with the perfect opportunity to charge after you, in which Kirishima catches him in the act, throwing him to the ground.

Kirishima then leads you out of the area so you can change, among other things. You just go along with it, rather be here than out where everyone can see you naked, you'd rather do it in a place that isn't so chilly.

You think he's just being a nice guy, until he leads you into the supply room. He locks the door behind the two of you, then kissing you deeply, in which you instantly reciprocate.

"I'm sorry, but you just looked so hot with that tattered uniform." He apologized.

"I usually have that effect on people." You bluntly said, he laughs at your remark before going back to kissing you. Sticking his tongue in your mouth, exploring it. He then entangles his tongue with yours.

He then lays kisses down your neck, stopping when he gets down to your nipples, sucking and nipping at them. His hands then go down to grab your exposed ass, causing a loud moan to exude from your mouth.

Then, to your surprise, he takes off his pants and reveals his girthy cock with a medium length, a big red bush at the base. He picks you up by your thighs, you react instantly by wrapping your legs around his hips as he sets your back to the wall.

"Are you ready?" He asked,

"Fuck me already." You responded, horny as all hell.

Fuck you he does, shoving his big dick in your ass. He starts off slowly, easing in so he doesn't hurt you. He kisses you, hoping for you to calm down so he can ease in better, which works quite well.

He starts to speed up, making you moan much louder. He then starts to lick open parts of your costume that lead straight to your skin. The feeling of his warm tongue causes you to moan somehow even louder.

He starts to exclusively lock on your perky nipples, using his shark teeth to nibble at them. The sensation of his teeth on your sensitive nips nearly enough to make you cum from that alone, but when you add his dick pounding into your ass makes your climax all the closer.

His hands have a bruising grip on your ass as he thrusts up into you continuously, chasing both of your climaxes, which is exactly what happens.

You cum all over his stomach, he follows in closely after a few more thrusts, shooting his thick load in your ass.

"Holy fuck that was amazing." He panted, head laying on your shoulder while he quickly gasped for breath. He then sets you on the ground, holding you steady so you don't fall over on the floor with your shaky legs.

"Let's do it again." You said, leaving the room, still wearing the torn uniform.

THE END

[englishotomegames]

Idea Factory has announced they will be releasing Battlefield Waltz (Senjou no Waltz) and Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights (Temirana Koku no Tsuiteru Hime to Tsuitenai Kishi Dan) for the Nintendo Switch in 2025!

Battlefield Waltz

"A girl loses everything, all in one day. Her village, and even worse—her father…

In their place, she acquires a new power. When she takes up a sword to protect herself and her loved ones, she discovers that it is "cursed" and holds immense power.

Having obtained something that could shake the very foundations of the nation, the girl has no choice but to live on the battlefield.

The ultra-nationalistic military academy, Nirvana, becomes her new home. There, young men and women who excel in combat gather to compete and sharpen their skills, regardless of their background.

She meets new people, forges strong bonds, and finds what she thought she'd lost: a place to belong.

This is the story of the girl and the talking cursed sword by her side."

Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights

"In this world, one's status and occupation are determined by the month they were born. About 15 years ago in the eastern kingdom of Temirana, the third princess was born: a baby with a birthmark on her forehead.

This child was rumored to be the 'Cursed Princess,' and was forced to live in a house far from her family, away from the castle.

But things are about to change.

As her 16th birthday approaches, she attends the dueling tournament known as Helis Duelm. There, she sees five men glowing with a dazzlingly strong light.

Indeed, the 'Cursed Princess' possessed a special and lucky power. Whenever her life might be in danger, people and places would shine as if to warn her.

Those acquainted with her power warn that those men may have shone because they were dangerous...but she knows their light is different from any she's seen before. Trusting her intuition, the princess invites the five men to join her order of knights.

However, some of them have no experience with the sword, and others lack interest in knighthood at all. Can the princess and her small company of five knights overcome the tragedy on the horizon?"

[neerons]

Some of Leon Dompteur's best quotes

"Leon Dompteur. My favorite food is meat and alcohol. Hmm? Alcohol isn't food? Haha, that's true."

"You can imagine I'm some fictional character you like if that works better."

"Never mind the roses—it feels like I'm the one wilting without you in my arms. What then? What if I shrivel up and die while you're gone?"

"(...) Well, I'd rather be liked by you than a bunch of random women."

"Do you want to sleep with me tonight? Hey, I just meant sleeping! What were you thinking?"

"I swear, you're the bravest woman I've ever met. (...) I promise, we'll bring you home. That's the one thing I'm not backing down on. And... Don't do anything reckless." (—Leon telling Emma he'll save her along with his brothers from Obsidian)

"If you're struggling, it's okay to show me. I'm not gonna think less of you for it. So don't force yourself to smile."

"No running, no hiding, no looking away. If you need to cry, look at me and cry."

"When I opened my eyes again, I gazed at the woman before me in awe. She was so stunning that I regretted closing my eyes and even blinking." (—Leon's thoughts)

"I've always wanted to see you in a dress that I picked out... then strip you."

"(...) I'll come duel with you as soon as I'm done here." (—Leon keeping his promise to Licht)

"Good girl."

"But... I've wanted this for so long. I've wanted you... for so long."

"A special skill of mine, huh...? Oh, there's one I can think of right away. I bet I could beat anyone at competitive eating."

"I don't blame him for being charmed, though. She's just that amazing. Emma, you have no idea how much your presence means to me." (—Leon's thoughts about Jin and Emma)

"Good work. Even if no one else is watching you work hard, I will. Okay?"

"You must have taken quite a liking to her to go warning her like that. It was nice of you." (—Leon talking about Emma to Chevalier)

"Why don't I save everyone a lot of trouble and cut the lot of you down right now?" (—Leon to drunken men)

"Ever since I met you... the me I thought I'd killed... the me I thought was gone... he can't stop shouting to the heavens how happy he is."

"Owwww! What the hell? (...) you could at least wake me up some other way." (—Leon being woken up by Chevalier)

"I think it's actually kind of cute. It's meant to look like a rabbit, right?" (—Leon talking about Clavis' food to Clavis, Emma and Nokto)

"I can finally tell you what I've always wanted to tell you. Emma... I love you."

"What matters is that you haven't become a victim for the kingdom. Just knowing that is enough to reassure me. (...) She knew none of you would welcome her, yet she came here as the emperor's representative, to find peace for us all. Is there any of you with more resolve than that?" (—Leon defending Emma during an official meeting)

"Accepting who you are, and being able to open your heart to the people you love—that's what makes us strong."

"(...) I want to flirt with you. Please?"

"I can't be the only one left with a one-track mind. I need you to be as crazy for me as I am for you." (—Leon's thoughts)

"Sorry, I know I sound like a broken record, but you look so fine in that beautiful dress. I wish I had a picture of you to frame."

"She's the silver lining in my clouds, my sun who makes my future bright. When I think about her, I'm filled with the courage to face whatever may come my way. She's truly an amazing woman and the light of my life." (—Leon talking about Emma)

"Maybe instead of the one doing the savoring, you'd prefer to be savored?"

"I adore you. Even if I were to make the entire world my enemy, I'll never let go of you."

"I want to melt you with my touch until you're left crying my name into the night." (—Leon's thoughts)

"I want you to be at my side just as you are, I want you to be my queen just as you are."

"There's only one thing that I can think of that would help stop me being so reckless. (...) Mmm... I don't know, it seems a bit too easy to just go ahead and tell you. Why don't you guess? (...) And every time you get it wrong, I get to kiss or touch you. How does that sound? (...) Can you even think coherently when you're this wet and needy?"

"Honestly, you can call for me even if nothing happens. I don't mind. I'd still gladly come running."

"Every time we touch, every time we kiss, every time we say we love each other, my feelings for you grow stronger."

"If we continue, you're going to see me possibly the horniest I've ever been in my life."

"Sorry, kid, but you were born way too late. Plus, she's already spoken for. But at least he has good taste." (—Leon's thoughts about a boy asking Emma to marry him)

"You're so beautiful that I don't know what to do with myself."

"I'm so harsh on you first thing in the morning, aren't I? (...) I ate my fill, but now I already want you again."

[thephantomcasebook]

I'm not a book reader, but I've been intrigued by the theory that Alys Rivers uses the faces of men's true loves to hypnotize them and get into their heads. As you mentioned It's a popular idea from the books that could potentially be adapted into the show. In the show, it's suggested that Alys is 400 years old.

As you're are more familiar with the books, can you explain what Alys does there? Did she ever take on Helaena's form? I'm also curious about the Alys and Aemond relationship. Some fans, especially "Alysmond" shippers, argue that their relationship is consensual and that Aemond genuinely falls for her, even suggesting that they have a love child. However, I'm struggling to understand how a man who burns her house and spares her only to make her his bedmaid can be considered to have a consensual romance between them. Can you please help clarify this dynamic for me?

Umm ...

It's tricky, cause, there's a shit ton of theories out of and in universe about who and what Alys Rivers is.

No one really know in universe where she came from or who she is. She's just always been there. Some people think that she's Harwin and Lary's bastard sister. Other people think that she was their wet nurse. Other people can't remember a time that she wasn't at Harrenhal. She is enchanting and beautiful ... or so she seems to the men she targets.

She's tried to seduce Daemon, Criston, and Aemond in "Fire and Blood". In terms of Daemon and Criston, they rejected Alys advances, and went rushing back to their beloveds - Rhaenyra and Alicent. Criston dies shortly after rejecting Alys, in a desperate suicide rush to rescue Alicent. And Daemon dies at Harrenhal after having a confrontation with Aemond and Alys before his fatal duel with Aemond over the Gods Eye.

The book doesn't go into detail exactly about how Alys seduced Aemond or by what means she did it. But it is accounted as strange and really out of character for Aemond (in universe). After making Alys his submissive bed slave after taking Harrenhal, Aemond starts acting weird and psychotic. Then, he basically desserts the Greens and the War, leaving both Criston and Daeron high and dry. Aemond decides not to rescue Alicent and Helaena like Criston is desperately urging him to. Instead, Aemond decided to take Harrenhal for himself and basically become a sort of defacto king/warlord.

So, Criston abandons Aemond and Alys to take what men they have left to go and try and rescue Alicent. Meanwhile, Aemond and Alys begin a destructive and devastating reign of terror through the Riverlands, buring alive any Blacks in their castles and keeps. Making Daeron and Criston, basically, the last men standing for the Greens. And when Criston is killed, it all falls on Daeron as the last of the Greens. And my boy, Daeron, becomes MVP of the Dance - he just wants his mommy back!

The theory is that Alys sees Aemond in the same light as Melisandre sees Stannis and Jon Snow. There's some sort of bigger destiny or importance to Aemond's blood and legacy that Alys takes upon herself to preserve by having his son.

The most popular theory is that Alys and Aemond are the direct ancestors of Catelyn and it's through the wedding of Ned and Catelyn, the blood of Wargs and dragons, that gives Bran his ultra Three Eyed Raven powers.

There's actually no scenes of Aemond and Helaena ever interacting, despite them dying the same day, with Helaena killing herself the very evening that Aemond is killed. Also there's the strange coincidence of the fact that their two dragons die in a similar way. With Vhagar dying from a large fall and Dreamfyre dying from being pierced in the eye.

But the idea of Alys seducing men by using the faces of the women they love or taking on their attributes comes from both Daemon and Criston's interactions with her in the book, and how both were inspired to go back to Rhaenyra and Alicent quickly after rejecting her. And with Daemon's vision in 2x03, it seems to be a proven theory.

[la-muerta]

[莲花楼 Meta] Di Feisheng and the Three Kings

While looking through the cast list and end credits, I noticed that there had been actors cast as 炎帝白王 Yandi Bai Wang and 四象青尊 Sixiang Qingzun even though we don't get to see them in the final cut. Reading the original script, they appear in a deleted scene (unsure if it was actually filmed) in Episode 05, as a flashback during this scene with the robe in Jiao Liqiao's rooms.

It's explained in the script as Di Feisheng's old Alliance leader ceremonial robe, but in the final cut of the show, it seems to be implied as wedding robes Jiao Liqiao prepared for Di Feisheng.

Scene in original script:

FLASHBACK: Ten years ago, at the headquarters of the Jinyuan Alliance. DI FEISHENG is wearing that luxurious robe, sitting around drinking with the THREE KINGS. The TWELVE PHOENIXES are standing guard at one side. YANDI BAI WANG looks over at the TWELVE PHOENIXES and laughs.

YANDI BAI WANG: Each of our twelve beautiful protectors has her own charms, but we have never seen our Zunshang show any interest in any of them. Could it be… that Zunshang already has someone in his heart? 

SIXIANG QINGZUN (shaking his head): Romantic entanglements and ruling the world are not of interest to him. Our Zunshang is only obsessed with martial arts, and all he wants is to be number one in the martial world.

DI FEISHENG (raising his cup proudly): To have a worthy opponent to discuss martial practice and duel for life and death for a hundred battles without getting weary of it, that is the only life I wish for!

YANDI BAI WANG (realisation dawning): If so, the lady you marry must be the most trustworthy, so that she can handle the affairs of the Alliance wisely while Zunshang concentrates on his pursuit of martial arts.

DI FEISHENG (laughing in surprise): That would be ideal!

YANDI BAI WANG (laughingly): I wonder which lady will have the honour!

The TWELVE PHOENIXES continue to stand guard but cannot hide their reaction to the teasing. The THREE KINGS raise their cups and laugh, and from where she is hiding in a distance, JIAO LIQIAO shoots a venomous look at the other women.

END FLASHBACK.

--

This scene is a parallel to Li Xiangyi's 18th birthday celebration, where the Sigu Sect members were urging Li Xiangyi to formalise his engagement to Qiao Wanmian. (Di Feisheng would have been around the same age as well.)

--

Also an interesting point about the titles that Three Kings picked for themselves. Assuming that they were around the same age as Di Feisheng (perhaps with Sixiang Qingzun being the oldest since he was already married and might have been around the age of the other three Nanyin descendants), then their titles might seem rather overblown for a bunch of teenagers/young men in their early 20s lol.

There's however a connection between their titles and the Four Auspicious Beasts (四象) in Chinese mythology; in fact, it's even in one of their titles! (Yes, I know it's translated by iqiyi as Four-faced but I disagree with that translation and I'll get to that.)

1. 四象青尊 Sixiang Qingzun As mentioned, 四象 or Four Aspects/Images is another name for the Four Auspicious Beasts, and "青尊" (Azure Lord) is another name for the Azure Dragon 青龙 of the East. So his title actually translates more accurately to "Lord Azure Dragon of the Four Aspects". I'm pretty sure I'm right because his wife, 两仪仙子 Liangyi Xianzi, has a related name. In 《易经 I Ching》, there is a phrase "两仪生四象" (the two modes – yin and yang – results in the formation of the Four Aspects). And it just happens that she practices a skill that allows her to change her gender!

2. 炎帝白王 Yandi Bai Wang "炎帝 Yandi" is an honorific for the leader or king of a civilisation that dates back to the Neolithic age. Another civilisation from a similar era used "黄帝 huang di" (yellow emperor), and that's why Chinese also call ourselves 炎黄子孙, because we can trace our ancestry back to these two civilisations. So his title translates more accurately to "The Flame Emperor, the White King/Prince". One of the Four Auspicious Beasts is the White Tiger of the West, so it is possible that his title refers to that.

3. 阎王寻命 Yan Wang Xunming "阎王 Yan Wang" is a transcription of the Sanskrit name Yama Raja or King Yama, who is the Chinese god of death and ruler of the Ten Courts of the Underworld. 寻命 is a little more tricky to translate but I think in this context it means to find your fate/destiny and face the inevitable outcome. So his title translates to "King Yama Seeking Fate". Assuming he also represents one of the Four Auspicious Beasts, then he is likely to be the 玄武 Xuanwu of the North (literally "dark/mysterious warrior", usually depicted as a black tortoise intertwined with a snake).

But it's supposed to be four beasts, so who's the fourth? The obvious candidate seems to be Di Feisheng as 朱雀 Vermillion Bird of the South — his official Alliance leader robes are red. Perhaps the Three Kings asked him to pick a fancy title to match theirs, but Mr "Dao is a Dao" refused to participate XD Maybe it's Wuyan, who does have some red in his clothes, which would then make Di Feisheng 黄龙 Yellow Dragon or the symbol of the emperor, which doesn't really match imo.

(As an interesting aside, the original novel 吉祥纹莲花楼 Auspicious Pattern Lotus House is published as four volumes corresponding with the Four Auspicious Beasts.)

[deathmetalunicorn1]

Imagine of Leonidas who found a child in middle of the woods, lost. Leonidas adopted Y/n. Y/n grown as beautiful woman when many years has pass by til her beauty caught Apollo attention. Leonidas is very overprotective of his daughter and never let Apollo go near her.

-He could remember the day he found you, all those years ago, you were only a baby, a few months old at least, abandoned in a forest, as he had been drawn to your cries.

-You were so little in his arms, cooing quietly up at him, now happy that someone was there, as you had been scared, being alone and he instantly fell in love you, adopted you as his own.

-His men didn’t know what to make of the sight, seeing their fearsome king and leader, smiling down at you as you were trying to walk to him, playing with you and being a totally doting and whipped dad to you.

-However, many were quick to learn that what they said was true, the dads with daughters are very intimidating, as Leonidas was fiercely protective, ready to even punch a child, a boy, who had been picking on you, much to the amusement of his men.

-You were not a delicate flower, despite your stunning looks, you were the daughter of one of the greatest Spartans to ever live! You were a warrior, being trained by your father himself, as he wanted you to be able to take care of yourself if he wasn’t there.

-You grew up protected, as your papa was the definition of protective, and his soldiers were all threatened to keep you safe if he wasn’t around, but you were able to defend yourself if needed.

-Not many believed you knew how to fight, you looked so angelic, like a delicate flower petal, graceful, soft, and your beauty was stunning to all who met you, men and women alike.

-So once you were old enough, Leonidas’ worst nightmare came true, where men were coming to ask for your hand in marriage. You set a stipulation for anyone wanting to ask you that question, that they had to ask your father first.

-He always said no.

-Many complained to you, claiming it wasn’t fair and some were even trying to turn you against your father. That didn’t work and you told them that if they had a problem with it, then to challenge Leonidas to a duel, if they managed to beat him, then he would give his blessing.

-You didn’t mind staying single, as you weren’t thinking about it at the moment and had no interest in being with someone who was only with you because you are pretty.

-You wanted someone who loved you for you. And that certainly wasn’t Apollo!

-The day that sun god saw you he was instantly enraptured, wanting you for his own, you were beyond perfect, you were so beautiful but so sweet, as he had seen you with some children, making flower crowns.

-As Apollo approached you to speak with you, like a demon of the shadows, Leonidas appeared between you in a plume of smoke, a fierce glare on his face, “You’re not going to approach my daughter, you bastard!”

-You turned, seeing a god and your father speaking and you could see that your father was extra grumpy with this man, before one of the children told you that this was Apollo!

-You nodded, now realizing why your papa was so pissy, now locked up with Apollo, both trying to make the other submit and you herded the children away from the area.

-Apollo wasn’t allowed to get close to you, if you left the house, you had to take several of his strongest warriors with you or take your papa with you.

-If you were with your guards, they just ushered you back home, keeping themselves between you an Apollo, but if you were with your father and he tried to approach, you heard the bell that signaled the start of a fight, and you walked off to sit until they finished.

-When Apollo finally was able to greet you, he grabbed your wrist, “You’re coming with me Y/N! I’ve been dealing with a lot from your bone head of a father and you’re going to make it up to me!”

-He didn’t get farther than a few feet after you rocked his ass, punching him hard in the center of his face, sending him to the ground. He held his bleeding nose as you glared fiercely down at him, “Nobody touches me without my consent. Get lost you shithead!”

-Leonidas was beaming behind you as he had been running to defend you, little flowers of happiness surrounding him as he smiled, feeling so proud of you that you mimicked him while Apollo was stunned, seeing that you were just as strong as your father.

-He had to admit that he was impressed with your strength, as not many could put a god on his ass. If anything, your actions weren’t seen as disrespect, he came on too forcefully and you put him in his place!

-Leonidas couldn’t help but groan in annoyance as Apollo only seemed more infatuated with you! But hell to the no was he going to get you! Don’t worry Y/N!! Papa’s coming!!

[blues824]

Heya bestie I mostly request a lot of females but this one is for the lads.

Akaza In the remarried empress

🏀Just imagine how a man like akaza would react he drinks his respects woman juice daily and the remarried empress is set in a medival setting so sadly woman rights are different.

🥊Like her is a childhood friend of heinley(that's how heinley got so much respect in this story for most women except rattrash ) and Duke ergi is just on the border of being his friend because of the bad luck he gives to woman.

🏀He came along with heinley the the new year Ball and people instantly knew who he was he is known in the western kingdom for his recpect to women and his brutalness towards weaker men.

🥊Akaza being surrounded by women and wanting to talk to him because they see him as a good man and they want to see if its tru he is the most respected man in the western kingdom and its tru he treats them with so much respect they fall in love.

🏀I can see the akaza reader being pissd of with sovieshit how he misteats navier for a woman who has the personality of a mere child instead of making her his concubine he could have given her a better place and gets her away from her status as slave.

🥊Imagen when sovieshit pulled the sword on heinley for "slandering his womans image " he accepts the dual and beats the shit out of sovieshit and tells him that he needs to respect all women not just one especially a woman he cheats one especially when he has a wife.

🏀I see rattrash wanting to pull him on her side by talking shit about navier that she is infertile and that doesn't make her a woman only for him to explain that she is a well respected woman and instead of being hateful to navier she needs to hate sovieshit for not hepling her how she deserves.

🥊Rattrash then talking to Duke ergi and him explaining that he beat his woman respect vision in to him when he was a child along with heinley "that's why her is a gentleman towards her "

🏀and her hearing stories of him beating women their abusive husband for hurting their wives and that he got away with it because he is so loved in the western kingdom and explains one time there was a riot because he was jailed by a noble and that even the king of the western kingdom was pissd.

🥊Meanwhile navier hears from heinley how he whoud never treat women like sovieshit does to him because of his friend akaza she knows about his story and reputation and is glad that he is friends with heinley.

🏀Later on navier gets married whit heinley and akaza visits and said if he becomes like sovieshit to tell him so he will beat the lesson of respecting women into heinley and heinley sweating in the bg.

Does not include Kosair or the Grand Duke Kaufman or Duke Ergi.

Sovieshu Vict

You were a noble in the Western Kingdom, right hand man to King Wharton III. Your reputation preceded you as a man of great respect when it came to women. The swarm of women around you was basically a dead giveaway. However, instead of ushering them away, you addressed each by name and you promised each of them a dance… that was unless they were married. You were not about to make other men angry and cause a disturbance of the peace.

However, when you saw Empress Navier upset with the Emperor, who was dancing with another woman, any thought of respect for His Imperial Majesty flew out the window. Instead, you went to Heinrey, in whom you could see the lovesickness, and you ushered him towards Her Imperial Majesty. You knew your friend like the back of your hand, and if anyone would treat her right, it would be Heinrey.

A few days later, when the prince got in trouble for “slandering Rashta’s image”, you took his place in the hypothetical duel. After all, you were the most expendable option here, as you were no heir to the throne. However, in order to prevent any fatal harm, you offered to bring Sovieshu to fisticuffs instead of a swordfight. Needless to say, it ended with him being bruised and you being scratch-free. You hadn’t studied martial arts for nothing, after all. 

Of course, this is when the story of you being thrown in jail for nearly beating an abusive man to death. You had seen the fear in his children’s and wife’s eyes, and you couldn’t take it. The King had enough with your anger issues and threw you into prison, but there was a huge riot within the Western Kingdom. Because it was disturbing day-to-day life, you were let out with a large warning and a criminal record. However, you managed to charm the Queen, befriending her in the process, which made her a valuable ally.

Rashta

She had never heard of you, but by the way that all the ladies at the New Year’s Party were swarming you, she judged that you were a good man. That being said, she definitely did want to talk to you. However, Sovieshu kind of swept her up to dance, causing a ruckus even after the whole dress drama and people debating whether Navier was copying her or if Rashta was copying Navier.

Anyway, when she was done, she saw you standing with Prince Heinrey, who seemed to be staring at the Empress. You were speaking to him quietly with a glass of wine in your hand, nudging him with your elbow. As much as the young mistress loves to pretend that she is, she is not naive. She knows what you two are doing. However, she’s not going to disrupt anything. If Navier is out of the picture, then Sovieshu is all hers.

During her—rather toxic—friendship with Duke Ergi, she asked how he knew how to talk to her and calm her down. That was when he told her about how you actually fought him for daring to disrespect a female friend that you all had in your youth. With his reputation as a womanizer, you thought it unjust that these girls who were drawn to him would be disrespected in such a manner, so you gave him a black eye, a busted shoulder, a busted lip, and a bruised pride.

Through her maidservant, she found out about your criminal record in the Western Kingdom. Even though you were the right-hand man to the king, you were still thrown in prison for nearly murdering a man who turned out to be abusive to his wife and children. However, the citizens held a riot to let you out. That wasn’t anything she could use against you, but it seemed like your respect even went to her as you could see her plans, but you both knew that it would be more beneficial if Navier went elsewhere.

Navier Trovi

She wasn’t the one to invite you, but she knew of your reputation. She had met you previously as you were an ambassador for the Western Kingdom as well since King Wharton III was constantly too ill to travel. Seeing you at the New Year’s Party was a pleasant surprise, as she had not known that her husband had invited you.

One thing that she didn’t know was that you were the one to usher Heinrey to get to know her better and even begin to court her. Infidelity was not something you often encouraged, but seeing the Emperor dancing with his mistress rather than his wife pissed you off. When you yourself spoke with her to introduce Prince Heinrey, she noticed that you were not nervous. You still spoke to her with respect, but there was a spark of mischief in your eye.

You were known for being ruthless with men who you deemed unworthy of even being alive. Your scars were kept visible because you were feared among all men in any empire or kingdom. Navier found herself curious about them, but she knew better than to ask because the last thing anyone would want is your criminal record being outed to the media

However, someone else seemed to get a hold of the papers at the time, where the headline was ‘WESTERN KINGDOM NOBLE BEATS MAN TO DEATH’. Instead of being ashamed, though, you smiled as you asked that person if he would have let that man’s wife be beaten to death along with his children if he allowed that abusive man to keep living. That shut everyone up rather quickly.

Heinrey Lazlo

You were his best friend since youth, along with Ergi. However, you were not afraid to beat your shared friend after he made a girl cry. As you all grew up, you all were heartthrobs, but you were not in the habit of leading women on. You instead wanted to find ‘the one’, as did Heinrey, but Ergi was still set in his womanizer habits.

Anyway, at the New Year’s Party in the Eastern Empire, you were there for him to talk to when he visited the Empress in his bird form. He reminded you of a puppy, but you were happy because you knew that he would never let her down the way her own husband did by ignoring her presence and not taking his wife’s side when rumors started floating around.

Unfortunately, try as you might, your criminal record always found a way to be in the spotlight. Rashta had hired someone to expose you, and you had gone to prison years ago for beating a man to death. However, what neither knew was that Prince Heinrey and Duke Ergi had your back, as you clarified that the man was abusive and you were not going to stand to see a woman and their children be beaten because he had gambled on the wrong horse (literally).

That being said, you no longer held any respect for the mistress and vowed to be there when her crimes caught up to her. You had allowed Ergi to use his charm to manipulate her into trusting him, and you gathered a bunch of evidence to help Navier and Heinrey build a case against her. Also, you had visited Viscount Lotteshu, and while he himself was a piece of shit, you learned even more about Rashta.

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 9 - Wretched and Joyful

Word count: 9,210. Read on A03. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: Alastor and Mina reunite a year after he tried to claim her soul. Adorable, "young love," fluffy smut. TW: canon typical language, self image insecurity, smoking, drinking, mentions of incest and statutory rape - not involving Alastor or Mina, breeding cycles, fingering, oral - fem receiving, p in v, creampie, light biting.

Series Summary:

In the 1950's, Alastor met the woman he would eventually marry but unfortunately his Radio Demon persona went for her soul rather than her hand. He has to learn what it means to love, and cherish, without possessing and he does. Their relationship is beautiful, strong, unbreakable . . . but he carries a dark secret through their marriage for decades until eventually he has to face the consequences of that secret and leave her, without warning, for seven years. He returns, finding her at the Hazbin Hotel, and has to convince her to forgive him, while being literally bound to secrecy, unable to tell her any of things he now is desperate to explain to her.

(This is a duel timeline fic, timestamps will be a the top of every chapter.)

Chapter 9 - Wretched and Joyful

1953

Pride Ring

These parties were even worse than Alastor remembered.

Most of the Hellborn royalty worth a damn were here tonight and therefore most of Pride Ring’s most prominent Overlords were in attendance. It would be poor form if he hadn’t made an appearance, but he found the whole thing really . . . stupid.

He was a man of principle and believed in keeping one’s manners in check when appropriate but the over-the-top air of sophistication, of white collar, blue blood privilege among these Hellborn’s made Alastor’s skin crawl. It reminded him far too much of the type of people he had to associate with while working in radio as a human. He had to dress nicer, change his accent and speak with more refinement, force his hair straighter . . . hell he even spent as little time outside during the daytime to keep his slightly tanner than Caucasian skin tone as light as possible.

These days, he only made a point of showing up to these parties to see how uncomfortable he could make the Goetia Ars family before dipping out in less than an hour’s time. Some of their lower status members had been a few of his first targets when he had come into power there in Hell and he always made a point of re-airing their family members’ screams to his broadcasts for days in advance before arriving to their palaces.

There was only one reason he was still hanging around that evening and it was the woman who he had just watched make her exit out onto an empty balcony.

He hadn’t seen Mina in over a year. Not since his mishap with attempting to get her soul. He had known very quickly in their budding friendship that he genuinely enjoyed her company, but it wasn’t until he had tried to force her hand, and she had nearly died, that he realized the depth of his feelings for her. And it had made him extremely uncomfortable, to say the least. He had meant it when he had told her that he never wanted to see her again.

Or . . . at least he thought he had.

But then he had seen her that evening from across the ballroom, eagerly speaking with an owlish royal easily twice her height.

Like him, she hadn’t arrived in anything fancier than she normally wore, although her usual dress was classy enough to not stand out. The long, loose fitting black sleeves of her top were modest but the sweetheart collar and bow around the front of her waist accentuated her curves pleasantly. The dress ended with a long flowing skirt of burnt orange, the rich color of a southern sunset he hadn’t seen in decades.

Alastor had always enjoyed the company of women. Although he admired their beauty in a purely aesthetic way, he found he related to them better and preferred their company over that of men’s. Therefore, almost all of his closest acquaintances were women. But it wasn’t until that night, when he was forced to come to terms with how much he had missed having her in his life, that he felt a stirring of something he hadn’t experienced since his teenage years, when even his hormones had been challenging to control. Still hesitant to approach, he’d watched her from a distance; debating with himself on whether or not to act on the stirring of emotions he could feel brewing inside him.

And then. . . Mina looked upset. She walked through the large glass doors, clearly agitated, and went towards the edge of the outdoor balcony, out of his line of sight.

Perhaps it was because he had separated himself from her completely over the last 15 months, allowing both of their tempers to cool off enough to think. Or maybe it was just the utter distraught look on her face that drew him to her. Or maybe, something in his dark and twisted mind had finally softened; matured enough to allow him something more in this afterlife.

Whatever the reason, Alastor could no longer find a reason why he shouldn’t allow himself to be around her. Taking his still full glass of scotch with him, he stepped out onto the balcony, and shut the door behind him.

Mina was at the corner of the balcony, elbows on the railing, and holding a cigarette. She looked over her shoulder at him, then turned away again, and with a slight tremble in her hand, brought the cigarette to her lips and took a long drag.

“You were right, you know,” she said once she exhaled. “These parties are terrible.”

He chuckled as he approached her, leaning one elbow on the railing himself but turned more directly towards her. “It’s almost criminal that I tried to get you to make a deal for the chance to go to one. Really, I’m ashamed.”

Her face broke into a smile then. “I did sneak off and find this amazing library upstairs. There were texts so old they were in scrolls. Even a few clay tablets. None of it in English, of course.” Her smile fell and she took another drag. “No one here even thinks it’s of any interest. These Goetia’s, they’re so ancient and powerful, they know so much about . . . everything. And they spend their time doing this? Standing around in outfits and jewelry that costs thousands of dollars just to talk shit about their children and make jokes about who their husband is fucking. I don’t know why I thought they’d be different. Turns out Hell really isn’t much different than Earth.”

“And yet they’re one of the few who are summoned by living humans,” Alastor agreed. “Oh, the irony. What I wouldn’t give to make deals up on Earth.”

“Didn’t you kill a few of them?” Mina asked.

“Ages ago, but yes. Still one of my finer moments,” he said, taking a sip of his drink.

She was staring at him openly now, a small smile playing across her lips, as she eyed him up and down.

“You look . . . really good,” she said after a beat.

He brought his glass down, and though he could tell she was flirting, he pretended to be confused. Glancing down at his red pinstriped jacket, he said, “I look how I always look.”

“Sorry,” she said, flicking her cigarette out over the edge without bothering to stamp it out. “I’m not myself tonight. Forgive me if I seem a little . . . irritable and forward. Could you conjure me one of those?” she asked, eyeing his glass.

“Jameson?” he asked, assuming.

“Please,” she scoffed, “Bourbon.”

“Developed a different taste while you were in the south?” he teased and produced the glass with a flourish.

She took a rather large gulp before answering. “It’s sweeter.”

Mina pulled her hair over one shoulder, fanning air over the exposed skin with her free hand and sighed. “I know it’s Hell, but does it always have to be so God damn hot?”

Alastor noted that it was actually a cooler evening as far as Hell was concerned and quite comfortable until suddenly, he understood. Mina was shaky, on edge, flushed, and eyeing him like he was a cool drink of water, even more so than she had before he had betrayed her trust. And she was drinking liquor, which he had never seen her do before. He didn’t know much when it came to the biology of demon women, but he knew then that Mina was in heat. Probably just the later stages of it, but still.

She was drunk and hormonal, and he had been flirting with her.  

“Alastor?” she asked, after he hadn’t responded to a single thing she had said.

Normally the idea of someone being attracted to him either amused him or it was like a bucket of ice water down his back, completely repulsing him. But he was realizing now that Mina’s attraction to him, which was remarkably still there despite everything he had done to her and was surely a sign of her susceptible state of mind, pleased him. He felt warm and happy and suddenly perversely excited about her aroused state.

She was watching him, and he had to think, think of something he would normally do or say, and not how much he wanted to touch her. That could come later, if he still wanted it, but he could not lose control of this situation and take advantage of her.

“I don’t find you to be irritable at all. You are being remarkably pleasant, given the circumstances in which we last parted,” he finally managed to say with a confident smile, thankfully always there to hide his inner turmoil.

“It’s funny how much a year makes a difference,” she said, inching a little closer to him and taking another sip of her bourbon. He should not have given that to her. “I figure, if you wanted to hurt me, you would have done it that night. Instead, you let me be. You let me live. And after a while, I really had to start asking myself, why? Why didn’t you just kill me?”

“I didn’t have a reason to,” he answered, sounding much more composed than he felt.

“Bullshit. I’ve seen you kill people for less.”

He had no smart response for that. She was right. Anyone else would have at least faced a painful death before respawning but likely would have ended up on his radio broadcast as a permanent entertainment piece.

“It wasn’t all for show, was it? The time we spent together?” she asked when he failed to answer.

“No,” he admitted, and looked down to see a lock of her hair now wrapped around his fingers. When had he done that? “No, I’m afraid . . . none of it was.”

She shifted her weight, processing what he had just confessed.

“Then why-“ she began, and now she was running her hands over the lapels of his jacket, “-why did you do it? Why couldn’t you just let things continue the way they were going?”

“I suppose,” he swallowed, and he was sure not even his smile could hide his exponentially growing desire for her any longer, “I had forgotten how to do that.”

She smiled back at him, seemingly satisfied and believing that answer.

“Let me show you how,” she whispered.

She raised herself up on tip toes and kissed him. It was soft, gentle, and surprisingly controlled. Despite the rush of hormones Alastor could practically smell coming off her, she wasn’t losing herself in the heat of the moment. If she had been all tongue and grabbing hands it might have snapped him out of it but instead, she was sweet and almost shy with him. And now he was good and turned on and he was the one deepening the kiss, getting handfuls of her hair at the back of her head, and pulling her towards him.

His tongue danced across hers and God bourbon had never tasted so good. He had barely had a double of his own drink and yet felt more drunk than he had in years with the feel of her pressed so well against him. She was so right for him, understood him so easily, wanted him as much as he wanted her-

A glass shattered and Mina broke away from the kiss. Without stepping out of his arms, she looked down at the glass of whiskey she had dropped in order to grab hold of his jacket with both hands.

“Oops,” she said and then broke into a fit of giggles.

Right. She hid it well but was clearly more drunk than he had initially wagered.

“You should get yourself home,” he said reluctantly. “Who did you come here with this evening?”

“Rosie,” Mina answered. “But she already left.”

“Did she now?” Alastor said, and then laughed. “Mina, my dear, I believe we’ve been set up. She’s the one who talked me into coming here tonight but you’re right, she’s nowhere to be found.”

“It’s not a problem, really Alastor. I’m a big girl, I can see myself home,” Mina said. “There’s just one more thing I need to do.”

As if on cue, a Goetia woman opened the doors and stepped out on the balcony.

“Do you mind?” Alastor asked, irritated at the intrusion. Even if there was a chance that this was this owl woman’s house, he and Mina were clearly in the middle of a private conversation.

“Don’t tell me what to do, Sinner,” she said.

“It’s alright, Alastor, I asked a favor of her," Mina said, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “Actually, would you be a dear and step inside? Close the doors behind you.” She leaned in and whispered, “And just to be safe, keep a bit of a distance, would you?”

Alastor caught a sinister look in Mina’s eye and catching on, nodded to her.

“My apologies, my lady,” Alastor said as he turned to face the hostess and made his exit.

“Alright, what is it you wanted to see now?” the heiress said to Mina without acknowledging Alastor further. She sounded impatient and bored.

He did as he was told and quietly brought the two doors closed together and stepped away from the glass. Though he couldn’t hear a thing, he could see Mina turn and face into the night, the broken glass at her feet forgotten.

After a moment, he watched in fascination as the Goetia’s body stood a bit straighter and stared at Mina as if in a trance. After what must have been only another 10 seconds, Mina finally turned to face the Goetia who then turned away and went back through the doors, with Mina following close behind.

The heiress walked wordlessly out into the middle of the large hall full of other demons while Mina stopped at Alastor’s side, watching the Hellborn with a coy smile on her face.

Wordlessly, the heiress began to rip off her ballgown.

She tore it off in chunks; first bits of the sleeves and then large strips of the skirt, exposing layer upon layer of silk and tool, before finally revealing skinny, scaled legs that were far from appealing to Alastor’s gaze.

“Darling, what are you doing?” another Goetia said with alarm and ran towards her from the other side of the room. “Gwenore! STOP!”

“I’ve been fucking your nephew!” the woman screamed in what must have been her husband’s face.

“Oh shit,” Mina said with a laugh. “That’s even better than I expected.”

“My neph-“ the man said with a pause, “BUT HE’S FIFTEEN!”

“You did this to her? A Goetia?” Alastor asked, tilting his head.

“IT WAS MY COUSIN BEFORE THAT!” the woman shrieked and as her husband let go of her, she began ripping out the beautiful long feathers that fell down her shoulders from her head.

“I only managed it because she was so unsuspecting but . . . yes. I just put the suggestion in her head that she make a fool of herself,” Mina answered. Neither of them had taken their eyes off the show.

“And sometimes . . . sometimes . . .” the woman was hyperventilating and cackling with hysteria now, eyes gone bloodshot as she continued to rip off bits of clothing and feather. “Sometimes I wonder how good our son will be when he’s more grown!”

A resounding gasp came from all the onlookers at that. ‘Gwenore’ hadn’t screamed that confession as loud as the others, but it was still plenty audible to the dozens of people around her.

“I may have also made her confess her deepest secrets,” Mina said and giggled the same light laugh she had made when she dropped her whiskey glass. “I guess she’s even worse than I judged her for.”

Alastor looked down at Mina, and saw all at once, the potential of having her by his side. Not under his control, not limited by his own ideas and fancy. Completely free and standing next to him as his equal, simply because of her own desire for him. She was more than cruel; she was creative about it. Took pleasure in it, just as he did. And even outside of her remarkable power, Mina was lovely to be around.

“You are stunning,” Alastor said, still watching her.

She looked up at him and her malicious grin turned back to that sweet, innocent smile she had used on him earlier.

“Take me home?” she asked, and what was he to do, but oblige her?

  ____

Mina had been polite and well-mannered during the cab ride home, looking very composed and in control of herself. It was impressive to Alastor, who had heard tales of women losing their minds to their various animalistic hormone cycles. His own rut got the best of him occasionally, making him more aggressive and likely to lash out than normal. Thankfully the sexual urges were rather dormant in him, even for those two weeks out of every year, and were nothing he couldn’t take care of himself in the privacy of his own place.

But Mina had all the signs that she was aroused now that he was looking for them. Her vertical pupils were completely round, she had a red blush to her face and even across her collar bone, and she fidgeted often with her legs, crossing, and uncrossing them several times. To an untrained eye, she was nothing less than a lady while seated next to him in the small cab that was barely tall enough to accompany the height of his ears, but Alastor could tell she was doing a fine job of restraining herself.

Once the excruciating ride back to The Pit was over, Mina casually took his hand and guided him towards her apartment. This area of the neighborhood must have been far from where most of the torture took place as it was fairly quiet, only the occasional scream came from the lake of fire he could see from between the apartment buildings. It didn’t have the same quaint charm as Cannibal Town, but Alastor had to admit, the gothic splendor of the place was admirable.

“Well, I guess that settles it,” Mina said as she walked him up to a front door he gathered to be her own. “You must really have no ill feelings towards me.”

“Did I just pass some test I wasn’t aware I was taking?”

“Oh, definitely,” Mina answered, that wicked smile back in place. “No one can cross the threshold into Abadon’s territory if they mean harm to anyone who lives here. You would have burst into flames the second your feet hit the pavement here.”

He felt his ears shoot straight up in surprise.

“You were willing to set me ablaze to make sure I wasn’t still after your soul?” he asked, shocked and impressed.

Mina shrugged and turned her back on him, producing a key and unlocking her front door.

“You were willing to burn me to get my soul. Fair is fair.”

She held the door open for him and gave a welcoming gesture for him to follow her in.

“I really shouldn’t,” he said.

She frowned at him. “Why not?”

“Because if I go in there, I’m afraid I might actually stay. And tonight . . . tonight is not the right night for that.”

Now she was positively pouting at him. “I’m not langered, Alastor. You don’t have to treat me like a child.”

“That is not-“ he began, and then sighed and tried again. “I’m sorry if I don’t know a more polite and proper way to address this issue, but I’m concerned that your . . . ‘timing’ . . . if I may, paired with your alcohol consumption, may allow you to consent to things you wouldn’t normally consent to.”

Her jaw dropped and for a moment, Alastor worried he had deeply offended her.

“You burned down a bar and caused damage to an entire city block.”

“That’s not exactly unusual for me-“

“You locked my best friends up for hours!”

“Again, Mina-“

“You trapped me in an alley and tried to burn me alive!”

“I’m not sure I understand where you’re going with this.”

“And now you’re being a gentleman?!”

He opened his mouth to try and speak again, but once again, Mina left him speechless.

She started laughing.

After a beat, Alastor’s own smile turned to that of strained confusion to genuine affection. She had a point. It sounded a bit silly when put that way, but it didn’t mean he was going to change his mind.

 “You’re insane,” she said, “and I think I really like you.”

He stepped closer into her space, tilted her chin up slowly with his index finger, and placed a single, lingering kiss to her lips.

 She sighed as they parted. “Are you sure?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yes,” he answered, “I’m very sure. Because I’d very much like to have more than one evening with you, and I think if I take this one, I will have ruined that chance.”

“Wow,” she said breathlessly, “that is the loveliest thing a man has ever said to me.”

“Dinner then? Two nights from now?”

“I can’t wait,” she smiled. “Where?”

“My radio tower. I’ll cook.”

Alastor had told her a year ago, before he had sent her running, that he had never had a guest there before. He was counting on her remembering that and based on the shocked but pleased look on her face, she did.

_____

Two days later, Mina was feeling much more in control of herself. She still wasn’t sure if she really would have thought less of Alastor if he had stayed the night with her that evening; especially because in her fantasies, it had been a wonderful time. But the fact that he had been so considerate of her, she knew in the long run, only made the sudden return of her feelings for him much stronger.

Alastor made her feel like an addict falling off the wagon. It wasn’t a gradual decent; she was right back to that evening in the park before he had offered her his first deal. Mina was falling for him, hard and fast, all over again, after having spent hardly an hour in his presence. And the only part of her that even cared a little was her pride. Mina had enjoyed her years as a strong, independent bachelorette. Although it was often lonely, and sexually frustrating, it gave her a sense of freedom that she had killed for when alive. But her heart and her body wanted Alastor so damn much, that together they drowned out that pesky voice of independence as she stood under his radio tower, looking up.

She knew where it was; everyone in Pentagram City did. The giant, black and red tower soared over the heart of the city and was impossible to miss. But it was raised up on a deadly looking lattice of support beams, with no ground floor entrance, or even a ladder to climb.

How was she supposed to get up there? How did he get up there?

Something in the corner of her eye moved, down near her feet, and she glanced at it too late. The shadowy hand had broken free from its camouflaged surroundings and already had her by the ankle and even her cat-like reflexes weren’t fast enough to react by the time she was dissolving into darkness herself.

She felt the sensation of being pulled up and seconds later, was looking out over a red-tinted cityscape.

“I suppose I should have warned you,” Alastor’s voice said from behind her, “but it really is the easiest way up here. Believe me, you wouldn’t want to try and make that climb. Everyone who has, has ended up in the airwaves.”

He was setting food down on a small rectangular table set for two, pressed up against a large window, as if to give the diners a perfect view.

Mina turned a slow 360, taking in the whole room.

It was nothing like what she imagined a typical radio tower to look like. She had envisioned a cramped, windowless room, with walls consisting of nothing but dials and controls she couldn’t even begin to understand the workings of. She had seen videos of phone operator rooms, women wheeling back and forth, placing wires into one port after another, and that was the closest thing her early 20th century mind could come up with.

This place was exactly the opposite of all that. It was a large round room, surrounded by several floor to ceiling windows that gave the occupants a nearly uninterrupted view of the city below. There was only one small control panel with a few dials, and one old-fashioned radio from the 1930’s sitting on a stand next to it. Alastor must have done the majority of his work using his magic rather than actual technology, which appeared to be only supplemental to his tasks.

And the décor was cozy, giving the room a lived-in feeling, rather than what one would expect in a professional setting.

There were antlers and wildlife paintings mounted on the few narrow walls of the room, and a long and deep-seated couch placed against the opposite window from the dining table. A few cabinets and shelves placed strategically throughout the room, holding everything from books, to liquor bottles, to shrunken heads.

“Not what you expected?” Alastor asked after she turned back around to face him.

“It’s lovely,” she answered truthfully. “You live here?”

“Well, it’s not the only room, but it is my favorite.”

She quickly scanned the room again. There were no doors indicating the existence of other rooms. Or an exit. Mina should have felt trapped then, but instead she felt safely secluded, much like she did in her own home.

“Ah, yes, well,” Alastor said, realizing what she was noticing. “Since no one else has ever been here, I didn’t have to think of a design that would accommodate anything other than my preferred method of moving about.”

So, he just moved from room to room, via shadow? For a man who could conjure just about anything he wanted with a snap of his fingers, Mina supposed that made sense.

“No one else has really ever been here?” she asked.

“No one,” he answered, and pulled a chair away from the table, indicating for her to sit down. She did and he joined her, sitting opposite from her.

“And why me? Why now?” she had an idea, but she wouldn’t be a woman if she didn’t like to hear it said out loud.

“My biggest problem with you, Mina,” Alastor began, “is that for some inexplicable reason since we’ve met, I’ve been desperate for you to know everything about me. And vice versa.”

Mina felt her face grow warm. He had been honest then, when he admitted to her that their time spent together wasn’t all just to get her soul. Their hours and hours of conversations, often deeply personal, had been as real and intimate as she imagined.

“Speaking of,” Alastor continued, “please, try the food.”

She did, taking a tentative bite of rice and sausage. It looked to her like some kind of curry and must have taken at least a couple hours to make. Just the first bite had such an explosion of flavor and mixed spices, far more than her European palate was used to. This is what he should have tried to bargain for her soul over.

“That’s positively deadly,” she said with a smile.

“Not too spicey?” he asked. He was smiling as well, as always, but something in his eyes and the extra crackle in the static of his voice made Mina think he was a little nervous.

“No. I mean, it’s more than I’m used to, but it’s incredible. Really.”

He visibly relaxed a little then and Mina’s heart gave a little flutter. Alastor really had been nervous, and it was entirely too sweet to think he cared that much about her opinion.

“It’s called jambalaya. It was my mother’s recipe,” he admitted.

Oh . . .

Mina felt the significance of the evening shift into something more serious. This was the closest he could come to introducing her to his mother and men didn’t do that unless they were pursuing something serious. Her heart began to beat just a little harder at the realization, but less out of nerves, and more out of excitement. That notion sat just fine with her.

“Here,” he said, setting a glass of red wine before her. There was no bottle in sight, but again, this was Alastor. She wondered if she would ever get used to his ability to just create things out of thin air like that. “It’ll help if the spice starts to build up too much for you.”

Mina recognized the flavor as a Chianti, which was normally a dryer wine than she preferred, but she had to admit, it paired wonderfully with the spice of the jambalaya. She would never have though to mix Italian with Creole, but clearly, Alastor knew what he was doing.

It was hard to say how long their dinner lasted. Their conversation continued far longer than the meal and it seemed there wasn’t a topic they didn’t cover.

He spoke in much more detail about his mother than he ever had before, and Mina felt an empty kind of ache that she hadn’t acknowledged in years. She never had such an unconditional bond with anyone. Even her baby sister, who she had loved more than anyone, had distanced herself from Mina by the end of her life. Rather than feel envious of Alastor though, she felt relief. This man, as deadly and cold as he could be, had a soft side. Was capable of love and empathy for another person. If Mina were ever to let herself be with another person again, he would have to toe the same line between psychopath and caring partner that she did.

The conversation turned more to their work, both while alive and in Hell, and how it had defined them so much as the people they were now. They shared the same love of music, were driven by the same desire to not be controlled by the kind of people they loathed the most, and to be powerful enough to feel free.

It was so easy to talk with him about these things, to be here in the comfort of his home for hours, when normally she would begin to feel her social battery draining and get the urge to leave for the peace and quiet of her own solitude. She wanted the opposite of that. She wanted to stay here with him and never, ever leave.

Eventually, the conversation did come to a lull, and Alastor asked if she would like to dance with him.

Mina felt that feeling return, that this was really the start of something big between them, something that could be permanent, and eagerly took his hand.

The radio hummed to life as together, they strode to the middle of the room, and Mina stepped into his arms as the music began to play.

Life is a song, let’s sing it together

Let’s take our hearts and dip them in rhyme

Let’s learn the words, let’s learn the music together

hoping the song lasts for a long, long time

Life is a song that goes on forever

Love’s old refrain can never go wrong

Let’s strike the note Mendelssohn wrote concerning

spring weather

Let’s sing together and make life a song

Mina was familiar with the song, although love songs had never really been her cup of tea, and it had been popular on Earth a few years after her death. She couldn’t help but pay more attention to the lyrics now though, as Alastor moved them in gentle circles around the room. If she had read a scene like this in a book, she would have scoffed and called it cheesy and unrealistic. But there in real life, feeling for the first time how easy it was to fall in love with someone when they were actually right for you, Mina began to understand what those romance novels were trying to tell her all along.

As the last of the lyrics were sung, before the music had completely faded out, they were kissing. Mina should have been out of practice, but just as their kiss on the balcony had been, it was perfect. There was no hesitation in it, but it was slow and tender . . . at first. She could taste the spices and wine on his tongue, smell the lingering scent of Spanish moss and cypress on his skin, and feel the strength of his power emanating from his body beneath her hands.

This time it was her who increased the intensity of the kiss, moving her hands from his jaw line up into his hair, playfully scratching at the short clipped black hair before tangling her fingers in the longer red strands. She felt Alastor’s arms tighten around her in response, his own hands wandering lower until they were gripping her hips.

He broke away from her lips only to then leave a trail of kisses across her jaw and she moaned when his mouth reached her neck, using the sharp points of his teeth to take a feathery light bite out of her pulse point before kissing away the playful marks. She tilted her head back while still holding the back of his, encouraging him to continue.

Alastor was a full head taller than her, and while standing it was difficult and awkward for him to go any lower. His breath was hot and heavy against her exposed neck, a signal to Mina that he was just as needful for her as she was for him.

“The couch?” she managed to pant out, wanting desperately to be somewhere where he could be properly on top of her.

He shook his head. “Allow me,” he said, and with another kiss, Mina felt that now familiar feeling of shadow wrapping its essence around her, and the room dissolved into darkness.

When they reappeared, they were in a much smaller, windowless room but it wasn’t cramped or claustrophobic. Rather, it felt like the bedroom in a quaint, cozy cabin. The walls were wood paneled, in a well-done, rustic kind of way. The only pieces of furniture were an extra-long bed tucked into a corner, made neatly up with a dark green quilt, and a small mahogany dresser on the opposite wall. There didn’t seem to be a closet of any kind, but there was one door that was left just slightly ajar that appeared to lead to a bathroom that must have been near the size of the bedroom itself by what she could see of the distant wall. 

Mina noticed all of this in a distracted, half paying attention sort of way, considering her focus was almost entirely preoccupied by the red deer demon looming over her. Their mouths were on each other after half a second of her processing their new location; their hands exploring each other in a much more forward way than before.

Her hands slipped under Alastor’s jacket, grazing over his shirt in an attempt to feel as much of him as possible. Quickly losing patience with the restrictiveness of the item, she pulled her hands back out from underneath the jacket and began unbuttoning it until she could shove it off his shoulders and discard it behind him. He dutifully helped pull his arms and hands out of the sleeves and once free, they were back on her own body, untying the sash made up into a bow at her navel to loosen the fit of her blouse so that he could pull the hem out from the top of her skirt.

Alastor’s hands found skin as they explored under her shirt, ghosting up her sides and tickling her ribs. She froze at the contact, pleasurable as it was, as it occurred to her for the first time that she’d have to take her blouse off.

“What’s wrong?” he asked her, noticing her sharp intake of breath.

“Nothing, I just . . .” she tried to explain but hesitated.

“We can stop,” he said simply, not a trace of disappointment in his tone.

“I don’t want to stop,” she responded quickly; desperately. His small grin twitched at the corners at her reply.

“Then tell me what I just did wrong,” he said, his voice teasing but understanding.

“Nothing, you . . . you’re perfect,” she sighed, knowing what she had to do. “I need to show you something.”

Mina reached behind her and undid her zipper herself and pulled her blouse up over her head, standing before him in her bra. She knew he would be able to see the beginning of her spots across the tops of her shoulders, even if he couldn’t see them trailing down her back from his position.

His smile widened further, though he looked a little confused.

“I was hoping to see more than that tonight,” he quipped.

Mina frowned. “You don’t mind them?”

“Are we talking about the same things?” he asked with a playful tilt of his head.

She rolled her eyes at his inuendo and gestured with her chin to her shoulders.

“Oh,” he said, eyebrows raised in understanding. “No, of course not. Why would I?”

“Well they’re . . . they’re hideous,” she said in a small voice.

“Mina,” he chided, “I don’t think you know what hideous is.” He leaned over her and placed several small kisses along her shoulders, his hands coming behind her to trail his claws down the pattern of spots before cupping her ass and pulling her tightly against him. “You look absolutely delicious.”

The heat between her legs rekindled at his words and she aggressively began kissing him again, growling a bit when he responded in kind, biting at her lower lip. She got back to work undressing him, finding his belt buckle and making quick work of it, before untucking his shirt from his pants and working first at his bow tie and then at his shirt buttons.

In seconds she had everything undone and began yanking his shirt off him the same way she had made quick work of his jacket.

She broke the kiss to get a glimpse of the present she had just unwrapped and then took pause, sucking in a sharp breath at the sight before her.

“I told you, you don’t know what hideous is,” Alastor said, in a quiet, calm voice, but his smile was the smallest she had ever seen it.

Mina touched some of the scars etched into the skin of his chest. There were dozens of them, all jagged and irregular, many of them clearly made by teeth. Scars were so rare in Hell, as Sinners always healed eventually from their injuries, unless they were made by very specific weapons or magic.

She didn’t find them to be hideous at all but they made her incredibly sad, even before she knew the cause.

“What happened to you?” she finally asked.

“Nothing. Not since my death, at least,” he answered. “I was quite far gone by the time the dogs started in on me, I didn’t feel any of it. Who knows how or why we take the forms we do as souls.”

Mina thought back to her own last moments of life there on the beach, the jaguar’s weight on her, and the teeth that ripped open her neck. She must have seemed very foolish to Alastor for being insecure about her spots. It really dawned on her then, that though he was a powerful Overlord now, he was once a human like she had been. Fragile, mortal, and very capable of succumbing to violence.

She ran her hands down his chest and then wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as possible, and buried her face in his chest, kissing several of his scars as she did so. The hurt in her heart for the life he had led, and the way he had died, settled in her chest like a knife.

“Mina,” he whispered, soothing her, and guided her chin upwards, as he leaned down to capture her lips with his own.

The rest of their clothes were divulged more slowly after that, each item being removed as if exposing the most precious gift imaginable. They explored each other’s bodies with near worshipful touches, delighting in the similarities and differences. They caressed each other’s ears, admired the way their limbs almost matched in skin tone, as they each darkened at the elbows and knees, down to fingertips and toes. Mina stroked his antlers with her hands, as her mouth found a sensitive spot on his neck, and her toes playfully ran across his hooves that began at the balls of his feet.

They were lying in bed together then, on top of the still made-up quilt and both completely naked, his erection teasing her as she felt it against her stomach, making her ache for more. He was busy still tasting every inch of her skin that he could get a hold of when she noticed a surprise flicker of red in the corner of her eye and peered down his backside, getting the first good look of what would soon become her favorite piece of his anatomy; the little secret only she was ever able to know about him.

“You have a tail!” she gasped out in surprise.

He made something between a groan and a sigh, his mouth occupied with sucking and biting at her right breast.

“Alastor!” she squealed and pushed at his shoulders until he relented.

“Unfortunately so,” he huffed, not enjoying the interruption as much as she was.

“Let me see it,” she said, trying sit to up.

“Later,” he said, keeping her down.

“Please,” she pouted, “you see mine all the time.”

“Yours is not an insult to your character,” he replied, not budging.

She reached her own long tail around, using it to stroke the back of one of his calf muscles.

“Pleeeaase,” she said, sultrier this time.

He reached and snatched at her tail, sliding his hand down it until he had it by tip, and brought it to his lips for a quick kiss before letting it go, and settling his weight on top of her with finality.

“I said ‘later’.”

“Tease,” she said before he quieted her mouth with his own, and then reached between them and down between her thighs. A finger spread through her already wet folds, easily stroking her up and down from opening to clit.

“Oh, fuck,” she panted against his mouth, feeling the vibration of his low chuckle, clearly pleased with the reaction he was getting from her.

No one had ever touched her that way, besides herself. Every other time for her had just been a quick fuck, the man taking what he wanted with her until he was finished. It was always just enough to leave her desiring more but completely unsatisfied, like an itch that was never properly scratched.

She was almost mortified when she felt herself begin to purr but Alastor quickened his pace, circling her clit in tighter, faster circles, spurred on by her reaction. It was enough of a sign from him that he liked her purring, so she relaxed and let her body react the way it wanted to.

Then he began working his way down her body, kissing her neck, spending a moment at each breast, and then her stomach. Her nerves got the better of her when he tried to go lower, and she shot upright moments before he settled his face between her thighs.

“What are you doing?” she gasped.

He looked mortified at her reaction, eyes wide and smile strained.

“Do you not like that?” he asked, reaching out for her hips. She let his hand settle there, thankful for the reassuring touch, but still felt tense and unsettled.

“You-you don’t have to do that,” she stammered.

His eyes stayed steadily on hers. “I know I don’t have to, Mina. Why don’t you want me to?”

“Men don’t . . . men don’t do that to women,” she said, sounding naïve even to her own ears, but she just couldn’t fathom being on the reciprocating end of oral.

He seemed to relax a little as understanding came to his features.

“I promise you, the good ones do,” he said, guiding her back to laying down beneath him.

She followed but was still insecure.

“You don’t have to,” she repeated, but his mouth was already on the flesh of the inside of her thigh, making her shiver with desire and nerves.

“If you don’t like it, I’ll stop. But please, allow me to try?” he asked, peering up from her, mouth only inches from her sex. When she gave a small, hesitant nod, she felt the breath of his sigh warming her flesh before his mouth was on her and she was suddenly very okay with what he was doing.

His tongue matched the rhythm his fingers had made moments before, alternating between long strokes and quick circles. Although she had no experience with it, Mina knew there was no getting better at this than he was. She felt her face heating up as the pleasure overwhelmed her, overstimulating her senses until she was no longer purring, just gasping for air and moaning loudly. She felt tingly from head to toe and when he shifted his weight so that he could curl two fingers inside her, stroking her walls as he sucked at her clit, Mina reached down and took hold of his antlers, watching him work her until she began to see stars. Within seconds she was cumming hard; a deeper, longer orgasm than she had ever experienced.

She collapsed back on the bed, breathing deeply as she felt her body going limp. Alastor had released her from his mouth, wiping his chin with his free hand, and she had a moment where she realized she hadn’t felt the sharpness of his teeth or his claws during that whole wonderful experience, before he was crawling back up her, repeating in reverse the kissing trail up her body until he was back at her mouth. There was a slight lingering scent and taste of her own sex on his face, and surprisingly to her, it only helped turn her on all over again.

It was then she noticed his fingers were still inside of her, and as he lazily stroked his tongue against hers in a deep, sensual kiss, he began moving his fingers again. Long, slow movements, right at the shallow part of her entrance, curling his fingers so that the pads of his fingertips put just the right pressure on that sensitive internal part she barely had registered the existence of before that evening.

Mina moaned against him as he worked her up again, impressively fast, considering she could still feel the aftereffects of her first orgasm.

Right as she was beginning to feel her walls clench at his fingers in earnest, he pulled away from her and settled his weight differently until their hips were perfectly aligned.

“May I?” he asked, but she was already spreading her legs to wrap around him.

“Oh please,” she begged, feeling the tip of him right at her entrance. “Please, please, please,” she whispered.

He was big and now she truly understood his need for foreplay with her in order to prepare her to take him. He guided himself in until he was buried as deep as he could go, the girth and length of his cock stretching her to the point of stinging for a moment before she felt herself relaxing. Alastor looked into her eyes as if searching for any change of heart or hesitation from her. Finding nothing but wanton eagerness in her expression, he began to move.

Mina would later find him to be a rather quiet lover, not one for dirty talk or frequent noises in general, but he did moan quite audibly with that first thrust; a low sound, the static affect breaking it up and making it sound much deeper than his normal voice. She cradled the back of his head as he breathed into her neck, stroking the base of his ears and playing with the soft tufts of fur there.

Together they found a rhythm, a lovely friction that completely filled her up, stroked her inner walls, and rubbed against her clit just right when their hips came together. Mina would never understand why missionary was considered such a ‘vanilla’ position. She loved being face to face with Alastor like this, watching his eyes go black with desire, while also being chest to chest, and hip to hip. He was everywhere, holding her, on top of her, filling her up. No other position could give her this kind of intimacy and paired with the physical pleasure of it, it was perfect for their first time together.

She was so close now, feeling right on the edge of her second orgasm but she needed just a little more. Changing the tilt of her hips, she was able to relax her hips into spreading wider, encouraging Alastor to go deeper and harder into her. He responded immediately to the lusty noises she made as the change in angle built her up, stretching her to the point of nearly being painful, and it was delicious. Her orgasm slammed into her, making her clench hard onto his cock and it was all she could do but whimper as it seemed to continue on forever. Letting go of her grip on the mix of hair and fur near the base of his ear, her hand found an antler again, surprised and aroused that it had grown much thicker and longer as he chased his own completion.

Her body finally began to relax as she came down from her orgasm, just beginning to feel the first stages of overstimulation, when his movements became erratic, and she felt the stinging bite of his teeth into the flesh in the crook of her collarbone as he came inside her. For the first time, without the worry of pregnancy involved in the act, she found she loved the sensation of his cock twitching inside her as he coated her walls with his seed, making her feel incredibly satisfied. She basked in the feeling of being bred; the feminine pride of being claimed, by both his cum and his bite.

Alastor was slowly coming down from his own high; his antlers retreated back to their usual two-pointed form, the blackness in his eyes returning to their normal shade of red.

“I’m sorry,” he panted but she was already purring again. “Was that too . . .”

He trailed off, and she brushed her nose against his, until he gave a soft laugh and responded with the same motion and kissed her.

“I like you like that,” she said. “You can do that to me again, anytime you want.”

They smiled at each other, like the two idiots absolutely smitten with each other that they were, and enjoyed another tender kiss before Alastor finally pulled out of her and shifted onto his side. Mina snuggled into his arms, burying her face into his scarred chest, and began purring in earnest as he lazily stroked her hair and the backs of her ears.

In post orgasmic bliss, they fell into a light sleep like that, still on top of the blankets and tangled up in each other.

A short while later, Mina began to stir, feeling a chill against her bare skin as the heat of their lovemaking finally dissipated from her body. Alastor moved against her, also waking up, and Mina smiled when she noticed the sound of a radio humming to life that accompanied him when he awoke. As much as she would come to love watching him sleep, she would always find that little sound affect to be the most fucking adorable thing about him.

That, and his tail.

She sat upright.

“Alright, love. Let me see it.”

His eyebrows came down in a frown, already knowing what she was asking for, and was not amused.

“I’d rather you join me in the bath,” he said, trying to lure her into something else. Anything else, really.

“You said you’d let me see it!” she whined.

“I only recall specifically using the word ‘later.’ I did not specify when that would be.”

“Alastor,” she said sternly.

“Fine,” he huffed but then continued to lay where he was rather than moving and making it easier to see.

“Well?” she asked, gesturing for him to move.

“I am neither standing for this, nor will I lay on my stomach. This is not a physician’s exam and I refuse to make this anymore humiliating for me.”

“Jaysus Christ, you are a child,” she huffed and got up on her knees so she could more easily peer over him to see his backside.

He curled forward and bit her on her outer thigh, making her jump and squeal, but she didn’t relent.

There it was, in all its fluffy glory, red like his hair but with a black stripe along the bottom side where most deer had stripe of white. It was . . . really cute. But she would never tell him that as it would devastate his massive but fragile ego, and she had a feeling that was exactly why he hid it from view.

She reached over and touched it, feeling the incredible softness for only a second before he reacted viscerally, turning around and grabbing at her hand.

“Are you kidding me?!”

“Sorry,” she said, immediately regretting it. “I’m sorry. If it really bothers you that much, I am. Really sorry.”

He sighed, relaxing at her apology, and pulled her down with him to return to the position they had been in before.

She peppered his chest with kisses, purring again as it seemed to soothe him, and listened as his thundering heart began to slow down. He really was incredibly insecure about that tail of his.

“You know,” she dared, once she was sure he had finally calmed all the way down, “you might like it being touched if you just let me try again.”

He rolled on top of her, kissing her hard and pressing her into the mattress, before standing up and leaving her in bed.

“Ready for that bath?” he asked, holding his hand out to her, completely ignoring her statement.

Next Chapter ->

She took it, eagerly following him out of the room, enjoying the full view of his tail and naked backside that it awarded her, but she didn’t dare try to touch it again . . . that night.

@saccharine-nectarine, @inuhalfdemon

[blackholesun321]

This man got a thousand times hotter when his life fell apart. 🥰

The story behind this au is that it came about from me wanting to give Mihawk scars and longer hair. And I built it from there— au explained below.

Mihawk became the world strongest swordsman y’all (✨hurray round of applause and all that jazz🌟) quickly after that he was killed in a marine attack.

Later called the war of a thousand corpses, and a thousand ships, Because that’s how many Mihawk killed and destroyed before they took him down.

Shanks was of course devastated— murdering the idiot who killed Mihawk (wasn’t even hard man threw bodies at Mihawk till he was worn out then hit him with his devil fruit.) and kept the legendary sword Yoru after Mihawk passed. In his honor.

Three years later a man hidden head to toe in a long black coat comes and with a voice that sounds like someone gargled with glass and used bleach as a chaser- demands a duel for Yoru.

Shanks of course obliges, the amount of men or women coming to claim the ownerships of the world’s greatest swordsman former sword is high and Shanks has sworn to only give it to one that can beat him.

And half way through the duel Shanks goes for a blow to the throat and manages to slice the coats long collar revealing the hidden face underneath.. and it’s—

No it can’t.. but Shanks would know those eyes dead and blind. He’d know that face past the scars past the years and age and hardships that have weathered this man he could have-did love.

Mihawk.

How the fuck are you alive?!

[sunnybyler]

i’ve been sitting on my thoughts for so long but i just have to get this off my chest. i don’t like to yuck ppls yum so if you like e/riel pls scroll away nd keep having your fun it’s not my problem. however some of y’all can get mean as HELL and as an elucien i have to get this off my chest. (also warning for gwynriels i’m with y’all i defend y’all here however i do go in a bit on az in this so fair warning). i truly have no idea why e/riels cling so hard to the azriel bonus chapter in acosf because that chapter, more than literally anything else in the series, proved to me that e/riel is absolutely NOT going to be endgame. let me explain:

1. it is explicitly stated that azriel did not think of his relationship with elain outside of a sexual nature. i think some ppl get kinda annoyingly puritanical when trying to make this point when it’s like 100% certain lucien had sexual thoughts of elain too. the point isn’t the thoughts themselves. the difference here is the explicit mention that he didn’t consider anything with her outside of that.

2. the point above ^ is further exacerbated by the fact that az did not give a flying fuck if he killed elain’s MATE. even if elain hasn’t accepted the bond, it would still be extremely painful for her based on what we’ve seen with rhys, feyre, and even rhys’s parents (who weren’t good for each other, yet we saw how rhys’s dad lost it when she died). now of course us lucien lovers know damn well he would never in a million years call a blood duel to try to claim elain (and fuck u rhys for saying that, i usually have your back but come ON you are not the only male who can respect their mate’s autonomy). but az doesn’t know that!? in fact seems to agree with rhys that he could. ppl argue on who would win that fight — my opinion hinges 100% on if powers are fully unleashed but that’s not the point at all. no matter WHO wins, elain is going to feel responsible for someone’s death. of course it wouldn’t be her fault if men decided to be fucking stupid, but with the little we know about elain shows that she would feel so guilty if that happened. but azriel doesn’t seem to give af that anyone fighting to the death over her is the last thing she would ever want. not only did az not think of elain outside his fantasies and therefore not fully care for her, but he doesn’t seem to even KNOW elain in this chapter. now, i could go in on this in acosf as a whole. but i’m keeping it to this chapter alone.

3. and further on THAT point, az doesn’t really give any reasoning on his interest in elain outside of this insane “three brothers/three sisters” thing he fully pulled out of his ass. tbh i almost thing this is sjm’s way of addressing the fan theories on that. now i get it to some extent from az’s pov — seeing his brothers happy with these sisters must fuck with your head after you’d all been bachelors together for 500 years. especially considering how he’s felt unworthy of love his whole life and this seems to support that insecurity of his. i get that it makes him feel ostracized from them, and that he’s now an outlier not being with an archeron. i get that. i do. i sympathize with him here. however that does not change the fact that he isn’t speaking of elain like she’s her own individual here — hell he fully calls her “the other”. i think part of this conversation was him being frazzled, i give him a bit more grace than some do (tho he pissed me off BAD in this scene), but we were fully in this man’s head. did he give us a full reason why he liked elain besides his brother’s mates and his sexual thoughts?? they would’ve at least crossed his mind when rhys was grilling them if sjm was trying to set up her next romance here. as it is, we have literally nothing to imply azriel actually likes elain herself and not the idea of being closer with his brothers.

4. az has kinda a habit of ignoring the reality of the women he’s attracted to in some way. he has his own version of them in his head that he puts on a pedestal. now i could do a whole psych eval on this man and how he thinks he’s unworthy of love and therefore only allows himself to have feelings for women he knows/thinks he can’t have. but to focus on this chapter alone, my points above ^ about how he doesn’t really think of elain outside his fantasies/bringing him closer to his brothers and not really understanding her pretty much wraps it up there. i mean he even talks about how he thinks his scarred hands don’t belong on her because she’s so perfect in his eyes. that’s not love, that’s obsession and it’s unhealthy. he clearly thinks himself below elain and ignores that she has her own flaws too.

5. aaaand i saved the biggest for (almost) last….. GWYN. this is a genuine GENUINE question. why in the fucking hell. would sjm make half the chapter focusing on az & gwyn if she was teasing e/riel. like that makes no sense. not to be annoying and mention chekhov's gun but that idea applies to relationships too. i’m sorry but she couldn’t be more explicit about her future romances. you could argue “oh well it’s because there’s gonna be a love triangle”. y’all. elain has. elain has a mate. there already IS a love triangle. there was absolutely no reason for her to bring gwyn into this chapter other than her preparing us for a future relationship, literally none. especially with all the romantic subtext (hell not even subtext, just TEXT). gwyn getting him to talk about himself so easily when he’s so quiet usually, him taking the idea of making her happy and he “buried the image down deep, where it GLOWED QUIETLY” (which SCREAMS mating bond to me but even if it’s not it’s clearly something he cherishes deeply), the SHADOWSINGERS SHADOWS SANG FOR HER!?

6. the fucking necklace regifting. oh it’s bad. OHHH ITS BAD. when the girls realize it’s gonna be SO messy but im hoping sjm doesn’t go the stupid cat fight route bc neither of them did anything wrong. az did. i’m sorry i’m dunking on him so much in this post i rlly don’t hate him i just think he needs like decades of therapy (which tbf don’t we all) which i unfortunately don’t think sjm is going to give him before giving him his romance. but even the biggest azriel lovers have to admit that this was insanity. a few points on it here. first, if it’s so easily regiftable then it couldn’t have been that well thought out in regards to elain. say what you will about lucien’s gifts, even argue that he gave her jewelry too. but elain was actually shown wearing pearls. az’s gift seemed shallow to me — it was something pretty, and elain’s pretty, and it had a flower, and elain gardens. it’s clear lucien put SO much more thought into his gifts, whether he succeeded or not (which i need to remind y’all — we still don’t know. maybe she liked the gifts maybe she didn’t, but regardless she acted the way she did bc of her feelings about the bond, not the gift). and azriel has spent so much more time with elain than lucien has. if that necklace really felt like elain to him, he could’ve kept it or returned it. but nope. buddy gave it to a whole other girl bc he could easily associate it with someone else. he clearly felt some special pull towards gwyn too, going out of his way to give it to her. he had ONE meaningful conversation with her. i already discussed the quote earlier that makes me think mating bond personally. but no matter what, him giving her the same gift he gave someone he was pursuing romantically is a clear sign of what’s to come (and probably a setup for some sort of drama that i don’t think im mentally ready for).

so there we have it! why i think that the bonus chapter thoroughly proves that e/riel is not going to be endgame. i honestly think it’s possible they might be a thing for a minute (tho i could also see this being the closing of that chapter), but i don’t think it’s going to last. sjm just gave us too many blatant hints that elain and az would NOT work together long term, and that azriel in particular is more suited for someone else. i might’ve missed some points bc there is SO much that goes down in this tiny chapter so lmk if there’s other stuff you picked up on!

[nevertheless-moving]

Stormlight Archive AU Number 9, Words of Radiance

In an attempt to ruin the reputation of the only kholin with decent social standing, illai sadeas manufactures a rumor that adolin is fucking the new dark eyed slave captain of the guard.

Double social whammy for a) getting with someone filthy and beneath his station and b) dishonorably taking advantage of poor slave boy

At this point adolin and kaladin straight up don't like each other but the sideye can be read many ways and any attempts to discourage rumors only make them stronger. Brightlady Sadeas got 20 ex girlfriends swearing that adolin has a fetish for dark eyed men. She's got 40 different people prepared to take a vow that they walked in on the two together. The evidence is so compelling that adolin is starting to be convinced.

By the time the first assassin in white fight rolls around adolin's pretty much given up on denial and started trying to get bridgeboy to at least dress better. Bridgeboy is still fighting the accusations and wardrobe with the dignity and demeanor of a feral axecat.

Shallan rolls in, still very much desperate to make the causal happen. Ok. She can work with this.

Starts laying down hints like she can't entirely fault his taste, she just prefers her woman less grumpy. Oh, did I say women? Talks very dreamily about working under - working with Jasnah, how beautiful she was in the bath - (this is a shockingly easy lie. Pattern complains there's too much truth mixed in, whatever that means).

Adolin is somewhat left with the impression that Jasnah and her had a... dalliance, which wasn't quite Shallan's intent.

Adolin does not know what to do with this information.

He makes one solid, nearly successful effort to convince her that the rumors were manufactured, bridgeboy and him don't even like one another. Then the whitespine uncaged fight happens and people are like damn.

Kaladin out there discrediting anyone who thinks there's some unwillingness on his end while simultaneously raising the bar for boyfriends everywhere. You wish you had a man who would fight four SHARDBARERS unarmed for you.

Opinion around camp flips from 'nasty affair' to 'glorious warbond.' Sure it's with a jumped up darkeyes, but...

Alethi storming love a glorious warbond.

General opinion on the amaram boon thing was that it was a bungled attempt to get another set of shards

Adolin's Prison Solidarity is really the nail in the coffin. He figures he'll try and convince Shallan after they're married and he is decidedly still not sleeping with bridgeboy. Assuming that doesn't happen. Not that he wants it to! Though if Kaladin were interested, haha jk. Unless...

Adolin: He was really hot during the duel. And well, he has to at least like me, right? Why would he jump in the arena if he didn't like me even a little.

Renarin: It's all going to end...

Adolin: you know what, you're right! Life is too short for regrets! And shallan's practically given us her blessing! I should at the very least try, right?

Renarin: a storm is coming

Adolin: thanks Renarin, I'll talk with him after this expedition. There really is...something about him.

Then the expedition! It Does not go well! Adolin genuinely thinking he's cursed, watched two whole love interests plummet to their deaths. Next several days are Not Good.

Meanwhile in the chasms:

Shallan: I mean his pectorals are...I suppose you've seen them closer up than I have. Do you think you could describe them in better detail? Does his sweat taste different when it runs down his back as opposed to his chest?

Kaladin: this. This is hell, right? I'm in hell.

[shinjisdone]

To Soften a Warrior’s Heart (Vinland Saga; Thorfinn; Part 6)

In which you have joined Askeladd’s band…and grow closer to the Son of Thors. Though it is more difficult than anyone can could ever imagine…

[Headcanons of how it would be like to meet and crawl your way into Thorfinn’s heart (based on season 1; both platonic and romantic)]

Part 1 is here - meeting Thorfinn at the age of 14 and how he is at that age

Part 2 is here - meeting Thorfinn at the age of 16/17 + headcanons of growing closer (slightly following s1 story)

Part 3 is here - blooming friendship with Thorfinn (slightly following s1 story)

Part 4 is here - Thorfinn unwittingly opening his heart as he realizes he does not want you to die

Part 5.1 is here - sweet things Thorfinn would do for you (headcanons)

Part 5.2 is here - other seet things Thorfinn would do for you (headcanons)

Part 7 is here - Canute grieving over Ragnar and Thorkell catching up; Thorfinn leaves you alone for revenge

Part 8 is here - Thorfinn wins against Thorkell; Questioning your bond with Thorfinn

Part 9 is here - Meeting Leif and Thorfinn dueling Askeladd; Losing while Askeladd told him the truth of his constant losses

Part 10 is here - Thorfinn and you bound by heart; Promises of Vinland broken and abandoned

[Mentions of murder, death, war, slave trade, harrasment against women and whatever awful things happened in the viking era. Only mentioned and used as examples. Mostly gender-neutral examples but female-leaning ones are there, too.]

[This part will specifically mention: Overprotective Thorfinn, shy Canute, you saving Canute and him getting a crush uwu, weirded out Thorfinn, jealousy, Thorfinn threatening Canute, Thorfinn wanting to SPIT IN HIS FACE, harmless shenanigans, not exactly 100% following chronoligal order of story because wholesome things first...soul-crushing second]

Carry on the oath until my last scene...

The band waddled out of the water and now continues on land...

Neither are a bother to Thorfinn. Yet it's clear that he isn't very pleased. He hasn't been for the past few days.

Well, he is not pleased when he is not right by your side. Which, now having to march on, is seldom as the viking is close to you whenever possible.

He side-eyes you often, gaze falling down to the injury you had to bear. It's unknown if the wound was caused by accident or not, though that does not matter to Thorfinn. He is absolutely convinced that Askeladd is the perpatrator and cause of your wound - which is a scar by now.

It angers him though he tries to hold it down. Whenever he thinks back to it however, he looks like a closed but whistling kettle.

In fact, Thorfinn will make sure you two are NOT seperated at all. No matter what circumstance you are thrown into...

Staying close is a necessity and nothing will get in the way of it. So far so that the crew itself started mumbling about it during the march...

Well, it makes sense. Out of everyone you prefered each other from the very beginning, holding a bond that may started off as rather businesswise but both of you held values that made it slowly form into something genuine. Certainly even the tardiest fool got it how genuine your connection is by Thorfinn's outburst a week ago - yet if that was not obvious enough, the way Thorfinn insisted to stay by your side surely made it now.

You both check on each other multiple times throughout the day even as you do nothing but march. Winter is as good as here, so the constant concern and questions are not out of the ordinary but there is a certain...stoic warmth to it?

Thorfinn does not show an ounce of emotion when talking to you, checking on you, sharing food, offering help or even handling you. He treats you gently, like glass even when it comes to your fresh scar as if he was your mother or guardian - while doing all of this with the biggest scowl on his face.

His lack of facial expressions may fool the men but not his actions. Actions speak louder than words, after all!

Out of everyone, Askeladd is the most aware...

So one can imagine their gossip and talks. Well, they are just marching, protecting a prince. What better way to kill the time than this?

About Thorfinn having gone mad or being an overly sensitive lad who gets emotional over anything and everything that Askeladd does...or, how maybe you have bewitched him, how you two so suddenly became much closer or at least, had the courage to openly show it now.

Some may laugh and call you two peas in a pod, twins seperated from birth who found each other in a viking band again. Fools seldom differ, and all.

Others are convinced there has to be more. Infatuation and little sweet nothings exchanged? Is that why you two keep close to only each other and keep a distance to anything and anyone else, huh? Was Thorfinn's lovebird a bit hurt? Oh, woe is you!

The blonde is understandably pissed off but surprisingly does not reply in any way, shape or form to the mockery and gossip. Even though your wound healed, Thorfinn is more focused on staying by your side. He is too tired to give them the time of the day anyway...seems like they forgot he was the one who rescued the oh so important hostage prince in the first place.

So everything goes on with Thorfinn just being closer than ever. It seems like after that ordeal, he has let go of the many questions surrounding you and how he feels about you, too tired to ponder about them anymore.

He decided to follow his gut.

Besides, it's not like caring for you is a nuisance...not at all as it turns out. The young man finds it even...pleasant. It's...nice.

After all, he doesn't want you to die. And as you admitted to him with that smile on your face, you apparently want him to live, too.

Well, not apparently. You said so. And it was nice that you did say that.

Even now you were being pleasant. Showing your unadultered concern, gratitude, help and smile. It made this entire march, the boiling anger at Askeladd bearable. In fact, those are the only times where he gives small, faint smiles as responses to yours. Only when you can see them.

Yet speak of the devil. The 'leader' wants to speak to you.

The older man calls you two - and even if he didn't, neither of you would leave the other alone - and soon you see him talking to the retainer of the prince and his highness himself.

The latter hid behind the man, however.

The retainer was a rather short, round man with a pointy, bald front head with his brown side hair reaching his beard. The prince just reached his shoulders with blue eyes, blonde lashes as light and blonde as his silky, neatly cut and long hair.

No wonder everyone calls him 'Princess'.

And if lady luck would have it, the both of you are assigned to be the guards of the prince with the retainer Ragnar being rather unsure about the decision. Askeladd, acting as if nothing happened the week before, simply asks him for his trust.

Again, Thorfinn is not pleased.

Now he has to spent his time looking out for this scaredy cat? He'd rather march on and on with you by his side.

You can't form an opinion of it just yet. Obviously everyone is going to look out for the prince, the hostage, the entire reason the band fought Thorkell and the reason why you got hurt. Since he is the prince of King Sven, a lot of people would like to kidnap him. The high demand for this royal coward is annoying to an degree, you cannot deny that.

Well, at least you and Thorfinn can sit on a wagon instead of having to walk all the time.

Ragnar is like a mother hen.

Canute is a yellow-belly, silent as a mouse.

And you and Thorfinn are stuck with them.

The blonde barely greeted the royal and instead glared at him with his usual pout. You could tell he wasn't happy and this introduction intimidated Canute, making him hide behind Ragnar. Askeladd is quick to criticize him for the behaviour.

"Thorfinn," You say with a crooked smile. While you don't particularly care about their opinions, there is no need to have the potential crown prince of Denmark (and perhaps England lets see where this war goes) dislike you. Taking Thorfinn by the hand, you pull him away and try to give the prince and retainer your most reassuring smile. "No need to worry, Prince. Thorfinn and I will be sure to keep you safe until we reach the king. Thorfinn is a grumbler, don't mind him. You are in safe hands."

At least your attempt at being nice made the prince peek from his hiding spot.

He couldn't help but gaze down at your two hands - and how the meany, grumpy blonde reciprocated your gesture by holding it back.

The wagon is comfortable, you sitting next to Thorfinn who still hand't spoken a word - only exchanging necessities with you.

Ragnar was not convinced of your capabilites, 'such young chicks', he said which only made Askeladd laugh. "They're the same age as his highness, I am sure they'll get along!"

Well, Canute is sitting in a ball further away.

With his stature and garments it was only a matter of time before others realize how important he is. Days pass and a group of overconfident bandits barge from each side, kicking over the wagon until it was heavily damaged with you, Thorfinn and Canute astray somewhere in a dense forest below your orignal path.

Cowering in place the prince snapped up his gaze with a yelp as he saw you towering above him. Blood was dripping from you and your weapon, quickly shushing him for his idiotic behaviour.

It unfortunately only made him hide himself from you more.

You sigh and kneel down. Eyeing the shaking form...it's odd to think that he is supposed to be at your age yet he is nothing like you or Thorfinn.

He is quiet, deadly silent even. He refuses to speak a single vowel and hides behind Ragnar as if he was his rock and he the worm.

Well, as your bond with the young viking proved, you were still able to show a bit of kindness.

Perhaps you used to be like that form your past, try to maintain a quality a loved one begged you to keep, or maybe you have always been that way...

Either way, the prince is scared. Terrified. You have known feelings like this, maybe still feel this occasionally to this day. The brutality and lack of love of a viking is not what the prince needed right now.

You don't believe anyone needs nor wants that. Not even vikings themselves...

You wipe the blood off your hands. Seathing your weapon you carefully and gently lay your hand on his trembling shoulder. He does not react, so you attempt to soothe him to look at you by rubbing his shoulder with your thumb.

The sensation is familiar, as Ragnar often does it, and Canute looks up at you with teary, widened eyes. "Prince," You try your utmost to sound like a soft mother, "We'd best leave. You're the safest with us, even if it doesn't seem like it. If anything, I'll keep you safe, alright?"

It felt odd to talk to royalty as if he were a child but it seemed to work as the confusion on his face slowly softened. There was reluctance so your hand traveled down from his shoulder to his own, holding both of them as if you'd propose to him. "We have to get up and go. I know you can do that." Gingerly you encouraged him to get up with you, your hold on his hands steady but gentle. You were so focused on making him feel better that everything else seemed to cease to matter.

At last you were standing. Canute gasped as you swiftly turned around with your weapon in one hand and your other still holding his, your assuring smile exchanged for a scowl.

You lead the way but he is still hesitant. Your stomps seem like that of an fearless elephant while he is tapping after you like a mouse.

Displeased at the pace, you turned back to him with a smile and Canute felt a strange mixture of awe and confusion. You...are a viking. Going hand-in-hand with that scary, moody, omg pls keep him away from me Thorfinn guy while glaring daggers to your actual leader. There's blood on you, you killed just recently to get here and yet you are smiling at him as if he were an old loved one. How?

"Prince, I know it's frightening", Canute does not like to admit it but you are right. Still, he does not speak. "But I will lead you out of this forest and back to the wagon and Ragnar." The mention of his father-like figure eases him, "All you have to do is hold onto my hand and not let go, alright? I'll take care of the rest. I know you can follow me easily." Giving his hand a squeeze, your smile widened before you turned away and began rushing out of the woods. Canute tried his bet to keep up with the smallest of yelps.

And how fast you ran. You were like the wind, not easily conquered or intimidated by the dense trees, stopping often to check on him - it stunned as he almost collided into you each time.

There was your smile again even as you spoke sternly: "Prince, I need you to tell me when there is something wrong. Whatever reason you have for not talking is, I can't read your mind. You have to speak to me."

Oh how easy that sounds. But how gently you are handling him, how awe-struck and daring your entire escapade was, how you were oh so soft compared to anyone else he has met the past few days (even weeks, he has been on a journey for a long time!) it makes it more difficult to even let out a whimper. You are making it difficult to speak. Canute is downright speechless.

Your hold on his hand did not falter, nor did your kindness and bravery. He feels like such a little bunny compared to you.

Soon, light shone through and you were able to find back to your original path. The bandits were defeated, the wagon brought back on its wheels, the horses caught back. You casually passed by the corpses as Canute tried to avoid stepping on them and their pools of blood. The sight of the battlefield was gruesome but he was nevertheless glad to be back to 'safety'.

Ragnar was quick to run over to the prince and you let go of him, with Canute feeling visibly disappointed. Still, he sighed in relieve as the older man took him into his arms.

It was over so quick. The little moment you had there with Canute seemed like a dream as you parted from his side and looked everywhere for Thorfinn, refusing to move on without him. Quickly you found each other, gladly so and the sight is odd to Canute. One one hand, as a general rule both guards of his should be looking after him first and not each other. Neither of you spared him a glance (Thorfinn did quickly but paid his attention back to you) and on the other hand, after you made his heart beat so fast it was dejecting to see you act so familiar with a brute such as him.

Well, the journey continued on with a bit of a different atmosphere now.

You still sat next to Thorfinn who watched the prince with raised brows and so did Ragnar. His highness was still hunched by the older man's side but kept on glancing to you, trying to peek to the person behind Thorfinn with a flushed face. He looked like a shy little girl.

This of course perplexed Thorfinn. And pissed him off.

Anything and everything seems to piss him off.

The blonde leaned further into you, making his body broad with his arms as to shield you from Canute's vision with a glare. You stare at him confused and the prince quickly understood the vikings intentions and snapped his gaze away, embarrassed. Thorfinn only scoffed.

When the prince needed a break, he'd glimpse at you as you got off the wagon. Thorfinn would step in front of you and cross his arms.

When food was offered and you'd hand it to the prince, there was the urge to have your hand touch his again. He'd bent his to at least graze your finger, only to have Thorfinn shove the food into his hand and tell him to eat already (Ragnar is shocked at the rudeness).

And everytime Thorfinn made sure to sit right next to you as he almost squeezed you to the corner of the wagon, your side pressed against the wooden edge. You'd tell him off that he is suffocating you but the young man does not listen and instead watches Canute's reaction.

This guy is so weird.

What's with him? Why is his little highness suddenly acting so off? And out of all people why does it have to be around you, the one and only person Thorfinn cares about? Can't he be odd around someone else that doesn't matter?

"Watch out that you won't get any pop eyes, princess." Thorfinn lets out as he leans on his hand while resting his other elbow close to you on the edge of the wagon. He'd often nudge you to get your attention (and in turn you might push him away, saying he broadens himself like he is king (to which he chuckles) and he better makes some space. You shove him and he laughs and does as you asks) - but this time, he doesn't want you to pay any attention to him. The prince.

In turn the latter jumped and looked at him questionably but fearfully. As if reading his thoughts, Thorfinn continues, "You might get blind." As he utters these words his brown eyes narrow and Canute whimpers. You peek at the two apprehensively with Canute catching your gaze and immediately flushing as red as a cherry. He wants to keep looking at you...but he can't as he turns his face away.

"If you've got anything to say," Thorfinn continues with his threatening undertone, "Then say it, princess. I'm all ears."

The tips of his ears tinged even redder, the prince finally jumps up and points at the blonde. His eyes are glaring but his face is sweaty and flushed. "H-How dare you...!" He blurts out, "I...I cannot simply just...state how I feel...!"

Both Ragnar and you watch with widened eyes. Did he just speak?

The old man watched with his mouth agape and you with the corner of your lips twitching up. The exchange between the two was almost comical despite Thorfinn's nonchalance (and threatful undertone) and Canute's plea to be taken seriously. You snort and as all eyes went to you, tried to hold your laughter with your hand clasped to your mouth.

The royal went still and stumped at your muffled laughter, hunched down and your shoulders bopping up and down. No! He...he doesn't want you to laugh at him!

He doesn't want anyone to laugh at him but not especially you!

Not after...you acted like such a knight for him...

It doesn't help that he sees Thorfinn smile at your attempt. In fact, he only sees him smile at you, around you, with you. Everyone else only deserves a scowl.

Kings and Gods, change the odds...

The days turn into weeks.

Canute spies as Thorfinn and you seem so comfortable in the others' presence, like you were made for each other. It's bizarre how you seemed like the complete oppsite to him when you two were alone in the forest. In general you were less moody than Thorfinn.

Even as time goes by, the schtick is the same.

Canute doesn't have the courage to speak to you even after he stood his ground against Thorfinn. The latter doesn't seem to mind that you are not talking, in fact, rather prefers it.

Canute can be the personification of benelovence and he still wouldn't trust him anywhere near you.

The prince notices that which deflates him even more...Ragnar is worried over the sudden shift of behaviour and interest of his prince.

He can barely get the chance to even...do anything. He has to play the part of the well-behaved prince and not go out of his way to win your favor. With what anyway? A few flowers, thanks or promises? He couldn't do that in front of the band anyway...let alone under the piercing gaze of Thorfinn.

The latter doesn't even...notice what exactly the prince is feeling for you. He just thinks he is an oddball. Are all royals like that?

Ragnar quietly observes. He'd find a quiet place to talk to him about it later.

However, if you are female both men would get the idea a bit, just a tad biiit quicker.

Ragnar is indignant, very much so, too! His highness can't go and catch feelings for some viking! You certainly must have seduced him, you minx! No, no, no! This won't do. He'd find some time to talk Canute out of this little fantasy of his. As exciting as it must seem to fall in love, he is sure Canute is aware and will understand that a royal cannot be with, let alone fall in love, with a raiding, pillaging killer!

Thorfinn on the other hand would take muuuuch longer to catch on, even if you're female. But once he does, he scoffs and glares. Bro, seriously? Is the little princess going to fall and make eyes for the only woman in this band? Pathetic. His highness probably has never seen or interacted with a woman before and the moment he sees one he thinks he can act all enamoured with her? Bleh. Ugh. Dude, gross, pathetic behaviour, smh for real.

The moment Thorfinn realizes that what Canute is feeling for you is love, then he'd turn from his guard to yours. Call it betrayal, he was never his servant in the first place and the only one he would ever consider being faithful to is you, if anything.

He'd be overprotective in general but especially, aggressively so if you are a woman. Through the years he has always tried to protect you from all kinds of men and he is not going to make any exceptions for a prince.

Oh, he probably thinks he has a chance because he is a prince, eh? Silly goose. Idiot. Actual fool. Thorfinn can hardly contain his laughter.

No, bro. Just no. Don't even think about it.

The young man hardly has an opinion of Canute, mostly because he clams up out of fear and when he does say something, it doesn't hold any meaning to him.

Aside from these two things, Canute just glances at you. Sometimes even watches you without knowing it. Judging from these three things that he does Thorfinn sees him as an hopeless coward. Too soft-hearted to have any kind of presence and to immediately fancy you (and if you are a woman, Thorfinn believes the only reason for him to fall in love is because you are a woman. Just love at first sight because the prince is just a easily-swayed boy).

In fact...it just makes him demean him.

First he has to protect some guy and now that very same guy has eyes for you? A prince with no guts?

It pisses him off, not as much as other things usually, however. Canute could have your best interests in mind and at heart but...Thorfinn just doesn't want him anywhere near you - hell, he doesn't even want him to have these kinds of feelings for you!

It can be either jealousy or worry, that's for you to decide. Thorfinn sure as hell won't tell you.

It's just an eyesore, a waste of time for him. The blonde is so, so convinced and just knows that the royal has no chance whatsoever with you. You and Canute...that just wouldn't work. At all.

The thought of royalty not being able to marry a commoner, let alone a viking doesn't come to his mind. It's not about Canute being a prince and you being a mercenary...it's about a coward thinking he can win the heart of someone like you.

You...who has always been by Thorfinn's side. Nothing and no one seemed to interest you in any way the past years, things have always been like this.

You and Thorfinn. Even as the beginnings were rough, the fact that it was always you two still stands. It couldn't be any other way.

Besides, you deserve better than a scaredy cat, no matter if prince or not.

No matter if he could offer you a better and safer life. You deserve better.

Well, Thorfinn believes that wholeheartedly but would, of course, never admit it.

It doesn't help that when encountered by the people of Wales, the prince cannot even say who he is. He cannot state his status and what he wants. Instead he cowers behind Ragnar for the hundreth time.

"How embarrassing. And you are supposed to be as old as me?"

Thorfinn is as calm as a river as he glares down at the latter.

What a 'prince'. Cannot even speak and still demands on stealing glances at you. Coward.

It is only after Askeladd saved everyone's skin is where Canute is more aware of his lack of...anything. He cannot speak, he cannot fight...it is embarrassing, just as Thorfinn said.

He can't do anything.

While he does not care for the thoughts and opinions of the band it still hurt to have them demean him so much. And even worse, you were right there, too. You are his guard as well, after all and just witnessed right then and there how the guy that fancies you is an complete failure.

As humiliating as it was...you somehow did not despise him.

Yes, he is a coward and yes, he is fragile and fear-laden and flimsy but you weren't outwardly showing any dislike to him as you and Thorfinn were invited into the hut by Ragnar.

Neither of you stuck by Canute and Ragnar unless it was necessary...so seeing you walk in with two hares was quite the surprise...and so was it to see the prince in casual clothing, an apron and bound hair.

"Oh...hello." He felt a bit nervous around your presence but also felt so much in his element that he ended up cooking all four of you a meal that stuck to your rips - much better than grilled hare alone.

You couldn't help but compliment the chef, which only made him blush.

It seemed you did not hate him after all...perhaps you were just a kind, empathetic person or rather saw the prince as a meek child than a successor to the throne or simply understood that what is a normalcy to you is not for him. Someone who was not born into wars and fights.

You eat and talk...

And both Ragnar and Thorfinn finally realize why Canute feels for you the way he does.

Soft-hearted fool.

Ragnar would definitely pull him aside tell him that...this cannot go. It's best if he were to let go in the first place since nothing can grow from this anway. He is the prince and you a mercenary, temporarily his guard.

It hurts him to see the young man he sees as his son drop his shoulders like that, nodding in understanding. "But Ragnar..." he quietly begins before becoming louder and clearer. Certain. "The way they saved me...like the wind. They aren't a savage viking, they were like a true knight! And, and, their eyes and smile, you saw the way they looked at me, it's..."

Canute avoids his gaze with a flushed and shy gaze, gushing about the encounter and this meal you had as if it were a dream. Ragnar only shakes his head. Oh, even he is still a lad. A foolish lad.

Thorfinn is less understanding.

There is this urge to straight up approach Canute and tell him to stay the hell away, just as he does to other people who bother you or he finds troublesome (not like Canute can actively stay away - you both are his guards). Obviously the guy cannot take the hints Thorfinn has been throwing his way with his glares as dark as thunder, keeping you by his side and straight up telling him to stop gawking at you or else he might go blind.

That'd be a shame, princess.

For real, he doesn't understand, does he? Does he have to spell it out? Thorfinn does n o t c a r e about him nor who he is. He does

n o t c a r e that he was assigned guard by Askeladd, he does not care about him nor about Canute's well-being. Nothing would be lost if he were to die.

All he cares about is you (though he won't admit it but Ragnar and Canute could tell from day 1).

So Thorfinn has no qualms to threaten a prince to have stop having mushy feelings for you.

Also, its real embarrassing bro smh.

However, even Thorfinn knows that isn't the smartest action so he keeps on throwing his silent, threatening messages.

Yet, there is also a chance of him telling you what is obviously going on (chance of telling you: 35%). After all, you must have noticed it as well, haven't you? The way he looks at you, blushes like a maiden and keeps on trying to (meekly) approach you in any way? Like. c'mon.

If he does tell you, you ask him what you should do about it. It's not your intention to woo a prince and it isn't your fault either the both of you got paired up to protect him. Better than have a potential succesor to the throne hate you.

If you are not aware (how stupid are you) and ask him what he means, Thorfinn is genuinely...baffled? Are you kidding him you cannot be that naive.

You are a killing, battling viking for who-knows-how-long, hardened by wars and you cannot tell this little gosling is hopelessly enarmored with you???? Huh????

You brush him off and tell him that's ridiiiiiculous. There's no way.

Bro what do you mean there is no way? You blind?

The blonde may not know how it happened but he knows it's love, or at least infatuation. Why should he not fall in love with you? You...are you.

Out of everyone he knows, it makes the most sense for someone to fall for you.

He might even tell you so if he is frustrated enough. You are...tolerable and probaby did something nice for him. And as easily swayed as he seems, there is a high chance Canute just fell for you right then and there.

Thorfinn has a really hard time directly and verbally telling you the potential reasons why someone might like you. He is not lying in the slightest but...he just can't say it outright.

And if you are female then, uh, yeah, Thorfinn is very much baffled by your lack of conviction. This sounds very mean but Thorfinn believes the fact that you are female is the reason Canute fancies you in the first place. He probably never interacted with one before, let alone one as nice as you. He sees it more as a flaw and quip at Canute than you.

Well, you are...a woman. So of course the prince found something alluring about you.

"Don't be so stupid. You are...hm, nice." He looks away with his pout and struggles to really explain himself. "Watch out or the princess will fall head over heels for you entirely."

If he does not tell you (chance 65%) then...well, he is still moody and grumpy though you cannot comprehend why this time. He just wordlessly drags you anywhere he wants to.

Maybe he'd tell you to stop being so unnecessarily nice to a prince but does not elobrate.

He keeps his hand on your wrist most of the time, sometimes your own hand. Keeps you close as he glares at Canute, has you sit next to him, side by side, cloak pressed against cloak as it seems like he is protecting you rather than protecting the prince.

When accomodating food, he shares it with you. When nighttime falls (good thing you both are on a wagon) he lets you sleep on his shoulder, on the other side where Canute is sitting so he can't see your slumbering self.

Whatever may come even though you two are Canute's guards, Thorfinn is doing his best to keep you away from him. Even as the prince would not be able to let out a single whimper around you or to you, the mere fact tha Canute has feelings for you is bothering enough for him. He better stop.

It's even worse for him when Thorfinn ends up showing affection to you from time to time. From jokingly shoving you away to gentle touches and you doing the same for him. You two smile at each other like only you two exist...Thorfinn is not doing any of this out of spite or to make Canute jealous - it just happens. The blonde is tired of having to pay attention on how he will be perceived in the open and just follows his gut. Canute just ends up feeling a bit...envious of it all.

You brush each other's hair, tend to the other's wound, share your blankets and cloaks in the cold winter while sitting so close to each other...while Canute is right there. When you aren't needed you two act like the entire band does not exist.

Well, you are still being nice to him...when you pay attention to the shy prince.

But other than that...it honestly feels like Thorfinn's only intention was to protect you and only you. No matter what would have been decided, the young viking would have always chosen you.

It's strange to see him like this. How he let himself fall into your arms.

[This became much shorter and much more harmless than I thought...? Well, nothing much happens and we gotta get used to princess canute over here so...¯_(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_/¯

Thorfinn tired of having to think all the time...its not his forte if u get what i mean

after all that happened...it just feels right to stick with you. it feels better than going back and feeling alone.]