#goodbye my princess spoilers

[nosnexus]

Farewells at the End of All Things...

[morkiemcfly]

When you realize that when Link gets the Master Sword, he doesn’t swing it around like usual. Instead he respectfully bows his head to the blade because he now knows what’s up. Just like Zelda did when she realized what she had to do. It’s like he’s reassuring both her and Fi that he WILL do whatever it takes to defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule.

[tytangfei]

if i had a nickel for every time there was a drama featuring chen xingxu and a female character that kills herself via sword to the neck, i would have two nickels. which isn't a lot, but weird that it happened twice.

[jammydodger3579]

Young Lust pt. 2

Summary: Y/N needed a break from thinking about Logan... (no spoilers hehe) Read part 1 here.

A/N: Thank you all soooo much for the response to the first chapter, really my head cannot fit through the door. Anyway here is the second chapter, enjoyyy.

18+ for mature audiences only

2800+ word count.

Warnings: smut, oral fem!receiving, lil violence and a lil cursing

Still reeling after the encounter in the broom closet a few days ago, Y/N needed to clear her head. She threw on a jacket and left her room. She found herself in the garage, deciding that a ride on her motorbike would help. Her thoughts were loud. What did that mean? Logan never contacted her afterwards, he didn’t even say anything besides a polite goodbye before she left that night. It left her only longing more. Maybe that's what he wants? Y/N wouldn’t know. She was at a loss, pulling into the carpark of a bar nearby. A drink would do her good. She walked inside and went straight to the bar, ordering her favourite drink. The bar was busy due to a competition they were hosting, so the patrons were rowdy. Y/N scanned her surroundings by instinct. Two exits and a few windows. Y/N didn’t know why she was on edge, Logan kept plaguing her mind. An older man came and sat next to her. 

“Hey pretty lady, can I buy you a drink?” He sounded sleazy, he even looked like a predator. Y/N scoffed and moved away from him. “Hey come on now, is that how you treat a gentleman?” 

“I don’t want any trouble,” She said, getting up. 

“Neither do I, princess” The man stood up and cornered Y/N. Before she could react, the man was yanked back. All of a sudden, the man was pinned against the wall and punched in the face. She got out her handgun and aimed it at the two men before her. Y/N moved the handgun away when she noticed it was Logan in front of her. The bartender started yelling for them to leave the bar.  

“She doesn’t want you, bub” he growled through gritted teeth. The man, whose nose was spilling blood, squirmed away from Logan and left. Y/N finished her drink and left the bar. Logan followed after her. “We need to talk” 

“I don’t want to hear it” 

“What's wrong?” 

“What's wrong?” she scoffed, incredulously. “What's wrong is you don’t speak to me, you criticise me in battle, you fuck me in a closet and then you come in here all knight in shining armour like nothing happened. What is wrong with you?” She went to mount her bike when Logan touched her shoulder. He pulled her into a hug and held her there for a minute. Y/N wanted to sink into his arms and stay there but she pulled away. She wanted to know him like he knew her. “Well?” she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a long drag, “You wanted to talk?”

“I don’t know what came over me, I just didn’t want you to get hurt” 

“You’ve seen me fight, Logan, I can handle myself. I’ve handled a lot worse” She couldn’t read his face. He was like a brick wall and Y/N wanted to tear it down. 

“I don’t know where to start with you” 

“I just want you to acknowledge me, you didn’t say a word to me after we… after that happened. I don’t have the time for games. I want to know you” Y/N took another drag of her cigarette. 

“What do you want to know?”

“I don't know,” She thought hard “Do you often take people into closets?”

“Not for a long time,” Logan said, shifting his posture. “I’m not good with other people, but you, you’re different, you’re…” He trailed off. He wasn’t ready to finish that sentence. “We’re a good team, I think because we don’t talk about it” 

Y/N nodded, understanding. She wasn’t ready to talk about it either. That conversation was a can of worms neither of them wanted to open. Who they are, what they mean to each other. She admired Logan’s ability to read her without speaking. She didn’t want to say it, but she had to. “Casual… we can just keep it casual and see where things go. The others don’t have to know. We can just keep it between ourselves and-” She was cut off by Logan's lips pressing against hers. She leaned into it, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

“I want whatever you want” 

“I want you” she breathed. Logan placed one last kiss on her lips before pulling away. He had a smile on his face. 

“Here?” Logan looked around the carpark, scanning to see if anyone was near. Y/N looked up and blinked. 

“No, not like that,” She said, lightly hitting Logan on the shoulder. “Get your mind out of the gutter” They kissed again. It was passionate and soft. Maybe they didn’t need to have in-depth conversations about their relationship to be on the same page. Just as the kiss started getting heated, Y/N’s phone rang. Sighing, she pulled it out of her pocket and answered the call. It was Yelena. 

“Hey it’s me, Stark called a meeting, he wants us there too. Are you far away?”

“Uhh, a little. I took my bike out. What’s this meeting about?”

“Not sure yet, but the X-men are on their way” Y/N’s eyes met with Logans. They’re probably expecting him as well. She decided to play it cool. 

“Fitting, I’m at a bar and I bumped into Logan here. We’ll meet you at the Compound” and before Yelena could ask questions, Y/N hung up the phone. 

“I’ll follow you, let's go,” Logan said, walking over to his bike. They rode their bikes to the Compound, Logan leading the way. The ride was peaceful this time, Y/N couldn’t help but admire the view. Once they arrived, they parked their bikes in the garage. Together, they walked up to the conference room. The very room where she and Logan had shared their first kiss. It suddenly dawned on Y/N, the jacket she was wearing. Logans jacket. He’d given it to her the night of the dinner party. And he never even mentioned it, that bastard. How embarrassing, she thought to herself. The room was filled, Kitty, Storm, Rogue and Bobby were with the Professor on one side of the table. Yelena, Sam, Bucky, Rhodey and Stark sat on the other side. Y/N took an empty seat next to her best friend. Logan stood near the Professor.

She leaned over to Y/N, “bumping into Logan, huh?” she whispered. Y/N shot Yelena a look that said “Don’t test me” before turning to Tony, who was handing out files. 

“Thanks for coming everyone, we have new intel on who's snatching these mutant kids and where they could be,” He said

“Widows?” Y/N said, taking the file and skimming through the words. Her heart started to beat so fast and loudly, she swore everyone could hear it. 

“We have reason to believe Dreykovs followers are experimenting on mutant girls to make a more powerful type of Widow. His army split up after his death and has been doing this since. They have multiple outlets, all over the world. We’ve been investigating this for a while but we weren’t 100% sure how to tell you two” Tony gestured to Y/N and Yelena. Yelena stood up from her seat. 

“You knew? And you kept it from us?” Her accent was thick, indicating she was angry. “How long have you known?” Tony hesitated. Y/N looked over at everyone, she could see it on their faces. They all knew. She felt embarrassed like she had something on her face and no one was telling her. “How long have you known?” Yelena slammed her hand on the table. This made Y/N jump. 

“Yelena-” she started when Tony cut her off. 

“Three months. When Charles came to us. He wasn’t sure how to handle the situation so he came to us and asked for our help. We just didn’t want you guys to take it too personally” Y/N scoffed. She couldn’t believe any of this. There were no words to describe how she felt. She needed to flee, to get some fresh air. Have a smoke maybe. As she stood up, she felt dizzy. These kids, these girls were innocent, helpless. She had to do something. Putting aside her current negative feelings towards Stark, she spoke up. 

“I’ll help… look if these kids are getting treated the way we did, then the worst has already happened. We have to put an end to this, and stop it from happening again,” She looked at Yelena, who nodded.

“I-I suppose you’re right…” Yelena took her file off the table and left. It must’ve been too much for her. Bucky got up and followed his girlfriend. There was yelling, mostly in Russian, and then a door slammed. Tony looked around at the rest of the group. 

“There’s information in everyone's files about which base they’re gonna take out. Y/N, if you want to help, you can go with Charles and Logan. We have enough beds here if you guys want to stay the night and then fly out tomorrow morning” Stark said. The Professor nodded. 

“That would be great, thank you,” He said before wheeling out of the room. Stark followed, sparking up a conversation with Bobby as they went. It wasn’t long until Y/N and Logan were the only two left in the room. Again. That day replayed in her mind, how the room fell silent as she and Yelena walked into the room. Were they talking about the two of them that day? If they were, how much of her past did Logan know? She wanted to scream, but that wouldn’t be productive. Logan walked over to her and put an arm around her waist but she moved away. She sat down and opened the file. There were photos of men from a lifetime Y/N had long forgotten, holding young girls and forcing them into vans. She recognised some of the Widows that were assisting, thinking they had died. Her heart ached as she read through the files. 

“I would’ve told you” Logan spoke softly. “Charles forbid it, said it could compromise the outcome” Y/N scoffed. 

“I’m not weak, I was top of my class, Yelena and I. I was trained to be heartless” She said, though her words didn’t sound strong. 

“No one would judge you if you sat out, we’d all understand” 

“I said I could do it, so I’m gonna fucking do it. These kids need someone on their side, someone who knows what they went through” Y/N turned around to face Logan. He had a soft look on his face, he was concerned. Y/N didn’t know that Logan knew what it was like to be used, beaten and experimented on. She didn’t know the lifetime of abuse that he had lived through. 

“Why don’t you get some rest, see how you feel in the morning” Logan said as she stood up from her seat. 

“I don’t need rest, I need to read through these files and figure out a plan” 

“We can do that in the morning, Charles will probably figure something out” Logan put a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, let's just take a break from thinking about this” 

“I can’t just “take a break” Logan. This is my life. I live with this every day. All my sisters I let down by not finding them. Now they’re being controlled and used to do this!? I escaped and went to a semi-normal life, these girls didn’t even get a chance. I should’ve gone back and investigated more. I just decided to push it all away”

“It’s not your fault. There's no one to blame except for the men in charge. C’mon, let's get some rest” He held out a hand to her, and she took it. 

“Can you… would you stay with me? Maybe… if you want” She sounded shy. Logan smiled and placed a kiss on her forehead. 

“Thought you wouldn’t ask, princess” They walked hand in hand to Y/N’s room. Once they were behind closed doors, Y/N pressed her lips against Logans in a desperate attempt at bringing him closer to her. Her hands went straight to Logans pants, trying to undo the belt buckle. “Whoa there, sweetheart. Are you sure you want this right now?” 

“Please, can we just forget about whats going on? It’s fine, I want this” she reassured, taking her shirt off. She was in a rush. “Why, do you not want to?”

“No, I want to, just feels like maybe you’d like to talk about how you’re feeling instead?” 

“C’mon now, we work better without talking” She looked up into his eyes before kissing his neck. His breathing hitched, he was enjoying it. Logan picked her up and placed her down on the bed, before taking off his shirt. He climbed onto the bed, his weight making it sink in the middle. Y/N smiled, pulling Logan in for a kiss. It was passionate, delicate. Logan snaked a hand behind her back, uncasping her bra skillfully with one hand. Together, they undressed, tossing their clothes onto the floor. Logan looked at the sight infront of him. 

“You’re so beautiful” he breathed. 

“Shh, no talking” Y/N said, kissing Logan. He moved down, kissing her neck, her collarbone, her chest before attaching his lips to her nipple. His hand went to her other breast, massaging it. Y/N moaned, arching her back to meet Logan. He tugged slightly with his teeth, gaining yet another moan from her. Logans eyes met with Y/N’s, asking silently if that was okay. She nodded for him to continue.  He trailed kisses down her stomach before he lifted both of her legs over his shoulders. He licked a stripe up her cunt, tasting her slowly. Y/N squirmed into his face. Logan smiled, before attaching his lips to her clit, sucking gently. She moaned loudly, swearing his name. Her hips buckled, causing Logan to put both hands on her lips and hold her down. He lapped up her juices like he was starving and she was food. It wasn’t long before Y/N was close to her end, her pussy clenching around nothing. Logan took this opportunity to insert two fingers, curling them up to hit just that spot. He gained a good rhythm, as he continued to eat her out. Y/N was trembling, her orgasm getting closer, closer, closer…

A deep moan escaped from her lips as she grabbed onto the sheets. Her face, a contorted shape of pleasure. She’d never been eaten out like that before. Logan was still going at it, slowing his fingers to allow Y/N to ride out her high. He looked up and his eyes met with hers. She pulled him up to meet her face before hungrily kissing him. She needed him, bad. She moved her hips to meet with Logans, and he quickly got the hint. He stoked himself a few times before he inserted his cock. Logan thrusted in and out, moving slowly at first to allow her to get used to his size. They moved insync, becoming one together. It was intimate, as Logan starred deeply into her eyes. Y/N pulled him down to kiss, wanting to feel every inch of his body on hers. Logan started kissing that sweet spot on her neck, causing her to dig her nails into his back. He leaned back onto his knees, holding onto Y/N’s hips, and he started to thrust in deeper and messier than before. She was getting close again, her eyes locked onto Logan’s as lust and desire filled his eyes. Deep down, she knew this was more than casual. She had feelings for him that she even didn’t know existed. She just couldn’t figure out if he felt the same way. 

“I-I’m close…” she breathed out, breaking her silence. 

“I know, baby” Logan said, kissing her. The contact threw her over the edge, wrapping her legs around Logan’s waist. She didn’t want him to leave and it’s not like she could get pregnant anyway. Logan came shortly after a few more thrusts, riding out his high. He pulled out and layed down next to Y/N, pulling her into his arms. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his racing heartbeat. 

“Thank you,” she said, drawing circles on Logan's abs.  “Anytime, now get some rest” With that, it wasn’t long before she drifted off. Y/N’s dreams were vivid. Images of Dreykov and his followers plaguing her mind. Saying she was worthless, replaceable, disposable. She tried to scream but no noise came out. She stirred, reaching her arms out to find Logan. But he wasn’t there. She sat up in bed, looking around the room. His clothes were gone. He was gone.

Next chapter here

[bluesylveon2]

The Princess and the General

Summary: When Silver meets the princess from his father's old bedtime stories, except she is not a princess but his past lover.

Note: set in the same universe as the Leona royal au fic, fluff, slight angst, mentioned pregnancy, aged-up characters, Yuu/Reader is a fae, former General Lilia, and oc child. I saw the General Lilia card and it inspired this fic :)

Warning: not beta read, possible ooc characters, slight spoiler of past Lilia, and possibly inaccurate fae aging (just ignore canon if it was addressed in Book 7 lol).

Word Count: 2.7k

Masterlist: here

"Father, can you tell me a bedtime story?"

A male with long black hair and red streaks scooted closer to his son's bed, careful not to wake the green-haired boy sleeping next to him. His red eyes met big auroral ones. 

The man chuckled at his son's cuteness and nodded. "Alright." He adjusted the boy so he could lay his head on the man's chest. "What kind of story do you want?"

"The one with the princess."

The man's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly cleared his throat. "You always ask for that one. It has a sad moment too."

The boy smiled. His innocent eyes sparkled. "I like the ending."

The man sighed and nodded. "Alright. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. She was so beautiful that it felt like the world around her would stop to stare at her when she passed by. She was very kind and loving. Everyone in the village loved her." The man felt a lump in his throat, but Silver's innocent eyes continued staring at him. "One day, she met an injured and cold-hearted knight. So, being the kind princess she was, nursed him back to health. The princess eventually grew close to the knight that she fell in love with him."

The boy began to feel sleep overcome him, and he closed his eyes, unaware of the man's voice, beginning to choke. Despite this, he continued the story and concealed his aching heart for his son's sake.

"But the knight did not feel the same way. He was cruel and only cared about returning back to the war. So he left once he felt better, leaving the princess heartbroken without saying goodbye. The princess thought all was lost until one day, while wandering around the woods around her castle, she discovered a small baby with golden hair. She felt sorry for the baby, so she adopted him and named him Aurum. The princess gave the baby all the love and attention he deserved." Lilia almost choked on his words, but he continued on. "She raised him as her own, loved him, and nurtured him until he became a king. And they both lived happily ever after." 

Silver stared at the faceless crowd in thought. It has been years since his father stopped telling him bedtime stories, yet the one with the princess stood out to him. His father never described her in detail, but Silver often wondered if he would ever meet a woman like her. He often had dreams of a beautiful woman who looked to be around his father's age. Still, he has yet to meet someone whose beauty can make the world stop.

"We need food, clothes, water, and new swords. Are we missing anything else…" The green-haired boy looked up at his friend (more like a brother), but his friend's eyes stared off at the crowded marketplace. "SILVER!"

Silver broke out of his train of thought and turned to his friend. "Did you need something, Sebek?"

Sebek groaned in annoyance. "You were staring off into space again. You must stop doing that so we can return to the Young Master."

Silver sighed and closed his bag. "Father can care for him just fine, but we can head back. Let me make sure I have my magical pen, and we can go."

Once they had everything, the two walked through the Briar Valley markets and back to the castle. The walk was short, yet Silver was too occupied with his thoughts. He had a feeling that something would happen today, but he did not know if it was good or bad. 

As Silver was about to exit the bustling market, a woman walked past him. Her features passed for a brief second, but Silver felt it. Sebek, who was in front of him, slowed down. The voices around him sounded like unintelligible noises. It felt like the world suddenly slowed down, and it all happened when the woman passed. 

Silver immediately turned around in search of her. His eyes caught sight of her swaying hair and pointed ears. She looked young, possibly around his father's age. Silver's feet acted before he could think. 

"Wait! Miss, wait!"

Sebek turned around only to find his friend not there. "Silver?" Sebek's eyes landed on Silver running away. "SILVER! GET BACK HERE!"

The woman turned around to the noise to see a silver-haired boy heading her way, followed by a green-haired boy screaming at him. Her eyes stared at the familiar uniform. It was an updated one from the one she knew, but it still had the same colors as Briar Valley. Suddenly, the silver-haired one started pointing at her. 

"Miss! I need to talk to you!"

The woman immediately ran off in hopes of losing them. Meanwhile, Sebek had finally caught up to Silver. 

"Silver! Why are you chasing that woman?"

"Remember those stories Father would tell us? Specifically, the one with the princess? That's her!"

Sebek looked at Silver like he was crazy. "How would you know that? We could be chasing an innocent woman?"

"She had similar features to the princess, and the world slowed down when I saw her. Trust me, Sebke. It's her."

Sebek looked at Silver with a conflicted look. They should return to the castle, but what were the odds that it was the same woman. Even Sebek had moments where he wanted to meet her. 

The woman moved fast, using her fae abilities to her advantage. What felt like hours was actually minutes of running, and she was heading toward a large crowd. It would be a matter of time before she lost them. 

"We need to do something!" Silver yelled to Sebek. The green-haired boy had a determined look.  

"I have no choice but to do this." Sebek took a deep breath. "DO YOU KNOW LILIA VANROUGE?" The woman and everyone else stopped moving and turned to them. She stood there stunned, giving Silver and Sebek enough time to catch up to her. Even up close, her beauty was maximized by ten. 

The woman's eyes widened briefly before going to a neutral expression. "Was he looking for me?" she replied, causing Sebek to groan. 

"You didn't answer my question!"

Silver sighed before looking at the woman. "I apologize for my friend, Miss. It is a long story, but Lilia often talks about you."

The woman's eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. "You're lying. He would never talk about me like that."

Silver turned to Sebek and noticed the big crowd watching them like it was a drama his father liked. The two nodded after a few moments of silence. 

"I think it's best to discuss this over tea. How about we go back to the castle?"

The woman glanced around her, a hint of reluctance on her face, before nodding. 

---

The three sat in Malleus' study with Sebek preparing the tea. The woman stared at the room in awe.

"The King must have traveled a lot," she whispered as she stared at the many pennant flags decorating the walls. 

"They were gifts from Master Lilia to the Young Master, Yuu. The Young Master treasures them." Sebek proudly said as he set down her teacup.

Yuu thanked him and drank from her cup. She set it down and looked at Silver. "So let me make sure I understand this. You are Lilia's adopted son, and you-" her gaze turned to Sebek, "-are Baul's grandson. Lilia would tell you two stories where I was a princess, and you think it's me? How would you know?"

"He always talked about how beautiful you were and how it would look like time would slow down when you walk by." Silver explained, causing Yuu to blush. 

"I think he was exaggerating." 

"No!" Silver exclaimed, "It felt like the world stopped moving when we passed you in the market earlier."

Yuu's mouth opened in shock, "I see…What else did he say in that story?"

"He mentioned how you met a cruel knight, fell in love with him, and he left you heartbroken. The story ends with you adopting a child."

Yuu chuckled and leaned back, her eyes gazing at the ceiling painting. "Did you know that's how I met your father? It was a long time ago, he was a general, and I was naive. I thought he would reciprocate my feelings, but I was lying to myself the whole time. That story sounds like the life I wanted when I met him."

Sebek awkwardly drank his own tea and remained quiet. He had heard stories from his grandfather about how the mischievous Lilia they knew now was very different from years ago. Meanwhile, Silver slammed his hands on the table.

"Father may have been like that before, but he is not now! Also, I was too young to understand then, but he would always stumble and tear up when he told me the story. He may not say it, but I know he regrets what he did."

Yuu smiled sadly. "Thank you for that, Silver; those are the words I wished I heard years ago."

"Then you should stay so you can see him!"

Yuu shook her head. "I don't know if I should. I should be heading out soon before it gets dark. I'm visiting the Scalding Sands and hear it is lovely this time of year." Yuu brushed off imaginary dust off her clothes and started standing up. 

Silver and Sebek stood up like they had a burst of energy. They jumped toward Yuu and pushed her back down. 

"NO!"

"WAIT!"

Yuu became slightly annoyed. "What are you two going on about?"

"What is going on here?" A deep voice asked as he entered the study. Everyone froze, and their eyes turned to the newcomer. 

"Lilia?" Yuu said as she stared at him. He looked handsome, but she still saw small remnants of the cold man she met before. Her eyes were wide, just like Lilia's, and her heart tensed up from seeing him. 

"Yuu?" Lilia whispered with fondness that startled Yuu. She still looked as beautiful as he remembered, and he felt an invisible pull towards her like an enchanted spindle. Neither of them moved and stared in silence until Silver cleared his throat.

"Father, I'm sure that you remember Yuu. If you would excuse Sebek and me, we must help Malleus." He quickly said as he grabbed Sebek's arm and dragged him out. 

"Right! We must see the Young Master to help him!" The two boys immediately closed the door, leaving Yuu and Lilia alone. What Malleus needed help with? They may never know. 

Yuu cleared her throat. "You know it's been a while since I've seen you, Lilia. You definitely changed." She made no move to leave the room, causing Lilia to give in to the invisible pull. 

Lilia chuckled and sat down next to Yuu. "Don't I still look youthful?" He grinned mischievously.

“Don’t push it. I’m surprised you haven’t broken your back yet.” Yuu smirked, causing Lilia to gasp. 

"My youthful appearance has made it through the years! Besides, who else was supposed to watch over Malleus during his youth?"

Yuu laughed at the thought. She felt her heart relax as they quickly made conversation like they were old friends seeing each other. "I guess it makes sense. I heard the King was quite the handful as a kid."

"Yes, but he grew out of it...most of it. He had a wonderful young caretaker to watch over him." 

Yuu rolled her eyes and smiled. "Don't push it now. You may have cut your hair and dyed it pink instead of red, but there is more than that. You look happier and not like you're ready to murder someone. You even have a son. A human son, for the matter. The Lilia I knew before would never want to be near one, much less adopt one."

Lilia smiled proudly, his eyes briefly glancing at the door Silver had just left from with fondness. "Well, things happened, and I met Silver. He is my pride and joy, after all. I taught him everything and he has been a fantastic retainer for Malleus."

"I can tell. You raised him well. Did you know that he was the one who found me in the market? He even told me you tell him stories about me as a princess. I could not believe it myself." Yuu chuckled, but Lilia remained silent. 

"Lilia?"

Lilia looked at Yuu with a serious expression. The atmosphere felt slightly tense as Yuu knew it was time to address the elephant in the room. Suddenly, Lilia got down on both knees in front of Yuu and held her hands. He gently caressed her fingers with his thumbs. 

"You know, I tried to find you after the war ended. My mind was so focused on it that I did not realize what I did to you until it was over. I even returned to your house to beg for forgiveness, but you were gone." He looked up at Yuu. "Did you leave because of me?"

Yuu slowly nodded and looked down at Lilia's hands. "That was part of the reason. That house may have brought me painful memories, but I always wanted to explore the world. Your leaving gave me an excuse to do it. Despite that, I learned so much about myself from it."

"I'm happy for you, Yuu. I tried to look out for you years after, and then I met Malleus and Silver. You can see what happened next…" Lilia trailed off before continuing. "Yuu, I am so sorry for the damage I've done. If I could travel back in time, then I would. I would be the fae that you deserved back then. I was slow to realize it, but I love you and always have."

Yuu felt tears form in her eyes. "Lilia…" The former stoic man rested his forehead on her knees and began to cry. 

"So please, if you could give me a chance, I will stay by your side for as long as you want. If not, then I understand. I will respect your wishes." 

Yuu sighed, causing Lilia to look up and for their eyes to meet. "I still have plans to travel, but I have an idea. I will think about it, and when I come back, if you are still waiting for me, we can talk again and go from there." 

Lilia nodded with hope in his eyes. He moved to sit on one knee, grabbed Yuu's left hand, and kissed her knuckles. When Lilia's lips touched her skin, Yuu felt a spark flow through her body. It was a familiar feeling, and she had missed it. 

"I, former general Lilia Vanrouge, swear to wait for you, Yuu, for as long as you need until you tell me to go or death do us part."

Yuu interlocked their fingers together as a sign of comfort between them. 

"I, Yuu, promise to give you, Lilia Vanrouge, my answer when I return." Her eyes shifted to meet Lilia's red ones. "Maybe I will let you propose to me properly."

Lilia smiled with all the love he had for her. "Take all the time that you need."

With those words, both knew the future would be bright. 

---

Later

Silver, Sebek, Malleus, and Yuu sat together, silently eating dinner until Silver addressed the other elephant in the room. 

"So, Yuu, can you cook?" 

Yuu's eyes lit up in excitement. "Yes, I can! I picked up a few things during my travels, so say the word, and I'll make it." Yuu smiled, causing Silver, Sebek, and Malleus to tear up. The three ran to her and pulled her in a big group hug while crying tears of joy. 

"Thank you!" They cried in relief. Meanwhile, Lilia watched them from afar with a smile. 

"What a lovely family."

"Mommy, can you read me another bedtime story?"

Yuu laughed as she tucked her daughter under the blankets. "Another one, Aurie? I already told you many."

"Please! My little brother wants to hear one too!" Aurie pleaded. Her big red eyes shined with forming tears, and she put on her best pout. Yuu sighed, giving in to her daughter's cuteness. 

"Okay. One more, and that's it. I don't want you to fall asleep when your father and brother return tomorrow. You know that they will be excited to see you."

Aurie smiled proudly and nodded, her hair swishing up and down. "I promise, Mommy."

Yuu smiled and ruffled Aurie's silky hair. "Now, what story do you want?"

"Can you tell me the story of the beautiful princess who fell in love with the handsome knight? I like that one."

"Alright, young lady." Yuu sat beside her daughter and let Aurie rest beside her as best as possible with her 30-week baby bump. "Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess. One day, while out in the village, she met a knight who was in love with her from afar for years…."

A/N: Aurie means "the golden one" and comes from the Latin word aurum aka gold. It's also used as a short form for the name Aurora :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[b4nka1]

my favorite animated men and random things they do when jealous and want to grab your attention!

warnings: suggestive content (mentions of smut), misogyny, toji being nice, jjk manga spoilers. not proofread.

— FUSHIGURO TOJI : he would pout as you were busy with your office work. sure, you did love him, but your work was your priority for now. he would slowly walk into your room, standing behind you as you worked. he'd start massaging your shoulders, and within seconds, your eyes closed and body relaxed. "mmh, just right, baby..." you whispered to toji, you was still carefully and gently massaging your shoulders.

"if you gave me a tad bit more attention, i'd make you feel far far better, princess..."

— RYOMEN SUKUNA : he grumbled in annoyance when you paid no attention to him. the king of curses wanted to be mad but couldn't because you were so happy playing with the new puppy he'd gotten for you. you were laughing and giggling as the puppy kept whining and climbing over you. he got the most jealous when you kissed the puppy on its yucky, disgusting mouth, according to him. within seconds, he took the puppy from your hands and put the puppy back in his crate. he turned back towards you, picking you up and dragging you to the bathroom to make you brush your teeth.

"why'd you kiss that puppy on its disgusting mouth? now i can't kiss you without feeling disgusted."

— GOJO SATORU : he was pretty much annoyed at the fact that you were paying more attention to the three freshers than him. he scowled at megumi, who was getting more interest from your end. he was beyond irritated at this point. he sure was jealous but didn't admit it, not even to himself.bhe had to butt in, of course. his possessive ass simply couldn't handle the fact that you're quite nice and friendly. he stomped over to you, with a tiny pout on his face and his brows furrowed together.

"they're my students, but i hate the attention you're giving them."

— KUROSAKI ICHIGO : isn't exactly the type to get jealous, but he is very possessive. whenever he notices another man, especially abarai renji talking to you, he would ever so casually walk over to you, wrapping an arm around your waist. he'd indulge himself in the conversation, laughing and nodding with whatever was going on. his arms would then creep down your back slowly as the conversation proceeded. he'd ever so subtly squeeze your butt and act as if nothing happened after he did so. when renji notices, he takes a leave and waved goodbye to you. you turn to ichigo and scold him for doing so.

"what? i'm just squeezing what belongs to me, you don't get to scold me on that."

— GETO SUGURU (villain era, you're not on his side) : he is a calm and collected man. but when he notices you and satoru being too close physically, practically invading each other's personal space, a smile and a bulging vein of anger on his forehead is prominent on his face. he silently swore to get you fucked raw before the war broke out. mimiko immediately notices this and huffs, "why don't you already go claim what's yours?" she snorts, going back to doing something on her phone.

"well, she will suffer. so what if we drifted apart? who is she to move on from me? she's still mine."

— NANAMI KENTO : he had been working overtime and came home late. to make matters worse, he found you on a long ass call with one of your guy friends, who used to like you. dismissing the jealousy, he took a shower and ate the dinner you prepared for him. and to make matters even worse, you were laughing at something he told you about. he was clearly frustrated and irritated, and of course, jealous of your little guy friend. when he had enough, he snatched the phone from you, putting it to his ear,

"either you end the call or hear me fuck her dumb and make her scream my name."

— ZARAKI KENPACHI : despite his rough and tough demeanor, poor guy also gets jealous of you spending time with ikkaku and yumichika. he tries his best not to show it as a kenpachi but fails when yachiru notices it. "ken-chan, don't worry, i gor your back!" she giggled happily. she searched around the seireitei and finally found you casually hanging out with yumichika. she walked over to you and held your hand. you raised your brows in surprise when she tugged you to the direction of the squad 11 barracks. she pushed you into zaraki's room, closing it behind her. zaraki sighed, hugging your waist.

"sorry, i kinda felt...jealous but didn't show it because of my status...i'll buy yachiru some treats for helping me."

— ABARAI RENJI : has his zanpakuto ready in its shikai state when you were found talking to ichigo. he angrily stomped over before byakuya stopped him. "they're just friends." he told renji and ordered him to sheathe his zanpakuto. renji grumbled and followed his order, stomping towards you, with a small pout on his face. he kept on giving ichigo glares until he took the signal and left.

"next time i see that piece of shit, i'm making him watch me pound into you."

— ZENIN NAOYA : oh boy, this misogynistic bastard wasn't ready to accept the fact that he was being jealous because his stupidly handsome cousin toji was being nice to you, complete contrast of how naoya usually treats you. toji helped you in the kitchen, he helped you with cleaning and helped you do the laundry. but naoya lost it when toji's arm wrapped around you instinctively as you were about to slip and fall. naoya grumbled, waiting until toji was out of sight. he pulled you by your kimono to his room, slamming you ruthlessly into the bed.

"that bastard crossed the line. might as well show him who this pretty but useless wife belongs to."

— KINJI HAKARI : is chill on the outside but the anger is bubbling within him inside as he watched your yoga instructor from afar being too touchy with you. his let out a low growl when he placed a hand on your hip and squeezed the skin. hakari had enough when the yoga instructor smirked and placed a hand on your inner thigh to "fix your posture," rubbing it sensually. you were too innocent to notice that. in a flash, hakari punched him square on the nose, stomping on the scum's face before leaving with you.

"he doesn't know.who he's messing with. we are finding you a new instructor. this one's gonna be fed to the curses."

— KAMO CHOSO : is a VERY pouty baby. yuji was his brother, yes, but that didn't mean you spend the whole day with him when you met him for the first time. it almost felt as though you and yuji were a couple and choso was the third wheel. after the whole day passed by, you and.choso went back to your shared apartment. he immediately went into the bedroom, snuggling under the xxovers and crying into the pillows. when you went into the bedroom, you noticed what's happening and frowned, rubbing his back and asking him what happened.

"i-i felt so left out today, bub... i-i know yuji is my brother b-but i needed you a-attention..."

— HIGURUMA HIROMI : he sighs once he comes back home after a long day. he put his bag on the coffee table in the living room before going into the kitchen, finding you there with your 2 month old baby, putting her to sleep. higuruma pouted as he wanted you all to himself tonight, but your baby had different plans. it took you great effort to rock her to sleep, eventually putting her in a crib and walking back into the living room, hugging him tightly. he returned the long hug, sighing in content and rubbing your back.

"didn't know i'd be so envious of our own princess, baby..."⁹

–

hope yall like it!

[cobrakaisb]

humid summer

summary: summer rolls around, and for the first time in two years you find yourself outside the borders of camp half-blood but how long can you keep pretending to be a normal cruise guest on the princess andromeda?

featuring: BOOK SPOILERS (from here on out), multiple povs (reader, percy, and annabeth), plus more of reader and annabeth’s relationship, oh also angst

word count: 2.7k

series masterlist ||| previous ||| next

the summer heat combined with the florida humidity is stifling. you feel like you’re boiling in a pot of soup, as opposed to lounging on the pool deck of a cruise ship. even the ocean breeze does little to quell the heat. you almost feel bad for the other demigods — who you know are training on a deck somewhere on the princess andromeda — but you can’t bring yourself to that point. not when you, chris, and katrina offered for them to ditch too. 

“how long do you plan on tanning for?” someone asks, and you recognize the voice as your boyfriend’s.

“until the sun goes down,” you answer, holding a hand up to your forehead as you give him a once over. 

it is obvious that he hasn’t been training, not in khaki pants and a light blue polo, but he still has his sword hanging from a sheath around his waist. his arms are crossed over his chest, and he shoots you a disapproving glare. yet, all you can focus on are his muscles.

“you’re gonna get a farmer's tan, dude,” chris jeers, eliciting snickers from you and katrina.

“oh you’d like that wouldn’t you?” katrina teases, elbowing your side as you get up from your lounger and walk towards luke. 

you lift up your shades, pushing them to the top of your head and smile softly at him. you’re trying your best to be apologetic, or at least seem apologetic, but you’re sure it isn’t working. your eyes flicker across luke’s supposedly serious gaze, but you can see the humor swirling in his eyes. 

“you’re not mad are you? we were really just taking a break,” you explain, a soft pout on your lips to try and sell your story. 

luke raises an eyebrow along with the corner of his mouth, and while you know he doesn’t believe you, he doesn’t provide a lecture or try to contradict your words. it’s clear to all the demigods on the princess andromeda that while you’ve aligned yourself with them — with his cause — your loyalties lie in the palm of his hands, a sentiment which isn’t lost on luke either. he has the ability to cradle it or squash it like a bug. there is no inbetween. yet, he continues to push his luck. 

even now as you laugh poolside with chris and katrina with his firm hand resting on your hip, he knows that you’d slip away from him if you knew what was going on in the brig. if you knew who was there and what he’d done to lure them right into his clutches, you’d flee. 

he clears his throat, demanding your attention. only when all three pairs of eyes are on him does he muster up the courage to actually be a leader: “i better see the three of you at training later, otherwise you can kiss those free nights goodbye.”

luke squeezes your hip once more before departing, walking back down the hallway he originally came from.  

*****

the continuous rocking back and forth is starting to get to percy. with each sway of the large cruise ship, he can feel the insides of his stomach turning. the sounds of the waves crashing against the strong hull should be calming, soothing even, yet they only increase his feelings of nausea. 

“don’t tell me you’re seasick, seaweed brain?” annabeth snaps, but there is a hint of sympathy behind her cold words. 

“ugh as if,” he answers, but promptly squints his eyes after a particularly large jolt.

“i knew this was too good to be true,” he mumbles, leaning his sweaty forehead against the cool metal bars in hope of some relief. 

“it wouldn’t be if you’d just accepted my offer. it’d make things a lot easier for the both of us,” another voice chimes in. 

percy opens his eyes, immediately reaching for the ballpoint pen residing in his pocket. he can’t help but stare at the older boy, the person he once called a friend, with nothing but resentment and hatred. luke is leaning casually against the wall across from their holding cell. his arms are crossed, sword sheathed, and he looks like he has all the time in the world. there even seems to be a flicker of annoyance in his brown eyes. 

“we both know things could be much easier. right percy?” luke continues, but he doesn’t make any moves or even reach for his sword. 

“what are you doing here?” percy asks, mustering up enough strength to stand from the floor of their cell. 

luke chuckles, shaking his head back and forth with a small tsk. “c’mon percy, you’re smarter than that. i bet even annabeth has this figured out. isn’t that right banana?” 

“don’t call me that,” annabeth growls, fists clenched at her sides. 

percy watches their interaction, an intense stare down. he’s only even seen luke partake in one, and he remembers how luke was the first to recede. you’re the only person who luke allowed to bully him into getting your way, and annabeth must remember that as well as she turns away from the boy she once called a brother. percy looks at annabeth, asking her a silent question, but she doesn’t even acknowledge him, simply keeping her gaze locked on a questionable stain on the floor. 

“hmm, guess not. makes this even more entertaining,” luke says, stepping away from the wall and towards their cell. 

percy doesn’t hesitate this time, swiftly lifting the cap off his pen with the flick of his thumb. his sword appears in his hands, and he grips the hilt so tightly that his knuckles turn white. 

luke holds his hands up in surrender, “no need for violence, percy. i haven’t even gotten a chance to speak yet.” 

“really? cause you’ve been doing all the talking,” percy snaps, his eyes never leaving luke’s figure as he searches for any impending danger. 

luke chuckles again, but it’s humorless. his eyes turn back to percy lacking any and all warmth. with a clenched jaw, luke looks him up and down. percy feels his breath hitch in his throat; he remembers all too well the last time he fought luke. he also remembers that he has more training under his belt than he did a year ago. 

“i’ll be honest with you percy, because i think we owe that to each other. i know my dad sent you here, hoping you’d convince me to change my mind, but it’s not going to work. we both know that,” luke starts. 

“you, on the other hand, still have time to join me. percy, join us and all will be forgiven,” he finishes, extending his hand to percy. 

percy stares at it, and without a second thought spits at the older boy.

luke grimaces, wiping the saliva on his white linen shirt. “well then.” 

he turns to walk away, leaving the two teens and their cyclops companion behind, but he stops suddenly. his black curls bounce as he whips his head around over his shoulder, brown eyes meeting annabeth’s watery gaze: “i’ve done a lot of things, banana, but associating with a cyclops isn’t one of them.” and then he’s gone. 

*****

the training room is already packed when you and katrina arrive. although a majority of the space is taken up by demigods, you can see some monsters hanging around the outskirts of the crowd. their presence is looming, much like their size, and you nervously adjust the bowstring strapped around your upper body. it feels like it’s choking you, a sensation only amplified by the lump in your throat. try as you might, you can’t seem to swallow it down, and it only worsens as other demigods focus their attention on you. while katrina leads you through the crowd towards chris, their whispers echo in your ears. it’s giving you deja vu. 

you blink, and you’re back at camp half-blood. the dining pavilion is silent as you walk behind luke, weaving in and out of tables to get to cabin eleven’s. they’re trying to be subtle, quiet even, but their voices are much louder than intended. not to mention, all their eyes are on you, making it fairly obvious who their target is. a young girl turns to her friend, whispering something in her ear while making direct eye contact with you. you hear every word. 

“and she gets to skip morning training for a pool day. like how is that fair?” an auburn haired girl whispers not-so-quietly to her friend. 

your gaze snaps towards her, lip curled in a sneer. her blue eyes widen when they meet your anger-filled irises. she takes in a shaky breath followed by a cautious step back. after giving her a once over, you recognize her as holland, a fifteen year old daughter of athena. 

luke’s hand grips your shoulder roughly, pulling you along before the situation can escalate despite your incessant protests that you can handle yourself and this girl. he’s not here to do that this time though.

“remind me again, holland, how many bullseyes you’ve hit? oh that’s right, none because you can’t even keep the arrows in the quiver, much less on target,” you ridicule. 

her eyes gloss over and bottom lip trembles, yet she still manages a comeback: “i’m just confused as to why luke’s girlfriend gets special privileges.” 

the silence in the room is loud. everyone was already eavesdropping, but now it’s blatantly clear; you can hear a pin drop. your nostrils flare at her words, and you straighten your spine. scanning over the crowd of demigods and monsters alike, all their eyes ask the same question: what’s your next move? 

“is that what you all think?” you ask rhetorically. 

“well, let’s put those theories to rest,” you continue, marching to the front of the room. 

silently, and with hundreds of eyes watching, you remove your bow from your shoulders. the quiver filled with a dozen arrows brushes against your right thigh as you remove one. the wooden shaft is light and pliable in your hands; if you weren’t so determined to make holland eat her words it’d probably be snapped in half. you load the arrow, inhaling as you pull back the string. on the exhale, you release; a perfect bullseye. 

“let’s see if i can beat holland’s record,” you taunt, already loading up for your second shot on the second target. 

it’s bullseye after bullseye, and the silence in the room only gets heavier with each shot. finally, you run out of arrows and targets. you turn on your heel, facing the crowd. it’s arrogant, but you bend over into a deep bow with your eyes focused on holland’s blue ones. 

“once you can do that, holland, you can skip morning training too,” and with that, you walk out the door. 

you barely make it three steps before someone stops you. it’s luke; you can tell by the way he holds your bicep, firm yet delicate, and the rough calluses on his palm. you shrug, easily wiggling out of his grasp. his eyes are burning a hole in your head, but you refuse to meet his gaze, keeping yours locked on the vast horizon. 

“what was that?” he asks, voice gruff. 

“your army is getting cocky. someone had to put them in check,” you snap, crossing your arms now. 

he scoffs, stepping beside you with his body turned so that he’s looking at you. he waits patiently for you to acknowledge him, but you don’t. the waves rippling out on the ocean are much more entertaining. 

“maybe they know they’re on the winning side,” he replies, voice oozing confidence. 

you’re silent. 

“and i think you need to remember that too,” he continues, walking away. 

“really? cause it feels a lot like camp. if i wanted to be judged, i would’ve just stayed there. i thought my boyfriend, camp half-blood’s golden boy, would understand,” you say. 

luke freezes, but he doesn’t turn around. “then go back there,” he mumbles, opening the door to the training room. 

you blink, registering his monotone voice and hurtful words. maybe i will, you think.

and yet, you still end up falling asleep next to him that night. whispering apologies to each other in between kisses and tangled limbs. 

*****   

percy promised himself that he would never see the princess andromeda again. turns out promises are meant to be broken. he thinks you might be starting to realize that too. 

“and poisoning thalia’s tree was just the beginning,” luke confirms, standing across from percy. 

sword at the ready, percy waits for luke to make the first move. his eyes flicker over to you, and he’s stunned by your confused expression. it’s clear that luke is the mastermind here, but percy always assumed it was more of a co-parenting situation with heavy emphasis on your involvement in the child’s — luke’s plans to restore the golden age — life. it appears, however, that he was wrong. 

“thwarted again luke. the golden fleece is already on its way back to camp. i guess clarisse can be good for something,” percy taunts, but he’s just buying time.

annabeth already has an iris message queued up, broadcasting his conversation with luke to the entirety of camp half-blood. percy’s sure that he’s never beating those seaweed brain allegations, not when he’s so obviously struggling to bait luke. yet, the older brunette clenches his jaw at percy’s words, anger flashing in his eyes. 

“kronos was right. i should’ve killed you when i had the chance,” luke yells, before going on offense. 

percy throws a quick, albeit sloppy, parry. luke grunts, and percy thinks that playing dodgeball with joe bob and his laistrygonian siblings at meriwether college prep really paid off. for one, it definitely made him stronger. and two, he was able to deal with all the chaos of the party ponies around him, much like he was able to win that final dodgeball game. 

in between percy fighting off luke, and the ponies demolishing anything in their sight, annabeth and grover get cornered. percy can see them, backs literally against a wall, as a hellhound growls in annabeth’s face. it’s not afraid of her dagger, and grover’s pipes aren’t doing anything to help the situation. percy turns, ready to jump in and leave his side quest with luke behind, (he’s sure there will be other opportunities), but he doesn’t need to. 

*****

you know it’s wrong. somebody from kronos’s army should not be protecting the so-called enemy, but you can’t help it. annabeth is the little sister you never had, and even if she doesn’t see you in that light anymore, you refuse to stand by and watch her get hurt. 

you whistle, and the hellhound fixes its beady red eyes on you. it probably expects you to run or cower in fear, but it only takes one swipe of your knife to turn him to golden ash. now, there’s nothing standing between the three of you. 

annabeth steps forward, her gray eyes cold and calculating as she tries to determine your ulterior motive. you never once break her stare, even though your chest is heaving, and you feel like passing out from all the new information you received today. 

“i swear i had no idea,” you say, voice breathless. 

annabeth’s gaze softens slightly, and you only know that because you know her so well. you can’t imagine that she believes you; you wouldn’t believe yourself. yet, there are only three people who have seen your true colors, the person buried underneath the mask of hera’s daughter, and annabeth is one of them. unlike grover, annabeth can detect the hurt in your voice. she sees the disappointment in your eyes, and that proves she can trust you. 

“leave with the ponies. i’ll make sure he doesn’t follow you,” you instruct. 

on her nod, you turn away, heading back into the craziness of the party ponies to stop a red boxing glove from punching out ethan nakamura. she pats grover’s shoulder, leading him towards a less congested area, and waits for their chance to slip out. 

true to your word, luke doesn’t follow them home.

taglist: @percabethlvr @iwantahockeyhimbo@hottiewifeyyyy @loveryoushouldcomeoverr @maraschinocherry3 @used2beeeeee @harrysnovia @cami-is-reading @mxtokko @cxcilla @obxstiles @dracoslovergirl @vanessa-rafesgirl @l1a-pjosversion @vikimontethegirlblogger

[breeyn]

An essay rebutting the “bad writing” claims of s2 ofmd. Spoilers herein.

I’ll preface this with saying you’re obviously allowed to like and dislike whatever you want. I am in no way opposing that. And your reasons are your reasons. Have at. (Also - this is a collection of observations from the past few days, I’m not calling anyone out)

I AM going to rebut the idea that season two was poorly written and lost the spirit of what the show is about.

My favourite movie of all time is Empire Strikes Back. It’s been my favourite movie since I was four. I’m pretty sure it’s a fave of David Jenkins, too. He and Taika have made absolutely no attempt to hide their love of all things 80’s - Prince, the Princess Bride, Kate Bush, Star Wars, etc.

I have ancient video tapes (that I can’t play because who has a vcr) where Lucas is interviewed by Leonard Maltin? Malkin? I dunno. Who cares. Maltin asks him about the Star Wars (original trilogy) story arc. Lucas says “in act I, you introduce all the characters. In act II, you put them in a situation they can’t get out of, and in act III, they get out of it.”

That’s how it works. This is how stories and literary structures work.

Of course you’re not satisfied with season two. You’re not supposed to be.

The arguments I have read on why s2 loses the spirit of s1 is because no one heals. No one learns anything. No one moves forward properly. The person who makes the biggest move towards healing dies. The two main characters end the show doing the exact fucking thing they had promised themselves and each other they wouldn’t do. Our romantic lead still doesn’t understand his value or make any headway on addressing his tragic flaw. It makes no goddamn sense.

My gremlins in weird: it’s not supposed to. In Act 2, EVERYONE LOSES. This is how it goes.

I’ve read a lot of people saying “but this felt like a series finale, not a season finale.” We all know that outside politics play a part here, the strikes make everything precarious. I remember the last writers strike. It destroyed tv for fifteen years. Anyone remember Pushing Daisies? Some of y’all have never had your fave show cancelled with zero resolution for the characters and it shows.

Daddy J did us a kindness. He softened the blow of a tough season. After the brutal cliffhanger of s1, he gave us a little softness and hope. All those things you’re mad aren’t resolved? It’s because THE STORY ISN’T OVER.

No one on earth thinks “stuff all your trauma into a box and ignore it” is good advice. A way to actually live. This show did not have enough screen time to throw out dialogue for no reason. There was foreshadowing in s1 for s2, and there is foreshadowing for s3 in s2. This is a well-crafted story by very smart people who care very much for these characters. There is zero chance Frenchie explained the box in his head for no reason. The reason people have not resolved their trauma and growth is because they haven’t done it *yet*.

And friends - it’s not thinly veiled. They straight up fucking tell us what they’re doing.

Luke Skywalker spends the first two movies fucking up and desperately trying to prove himself and just generally being an idiot. Sound familiar? He ignores the lessons he is supposed to be learning to go off and do what he feels like doing, and loses fucking badly. At the end of Empire, Han is gone, Luke and Leia wave goodbye to the Falcon that has Lando and Chewy - the rest of their crew - aboard. Everyone has lost everything they care about. Vader is undefeated. Yoda is pissed. Nothing is resolved.

You see where I’m going?

If you think I’m stretching this too far, welp, when Ed tells Stede he loves him - the climax of the finale - Stede quotes Han fucking Solo. Like - *it’s right there*. The story structure. The reason everything is unresolved.

So yeah. They wave goodbye to their ship because they have wounds to heal (like Luke’s hand). The people aboard the ship have things to find. Ed and Stede have *not* learned their lesson about whims and how not to be like Anne and Mary. It’s not stupid that they’re doing the same thing, and it’s not pointless that we were shown Anne and Mary. It’s all relevant.

The resolution comes in Act 3. None of these people are done. The story is far, far from over. And just in case the studios want to be dicks about it, David Jenkins was lovely enough to not repeat my enduring heartbreak over Pushing Daisies.

Thank you, @davidjenks 🖤

[ultimateshixiongfuckertournament]

Noncanonicals Tournament FINAL

This final is between Han Ying from Word of Honor (shizun/mentor: Zhou Zishu) and Fang Duobing from Mysterious Lotus Casebook (shizun/mentor: Li Xiangyi / Li Lianhua)

Propaganda under the cut! (Warning: Propaganda may include spoilers about the characters and their media)

Han Ying:

He idolized and was mentored by Zhou Zishu to the point of recruiting other young martial artists to revive ZZS’s dying sect and willing to die live happily ever after for it.

#han ying wants to fuck zhou zishu SO BAD#han ying#shizunfucker tournament

#my sweet ying'er wants to fuck zzs so bad he's gagging for it

#HAN YING HANDS DOWN#would have licked his boots if he asked

#han ying wanted nothing more than to officially become zzs's student/part of his sect#it was literally his dying wish that his brothers in arms may get to do that#he says several times in the show to zzs's very face that he's 100% down for dying for him#he swears allegiance EXCLUSIVELY to zzs and not the prince they're all serving#he comes up with bangers like 'if there is anything you need I will lay down my life with no regret'#'if you were gone one day how could I live alone'#'a loyal servant wouldn't have two masters in his life'#he sneaks into zzs's abandoned residence and homoerotically-#-strokes the painting of a flower that symbolizes a) zzs himself b) zzs's grief for being the lone survivor of his sect#and he wanted to join siji so so badly#it was his life's dream and he died IN siji but before getting to have that 😭#listen he makes me insane#anyway they should have fucked sloppy style and zzs would have had an out of body experience if hy called him shizun#my final thesis goodbye

#it's HAN YING#you could power entire nations with the power of that yearning

#han ying saw zhou zishu and IMMEDIATELY dropped to his knees are you joking#wen kexing immediately clocked him

#ying'er my sweet prince#he wants the dick so badly

Fang Duobing:

Fang Duobing has most definitely had several fantasies of being dommed by his shifu Li Xiangyi! He is also equally invested in marrying Li Lianhua - travelling the jianghu, going on rooftop moonlit dates, incorporating looking after him forever and ever into his general future plans. This is even before he knows that Li Lianhua and Li Xiangyi are the same person. Oh there are Layers to the shizunfucking. Where's that post about being so devoted to someone that it breaks the pedestal they're put on and comes full circle to loving them for the person they are? (its here: https://www.tumblr.com/difeisheng/733133489565745152/the-core-of-fanghua-is-built-around-fang-duobings) When they finally do get to know each other 10 years later, after Li Xiangyi's identity is found out, Fang Duobing insists on being equals rather than master-and-disciple! Li lianhua is Fang Duobing’s guide in the Jianghu! He leaves his house, dog and the only records of his unique martial arts to Fang Duobing before running away!! Fang Duobing’s most important agenda is to save Li Lianhua from slow death by poison!!! He doesn't care if Li Lianhua keeps leaving him behind and lying to him and is 'at peace' with dying!! They live together. They'll never be equals. They've been equals all along. They're zhiji. They're master and disciple. they're married. They're everything.

#this man wanted to fuck his shizun under two whole ass different identities#this man was given one million choices between his shizun and his entire cushy rich boi life and did not sweat the decision even once#this man was engaged to a princess - who was COOL - and went “no thanks i’d rather follow shizun around in a fantasy china airstream’

#this cannot not be fang duobing let's be serious#polls#he's been drawing hearts around his shizun's name since age 8

#Fang Duobing going through it for what he thinks is two different people but is just one guy#so he gets my vote easy

#pls he is head employee at shizunfucker.co

[m3-kk]

TCF NOVEL SPOILERS- My TCF notes

Hmmm it’s been a minute since I posted any of my TCF notes about the chapters.. so here ya go! THIS US PART 2 SHAWTYS!!

Ch. 1- YESSS CHAPTER 1!! Not the Kings Palace going kaboom 😶 Cale needs to rest!!! Slacker chan!!!

Ch. 5- AHHHHHHHHHH LEE SOO HYUKKKKKKKK LETSS GOOOOO! BLACK HAWKK OOO

Ch. 6- His name is now Sui Khan 😮

Ch. 7- 🍪 Cookiess! So we have to travel different dimensions now? Cale needs a break 😭😭

Ch. 8- World with the white mages = Xiaolen Planet

Ch.9- YAY DIVINE ITEM MIRROR LAPTOP THINGY! We are definitely going to like the other worlds people evil smirk 😏

Ch. 10- HAH CALE HUNG UP ON DUKE FREDO LOL! Sooo Cale is a god. 😀

Ch. 12- Dead mana is purer AND Cale’s power is more efficient here? Interesting..

Ch. 13- Hey we have a spare world tree!

Ch. 15- Mary is registering as a candidate to be a necromancer empress GO MARY!

Ch. 16- AW HER FAKE NAME IS “Heni Wishrop” HENI STANDS FOR HENITUSE!

Everyone thinks our Mary is powerful hehe!

Ch. 21- Working with Zero & the 4th Prince for the Harmony test :D

Ch. 22- OOooo Black Rain 🌧️

Ch. 24- Now we actually need to kill those hunters. How dare they lay a finger on our family. Let’s flip them over immediately.

Ch. 25- Yay! Hong & On <3 Let’s go to the infected area! 2nd Princess?

Ch. 26- the 2nd imperial princess has been converted to Caleism hah m! Tree-bush monster ye fire, destruction, protection!

Ch. 27- Are you human? HAHAH CALEE

Ch. 28- That Marquis guy is smart. Cale really is acting like a purifier so funny!

Ch. 31- Blood Message! How scary!

Ch. 34- Attacking the bad guys >:]

Ch. 36- BURNNNNNNN 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Ch. 37- 50% power to get 2,500% as a result! SO EFFICIENTTTT WEEEEEE

Ch. 38- THE HUNTER WHO HUNTS HUNTERS! GO CALE SO POWERFUL HA!

Ch. 39- Cale.. not everyone is a super powerful ultimate other worldly being like you! I feel bad for Goldie Gramps 😭

Ch. 40- In Prison with the fam 😜

Ch. 41- We are going to loot!! Goldie Gramps is angry and that dragon is timid but crazy. I love our family! CHAOS LOVE

Ch. 42- DESTROY THE ESTATE MWAHAH

Ch. 43- So sad that we couldn’t loot 😭🥲

Ch. 44- Ooo Opening the safe 💰

Ch. 54- ooo revealing us to the empire?

Ch. 58- Choking? Reminds me of Adin

Ch. 63- HAH I KNEW IT THE FAKE WT IS STAYING YOOO

Ch. 64- INFOOO! Not the Patriarch blowing up that’s crazy! We could’ve gotten so much more info! But oh well! Five Colors ooo!

Ch. 65- HAHAH THE GOD OF DEATH IN THE GROUP CHAT HAHAH I LOVE HIMM HEHHEHE (I love this chapter)

Ch. 66- AWWW Chatting with fire of Purification in puppy form!

Ch. 67- This is so cute I’m glad we get a lil’ rest just chatting with the nice puppy ❤️ I love!!!

Ch. 69- Almost the end of this arc!

Ch. 71- HOME WITH THE MONEYYYYY

Ch. 73- Ron, Beacrox! I missed uuuu!

Ch. 75- Aw the Henituse Fam! Billos!

Ch. 76- You get a mine, you get a mine. EVERYONE GETSA MINE!!

Ch. 78- YOU HAVE BEEN PROMOTED YOU ARE NOW ONE OF MY ELITE EMPLOYEES!

Ch. 79- @CP we have a mommy on our side? Mummy’s boy emperor as well???

Ch. 81- CENTRAL PLAINS?! The sworn brother goodbye was cute.

Ch. 83- We meet CP’s clone?? Cutie??

Ch. 85- The disrespect! They can’t pronounce our Cale Henituse’s name!

Ch. 86- NEW NAMES LETSGOOO

Ch. 90- YOO we got a golden plaque!

Ch. 91- Cale ignores Toonka but not Roan!

Ch. 93- We found the living jiangshi!

Ch. 94- enlightenment is crazy****

Ch. 97- Talking with the Sword Sainttt

Ch. 100- Purification! Chapter 100!

Ch. 101- One word, blood. SHITTTTT NOO

Ch. 102- AWKWARD! Yay Choi Jung SOO

Ch. 106- LET HIM EATTTT

Ch. 108- So many ally’s yay !!!!

Ch. 112- We. Are. Going. To. EATT! (a elixir)

Ch. 113- 70% shield 53% water

Ch. 116- The Alliance leader is being bitchy SHOW EM’ WHOSE BOSS! (Roan misses Alberu)

Ch. 118- Don’t hurt our Cale! Please!

Ch. 119- Aw I love when Choi Han & Beacrox talk together about family

Ch. 121- Ah the god ole trash bastard days

Ch. 123- Green Forest Bastards try and mess with us?! Angry Cale! >:(

Ch. 124- OO Cale is the BOSS MAN

Ch. 127- 68% then 72% of fire!!

Ch. 128- Pfft Caleism has a poem now lol.

Ch. 129- HUHH Big complicated lore??

Ch. 131- WOAHH The Heavenly Demon is a smart cookie fr fr wow intelligent!

Ch. 135- The Left Guard is so cute awe

Ch. 136- Oh no the Heavenly Demon ain’t doing so good :[

Ch. 137- Helping out the HD again. Spy?

Ch. 139- Aw Choi Family spars. I love it

Ch. 141- HD is being healed yay

Ch. 142- I was so concerned about Cale the whole time! Bloody Battle

Ch. 146- (I hope everyone at home is ok)

Ch. 151- TALKING WITH ALBERU YAYAYAY

Ch. 152- Pinnacle Demon is poison crazy

Ch. 153- We going to destroy things now?

Ch. 154- YAY DESTRUCTION DESTROY

Ch. 155- FINALLY FLIP THINGS OVER KYA

Ch. 157- OO WATER AP FOUND SOMETHIN

Ch. 158- OMG DRAGON LORE?? YAHOO

Ch. 159- “Raon’s lackey” I got the chills!

Ch. 160- OOOooo I’m hooked! Dragons<3

Ch. 162- Oh DAMN! We got a mf jackpot! Water is 300 percent stronger than the OG. No blood shed! Dragons are great!

Ch. 163- HAHA LOOTING ANCIENT STUFF

Ch. 165- Scale+Crown+Crown=Red Crown

Ch. 169- Shit is going down! TSUNAMI!

Ch. 171- How dare she think to threaten us, she shall die by Choi Hans sword.

Ch. 176- Old man Baek describes Cale’s world and “reads” him

Ch. 183- I love that we can run wild!! 😜

Ch. 185- THE PRIESTESS the youngest daughter of Orsena!

Ch. 186- The Dominantung Aura

Ch. 187- Our little Han got stronger (I’m so fucking proud of him 🥲)

Ch. 188- We killed her.. Last words?

Ch. 189- The Formation Collapsed!

Ch. 190- Raon’s MC moment. (Cute bond)

Ch. 191- Using water AP to Max! Or not?

Ch. 192- the Punto Banhui and Tears💧

Ch. 195- You got games on your phone?

Ch. 196- Everyone wants Cale to be a god

Ch. 199- WE LEFT!!! NOW WE ARE HOMEE

Ch. 200- Awww so cute at Alberu’s casa

Ch. 201- That actually so funny 🤣

Ch. 202- Zoom Call with Ahn Roh Man talking about gamess. Similarities?

Ch. 206- Aw it been a bit since we chilled

Ch. 209- Speech ruined! (So every time Cale has to do a speech it’s interrupted)

[floor10ghost]

Slay the Princess and Identity

Note that I've only obtained one of the endings (and I mean proper credit roll endings) and according to the achievement I got it was not the good ending, as good as it felt.

In any case, major spoilers ahead.

Through all of the choices you are given in the game there is one important one that you aren't, one that ties you inextricably to the princess. The princess never for a moment gets to choose who she is - you're told that she'll destroy the world, and thus she is moulded into that. Everything about her from the moment you lay eyes on her is decided by *you*. Demon, goddess, damsel - she never chooses for herself.

And you are a hero. This is a label you cannot reject for a moment. And more come along - depending on the actions you take you're given the voice of a contrarian, a skeptic, a stubborn bastard - but these are voices you can't reject. Not until this cycle ends. Your slate is only wiped clean when hers is.

The end of the game has another label forced on you both - god. Another reality handed to you that you have no say in.

My ending had me sitting with the princess as I took her hand and led her away from godhood, as it was something neither of us wanted.

The voice of the hero said goodbye and let us go, an identity I didn't share shed from my back

And I took her hand and we left to be ourselves on our own terms.

That's one of the major themes I picked up from the game, we're moulded by the labels that are forced onto us, as with every iteration of the princess - but these can be rejected. The kindest reality is one where you decide who you are.

[weirdly-specific-but-ok]

pardon me good sir, but uh... my friends are officially rationing my acess to gomens content (they claim they are trying to prevent spoilers but I think they simply hate me now) Sir, please, I am begging you. What is (are)? the final fifteen? Are they the remaining fifteen of the death tournament? ALSO THEY KISS??? IF THEY KISS SHOULDN'T THAT BE GOOD?? WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THEY KISS TO RESULT IN SUCH AN EMOTIONAL REACTION FROM THE FANS??? WHO HURT MY BLORBOS??????????

Don't worry anon maggot! Your friends want the pain to hit unexpectedly, but I've got you! Let me tell you about the final fifteen so you are completely prepared. The only person more well versed in the final fifteen than I am is Neil himself, but he's a busy man, so I'm overseeing the spoiler department.

We find out that your uh blorbos are not who we thought they were. "Aziraphale" as we knew him in the first season is gone to start a chinchilla farm in Glasgow with the descendant of Elspeth, who it turned out was a long-lost fae princess.

The Aziraphale we see in season 2 is not he, it is a marsh-dwelling shapeshifter by the name of Dottie. Dottie, you see, is engaged in a decades-long feud with the British finance ministry, and in an effort to overthrow them, she took Aziraphale's form and began her residence in London.

Crowley meanwhile is off having a century-long nap because the 21st century got simply too tiresome, poor bloke. He asked a demon Sadie to take his place lest Hell get suspicious, and owing him a debt, she did. But [MAJOR GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 SPOILER ALERT] Sadie and Dottie in a shocking twist of events fall in love. But the marsh-dwelling shapeshifters have come to find Dottie and suddenly no one knows who the real Dottie is.

The final fifteen is in fact a callback to Cinderella's ending. One by one through rigorous tests, Sadie, desperate to find her love, eliminates the other shapeshifters, narrowing them down to just fifteen contestants.

The final fifteen.

Does she find Dottie? Well really my good chap I can't spoon feed you everything you will have to watch the show. In life, sometimes kisses are quiet, gentle and romantic. And sometimes they are rough, masochistic and desperate. Sometimes kisses are a please stay, and sometimes they are a goodbye. Will Sadie and Dottie find each other against all odds? Or will they have to make peace with knowing this is goodbye?

You'll have to wait and see. Watch Good Omens 2, now streaming on Amazon Prime, to find out.

[kaymarie-bell]

Diasomnia Book, Chapter 5 Spoilers (and mini translations)

edit: [part 2]

‼️ LONG POST ‼️

Baul reports that the castle is currently surrounded by Henrik, the Knight of Dawn and their troops. They cannot use teleportation magic because they're injured so they must walk all the way there + Lilia is currently not a match for the Knight. Meleanor must stay strong by herself

Baul does not want our group to come along since it's a battle of Fae vs Humans, but Silver says that race doesn't matter and we want to fight for what's right

They find a pair of cooks who give the group food and mention that Silver really looks like "him"

Silver is on his Disney princess era, he's using his ability to talk to animals to help them get to the castle/distract the guards

KNIGHT OF DAWN REVEAL (he's Silver's ancestor 100%)

Silver's ring/necklace started to shine right after we got to see the Knight

Man that Henrik is really ugly

This mf's entire reason to wage war against the Fae is just to take Meleanor's magical orb for his collection??? and to steal her egg??? the Knight is clearly against this but he cannot refuse to fight due to his own circumstances

WE FINALLY GET TO THE CASTLE

Malleus' mother is named Meleanor (we get a confirmation of the spelling from the name of the location)

SHE'S SINGING A LULLABY BEFORE WE SEE HER (yes it's the same song Malleus sings in the overblot scene I wanna kms)

she's gorgeous omg

Meleanor is really mad at Lilia (?) and throws lighting at him and everyone else

Aye we get egg Malleus reveal

Meleanor already calls him Malleus because she was sure he was going to be a boy because of motherly instincts (😭)

Silver and Sebek experience microagressions from the Fae pt. ??? (Meleanor made them kneel before her once she saw their ears)

Meleanor decided to confront the troops by herself

just fell to my knees. hold on

She gives her egg to Lilia and orders them to flee somewhere safe

Lilia protests and Meleanor keeps on throwing lighting at him. Silver steps in to protect Lilia. Lilia scolds him but then Silver begs them to stop fighting because they're doing it only out of concern for the other

Baul and Sebek are surprised by him. Baul asks Meleanor to listen to his words

Lilia: I can't hatch this egg by myself! Dragons can only be hatched with magic and affection from their parents. It only works with true love

I don't understand parental love. I don't know what it is like to love someone.

Meleanor: You love me, don't you? Or were you lying when you proposed to me when we were young?

You love Levan too. The time you two have spent together side by side as generals is even longer than a married couple.

How can you not love a child of our blood?

Meleanor forces everyone away from the castle while saying her goodbyes to Lilia and Malleus

Lilia tries to get back to her but Baul stops him and tells him that as guards they must obey the commands given by the Draconias, or else be punished by lighting. Lilia says it doesn't matter, he will quit the squad and he's already used to the lighting.

Baul says that the egg he's holding is the King who will carry the future of the valley. They must escape. They have to trust that Meleanor is strong enough to win and get back to them, and keep their focus on protecting the egg.

Lilia finally agrees and we keep on moving

The writers are so evil. We get a confrontation of Meleanor vs the Knight of Dawn

Meleanor's battle against the troops is basically the scene of Maleficent vs Prince Philip in the movie (she's in her dragon form). Meleanor's magic attributes are the same as Malleus's dorm SSR btw (fell to my knees)

we're currently escaping via underground passage that's collapsing due to the battle

suddenly the Knight of Dawn appeared. He was blown all the way there by Meleanor's magic

the Knight recognized Lilia's general mask immediately and realized that the egg he's holding must be the Prince and Lilia takes a fighting stance

Baul steps in to fight but the ceiling collapsed, burying Lilia and Malleus under the debris. Silver panics but then an aurora-like light appears. The Knight used his magic to save Lilia and the egg

the Knight shows concern for the egg and Lilia asks him why he saved them. the Knight is speechless

the Knight's mask breaks. He looks just like Silver but with long blond hair. Everyone is shocked

there's two lights comming from them, it's originating from their ring/necklace (they both have identical ones). The Knight says he was given his by his fairy godmother (?) and it was one of a kind. He demands to know who Silver is.

Silver cannot get any words out. We hear a roar and the Knight says there's no time for talking, Henrik is after the egg so they must keep on running quickly

Baul is offended by "being pitied by their enemy" but Lilia says to forget about it and keep moving

Silver is still in shock and remembers the conversation he had with Lilia when he gave him his ring (about how he had it on when he was found)

oh no my son is straight up having a panic attack and crying his heart out. He cannot accept that his own flesh could have done this to Lilia and Malleus. We see the beginning of another overblot...

Sebek is screaming for Silver to stay strong. He tells Lilia and Baul to keep going and that we will catch up later. Silver is our responsibility as his friends.

Yuu gets dragged into darkness, Silver's negative emotions???

Silver is having a lot of negative thoughts, wondering if Sebek hates him now...how will he ever face Malleus again...thinking that maybe if he stays in the dream he won't have to show up in front of them...he wants to stay in the dark...(we have to literally fight his demons away 😭)

Silver is crying. Suddenly we hear a baby. And a familiar voice...

[Abandoned castle, covered in thorns]

Lilia: I'm coming back here again...it must have been 300...no, 400 years already.

We finally signed a peace treaty with the neighboring nations. I was able to return to this place.

It's been a long time since the last time I came here. It took quite a while. Truly.

Silver: This voice...father?

Lilia: The castle of the Wild Roses is abandoned, and it is said that you will get cursed if you step a foot in.

Silver: Father...can't he see me? Could this be part of the scenery in Father's mind, or...?

*cries from a baby*

Lilia: a baby's crying? Is it coming from the throne room? I should go see

[Throne room, covered in thorns]

Lilia: A baby? And what's more, it's a human! Why are you here?

[CG of baby Silver. He has blond hair and a shining ring/necklace]

Lilia: ! this ring...

Silver: This baby! Could it be...? My hair color is different, but those eyes and that ring...

Lilia: Hair golden like the sun, and that ring...It cannot be...the Knight of Dawn's...?

No, it isn't possible. Soon after the castle fell into Henrik's hands, there was another dispute over land and resources.

In that confusion, the Knight and his wife Leah...*sigh*

Cradle, will you show me your memory for a moment?

Far Cry Cradle [To the cradle in the distance!]

Silver: That spell...it's my Father's unique magic.

He can play the memories engraved on "things" for a little bit.

Red Fairy: The enemy is around the corner!

His Royal Highness, who was once titled the Knight of Dawn, has perished. The fall of the castle is just around the corner.

The "Land of Swords" has met its end.

Our dearest Queen Leah, please hurry up and run! We will protect the Prince.

Blue Fairy: Come now, my Prince. You will sleep sweetly for a while, until this sad battle is over.

Green Fairy: It's okay. This ring will strengthen our magic. He will remain in this form, dreaming happily ever after until the spell is broken. Whether it is 10 years, or 100 years.

Blue Fairy: Well then...

When someone who truly loves the prince comes along...this spell will be broken and he will wake up from his slumber.

Red Fairy: Yes, I'm sure of it. In a world without war, in a world of peace...

[Back to Lilia's memory]

Lilia:...I see.

Your parents and guardian fairies protected you from the flames of destruction.

Have you been waiting in this cradle for someone who truly loves you to come along, since the day the country collapsed?

But as time passed, the magic of the guardian fairies must have broken down.

*baby crying*

...the child of the Knight of Dawn...a revenge for Levan and Meleanor's...

Right now...with these hands...

*Silver gasps, the baby wails*

Lilia:...I couldn't face Malleus again if I did that.

If I tell him to love mankind and walk with his neighbors...then I must do the same.

And...I would have lost even Malleus if the Knight of Dawn hadn't granted me mercy that day.

Can this "me" ever love a human being?

Silver: Please stop, Father! -I'm not worthy of being loved by you!

*baby cries*

Silver: STOP IT! STOP CRYING! YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO CRY!

Lilia: There there, don't you cry anymore. I'm surprised that such a small body has been able to endure such loneliness for so long. Good boy, let's go.

Huff, you're heavier than I expected.

I remember the day the Malleus hatched. It seems like it was only yesterday.

Fairies and humans alike wish for their own children to live, even at the cost of their own lives, I suppose.

*baby cries*

Child of the Dawn, today is the birthday of the new master. Therefore, I shall give you my blessing!

Blessing of the night.

[the baby's hair changes from gold to silver]

Silver:..O-oh...my hair...

Lilia: His hair changed color!

Perhaps the Knight of Dawn's hair, which shone like sunlight, was due to the blessing of his servants of the day.

Your hair seems to have been lit by the light of the moon, with the blessing of the night's servants.

That's alright. A person with golden hair would stand out a bit in the Valley of Thorns.

*baby yawns*

Lilia: Hahah. Are you tired from crying all these years?

Now, your name is- hmm? It doesn't seem to be written anywhere on the cradle or the ring...

Hmm...let's see...moonlight...silver...Okay, I've decided.

Silver. From today on, your name is Silver.

The moon illuminates the dark night. Like so, its silver light will illuminate your path.

Despite Lilia adopting him as his son while knowing who his biological father was, Silver still feels guilty about his origins

Okay so I chose one of the spaces where you can heal your cards, and got some lines from Lilia. He's wondering what do human babies eat in order to grow, and remembers that Baul's son-in-law is a human, so he decides to ask for his help (the music changes from dramatic and gloomy to bright and cheerful, it made me tear up)

A new location appears, it is the house in the forest where Lilia raised Silver. Lilia is singing the same lullaby Meleanor sang to Malleus.

Malleus knocks on Lilia's door, he wants to see the baby he has taken in since the fairies in the forest have been talking about it. Lilia tells him to be quiet because he has just gone to sleep.

Malleus calls the baby a naked monkey-like creature and asks what is it (😭). Lilia says he's the baby from the rumors and says he looks lovely.

Malleus:...lovely? that thing? (😭😭😭)

Lilia is like "oh you came at a good time, I have to go shopping so please watch him for me for a bit, okay?" and Malleus is like "huh? This? me?"

Lilia is trying to figure out what "powdered milk" is because that's what his book says he should feed the baby. He has to go to a human store to get it. (Fairies eat flowers' nectar???)

Malleus does not want to stay on his own because he's afraid he'll break the "little creature" if he touches him. Lilia assures him that it'll be okay, he just has to sing a lullaby and the baby will fall asleep even if he's crying.

Lmao Lilia left and baby Silver woke up crying immediately. Malleus is stressed because the baby is noisy and he can't think of any song...but then remembers that he does know one at least one (he sings the song again 😭). Silver fell asleep and Malleus wishes Lilia to hurry up and return.

Malleus doesn't even remember where he heard that lullaby. He thinks it might have been from one of his nannies. The Silver of the present cries when he hears that.

There's snippets of Silver's upbringing throughout this part. Lilia and Malleus were present when he stood up on two legs for the first time (Malleus says it would take about 30 years for a fairy...it took him 20, and he was considered fast). Lilia says that at this rate Silver will be all grown up in the blink of an eye.

Lilia is reading a story, and Silver says his first word

Baby Silver: dada

Lilia: What? I am not your father....

Baby Silver: dada!

Lilia: Well...should I just wait until you understand things better before I tell you?

Well then...yes, I am [your father].

Baby Silver: *laughs*

Another conversation between Lilia and Malleus. Malleus asks where did he find a human baby, Lilia just says he found him during a walk in the forest and tells him to not pay any mind to it. Malleus says that he didn't have to raise him just because he found him, it would've been good to leave the baby with the humans.

Lilia:...your father Levan uses to say this: We fairies need to get to know humans better, and humans need to get to know fairies.

Levan was the one who took the initiative to learn a language in common with humans and also to teach it to other fae.

Silver is a way for Lilia to learn to love humans. Malleus asks him what if he can't get to love them, Lilia says not to jump ahead since there's a lot of time.

Lilia: it says here that they can only eat milk and mashed vegetables

Malleus: if that's what the human book says then that's okay. We're fairies so we shouldn't go against it.

Lilia: but you've been eating meat and fish since you were little

Malleus: But I am a dragon, not some weak human

Lilia: They cry when they are hungry, and sleep when they are full. Babies are similar, it doesn't matter whether dragons or humans.

Malleus:...ha.

Lilia: Oh, you ate the whole plate. Good boy, Silver! Was it good?

That's it, eat a lot and sleep well so you can grow up to be a big boy!

But don't you get tired of the same taste everyday? Next time, I'll try a little more variety-

Should we add meat of a rat to the soup? It's said to be nutritious. Or maybe the powder of a black newt?

Malleus:...don't do that. I'll have food for the baby brought from the castle regularly.

I'm a little nervous about leaving it all to you.

Lilia: Oh? You used to hate humans. What brought such a change of heart?

Malleus: If this baby gets weak, you'll be sad. Isn't that right?

Lilia:...you're such a sweetheart, Malleus.

Silver: Father...Lord Malleus...I...

[blot monster appears]

Silver:...you keep showing up again and again. Go away.

Another battle

Another memory. Young Silver is shouting for Lilia to come see what he has. Silver made a bracelet out of acorns, it is the same one Lilia still has among the things he keeps in his room.

Lilia praises him for being a genius at picking up acorns, and Silver tells him he had help from his animal friends. Silver tells him is for him.

Silver: You know, I heard that if you carry an acorn amulet, you will live a long and healthy life.

The oak tree fairies taught me that.

Be healthy all the time. And we will be together forever.

Lilia:...you will pray for my long life?

You, who are a human....

Silver: What? What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?

Lilia:...it's nothing. Come here.

Silver: Daddy, it hurts if you squeeze me that hard.

Lilia: It's the best gift ever.

With this charm, I feel like I'll be able to live another thousand years. Thank you.

Silver: Heheh. I love you, daddy

Lilia: So do I, Silver

The current Silver remembers finding that bracelet while cleaning up Lilia's dorm room, he had forgotten it was a gift from him. Lilia had said it was the most precious gift he had ever received, a gift that even Malleus envied.

Silver says that something like that couldn't be worth much. He cries.

The next memory is the day Silver found out he was adopted. He was so shocked he ran out of the house while it rained.

Lilia says that he thought Silver would've figured it out by now, but then he retracts the statement and says he was the one who kept it to himself. He didn't have the courage to tell the truth and see Silver's sad face. Lilia runs into the rain while calling out for Silver.

The current Silver still cannot fathom that Lilia could truly love him while knowing he's the son of the Knight.

Silver says he's tired and cannot keep on going. He apologizes to Lilia and Malleus for not being able to accomplish his dream of being a knight. Then a voice speaks up...

It is general!Lilia, and he calls Silver "Knight of Dawn"

Silver goes to deny it's him, but then his appearance changes and the one with long blond hair and armor is him. General Lilia accuses him of taking away Levan and Meleanor. Silver calls him father, and Lilia tells him to not call him that.

Battle, General Lilia vs Knight of Dawn Silver.

Silver begs Lilia to stop since he doesn't want to fight him, he tells Lilia he will dissappear and never show up in front of him again. Lilia refuses to listen.

Lilia gains the upper hand and he's ready to strike Silver down, but then he starts to change into the blot monster. Silver realizes this is a nightmare, but he's very tired and cannot fight against the darkness any longer.

Lilia's voice tells him to stand up. He tells him that it's not a problem to run away from an enemy, or use cowardly tricks to get away. What matters the most is to not give up on living. So, stand up Silver!

Silver is not sure if the voice is real or just a convenient thing his mind made up. He's unsure of what to do...

[the story continues but I've been here since 1 am, it is currently 8 am ☠️]

some comments/observations so far:

- the lullaby wrecks me every time. The first time we heard it was very chilling because it was during Malleus' overblot, but then seeing Meleanor -> Lilia -> Malleus again...it just makes me sadder and sadder

- Lilia lost the only two people he had ever loved at the same time (😭)

- I hope we get to see more of RSA since the whole "Land of Swords" seems to be related to its origins...

- I kinda called it with Silver being a prince of sorts...I do not feel happy about this, he's in so much pain because of his origins

- I think the scene where Lilia finds Silver dealt me even more damage than Idia and Ortho's backstory in chapter 6. You guys have to listen to it fr. The baby crying? Silver shouting that he has no right to cry while crying himself? Lilia gently soothing the baby at that point feels like it was also meant for grown up Silver.

- Every memory we see of Lilia it's full of the love he chose to have for Silver and it breaks my heart that Silver still cannot allow himself to be loved. I also loved seeing Malleus there.

- I'm calling it now, the spell the fairies put on Silver is the reason he still falls sleep randomly. It hasn't been broken completely because he feels doubts about the love Lilia has for him, but Lilia will finally manage to make him see the light and Silver will be free.

- I also would love for the acorn bracelet to end up being the cure for whatever it is Lilia has. With the power of love everything is possible and all that.

- With all this going on I haven't even thought about what Malleus must be doing in the "real world" rip ☠️

[pells-beautiful-wife]

Pell x fem!reader

We need more pell fics istg

Warnings: death, angst, lots of tears, Comfort, spoilers,

The explosion left the Palace silent. Infact the whole of Alubarna was silent as the grave.

But your insides were a screaming raging sea.

It couldn't have been him it must have been a different zoan type, but how likely was that.

You started running towards the clock tower.

He wouldn't die, he promised.

Running up the stairs two at a time you finally reached the top.

"VIVI!" You screamed out she was at the edge of the tower hand clamped over her mouth sobbing.

She turned slowly eyes widening as she saw you.

"Vivi please tell me, tell me it wasn't him!" You collapsed to your knees. "TELL ME IT WASNT PELL!"

"I'm sorry!" She cried back.

She said something after that but you didn't hear.

You would happily return to that raging sea of un-knowing. You wanted to cry and scream.

But you just felt numb.

You no longer felt the pain of your aching calves or even the throbbing of the stray bullet in your shoulder.

"Did- did he save everyone?" Your tears finally overflowed like your own words had snapped you back to reality. "Please vivi, tell me his death meant something?"

"IT DID! PELL SAVED US ALL!" Your heart throbbed in your chest.

He broke his promise. He died, but it meant the kingdom was safe, it meant you were safe.

You stood back up and dragged yourself over to were vivi was kneeling plonking yourself down next to her.

"I'm glad," you choked out.

The city was a mess, it hurt to see it damaged let alone like this. From the rooftops.

***

The straw hats that had brought vivi back were staying in the Palace. Or more specifically with vivi.

Of course you partied and joked with them. It helped you forget. In the end you all became friends but with there inevitable departure nearing, you dwelled on your loss more frequently.

"I was looking for you!" Called out a deep voice behind you.

"Oh, commander chaka."

"Well it's lieutenant again now," chaka rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh yes, it is a great thing that Igarams back, and vivis made so many new friends."

"Yes, actually it hasn't gone unnoticed that you, along with Princess vivi, have become good friends with the straw hats, his majesty has requested you join us all in celebrating our victory," said chaka.

"Celebrating?" You furrowed your brow.

"Is there a problem?" Chaka asked.

"Have you forgotten our losses? Forgotten how many people died out there?" Your insides boiled dangerously.

"Listen, I know you and Pell were close but-"

"CLOSE??? CHAKA ARE YOU BLIND??" People began to watch as you let all your anger boil out of you.

"I'm sorry?"

"YOU HEARD ME!!! PELL WAS MY EVERYTHING!!! and I watched him get blown to smithereens right before my eyes!" Tears stung your eyes as you tried to keep it together. "I couldn't even say goodbye, I couldn't hold him in his last seconds, I COULDN'T EVEN HOLD HIS CORPSE!!!" You collapsed to the ground sobs racking your body.

The only sound was that of your sobs.

Until chaka fell into a bow.

"Pell fought bravely he-"

"Chaka," you sniffed.

"Yes?" he rose his head out of the bow.

"I- I know, he did what's best. I'm sorry I yelled at you," you wiped your tears away.

Chaka slumped slightly seeing your teary eyes. Gently he wrapped his arms around you and squeezed you tight.

"We all miss him, but he wouldn't want us to mourn," chaka mumbled.

"I know chaka," you sighed standing up. "I think ill be going to my room now."

"Of course," he bowed and you left.

***

The pirates were loud, turning the, supposed to be formal, dinner into a riot.

The captain ate like it was his last day, even going as far as to steal from others plates.

The swordsman drank like there was no tomorrow.

The navigator scolded the lot.

The sharpshooter told anyone who would listen of adventures way to good to be true.

The cook when he wasn't flirting demanded the recipe to almost every dish.

The doctor followed the captains lead, almost choked to death in the process.

And you hadn't a clue were the camel came into this.

The princess just laughed about it.

Eventually the food was gone, but instead of calming quite the opposite happened.

The sharp shooter balanced a dozen plates on his nose.

The doctor stuck chopsticks inbetween his nose and bottom lip.

And the captain began dancing whilst the crew and vivi just clapped along merrily.

The fun spread like wildfire soon the king, chakka and igaram joined in.

Even the guards added to the party.

Despite yourself, you still found a smile pulling at your lips and laughter bubbling in your throat.

You cheered and clapped and even sung with ussop and vivi.

The little doctor turned into a man and lifted you on his shoulders.

Prancing around the room with you bouncing around on top.

Until you felt yourself falling backwards suddenly.

"Woah, chopper!" You cried as he looked around seeing you fall.

Before your legs could even leave his shoulders, the captain caught you with stretched arms and a grin.

Luffys arms snapped back and you were thrust onto his shoulder your bum in the air.

"Hehe, don't worry I got you!" He beamed. All three of you laughing.

"LUFFY THATS NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY!" Sanji cried, running over and carefully lifting you down bridal style.

"Thank you sanji!" You thanked him as he put you down.

"Anything for milady!" You smiled and pecked his cheek, sending him into a love hurricane until he tripped on a chair leg and fell flat on his face.

Nami and zoro, found this hilarious of course, the bubbly drunk red head pointed at sanji with one arm a bottle in the other, whilst the swordsman beant double clutching his stomach.

The whole affair was interrupted by ussop and chopper doing a jig on the table.

You clapped with the rest until your hands stung and your eyelids drooped.

But the rest took no heed as you slumped back into your chair head falling to the side as you closed your eyes, it couldn't hurt to close them for a second.

Well a second turned into a minute and a minute turned into ten and before you knew it someone was shaking you awake.

"Hey, you wanna go bathe? Everyone's going down to the bathing rooms," vivi pointed over her shoulder to the almost deserted room.

"Yeah sure! I could do with not smelling of alcohol!" You both giggled.

***

The warm steam enveloped you like a lovers embrace as you watched vivi lather namis back in soap. The two having grown quite close over the past few days. (😏)

The other two making idle chit chat, you zoning out.

Surprisingly it wasn't pell whom you thought of. For the first time in a long while, you didn't know what to do with yourself. Although you'd spent your whole life in Alabasta you now felt no obligation to stay. Almost as if your desire to live here had died with pell.

"Hey? You good?" Nami asked his eyebrows raised.

"What?" You spluttered.

"I was just saying how it must be hard for you losing a loved one like that."

"You have no idea," you pushed your hair behind your ear.

"Actually I do, when I was really little my foster mother died," she smiled softly at you.

"Oh I'm sorry I didn't know."

"It's fine I didn't tell you,"she paused swapping positions with vivi picking up the soap. "You know, your always welcome to come sailing with us?"

You looked away from her considering her offer.

"I think I'll stay, alubarna is my home."

***

You tossed and turned on the couch.

Sleep had somehow alluded you for many hours and dawn was peaking into your living room.

You had since given up on trying to sleep in your bed as the thoughts of him kept you up all night and your pillow soaked.

Throwing the covers off, you sat up resting your head in your hands.

Rubbing your eyes you stood up fixing your pijamas before dragging yourself through to the kitchen to get a glass of water.

Taking a deep swig you pulled yourself up onto the counter letting your head fall back again at the cupboard.

Tears carved pathways down your soft cheeks.

Sshh dont cry it'll be alright,

All wounds heal even if they leave a scar.

His voice echoed through your head.

The tears grew thicker.

I won't let you fall,

I love you,

Fat tears rolled down your face and neck as your mind flashed back to another day, up in the clock tower.

And you won't drop me?

I wouldn't dream of it, just try not to pull any of my feathers out or I might be tempted

Not funny

He held up his wings apologetically.

cautiously you took a step forwards and wrapped your arms around his neck, squeezing your eyes tight shut waiting for the rush of air.

We don't have to if you don't want to?

You shook your head hard a tear leaking from your eye.

Pell transformed back into his human form, swiveling around to pull you into him.

It's ok to be scared love

are you ever scared?

Only just now, I was so scared, what if I'd dropped you? I now I wouldn't of but I was so terrified

but you take the princess all the time

Losing her would break me. But losing you would shatter my very soul,

As you sat there on the counter top, you realised that was an understatement.

Your soul wasn't simply shattered.

It was ripped from your body and torn into a million tiny pieces right before your eyes

Once your crying fit had subsided you dressed yourself and exited your home making a bee line for where you knew chakka would be.

entering through the door you saw him sitting at a fancy oak desk.

"chakka? You free?" You asked.

"hmm, well not really but come in anyway," he said placing the paper he was reading down next to a big stack. "What did you need?" He asked.

"just some company I guess," you sighed.

"you haven't been sleeping have you?" He said concerned.

"honestly no."

"nor have I, you need to understand Pell was my dearest friend, we went through everything together, until we couldn't,"

You nodded in understanding.

"I feel the one time I need him the most is when he's not there," chakka sighed and you reached out squeezing his hand.

"he was always there for all of us," you sniffled.

You sat in silence chakkas thumb drawing circles along your knuckles.

"Vivi is taking it badly I assume?"

"actually, she hasn't said a word of it," chakka grasped your hand more firmly. "People handle their grief in different ways."

"No, I think she's to enamored with her new friends," you sighed.

"the funeral is today," chakka said softly.

"I know."

"are you going?" He asked gently.

"I don't know, everyone keeps talking about closure and acceptance, chakka I don't need closure I need him," your voice broke on the last syllable and tears found there place on your cheeks.

chakka pulled you into him wrapping his arms around your waist.

"It might not seem like it right now but this gs are going to be ok."

Part two is on its way I hope you enjoyed it If you want tagged just ask the next part is happier @heliantart

[that-ari-blogger]

Family (The Coronation)

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has an earned reputation. It is a story about war, domestic and emotional abuse, healing, and redemption, all tying into one main idea. Trauma.

I genuinely cannot think of a series that handles the concept with as much depth and nuance as this. She-Ra even beats out Arcane here, in my opinion, although that is mostly through sheer force of runtime.

I’ve said before that She-Ra doesn’t go places or get good. It starts there and consolidates its ideas. Case and point, Glimmer.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power)

The episode is dedicated to setting up a new status quo for the series and a minour conflict for the setting. In the past, this was the overprotectiveness of Angella, but with her current situation, a new order is in order.

This takes the form of Glimmer not being cut out for queenly duties. She doesn’t have the bureaucratic mind or skillset. And I could mention that this is an example of the inherent flaws of monarchy. How, even without the moral component, not everyone has the interest or patience for rulership and bottling in one family to the role will eventually lead to one ruler with less aptitude for it. I could mention that. I could. But I won’t.

Anyway…

Glimmer doesn’t begin the series without a tragic backstory. The death of her father has had a significant effect on her growing up through Angella. I wouldn’t call Glimmer traumatised by this, but the information isn’t lost on her.

However, the death of a parent is something that will mess a person up, especially when it happens to you as a teenager.

And for the record, I will be referring to Angella as dead for the rest of my coverage of this series, because that’s effectively what she is. Yes, she’s trapped between dimensions and technically still alive, but functionally, she’s dead.

The unfortunate thing about life is that, if things go well, you will have to grieve a parent. But this is usually in your older years. Glimmer was at a formative age when Angella died, and the two didn’t even get a proper goodbye.

For the best example of this, the stone that embodies Angella’s legacy is eternally in view while the characters are in the castle. In every scene there is a convenient window or similar that can be put in shot whenever the director wants. You can’t always see it, but its always there.

Angella's last remnant is put on a pedestal above everything else. Her legacy is raised up and idolised as an impossible target and reminder.

But She Ra doesn’t just ask questions; it proposes an answer. Glimmer feels like she has lost her family, and everyone else would agree with her. Except she hasn’t. Not entirely.

One of my favourite little details in the series is its appropriation of TTRPG aesthetics and themes. I say TTRPG because I am the type of person who preffers the more obscure systems and wanted to be general with this analogy (Seriously, check out Mythras, it’s so much fun), but we all know exactly what is going on here. She-Ra plays with the themes inherent in a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

The episode features a ragtag group of heroes, the mage, the fighter, and the rogue, as they journey beneath a castle to retrieve a MacGuffin and subdue the temple’s guardians. Everyone has a tragic backstory except for the one character whose notable trait is that they don’t. It’s even called a quest.

So, what gives?

TTRPGs are fundamentally cooperative experiences. If you have a main character, you are playing the game wrong, and as such have a habit of forming close knit families amongst their casts of characters. The takeaway from the game should be that nobody can do anything alone.

More specifically, TTRPGs promote a nuanced understanding of support and family. It doesn’t just push you to do great things, it looks after you when things go wrong. A good family will lift you up, whether that is to the heights, or up from rock bottom.

She-Ra uses the imagery and gets the thematic rollover as a result, and it works. The moral of this episode is that Glimmer has people around her to rely on.

Angella wasn’t all that Glimmer had. She had a found family in her friends, and she still has that.

This is backed up by the subplot of the series, that being the buddy cop dynamic developing between Mermista and Perfuma and the manic OCD of Castaspella, while Frosta is… I mean she’s there, I guess.

Mermista and Perfuma are so much fun as a pair, but most of their relationship up to this point has been conflict. Mermista is deliberately obtuse while Perfuma is way too extroverted for Mermista to deal with. They have strengths and skillsets, but they cross each other’s boundaries, and need to find a middle ground. Which they do.

They discover how to work together. It’s a simple plot, but there’s room to grow.

Meanwhile, Castaspella is being narcissistic. Not in a malicious kind of way, but in a “I need things to go well and I’m the only person I trust” kind of way. Her story is about learning to back off and let others make their own decisions.

Now that I spell it out, that tracks really well with her relationship to Micah and Angella. Overbearing and distasteful of their decision making in an accidentally unempathetic way.

But I want to dwell on Castaspella for a moment, because I read her as neurodivergent. Entrapta is the posterchild for this representation and storytelling within the series, but Castaspella to me is another side of that. She has a lot of that coding in this episode, most notably is her complete inability to read a room, which, I know how that feels.

But this is never represented as a core flaw, just a quirk of her character. Castaspella is just neurodivergent, and it plays into the story, but it isn’t framed as something she has to fix in herself. Even in this episode, the thing she overcomes isn’t her hyperfixation, it's her disinclination to trust other people’s decision making. Which isn’t a trait unique to neurodivergent people at all.

It’s almost as if neurodivergent people are people and writing them as such isn’t actually that hard. BBC Sherlock, look at this and learn, you got outclassed by a side character in a He-Man spinoff.

However, there’s a difference between family and closure, and one is not a substitute for the other.

Adora spends the entirety of this episode trying to avoid the subject of Angella, which shines a light on her own coping mechanisms more than anything else, but it also takes away from the need for Glimmer to just talk through her feelings. Sometimes you have to grieve.

The twist is that Glimmer has also been avoiding the issue by avoiding recharging, and it is literally weakening her. This is magical literalism, of giving mechanics to the metaphor. So, what better to fix that by having Glimmer talk to the literalization of her mother's legacy?

The symbolism of Glimmer trying to grab her mother's hand for support and failing, only for that role to be filled by her friends is brilliant. Sometimes things don't have to be complex to be meaningful.

“Glimmer, You are walking in the footsteps of all those who have come before us. Now, my darling, it's your turn. I wish I didn't have to leave you. But I know you will be all right. Because you are Glimmer, and you are so, so strong. I have done my best to prepare you to rule, but you were always ready to lead. I am so proud of you, Glimmer. I love you.”

This isn’t closure, and the tragedy and trauma of Glimmer is that she never will get the chance for that. The hologram is a prerecorded message, but it reminds Glimmer of something important. She was loved.

Because, if this was a prerecorded message, that makes it more powerful. It means Angella got to choose her final words to her daughter, knowing that this message would be played after her own death, and she chose to end the message with love.

Also, side note, this speech deliberately separates rulership from leadership, saying that Glimmer has what it takes for one of the two, but leaving it ambiguous as to the other. This episode does that a lot, hint at Glimmers capability as a queen.

Holy moly is this a good shot. Angella is with Glimmer in spirit, hence the wings. But Glimmer is also physically raised above everyone else, finally equaling that pedestal she has put her mother on. Meanwhile, the shot creates smaller and smaller frames with Adora, then the monster, then the stairs, guiding your eye to the smallest thing in the shot, that being Glimmer. This is just really cool, and I wanted to point it out.

The speech reframes their last interaction from one of conflict to one of affection, and it lets Glimmer get out a response.

“I love you too.”

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Glimmer hasn’t said this yet in the series. She is by no means stoic, but she is awful at showing affection to people, just like the majority of the other main characters. So, this is catharsis for her, and I think that is rather special.

This episode starts the last tragic circle, the one that continues into the last season, but it starts it with the same message that it will end on.

No matter what happens, there will always be love.

Final Thoughts

And we’re back with She-Ra analysis, and I have big plans for this series. I want to reference more archetypical tragedies to show how the series plays into the tropes and subverts them, and I want to avoid Shakespeare, because my final season analysis will feature that pretty heavily. I hope. I haven’t written it yet, but we will see.

I didn’t talk about Catra in this episode, or the new character designs, and that’s because I don’t really think much of Glimmer’s new design. She looks older and more mature as she is forced to grow up and fit a new role, but there isn’t much else there. Catra meanwhile isn’t really in this episode. She climbs to power, and that’s about it. But we will get to her in time.

Next week, we will journey into The Valley Of The Lost to reenforce the idea of community and coexistence, as well as to give more development to Perfuma, which I always welcome. Stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[thecrownnetflixuk]

Fond Farewells Mark the End of an Era for The Crown.

Pt 2 of Season 6 Accedes to the Next Generation – But Reigns Most Triumphant Saluting Its Sovereign.

Review & gifs by L.L @The Crown TV

I wasn't sure what to expect from the final 6 preview episodes of The Crown. Part 1 gifted us with a season-defining performance from Elizabeth Debicki, but such intense focus on the tragedy of Diana and Dodi's deaths was heavy-going. How to move forward?

Not many TV shows stick the landing, but I believe The Crown does, mostly by putting Queen Elizabeth front and centre. In four different ways! But Part 2 takes a while to forge ahead and reign triumphant.

Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy make shy William and swotty Kate believable as a young couple who meet at university – or earlier, as per a flashback with (not Ghost!) Diana. I still found it hard to invest in their will-they-won't-they relationship (we already know they do.) 

Instead, it’s sisters Elizabeth and Margaret who have long been the emotional heart of this show; at every stage of their lives.

Former Oscar-nominee Lesley Manville (alongside Queen Imelda Staunton) is truly magnificent in Ep 8 as Princess Margaret, though it's painful watching this vibrant lady struggle as her health worsens.

Memories of the 1940's are a delight. However, I wish we'd seen more of wide-eyed teen Lilibet let loose (Viola Prettejohn) and carefree Marg (Beau Gadsdon) before older Margaret says her final goodbye.

Staunton saves her best for last, bringing dry humour, vulnerability as well as leadership to Ep 10. The 70+ min epic finale 'Sleep, Dearie Sleep' has its shaky moments, but beautifully completes Queen Elizabeth's story when it counts, bringing near-perfect closure. That alone elevates Season 6 beyond Season 5.

Warning - MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD. This is my final *EVER* review (might be extra long!)

S6 is NOW ON NETFLIX - WATCH THE EPISODES before reading.

Images: courtesy of Netflix

Starting with less good news; the first couple of episodes of Part 2 were my least favourite. Ep 5, 'Willsmania', feels transitional, and a little stuck in the past. Following his mother's death, Prince William (Ed McVey; taking over from younger actor Rufus Kampa) turns inward as he struggles to cope with public attention and grief.

It's an understandable reaction to losing a parent, but Part 1 already spent nearly half a season on Dodi and Diana. It felt like we grieved in real time. As a result, whenever the subject of Diana crops up again in Part 2, it tends to weigh down both pace and narrative.

Ep 6 brings a welcome change of topic. This being The Crown, I'm sure there are critics poised to be offended by Queen Elizabeth's nightmare about Prime Minister Tony Blair being crowned king, but to me, his 'coronation' was hilarious, as was the choir boy singing Blair's cheesy Labour pop anthem.

It felt like deliberate tongue-in-cheek humour, an absurd reminder why monarchy might still be better than populist elected leaders.

I really wanted this episode to work, but it didn't go anywhere, and themes like tradition-vs-modernity were covered more effectively in episodes such as 'Marionettes.' Bertie Carvel has Tony Blair's voice down but suffers from comparisons with Michael Sheen, who was uncanny as the Prime Minister in 3 earlier Peter Morgan projects.

^ PM Tony Blair. The Women's Institute weren't fans of his grandstanding.

The Crown: The Next Generation fully arrives during Ep's 7, 9 & 10. Some will love it. Those who prefer more historical episodes with broader scope may be disappointed, as the show follows William and Kate through University life in the early 2000's.

The newcomers do bring fresh energy to the show. It helps that they cast Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, who make a sweet couple as Will and Kate, even if William sometimes comes across as petulant.

Unlike Ed McVey as William, Luther Ford doesn't bear much physical resemblance to Prince Harry, other than red hair. Ford does however put in a good performance as Harry becomes increasingly reckless.

The Crown doesn't hide either Harry or William's bad behaviour. The brothers seem to get on well at the start, but it later seems like they're more at odds. Underneath a lot – a LOT – of boozing, both boys appear quietly screwed-up over their mother's death. Neither of them seem to enjoy playing happy families with Charles, either.

The show mostly concentrates on William and Kate, but there aren't many episodes left to develop a genuine romance. They have potential, but it feels fairly surface level. Suddenly, they rush to move into a house share together when we've barely seen them kiss. They (and we) needed more screen time to really get to know each other.

There's a bigger issue here with Kate's mother, Carole Middleton (Eve Best.) Pushy parent Carole is keen to play matchmaker between her 'commoner' daughter and the young eligible Prince, keeping tabs on William. Carole isn't as conniving, but ... didn't we just watch a similar storyline with Mohamed Al-Fayed/Dodi/Diana in Part 1?

^ Kate 'n' Will. Her Mum would frame this picture.

Ep 8 'Ritz' plays like a standalone film. Margaret's final story is touching, but upsetting, at times; I was a fan of Diana, yet sobbed as much for Margaret as the credits rolled, even though her eventual death isn't shown. In fact, her final goodbye is sensitively done and stands as a fitting tribute to the princess, as well as to the Queen.

Lesley Manville makes Margaret's predicament so real as her health slowly breaks down. She bounces back from one stroke, then another hits. How awful too for Elizabeth to watch a much-loved sister deteriorate, though it was wonderful to see Lilibet read Margaret a bedtime story. It brought out the warmer side of Staunton's Queen.

The scene where Margaret scalds her feet in the bath is genuinely horrifying. I've suffered from ill health and loss of control myself and this was so much worse. I could feel her pain. That poor woman.

Human moments are where The Crown excels; through this episode, this working-class lass from a council house could somehow relate to a Princess in a palace. Peter Morgan has surely done more to humanise the royal family than any P.R team ever could.

^ Fans of Margaret (and Lesley Manville) prepare yourselves for her sad final journey.

Onto the big reveal: when I mentioned at the start there are FOUR ways Queen Elizabeth appears – this is what I meant:-

^ Newcomer Viola Prettejohn plays teenage Princess Elizabeth.

^ & there's Olivia Colman & Claire Foy alongside older Queen Imelda Staunton.

Satisfyingly, all 3 of The Crown's leading ladies return to close the show. Olivia Colman and Claire Foy each have an additional scene, too (I won't spoil the entire finale, as it covers a lot of ground in over 70 mins, but Olivia and Claire aren't back as 'ghosts.')

As we get older, the ghosts who speak loudest are our own; the former versions of us we berate ourselves with. Not everyone may warm to the Queen (sort of) talking to herself, but personally, I was thrilled to see these talented actors on screen together.

Foy's scene with Staunton is particularly effective, as the younger Queen gives her older self an old-fashioned dutiful talking to. It's somehow also credible that they're aspects of the same person.

It reminded me of Peter Morgan’s 2013 (extraordinary) play, ‘The Audience', which inspired this series, and included scenes where Helen Mirren shared the stage with young Elizabeth. That play is also why this theatre-fan started watching The Crown to begin with, and later went on to create this website.

When Ep 10 finished playing, my Netflix returned itself to Season 1. 60 episodes over 7 years! I will miss the grand scale of The Crown, but appreciate the legacy which remains. Now feels like the right time for this story to end. A full-circle moment in more ways than one.

**Majestic thanks for reading, and to every person who has liked, reblogged, messaged, supported The Crown TV for all these years.

💎♕You each deserve a Crown of your own!♕💎**

N.B: These are my humble opinions at this point in time. No offence is intended. Agreement = lovely; not compulsory. Disagreement = happens; kindly coexist. Ta!